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Biden plans to sign a proclamation Tuesday, on the anniversary of Till's birthday, according to a White House official who spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity as the president has not formally indicated his plans. Till was a 14-year-old black boy who was shot and killed by a group of white men in Mississippi for allegedly flirting with a white woman, Carol Bryant, in 1955. His killers would tie his body to a cotton gin wheel with barbed wire to weigh his body down in the Tallahatchie River.
There are three proposed sites for the monuments, the first of which is Graball Landing, Mississippi, where Till's body was discovered. Another site will include the Tallahatchie County Second District Courthouse in Sumner, Mississippi, where Bryant's husband, Roy Bryant, and his half-brother J.W. Milam were acquitted of Till's murder. The third site will be Roberts Temple Church of God in Christ in Bronzeville, Illinois, Till's home state, where his funeral was held. At the time, his mother, Mamie Till-Mobley, opted to hold an open-casket funeral to bring attention to her son's death.
During Black History Month this year, Biden hosted a showing of Till, a film based on his mother. The showing was held in the White House East Room and preceded by remarks from the president on the importance of teaching civil rights history. This came a year after the Emmett Till Antilynching Act was unanimously passed by the Senate and also passed by the House in a 422-3 vote, suggesting a monument would be accepted well in Congress.
The legislation was the culmination of Biden's campaign speaking out against racially-motivated crimes. Ahead of the 2020 election, the then-presidential candidate spoke out against the shooting murder of Ahmaud Arbery of Georgia, who, in Biden's words, was "shot down in cold blood, essentially lynched before our very eyes, 2020 style."
In 2019, Biden would have to apologize for a comment he made during then-President Clinton's impeachment hearings, claiming they could be viewed as a “partisan lynching.” Biden admitted the word lynching "wasn't the right word to use." | Explicit |
The convicted rapist son of Welsh Frist Minister Mark Drakeford is behind bars again after he created a secret online dating username while on licence from prison.
Jay Humphries, who was jailed in 2018 after being found guilty of rape and inflicting actual bodily harm under his previous name of Jonathan Drakeford, used an unapproved profile name on a dating site, according to the BBC.
Caernarfon Magistrates Court heard that the 36-year-old used the name on the Fab Guys website, and then deleted internet browsing history from his phone.
The hearing last week was told the use of the Fab Guys account had been approved by police. But the name he chose to use, naughty 5007387, was not.
A previously agreed upon name was required as part of his use of the site so that police could monitor his activity online.
Humphries admitted both offences and is set to be sentenced on August 11.
The court heard that he claimed to have deleted his internet history by accident.
But Catherine Elvin, prosecuting, said his guilty plea suggested it had been done deliberately in a bid to 'conceal' his activity.
'Sexual harm prevention orders are put in place for a reason,' Ms Elvin said.
Defending, Gemma Morgan told the court Humphries had found it difficult to come to terms with his personal situation upon his release from prison, and having to live in approved accommodation in north Wales, away from his family.
The court also heard that he had been dealing with the death of his mother, Clare Drakeford, who died in January.
'He was suffering emotionally,' Ms Morgan said. 'He was speaking to other men on Fab Guys expressing his feelings.'
The court also heard that his feelings were compounded by learning difficulties and Autism.
Humphries had since been recalled to prison after he was arrested in Bangor, Gwynedd, in March, the court heard, following other breaches of his release on licence, which included leaving an abusive phone message for a probation officer.
In 2018, Humphries was handed an eight year and eight month sentence at Cardiff Crown Court, having being found guilty of rape and inflicting actual bodily harm, under his former name.
He also admitted to a child sexual offence after messaging a girl on Facebook who he thought was 15 years old at the time.
After Humphries's 2018 conviction, Mark Drakeford said it had been a 'distressing period' for the family.
'Our thoughts are with all those caught up in it, especially the victim', he said. | Explicit |
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NEW DELHI (AP) — India’s Parliament was disrupted for a third day Monday by opposition protests over ethnic clashes in a remote northeastern state in which more than 130 people have been killed since May.
Opposition lawmakers carried placards and chanted slogans outside the Parliament building as they demanded a statement from Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the violence in Manipur state before a debate on the issue.
Last week, Modi broke more than two months of public silence over the ethnic clashes, telling reporters that mob assaults on two women who were paraded naked were unforgivable, but he did not refer directly to the larger violence.
His comments came after a video showing the assaults sparked widespread outrage on social media despite the internet being largely blocked and journalists being locked out in the state. It shows two naked women surrounded by scores of young men who grope their genitals and drag them to a field.
The video was emblematic of the near-civil war in Manipur, where mobs have rampaged through villages and torched houses. The conflict was sparked by an affirmative action controversy in which Christian Kukis protested a demand by mostly Hindu Meiteis for a special status that would let them buy land in the hills populated by Kukis and other tribal groups and get a share of government jobs.
READ MORE: Yellen visits India again to deepen ties and tackle global economic issues
Indian Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday said the government is ready to discuss the situation in Manipur. “I request the opposition to let a discussion take place on this issue. It is important that the country gets to know the truth on this sensitive matter,” he said in the lower house of Parliament.
Both houses of Parliament were adjourned various times as the opposition stopped proceedings with their demand for a statement from Modi. Sessions were also disrupted on Thursday and Friday.
The main opposition Congress party’s president, Mallikarjun Kharge, tweeted it was Modi’s “duty to make a comprehensive statement inside the Parliament on Manipur violence.”
Violence in Manipur and the harrowing video have triggered protests across the country. On Monday, scores of people gathered in Indian-controlled Kashmir and protesters carrying placards took to the streets of the eastern city of Kolkata.
Over the weekend, nearly 15,000 people held a sit-in protest in Manipur to press for the immediate arrest of anyone involved in the assault, which occurred in May. They also called for the firing of Biren Singh, the top elected official in the state who also belongs to Modi’s party.
The state government said last week that four suspects had been arrested and that police were carrying out raids to arrest other suspects.
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UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Wednesday made a formal apology for the “horrific” historic treatment of LGBT people who served in the military when homosexuality was banned.
“The ban on LGBT people serving in our military until the year 2000 was an appalling failure of the British state, decades behind the law of this land,” Sunak told the House of Commons.
“In that period many endured the most horrific sexual abuse and violence, homophobic bullying and harassment, all while bravely serving this country,” he added.
“Today, on the behalf of the British state, I apologise.”
The prime minister said he hoped those affected would now “feel proud parts of the veteran community that has done so much to keep our country safe.”
The apology was prompted by the findings of a government-commissioned independent review of LGBT veterans who served between 1967 and 2000.
The report detailed “shocking evidence of a culture of homophobia, and of bullying, blackmail, and sexual assaults, abusive investigations into sexual orientation and sexual preference, disgraceful medical examinations, including conversion therapy.”
Report author Terence Etherton recommended that Sunak deliver an apology and that an “appropriate financial award” should be made to veterans affected by the pre-2000 ban.
Former British Army Officer Catherine Dixon, now vice-chair at LGBT charity Stonewall, called the apology “an important step to achieving justice for those LGBTQ+ people who served in HM Armed Forces and, like me, experienced shame, humiliation, and a ruined military career because of our sexuality.”
“Many were imprisoned, experienced corrective violence and lived with the stain of criminal convictions because of who they loved and which left some homeless and many unable to work,” she added.
Defence Secretary Ben Wallace told parliament that the report made for “miserable and distressing” reading and that the government had been working through the report’s recommendations.
“Today we want to say to all those ex-soldiers, sailors, and aviators, many now in retirement, you are one of us, you belong in our community and in choosing to put yourself in harm’s way for the good of your colleagues, your community and country, you have proven yourselves the best of us.” | Explicit |
The meeting comes after a specific request from UkrainianPresident Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
"The parties will convene to consult on the latest developments and discuss the transportation of Ukrainian grain across the Black Sea," she said.
It will be an ambassador-level meeting, said Lungescu.
The urgent call for the Ukraine-NATO Council meeting came in response to the situation in the Black Sea and the disruption of the crucial grain corridor, as President Zelenskyy emphasized in his July 22 video address.
Zelenskyy then held a telephone conversation with Stoltenberg.
The establishment of the Ukraine-NATO Council occurred during the NATO summit in Vilnius on July 11-12, marking a significant milestone in Ukraine-NATO relations.
Grain Agreement Suspension and Attack on Odesa: Key Details
The Kremlin announced the suspension of the "grain agreement" on July 17, previously brokered by the UN and Turkey last July. This agreement facilitated the unblocking of three Ukrainian ports for food exports.
Russia then withdrew its shipping safety guarantees under the framework of the Black Sea Grain Initiative.
Ukraine asked Turkey andthe UN to continue the "grain corridor" operations without the involvement of Russia. In retaliation, the Kremlin issuedthreats, hinting at the possibility of resuming the agreement's operation without Ukraine.
In the wake of these developments, Russia launched massive strikes on the port and grain infrastructure of Ukraine, targeting the port cities of Odesa and Mykolaiv. These attacks resulted in the destruction of civil infrastructure and the loss of civilian lives.
Notably, on the night of July 23, Russian troops inflicted a devastating blow on the historic center of Odesa, resulting in at least one fatality, 22 injuries, and significant damage to the city.
Russian dictator Vladimir Putin has expressed conditional willingness to consider a return to the "grain agreement," subject to meeting all its provisions.
Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine | Explicit |
AUCKLAND, New Zealand -- Hannah Wilkinson scored to open the second half and New Zealand went on to beat Norway 1-0 on Thursday for its first-ever win at the Women's World Cup, just hours after a shooting in downtown Auckland shocked the host nation.
A gunman stormed a high-rise construction site near Norway's team hotel and opened fire, killing two people. The gunman was found dead after a police shootout.
There was increased security at Eden Park stadium, where 42,137 — a record crowd for a soccer match in New Zealand — were on hand to cheer on the home team, co-hosts of the tournament with Australia. New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins was among those at the game.
After an opening ceremony that honored New Zealand's Indigenous heritage, there was a moment of silence for the victims of the shooting. Four people were wounded in the attack, including an police officer.
New Zealand got the nod to stage the first game, although co-host Australia's match against Ireland in Sydney started about an hour later.
The Football Ferns had played in five previous World Cups, but hadn't won a match.
Norway couldn’t finish its chances in the first half while the Ferns defended well. Ada Hegerberg’s attempt in the 37th minute was deftly defended by Rebekah Stott and the match was scoreless after the first half.
The first woman to win the prestigious Ballon d’Or award, Hegerberg has 43 goals in 77 international appearances. Currently playing professionally for Lyon, she has scored a record 59 goals in the Champions League.
Wilkinson scored in the opening moments of the second half. Jaqui Hand came up the right side and placed a perfect cross at Wilkinson’s feet for the goal. While the home crowd wildly celebrated, Norway goalkeeper Aurora Mikalson stood with her hands on her hips.
Norway won the World Cup in 1995. At the last tournament in 2019, the team fell to England in the quarterfinals. At the Women’s Euro in 2022, England routed the Norwegians 8-0. In the run-up to this game, winger Caroline Graham Hansen called the World Cup a chance to “start fresh.”
Tuva Hansen nearly scored for Norway in the 83rd but her shot hit the crossbar and caromed over the net.
The Ferns nearly doubled their lead in the 89th after a video review awarded them a penalty, but Ria Percival’s attempt hit the post.
Stoppage time stretched for more than 10 minutes before the whistle blew and New Zealand’s bench rushed the field in celebration. Ferns captain Ali Riley pounded her chest, then buried her head in her hands in happy tears.
Considered the favorites in Group A, the Norwegians went into the game 5-1-1 all-time against New Zealand, with the only loss coming in a 2019 exhibition match.
New Zealand has struggled in the run-up to the tournament on home soil, with just one win in its last 11 matches.
The two teams had met just once before at the World Cup: Norway beat the Ferns 4-0 in 1991.
UP NEXT
Group A play continues Friday with Switzerland playing the Philippines in Dunedin. New Zealand’s next match is Tuesday against the Philippines in Wellington, while Norway plays Switzerland in Hamilton. The top two teams in the group will advance to the knockout stage.
___
AP Women’s World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-womens-world-cup and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
___
AP Women’s World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-womens-world-cup and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | Explicit |
BOSTON — A former New Hampshire state lawmaker and the one-time partner of a woman charged with taking sexually explicit photos of children at the Massachusetts day care center where she worked has also been charged in the case, federal prosecutors said Tuesday.
No defense attorney was listed for Laughton in court records. She will appear in court at a later date.
Lindsay Groves, 38, of Hudson, New Hampshire, was charged last month with sexual exploitation of children and distribution of child pornography for allegedly taking nude photos of children at Creative Minds Early Learning Center in Tyngsborough, Massachusetts, and texting them to another person.
Prosecutors said Tuesday that a preliminary forensic review of Groves’ cellphone allegedly revealed more than 10,000 text messages between Laughton and Groves. The texts allegedly included discussion about, and transfer of, explicit photographs that Groves had taken of children who appear to be about 3 to 5 years old.
Groves remains in state custody in New Hampshire. An email seeking comment was left with her federal public defender.
Laughton, a Democrat, resigned from the New Hampshire House in December after being charged with stalking Groves.
Laughton in 2012 was believed to be the first transgender person elected to a state legislature. But she resigned before taking her seat after reports surfaced about her 2008 convictions for identity fraud and falsifying evidence. She successfully ran again in 2020 and was re-elected in 2022. She resigned in December after being jailed on the charges related to Groves.
The charge of sexual exploitation of children can lead to a sentence of up to 30 years in prison.
A voicemail seeking comment was left with the day care center.
Copyright © 2023 The Washington Times, LLC.
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Republicans have yet to produce any evidence of actual wrongdoing by Hunter Biden, so they let Marjorie Taylor Greene wave his nude photos around Wednesday during a House Oversight Committee hearing on his taxes.
House Republicans have for months accused the Bidens of corruption and other forms of wrongdoing, although they have yet to produce any actual evidence. They’ve recently seized on Hunter Biden’s plea deal on his taxes, which will allow him to avoid jail time. But again, during that House hearing, Republicans and their “whistleblower” witnesses failed to show any meaningful evidence of said corruption.
So instead, Greene tried to claim that Biden engaged in sex trafficking and listed payments to sex workers as a tax writeoff. As part of her argument, she held up poster-size prints of Biden’s nude photos, which were taken off his laptop.
Everyone else in the room grew visibly uncomfortable as Greene displayed photo after photo. At one point, Democrats interjected, pointing out that Greene had gone over her allotted time and warning that her actions were not appropriate. But House Oversight Chair James Comer, who has spearheaded the investigation into the Bidens, did not reprimand Greene.
Not only was Greene’s decision to wave Biden’s nudes around wildly inappropriate for a congressional hearing, but it may also have violated D.C. revenge porn law. City law prohibits knowingly disclosing one or more sexual images of an identified or identifiable person when the person in the photo did not consent to the image being shared.
This isn’t the first time Republicans have shared Hunter’s nudes, but blowing them up on a poster for a congressional hearing is a new low.
Oversight Ranking Member Jamie Raskin tore into Republicans at the beginning of the hearing, noting that the majority party had no evidence. Earlier in the day, he warned that the two witnesses had already “undermined this Republican narrative” in their own previous depositions. | Explicit |
- A recent study found that public support for using violence to "coerce" members of Congress nearly doubled from January to June.
- Support among self-identified Democrats for political violence grew by about 250%, according to the study.
- "The more there's distrust in democracy, the more that's leading to radical support for the use of force," the study's author told Insider.
Public support for the use of force against members of Congress nearly doubled from January to June of this year, according to a recent study shared with Insider.
The study, published by the University of Chicago's Project on Security and Threats (CPOST), found that as of June 26, 17% of the American public — an estimated 44 million people — supported using violence to coerce lawmakers. That's up from 9% when the survey was conducted in January.
The spike was most pronounced among self-identified Democrats: in January, 7% of Democrats supported using political violence against lawmakers, and that number climbed to 16% in June.
By contrast, the support for political violence against Congress among self-identifying Republicans increased by 50%. Overall, a higher percentage of these Republicans — 18% of all respondents — endorse the use of force against lawmakers compared to Democrats.
"When we say violence or coercion, we're using 'use of force' specifically because we know the respondents interpret that as meaning, 'even if some people are injured and killed,'" Robert Pape, a political science professor at the University of Chicago and the study's author, told Insider.
The report noted that while support for violence against members of Congress increased "across the political spectrum, the rise was sharpest among Democrats, where it grew by about 2.5 times."
It did not draw a specific causal link for the rise in support for extremism among Democrats, but noted that it coincides with "growing anger over the Republican-controlled House of Representatives and hearings that they have held painting a disparaging picture of Democrats."
Pape's report, which was published earlier this month, also clocked a significant jump over the last several months in public support for using violence to restore former President Donald Trump to power.
Specifically, the survey found roughly 4% of Americans — an estimated 12 million people — supported using violence to return Trump to office in April. By the end of June, that number spiked to an estimated 18 million Americans, about a 50% increase. The CPOST survey polled 3,543 adults between June 22 and June 26 had a 2.3% margin of error.
Pape also noted that rise in radical support for violence across the aisle is connected to "perceived corruption in our democratic institutions."
"We have credible evidence that the more there's distrust in democracy, the more that's leading to radical support for the use of force for both conservative, Republican causes and also for liberal causes," he told Insider. | Explicit |
Donald Trump on Thursday reposted a video on his Truth Social platform in which he is heard saying: “If you f**k around with us, if you do something bad to us, we are going to do things to you that have never been done before.”
The former president’s threatening words play over a black-and-white image of his face and his 2024 campaign logo.
The clip was initially shared by the user @AmericanAF, which in its bio says is the “OFFICIAL MAGA headquarters” that is “run by veterans.”
The audio is actually from a 2020 conversation the Republican 2024 frontrunner had about Iran.
Trump shared the video, without the Iran context, as he reportedly faces another indictment, this time in special counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into the U.S. Capitol riot.
The twice-impeached Trump has frequently raged at the legal scrutiny he has faced since leaving office, earlier this week claiming Smith had sent him a target letter in the probe. He called it “HORRIFYING NEWS.” | Explicit |
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Country music star Jason Aldean’s latest music video for “Try That In A Small Town,” lasted just one weekend on Country Music Television before the network pulled it in response to an outcry over its setting and lyrics.
In the video, Aldean — who has been awarded country music artist of the decade by the Academy of Country Music — performs in front of the Maury County Courthouse in Columbia, Tennessee. This is the site of the 1946 Columbia race riot and the 1927 mob lynching of an 18-year-old Black teenager named Henry Choate.
Aldean’s video, which was released last Friday, has received fervent criticism online, with some claiming the visual is a “dog whistle” and others labeling it “pro-lynching.”
Interspersed between performance footage of Aldean are news clips of violent riots and flag burning. A Fox News chyron reads: “State of emergency declared in Georgia.”
“Cuss out a cop, spit in his face / Stomp on the flag and light it up / Yeah, ya think you’re tough,” Aldean, who is from Macon, Georgia, sings. “Got a gun that my granddad gave me / They say one day they’re gonna round up / Well, that s*** might fly in the city, good luck / Try that in a small town.”
“There is not a single lyric in the song that references race or points to it – and there isn’t a single video clip that isn’t real news footage – and while I can try and respect others to have their own interpretation of a song with music — this one goes too far,” Aldean wrote in a tweet posted Tuesday.
The production company behind the video, Tacklebox, said in a statement Wednesday that it picked a “popular filming location outside of Nashville” that had been used on numerous productions, including holiday films starring Tanya Tucker and one starring Mario Lopez and Jana Kramer.
“Any alternative narrative suggesting the music video’s location decision is false,” the company said, adding that Aldean did not choose the location.
Aldean has long identified as conservative, and has been a vocal supporter of former President Donald Trump. “My political views have never been something I’ve hidden from,” he tweeted Tuesday.
The video and its subsequent removal from CMT quickly blew up into one of the periodic culture war clashes, with several conservative figures speaking out in favor of Aldean — including Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem and Colorado Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert.
This isn’t the first time Aldean has been at the center of controversy. In 2015, he made headlines for dressing as rapper Lil Wayne as a Halloween costume, wearing blackface makeup and a wig with dreadlocks.
In 2017, the country singer was on stage at the Route 91 Festival in Las Vegas during the worst mass shooting in modern U.S. history. Over the years, Aldean has given conflicting statements about his stance on U.S. gun laws, though his music celebrates gun ownership.
WATCH: Biden signs law making lynching a federal hate crime
“It’s too easy to get guns, first and foremost,” he told The Associated Press after the Las Vegas shooting. “When you can walk in somewhere and you can get one in 5 minutes, do a background check that takes 5 minutes, like how in-depth is that background check? Those are the issues I have. It’s not necessarily the guns themselves or that I don’t think people should have guns. I have a lot of them.”
“In the past 24 hours I have been accused of releasing a pro-lynching song (a song that has been out since May) and was subject to the comparison that I (direct quote) was not too pleased with the nationwide BLM protests,” Aldean said on Twitter Tuesday. “These references are not only meritless, but dangerous.”
A CMT spokesperson did not immediately respond to AP’s request for comment.
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PM accuses Labour of backing ‘deceptive’ asylum claim lawyers
Rishi Sunak has accused the Labour party of siding with lawyers found to have falsely submitted asylum claims in exchange for thousands of pounds.
An investigation by the Daily Mail revealed that multiple solicitors had agreed to help an undercover reporter posing as an economic migrant submit a fake application in exchange for £10,000.
One of the firms the newspaper targeted was Duncan Ellis Solicitors in Colliers Wood, south London, where a legal adviser named VP Lingajothy agreed to invent a back story to use in an asylum application. The story included claims of sexual torture, beatings, slave labour, false imprisonment and death threats that had led to suicidal thoughts and had compelled the applicant to flee to the UK.
Lawyers are forbidden from misleading | Explicit |
At a glance
Declan Haughney and Gareth Coakley are sentenced for attempting to withdraw the pension of a dead man after dragging his body to a post office
Haughney is sentenced to two years, while Coakley faces 18 months in prison
The pair attempted to deceive a post office in County Carlow into handing over the pension of the late Peadar Doyle, 66
- Published
Two men have been sentenced for attempting to use a dead man's body to deceive a post office and claim his pension in the Irish Republic.
Declan Haughney, 41, was sentenced to two years and 37-year-old Gareth Coakley was sentenced to 18 months in prison.
The incident occurred in Carlow town in January 2022.
On Friday the Circuit Criminal Court in Carlow was shown CCTV footage of both men dragging the lifeless body of 66-year-old Peadar Doyle, who had a hat on, from his home to the post office.
The footage also showed a member of the public, Claire Knight, stopping the two men to check on Mr Doyle after seeing him being dragged down the street from his home, Irish broadcaster RTÃ reports.
Ms Knight followed them to the post office while on her phone, calling an ambulance.
CCTV footage showed both men dragging the body into the post office and skipping the queue to the counter.
Mr Doyle is then seen lying on the floor and Haughney is seen attempting to speak to him while accusing staff of killing his uncle.
Garda (Irish police officer) Joe OâKeeffe, who was called to the post office, told the court that Haughney said to staff: "Heâs dead now. If you paid me he wouldnât be here."
Haughney attempted to withdraw the pension for a second time, the court saw in the footage.
Garda O'Keefe said Mr Doyle was declared dead by paramedics on the post office floor 40 minutes later after CPR was administered.
The court heard Haughney had attempted to withdraw the pension before the incident but was unable to as he was not a nominated agent of Mr Doyle.
Judge Eugene OâKelly said it was not possible to determine a precise time of death for Mr Doyle but both men were guilty of attempted deception.
The judge added that the two men abandoned Mr Doyle at the post office, which caused public interest in the case and caused hurt to his family, and blamed post office staff for his death rather than seeking help. | Explicit |
Conservative grifter and disgraced country musician Jason Aldean has been under the microscope for his maligned anti-protest track “Try That in a Small Town.” After a barrage of bad publicity accusing Aldean of promoting lynching and violence via the song’s lyrics and video, a TikTok user debunked Aldean’s claims that all footage in the video comes from the real American news cycle. Now, that TikToker is claiming she’s had her life threatened by Aldean’s fans in the process.
In “Try That in a Small Town,” Aldean—who is from Macon, Georgia, which boasts a population of nearly 160,000 (not much of a small town)—croaks that crimes that “might fly in the city” like carjacking, robbing a liquor store, and punching an unsuspecting pedestrian will not go unpunished in a small town. While the song was released in May, Aldean released its video just over a week ago to accusations of promoting lynching, violence against protesters, and racism. Aldean responded to the accusations on his social media platforms, claiming that every clip of news footage within the music footage is authentic. Enter: Destinee Stark.
Destinee Stark is a TikTok user and activist who smelled something fishy with Aldean’s statement and contested his claims of using real news clips. In her 8-minute video posted to TikTok last week, Stark says that she found two instances of footage within the first 30 seconds of the music video that can both be found on stock footage websites. One clip was taken at a festival in Germany while the other was produced by a Bulgaria-based stock footage studio, which further discounts Aldean’s efforts to paint his song and video as pro-Americana propaganda.
Stark also points out that Aldean filmed portions of his video at a courthouse in Tennessee, which was the site of the lynching of a black 18-year-old in 1927 and a race riot in 1946. Stark’s video and a follow-up have both accumulated over 1.5 million views each on the platform, but Stark now says that she’s been the subject of death threats, doxxing, and other negative speech.
“I’m receiving thousands of comments that quite honestly, I can’t possibly keep up with. The context of those comments go far beyond what is considered ‘reasonably harsh criticism,’ and into the dark realm of death threats, death wishes, threats of violence, and just the most degrading, vile comments I’ve ever seen, quite frankly,” Stark told Gizmodo in an email. “I would encourage everyone who is so angry about my commentary to spend some time reflecting on why it is that they are so angry about what I have to say.”
Aldean did not immediately return Gizmodo’s request for comment.
Aldean has since been mum on the video and its reaction since his initial statement, except for tweeting out a promo video for his ongoing tour. Despite the backlash and Country Music Television announcing that it would be pulling the video from circulation, The New York Times reports that “Try That in a Small Town” hit #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 this week. | Explicit |
Rudy Giuliani admits he spewed lies about two Georgia election workers he infamously accused of trying to rig the 2020 election for President Biden.
The ex-New York City mayor and current lawyer for former President Donald Trump conceded in a late night court filing that he does not contest the allegations against him made in a defamation lawsuit filed by Ruby Freeman and Shay Moss.
“(Giuliani) does not contest that … such actionable factual statements are false,” his lawyers wrote in the signed filing.
Despite the admission, Giuliani, 79, insisted that he should not be found liable because the statements “did not carry meaning that is defamatory, per se” and that they are “constitutionally protected statements or opinions.”
Giuliani is facing possible sanctions from Federal District Court Judge Beryl Howell for repeatedly failing to hand over information demanded by the election workers.
It remains to be seen if his latest legal strategy will satisfy the judge.
Giuliani was one of Trump’s primary mouthpieces in the weeks after the 2020 election and repeatedly spread lies about supposed fraud that could have helped Biden win.
He claimed without evidence that Freeman and Moss were caught on video surveillance passing USB drives to help Biden cheat. The pair testified under oath that it was actually a ginger mint. Last month, Freeman and Moss were cleared of any wrongdoing by Georgia investigators.
Giuliani faces a slew of legal worries related to his efforts to help Trump overturn the election.
He has been questioned by the Atlanta grand jury that might indict Trump and others next month for election interference in the Peach State.
The former mayor has also cooperated with special counsel Jack Smith in the Jan. 6 probe of Trump.
He was also hit with an unrelated lurid sexual harassment lawsuit in which a business consultant claims he forced her to have sex with him and regularly performed oral sex on him while he spoke to Trump, which “made him feel like Bill Clinton.”
Giuliani says the woman wasn’t an employee and they were dating. | Explicit |
ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Maryland prosecutors have filed hate crime charges against a man accused of killing three people and wounding three more in a dispute over parking.
The three people shot to death were Latino; the man accused of shooting them is white. Their families have lived on the same street for years and have had a history of disputes, including allegations of racial slurs against one of the victims.
Charles Robert Smith, 43, had been charged with second-degree murder. Now he faces first-degree murder and hate-crime charges in the killings of Mario Mireles, his father Nicholas Mireles, and Christian Segovia, under an indictment returned by an Anne Arundel County grand jury on Friday, according to online court records.
The 42-count indictment also includes six charges of attempted first-degree murder. Smith’s initial court appearance was scheduled for next Monday. His initial lawyer is no longer representing him, and another attorney did not immediately respond Monday to a request for comment.
Maryland’s hate crime law applies to crimes that are motivated either in whole or in substantial part to another person’s race, color, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, disability or national origin. It enables prosecutors to add years to a sentence, and financial penalties. Smith faces up to life in prison without possibility of parole if convicted of first-degree murder.
According to the police charging documents, the six people who were shot were attending a large party when a dispute broke out over a parking issue. Mireles went to Smith’s home to talk about it and was arguing with Shirley Smith when her son Charles Smith returned home and confronted him. The verbal argument became physical.
Smith pulled out a gun and Mireles tried to grab it before Smith shot Mireles and Segovia. Smith “then stood over Mario Mireles and shot him several more times,” the document says. Smith then went into his house, got a rifle and began firing through a window at people who had come trying to help the mortally wounded men. Smith fatally shot Nicolas Mireles, and wounded Rosalina Segovia, Paul Johnnson and Enner Canales-Hernandez, police said.
Smith surrendered when the police arrived, telling officers he shot the victims because they shot at his house. However, none of the witnesses interviewed saw any of the victims with a firearm, according to the charging documents.
The Smith and Mireles families have had disputes for years, even going to court for help at one point. Mario Mireles sought a peace order petition in September 2016, accusing Shirley Smith of harassing him and their neighbors since he was a child. He accused her of directing racial slurs at him and his family, as well as other neighbors who are Black.
He wrote that he was washing his car in front of his house when Shirley Smith drove fast by him about an “arm length away,” saying he believed she was “targeting” him with her car.
Shirley Smith also sought a peace order at the same time, accusing Mireles of hitting her car with a large wet towel or blanket. She also accused him of throwing rocks at street signs and hitting vehicles.
Peace orders are civil orders asking a person to refrain from committing certain acts. The judge denied both their petitions. | Explicit |
Harris is confronting the ‘war on woke’ head-on: And voters are listening
Over the past several months, Republicans have waged a so-called “war on woke.”
State legislatures have passed bans on the teaching of critical race theory and “don’t say gay” laws, prohibited healthcare treatment for transgendered minors, limited abortion to as few as six weeks and banned books from school libraries dealing with race, history, sexual orientation and gender identity.
This April in Tennessee, the Republican state legislature expelled two African American legislators, Justin Jones and Justin J. Pearson, depriving 135,000 people in their districts of representation. A white female representative, Gloria Johnson, was saved from the same fate by just one vote. These actions came after yet another school shooting, this time in Nashville, when three nine-year-olds, the school’s principal and two teachers were gunned down.
The so-called “Tennessee three” protested the intransigence of Republican legislators from even debating the state’s gun laws just as the House Speaker turned off their microphones. Instantly, they were vaulted from obscurity to fame, and received an invitation to meet with President Biden who thanked them for “standing up.” Shortly after, Memphis City Council reinstated their positions and, in June, voters officially returned the two expelled legislators to their rightful places.
Now, in Florida, the State Board of Education — in compliance with the “Stop Woke Act” signed into law by Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) in 2022 — has instructed that middle schoolers should be taught that “slaves developed skills which, in some instances, could be applied for their personal benefit.” DeSantis hailed the mandate as setting “the most robust standards in African American History in the country” and denounced opponents as favoring “woke indoctrination.”
Into the breach has stepped Vice President Kamala Harris, who calls Republican leaders spearheading these efforts “extremists,” saying, “They insult us in an attempt to gaslight us, and we will not stand for it.”
As the first woman, first African American and first South Asian to occupy the vice presidency, Harris is uniquely positioned to speak to these issues. On the one-year anniversary after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, Harris condemned the Dobbs decision:
“The highest court in our land — the court of Thurgood [Marshall] — the court of RBG [Ruth Bader Ginsberg] — took a constitutional right, that had been recognized, from the people of America, from the women of America. A fundamental right. A basic freedom.” Harris then added, “How dare they!”
After the Tennessee legislature ousted the two Black legislators, Harris immediately traveled to the state and condemned those who told the “Tennessee three” to “sit down and be quiet.” She derided those who supported their ouster, saying: “You can’t walk around with your lapel pin, and you’re not representing the values we hold dear as Americans.” Summoning the memory of civil rights protests during the 1960s, Harris declared, “We march on.”
After the Florida board adopted its new curriculum standards, the vice president immediately instructed her staff to rearrange her schedule and plan a trip to the state. Speaking before an enthusiastic mixed-race audience, Harris denounced the newly enacted Florida mandate.
Citing the abuses inflicted on African Americans, Harris accurately noted that slavery “involved rape. It involved torture. It involved taking a baby from their mother. It involved some of the worst examples of depriving people of humanity in our world. It involved subjecting to people the requirement that they would think of themselves and be thought of as less than human.”
She concluded: “How is it that anyone could suggest that in the midst of these atrocities, that there was any benefit to being subjected to this level of dehumanization? In the midst of these atrocities, that there was some benefit?”
Republican presidential candidate Will Hurd, himself an African American, joined Harris in denouncing the new standard, dryly observing that “slavery wasn’t a jobs program.” But in more ways than one, Hurd is a minority voice within today’s Trump-dominated Republican Party. In 2020, Donald Trump labeled critical race theory a “Marxist doctrine” whose teaching represents a form of “child abuse.”
While Republicans wage their war on woke, Kamala Harris is mobilizing key elements of the diverse coalition that elected her and Joe Biden in 2020. Unlike the first-time voters of the 1930s who supported Franklin D. Roosevelt, or the young Americans who voted for Ronald Reagan in the 1980s, today’s young voters are not wedded to either party but require both persuasion and motivation to bring them to the polls. This is especially true for young African Americans for whom the civil rights triumphs of the 1960s are historical artifacts.
Women are another key Democratic constituency whose support in large numbers is also crucial. In the post-Dobbs era, abortion has become a defining issue for these voters. A recent NBC News poll found that, on a scale of 1 to 10, 43 percent of women chose 10 in naming abortion as an “extremely important” issue.
Harris labels herself a “joyful warrior” in urging all these key constituencies to organize and vote.
Congressional Republicans like to mock Harris, with some stating that having her ensconced in the vice presidency gives them pause in exacting retribution against the double impeachments of Donald Trump by inflicting the same punishment on Joe Biden. Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) derisively calls Harris “a shrewd insurance policy” against any potential Biden impeachment.
Boebert is right that Kamala Harris is an insurance policy — one that, in this case, is helping to ensure the reelection of the Biden-Harris ticket.
John Kenneth White is a professor of politics at The Catholic University of America. His latest book, co-authored with Matthew Kerbel, is titled, “American Political Parties: Why They Formed, How They Function, and Where They’re Headed.”
Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. | Explicit |
WASHINGTON -
Chinese authorities launched a 100-day "strike hard" campaign against Uyghurs in Xinjiang, cracking down on gatherings of more than 30 people, according to Chinese media.
The latest persecution of the predominantly Muslim Uyghurs who live in Xinjiang coincides with the sensitive anniversary of the 2009 ethnic violence in Urumqi, which triggered the Chinese government's efforts to repress Uyghur culture and religion with mass surveillance and internment campaigns. Uyghur rights groups see this as ongoing ethnic and cultural genocide. The U.S. government and Western parliaments have condemned the abuses, labeling them genocide or crimes against humanity. China denies any human rights abuses in the region.
According to an investigation by Radio Free Asia, approximately 90 Uyghur teenage girls in Xinjiang are forcibly working in a Chinese-run garment factory. The girls, aged 16-18, work 14 hours a day, seven days a week, and routinely face both verbal and physical abuse. The factory, Wanhe Garment Co. Ltd., has a clandestine agreement with a nearby vocational high school that forces female students to work against their will, according to the investigation. Local authorities pressure parents not to protest their children's employment, and the workers are kept under control by an abusive supervisor, RFA reported. These findings add to the growing evidence of Uyghur forced labor in Xinjiang, prompting scrutiny of major companies like Zara and Uniqlo to ensure their supply chains are free from such practices.
Volkswagen reaffirmed its commitment to an independent audit of its Xinjiang plant amid concerns about human rights abuses against Uyghurs in the region. The company said in a statement that it remains convinced an independent auditor can “deliver important information about the human rights situation” at its Xinjiang plant. The statement came after some investors criticized the effectiveness of any audit in the tightly controlled region. Volkswagen emphasized its adherence to human rights principles but did not directly address censorship and anti-espionage law concerns in the region.
U.S. lawmakers have taken significant actions this week, proposing new bills and investigations to address Uyghur forced labor in Xinjiang. Senator Marco Rubio, a Florida Republican, reintroduced the "Sanctioning Supporters of Slave Labor Act" with the aim of expanding sanctions against entities suspected of violating Uyghur human rights, while Congressman Jim Banks, an Indiana Republican, introduced similar legislation in the House of Representatives. Additionally, Congresswoman Jennifer Wexler, a Virginia Democrat, plans to reintroduce the "Uyghur Forced Labor Disclosure Act," which would mandate supply chain audits for companies sourcing goods from Xinjiang.
Abdullah Turkistanli, an exiled Uyghur, is the owner of the Kutadgu Bilig Bookshop in Istanbul, which he opened to preserve Uyghur literature that is banned in China. To do so, he prints most of the books himself using PDFs of the originals, as Chinese publishers are prohibited from granting permission for reprinting. Despite his noble mission, Beijing's pressure led Turkish police to raid his shop twice and seize thousands of books, accusing him of copyright infringement. As a survivor of Chinese prisons, Turkistanli is dedicated to protecting Uyghur culture, but these legal challenges have posed significant obstacles. Uyghur activists are now urging the Turkish government to consider the harsh reality faced by the Uyghurs and help in preserving their literature, rather than bowing to China's pressure.
News in brief
In a recent article by the China Communist Party (CCP) committee, senior CCP officials expressed their active involvement in diplomacy to counter "anti-China forces," especially the U.S., amid allegations of genocide and human rights abuses against Uyghurs and other minorities in Xinjiang. The officials aim to promote positive narratives about Xinjiang globally and to strengthen the rule of law in response to international criticism. However, human rights activists have raised concerns about potential repression of rights defenders. They urge governments to take decisive action to protect Uyghur rights and end forced labor in global supply chains. The U.S. has imposed sanctions on Chinese officials involved in alleged abuses, while China's Diplomatic Relations Law grants Beijing powers to counter actions it deems harmful to its interests.
Quote of note
“Further actions must be taken to hold accountable those individuals and entities benefiting from the forced labor of Uyghurs. Not only should China’s genocidal regime answer for the crimes they are committing but also the companies that profit from these atrocities.” | Explicit |
Laurence Fox stands in Boris Johnson’s former seat and loses his deposit … again
Laurence Fox has lost his deposit after his disastrous election bid in Uxbridge culminated with him winning just 714 votes.
In the end, Conservative Party candidate Steve Tuckwell narrowly won the seat – which was vacated by Boris Johnson – with 13,965 votes. Labour’s Danny Beales finished in second place with 13,470 votes.
It was a poor showing for some of the other candidates in the race, with the Green Party and Liberal Democrat candidates failing to garner more than 1,000 votes.
Minor party candidates and independents fared even worse, but for many, Laurence Fox’s continued electoral failure was the main talking point.
The actor-turned-politician won just 2.31 per cent of the vote, meaning he will now lose the deposit he paid to run in the first place. Candidates must win five per cent of the vote share to retain their deposits.
Fox previously lost his £10,000 deposit in the 2021 London mayoral election, where he pledged to “fight against extreme political correctness” and “end the Met’s obsession with diversity and inclusivity”. He was endorsed by Reform UK and Nigel Farage, but finished in sixth place, behind YouTuber Niko Omilana. Fox received only 1.9 per cent of the vote.
Since the by-election results were announced on Friday (21 July), Fox has used his social media platforms to hit out at the BBC and others for refusing to interview him.
Speaking from the count centre, Fox said: “The BBC have said under absolutely no circumstances they will speak to me. They didn’t give a reason.
“I feel sorry for the people that pay £157 a year for what is a so-called impartial media outlet, state funded media.”
He went on to accuse the broadcaster of being “about as reliable as North Korean state media”.
Later, as the count drew to a close, Fox said he was “very pleased” he had managed to get 2.31 per cent of the vote, adding: “Shows that promoting conservative values can win.”
Laurence Fox has said the Pride flag is ‘disgusting’
Before he turned to politics, Fox was best known as an actor – but in recent years he’s made a name for himself speaking out against COVID-19 restrictions and courting anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment.
Perhaps his most controversial moment came in Pride Month when he shared a video on Twitter of himself setting rainbow-coloured bunting on fire.
“The most holy month of child mutilation,” Fox said. “This is what I think of your disgusting, vile, child sacrificial flag.”
He added: “Goodbye Pride, which isn’t Pride. It’s just a celebration of the mutilation of children. And you can shove it.”
The previous year, Fox was suspended from Twitter temporarily after he created a swastika from the Progress Pride flag.
In May 2022, Fox was ordered to pay £36,000 in legal fees to Crystal, a drag queen who is best known for her time on Drag Race UK, former Stonewall trustee Simon Blake and Coronation Street actor Nicola Thorp in an ongoing legal battle.
The trio launched a defamation suit against Fox after he publicly called them “paedophiles”.
MyPinkNews members are invited to comment on articles to discuss the content we publish, or debate issues more generally. Please familiarise yourself with our community guidelines to ensure that our community remains a safe and inclusive space for all. | Explicit |
Women’s World Cup opener to proceed as scheduled after shooting in New Zealand
A gunman killed two people at a construction site in New Zealand’s largest city of Auckland on Thursday, as the nation prepared to host games in the FIFA Women’s World Cup soccer tournament, authorities said.
Police said there were also multiple injuries during the incident, which took place near the hotel where Team Norway has been staying.
All World Cup teams are confirmed to be safe, and New Zealand Prime Minster Chris Hipkins said the tournament would go ahead as planned.
"Clearly with the FIFA World Cup kicking off this evening, there are a lot of eyes on Auckland," Hipkins said. "The government has spoken to FIFA organizers this morning and the tournament will proceed as planned. I want to reiterate that there is no wider national security threat. This appears to be the action of one individual."
Acting Police Superintendent Sunny Patel said the man began shooting at the site on lower Queen Street at about 7:20 a.m. Police swarmed the area and closed off streets.
The man moved through the building, firing at people there, Patel said.
"Upon reaching the upper levels of the building, the male has contained himself within the elevator shaft and our staff have attempted to engage with him," Patel said in a statement. "Further shots were fired from the male and he was located deceased a short time later."
It wasn’t immediately clear if police had shot the gunman or he had killed himself.
Patel said that while alarming, the incident was isolated and didn’t pose a national security risk.
The incident comes as soccer teams gathered in New Zealand for the FIFA Women’s World Cup. The opening match is scheduled for Thursday between New Zealand and Norway. Matches will continue as planned in the wake of the tragedy.
Team Norway captain Maren Mjelde said people woke up quickly when a helicopter began hovering outside the hotel window.
"We felt safe the whole time," she said in a statement. "FIFA has a good security system at the hotel, and we have our own security officer in the squad. Everyone seems calm and we are preparing as normal for the game tonight."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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2023 Women's World Cup schedule: How to watch, TV channel, dates, results
2023 Golden Boot odds: Women's World Cup top scorers favorites
2023 Women's World Cup odds: Four ways to bet on the USWNT Down Under
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Japan beats USA in thrilling final: Women's World Cup Moment No. 3
Women's World Cup roundtable: Which team poses biggest threat to USWNT?
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Women's World Cup 2023 odds: USA favored to win it all Down Under
Lionel Messi takes field with Inter Miami teammates for first time since signing
Sophia Smith pays tribute to her late friend ahead of World Cup opener | Explicit |
A Wisconsin woman accused of beheading her lover in his mother’s basement and who later attacked her defense attorney in court listened Monday as testimony began at her trial.
Taylor Schabusiness, 25, stands accused of murdering and dismembering Shad Thyrion, 24, on Feb. 23, 2022 at Thyrion’s mother’s home in Green Bay.
Thyrion’s mother, Tara Pakanich, testified about finding her son’s head in a bucket at the home, local Fox affiliate WLUK reported.
Pakanich said she woke up to the sound of a storm door closing and went to the basement to look for Thyrion, who had been staying there, according to WLUK.
She then described a horrifying scene, in which she spotted a 5-gallon bucket with a towel covering it, removed the towel and saw her son’s severed head inside.
Pakanich and her boyfriend dialed 911, and multiple police officers arrived at the scene and began the murder investigation. The cops quickly caught up with Schabusiness, who said she and Thyrion had been engaging in sexual foreplay that involved erotic asphyxiation.
Schabusiness told the officers she continued choking Thyrion until he died because she was enjoying the feeling, according to a criminal complaint. Investigating officers have not yet testified at the trial, which is expected to last one week.
After Thyrion’s head was found in the bucket, the rest of his upper body was discovered in a tote bag, and his legs were found in a van, police said. Schabusiness admitted to chopping up Thyrion’s body with his mother’s kitchen knives, according to investigators.
Schabusiness underwent several mental competency evaluations leading up to the trial. At one hearing discussing her mental fitness, she attacked her defense attorney, Quinn Jolly.
The court allowed Jolly to depart the case, and Christopher Froelich represented Schabusiness at trial. | Explicit |
Hollywood actor Kevin Spacey left the four men who made allegations against him in a sexual assault trial feeling small, diminished and worthless, prosecutors have said.
Summing up, Christine Agnew KC told Southwark Crown Court the case involved an "enormous imbalance of power".
Kevin Spacey denies nine counts of sexual assault between 2001 and 2013.
Earlier, the jury was told four counts against him had been removed because of legal technicalities.
The four indecent assault charges, which were alternative, lesser counts, were struck off by the judge due to a "legal technicality" - not because the prosecution had abandoned any allegation.
In her closing speech, prosecutor Ms Agnew told jurors the case was "about power and taking advantage of that power".
She questioned Mr Spacey's claim that his accusers were motivated by money and suggested the trial was a result of his "aggressive, oppressive and intimidatory behaviour".
There was no doubt he was "a very famous and lauded actor" who was "used to getting his own way", she said - and his behaviour made his accusers "feel small, it made them feel diminished, it made them feel worthless".
"He is undoubtedly someone who is kind to those he chooses to be kind to," she said, referring to character witnesses for Mr Spacey.
But she added: "History is littered with those who are benevolent to some and cruel to others."
She went on to say it was "not simply a strength-in-numbers case" against Mr Spacey but that of four separate men who told friends and family, the police and then the court their stories in search of justice.
These men were entitled to the same protection in law as a woman, she told the jury at Southwark Crown Court.
"Why on earth should these men put up with what they say has happened to them?" she asked.
She added they were not motivated by "money, money, money" but instead had come forward because they no longer wanted to be the "secret keeper" for someone who had abused them.
Mr Spacey, 63, denies using his celebrity to get people into bed, and has rejected claims he is a sexual bully.
He previously called the case against him "weak".
His defence lawyers are expected to sum up their case on Thursday. | Explicit |
- President Joe Biden will create a national monument in honor of Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley.
- Till's murder in Mississippi helped spark the civil-rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s.
- The monument locations will consist of a site in Chicago and two sites in rural Mississippi.
President Joe Biden on Tuesday will create a national monument in honor of Emmett Till, the Black teenager from Chicago whose 1955 kidnapping and murder in Mississippi was a defining spark in the emerging civil-rights movement, a White House official said on Saturday.
Biden is set to make the announcement on July 25, which would have been Till's 82nd birthday.
The president will sign a proclamation forming the Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley National Monument, which is also reflective of the decadeslong civil rights work of Till's mother, who fought valiantly for equality for Black Americans after her son's murder. The monument will consist of a site in Chicago, the city where Emmett Till was born, and two sites in Mississippi, where he traveled during that fateful 1955 summer to spend time with his cousins.
"The new monument will protect places that tell the story of Emmett Till's too-short life and racially-motivated murder, the unjust acquittal of his murderers, and the activism of his mother, Mamie Till-Mobley, who courageously brought the world's attention to the brutal injustices and racism of the time, catalyzing the civil-rights movement," a White House official said in a statement.
In August 1955, Emmett Till was accused by Carolyn Bryant Donham of making improper advances toward her while he was inside the Bryant's Grocery and Meat Market in Money, Miss., which at the time was run by Donham and her then-husband, Roy Bryant.
The accusation prompted Bryant and his half-brother, J. W. Milam, to abduct Till at gunpoint from the home of his great-uncle, Moses Wright. Bryant and Milam then tortured and lynched the teenager before throwing his body into the Tallahatchie River.
Till's battered body was weighed down by a cotton-gin fan and was found several days later.
His face was left unrecognizable. But, at his funeral service in Chicago, Mamie Till-Mobley insisted that her son would have an open casket funeral so the world could see the brutality and horror of what her son endured in the segregated South.
The Illinois monument site will be the Roberts Temple Church of God in Christ in the Bronzeville neighborhood of Chicago, on the city's South Side, where Emmett Till's funeral was held in 1955. The Mississippi sites include Graball Landing, where it is believed that Till's body was recovered from the Tallahatchie River, and the Tallahatchie County Second District Courthouse in Sumner, where Bryant and Milam were tried and acquitted by an all-white jury.
In a 1956 article in Look magazine, Bryant and Milam confessed to the murder. Both men have since died.
Donham died in April. She was 88 years old.
Last December, Congress voted to award the Congressional Gold Medal posthumously to Till and his mother.
In March 2022, Biden signed into law the Emmett Till Anti-Lynching Act, which made lynching a federal hate crime for the first time in US history.
The president's push to elevate civil rights leaders and acknowledge the full scope of Black history comes as Republicans in recent years have sought to limit how race can be taught in classrooms, with conservatives also targeting diversity, equity, and inclusion programs and hailing the Supreme Court's recent decision to end affirmative action in college admissions.
Biden's original student debt relief plan, which was invalidated by the Supreme Court, was also intended to be one that had a significant racial equity element, as the administration sought to narrow the racial wealth gap by forgiving $10,000 in loans for individuals and $20,000 in loans for individuals who were Pell Grant recipients. | Explicit |
Indonesian animal market has ended its brutal dog and cat meat trade, campaigners say
Authorities on Friday announced the end of the “brutally cruel” dog and cat meat slaughter at a notorious animal market on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi following a years-long campaign by local activists and world celebrities.
The Tomohon Extreme Market will become the first such market in Indonesia to go dog and cat meat-free, according to the anti-animal cruelty group Humane Society International, or HSI. Images of dogs and cats being bludgeoned and blow-torched, sometimes while still alive, had sparked outrage.
The permanent end of the slaughter and trade was announced Friday by the regional secretary of the city of Tomohon, Edwin Roring. HSI said they will be rescuing the remaining live dogs and cats from the slaughterhouse suppliers and taking them to sanctuaries.
“We hope that Tomohon will be totally free from dog and cat meat trades,” Roring said in his remarks. “We believe the way to reduce people’s interest in consuming dog and cat meat in Tomohon is to stop selling it in markets.”
He urged people to consume animal food sources that are more hygienic and do not cause rabies, such as pork, beef and chicken. He vowed to deploy law enforcement officers in the markets to ensure there were no more dog and cat meat sellers in the city.
The Tomohon Extreme Market had previously been touted as a tourist attraction and listed on TripAdvisor as a destination that also sells cat meat and the carcasses of wild and protected species such as bats, snakes and other reptiles.
HSI and Indonesian groups operating under the banner of Dog Meat Free Indonesia are campaigning to end the trade in live dogs for human consumption as rabies could spread to humans during the slaughter or contact with infected meat.
Activist Marc Ching, whose work won support from Joaquin Phoenix, Matt Damon and other celebrities, denies paying butchers in Asia to harm dogs.
Videos shot by the campaigners at two markets in North Sulawesi province in 2018 showed dogs cowering in cages as workers pulled the howling animals out and bludgeoned their heads with wooden batons. Often still moving, the animals are then blasted with blowtorches to remove their hair in preparation for butchering and sale.
The welfare groups called the treatment of the animals at the markets “brutally cruel” and like “walking through hell,” generating sympathy among Indonesians and around the world.
International actors and celebrities in 2018 appealed to President Joko Widodo to close the markets, saying if Indonesia joined other Asian nations that have already banned the trade, it would be “celebrated globally” and end a stain on the country’s reputation.
Actress Cameron Diaz, talk show host Ellen DeGeneres, talent spotter Simon Cowell, comedian Ricky Gervais, Indonesian pop singer Anggun and musician Moby are among the more than 90 celebrities listed in the letter.
“These animals, many of them stolen pets, are subjected to crude and brutal methods of capture, transport and slaughter, and the immense suffering and fear they must endure is heartbreaking and absolutely shocking,” the letter said, prompting Indonesia’s central government to issue a regulation saying that dog meat is not food and thus local administrations should act to ban the trade.
North Sulawesi province is home to more than 2.6 million people, who are mainly Christian in the mostly Muslim archipelago nation. Eating dog and cat meat with special spices is a hereditary tradition for most people in the province that has been very difficult to get rid of, said Frank Delano, a local animal welfare activist.
Supreme Court rules California’s restrictions on the confinement of farm animals do not violate the Constitution’s interstate commerce provisions.
Thousands of dogs and cats are slaughtered weekly in North Sulawesi, according to the anti-animal cruelty groups.
“I’m disappointed, but what else can I do? I have to comply with government regulations,” said Melki Pongo, the slaughterhouse owner who has supplied tons of dog and cat meat to the city’s markets for more than 30 years. He said that he will replace them with pork.
Karanganyar district in Central Java became the first to issue a formal ban in 2019, followed by other regions in 2020 and 2021. Most recently, authorities in Indonesia’s capital, Jakarta, announced in March they have banned the dog and cat meat trades. But the dog and cat markets were on Sulawesi.
Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim country, might not seem a likely hub of dog meat cuisine as nearly 90% of the country’s 270 million people are followers of Islam, which considers and view dog products as haram, or forbidden, in the same way as pork. Most Muslims won’t touch a dog, much less eat one.
But the archipelagic nation is also home to many other faiths, some of whom consider dog meat a traditional delicacy or believe it has health properties. As much as 7% of Indonesians eat dog, according to Dog Meat Free Indonesia, mostly in North Sulawesi, North Sumatra and East Nusa Tenggara provinces that have a majority of the population identifying as Christian.
About 30 million dogs were killed each year in China, South Korea and many other Asian countries, said Lola Webber, the HSI’s Director of Campaign to End Dog Meat.
Many countries and territories across Asia — such as the Philippines, Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong, Thailand and Malaysia—have already banned the dog meat trade and consumption of dogs, according to the HSI.
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Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh on Wednesday reacted to the May 4 video of two women being “paraded naked" on a road allegedly by a group of men and assured capital punishment for those involved.
Speaking to CNN-News18, he said, “It is a crime against humanity and if found true, the state government will leave no stone unturned to nab the culprits and give them capital punishment. It is a heinous crime and I condemn it strongly."
According to the Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum (ITLF), the incident took place on May 4 in Kangpokpi district, a day after ethnic clashes broke out in the state between the Meitei and Kuki Communities.
Union Minister for Women and Child Development Smriti Irani also condemned the incident and termed it “downright inhuman". “The horrific video of the sexual assault of 2 women emanating from Manipur is condemnable and downright inhuman. Spoke to CM N BirenSingh ji who has informed me that investigation is currently underway and assured that no effort will be spared to bring perpetrators to justice," she tweeted.
Biren Singh and Irani’s reactions came after tension mounted in the hills of Manipur over a May 4 video that surfaced on Wednesday purportedly showing two women from one of the warring communities being “paraded naked" by a few men from the other side.
Officials said in Imphal that the video was doing the rounds on the eve of a planned protest march announced by ITLF on Thursday to highlight their plight.
News agency PTI quoted police as saying that a case of abduction, gang rape, and murder has been registered at Nongpok Sekmai police station in Thoubal district against unknown armed miscreants.
In a statement, they said an all-out effort is on to arrest the culprits at the earliest.
Manipur state has been witnessing ethnic clashes since May 3 between the majority the Meiteis, concentrated in Imphal valley, and the Kukis, occupying the hills. Over 160 people have been killed in the violence so far.
(with inputs from PTI) | Explicit |
The Metropolitan Police was recently described as institutionally misogynist in a review by Baroness Casey, who found that a "boys' club" culture was rife and the force was failing to protect the public from officers who abuse women.
Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley has told the BBC that the force is undergoing its "biggest doubling down on standards" in 50 years, as it tries to address the issue of its internal culture.
To try to get a sense of what policing can be like in London, the BBC has spoken to a former special constable and a detective, both of whom have written books about their experiences.
They have shared their accounts of some of the things they witnessed, and given their thoughts on what the future might hold.
Jess McDonald joined the Met in 2018 as a trainee detective on a pilot scheme aimed at people wanting a career change by joining the police.
She said she witnessed chronic under-resourcing, "overwhelming" workloads and a "broken" justice system. In one place she was deployed, she said the facilities were so poor there was no space for staff to store their food, so people kept their lunches in a fridge-freezer that also contained evidence for rape cases.
Another officer who is no longer with the force is Matt Lloyd-Rose, who from 2012 to 2015 worked as a teacher alongside serving with the Met as a special constable - a volunteer role with full police powers including those of arrest.
Mr Lloyd-Rose, from Lambeth in south London, said some things he witnessed during his time with the force "stunned" him, including an occasion when his team had been out patrolling in a police van in Clapham.
"We'd been dealing with all sorts - stopping people for drugs, helping people who were drunk and confused, and chasing after illegal hotdog vendors," he said.
"One of the regular officers then said that we would we be going 'talent spotting'", he added, and the team then drove "back and forth along the high street" while the regular officers were "making comments about the women outside of the window, having some sort of group discussions about who is most attractive, about who they would be most interested in having sex with".
On another occasion, he said a young woman approached the team after her bag had been snatched on the bus.
"She was really upset; she was sobbing and was visibly extremely distressed," Mr Lloyd-Rose explained. "And then the regular who's been dealing with her rolled his window back up again, and immediately said 'she'd get [sexual expletive]'."
Mr Lloyd-Rose said that while he didn't witness "overt aggressive discrimination" there was a consistent "reinforcing of norms and boundaries, something insidious" that frequently involved targeting female staff.
"There was a real expectation the people who objected would be cut out of things, or would be provoked to try and overcome that objection," he said.
'Strip poker'
Mr Lloyd-Rose added that this attitude wasn't only displayed by frontline officers but also by those leading training.
"One of the trainers was telling us about a female officer he had been on patrol with and he said: 'Before you ask, I have seen her naked when we were playing strip poker.'
"The culture was openly expressed in front of diverse groups of officers who that trainer didn't know at all, and he was kind of quite happy and confident that he could express that culture without anyone objecting.
"The institutional misogyny and sexism seemed ludicrously blatant, basically.
"That kind of culture both provides cover and and space for individuals with the most noxious views and others who have real intent to do harm, but it also provides a culture in which terrible things can become normalised."
As a detective, Jess McDonald's experience was different from Mr Lloyd-Rose's - although perhaps no less worrying in terms of what it says about the Met Police and the criminal justice system more widely.
During her time with the force, she was posted to the Community Safeguarding Unit, which deals with among other crimes cases of domestic and sexual violence.
She said the department was "internally known as the most difficult area of policing" due to the "trauma and the intensity of the role".
"I would liken it before to kind of trying to fight a raging fire with a chocolate teapot."
She said that a sense of "hopelessness" was evident, "because you're investigating rapes day in day out and so few of them are actually being taken further".
"It's the demoralisation of having to be the face or the person who turns round to someone who's going to have gone through the whole investigative process... and saying, 'you know I'm really sorry but it's not even being charged'."
Ms McDonald said the feeling of "futility" among Met staff doing this work was so widespread that on several occasions female colleagues said they wouldn't bother reporting a sexual offence committed against them.
On one occasion, a training leader even admitted she felt this way to an entire room of trainees learning how to investigate rape, Ms McDonald said.
"Whilst we were learning about it all theoretically she says something along the lines of, 'look, I probably wouldn't report it if it happened to me'."
Asked if she saw or heard of any women being treated poorly within the force, Ms McDonald recalled a time when a female colleague said she knew was filmed by a man "about to join a ranking of sergeant" on a rape team, while woman used the shower in police accommodation.
"Luckily, there was a third officer [a witness to what happened] and he was a superintendent of the Met's Directorate of Professional Standards," she said.
Ms McDonald said the offender had met her colleague the night before and "knew exactly when she was going to be in the shower".
"He films her using the shower through the glass window above the door. She was able to sort of see the phone in his hand when she passed out the shower and confronted him."
Ms McDonald said the senior officer witnessed the confrontation and arrested his colleague for voyeurism.
The offender went on to be convicted of voyeurism, but Ms McDonald said: "I can't help thinking if the other guy hadn't seen that and jumped into action and knew what to do, I don't think my friend would have taken it further."
Within the Met, she believes there should be a focus on "empowering people to speak up internally on the front line" in cases where vetting fails to exclude those officers who joined the police to abuse their power.
"Internally, people know who the bad ones are... people who are doing frontline work get a feel for people; who's creepy, who makes a comment," she said.
"We're currently doing nothing proactive... there is just this culture of silence and no-one really rocks the boat, nothing is really done. If you do speak up it's huge."
A spokesperson for the Met Police said: "The commissioner has been unequivocal about his commitment to reform the standards of the Met - he set out his plans following the publication of the Casey Report.
"We recognise that we have let down Londoners and our own staff."
The spokesperson also highlighted the work the force has been doing "to improve standards and root out officers who do not meet these", including a review of sexual and domestic abuse allegations against more than 800 officers and a project to utilise counter-terror tactics to catch predators who target women.
Matt Lloyd-Rose is the author of Into the Night: A Year with the Police, and Jess McDonald is the author of No Comment: What I Wish I'd Known about Becoming a Detective. | Explicit |
A man who stabbed his wife and left her to die on their kitchen floor before being found at London’s Euston station with multiple self-inflicted stab wounds has been jailed for life.
Phillip Dafter, a former member of the armed forces, stabbed Diana Dafter, 36, at their home in Lawrence Court, Northampton, on October 7 2022.
The court heard the couple’s marriage had experienced “difficulties”, in part because of mental health issues suffered by Dafter since the death of his mother in 2015, which he claimed his wife had “failed to empathise with”.
Mrs Dafter, a part-time carer who was studying nursing, had returned to the couple’s home on October 7 last year and an argument developed, with Dafter claiming his wife had made a comment about his vehicle.
Judge David Herbert KC said Dafter picked up a knife with “murderous intent” and stabbed Diana five times, with the fatal wound just below her armpit.
After killing his wife, Dafter went upstairs and tried to stab himself but the blade broke, so he drove to Asda to buy more knives.
He then drove to Northampton station and got on a train to London, reportedly planning to meet a family member to sort out his affairs, but he stayed on the train once it had arrived and told the conductor that he needed to speak to the police.
Police found him drunk and bleeding with 10 knife wounds to his abdomen at Euston station.
He told officers he had killed his wife and police were sent to their home address, where Diana’s body was found.
During his trial, Dafter denied murder but admitted to manslaughter, arguing loss of control and diminished responsibility.
Jurors rejected this and found him guilty of his wife’s murder.
At Northampton Crown Court on Tuesday, Dafter was jailed for life with a minimum term of 20 years, taking into account time already spent in custody.
The judge said the last moments of Mrs Dafter’s life would have been “terrifying”.
He said: “You did nothing to help her or contact the emergency services.
“You must have watched her die in a pool of her own blood on the kitchen floor.
“You said you had a moment of madness.
“That is the closest you have ever come to telling the truth about what happened.”
Jailing Dafter, the judge said the couple’s marriage had become “resentful and argumentative” and Diana was “justified to believe you were considering leaving her”.
He said: “You violated the trust and security of your marriage.
“This was a sustained attack with a knife.
“Her last moments would have been terrifying as she did her best to protect herself.
“I accept you have remorse for what you did to your wife.
“You have accepted this killing from the outset.”
Paying tribute to Mrs Dafter, the judge said she was a “woman with many positive qualities”.
He added: “No sentence will reduce the grief and loss her family will continue to feel.” | Explicit |
A Romanian ship sustained minor damage during a Russian attack on the Ukrainian port of Reni on the River Danube on the night of 23-24 July.
Source: HotNews.ro, a Romanian news website, citing the Romanian Foreign Ministry
Details: The Ministry said that representatives of the Consulate General in Odesa, which is temporarily operating in the Ministry’s central office, had investigated the incident with the Romanian ship in the port of Reni.
Early reports received by representatives of the Romanian Consulate from the Ukrainian authorities, the vessel sustained minor damage and continued its voyage.
The Romanian Foreign Ministry also said that no Romanian citizens were injured in the attacks against Ukrainian ports on the Danube.
Background:
Russian forces carried out an attack on Odesa Oblast on the night of 23-24 July. The Ukrainian military said the attack targeted the Danube port infrastructure. The Ukrainian military said that the Russian attack targeted Danube port infrastructure.
The Russian attack destroyed a grain depot and damaged several other storage facilities. A fire broke out in a production facility.
Oleh Kiper, Head of the Odesa Oblast Military Administration, said that six port workers had been injured during the attack. Four of them were hospitalised.
Romanian President Klaus Iohannis said that Russia’s attacks posed a serious threat to security in the Black Sea. | Explicit |
U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert immediately discarded a pin honoring one of the victims of the Uvalde mass shooting after activists handed the memento to her in the halls of the Capitol on Tuesday.
The green Converse worn by fourth-grader Maite Rodriguez are portrayed on the pin, which was attached to a handout advocating for an assault weapons ban. The handout described who Maite was and how she was murdered, alongside a photo of her mother holding her shoes.
Activists approached Boebert and offered remarks about the shoes and Maite's death before asking Boebert to "take action on gun violence prevention," per the Houston Chronicle's Cayla Harris. Boebert, one of the most outspoken and inflammatory representatives in the House and a staunch opponent of restricting gun access, tossed the pin in the trash just a few paces after it was handed to her.
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Families of Uvalde victims denounced the video, which quickly racked up nearly 3 million views and close to 10,000 likes as of Wednesday.
“Whether or not you agree with what we are fighting for or not, throwing away a pamphlet of a mother fighting to honor her child who was gunned down and murdered in her classroom is beyond (expletive) disgusting,” Jazmin Cazares, whose sister Jackie was also killed in the shooting, tweeted Tuesday. "You are a disgrace to mothers everywhere and I pray you and your children are never disrespected the way you just disrespected Maite and her mother," Cazares added.
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Officials used Maite's green Converse to identify her after the May 2022 shooting. They became a symbol of the gruesome power of assault rifles among supporters of banning them.
Danger | Houston plans to relocate residents near UP cancer-cluster site
Accident | Brazoria County fire from pipeline explosion is contained
Lawsuit | Families sue Texas for transgender youth healthcare ban
Arrest | Houston fugitives accused in Heights murders caught in Vietnam
For the latest and best from Chron, sign up for our daily newsletter here. | Explicit |
A man has admitted killing a cyclist and burying his body on a country estate with help from his twin brother.
His remains were discovered in January 2021 within a remote area of ground by the A82 near to a farm in Bridge of Orchy, Argyll and Bute.
Twin brothers Alexander and Robert McKellar, 31, were initially accused of murdering Mr Parsons and attempting to defeat the ends of justice.
The siblings denied murder and were due to stand trial this week at the High Court in Glasgow.
On Wednesday, advocate depute Alex Prentice KC announced the charges against the brothers had been amended with Alexander then pleading guilty to the lesser charge of culpable homicide.
He admitted hitting Mr Parsons, from Tillicoultry in Clackmannanshire, with a vehicle while driving at excess speed and unfit through alcohol on 29 September 2017.
Robert, who was a passenger in the motor, was acquitted of killing Mr Parsons after his not guilty plea was accepted by the Crown.
Read more:
Man jailed for 'vicious, feral and wholly murderous' knife attack
Man who raped woman and burned her alive given lighter sentence
Both brothers pleaded guilty to attempting to defeat the ends of justice.
The pair admitted leaving the scene of the collision and returning in another vehicle.
The brothers then took Mr Parsons' body, bike and belongings to Auch Estate, where they buried the ex-navy petty officer within the grounds at a location used to dispose of dead animals.
The brothers also arranged for repairs to be carried out on the vehicle that struck Mr Parsons, pretending that the damage was caused by a collision with a deer. | Explicit |
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A new investigation by the Pulitzer Prize-winning organization Futuro Investigates and Latino USA shines a light on allegations of sexual abuse and assaults filed by migrants in U.S. immigration detention facilities. Geoff Bennett discussed more with NewsHour producer Zeba Warsi, who teamed up with Futuro Investigates and has been reporting on this story since 2021.
Morgan Till is the Senior Producer for Foreign Affairs and Defense (Foreign Editor) at the PBS NewsHour, a position he has held since late 2015. He was for many years the lead foreign affairs producer for the program, traveling frequently to report on war, revolution, natural disasters and overseas politics. During his seven years in that position he reported from – among other places - Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Syria, Lebanon, Turkey, Egypt, Israel, Palestine, Ukraine, Russia, Georgia, Haiti, South Korea, Brazil, Mexico, Canada and widely throughout Europe.
Zeba Warsi is Foreign affairs producer, based in Washington DC. She's a Columbia Journalism School graduate with an M.A. in Political journalism. Prior to the NewsHour, she was based in New Delhi for seven years, covering politics, extremism, sexual violence, social movements and human rights as a special correspondent with CNN's India affiliate CNN-News18.
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DNIPRO, Ukraine -- The horrors of war arrive through the night at a hospital in eastern Ukraine, a procession of stretchers bearing limp bodies whisked from the front line.
The soldiers come with bandaged limbs soaked in blood, faces blackened with shrapnel fragments and stunned eyes fixed on the ceiling, frozen in shock. Lately, they’ve been coming with ever-greater frequency.
“Pain!” shrieks a serviceman with a gaping thigh wound as medical workers move him to a surgical gurney.
Evacuated from trenches in the east, forests in the north and the open fields of the south, wounded soldiers begin showing up at the Mechnikov Hospital in late afternoon, and dozens more in desperate need of surgery are wheeled in before the sun rises the next day.
The surge of wounded soldiers coincides with the major counteroffensive Ukraine launched in June to try to recapture its land, nearly one-fifth of which is now under Russian control. Surgeons at Mechnikov are busier now than perhaps at any other time since Russia began its full-scale invasion 17 months ago, according to doctors at the hospital, who declined to be more specific.
In a war where casualty counts are treated as state secrets, the hospital — one of Ukraine's biggest — serves as a measurement of distant battles. When they intensify, so does the doctors’ workload, which these days consists of 50 to 100 surgeries per night.
“Here, we see the worst of the front line,” Dr. Serhii Ryzhenko, the hospital’s 59-year-old chief doctor, says with a weary smile. “We have 50 operating rooms, and it’s not enough.”
The Associated Press was given rare access last week to the hospital, a 12-hour visit to witness doctors and nurses care for soldiers rushed from the battlefield to the operating room.
During the day, Mechnikov functions as a normal hospital, treating patients with cancer and other chronic diseases. But every night ushers in the same macabre routine: Wounded soldiers arrive — many unconscious — and surgeons operate. The soldiers are then sent off to recover elsewhere to create space for the next nightly deluge.
“We hold our own front line here, we understand that we must do this, we must hold on,” said Dr. Tetyana Teshyna, a soft-spoken anesthesiologist wearing pink scrubs.
“It’s very hard,” said Teshyna, who remains calm amid the bustle in this clean, orderly hospital. She wants to say more but is summoned by a nurse. Another urgent surgery is about to start.
Ukrainian soldiers are fighting in multiple combat zones along the 1,500-kilometer (932-mile) front line, but the counteroffensive — focused in the Russian-occupied east and south of the country — has been slow going. Small units are being deployed to probe a Russian army that is deeply dug in, and minefields must be cleared before Ukrainian soldiers can attempt to root them out.
Any initial momentum from the opening phase of the counteroffensive has given way to sluggish advances. Territorial gains have been minimal, despite highly publicized Western donations of military hardware that heightened expectations of a quick Ukrainian breakthrough.
For its part, Russia has stepped up operations in the north of Ukraine, near Lyman, in the forests of Kreminna, in a possible attempt to corner Ukrainian troops there.
Ukrainian soldiers fighting along the front say the ferocity of Moscow’s artillery barrages has surprised them the most, especially in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, where mine-clearing operations leave them badly exposed to enemy fire.
Oleh Halah, 22, was hit by artillery from a Russian tank near Lyman this month, injuring his stomach and legs. Straining to speak in the hospital’s intensive care unit, Halah said his platoon saw the tank coming, but the artillery hit them before they could reach their grenade launcher.
“Twenty-four hours a day, constant shooting, all the time … if not (Russian) infantry, then artillery,” he said. “It doesn’t stop.”
Other soldiers being cared for by Mechnikov’s doctors were injured while clearing mines from Russian trenches. A Belarusian fighting alongside Ukrainian soldiers who uses the call sign “Gold” was injured this way. He had been walking slowly with his unit, 5 meters (yards) per minute, when he was ambushed by a Russian soldier hiding behind a dugout.
As evening comes, the pace of activity in the trauma room picks up, with new soldiers arriving nearly every 15 minutes.
Discordant voices of doctors and other hospital staff echo in the halls, describing blood loss and case histories. Diagnoses are called out: shrapnel in the brain, a burned respiratory tract, shrapnel in the legs, a bullet in the arm; and, again, shrapnel in the brain.
Shrapnel accounts for the majority of injuries treated at Mechnikov, doctors said. Bullet wounds, less so. Wounded soldiers are typically cared for in hospitals closer to the front line and then, once stabilized, they are brought to Mechnikov, a journey that can sometimes take half a day.
Dr. Simon Sechen brings in a soldier with a wide gash in his shin. A tourniquet was applied for roughly half a day, he explained, because the soldier was trapped in a faraway trench, and it took hours to evacuate him. Sechen had tried to encourage blood flow, but it may be too late. “We did all we could to fight for his leg,” he says.
The soldier is taken to the operating room, where Dr. Yakov Albayuk takes one look and determines that the leg must be amputated to save the soldier's life. “After 12 hours without blood circulation, the limb will die,” Albayuk said, explaining that a tourniquet must be taken off after two hours and, if necessary, reapplied. “Because of tiny mistakes we’re losing people’s limbs.”
For Albayuk, every wound inspected on the operating table is a raw and unvarnished account of the brutality of the fight Ukrainian soldiers face in combat: constant bombardment, hidden mines, and cunning snipers.
In this soldier’s case, his wounds tell a story of bravery; he was advancing toward fire, not running away.
The amputation takes 20 minutes. Albayuk uses a surgical saw to cut through the bone. A nurse wraps up the severed limb, and it is taken away.
Nearby, a soldier lying on a stretcher in the hallway calls out for his girlfriend, Anna. He has been brought to Mechnikov so that doctors can treat complications from a leg that was amputated a few days ago at a hospital closer to the front line.
Anna rushes to his side and tells him to be strong. When he’s gone, she collapses into tears.
Later, a soldier named Maksym, who was injured while fighting in the Donetsk region, awakens in the intensive care unit to the sight of his wife, and then a relieved kiss from her. She traveled with his sister when they learned Maksym had been admitted for surgery.
“I am so happy I got to see them one more time,” Maksym said.
Like Ukraine itself, the Mechnikov Hospital — which is more than 200 years old — has been transformed by war over the past decade.
The hospital did not begin treating wounded soldiers until Russia’s invasion in 2014, when it was not prepared for the task, said Ryzhenko. Soldiers would be admitted with guts spilling out and massive amounts of blood loss. Back then, Ryzhenko saw cases he had only read about in textbooks. Today, Mechnikov is lauded for its state-of-the-art facilities and expertise — roughly 400 doctors spread across six buildings.
On Dr. Mykyta Lombrozov's operating table is a soldier who sustained a shrapnel injury on the left part of the brain. The 28-year-old neurosurgeon’s elegant hands work methodically. Crushed skull pieces are removed, one by one, until he can extract the small metal fragments lodged in the soldier’s brain.
It’s a complicated surgery that would normally take up to four hours. The war has taught Lombrozov to finish it in 55 minutes. He does it every day, he says, sometimes up to eight times in a single 24-hour shift.
“It is very important to me, that’s why I am here. That’s why we all work here,” Lombrozov said as he looked down at the soldier. “He is our hero.”
___
Follow AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine | Explicit |
NEW YORK -- A federal judge on Wednesday upheld a $5 million jury verdict against Donald Trump, rejecting the former president’s claim that the award was excessive and that the jury vindicated him by failing to conclude in the civil case that he raped a columnist in a luxury department store dressing room in the 1990s.
Judge Lewis A. Kaplan said the jury’s May award of compensatory and punitive damages to writer E. Jean Carroll for sexual abuse and defamation was reasonable.
Trump’s lawyers had asked Kaplan to reduce the jury award to less than $1 million or order a new trial on damages. In their arguments, the lawyers said the jury's $2 million in compensatory damages granted for Carroll's sexual assault claim was excessive because the jury concluded that Trump had not raped Carroll at Bergdorf Goodman's Manhattan store in the spring of 1996.
Kaplan wrote that the jury's unanimous verdict was almost entirely in favor of Carroll, except that the jury concluded she had failed to prove that Trump raped her “within the narrow, technical meaning of a particular section of the New York Penal Law.”
The judge said the section requires vaginal penetration by a penis while forcible penetration without consent of the vagina or other bodily orifices by fingers or anything else is labeled “sexual abuse” rather than “rape.”
He said the definition of rape was “far narrower” than how rape is defined in common modern parlance, in some dictionaries, in some federal and state criminal statutes and elsewhere.
The judge said the verdict did not mean that Carroll “failed to prove that Mr. Trump ‘raped’ her as many people commonly understand the word ‘rape.’ Indeed ... the jury found that Mr. Trump in fact did exactly that."
Trump's lawyers were correct in arguing that the $2 million award for sexual abuse would have been excessive if the jury based the compensatory award on a conclusion that Trump had groped Carroll's breasts through her clothing or similar conduct, the judge said. But, he said, that's not what the jury found.
“There was no evidence at all of such behavior. Instead, the proof convincingly established, and the jury implicitly found, that Mr. Trump deliberately and forcibly penetrated Ms. Carroll’s vagina with his fingers, causing immediate pain and long lasting emotional and psychological harm,” Kaplan wrote.
The judge said Trump's argument “ignores the bulk of the evidence at trial, misinterprets the jury’s verdict, and mistakenly focuses on the New York Penal Law definition of ‘rape’ to the exclusion of the meaning of that word as it often is used in everyday life and of the evidence of what actually occurred between Ms. Carroll and Mr. Trump.”
Lawyers for Trump, the front-runner in the 2024 Republican presidential primary, did not immediately comment after the judge's ruling.
Attorney Robbie Kaplan, who represents Carroll and is unrelated to the judge, said in a statement: “Now that the court has denied Trump’s motion for a new trial or to decrease the amount of the verdict, E Jean Carroll looks forward to receiving the $5 million in damages that the jury awarded her.”
The lawyer said her client also looks forward to a second defamation trial against Trump scheduled for January. That claim is based on statements Trump made while he was president and on statements he made after the trial.
Since the early May verdict after a two-week trial, Trump has continued to maintain that he never encountered Carroll at the department store and that he didn't know her before she claimed in a 2019 memoir that he raped her.
At trial, Carroll testified for three days, saying Trump sexually attacked her in the midtown Manhattan store's dressing room on a desolate floor near the lingerie section after they had a chance encounter at the store's entrance and flirted with one another as they shopped for a garment for one of Trump's friends. The store is located across the street from Trump Tower.
Trump, 77, did not attend the trial. He said in a social media post last week that his lawyers "due to their respect for the Office of the President and the incredulity of the case, did not want me to testify, or even be at the trial…..”
After the trial, Carroll, 79, added new claims to a pending defamation claim and sought an addition $10 million in compensatory damages and substantially more in unspecified punitive damages.
Trump has countersued Carroll, saying he was defamed when she continued to assert after the verdict that she had been raped.
The Associated Press typically does not name people who say they have been sexually assaulted unless they come forward publicly, as Carroll has done. | Explicit |
Armed police have swarmed on Auckland’s CBD after reports of a gunman at a building under construction near Britomart and fears there are multiple people injured.
There are unconfirmed reports of a person with a gun at a building site. Gun shots were heard at the scene at 8.08am.
A distressed construction worker told the Herald he encountered the gunman on the stairs of a property under development.
Multiple officers are currently in Quay St near Britomart. The public is being told to stay indoors and avoid lower Queen St.
Several workers at a building site can be seen crouching behind piles of building materials near where police are gathering.
At least one construction worker has been injured and was escorted from the scene by police. This person is receiving first aid from several officers.
A man with blood on his face could be seen being rushed into an ambulance.
St John ambulance says so far two people are confirmed hurt - one person has serious injuries and one has moderate injuries.
It is understood the drama is centred at 1 Queen St, a Precinct Properties building which L.T. McGuinness is working on. Matt McGuinness confirmed to the Herald it was his site the suspected gunman was on.
“I’m from South Africa … we left there not to have this,” one construction worker said.
Several roads are closed in the CBD including sections of Lower Hobson St, Quay St, Queen St, and Lower Albert St.
Members of the public are being told to seek shelter at the HSBC Tower.
Fullers says all ferry services suspended until further notice.
Police are asking the public to “move on” and stop crowding around the scene.
A woman watching the scene said she was evacuated from Commercial Bay.
Police are telling people to go home, “you won’t be going back in there.”
Train services are still running and customers can still exit Britomart via the Takutai exit located towards the tunnel end of each platform.
Commuters are told to expect major delays to all public transport. | Explicit |
- A New York federal judge denied a request by former President Donald Trump for a new trial on monetary damages in the case where a jury ordered him to pay $5 million for sexually abusing and defaming the writer E. Jean Carroll.
- "The jury in this case did not reach 'a seriously erroneous result,'" Judge Lewis Kaplan wrote in his decision in U.S. District Court in Manhattan.
- Trump, who is seeking the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, faces the possibility of two criminal trials next year.
A New York federal judge on Wednesday denied former President Donald Trump's request for a new trial on monetary damages in the case where a jury ordered him to pay $5 million for sexually abusing and defaming the writer E. Jean Carroll.
Judge Lewis Kaplan also rejected Trump's bid to sharply reduce that monetary award, which came after a trial for Carroll's lawsuit that ended in May.
"The jury in this case did not reach 'a seriously erroneous result,'" Kaplan wrote in his decision, quoting from arguments made in Trump's motion for a new trial in U.S. District Court in Manhattan.
"Its verdict is not 'a miscarriage of justice,'" the judge wrote.
The jury found that Trump had sexually abused Carroll in a dressing room of the Bergdorf Goodman store on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan after they had a chance encounter there one day in the mid-1990s. Jurors also found that Trump had defamed Carroll in comments last fall denying her allegations.
Trump's lawyer Joseph Tacopina did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the ruling Wednesday.
In a statement, Carroll's lawyer Robbie Kaplan said, "Now that the court has denied Trump's motion for a new trial or to decrease the amount of the verdict, E Jean Carroll looks forward to receiving the $5 million in damages that the jury awarded her in Carroll II."
Carroll II is how lawyers in the case refer to the lawsuit that resulted in this verdict.
"She also looks forward to continuing to hold Trump accountable for what he did to her at the trial in Carrol I, which is scheduled to begin on January 15, 2024," said Robbie Kaplan, who is not related to Judge Kaplan.
In that other civil lawsuit, Carroll alleges Trump defamed her in 2019, when he denied her claims after she first publicly accused Trump of raping her during the encounter. Trump made the comments in that case when he was president.
The Department of Justice last week abandoned a nearly three-year fight to shield Trump from civil liability in that lawsuit, which was the first one that Carroll filed. The DOJ had argued that Trump made the comments about Carroll as part of his job as president.
But the DOJ dropped that claim after a federal appeals court in Washington, D.C., suggested in an opinion that Trump could be sued personally if he did not make his statements about Carroll with the intention of serving the U.S. government.
Trump is appealing the verdict from the trial for Carroll's other lawsuit. The trial for the first lawsuit is set to begin as the Republican presidential primary season kicks off next year.
Trump is the leading candidate for the GOP nomination.
In addition to the civil case, he faces two criminal indictments.
In Manhattan state court, Trump is accused of falsifying business records in connection with a 2016 hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels. He has pleaded not guilty in that case.
Trump separately is charged in Florida federal court with about three dozen felonies related to his retention of classified government records when he left office, and to his alleged obstruction of efforts by U.S. officials to recover those records.
He likewise has pleaded not guilty in that case, where he has asked a judge to delay the trial until after the 2024 election.
On Tuesday, Trump said in a social media post that DOJ special counsel Jack Smith has notified him that he is a target in a criminal investigation into Trump's efforts to undo his loss to President Joe Biden in the 2020 election. | Explicit |
Chilling details have emerged about the final moments of the New Zealand gunman who killed two people and left at least 10 injured in a mass shooting on Thursday morning.
The shooter, who stormed a construction site in Auckland's CBD, has been identified as 24-year-old Matu Tangi Matua Reid who had a history of violence and has been confirmed dead by police.
According to police, the 24-year-old made his way through the construction site firing a pump action shotgun, killing two civilians. Before he died, Reid barricaded himself in an elevator high up in the building and began firing at police, critically injuring one.
Gunman's history of violence
It's since been revealed the gunman — who did not hold a firearm licence — had a history of family violence and in March was charged with injuring with intent to injure, wilful damage, male assaults female and impeding breathing, New Zealand's Stuff reported.
The 24-year-old was under house arrest at the time of the shooting and was wearing an ankle bracelet, police confirmed. In New Zealand, people serving home detention can gain exemptions to work. In an afternoon press conference, Police Commissioner Andrew Coster said the gunman had been given an exemption to work at the construction site on lower Queen Street. Colleagues reportedly thought it was a prank until he opened fire.
Construction company LT McGuiness confirmed in a statement the gunman was an employee of a subcontractor that had been working on the project, New Zealand Herald reported. "Today’s tragic event has been a huge shock to us all,” the company said.
Shooting is an 'isolated incident'
The shooting is being treated as an isolated incident, not a national security threat, with no change to the country's terror settings. Prime Minister Chris Hipkins said the shooter had no identified ideological or political motivation.
Mr Hipkins said he had "deep sorrow" for the two victims, who were civilians killed inside the building. It was a "very grim morning" in New Zealand.
"I want to thank the brave men and women of the New Zealand police who ran into the gunfire, straight into harm's way in order to save the lives of others," he said. "These kind of situations move fast and the actions of those who risked their lives are nothing short of heroic."
He later revealed an investigation is underway into how the gunman managed to get hold of a firearm and if it could have been prevented in some way. Commissioner Coster said there had been a previous search of his property but police never found him in possession of a firearm.
BREAKING: Multiple people killed in Auckland, New Zealand mass shooting - NZHerald pic.twitter.com/COuI0A8IPl
— BNO News (@BNONews) July 19, 2023
Terrified commuters flee the scene
Gunshots were heard just after 7.20am (5.20am AEST) in Auckland, police said. Local television outlets broadcast footage of workers on the roof of the building hiding behind packs of pre-mix cement.
Australian Erin Sokolowsky was on her way to work when the chaos unfolded.
"Within a minute of walking past [the construction site], waiting for the lights, gunfire started and people started running left, right and centre," she said.
"They said five shots. It sounded like more than that. Really loud and felt really close and we couldn’t hear or see where it was coming from.
"The best thing we can do is run and hid behind a wall and hightail it out of there."
Video posted to social media captured the gunshots heard by locals as workers were escorted from the building by police.
with AAP
Do you have a story tip? Email: [email protected]. | Explicit |
GREEN BAY, Wis. -- The trial of a woman charged with killing and dismembering a Green Bay, Wisconsin, man last year is set to begin Monday after a judge found her fit to assist in her own defense.
Sixteen jurors were selected Friday for the homicide trial of Taylor Schabusiness, 25, following the judge's ruling that the Green Bay woman was able to help in her defense, the Green Bay Press-Gazette reported. Four of the jurors will serve as alternates.
Defense attorney Christopher Froelich told the court he disagreed with that ruling.
Schabusiness is charged with first-degree intentional homicide, mutilating a corpse and third-degree sexual assault in the February 2022 killing of Shad Thyrion, 25.
Authorities say she strangled Thyrion at the Green Bay home he shared with his mother, sexually abused him and dismembered his body, leaving parts of it throughout the house and in a vehicle.
Since her arrest, Schabusiness has had not guilty pleas entered on her behalf by the court and a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity entered by her former attorney.
Brown County Circuit Court Judge Thomas Walsh had ruled in March that Schabusiness was competent to stand trial. He asked the jurors Friday to report to the courthouse on Monday morning for opening statements in a trial that's expected to last a week.
In February, Schabusiness attacked her previous attorney during a court hearing before a deputy wrestled her to the courtroom floor. | Explicit |
Unilever has said it will let Russian employees be conscripted to be sent to Ukraine if they are called up.
The consumer goods giant, which has about 3,000 employees in Russia, has policies that cover the well-being and safety of its workers.
However, in a letter to campaign group B4Ukraine, it said it would comply with Russian conscription law.
Unilever has been under pressure to pull out of Russia, but says the situation is "not straightforward".
In a letter to B4Ukraine, which campaigns for companies to cease operating in Russia to hurt its economy, Unilever said it "absolutely condemns the war in Ukraine as a brutal, senseless act by the Russian state".
It also said it had responsibility for its 3,000 employees, adding that it had "global principles including the safety and well-being of our employees".
Nevertheless, the British firm, which makes products including Marmite and Cornetto ice creams, said it was "aware of the law requiring any company operating in Russia to permit the conscription of employees should they be called".
"We always comply with all the laws of the countries we operate in," wrote Reginaldo Ecclissato, Unilever's chief business operations and supply chain officer.
A spokesperson for the firm declined to say whether any Russian employees had been called up.
Any who are will not continue to be paid by the firm, the spokesperson added.
In its letter, it said it had paid 3.8bn roubles (£33m; $41.8bn) in tax to the Russian state in 2022, which was a similar amount to the previous year.
The majority of its business in Russia is personal care and hygiene products, but it continues to supply ice cream.
At least 25,000 Russians have been killed in the war, according to research by the BBC's Russian service and Russian website Mediazona, but other sources put the figure much higher.
In February, UK intelligence services estimated that between 40,000 and 60,000 Russian troops had died.
Russian soldiers have also been accused by the UN of war crimes, including rapes, "widespread" torture and killings.
Unilever and other Western firms have been under pressure to pull out of Russia since its invasion of Ukraine.
However, Unilever has said this is "not straightforward". If it abandoned operations, they would be "appropriated and then operated" by the Russian state.
It has not managed to find a way to sell the business that "avoids the Russian state potentially gaining further benefit, and which safeguards our people".
It said there were no "desirable" ways forward, but continuing to run the business with "strict constraints" was the best option at present.
However, the Ukraine Solidarity Project, which is part of B4Ukraine, said Unilever's response was "jaw-dropping".
"One day you're manufacturing ice cream, the next you're gearing up for the front line. You can't say Unilever isn't offering its employees varied work experience," said campaigner Valeriia Voshchevska.
"If this is protecting your workers, I'd hate to see what putting them in harm's way looks like." | Explicit |
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden will establish a national monument honoring Emmett Till, the Black teenager from Chicago who was abducted, tortured and killed in 1955 after he was accused of whistling at a white woman in Mississippi, and his mother, a White House official said Saturday.
Biden will sign a proclamation on Tuesday to create the Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley National Monument across three sites in Illinois and Mississippi, according to the official. The individual spoke on condition of anonymity because the White House had not formally announced the president's plans.
Tuesday is the anniversary of Emmett Till's birth in 1941.
The monument will protect places that are central to the story of Till's life and death at age 14, the acquittal of his white killers and his mother's activism. Till's mother's insistence on an open casket to show the world how her son had been brutalized and Jet's magazine's decision to publish photos of his mutilated body helped galvanize the Civil Rights Movement.
Biden's decision also comes at a fraught time in the United States over matters concerning race. Conservative leaders are pushing back against the teaching of slavery and Black history in public schools, as well as the incorporation of diversity, equity and inclusion programs from college classrooms to corporate boardrooms.
On Friday, Vice President Kamala Harris criticized a revised Black history curriculum in Florida that includes teaching that enslaved people benefited from the skills they learned at the hands of the people who denied them freedom. The Florida Board of Education approved the curriculum to satisfy legislation signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican presidential candidate who has accused public schools of liberal indoctrination.
“How is it that anyone could suggest that in the midst of these atrocities that there was any benefit to being subjected to this level of dehumanization?” Harris asked in a speech delivered from Jacksonville, Florida.
DeSantis said he had no role in devising his state’s new education standards but defended the components on how enslaved people benefited.
“All of that is rooted in whatever is factual,” he said in response.
The monument to Till and his mother will include three sites in the two states.
The Illinois site is Roberts Temple Church of God in Christ in Bronzeville, a historically Black neighborhood on Chicago’s South Side. Thousands of people gathered at the church to mourn Emmett Till in September 1955.
The Mississippi locations are Graball Landing, believed to be where Till’s mutilated body was pulled from the Tallahatchie River, and the Tallahatchie County Second District Courthouse in Sumner, Mississippi, where Till’s killers were tried and acquitted by an all-white jury.
Till was visiting relatives in Mississippi when Carolyn Bryant Donham said the 14-year-old Till whistled and made sexual advances at her while she worked in a store in the small community of Money.
Till was later abducted and his body eventually pulled from the Tallahatchie River, where he had been tossed after he was shot and weighted down with a cotton gin fan.
Two white men, Roy Bryant and his half-brother J.W. Milam, were tried on murder charges about a month after Till was killed, but an all-white Mississippi jury acquitted them. Months later, they confessed to killing Till in a paid interview with Look magazine. Bryant was married to Donham in 1955. She died earlier this year.
The monument will be the fourth Biden has created since taking office in 2021, and just his latest tribute to the younger Till.
For Black History Month this year, Biden hosted a screening of the movie “Till,” a drama about his lynching.
In March 2022, Biden signed the Emmett Till Anti-Lynching Act into law. Congress had first considered such legislation more than 120 years ago.
The Justice Department announced in December 2021 that it was closing its investigation into Till’s killing. | Explicit |
The horrors of war arrive through the night at a hospital in eastern Ukraine, a procession of stretchers bearing limp bodies whisked from the front line.
The soldiers come with bandaged limbs soaked in blood, faces blackened with shrapnel fragments and stunned eyes fixed on the ceiling, frozen in shock. Lately, they’ve been coming with ever-greater frequency.
Shrapnel accounts for the majority of injuries treated at Mechnikov, doctors said. Bullet wounds, less so. Wounded soldiers are typically cared for in hospitals closer to the front line and then, once stabilized, they are brought to Mechnikov, a journey that can sometimes take half a day. | Explicit |
Texas Governor Greg Abbott's escalating measures to stop migrants along the U.S. border with Mexico came under a burst of new criticism Tuesday after a state trooper said migrants were left bloodied from razor-wire barriers and that orders were given to deny people water in sweltering heat.
In one account, Texas Trooper Nicholas Wingate told a supervisor that upon encountering a group of 120 migrants on June 25 — including young children and mothers nursing babies — in Maverick County, a rural Texas border county, he and another trooper were ordered to "push the people back into the water to go to Mexico."
The trooper described the actions in an email dated July 3 as inhumane.
Travis Considine, a spokesperson for the Texas Department of Safety, said the accounts provided by the trooper were under internal investigation. He said the department has no directive or policy that instructs troopers to withhold water from migrants or push them back into the river.
The emails, first obtained by Hearst Newspapers, thrust Texas' sprawling border security mission back under scrutiny at a time when Abbott is expanding the mission by putting a new floating barrier on the Rio Grande. The Republican has authorized more than $4 billion in spending on the mission, known as Operation Lone Star, which has also included busing thousands of migrants to Democratic-led cities and arresting migrants on trespassing charges.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters Tuesday that the trooper's account, if true, was "abhorrent" and "dangerous." Democrats in the Texas Capitol said they planned to investigate.
"We are talking about the bedrock values of who we are as a country and the human indecency that we are seeing," Jean-Pierre said. "If this is true, it is just completely, completely wrong."
A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security condemned the reported actions in a statement but did not say whether the agency was planning to investigate the allegations.
Republican Representative Tony Gonzales, whose sprawling south Texas congressional district includes the border, tweeted, "Border security should not equal a lack of humanity."
In one instance, according to Wingate, a 4-year-old girl attempting to cross through razor wire was "pressed back" by Texas National Guard soldiers in accordance with orders and that the child later fainted from the heat. Temperatures in Maverick County this summer have soared into the triple-digits.
Maverick County Sheriff Tom Schmerber, who has supported the state deploying workers to the border, said he was taken aback by the trooper's account.
"I don't agree with whatever they were told to do," Schmerber said. "That's not something that's part of our mission. You know, I know that we're here to protect and serve no matter who it is, you know, either immigrants or U.S. citizens. But we're not going to do any harm to anybody."
Wingate did not immediately return an email message seeking comment Tuesday. The Texas Military Department also did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
As concern and outrage over the trooper's account mounted Tuesday, Abbott's office issued a statement that said no orders have been given "that would compromise the lives of those attempting to cross the border illegally." The statement did not address Wingate's specific accounts and defended the border mission overall.
The statement said the razor wire "snags clothing" but did not address the accounts of migrants being cut and bloodied by the barrier.
"The absence of these tools and strategies — including concertina wire that snags clothing — encourages migrants to make potentially life-threatening and illegal crossings. Through Operation Lone Star, Texas continues stepping up to respond to the unprecedented humanitarian crisis at our southern border," the statement read.
The email chain with the trooper included a log showing 38 encounters between June 25 and July 1 with migrants in need of medical assistance, ranging from weakness to lacerations, broken limbs and drownings in which life-saving measures were required. A dozen were under a year old.
Other accounts included a 19-year-old woman who was found cut by the wire and having a miscarriage. The others had cuts or broken bones as a result of where the wires were placed, according to the email.
"We need to operate it correctly in the eyes of God," Wingate wrote.
In response to Wingate's accounts, Texas Department of Public Safety Director Steve McCraw sent an email saying "the priority of life requires that we rescue migrants from harm and we will continue to do so."
A separate email exchange obtained by The Associated Press dated July 14 shows McCraw receiving pictures, originally sent by U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, of injuries caused by the sharp wire placed by Texas officials.
The pictures showed some injuries that required stitches as well as bloodied hands and legs. | Explicit |
Japanese police said they arrested a woman and her parents in a beheading case in a popular night entertainment district in Japan's northern city of Sapporo, where a headless man was found in a hotel room three weeks ago.
Hokkaido police on Japan's northern main island said Tuesday they arrested Runa Tamura, 29, and her father Osamu Tamura, a 59-year-old psychiatrist, the day before on suspicion of conspiring in beheading the victim at a hotel room and relocating his severed head in the middle of the night between July 1 and July 2.
The head of the victim, Hitoshi Ura, 62, has been missing since then.
Police raided the suspects' home Tuesday and arrested the prime suspect's mother Hiroko Tamura, a 60-year-old parttime worker, on suspicion of conspiring with her family in transporting and keeping the head at home.
Police did not say exactly how the daughter and the father collaborated. Police are still investigating the motive and refused to say if the woman and the victim knew each other.
Police also noted that Runa is a possible mental patient. Media reports quoted neighbors as saying that she has had difficulty attending school and had been reclusive since childhood.
Kyodo News and other media reported the victim and another individual believed to be Runa Tamura checked into the hotel in the Susukino area known for short-stay "love hotels." About three hours later only one of them was seen leaving, carrying a large suitcase.
The person accompanying the victim was wearing light-colored women's clothing and a wide-brimmed hat when entering the hotel, but was dressed in black when leaving, Kyodo said, quoting unnamed investigative sources.
Ura's body was discovered later on July 2 by a hotel worker who went to check on the room because no one had checked out from it by the afternoon. The worker found the victim slumped in a bathtub, according to news reports. None of his belongings had been left in the room and the bed appeared unused.
for more features. | Explicit |
By SAMYA KULLAB (Associated Press)
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia pounded Ukraine’s southern cities with drones and missiles for a third consecutive night Thursday, keeping Odesa in the Kremlin’s crosshairs after a bitter dispute over the end of a wartime deal that allowed Ukraine to send grain through the key Black Sea port.
The strikes killed at least two people in Odesa. In the nearby city of Mykolaiv, which is close to the Black Sea, at least 19 people were injured, including a child, Ukrainian officials said.
Russia has targeted Ukrainian critical grain export infrastructure since it vowed “retribution” this week for an attack that damaged a crucial bridge between Russia and the Moscow-annexed Crimean Peninsula. Russian officials blamed that strike on Ukrainian drone boats.
The strikes on Ukraine’s grain export infrastructure have helped drive up food prices in countries facing hunger. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the end of the deal Monday would result in more human suffering, with potentially millions of people affected.
The grain deal provided guarantees that ships would not be attacked entering and leaving Ukrainian ports, while a separate agreement facilitated the movement of Russian food and fertilizer.
The Russian military on Thursday described its strikes on Odesa, a city whose downtown area is described by the United Nations’ cultural agency UNESCO as possessing “outstanding universal value,” as “retaliatory.”
In January, UNESCO added Odesa’s historic center to its list of endangered World Heritage Sites, with UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay saying the “legendary port that has left its mark in cinema, literature and the arts.”
Despite multiple Russian artillery attacks and airstrikes during the war that began in February 2022, Odesa had not previously been subjected to the heavy barrages that have targeted other towns and cities in Ukraine’s south and east.
Odesa residents reeled from Russia’s sudden focus on their city.
“I remember the attack on the port last year, but now it feels like it was only 5% compared to what the Russians have launched at us during these past three days,” Oleksandr Kolodin, a 29-year-old photographer, told The Associated Press.
Some feared that Russia’s decision to tear up the grain deal would make Odesa a long-term primary target.
“We saw how they could attack Kyiv for an entire month,” said 29-year-old programmer Victor, referring to the intense bombardment of the Ukrainian capital in May. He asked to use only his first name out of concern for his safety.
The Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement that it targeted “production shops and storage sites for unmanned boats” in Odesa and the nearby city of Chornomorsk. In the Mykolaiv area, the Russian military claimed to have destroyed Ukrainian fuel infrastructure facilities and ammunition depots.
Neither sides’ claims could be independently verified.
The previous night, an intense Russian bombardment using drones and missiles damaged critical port infrastructure in Odesa, including grain and oil terminals. The attack destroyed at least 60,000 tons of grain.
In what appeared to be a tit-for-tat move, Ukraine’s Defense Ministry announced that as of Friday, all vessels in the Black Sea heading to Russian ports “may be considered by Ukraine as such carrying military cargo with all the associated risks.” That may result in higher insurance costs for those ships.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said earlier this week that Moscow had formally declared wide areas of the Black Sea dangerous for shipping and warned that it would view any incoming ship as laden with weapons, effectively announcing a sea blockade.
Despite the risks, ship owners haven’t shown any less interest in carrying Ukrainian grain through the Black Sea, according to John Stawpert, senior manager of environment and trade for the International Chamber of Shipping, which represents 80% of the world’s commercial fleet.
The European Union’s foreign affairs chief condemned Russia’s targeting of grain storage facilities.
“More than 60,000 tons of grain has been burned,” Josep Borrell said in Brussels on Thursday, regarding Moscow’s recent tactics. “So not only they withdraw from the grain agreement … but they are burning the grain.”
German Foreign Affairs Minister Annalena Baerbock said at the same meeting that the EU is involved in international efforts to get Ukrainian grain to the world market.
“The fact that the Russian president has canceled the grain agreement and is now bombing the port of Odesa is not only another attack on Ukraine, but an attack on the people, on the poorest people in the world,” she said. “Hundreds of thousands of people, not to say millions, urgently need grain from Ukraine.”
The White House warned Wednesday that Russia was preparing possible attacks on civilian shipping vessels in the Black Sea. The warning could alarm shippers and further drive up grain prices.
Russia has laid additional sea mines in the approaches to Ukrainian ports, White House National Security Council spokesman Adam Hodge said in a statement. “We believe that this is a coordinated effort to justify any attacks against civilian ships in the Black Sea and lay blame on Ukraine for these attacks,” the statement said.
Carlos Mera, head of agricultural commodities markets at Rabobank, said wheat prices have risen about 17% over the last week, calling it a surprising rise that started even before the grain deal ended Monday and attributing it to “a little bit of panic.”
A lot of the wheat exported from Ukraine goes to very poor countries, such as those in North Africa, he said. People in those places are already struggling with food insecurity and high local food prices. Russia, meanwhile, has been exporting record amounts of wheat in recent months despite complaints that its agricultural exports have been hindered.
Russia has blasted Ukrainian towns and cities since the start of the war. Ukraine’s Western allies have helped upgrade its air defense systems. The latest military aid package from the United States, announced by the Pentagon on Wednesday, includes funding for four National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems, or NASAMS, and munitions for them.
Meanwhile, the Ukrainian military has begun deploying cluster munitions — bombs that open in the air and release scores of smaller bomblets — that it recently received from the U.S., U.S. National Security spokesman John Kirby said Thursday at a news conference.
“We have gotten some initial feedback from the Ukrainians and they’re using them quite effectively,” he said.
___
Raf Casert in Brussels, Courtney Bonnell in London and Aamer Madhani in Washington contributed.
___
Follow AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine | Explicit |
PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad - Authorities are on high alert in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, following a shooting incident that left five people dead.
Around 8 p.m. Wednesday, local time, officers responded to "a report of a mass shooting" in Kingstown, the capital of the Caribbean nation, according to a statement from the Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force.
Police told ABC News a group of people were in the Harbour Club area, when a vehicle pulled up and occupants of the vehicle began shooting.
Five people were fatally shot in the incident, including a 13-year-old boy, investigators said.
"Based on the crime scene, an assault weapon appears to have been used," Police Commissioner Colin John said at a news conference on Thursday. "We also received intel about possible reprisals and that is something that we are taking very seriously."
Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, who is abroad on an official visit to Morocco, offered condolences to the families of the victims in a video statement.
"We will get to the bottom of this, and we will bring the perpetrators to justice, those who carried out the killings and those who are the authors," Dr. Gonsalves said.
The United States has been working with Caribbean countries to battle crime and violence in the region.
On July 5, Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Caribbean heads of government in Trinidad. The leaders addressed the issue of guns being trafficked from the U.S. to the Caribbean.
Blinken announced that U.S. prosecutor Michael BenAry has been appointed as the first U.S. coordinator for Caribbean firearms prosecutions.
U.S. Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries, who led a bipartisan Congressional delegation to Trinidad and Tobago on July 5 for talks with regional leaders, said BenAry's appointment shows "that the United States of America, that Congress, that the Biden administration, has heard the concerns related to gun trafficking and gun violence here in Trinidad and Tobago, and throughout the Caribbean, and we are prepared to respond decisively to address it." | Explicit |
The notorious manifesto of far-right terrorist Anders Breivik, who killed 77 people in Norway’s worst peacetime atrocity, was listed for sale by Britain’s biggest book chain, Waterstones.
Investigators found Breivik’s manifesto on the website last Wednesday before it was removed after the bookseller was informed.
Breivik killed eight people with a car bomb in Oslo before heading to a youth camp on the island of Utøya, where he killed 69 people, mostly teenagers, in a gun attack in July 2011.
The right-wing extremist launched his 1,500 page anti-Muslim manifesto hours before committing his attacks.
The document charts Breivik’s attempts to mentally prepare and acquire the weaponry and explosives needed for his bomb and gun attacks with some sections plagiarised from writings by America’s Unabomber.
Investigators at Tech Against Terrorism, a UN-backed online counter-terrorism organisation, found the manifesto for sale on the Waterstones site, which also owns Foyles and Hatchards. The manifesto, called “2083 – A European Declaration of Independence” was promoted in three parts, priced at £30-£48.
The manifesto’s entry also featured an author page for the 43-year-old Norwegian extremist. But the chain said the manifesto could not be bought. “These titles were never stocked in our bookshops and were not available to order on our website or in shops. At no point were these titles part of our curation,” a spokesperson said.
Experts say such material could violate UK counter-terrorism legislation. In 2021 Sam Imrie, from Glenrothes, Fife, was convicted of encouraging terrorism as well as collecting information useful to an individual preparing an act of terrorism, after Breivik’s manifesto was found in his home.
Tech Against Terrorism identified that the version of the manifesto listed by Waterstones featured a verified international standard book number (ISBN) and was published by a private limited company registered in Estonia since September 2019.
However, Waterstones said it did not have a “trading relationship” with the publisher making it impossible for the manifesto to be ordered through the chain.
Waterstones added that it received title information for listings through an automated feed from Nielsen Book Data, the main aggregator for the UK book trade, with the retailer saying it gave extra scrutiny to review the listing and excluded unacceptable titles.
“With the size of the catalogue running into the tens of millions, inevitably some escape both Nielsen and our scrutiny. As soon as these are noticed, they are removed,” the spokesperson said.
Adam Hadley, executive director of Tech Against Terrorism, said the incident raised concerns over whether UK laws were sufficient for such cases.
“This discovery highlights an ambiguity in existing and proposed content moderation legislation. To what extent would either the Terrorism Act or the forthcoming online safety bill cover books sold on mainstream websites?” | Explicit |
Human remains were found inside three separate suitcases on Friday in Florida, according to law enforcement officials seeking information related to the gruesome discovery.
The Delray Beach Police Department responded to a 911 call from a person who said they saw something strange in the Intracoastal Waterway, police said.
Detectives discovered a suitcase that had human remains inside, according to Delray Beach Police Department.
The remains are that of "a white or Hispanic middle-aged woman with brown hair and approximately 5'4" tall," according to a statement from police.
Shortly after discovering the remains, police discovered additional human remains inside two other suitcases near the Intracoastal Waterway.
The remains in all three suitcases are that of the same woman, according to police.
Delray Beach Police said the victim was wearing a floral tank top with a black undershirt and black mid-thigh shorts.
In a brief update Monday afternoon, Delray police asked for the public's help in reviewing any possible surveillance video from the time frame of July 17 through July 20.
The woman, believed to be between 35-55 years of age, was placed into the water during that timeframe, based on her condition, police said.
The area of interest is about one mile long, with police telling the public to look for any unusual vehicles, people, or anyone carrying or moving luggage during that time.
It's believed to be an isolated incident, according to police.
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call Delray Beach Police Detective Mike Liberta at 561-243-7874. | Explicit |
Rishi Sunak has apologised for the treatment of LGBT veterans after they were sacked or forced out of the military for being gay.
The UK PM said the ban was an "appalling failure" of the British state.
It was illegal to be gay in the British military until 2000 - with thousands of veterans thought to be affected.
It comes after a long-awaited report into their treatment was published on Wednesday.
Addressing MPs in parliament, the prime minister said: "Many endured the most horrific sex abuse and violence, homophobic bullying and harassment all while bravely serving this country.
"Today on behalf of the British state I apologise."
Emma Riley, 51, was a Royal Navy radio operator for three years before she was arrested and discharged for being a lesbian after telling a colleague her sexuality in the early 1990s.
She told the BBC that she welcomed the report, and that she hoped it would be put into place "swiftly."
"Having our history, experiences and enormous pain acknowledged and apologised for, hearing that the Armed Services and government that perpetuated institutional bullying will now be held accountable to finally support LBGT+ Veterans, is a relief," she said.
Veterans have previously told the BBC how their lives were devastated by the ban.
Carol Morgan, who was dismissed after telling her bosses she was gay in 1978, kept her sexuality secret for another 30 years and said she had been "robbed" of her life.
Ken Wright, 62, served as an RAF Police Officer before losing his job when his bosses found out he was gay.
He described how losing his position in the military had left him feeling as though "his country didn't want him."
He added: "After being denied the opportunity to defend one's country, being told you aren't good enough to wear the uniform, it takes huge inner strength to feel reconciled all of a sudden today.
"Carrying that insult for 35 years scars you for life."
The report says many faced invasive medical examinations, intrusive police investigations and in some cases, as recently as 1996, were sent to prison for their sexuality. Many still have a criminal record to this day.
It also details how some veterans faced a complete loss of income, while others were deemed ineligible to claim their pension because of their dismissal.
As well as detailing the personal experiences of those impacted by the ban, Lord Etherton's report also makes 49 recommendations to the government including the restoration of medals that had to be handed back on dismissal or discharge, the clarification of pension rights and the presentation of the veterans badge.
The report comes more than 20 years after four servicemen and women, who were sacked for being gay, won a case in the European Court of Human Rights and overturned the ban.
Veterans Minister Johnny Mercer said he was pleased with the apology and that it was a "significant moment" for the LGBT community.
Asked why it had taken so long, with the ban lifted more than 20 years ago, he said veteran care in this country had "been a journey" and that there were lots of different parts of the "veteran experience" that needed to be brought up to standard. | Explicit |
Fox News analyst: GOP may have ‘outsmarted themselves’ on support for RFK Jr.
A Fox News contributor suggested Thursday that Republicans might be making a mistake by inviting Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to a House hearing on “weaponization” of the federal government.
“Democrats are going to make him the focus of this hearing, and I think it’s entirely possible Republicans have outsmarted themselves on this one,” Byron York, a columnist at The Washington Examiner and contributor to Fox, said during the network’s coverage of the hearing.
“It’s about a very serious issue, the hearing … but what we will have is Democrats attacking the witness.”
York later said Republicans could be misreading support for Kennedy.
“I think some of the support you see for Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in the Democratic party is not Democrats who want to see him be president, but for Democrats who are sending a message: We want another candidate,” he added.
“So I think Republicans may have misread some of RFK’s support.”
Kennedy is a longtime anti-vaccine activist who filed paperwork in April to run for president as a Democrat. He is polling well behind President Biden and has most recently sparked backlash with offensive comments suggesting the coronavirus was engineered to avoid infecting Chinese and Jewish people.
House Republicans invited Kennedy to testify before the Judiciary Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government on Thursday, despite calls from Democrats to disinvite him to speak to the panel following those remarks.
Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. | Explicit |
Miami-Dade Police Department Director Alfredo "Freddy" Ramirez shot himself in the head on a Florida highway after an argument with his wife, authorities said Monday.
He had surgery Monday afternoon and is expected to recover, police said.
“He probably has a long road ahead, a lot of surgeries, but he is going to survive,” Hillsborough Country Sheriff Chad Chronister told reporters in Tampa.
Officers responded Sunday evening to the Florida Sheriff’s Association’s Summer Conference in Tampa where "a male had pointed a gun at himself," police said in a statement.
When officers arrived to the 12th floor of the Marriott Westside, Ramirez, 52, told them he was no danger to himself or others, and was then "released at the scene," Tampa police said.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office described that encounter as a domestic dispute between Ramirez and his wife.
But shortly after that incident, Ramirez drove off and shot himself in the head, the sheriff said.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement said the incident happened on I-75, south of Tampa.
“Our hearts are with Chief of Public Safety Freddy Ramirez and his family during this difficult time,” Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said in a statement. “All that matters right now is his well-being and we continue to pray for his speedy recovery.”
Ramirez had announced his candidacy for sheriff of Miami-Dade County in 2024.
The law enforcement leader grew up in Hialeah and was raised by his grandparents who fled Cuba and the Castro regime, according to his campaign biography.
He graduated from the University of Miami, married his high school sweetheart and joined the Miami-Dade Police Department in 1995, his campaign said.
U.S. Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., who is also attending the law enforcement conference in Tampa, praised Ramirez.
"You couldn't ask for a more respectful person, somebody that cares about others and wants to do a good job," said Scott, a former governor.
Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle called Sunday night's shooting "deeply saddening."
"An incident such as this is so deeply saddening, and I am praying and hoping for Chief Freddy Ramirez’ full recovery," she said. "We all know that we need many, many more individuals with the strength, courage and commitment he has exemplified throughout his career."
If you or someone you know is in crisis, call 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call the network, previously known as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, at 800-273-8255, text HOME to 741741 or visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for additional resources. | Explicit |
SANTA ANA, Calif. -- A third man has been arrested on federal charges related to the firebombing of a Planned Parenthood clinic in Southern California last year, authorities said Monday.
Xavier Batten, 21, was arrested Friday in Florida and has been ordered to be detained pending trial, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles said. Online court records for the case in California do not list an attorney for him.
Two other defendants who were arrested last month are due to appear in federal court in California Monday, prosecutors said in a statement. Tibet Ergul, 21, of Irvine, and Chance Brannon, 23, of San Juan Capistrano, a Marine stationed at Camp Pendleton, are expected to be arraigned in federal court in Santa Ana.
All three men are charged with conspiracy and malicious destruction of property by fire and explosion, the statement said. Ergul and Brannon also face additional charges.
“This indictment shows that federal law enforcement will work diligently to uncover and hold accountable those who plan and carry out violent extremist acts against others,” U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada said in the statement.
Brannon will plead not guilty, said Kate Corrigan, his attorney. Sheila Mojtehedi, Ergul’s attorney, declined to comment.
The charges are tied to an attack at the clinic in the Southern California city of Costa Mesa at around 1 a.m. on March 13, 2022, authorities said. A Molotov cocktail was thrown at the front of the building and fire spread up a wall and across a ceiling.
Security video recorded two people in hooded sweatshirts and face masks carry out the attack. No one was hurt but the clinic had to cancel about 30 appointments, authorities said. | Explicit |
NEW HAVEN, Conn. -- A Connecticut man who was exonerated after serving 28 years in prison for killing a baby in 1994 has filed a lawsuit against the city of New Haven and six now-former police officers involved in his arrest.
Adam Carmon, 51, was convicted of murder and other crimes and sentenced to 85 years in prison for the shooting that killed 7-month-old Danielle Taft and paralyzed her grandmother, Charlene Troutman. A gunman had fired more than a dozen shots through their apartment window from outside.
Carmon was released in December after a judge ruled that prosecutors withheld evidence from the defense and city police failed to pursue other suspects — including one who recanted a confession. The charges were officially dismissed last month.
In June, Carmon told The Associated Press in a phone interview that his name remained tarnished.
“I have to live with that the rest of my life, regardless of what transpired," he said. "Right now, I’m just working, trying to piece the pieces of my life back together.”
The lawsuit filed Monday in U.S. District Court seeks unspecified monetary damages.
Patricia King, corporation counsel for the city of New Haven, said in a statement that she could not comment on the specifics of Carmon’s case, but that “the City is committed to cooperating with all parties and appropriately engaging in the civil litigation process to ensure there are reasonable resolutions on matters where city employees are deemed legally responsible for wrongful convictions or miscarriages of justice.”
Carmen's attorney argued that evidence showed two other men — purported drug dealers — could have been involved in the shooting. Prosecutors failed to disclose to Carmon’s lawyer that one of those men voluntarily went to the police station and implicated himself and another man in the shooting, the judge said.
Police abandoned their investigation of those men when the firearms expert concluded a handgun Carmon possessed was the murder weapon.
Carmon is working at a grocery distribution warehouse and said he will soon be marrying a woman he was dating before he went to prison. He said he is building a relationship with his 28-year-old son, who was a baby when the shooting happened. | Explicit |
More than 47 years after 8-year-old Gretchen Harrington vanished while she walked to bible camp, authorities have announced the arrest of a former pastor in connection with the decades-old killing.
David Zandstra, 83, of Marietta, was charged on Monday with multiple offenses, including criminal homicide and first-degree murder, NBC Philadelphia reported. He allegedly confessed to killing Harrington after he was confronted with new evidence, including claims from a witness who said Zandstra at one point groped the young victim and attempted to kidnap another girl, according to the Delaware County District Attorney’s Office.
The new witness provided officials with a diary entry written one month after Harrington went missing, speculating that Zandstra may have been responsible.
“Guess what?” the witness is quoted as writing in an entry dated Sept. 15, 1975. “A man tried to kidnap Holly twice! It’s a secret I can’t tell anyone, but I think he might be the one who kidnapped Gretchen. I think it was Mr. Z.”
Harrington disappeared on Aug. 15, 1975, while on a walk from her Marple Township home to a Bible school less than a mile away. District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer said Zandstra, who served as a reverend at Trinity Christian Reformed Church, pulled up alongside the little girl and offered her a ride to camp.
Instead, he took her to a secluded place and ordered her to remove her clothes. When she refused, he masturbated in front of her before beating her to death, according to Stollsteimer. Her body was discovered weeks later, on October 14 in Ridley Creek State Park.
“This man is evil. He killed this poor 8-year-old girl he knew and who trusted him,” Stollsteimer said. “And, then he acted as if he was a family friend, not only during her burial and the period after that, but for years.” | Explicit |
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Ukraine suffered another barrage of Russian missile strikes on Friday, part of a deadly summer of attacks. But as NewsHour special correspondent Simon Ostrovsky discovered, many of the Russian-made cruise missiles wouldn’t be able to find their targets without the help of American companies. His investigation was supported by the Pulitzer Center.
As the deputy senior producer for foreign affairs and defense at the PBS NewsHour, Dan plays a key role in helping oversee and produce the program’s foreign affairs and defense stories. His pieces have broken new ground on an array of military issues, exposing debates simmering outside the public eye.
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Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) appeared to take a veiled shot at Rep. Matt Gaetz (Fla.) on Wednesday after his fellow far-right Republican, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (Ga.), displayed what appeared to be nude pictures of Hunter Biden with women she claimed were sex workers.
“If the gentlelady from Georgia wanted to follow evidence, we should also take a look at, hypothetically, a case where sex trafficking charges against a 17-year-old girl, potentially,” Ocasio-Cortez said at the House Oversight Committee hearing before she was notified her speaking time had expired.
She was ostensibly referring to allegations that Gaetz had a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old girl and paid for her to travel across state lines in violation of sex trafficking statutes.
Gaetz denied the allegations, and his attorneys said in February that the Justice Department had dropped its sex trafficking investigation without charges against the congressman.
Gaetz’s associate, former Florida tax collector Joel Greenberg, was sentenced to 11 years in prison in the probe. He cooperated with prosecutors against Gaetz and alleged he saw the congressman have sex with the 17-year-old and that she was paid, according to The New York Times.
Wednesday’s committee hearing included testimony from two IRS whistleblowers who claimed the Justice Department hamstrung their investigation into tax crimes by President Joe Biden’s son and pursued lesser charges than they had recommended.
Greene did not focus her questioning on those allegations, instead showing what appeared to be images of Hunter Biden making sex tapes.
“What’s even more troubling to me is that the Department of Justice has brought no charges against Hunter Biden that will vindicate the rights of these women,” she said. | Explicit |
CHICAGO -- The city of Chicago has experienced another bloody and violent weekend as six people were fatally shot and 27 others were wounded by gunfire.
Officers responded to two dozen separate shooting incidents from 6 p.m. Friday to 11:59 p.m. Sunday, according to major incident notifications released Monday.
The incidents included the slaying of one man and wounding of four others early Saturday as they stood on a sidewalk and the wounding of three people, including two women, Saturday night on Chicago’s South Side when gunfire rang out from an alley at a group of people.
A 16-year-old boy was found on a sidewalk and pronounced dead at a hospital after being shot multiple times Friday night. The teen was identified as Rashaun Hood, grandson of community activist Robin Hood.
“I want the community to remember that he was a basketball player. He stayed on the honor roll at school. He was just like any other youth,” Hood told WGN-TV. “We have got to tell on these killers and we cannot let them roam freely."
Weekend violence has plagued the city in recent years. This Memorial Day weekend more than 40 people were shot, including nine fatally.
But the numbers in Chicago reflect a national trend that is seeing homicides decrease so far this year, while some crimes, like motor vehicle theft, are on the rise.
Homicides on average dropped 9.4% during the first half of 2023 as compared to the same period last year, the nonpartisan Council on Criminal Justice found in a report released last week.
The report is based on crime data posed online by police departments in 37 cities of varying sizes around the country. Several of the nation’s largest cities, including New York, Los Angeles and Chicago, are represented. Of the cities that did post crime data online, 30 included homicide numbers and 20 of those showed declines.
Through July 16, Chicago police reported 331 murders compared to 355 over the same period in 2022, according to Chicago Police Department crime statistics. Year-to-date shootings in the city also were down from 1,407 in 2022 to 1,314 this year.
Chicago tallied 695 murders and 2,832 shootings through all of 2022.
However, other major crimes in the city have increased from Jan. 1 through July 16, led by motor vehicle theft which leaped from 7,074 through July 16, 2022, to more than 15,990 so far this year.
In early June, activists gathered outside Chicago City Hall asking Mayor Brandon Johnson to sign an executive order declaring violence a public health crisis in the city. | Explicit |
A 26-year-old man is charged with sex crimes after enrolling in a public school district in Lincoln, Nebraska, where he pretended to be 17, police say.
Zachary Scheich was arrested Thursday and faces two counts of sexual assault with use of an electronic communication device, which includes any attempt to “knowingly solicit, coax, entice or lure” a child 16 years or younger to engage in sexual activity, according to the Lincoln Police Department. Scheich is also charged with one count of sex trafficking of a minor.
Scheich allegedly attended two high schools in the Lincoln school district during the last academic year, attending classes for approximately 54 days, police say.
“The district had been alerted about an individual impersonating a student who had been enrolled under the name of Zak Hess,” the Lincoln Police Department said in a written statement.
Scheich was first enrolled at Northwest High School during the first semester of the 2022-2023 academic year and then transferred to Southeast High School during the second semester, police noted in the statement.
During a news conference Friday, Lincoln Public Schools superintendent Paul Gausman said Scheich had enrolled by submitting a birth certificate, an out-of-district high school transcript and immunization records.
“All those documents turned out to be fraudulent,” said Gausman.
The documents were submitted to the school online without a parent present, associate superintendent Matt Larson said. The online enrollment process is “something we are considering changing,” he said.
An arrest warrant obtained by CNN affiliate KOLN says police gained access to Scheich’s cell phone during a search of his home and “found text messages exchanged between Scheich and minor females.”
Police found sexually explicit messages sent to a 14-year-old female student, they said. Scheich also allegedly texted a 13-year-old girl to discuss “meeting up for sex.”
During an interview with authorities, Scheich allegedly admitted to pretending to be a student at the school and sending explicit messages to children but said he did not sexually assault any of them.
“We’ve identified a number of people who are victims,” superintendent Gausman said, but declined to give an exact number.
Bond for Scheich was set at $250,000 during a court hearing Friday, KOLN reported. Scheich did not enter a plea and did not have an attorney. CNN reached out to the public defender’s office for comment Friday.
CNN’s Jennifer Feldman and Aya Elamroussi contributed to this report. | Explicit |
July 23 (Reuters) - Clashes flared in parts of Sudan on the 100th day of the war on Sunday as mediation attempts by regional and international powers failed to find a path out of an increasingly intractable conflict.
The fighting broke out on April 15 as the army and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) vied for power. Since then, more than 3 million people have been uprooted, including more than 700,000 who have fled to neighbouring countries.
Some 1,136 people have been killed, according to the health ministry, though officials believe the number is higher.
Neither the army nor the RSF has been able to claim victory, with the RSF's domination on the ground in the capital Khartoum up against the army's air and artillery firepower.
Infrastructure and government in the capital have fallen apart while fighting has spread westwards, particularly to the fragile Darfur region, as well as to the south, where the rebel SPLM-N group has tried to gain territory.
Over the weekend, the RSF moved into villages in Gezira State directly south of Khartoum, where the army conducted air strikes against them, according to witnesses.
In Nyala, one of the country's largest cities and capital of South Darfur, clashes have continued since Thursday in residential areas, according to witnesses. At least 20 people have been killed, medical sources said. The United Nations says 5,000 families have been displaced, and residents have reported looting of key facilities.
"Bullets are flying into homes. We are terrified and no one is protecting us," said 35-year-old Salah Abdallah.
The fighting gave way to ethnically targeted attacks by Arab militias and the RSF in West Darfur, from which hundreds of thousands of people have fled to Chad.
Residents have also accused RSF soldiers of looting and occupying wide swathes of the capital. The RSF has said it would investigate.
Late on Sunday, the Sudanese army said nine people died, including four military personnel, when a civilian Antonov plane crashed due to a technical failure at Port Sudan airport in the east of the country. A young girl survived the accident, the army added in a statement.
While the two warring sides have shown openness towards mediation efforts led by regional and international actors, none has resulted in a sustained ceasefire.
Both sides have sent delegations to attempt to re-start talks in Jeddah that have yielded often-violated ceasefires.
But the Sudanese foreign minister said on Friday that indirect talks had not begun seriously.
The leaders of the army and RSF headed a joint council since the ouster of former ruler Omar al-Bashir in 2019 and diverged over plans for a transition to democracy.
Civilian political groups as well as the RSF have accused the army of turning a blind eye to appearances by wanted Bashir loyalists in recent days.
The Forces of Freedom and Change, the main civilian coalition, said on Sunday it was holding meeting in Egypt, which offered itself as a mediator in the conflict.
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. | Explicit |
Hunter Biden has hit back at Marjorie Taylor Greene for showing everyone his nude photos, as his lawyer filed an ethics complaint against the Georgia Republican on Friday.
The House Oversight Committee heard testimony on Wednesday from two IRS agents who say the Department of Justice dragged its feet on investigating the younger Biden for tax fraud. The hearing produced zero actual evidence, so instead, Greene tried to claim that Biden engaged in sex trafficking and listed payments to sex workers as a tax write-off. To support her argument, she held up poster-size prints of Biden’s nude photos, which she later also shared on her email newsletter.
Biden’s lawyer Abbe Lowell sent a letter to the nonpartisan Office of Congressional Ethics asking that Greene be investigated and penalized for her “outrageous, undignified conduct.”
“None of her actions or statements could possibly be deemed to be part of any legitimate legislative activity, as is clear from both the content of her statements and her conduct and the forums she uses to spew her unhinged rhetoric,” Lowell wrote.
“Rather than evaluate the credibility of the IRS agents’ testimony or review our tax laws, Ms. Greene sought to use the power of her office to generate some clicks online, fundraise, and provide sensationalist clips for Fox News at the expense of harassing and embarrassing Mr. Biden.”
Lowell previously urged the OCE to take action on Greene in April, accusing her of defaming Biden, spreading false allegations and conspiracy theories about him, and publishing his private photos and data. “If the OCE takes its responsibilities seriously, it will promptly and decisively condemn and discipline Ms. Greene for her latest actions,” he said in Friday’s letter.
The OCE is an independent agency that reviews allegations of misconduct against lawmakers and their staff. If necessary, the OCE will refer matters to the Ethics Committee—which is where Greene’s case could end up (and where investigations into George Santos still continue, nearly two months after he was federally indicted).
This isn’t the first time Republicans have shared Hunter’s nudes, but blowing them up on a poster for a congressional hearing is a new low. Not only was Greene’s decision to wave Biden’s nudes around wildly inappropriate—Oversight Chair James Comer did not reprimand her, though—but she may also have violated D.C. revenge porn law. City law prohibits knowingly disclosing one or more sexual images of an identified or identifiable person when the person in the photo did not consent to the image being shared.
What’s more, Greene may have sent the nudes to minors when she included them in her email newsletter. There is no screening for age when signing up for her newsletter, so any minors who subscribe have now received nudes from their congresswoman. If that is the case, then Greene could have broken federal laws banning the distribution of obscene material to minors. | Explicit |
A man has been found guilty of sexually assaulting and murdering his 16-year-old sister.
Connor Gibson, 20, was convicted of attacking his sister Amber in woodland in Hamilton, South Lanarkshire, on 26 November 2021.
He removed her clothing, sexually assaulted her with the intention of raping her, inflicted blunt-force trauma to her head and body, and strangled her.
Gibson denied the charges against him but was found guilty after a 13-day trial at the High Court in Glasgow.
Amber was reported missing on the evening of Friday 26 November and her body was discovered in Cadzow Glen at about 10.10am on 28 November.
Gibson was arrested three days later on December 1 and, the day before his arrest, posted a chilling tribute to the sister he murdered, writing on Facebook: "Amber, you will fly high for the rest of time. We will all miss you. Especially me. I love you ginger midget. GBFN (goodbye for now) X".
The forensic pathologist who carried out the post-mortem examination on Amber's body told the court she was found covered in mud and the cause of death was "compression of the neck".
Jurors also heard other forensic evidence that "widespread blood staining" on Gibson's jacket was compatible with Amber and his DNA was also found on her shorts, worn as underwear, which had been "forcibly torn" off.
The court heard Gibson, also known by the surname Niven, did not seem emotional as he spoke to his and Amber's former foster father, Craig Niven, on the day Amber's body was found.
Giving evidence, Mr Niven had said he would not leave the siblings in each other's company because they were "not a good mix".
Mr Niven and his wife had fostered the siblings since Amber was three and her brother was five. The couple were granted permanent care of the siblings a few years later.
At the time of Amber's murder, Connor was living at the Blue Triangle homeless hostel in Hamilton while Amber was at the town's Hillhouse children's home.
Mr Niven told the court he had not heard from his former foster son during Amber's disappearance but, in a call on the day her body was discovered, Gibson told him the pair had "fallen out" when they saw each other two days previously.
Jurors also heard from Peter Benson, of Police Scotland's cyber crime group, who examined a phone found where Gibson was living.
It showed that on November 27 at about 12.34am, the phone's user wrote to a Snapchat group with five recipients: "I'm really going to need you guys help with something when yous come back. I'm being serious."
The court saw evidence that about 40 seconds later the user messaged Amber Gibson on the app: "Are you ok?"
The user then told the group chat at approximately 1.33am: "nvm (never mind) it's all good."
The search history obtained from the phone also showed the user searched "How to get nosy police officers to stop monitoring your phone" at 11.38pm.
Iain Currie, manager of Hillhouse children's home, told the court he spoke to Gibson at about 9pm on November 26 after he called to speak with his sister, but noted him appearing "sharp" on the phone after making no greeting.
Also on trial was Stephen Corrigan, 45, who was found guilty of attempting to defeat the ends of justice by intimately touching and concealing Amber's body after discovering her at some point in the following two days, instead of contacting the emergency services.
Corrigan, said in court not to be known to Gibson, also denied the charge and had lodged a special defence of alibi.
His father, William Corrigan, 79, told the court his son was at his home in Blantyre, South Lanarkshire, that weekend after a fall on ice left his arm in a sling, and denied lying to protect him.
The court heard Corrigan told police he was at a "complete loss" to explain why his DNA was found on 39 areas of Amber's body, including her breasts, buttocks and thighs. | Explicit |
LSU grad student will no longer teach at university after alleged profanity-laced voicemail to state lawmaker
BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) - An LSU graduate student will no longer be allowed to teach at the university, after allegedly leaving a profanity laced voicemail to a Louisiana State Senator for his vote to override the governor’s veto on House Bill 648.
The university has identified the graduate student to WAFB as Marcus Venable.
The voicemail was left on Republican State Senator Mike Fesi’s voicemail, after he voted yes on a bill Tuesday, July 18, which prohibits certain procedures to alter the sex of a minor child.
“You know who the real experts are, it’s the ones that had this procedure done and are now in their mid-twenties, and late twenties, and trying to say that they hate their parents for letting this happen to them,” said Senator Fesi (R), District 20, on Tuesday at the Capitol.
The voicemail said:
“I just wanted to say ‘Congratulations, to our State Senator, Big Mike Fesi. And that f***ing moron voted to make things worse for people who are already suffering. You fat f***ing piece of sh**. You did not produce any g**d*** evidence to support the claims you made about people being harmed by transgender care, yet we’ve had tons of empirical evidence telling us there’s an increased suicide risk for people who don’t get this care. So you, you big fat headed mother f***er, I can’t wait to read your name in the f***ing obituary. I will make a goddamn martini made from the tears of your butthurt conservatives when we put your f***ing a** in the ground, you fat f***ing useless piece of sh*t. F*** you. I hope you have a terrible day. Go f*** yourself.”
“You know, it goes too far. We just got to understand that everybody’s got their opinion, we still live in a great country for freedom of speech. But we just got to hold it to a condition that everybody understands each other, and we don’t always have to agree,” said Sen. Fesi.
Senator Fesi first contacted the Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office, which then sent the case over to Louisiana State Police.
“LSP is aware of the voicemail and we are currently investigating the complaint. It is active and ongoing,” said a spokesperson with State Police to WAFB.
“I just want them to do their investigation, and them do what they think’s right. I don’t want to see no harm come to anybody,” said Senator Fesi.
In a statement to WAFB, LSU officials said, “As a university, we foster open and respectful dialogue. Like everyone, graduate students with teaching assignments have the right to express their opinions, but this profanity-filled, threatening call crossed the line. This does not exhibit the character we expect of someone given the privilege of teaching as part of their graduate assistantship. The student will be allowed to continue their studies but will not be extended the opportunity to teach in the future.”
Legal analyst Franz Borghardt weighed in on whether or not LSU violated the First Amendment rights of the grad student, by not allowing him to teach for them in the future.
“First and foremost, your constitutional rights to free speech are not absolute, if your words or your expression are threatening, if they are harmful, they are not necessarily absolutely protected. So, can LSU respond to a faculty member, albeit an LSU grad student making a profane, potentially threatening voicemail to a member of the legislature, yes I think they can. Because candidly at the end of the day, the call borderlines on a criminal act, whether it be assault, whether it be terrorizing. So, I think LSU can act, but furthermore, LSU didn’t expel the grad student who is also a teacher. It simply said, we can’t have you teaching especially while the case is under investigation,” said Borghardt.
“This particular piece of legislation has probably gained more intensity of emotion, than any other bill in a generation,” said political analyst Jim Engster.
Engster believes calls like this towards lawmakers go too far. And as for the future of this controversial bill, a lawsuit could be next.
“But, it looks like this is going all the way to the Supreme Court of the United States, and it will be up to those 9 justices to determine whether this becomes the law of the land,” said Engster.
WAFB did reach out to the grad student for a comment, and he finally gave us one on Sunday, July 23.
“The duty of the strong is to protect the weak.” - Joseph Venable (1918-1980). More later,” Venable wrote to WAFB.
The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression sent a letter to Louisiana State University urging LSU not to pursue further investigation and asking them to reinstate any future opportunities for Venable to act in his assistant teaching duties.
The organization is asking LSU for a response by July 28.
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Copyright 2023 WAFB. All rights reserved. | Explicit |
CLAYTON, Mo. -- A second police officer from a suburban St. Louis department is now facing charges after a man was allegedly driven to a secluded spot and beaten until his jaw broke.
St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell on Wednesday announced that his office charged Northwoods, Missouri, Police Officer Michael Hill, 51, with second-degree kidnapping. Hill is jailed on $100,000 cash-only bond and doesn't yet have a listed attorney.
On Monday, Northwoods Officer Samuel Davis, 26, was charged with assault and kidnapping, stemming from an arrest on July 4. St. Louis County police said Davis handcuffed a man, then turned off his own body camera before driving him to a secluded spot, where the man was allegedly pepper-sprayed, beaten with a baton and told not to return to Northwoods.
A witness called 911 after finding the bloodied man. Police said the victim’s jaw was broken, among other serious injuries.
The probable cause statement in Hill's arrest said he was Davis' supervising officer and was with Davis when the man was taken into custody at a Walgreens store. The statement said Hill told a store employee “what would happen to the victim.”
Like Davis, Hill never activated his body camera, never informed the dispatcher that a suspect was in custody, and didn't write a report, the probable cause statement said.
“There is no excuse for this criminal conduct, and my office will prosecute these officers to the fullest extent of the law," Bell said in a statement.
Northwoods police Chief Dennis Shireff told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that Davis has been suspended as the investigation plays out. | Explicit |
Evan Davis has told how his wedding day turned into a "reflective" occasion after he learned his father had taken his own life.
The BBC Radio 4 presenter, also known for hosting Dragon's Den, revealed to his wedding guests he had just been informed of his father's death but told them not to be "alarmed" and there's "nothing we can do".
Mr Davis said he "burst into tears" the next day when he was asked about his wedding.
Speaking to The Sunday Times, the presenter said his 92-year-old father, Quintin, had been diagnosed with bowel cancer and had a failing heart.
He said his father had also "felt guilt" over not being able to care for Mr Davis's mother, who had been admitted to a care home during the COVID pandemic with symptoms of dementia.
During his wedding, Mr Davis said he received a text message from his brother, Roland, to call him.
Despite the news, Mr Davis was urged to continue with his day by Roland and their other brother, Beric.
Mr Davis told his small number of guests of the news and said the wedding in London in July 2022 became a "very warm-hearted, supportive, reflective day".
"We've just had some news," he said at his wedding reception. "My father died. But I don't want you to be alarmed. He was very elderly and it was definitely time.
"There's actually nothing we can do. So I'm going to propose that we carry on."
Quintin, who had previously emailed his sons of his intention to kill himself, had left a bag of fresh clothes for his wife, while notes were found alongside his body.
One note said: "To all my family, I am so sorry - so, so sorry - to spring this on you. But it is the best outcome.
"My system is closing down and I am on the verge of a mental breakdown. I really have no alternative. Thank you all for being such a wonderful family."
Mr Davis had been getting married to Guillaume Baltz in a follow-up occasion to their civil partnership ceremony in 2012 when Quintin had also made a "proud and loving" speech.
The radio presenter added: "We've all speculated on what the hell was going on in his head… there's no good day, is there? And I know he didn't do it to spoil our day." | Explicit |
Robert Kennedy Jr, a long-shot Democratic candidate for US president, has a long history of racism, antisemitism and xenophobia, and should be denied a national platform, according to a damning report seen by the Guardian.
Kennedy, who provoked anger last week when he was filmed falsely suggesting that the coronavirus could have been “ethnically targeted” to spare Ashkenazi Jews and Chinese people, is due to testify at the US Capitol in Washington on Thursday.
The Congressional Integrity Project, a political watchdog, called for Republicans to disinvite Kennedy after releasing a report that details his meetings with and promotion of racists, antisemites and extremist conspiracy theorists.
“Kennedy embraces virtually every conspiracy theory in existence,” the report states. “His horrific antisemitic and xenophobic views are simply beyond the pale, and he has frequently met with and promoted antisemitic conspiracy theorists. Kennedy’s anti-vaccine conspiracies go back decades and have had deadly real world consequences.”
Kennedy, an environmental lawyer, is running against Joe Biden in the Democratic presidential primary and has drawn big and enthusiastic crowds and polled as high as 20%. But the Project’s document argues that Kennedy’s recent comments about Jewish and Chinese people, which were quickly hailed by neo-Nazis and Holocaust deniers as “100% correct”, were not an aberration but fitted a long pattern.
Earlier this summer Kennedy touted a meeting with Ice Cube, a rapper who issued bizarre antisemitic tweets, and publicly defended musician Roger Waters, who was embroiled in controversy after donning a costume intended to evoke Nazi attire at a concert in Germany.
The report says Kennedy has also repeatedly promoted and praised fringe online broadcaster James Corbett, a Sandy Hook and 9/11 conspiracy theorist who has claimed that “Hitler and the Nazis were 100% completely and utterly set up”.
Kennedy has often allied himself with the National of Islam leader, Louis Farrakhan, who regularly unleashed tirades about alleged Jewish control of media and government. Kennedy met Farrakhan at his Chicago home in 2015, with Farrakhan later tweeting that they discussed “a vaccine that is designed to affect Black males”.
The Project details how Kennedy himself has frequently invoked Nazi Germany when pushing debunked theories about vaccines. He put out a video that showed the infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci with a moustache reminiscent of Adolf Hitler and used the word “holocaust” to describe children he believes were hurt by vaccines in 2015.
Last year, at a Washington rally organized by his group Children’s Health Defense, Kennedy complained that people’s rights were being violated by public health measures that had been taken to reduce the number of people sickened and killed by Covid-19. He said: “Even in Hitler’s Germany, you could cross the Alps to Switzerland. You could hide in an attic like Anne Frank did.” He later apologised.
For years, the document says, Kennedy has targeted a particularly dangerous form of vaccine denial at Black people. In 2021 at the height of the Covid-19 vaccination campaign, he released Medical Racism, a film that promoted disproven claims about the dangers of vaccines and explicitly warned communities of color to be suspicious of “sinister” vaccination campaigns.
Several doctors and experts who participated in the film later denounced it and said they felt used and misled about the message of the documentary. Richard Allen Williams, founder of the Association of Black Cardiologists, called Children’s Health Defense “absolutely a racist operation” particularly dangerous to the Black community.
In 2017, as a measles outbreak devastated Minnesota’s Somali-American community due to low vaccination rates, Kennedy continued to push his false claims that “science and anecdotal evidence suggest that Africans and African Americans may be particularly vulnerable to vaccine injuries including autism”.
In a 2020 interview, Kennedy asserted without evidence that “People with African blood react differently to vaccines than people with Caucasian blood. They’re much more sensitive.”
The following year, amid the Covid-19 pandemic, Kennedy recorded a webinar encouraging Black people to be skeptical of vaccines, claiming: “There has been abundant evidence … beyond any dispute that Blacks are disproportionately harmed by vaccine injury,” adding: “Blacks react completely differently to vaccines … we now know it’s just one huge experiment on Black Americans, and they know what is happening and they are doing nothing.”
The report also argues that, from the earliest days of Operation Warp Speed, Kennedy has built “an anti-vaccine juggernaut” around opposition to Covid-19 vaccinations, which he has called “the deadliest vaccine ever made”.
He has sought to frame Covid vaccines as an elaborate conspiracy to enrich the medical establishment and big pharmaceutical companies. In a YouTube video, Kennedy accused Bill Gates of developing an “injectable chip” to enable the tracking of human movements and attempting to “genetically modify” humanity to “the flow of global information”.
Kennedy has even accused his former anti-vaccine ally, Donald Trump, of selling out to Pfizer by developing vaccines.
Such anti-scientific views go way back. Kennedy has claimed that fluoridated water is “drugging” children, HIV does not cause Aids and chemicals in the water are making people gay or transgender as well as pushing nonsensical conspiracy theories about wifi and 5G cellular networks.
As the son of former attorney general Robert Kennedy, and nephew of former president John F Kennedy, Kennedy has caused anguish to one of America’s most storied political dynasties with his toxic views.
In 2019 three relatives wrote an opinion column for the Politico website condemning his anti-vaccine advocacy, which they held partially responsible for a measles outbreak.
The Congressional Integrity Project contends that Kennedy is a “Republican stooge” who is being embraced by the far right in an attempt to damage Biden. He has become a regular guest on Rupert Murdoch’s Fox News and other rightwing outlets. Far-right provocateurs Roger Stone, Steve Bannon, Alex Jones and Michael Flynn have praised him.
Now Republicans have invited Kennedy to Congress. On Thursday he is due to address the House of Representatives’ select subcommittee on the weaponization of the federal government during a hearing to examine “the federal government’s role in censoring Americans”. The panel is chaired by the Trump loyalist Jim Jordan, who has been criticised for launching bogus investigations into Biden.
Kyle Herrig, executive director of Congressional Integrity Project, said: “Giving RFK Jr a platform to spread dangerous conspiracy theories and xenophobic and antisemitic rhetoric is a new low for Jim Jordan – and that says something.
“Jim Jordan should stop the charade and disinvite RFK Jr immediately. Allowing this hearing to go forward is shameless and beyond the pale. Maga Republicans’ desperation is on full display this week, proving once again that they have no credibility to conduct legitimate investigations.” | Explicit |
CLAYTON, Mo. -- A second police officer from a suburban St. Louis department is now facing charges after a man was allegedly driven to a secluded spot and beaten until his jaw broke.
St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell on Wednesday announced that his office charged Northwoods, Missouri, Police Officer Michael Hill, 51, with second-degree kidnapping. Hill is jailed on $100,000 cash-only bond and doesn't yet have a listed attorney.
On Monday, Northwoods Officer Samuel Davis, 26, was charged with assault and kidnapping, stemming from an arrest on July 4. St. Louis County police said Davis handcuffed a man, then turned off his own body camera before driving him to a secluded spot, where the man was allegedly pepper-sprayed, beaten with a baton and told not to return to Northwoods.
A witness called 911 after finding the bloodied man. Police said the victim’s jaw was broken, among other serious injuries.
The probable cause statement in Hill's arrest said he was Davis' supervising officer and was with Davis when the man was taken into custody at a Walgreens store. The statement said Hill told a store employee “what would happen to the victim.”
Like Davis, Hill never activated his body camera, never informed the dispatcher that a suspect was in custody, and didn't write a report, the probable cause statement said.
“There is no excuse for this criminal conduct, and my office will prosecute these officers to the fullest extent of the law," Bell said in a statement.
Northwoods police Chief Dennis Shireff told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that Davis has been suspended as the investigation plays out. | Explicit |
Robert Kennedy Jr, a long-shot Democratic candidate for US president, has a long history of racism, antisemitism and xenophobia, and should be denied a national platform, according to a damning report seen by the Guardian.
Kennedy, who provoked anger last week when he was filmed falsely suggesting that the coronavirus could have been “ethnically targeted” to spare Ashkenazi Jews and Chinese people, is due to testify at the US Capitol in Washington on Thursday.
The Congressional Integrity Project, a political watchdog, called for Republicans to disinvite Kennedy after releasing a report that details his meetings with and promotion of racists, antisemites and extremist conspiracy theorists.
“Kennedy embraces virtually every conspiracy theory in existence,” the report states. “His horrific antisemitic and xenophobic views are simply beyond the pale, and he has frequently met with and promoted antisemitic conspiracy theorists. Kennedy’s anti-vaccine conspiracies go back decades and have had deadly real world consequences.”
Kennedy, an environmental lawyer, is running against Joe Biden in the Democratic presidential primary and has drawn big and enthusiastic crowds and polled as high as 20%. But the Project’s document argues that Kennedy’s recent comments about Jewish and Chinese people, which were quickly hailed by neo-Nazis and Holocaust deniers as “100% correct”, were not an aberration but fitted a long pattern.
Earlier this summer Kennedy touted a meeting with Ice Cube, a rapper who issued bizarre antisemitic tweets, and publicly defended musician Roger Waters, who was embroiled in controversy after donning a costume intended to evoke Nazi attire at a concert in Germany.
The report says Kennedy has also repeatedly promoted and praised fringe online broadcaster James Corbett, a Sandy Hook and 9/11 conspiracy theorist who has claimed that “Hitler and the Nazis were 100% completely and utterly set up”.
Kennedy has often allied himself with the National of Islam leader, Louis Farrakhan, who regularly unleashed tirades about alleged Jewish control of media and government. Kennedy met Farrakhan at his Chicago home in 2015, with Farrakhan later tweeting that they discussed “a vaccine that is designed to affect Black males”.
The Project details how Kennedy himself has frequently invoked Nazi Germany when pushing debunked theories about vaccines. He put out a video that showed the infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci with a moustache reminiscent of Adolf Hitler and used the word “holocaust” to describe children he believes were hurt by vaccines in 2015.
Last year, at a Washington rally organized by his group Children’s Health Defense, Kennedy complained that people’s rights were being violated by public health measures that had been taken to reduce the number of people sickened and killed by Covid-19. He said: “Even in Hitler’s Germany, you could cross the Alps to Switzerland. You could hide in an attic like Anne Frank did.” He later apologised.
For years, the document says, Kennedy has targeted a particularly dangerous form of vaccine denial at Black people. In 2021 at the height of the Covid-19 vaccination campaign, he released Medical Racism, a film that promoted disproven claims about the dangers of vaccines and explicitly warned communities of color to be suspicious of “sinister” vaccination campaigns.
Several doctors and experts who participated in the film later denounced it and said they felt used and misled about the message of the documentary. Richard Allen Williams, founder of the Association of Black Cardiologists, called Children’s Health Defense “absolutely a racist operation” particularly dangerous to the Black community.
In 2017, as a measles outbreak devastated Minnesota’s Somali-American community due to low vaccination rates, Kennedy continued to push his false claims that “science and anecdotal evidence suggest that Africans and African Americans may be particularly vulnerable to vaccine injuries including autism”.
In a 2020 interview, Kennedy asserted without evidence that “People with African blood react differently to vaccines than people with Caucasian blood. They’re much more sensitive.”
The following year, amid the Covid-19 pandemic, Kennedy recorded a webinar encouraging Black people to be skeptical of vaccines, claiming: “There has been abundant evidence … beyond any dispute that Blacks are disproportionately harmed by vaccine injury,” adding: “Blacks react completely differently to vaccines … we now know it’s just one huge experiment on Black Americans, and they know what is happening and they are doing nothing.”
The report also argues that, from the earliest days of Operation Warp Speed, Kennedy has built “an anti-vaccine juggernaut” around opposition to Covid-19 vaccinations, which he has called “the deadliest vaccine ever made”.
He has sought to frame Covid vaccines as an elaborate conspiracy to enrich the medical establishment and big pharmaceutical companies. In a YouTube video, Kennedy accused Bill Gates of developing an “injectable chip” to enable the tracking of human movements and attempting to “genetically modify” humanity to “the flow of global information”.
Kennedy has even accused his former anti-vaccine ally, Donald Trump, of selling out to Pfizer by developing vaccines.
Such anti-scientific views go way back. Kennedy has claimed that fluoridated water is “drugging” children, HIV does not cause Aids and chemicals in the water are making people gay or transgender as well as pushing nonsensical conspiracy theories about wifi and 5G cellular networks.
As the son of former attorney general Robert Kennedy, and nephew of former president John F Kennedy, Kennedy has caused anguish to one of America’s most storied political dynasties with his toxic views.
In 2019 three relatives wrote an opinion column for the Politico website condemning his anti-vaccine advocacy, which they held partially responsible for a measles outbreak.
The Congressional Integrity Project contends that Kennedy is a “Republican stooge” who is being embraced by the far right in an attempt to damage Biden. He has become a regular guest on Rupert Murdoch’s Fox News and other rightwing outlets. Far-right provocateurs Roger Stone, Steve Bannon, Alex Jones and Michael Flynn have praised him.
Now Republicans have invited Kennedy to Congress. On Thursday he is due to address the House of Representatives’ select subcommittee on the weaponization of the federal government during a hearing to examine “the federal government’s role in censoring Americans”. The panel is chaired by the Trump loyalist Jim Jordan, who has been criticised for launching bogus investigations into Biden.
Kyle Herrig, executive director of Congressional Integrity Project, said: “Giving RFK Jr a platform to spread dangerous conspiracy theories and xenophobic and antisemitic rhetoric is a new low for Jim Jordan – and that says something.
“Jim Jordan should stop the charade and disinvite RFK Jr immediately. Allowing this hearing to go forward is shameless and beyond the pale. Maga Republicans’ desperation is on full display this week, proving once again that they have no credibility to conduct legitimate investigations.” | Explicit |
School protesters clash with police in ugly row over LGBTQ+ teaching during Pride Month
Protests have broken out yet again outside a school board meeting in Glendale, California over the inclusion of LGBTQ+ content in the curriculum.
On Tuesday (20 June), police were called to a Glendale Unified School District (GUSD) board meeting in the city – just north of Los Angeles – after demonstrators gathered to protest LGBTQ+ content in schools.
The incident comes just two weeks after three were arrested at a similar protest outside Glendale’s school board meeting, when board members reportedly discussed whether to recognise June as Pride Month. The violent protests were reportedly attended by members of the far-right extremist group the Proud Boys.
Compared with the protest in early June, Tuesday’s meeting reportedly did not have anything related to LGBTQ+ studies on its agenda for the meeting. Despite this, dozens of protesters turned up with signs bearing slogans such as “stop grooming our children” and “teach ABCs not LGBTs”.
According to the Los Angeles Times, GUSD board President Nayiri Nahabedian reportedly called for “mutual respect” ahead of the protests, adding that the community should “see the humanity” in each other.
“I have pleaded for mutual respect as we undertake these difficult conversations and have said, even in our disagreements, let us see the humanity in one another,” Nahabedian said.
“Unfortunately, what we witnessed at the last board meeting outside in the parking lot outside of the building was the predictable result of what happens when people do really the opposite.
“These things, folks, will create long-lasting divisions in our Glendale community that may never be repaired.”
During the board meeting, fired teacher Ray Shelton stood up and said: “You cannot change your gender. You can cut off your d**k and balls, you can take hormones, but it won’t make you a woman.”
He was reportedly removed from his classroom after showing a photo of four trans flags arranged to look like a swastika at a board meeting.
According to the Los Angeles Times, one speaker at the board meeting named Amy said many within the Glendale community “love and support” the LGBTQ+ community.
“Despite the ridiculous rhetoric and misinformation and bigoted hate speech … we still love and support the LBGTQ community and support what you’re doing to be inclusive,” she said.
According to ABC7, one person was arrested during the protests, although police have not publicly confirmed this.
“As a police department, we respect and honor the fundamental right of every individual to peacefully protest and express their opinions,” Glendale Police Department said in a statement ahead of the planned protest.
“We would also like to remind those participating in the protest or demonstration that unlawful conduct in the City of Glendale, including violence, will not be tolerated.”
PinkNews has contacted the Glendale Police Department for further comment.
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The Koblenz Higher Regional Court on Wednesday sentenced a woman, Nadine K., on Wednesday for being part of the so-called "Islamic State" militant group and taking part in abusing a Yazidi woman.
The court ruled that the 37-year-old had abused a Yazidi woman, forcing her to be a "household slave" while living with the group in Iraq and Syria. She was found guilty of crimes against humanity as well as aiding and abetting genocide.
The Yazidi woman testified at the trial and said she recognized the defendant. She traveled to Koblenz again for the verdict.
What were the court's findings?
"The starting point here is the meeting of two women whose lives would have had no points of contact under normal circumstances," the judge said.
The couple enslaved the 22-year-old woman from Iraq's Yazidi minority in 2016. She had been abducted by IS members in 2014, after the extremist group attacked her home village in the Iraqi Sinjar region.
The court noted that the defendant's husband had brought the victim into the household and beat and raped her regularly. Nadine K. had enabled and encouraged this, the court found.
"She could have and should have done something," the judge said.
The court found the accused to be an intelligent and self-determined woman, concluding that she had willingly joined IS.
While the court said there was no mitigating evidence that distanced the defendant from the crimes, the judge noted that she had shown remorse and compassion "at least to some extent."
The sentence fell short of the 10 years demanded by the prosecution.
Couple's journey to join IS
Nadine K. is believed to have become radicalized during her studies in the western German state of North Rhine-Westphalia.
She traveled from Germany to Syria with her husband in December 2014. Prosecutors say the purpose was to join IS.
In 2015, the couple moved to Mosul, Iraq, which had been taken by IS forces.
Nadine K.'s husband is believed to have worked as a doctor for IS fighters, while she took care of the household and their two daughters. The couple allegedly stored weapons in their home, which reportedly served as a hostel for "single female members" of IS.
The couple returned to Syria in late 2016, bringing their Yazidi captive with them.
They remained in IS-controlled regions of Syria until March 2019, when Kurdish forces took the couple into custody.
Nadine K. returned to Germany in March 2021, with authorities arresting her on arrival at Frankfurt International Airport.
The trial is the latest in a string of prosecutions in Germany involving women who traveled to IS-controlled regions in Syria and Iraq.
In 2021, a court sentenced a German convert to Islam on charges that she allowed a 5-year-old Yazidi girl who she and her husband kept as a slave to die of thirst in the sun. The husband was also subsequently convicted.
rc/rs (dpa, AP, AFP) | Explicit |
An Uber passenger has been charged with murder for shooting and killing her driver in El Paso, Texas. Phoebe D. Copas, 48, allegedly shot her driver, Daniel Piedra Garcia, 52, several times in the head, while in the backseat of his Nissan Maxima, according to a City of El Paso news release.
Copas claimed she thought Garcia was kidnapping her and taking her outside the U.S. after seeing a traffic sign for Juarez, Mexico, but an initial investigation conducted by the El Paso Police Department said in the news release that its findings “do not support that a kidnapping took place or that Piedra was veering from Copas’ destination.”
Copas was arrested at the scene and was initially held at the El Paso County Detention Facility where she was charged with aggravated assault causing serious bodily injury and was issued a $1 million bond.
Garcia was critically wounded at the scene and was placed on life support for five days but when doctors told his family he would be on a ventilator for the rest of his life, his family made the difficult decision to let him go. “My aunt didn’t want to see him suffer,” Didi Lopez, Piedra’s niece, told The Washington Post. “But, honestly, we don’t think that we made the decision to disconnect him. That decision was made for him the second that those bullets went into his head.”
Following Garcia’s death, Copas was charged with murder and her bond was increased to $1.5 million.
According to the affidavit, viewed by The Washington Post, Copas was reportedly on her way to meet her boyfriend in El Paso at a casino when she saw the Juarez, Mexico sign, which is seven miles across the El Paso border. Detectives reported in the affidavit that when they arrived at about 2:20 p.m., Copas’ boyfriend was pulling her from the crashed vehicle, and they allegedly saw her “drop everything she was holding in her hands on the ground,” which included the gun, according to the complaint.
Uber has multiple options to ensure passenger safety including an in-app emergency button that sends real-time location information and trip information directly to the police when the user calls or texts 911. The app also has a Live Help feature that connects riders with an ADT safety agent and RideCheck to check in with riders and drivers to ensure they are safe in the case of a long unexpected stop or possible crash.
However, authorities say that Copas made no attempt to call the police before or immediately after the incident, but according to The Post, the complaint alleges that she had texted photos of Garcia to her boyfriend prior to dialing 911.
“We are horrified by the rider’s actions that took the life of Mr. Garcia,” an Uber spokesperson said in an emailed statement to Gizmodo. “We have been in touch with his family, and our thoughts are with his loved ones during this unimaginably difficult time. We banned the rider as soon as we were made aware of what occurred and have been in contact with police.”
Copas’ bond hearing which was scheduled for Friday has been postponed and a new hearing date has not been set.
Lopez told CBS Austin that she believed the continued stereotypes about the Mexican border and the levels of safety there led Copas to wrongly assume she was in danger. “They make assumptions, they see stuff maybe on the news, maybe on social media, and stuff that’s not necessarily true and when they come here they come without really knowing.” She continued: “They make assumptions, they see stuff maybe on the news, maybe on social media, and stuff that’s not necessarily true and when they come here they come without really knowing.”
Garcia’s wife Ana Piedra set up a GoFundMe page, to help with her husband’s hospital and funeral expenses, which has already garnered nearly $84,000 in donations. | Explicit |
The parents of a man gunned down in a doorstep attack 15 years ago have appealed for the "little piece of evidence" which could bring his killer to justice.
Detectives believe the killing of Adam Chadwick in Leeds may have been a tragic case of mistaken identity.
The young father was shot by a masked gang after answering the door at his sister's home on 24 June 2008.
His family told the BBC: "We are never, ever going to forget him."
Mr Chadwick's parents, Jackie and Martin, said they had not been able to rest as their son's killer had not been identified.
"The more time goes on, the more [angry] and frustrated you get because you just want to focus on his memory and not what happened and the people responsible to get justice for Adam," his mother said.
Mr Chadwick, then aged 20, had been visiting his sister Gemma when a woman knocked on the door of the house in Clifton Mount, Harehills, asking for "Michelle".
The woman left but returned a short time later alongside three masked men who attempted to force their way into the property.
Mr Chadwick fought to repel them and was shot in the ensuing struggle.
He died in hospital two days later, leaving behind daughter Ruby whose third birthday the family had been celebrating on the day of the attack.
Despite extensive appeals, including a reconstruction on the BBC's Crimewatch programme and a £12,000 reward, no-one has been charged with his murder.
Mrs Chadwick said: "We just want justice for him. I don't want to be buried with my son, knowing I haven't got justice for him."
Her husband added: "Every year comes round and then goes, but you can sense something in the air, or I can, like butterflies in your stomach.
"It's that time of year again and you start thinking 'we still miss him'.
"We just want to remember him and what he did and how he was, but we have to keep the appeals going."
The family said knowing those responsible remained free had affected all of them.
Mr Chadwick's sister Gemma said: "Normally you grieve for someone and then you have a funeral and each year you remember them for the good times.
"We can't do that as a family because instead it's appealing year after year, just trying to get some justice for him."
'Utterly senseless'
West Yorkshire Police said it remained committed to bringing those responsible for Mr Chadwick's death to justice.
Det Supt Marc Bowes said: "Adam Chadwick was a completely innocent victim who was shot and fatally wounded on the doorstep of his sister's home 15 years ago in what remains an utterly senseless act with no established motive."
He said despite the passing years it would "never be too late" for anyone with information to come forward.
"It must still weigh heavily on their conscience despite the passage of time."
Anyone with information is asked to contact West Yorkshire Police's major investigation review team. | Explicit |
Jeffrey Epstein hanged himself in his jail cell with an orange noose he fashioned from "a sheet or a shirt," according to a new report issued Tuesday.
The Justice Department's Inspector General report details the failures that occurred beginning one month before the disgraced financier's death in Bureau of Prisons custody.
When officers discovered Epstein in his cell on Aug. 10, 2019, Officer Michael Thomas, who was charged criminally in the case, said, "Breathe, Epstein, Breathe," according to the report.
When Thomas saw Epstein dangling from the bed, he said, "We're going to be in a lot of trouble," according to the report.
When Epstein's room was searched after his death, investigators found extra bedsheets, another mattress and a noose, according to the report.
Epstein died by hanging at Manhattan's Metropolitan Correctional Center while he was awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges.
Ghislaine Maxwell, a longtime associate of Epstein, was convicted in December 2021 of conspiring with Epstein to recruit, groom and abuse minors and was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates. | Explicit |
BOSTON -- A suspect will be arraigned Tuesday in connection with a crime that has rattled a Boston suburb and a church community: the apparently random weekend killings of a couple celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary, along with the woman’s 97-year-old mother.
Jill D’Amore, 73, Bruno D’Amore, 74, were found dead in their home in Newton, along with Lucia Arpino, after the couple failed to show up for Sunday services at Our Lady Help of Christians Church.
Christopher Ferguson was arrested Monday; he also lives in Newton, but it appears he had no other connection to the victims, Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan said.
It wasn’t immediately clear whether Ferguson had an attorney who could comment on his behalf.
The Rev. Dan Riley, of Our Lady Help of Christians, said they were “wonderful people, church-going, kind, hospitable, salt of the earth.” A message to parishioners said the three “lost their lives in a senseless act of violence.”
“Bruno was known for his big voice and his exuberant personality and as ‘head chef’, he proudly flipped the burgers at the parish picnic," wrote Paul and Ginny Arpino, who were related to the victims, in the letter to the church community.
They said Jill D'Amore had taken on the ministry of beautifying the church’s environment.
“Without a single day of liturgical training she simply followed her heart, caring for the flowers and decorating for the liturgical seasons,” they wrote.
Until coronavirus pandemic, Lucia Arpino never missed morning Mass, they said.
“Lucia will be especially missed on the upcoming Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Festa weekend as she faithfully walked in that procession through the streets of Nonantum well into her 90’s,” they wrote.
The preliminary investigation indicated the victims died of stab wounds and blunt force trauma, Ryan said. Investigators found signs of forced entry into the basement, and Ryan described a chaotic scene in which there were “obvious signs of struggle.” A crystal paperweight was covered in blood, and furniture was broken.
Ferguson is charged with killing Jill D’Amore after an autopsy revealed her death was a homicide. Ferguson also was charged with two counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon causing serious bodily injury, and burglary.
Additional charges are expected in the death Bruno D’Amore and Arpino after those autopsies are completed.
There was an attempted break-in about a half-mile (800 meters) from the victims’ home early Sunday, but it’s unclear if the two crimes were related, Ryan said. | Explicit |
Just one month ago, the world had no idea what to expect from HBO’s The Idol—only that it starred The Weeknd and Lily-Rose Depp, and that people were mad at it. Were we ever so young? The Sam Levinson-created series has been courting controversy—both of the marketing-generated and unintentional varieties—ever since. Yet somehow, it’s reached its penultimate episode without fully justifying what all the noise was even for. Despite regular exposition and backstory dumps, a lot of questions about the series and its musical sex cult remain. With next week’s finale imminent, here are the most pressing queries The Idol has yet to address.
Several key people in Jocelyn’s orbit have been largely MIA since the premiere. Where did Dan Levy go? Or Eli Roth? Or even Hari Nef, whose Vanity Fair reporter only appeared as a floating Zoom head while interviewing Jocelyn in the show’s latest episode? For a series with only five episodes total, The Idol sure knows how to shed cast members. Speaking of which: who were the actors presumably ousted after the show’s change in creative direction, including Elizabeth Berkley and the late Anne Heche, meant to play?
Will we ever see the Rolling Stone scene that The Weeknd posted in response to an actual exposé about alleged behind-the-scenes issues on the HBO show? Perhaps that VF piece doesn’t go so well for Jocelyn, prompting her team to pursue another publication?
What more is there to discover about Tedros’s controversial hairstyle? As The Weeknd warned GQ earlier this month: “You’ll find out more about the rattail later on.” The time has come—where are our answers?!
While on the subject of Tedros: who is running the nightclub he operated his cult out of before migrating to Jocelyn’s megamansion?
And what, exactly, comes of the “record deals” Tedro makes with his musical followers? Do they perform exclusively at his unnamed club? And how would Tedros, who appears to have no real standing in the music industry, know actual producer Mike Dean, who has worked with the likes of Beyoncé and Madonna?
Who is responsible for all of the security at Jocelyn’s mansion? Save for one quick shot of highly-armed men on the perimeters of her property, we hear no explanation of how they got there—or if they were always there. Also of note: what is it like to work for Jocelyn, a job description that seems to include ripping dildos off walls and scooping cocaine back into baggies? Perhaps the personal chef who was unceremoniously fired in episode three is priming a tell-all?
And the intimacy coordinator who was trapped in a closet for several hours in the premiere is headed straight to DeuxMoi, right?
Jocelyn and Leia’s (Rachel Sennott) makeup line, Half Magic, sounds familiar. Is it real? (It is, in fact, the name of the Euphoria makeup team’s actual products.)
What is up with Hank Azaria’s accent? Does he using while defending The Idol against controversy?
Although all of Jocelyn’s inner circle is being dismantled by Tedros, her childhood friend-turned-creative director is receiving the brunt of the abuse. But why is Xander (Troye Sivan) to blame? Jocelyn alleges that he silenced her about her mother’s physical abuse; Xander claims that Jocelyn’s mother forced him to sign a Little Mermaid-esque contract forcing him to never sing publicly. But who is telling the truth about their dynamic?
And what’s Chloe’s (Suzanna Son) deal? The happy-go-lucky, piano-playing cult member who is most definitely underage could be the key to exposing Tedros. At one point, Jocelyn’s manager Destiny (Da’Vine Joy Randolph) advises Chloe to “stay observant—if it feels wrong, it’s wrong.” It’s unclear what she’ll do with that tip.
Who leaked Jocelyn’s NSFW photo? It could be her newly-reintroduced actor ex-boyfriend Rob (Karl Glusman) or Jocelyn herself if she’s as manipulative as some have claimed. But will we find out either way?
Who is Sophie? At one point in the show’s latest episode, a bikini-clad woman introduced by Xander as his “best friend” sits atop Rob’s lap for an increasingly intimate photo for a reason that has yet to be revealed. So… what was up with that?
How much of Jocelyn’s “new sound” will we get to hear? So far, the show has played us “World-Class Sinner,” the single now in the hands of Jennie Kim’s Dyanne, in various sexed-up iterations. But could a concert sequence showcasing the new songs be coming, as suggested by footage of Depp performing in character at The Weeknd’s shows?
And finally, will someone die? “I think we should kill this motherfucker,” Destiny not-so-jokingly suggests in response to Tedros’s invasion of Jocelyn’s life. But will anyone actually follow through, as the first episode hints? | Explicit |
Kari Lake continues to defame me. Here's why I'm suing her for it
Opinion: Kari Lake and her campaign must be held accountable for their utter disregard for the truth and the harm their words have caused.
For the last seven months, a high-profile former statewide candidate for office — from my own political party — has spread falsehoods about our elections and about me specifically.
Rather than accept political defeat, rather than get a new job, she has sought to undermine confidence in our elections and has mobilized millions of her followers against me.
Her defamatory allegations have unleashed violent vitriol and other dire consequences.
She has gone far outside of the bounds of protected free speech as guaranteed under the First Amendment and the Arizona Constitution.
That’s why I’m suing Kari Lake, her campaign and her political action committee for engaging in a concerted campaign to defame, threaten and isolate me.
The defamation lawsuit was filed on June 22 in Maricopa County Superior Court.
Kari Lake has made repeated false claims
Following her loss in the November 2022 election, Lake alleged that I intentionally printed 19-inch images on 20-inch ballots for the purposes of sabotaging the election.
If that wasn’t enough, she also asserted that I inserted more than 300,000 invalid ballots into the county’s vote count to “steal” the election from her.
Both allegations are completely false.
Not only would I obviously never do the things that she accuses me of, but also as a matter of Arizona law and election administration processes, I don’t even have responsibility for — or jurisdiction over — the printing of ballots on Election Day.
Lake has continued to repeat these falsehoods, despite multiple court rulings that found her attacks to be unfounded.
Her words brought death threats, lost friends
Through her actions and statements, Lake has irreparably damaged my personal and professional life and reputation.
I’ve even lost friends and lifelong relationships because Lake has falsely painted me as a criminal.
She has cast doubt on my loyalty to our country, our state and my office.
She did this knowing that it would only throw gasoline on the fire of falsehoods about our elections.
Lake has not sent me into hiding. Nor will she ever.
But her defamatory statements have irrevocably altered my life, closed opportunities and damaged relationships.
That goes beyond free speech protections
I firmly believe in the protections we’re all afforded under the First Amendment, which is something so unique and beautiful about being an American.
We all have the right to express ourselves, our thoughts and our opinions publicly.
That’s why this case is not about the mis- and disinformation — and even hatred — that Lake, her campaign and her PAC have spewed about me.
Violent words:Lake ratchets up rhetoric after Trump indictment
Instead, it’s about the instances where Lake and her campaign entities chose to violate defamation law by repeatedly making specific untruthful statements alleging that I had committed heinous crimes.
Slinging mud is fair game, but Arizona law and the First Amendment draw a line at defamation.
False statements that damage others distort the marketplace of ideas and harm others’ ability to exercise their own free speech rights.
Lake's words haven't just impacted me
I’m asking a court to clear my name, declare the defendants’ statements false, order them to retract their defamatory statements, and compensate me for the harm that they have caused.
But that’s not all this case is about.
It’s also about my wife, who has had her work interrupted and has had security concerns forced upon her because of Lake’s statements.
It’s about a county election worker who now carries a firearm after she was stalked by people accusing her of “stealing an election.”
It’s about a tabulation worker who lost contact with his parents because they believe he’s a criminal for doing his job.
It’s about hundreds of law enforcement officers who have been kept from their duties to fortify and protect our elections.
It’s about the thousands of election workers who have left the field after being harassed or worse, simply because they chose to help Americans vote.
She must be held accountable for this speech
This case is about a losing candidate for office refusing to accept the will of the voters and, instead, spreading malicious falsehoods to raise money and garner attention.
Those falsehoods not only undermine confidence in our elections and our democracy, but they also cause harm to real people — like me.
Our country is built on the idea that regardless of stature, title or wealth, no one is above the law.
Our laws must be followed and enforced even among those who run for and hold office.
All of us as individuals are responsible for our own words and actions, and there is no exception for losers of elections.
I filed this lawsuit to make sure that Lake, her campaign and her PAC are held accountable for their utter disregard for the truth and the grave harm they have caused.
Stephen Richer, a Republican, is the Maricopa County recorder. On Twitter:@stephen_richer | Explicit |
Claire Harbage/NPR
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Abdullah Saif Ahmed Numan and his grandson, Mohammad, stand in the building where they live in Al Dawah neighborhood of Taiz, Yemen. The neighborhood is on the frontline of a divided city in Yemen's civil war.
Claire Harbage/NPR
Abdullah Saif Ahmed Numan and his grandson, Mohammad, stand in the building where they live in Al Dawah neighborhood of Taiz, Yemen. The neighborhood is on the frontline of a divided city in Yemen's civil war.
Claire Harbage/NPR
TAIZ, Yemen — A grassy strip of no- man's land divides the city that's covered in bullet holes. Taiz, Yemen's third most populous city, is symbolic of the civil war that has ravaged the country for nearly a decade.
The war has destroyed millions of Yemeni lives, but perhaps nowhere has it been felt more than in the frontline neighborhoods in Taiz that are closest to the fighting and have seen the worst of the war.
Snipers have terrorized residents for years. Many children have lost limbs due to rockets and landmines, while playing outside.
Claire Harbage/NPR
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The view out of the window of a residential building in Al Dawah the building has been damaged by shelling and gunshots in this frontline neighborhood.
Claire Harbage/NPR
The view out of the window of a residential building in Al Dawah the building has been damaged by shelling and gunshots in this frontline neighborhood.
Claire Harbage/NPR
"I don't play with my friends outside, I sit at home," said 9- year-old Mohammad Abdulrahman al-Yusufi, who is about as old as the war itself, and lost his father in a rocket attack by Houthi militants.
"I want the war to end, so life can come back here. They destroyed all the homes, they destroyed everything," he said.
In 2015, the Iran-backed Houthi militia took over the north and west of Taiz with the rest of the city under the control of the Yemeni government, backed by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
Claire Harbage/NPR
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Two members of the military in Taiz walk down a road that is often targeted by snipers from the Houthi side of the city. A thin curtain currently protects the road from the view of the snipers.
Claire Harbage/NPR
Two members of the military in Taiz walk down a road that is often targeted by snipers from the Houthi side of the city. A thin curtain currently protects the road from the view of the snipers.
Claire Harbage/NPR
The Houthi blockade severely disrupted the lives of people here. Distances that used to take 10–15 minutes by car are now an 8-hour drive on precarious mountain roads, as nearly all of the direct routes have been cut off. This has impeded the flow of food and medicine and other necessities to the city, driven prices up and further disrupted a failing economy.
The areas of Taiz under Houthi control have most of the city's water resources as well as the factories and jobs.
Several residential buildings were also hit by Saudi airstrikes in the first years of the war, killing many civilians — which led the U.S. to take a step back from providing military and intelligence support to Saudi Arabia.
Claire Harbage/NPR
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A woman stands near the frontlines of the city of Taiz where The internationally recognized government controls one side, and the Houthis control the other.
Claire Harbage/NPR
A woman stands near the frontlines of the city of Taiz where The internationally recognized government controls one side, and the Houthis control the other.
Claire Harbage/NPR
Claire Harbage/NPR
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This woman shows her foot where she was hit by a Houthi sniper while walking one day. She's had to walk that same path every day in order to get her business done. "I do it in fear every time. I haven't felt safe for a moment since the war began, but I have no means to move to a safer place," she said.
Claire Harbage/NPR
This woman shows her foot where she was hit by a Houthi sniper while walking one day. She's had to walk that same path every day in order to get her business done. "I do it in fear every time. I haven't felt safe for a moment since the war began, but I have no means to move to a safer place," she said.
Claire Harbage/NPR
In the last year, peace talks between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia have slowed down the fighting. The streets are mostly peaceful, but negotiations so far have failed to produce an agreement that would ease the Houthi siege of Taiz.
Families have been separated for years by the blockade. The shortage of water and food is further exacerbating malnutrition and dehydration in women and children.
The citizens of Taiz say they are at their wits end, desperate for change.
Claire Harbage/NPR
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A girl plays near the door to the building where she lives in Al Dawah. Many children have lost their limbs to landmines or been hit by snipers while playing outside.
Claire Harbage/NPR
A girl plays near the door to the building where she lives in Al Dawah. Many children have lost their limbs to landmines or been hit by snipers while playing outside.
Claire Harbage/NPR
Claire Harbage/NPR
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Aref Abdullah calls his daughters from the front door of his home in Al Dawah where he moved just a year ago because he couldn't afford rent at his previous home. His family is divide by the frontline just him and his wife live on the Yemeni government side while both of their parents and siblings are on the Houthi side of the war and they are unable to visit each.
Claire Harbage/NPR
Aref Abdullah calls his daughters from the front door of his home in Al Dawah where he moved just a year ago because he couldn't afford rent at his previous home. His family is divide by the frontline just him and his wife live on the Yemeni government side while both of their parents and siblings are on the Houthi side of the war and they are unable to visit each.
Claire Harbage/NPR
Claire Harbage/NPR
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Abdullah's daughter's shoes sit outside their home in Al Dawah. While the frontlines of Yemen's civil war are nearly on their doorstep, the family tries to go about their daily lives.
Claire Harbage/NPR
Abdullah's daughter's shoes sit outside their home in Al Dawah. While the frontlines of Yemen's civil war are nearly on their doorstep, the family tries to go about their daily lives.
Claire Harbage/NPR
Claire Harbage/NPR
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Bashaer Ameen Ali, Abdullah's wife, is in pain from a c-section she had giving birth to their fourth daughter just 15 days ago. She says she wishes her mother could be there to help but her mother lives in a Houthi controlled area and can't visit. "I have no one but my husband," she says. "We are completely cut off from our family and friends. I have not seen them in eight years."
Claire Harbage/NPR
Bashaer Ameen Ali, Abdullah's wife, is in pain from a c-section she had giving birth to their fourth daughter just 15 days ago. She says she wishes her mother could be there to help but her mother lives in a Houthi controlled area and can't visit. "I have no one but my husband," she says. "We are completely cut off from our family and friends. I have not seen them in eight years."
Claire Harbage/NPR
Claire Harbage/NPR
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Abdullah and two of his daughters stand outside of their home in Al Dawah.
Claire Harbage/NPR
Abdullah and two of his daughters stand outside of their home in Al Dawah.
Claire Harbage/NPR
Claire Harbage/NPR
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A car and building are riddled with bullet holes in Al Dawah neighborhood. And trash piles up around the neglected car. Services in this area are non-existent though people continue to live here.
Claire Harbage/NPR
A car and building are riddled with bullet holes in Al Dawah neighborhood. And trash piles up around the neglected car. Services in this area are non-existent though people continue to live here.
Claire Harbage/NPR
Claire Harbage/NPR
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Abdullah Saif Ahmed Numan gathers laundry in his home. Nearly all of the windows are broken and he says snipers can see in from the other side of the frontline.
Claire Harbage/NPR
Abdullah Saif Ahmed Numan gathers laundry in his home. Nearly all of the windows are broken and he says snipers can see in from the other side of the frontline.
Claire Harbage/NPR
Claire Harbage/NPR
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A tv remains mounted on the wall in Numan's home, with bullet holes and cracks.
Claire Harbage/NPR
A tv remains mounted on the wall in Numan's home, with bullet holes and cracks.
Claire Harbage/NPR
Claire Harbage/NPR
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Numan (right), stands looking out of the hole in his building where it was struck by a rocket.
Claire Harbage/NPR
Numan (right), stands looking out of the hole in his building where it was struck by a rocket.
Claire Harbage/NPR
Claire Harbage/NPR
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Nimah Said Ahmed Numan, Numan's sister, drags a jug of water to her home in a makeshift sled in Al Dawah. People have to collect water from tanks set out by aid organizations or paid for by private donors, the city doesn't provide water to frontline neighborhoods.
Claire Harbage/NPR
Nimah Said Ahmed Numan, Numan's sister, drags a jug of water to her home in a makeshift sled in Al Dawah. People have to collect water from tanks set out by aid organizations or paid for by private donors, the city doesn't provide water to frontline neighborhoods.
Claire Harbage/NPR
Claire Harbage/NPR
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A hole in the roof of a building where neighbors say a missile struck.
Claire Harbage/NPR
A hole in the roof of a building where neighbors say a missile struck.
Claire Harbage/NPR
Claire Harbage/NPR
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Ahmed Hameed Al Yusufi looks out the window of his building in Al Dawah. His roof has been destroyed by shelling and he's used tarps to try and cover it along with buckets across the room to catch any water that comes through.
Claire Harbage/NPR
Ahmed Hameed Al Yusufi looks out the window of his building in Al Dawah. His roof has been destroyed by shelling and he's used tarps to try and cover it along with buckets across the room to catch any water that comes through.
Claire Harbage/NPR
Claire Harbage/NPR
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A view of the city of Taiz through a broken stained-glass window in Al Dawah.
Claire Harbage/NPR
A view of the city of Taiz through a broken stained-glass window in Al Dawah.
Claire Harbage/NPR | Explicit |
A Tory MP is facing a backlash after appearing to mock a woman’s mental health challenges on social media.
Brendan Clarke-Smith wrote on Twitter he was “playing the world’s smallest violin” after Supertanskiii, who has around 174,000 followers on the site and is a frequent critic of the Conservative government, thanked the Samaritans for their support while attending Glastonbury this weekend.
In the first message of a thread, she wrote: “On a personal level I’d like to say a huge thank you to the lovely man volunteering for the Samaritans near the Pyramid stage.
“He noticed that I’d paused near their truck after Lizzo and asked if I was ok. I wasn’t, it meant the world to me. That chat made such a difference.”
The next tweet referenced “severe ADHD symptoms” and how the Tories are “decimating the NHS”.
In response to the thread, Clarke-Smith wrote: “Cares little for the welfare of others however when spouting her foul-mouthed bile on twitter. Excuse me for playing the world’s smallest violin.”
His comment sparked a huge backlash, with Labour MP and privileges committee chairperson Chris Bryant writing: “This really is out of order. Mocking someone talking about mental health support from the Samaritans. Brendan Clarke-Smith I suggest you take this down.”
Broadcasters Carol Vorderman and James O’Brien were among those to add their criticism.
Later, Supertanskiii wrote she does “razz Tory MPs online” as it was “the least they deserve for destroying Britain”.
She went on: “I started making anti Tory content around the time my friend died by suicide during covid. I’m ND and have PTSD, I mask my upset but this, from Brendan Clarke-Smith, has caused severe distress.” | Explicit |
A violent rampage at a Starbucks store in Melbourne has been captured on camera, prompting locals to laments how sadly common such anti-social behaviour has become on the busy city street.
In a video taken by a perplexed Starbucks customer, the furious man can be seen holding a wooden chair and smashing it on the display cabinet several times, while a frightened young woman ordering at the counter starts backing away from him.
Due to the impact, two of the chair's legs break off. Staff helplessly watch on during the man's disturbing outburst before cleaning up the destruction he left behind.
Yahoo News Australia understands police were not called to the incident believed to be on Elizabeth Street. It is unclear what triggered the violence.
Locals react to Melbourne Starbucks incident
The video shared on Saturday currently has more than 1 million views after finding it way to social media, with the customer who filmed the scene captioning it with the menacing title: "Australia is going crazy”.
Several viewers on TikTok commented on how sorry they felt for the "poor staff and lady beside him". Locals were also quick to point out how commonplace this type of behaviour is on one of the main streets in the CBD.
"Classic Elizabeth Street," one person said. [They] need [a] security guard," another aghreed. "This is nothing compared to Elizabeth St Maccas," a third person added.
Others rather amusingly commended the resilience of the glass used in the display cabinet. "Dang whoever designed that glass should use this as advertisement," one person said. "Respect for that glass case! it is strong!" another viewer commented.
Do you have a story tip? Email: [email protected]. | Explicit |
Wagner chief says Russia’s war in Ukraine intended to benefit elites, accuses Moscow of lying
Wagner Group chief Yevgeny Prigozhin on Friday said Russia’s war in Ukraine is intended to benefit Russian elites and accused Moscow of lying about the full-scale invasion launched last year, escalating his feud with top Russian leadership to new heights .
In a video released on his Telegram channel and circulated widely on the internet, Prigozhin countered Russian President Vladimir Putin’s argument that invading Ukraine was necessary to denazify and demilitarize the country. Putin has also accused Kyiv of persecuting ethnic Russians and of acting as a puppet and “battering ram” against Russia on behalf of western allies.
“The war was not needed to return our Russian citizens and not to demilitarize and denazify Ukraine,” Prigozhin said in the video, claiming it was instead launched to benefit Russian leaders. “The war was needed by oligarchs. It was needed by the clan that is today practically ruling in Russia.”
Prigozhin claimed the goal of the “special military operation,” the official name for the war in Russia, was to install pro-Russian and Putin ally Viktor Medvedchuk, who is now living in exile in Russia, as president of Ukraine and to divide up the assets of the country.
“They were stealing loads in Donbas, they wanted more,” Prigozhin said, likely referring to the Russian-backed resistance launched in eastern Ukraine in 2014. He also said there was never any plan for Ukraine or the western security alliance NATO to attack Russia.
Prigozhin, whose mercenary fighters have played a key role in the war in Ukraine, has frequently railed against Russian elites, often targeting Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and the commander of Russian forces in Ukraine, Gen. Valery Gerasimov.
Analysts say Prigozhin is engaging in an unclear strategy, possibly intended to boost his public profile as a populist leader or gain influence in Moscow. Prigozhin has been known to distort facts and it’s unclear how truthful he has been in his public remarks.
Wagner Group seized the city of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine last month and lost at least 20,000 soldiers in the battle. Throughout the months-long siege of the city, Prigozhin slammed Shoigu and Gerasimov for failing to supply enough ammunition and repeatedly called them cowards.
After the seizure of Bakhmut, Prigozhin accused Russian leadership of floundering in the war effort and suggesting that inequality and imbalanced elitist power could lead to a revolution, similar to the Bolshevik communist overthrow in 1917.
Prigozhin also clashed with Russian soldiers late last month when his fighters pulled out of Bakhmut to regroup and recover, accusing a squadron of planting explosives and firing at his men when they moved to disarm them.
Prigozhin showed a video of a captured Russian officer allegedly saying he was intoxicated when he gave the order to fire and had a personal resentment against Wagner Group.
Putin has not publicly responded to Prigozhin, but Russia has moved to rein in Wagner Group, forcing allied fighters of the Russian army to sign a contract that would allow Moscow to exert more control.
While Chechen leader Ramzan Kadarov has signed the order for his paramilitary forces, Prigozhin is resisting the contract, ordered by the Kremlin, as a July 1 deadline approaches.
The Friday video appears to be a personal tell-all of Prigozhin’s experience during the war in Ukraine. The Wagner chief accused Shoigu and Gerasimov of being responsible for genocide and the “murder of tens of thousands of Russian citizens.”
Prigozhin said Russia is purposely distorting facts about losses in the conflict and that when his fighters arrived in the spring of last year, victory was not possible, claiming there was “hysteria” and “no management” in the operation.
Prigozhin also said Russia was losing ground as Ukrainian forces move forward in the counteroffensive launched earlier this month, countering the narrative from Putin that Ukraine is suffering a “catastrophic” defeat in the offensive push and stands “no chance” of winning.
“On the ground now, as of today, the Russian army is retreating,” he said. “We’re washing the blood. … There is no control. Same hysteria.”
Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. | Explicit |
One year after 53 people, including six kids, were killed in an abandoned sweltering tractor-trailer near San Antonio during an alleged smuggling attempt, the Justice Department announced they have indicted and arrested four men for the incident.
Riley Covarrubias-Ponce, Felipe Orduna-Torres, Luis Alberto Rivera-Leal and Armando Gonzales-Ortega were all arrested and charged on several counts including conspiracy and alien smuggling resulting in death, the Justice Department announced Tuesday.
The four men allegedly participated with three other suspects, Homero Zamorano and Christian Martinez who were previously indicted and arrested, and a seventh unidentified suspect in a human smuggling organization that attempted to bring 66 people into the United States on June 27, 2022, the indictment said.
The migrants and their families, a majority from Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras, paid between $12,000 and $15,000 each to be brought into the country, the indictment said.
The indictment detailed how the men worked together to use trucking routes, local guides, stash houses, trucks and trailers to transport the group. To make sure they properly kept track of the group, each migrant was given the code word "clave" to recite at different points in their journey, according to the indictment.
Prosecutors said the men knew the tractor-trailer they were using on that day did not have a working air conditioning unit. As the temperature rose, the people in the back became desperate, screaming and banging on the walls for help.
It was the deadliest incident of human smuggling in U.S. history, according to investigators.
Eleven people found inside the tractor were hospitalized but survived, investigators said.
U.S. Assistant Attorney General Kenneth Polite spoke at length during a news conference about the efforts with Joint Task Force Alpha, whose mission is to investigate human rights violations and push for prosecution. Since June of 2021, they've had 80 convictions.
"Our message is simple," Polite said. "When you put people’s lives at risk, when you ignore the screams of humanity for profit, we will aggressively go after you."
The trial for Zamorano and Martinez is set for September 11, 2023. All six charged so far face life in prison if convicted. Attorney information for the suspects wasn't immediately available. | Explicit |
A third of young men in Germany find it acceptable to use violence against women, according to a new survey which has caused outrage among gender equality campaigners.
The survey was commissioned by children’s charity Plan International Germany. Its findings were published in regional newspaper Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung.
A group of 1,000 men and 1,000 women aged 18-35 from across Germany were asked to give their views on masculinity for the study, which was carried out online.
34% of men from that age bracket admitted to being violent towards their female partner in the past, to “instil respect in them.” 33% said they thought it was acceptable if their “hand slipped” occasionally during an argument with their partner.
Exploring attitudes to victim-blaming and double standards, the survey found that 50% of men said they would not want a relationship with a woman who had had many sexual partners, while 20% of the women interviewed agreed with this statement.
The survey also found that expectations within a relationship differed greatly between men and women.
Just over half of men – 52% – wanted a relationship in the form of a “breadwinner-housewife model,” where they earned most of the money for the household and childcare and household tasks were primarily the woman’s role.
Over two-thirds of the women interviewed disagreed, wanting equal partnerships and shared decision-making.
Just under half of respondents – 48% – expressed a dislike for public displays of homosexuality, saying they felt “disturbed” by it.
A German group called the Federal Organization for Equality wrote on Twitter that the findings were “shocking.”
“According to a survey by Plan International Germany, every third young man finds violence against women ‘acceptable’. This urgently needs to change!”
Karsten Kassner from Federal Forum Men, a group which advocates for gender equality, also called for change as he said “It’s problematic that a third of the surveyed men trivialize physical violence against women.”
According to data from Germany’s Federal Criminal Police (BKA), 115,000 women in Germany were victims of partner violence in 2021.
Germany also has one of the highest rates of femicide in Europe - a problem which was exacerbated during the coronavirus pandemic, according to data from the BKA.
For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com | Explicit |
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico -- Attorneys for the widow of slain Haitian President Jovenel Moïse filed a lawsuit Thursday in Florida against those accused in his assassination, which is still under investigation.
The lawsuit, which was first shared with The Associated Press, seeks unspecified damages for Moïse’s family and a trial by jury in a push to hold the defendants responsible for the president’s death.
“Whatever assets are out there, we will make sure these people will pay,” attorney Paul Turner told the AP.
The lawsuit was filed nearly two years after the July 7, 2021 assassination of Moïse, who was shot a dozen times at his private home in an attack that also seriously injured his wife, Martine Moïse. More than 40 people have been arrested in the case, including a former Haitian senator, an ex-government official who worked at an anti-corruption agency and 18 former soldiers from Colombia.
Turner said he believes there are more people involved in the presidential assassination who have not been identified.
“We believe there are deep pockets or political power behind this,” he said.
Eleven suspects are being held in U.S. federal prison as Turner lamented that the case is languishing in Haiti, where four judges appointed to oversee the investigation have been dismissed or resigned for personal reasons.
One judge previously told the AP that his family asked him not to take the case because they feared he would be killed. Another judge stepped down after one of his assistants died under murky circumstances.
Turner noted that while the U.S. government has kept him and Moïse’s family abreast of developments in the case, the Haitian government has not shared any information with them, including the inventory of personal assets that belonged to Moïse and his family that local authorities seized after he was killed.
“We would like to see more transparency,” he said.
A spokesperson for Haiti’s Justice Ministry did not respond to a message seeking comment.
The lawsuit filed at a Miami circuit court accuses some of the suspects of causing the president’s death and serious injury to his wife, Martine Moïse, who was shot multiple times.
It also alleges 11 other counts including battery, assault, civil conspiracy and intentional infliction of emotional distress, stating that “defendants engaged in extreme and outrageous conduct in conspiring to torture and assassinate President Moise.
“The implausible goal — upon assassinating President Moise in cold blood — was for the co-conspirators to install their own kangaroo government which would then summarily pardon the assassins. Setting aside the sheer insanity of their end game, the assassins succeeded in part,” the lawsuit stated.
Eleven of the 12 people named in the suit remain in U.S. federal prison, except for one who is under house arrest.
Rodolphe Jaar, a Haitian-Chilean businessman who pled guilty to helping Colombian mercenaries obtain weapons, was sentenced to life in prison in early June. He is the first person to be convicted and sentenced in the case that has dragged on in Haiti.
“The family needs closure,” Turner said. “We want every single person who participated in this assassination to be brought to justice.”
___
Goodman reported from Miami. | Explicit |
Jeffrey Epstein hanged himself in his jail cell with an orange noose he fashioned from "a sheet or a shirt," according to a new report issued Tuesday.
The Justice Department's Inspector General report details the failures that occurred beginning one month before the disgraced financier's death in Bureau of Prisons custody.
When officers discovered Epstein unresponsive in his cell on Aug. 10, 2019, Officer Michael Thomas, who was charged criminally in the case, said, "Breathe, Epstein, Breathe," according to the report.
When Thomas saw Epstein dangling from the bed, he said, "We're going to be in a lot of trouble," according to the report.
When Epstein's room was searched after his death, investigators found extra bedsheets, another mattress and a noose, according to the report.
Epstein died by hanging at Manhattan's Metropolitan Correctional Center while he was awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges.
On Aug. 10, the Inspector General said Epstein was in his cell at 8 p.m. Officials said he made an unrecorded call on a landline that was not monitored by prison communications. Epstein told the officers he was calling his mother, according to the report, but she had died before that date. The report said staffers should have been monitoring this call made by Epstein.
After 10:40 p.m., Epstein was not checked on nor was he monitored until officers discovered him hanging from his cell, according to the report.
Epstein first attempted suicide in custody on July 23, 2019, and the Inspector General report said Bureau of Prisons employees should have been put on alert then.
On July 30, the Inspector General said an email was sent to 70 staffers of the prison physiological unit instructing that Epstein was to be housed with a cellmate. But the Inspector General said that warning went unheeded by Bureau of Prisons staff.
The report is coupled with nearly 4,000 pages of documents obtained by reporters earlier this month under a Freedom of Information Act request.
The documents show that toward the end of his life, Epstein sat alone in his cell at the Metropolitan Correctional Center, repeatedly calling himself a coward out loud.
Thomas and his partner were charged with doctoring the log books to make it seem like they completed their rounds when they had not, according to officials. Both pleaded guilty.
Ghislaine Maxwell, a longtime associate of Epstein, was convicted in December 2021 of conspiring with Epstein to recruit, groom and abuse minors and was sentenced to 20 years in prison. | Explicit |
Chancey Bush/AP
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Movie-goers evacuate the Century Rio movie theater as officers respond to a shooting at the theater located at 4901 Pan American freeway in northeast Albuquerque, N.M., on Sunday, June 25, 2023.
Chancey Bush/AP
Movie-goers evacuate the Century Rio movie theater as officers respond to a shooting at the theater located at 4901 Pan American freeway in northeast Albuquerque, N.M., on Sunday, June 25, 2023.
Chancey Bush/AP
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — An argument over seating at an Albuquerque movie theater escalated into a shooting that left a man dead and sent frightened filmgoers scrambling to flee, police said Monday.
Detectives with the Albuquerque Police Department filed charges Monday in Metropolitan Court against 19-year-old Enrique Padilla in connection with the Sunday evening shooting at a cinema complex next to an interstate highway.
Padilla was at a hospital under guard Monday evening while being treated for a gunshot wound, police spokesman Gilbert Gallegos said. It was unclear whether Padilla had a legal representative who could speak on his behalf.
Witnesses told police that a man later identified as Padilla arrived at the theater with his girlfriend and found another couple in at least one of their reserved seats.
Theater staff attempted to help resolve the dispute, but it escalated with a hurled bucket of popcorn, shoving and then gunfire, according to police.
Michael Tenorio, 52, was shot and died at the scene. His wife, Trina Tenorio, said he was unarmed.
The shooter fled, and a wounded Padilla was found hiding behind a bush outside an emergency exit, according to police. A gun was also found outside that was compatible with spent casings from the shooting.
Emergency dispatchers received about 20 calls as other people fled the theater.
A criminal complaint and arrest warrant against Padilla listed open counts of homicide, shooting at an occupied building and tampering with evidence.
The complaint said Padilla was wounded in the abdomen but did not give further explanation.
An off-duty police officer who was at the movie administered emergency aid to Tenorio. The officer witnessed the confrontation but did not see a weapon in the darkened theater, reporting a rapid-fire succession of gunshots before one man in the dispute ran out. | Explicit |
UNITED NATIONS, June 22 (Reuters) - United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called out Russia on Thursday for killing 136 children in Ukraine in 2022, adding its armed forces to a global list of offenders, according to a report to the U.N. Security Council seen by Reuters.
The United Nations also verified that Russian armed forces and affiliated groups maimed 518 children and carried out 480 attacks on schools and hospitals. Russian armed forces also used 91 children as human shields, according to the report.
Russia has denied targeting civilians since it invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022.
The report also verified that Ukrainian armed forces killed 80 children, maimed 175 children and carried out 212 attacks on schools and hospitals. The Ukrainian armed forces are not on the global offenders list.
Guterres said in the report that he was "particularly shocked" by the high number of children killed and maimed and attacks on schools and hospitals by Russian armed forces.
He also said he was "particularly disturbed" by the high number of such offenses against children by Ukrainian armed forces.
Russia's mission to the United Nations in New York did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the report.
Guterres' annual report to the 15-member Security Council on children and armed conflict covers the killing, maiming, sexual abuse, abduction or recruitment of children, denial of aid access and targeting of schools and hospitals.
The report was compiled by Virginia Gamba, Guterres' special representative for children and armed conflict.
Gamba last month visited Ukraine and Russia, where she met with Russia's envoy for children's rights, Maria Lvova-Belova - whom the International Criminal Court wants to arrest on war crimes charges.
The International Criminal Court last month issued an arrest warrant against Russian President Vladimir Putin and Lvova-Belova, accusing them of illegally deporting children from Ukraine and the unlawful transfer of people to Russia from Ukraine since Russia invaded on Feb. 24, 2022.
Moscow said the warrants were legally void as Russia was not a signatory to the treaty that established the ICC.
The U.N. report on children and armed conflict verified the abduction of 91 children by Russian armed forces; all of them were subsequently released. The report also verified the transfer of 46 children to Russia from Ukraine.
Moscow has not concealed a program under which it has brought thousands of Ukrainian children to Russia, but presents it as a humanitarian campaign to protect orphans and children abandoned in the war zone.
CONTROVERSIAL LIST
The report on children and armed conflict includes the list intended to shame parties to conflicts in the hope of pushing them to implement measures to protect children. It has long been controversial, with diplomats saying Saudi Arabia and Israel exerted pressure in recent years in a bid to stay off the list.
Israel has never been on the list, while a Saudi-led military coalition was removed from the list in 2020 several years after it was first named for killing and injuring children in Yemen.
In an effort to dampen controversy surrounding the report, the list released in 2017 by Guterres was split into two categories. One lists parties that have put in place measures to protect children and the other includes parties that have not.
Russia was placed on the list of parties that have put in place measures aimed at improving the protection of children.
The report found that Israeli forces killed 42 children and injured 933 children in 2022. Israel is not the offenders list.
"I note a meaningful decrease in the number of children killed by Israeli forces, including by air strikes," Guterres wrote. "Nevertheless, I remain deeply concerned by the number of children killed and maimed by Israeli forces."
The report overall verified that 24,300 violations had been committed against children in 2022.
The most violations were verified in Democratic Republic of Congo, Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories, Somalia, Syria, Ukraine, Afghanistan and Yemen.
"While non-state armed groups were responsible for 50% of the grave violations, government forces were the main perpetrator of the killing and maiming of children, attacks on schools and hospitals, and the denial of humanitarian access," Guterres said in the report.
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. | Explicit |
Jimmie Johnson will not race this weekend in NASCAR's Cup Series street race in Chicago following the deaths of his wife's parents in Oklahoma.
Police in Muskogee told TMZ that Jack and Terry Janway and an 11-year-old boy were found dead in their home on Monday night. Police said they received a 911 call from a woman who reported someone with a gun before hanging up.
All three died from gunshot wounds, police told TMZ. The circumstances of their deaths remain under investigation.
NASCAR this week is preparing for its first foray into street course racing. Johnson, a seven-time Cup Series champion, is racing on a part-time basis this year as co-owner of Legacy Motor Club. He drives the No. 84 Carvana Chevrolet.
"The Johnson family has asked for privacy at this time and no further statements will be made," Legacy Motor Club said in a tweet. | Explicit |
Hunter Biden, son of President Joe Biden, counted payments to prostitutes and dues for a sex club on his tax returns as expenses for his "consulting" business, according to whistleblower testimony to Congress.
On Thursday, that House Ways and Means Committee on Thursday released testimony from two IRS whistleblowers who said the Department of Justice, FBI and IRS had interfered with the investigation of the tax evasion case against Hunter Biden.
Gary Shapley, Jr., an IRS Criminal Supervisory Special Agent who oversaw the IRS probe into the president's son, testified that in 2018, Hunter Biden listed payments to prostitutes on his tax returns to the company Owasco P.C., which allegedly "brought in his consulting fees."
"There were multiple examples of prostitutes that were ordered basically, and we have all the communications between that where he would pay for these prostitutes, would book them a flight where even the flight ticket showed their name. And then he expensed those," Shapley testified.
Shapley said some flights were first class tickets, while others were on Frontier Airlines.
Shapley said that in Biden's 2018 tax return, which was filed late and not prepared until 2020, he was "expensing personal expenses, his business expenses."
"So, I mean, everything, there was a payment that — there was a $25,000 to one of his girlfriends and it said, "golf membership." And then we went out and followed that money it was for a sex club membership in LA."
The Hunter Biden tax investigation — codenamed "Sportsman" — was opened in November 2018 as an "offshoot" of an IRS investigation into a "foreign-based amateur online pornography platform," Shapley told Congress.
The probe into Hunter Biden's finances began in 2018 amid the discovery of suspicious activity reports regarding funds
The investigation had previously been believed to have been predicated, in part, by suspicious transactions from "China and other foreign nations."
"So the worst part about 2018 is that Hunter Biden's accountants are sitting there with him at a table, and they have all the numbers in front of them, right? The bank accounts in front of them and they are saying that, you know, you need to circle what are business expenses so that we know what to deduct," Shapley testified.
"So it becomes apparent to the accountants during this interaction that he's putting things on here that aren't expenses, that aren't true business expenses," He said.
"So the accountants create a representation letter that basically they said they have never done before. And they had him sign this document, and it was basically because they didn't believe what he was saying, but they didn't — if they were going to prepare his return, they had to listen to what he was saying. I mean, I guess they could have just chosen not to prepare his tax return, would have been their only out. But that was the type of conduct in 2018," he continued.
Shapley testified that decisions in the case seemed to be "influenced by politics" and that "at every stage" of the probe were made that "had the effect of benefiting the subject of the investigation."
The revelations come on the heels of the Justice Department's announcement Tuesday that Hunter Biden will plead guilty to two misdemeanor counts of willful failure to pay federal income tax.
The younger Biden also agreed to enter into a pretrial diversion agreement regarding a separate charge of possession of a firearm by a person who is an unlawful user of, or addicted to, a controlled substance.
Ian Sams, spokesperson for the White House, said in statement reacting to the whistleblower revelations:
"Since he took office and consistent with his campaign promise that he would restore the independence of the Justice Department when it comes to decision-making in criminal investigations, President Biden has made clear that this matter would be handled independently by the Justice Department, under the leadership of a U.S. Attorney appointed by former President Trump, free from any political interference by the White House. He has upheld that commitment." | Explicit |
Hunter Biden, son of President Joe Biden, counted payments to prostitutes and dues for a sex club on his tax returns as expenses for his "consulting" business, according to whistleblower testimony to Congress.
On Thursday, that House Ways and Means Committee on Thursday released testimony from two IRS whistleblowers who said the Department of Justice, FBI and IRS had interfered with the investigation of the tax evasion case against Hunter Biden.
Gary Shapley, Jr., an IRS Criminal Supervisory Special Agent who oversaw the IRS probe into the president's son, testified that in 2018, Hunter Biden listed payments to prostitutes on his tax returns to the company Owasco P.C., which allegedly "brought in his consulting fees."
"There were multiple examples of prostitutes that were ordered basically, and we have all the communications between that where he would pay for these prostitutes, would book them a flight where even the flight ticket showed their name. And then he expensed those," Shapley testified.
Shapley said some flights were first class tickets, while others were on Frontier Airlines.
Shapley said that in Biden's 2018 tax return, which was filed late and not prepared until 2020, he was "expensing personal expenses, his business expenses."
"So, I mean, everything, there was a payment that — there was a $25,000 to one of his girlfriends and it said, "golf membership." And then we went out and followed that money it was for a sex club membership in LA."
The Hunter Biden tax investigation — codenamed "Sportsman" — was opened in November 2018 as an "offshoot" of an IRS investigation into a "foreign-based amateur online pornography platform," Shapley told Congress.
The probe into Hunter Biden's finances began in 2018 amid the discovery of suspicious activity reports regarding funds
The investigation had previously been believed to have been predicated, in part, by suspicious transactions from "China and other foreign nations."
"So the worst part about 2018 is that Hunter Biden's accountants are sitting there with him at a table, and they have all the numbers in front of them, right? The bank accounts in front of them and they are saying that, you know, you need to circle what are business expenses so that we know what to deduct," Shapley testified.
"So it becomes apparent to the accountants during this interaction that he's putting things on here that aren't expenses, that aren't true business expenses," He said.
"So the accountants create a representation letter that basically they said they have never done before. And they had him sign this document, and it was basically because they didn't believe what he was saying, but they didn't — if they were going to prepare his return, they had to listen to what he was saying. I mean, I guess they could have just chosen not to prepare his tax return, would have been their only out. But that was the type of conduct in 2018," he continued.
Shapley testified that decisions in the case seemed to be "influenced by politics" and that "at every stage" of the probe were made that "had the effect of benefiting the subject of the investigation."
The revelations come on the heels of the Justice Department's announcement Tuesday that Hunter Biden will plead guilty to two misdemeanor counts of willful failure to pay federal income tax.
The younger Biden also agreed to enter into a pretrial diversion agreement regarding a separate charge of possession of a firearm by a person who is an unlawful user of, or addicted to, a controlled substance.
Ian Sams, spokesperson for the White House, said in statement reacting to the whistleblower revelations:
"Since he took office and consistent with his campaign promise that he would restore the independence of the Justice Department when it comes to decision-making in criminal investigations, President Biden has made clear that this matter would be handled independently by the Justice Department, under the leadership of a U.S. Attorney appointed by former President Trump, free from any political interference by the White House. He has upheld that commitment." | Explicit |
When a new international poster for Greta Gerwig’s upcoming Barbie movie hit the internet last week, it went viral, apparently for all the wrong reasons.
The French version of the poster looks innocuous enough. It features star Margot Robbie as the pink-clad doll-come-to-life and Ryan Gosling as her blond sidekick Ken. But the French tagline: “Elle peut tout faire. Lui, c’est juste Ken” — meaning “She can do everything. He’s just Ken” — has an NSFW double-entendre meaning in French slang, where ken is another word for “fuck.” So the tagline becomes: “She knows how to do everything. He just knows how to fuck.”
More from The Hollywood Reporter
Read like this, Gerwig’s PG-13 comedy satire becomes an R-rated raunchy sex comedy.
The internet, being the internet, lapped this up. Several French Twitter users tweeted photos of the posters with comments on the “accidental” or “unfortunate” translation. Naturally, it went viral, with some of the original tweets getting viewed millions of times.
Just why this is so hilarious for French speakers takes some explaining. In the so-called “verlan” slang, which first became popular in the 1980s, French words are given a new meaning by switching the order in which the syllables are pronounced. Tomber (to fall) becomes be-ton (concrete). In this case, forniquer or its shortened version, niquer (to fuck) becomes queni or keni, which over time has been shortened to just ken.
Then, in the Barbie tagline, “Lui, c’est juste Ken” changes its meaning because c’est (he is) and sait (he knows how) are homophones. “He is just Ken” becomes “He just knows how to fuck.”
In France, the Barbie poster drew little shock and indignation — it takes more than a raunchy pun to startle La Grande Nation — and, initially, most French speakers assumed the double entendre was the result of a bad, or a too-literal translation. But the pun was so obvious — ken as slang for “fuck” is common parlance for anyone under 30 in France — many began to suspect the poster’s NSFW message was a deliberate act of guerrilla marketing.
A closer look at the tagline seems to confirm this. The original, English Barbie tagline is: “Barbie is everything. He’s just Ken.” But the French translation of the first line isn’t “Barbie est tout” (“Barbie is everything”), the literal translation, but rather “[Barbie] peut tout faire” (“Barbie can do anything”), a line that feeds nicely into the slang-y Ken line with the dirty connotations.
“It’s definitely deliberate; there’s no way a French speaker wouldn’t have noticed the dirty pun,” a French marketing executive from a competing studio tells The Hollywood Reporter, noting admiringly, “It’s sort of genius, really, that they slipped that in.”
Asked for comment, Warner Bros. refused to confirm or deny whether the raunchy French pun was deliberate or accidental. But they made no secret of their delight in the social media buzz the poster has generated, in France and abroad.
“The speculation around the Barbie marketing campaign shows that there is a high level of awareness and major excitement from the public surrounding the upcoming release of our film in France,” said a Warner Bros. Discovery spokesperson. “We can’t wait for audiences around the world to see the film upon its release next month.”
Best of The Hollywood Reporter | Explicit |
"The harder it gets for everyone, the better it gets for me."
"D", not his real name, has worked as an illegal moneylender for two decades, and says business has never been so good.
He is one of two loan sharks we have spoken to in rare interviews in order to highlight the dangers of people turning to unofficial lenders due to the cost of living.
With no paperwork, high interest rates, and sometimes brutal consequences, there is huge risk attached to this type of borrowing.
D estimates that he has lent money illegally to hundreds of people across the country after starting out in security work 20 years ago. When we meet in a warehouse, his mouth is covered and he wears smart-looking sunglasses.
Nearly all of his "customers" are regulars, he says, paying off their debts within two or three months. They're usually back again a few weeks later.
D adds that with inflation remaining high, demand has soared. He now hears from single mums and families looking to borrow smaller amounts of £500 to £1,000 to pay gas and electricity bills or for groceries.
Interest rates of up to 50%, or "double bubble" terms, where the original loan is doubled each month, are often applied.
Most of D's clients would probably accept whatever terms he set out, he says, largely out of desperation.
With prices failing to drop as quickly as predicted, demand is unlikely to fade soon.
Research shared with BBC Newsnight suggests that the potential client base could be expanding.
A new report commissioned by Fair4All Finance, a government-backed body that works on financial inclusion, looks at the lived experience of illegal moneylending in the UK. Researchers from fraud prevention firm We Fight Fraud and Lancaster University heard from 287 people across London, Preston, Port Talbot and Glasgow who had engaged with loan sharks and illegal moneylenders in the last three years, as well as eight illegal moneylenders.
Current users said they were borrowing about £3,000 on average, and clients were more likely to be lower-waged, full-time workers.
D calls himself an "enforcer", referring to what happens if payments are missed or his messages go ignored.
"Then, the car outside is uninsurable. The windows and doors in the front of your house are pulled out and then it even goes up to you being badly beaten."
He says that beatings are "rare", but admits to carrying out violent acts - breaking legs, smashing teeth or eye sockets, leaving people in hospital.
When challenged on why this type of "enforcement" has to be so brutal, he says: "It's personal. The way they've hurt me, I want to hurt them - physically and financially."
In his own words, he is "providing a service" that relies on people "helping him back" after he has lent them money.
'The business leader'
Another active illegal moneylender we spoke to, "M", claims to have lent millions of pounds to clients over the past 20 years.
He now runs a team that operates in different areas across the UK. He estimates that he has about £2m out in loans at the moment. When a request for money above a certain value comes in, it gets referred up to him.
M deals with "the rich" - people borrowing higher values to fund house renovations or to get a business out of difficulty. The interest rates rise with the risk attached and a guarantor is often required.
Clients give him a form of guarantee in case they are not able to keep up with repayments. They might include a watch, a set of car keys, or pictures of photo IDs of their friends so he knows where to find them and chase the money.
"I'm constantly amazed who comes to me," he says. M claims to have funded birthday parties for well-known footballers who pay him back on payday.
With many people unwilling to talk about debt, there is little data available about the number of lenders operating without a licence. In a report last year, the right-leaning think tank the Centre for Social Justice estimated that about one million people in England could owe money to illegal moneylenders.
M dismisses what he describes as an outdated view of "a bully boy business". His collection tactics instead rely on fear.
"In this day and age, it's gone round to more being a nuisance," he says. "If there's no contact, there might be pictures outside the house, or a knock on the neighbour's door asking where you are.
"That fear, that intimidation, that coercion is better to be used without an act."
The recent research for Fair4All Finance did find that violence was rare, although the threat of it was common.
One client told the report authors that the reality of the threat felt most serious when it came to their family. "Stuff was going to happen to me, but not just me⦠I get threats for hurting my family⦠your mum is getting this, your brother is getting that."
Another female client in Glasgow claims that she was forced to clean an office building for an illegal lender as an alternative way to pay back £1,000 she had borrowed. Her debt would be reduced by about £30 per shift.
She described the experience as "degrading" and said she felt anxious and depressed. She now rarely leaves the house.
"Today, it is much more about someone getting inside your head than breaking your legs," says Cath Wohlers of the Illegal Money Lending Team, which prosecutes loan sharks in England.
"That can be anyone," she adds, pointing out that one in five people arrested by her team last year was female.
Research also suggests that clients were more likely than the average person to have been refused credit elsewhere before turning to an illegal moneylender.
Those with poor credit ratings are often limited to payday loans or other high-cost options. However, many of these - such as Wonga - have been regulated out of business, after concerns that they were causing severe financial distress to consumers.
Jason Wassell, chief executive of the Consumer Credit Trade Association, suggests there is a risk that a smaller market "can be taken too far", with access to credit being reduced for people who might then go to friends and family, or even illegal lenders.
But Mick McAteer, a former board member of the UK's financial watchdog, says that improving the regulation of "subprime" lenders has protected people from being targeted with unaffordable products.
He suggests that more efforts should be made to help people manage their debts and to boost alternative options such as community lenders or credit unions.
According to the Bank of England, about 1.98 million people across the UK use credit unions. Some experts say there is a long way to go before these can plug the gap left by the exit of higher-cost lenders. Credit unions can't reach consumers as quickly and struggle to scale up as quickly as private companies due to a lack of access to technology.
And as prices continue to rise, business for illegal money lenders like D and M shows no sign of slowing.
But as Cath Wohlers warns: "They will absolutely bleed you dry. It's just not worth it.
"If you are in debt, speak to your creditors and have conversations rather than borrowing more money to get out of it." | Explicit |
Retired RCMP officer charged with helping Beijing intimidation campaign
The RCMP says it's charged one of its former members in a case of alleged foreign interference. The RCMP logo is seen outside Royal Canadian Mounted Police "E" Division Headquarters, in Surrey, B.C., on April 13, 2018. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
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The Canadian Press
Published Friday, July 21, 2023 12:44PM EDT
OTTAWA - The RCMP says it has charged one of its former members in a case of alleged foreign interference.
William Majcher is accused of helping the Chinese government identify and intimidate a person.
Police say he is from Hong Kong and used his network of Canadian contacts to get intelligence or services that benefited the People's Republic of China.
They say a national security investigation into Majcher's suspicious activities began in the fall of 2021.
The 60-year-old retired officer is charged with conspiracy and preparatory acts for the benefit of a foreign entity.
Police have not said who was the target of Beijing's alleged intimidation campaign.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 21, 2023. | Not_Explicit |
Let’s start with where Coutts was within its rights to dump Nigel Farage. The former Ukip leader, according to the memo of the meeting of the “Wealth Reputational Risk Committee”, was about to fall below the qualifying threshold to be a customer.
That threshold is maintaining borrowings or investments of more than £1m, or more than £3m in savings. Farage was soon to pay off his mortgage, presenting Coutts with a choice. It could keep him as a customer and overlook the qualifying criteria. Or it could put him on a “glide path”, in the language of the committee, to being removed. It opted for removal.
And one cannot call this a case of being “debanked”, as Farage is spinning it, because he was glided towards another entity within the same group. NatWest, hardly an obscure outfit, offered him a personal account and a business account. Thus, if one wishes, one can enjoy some sport at Farage’s expense: at one level, he is merely complaining about having to bank with the common people.
Except the tale is not that straightforward. The minutes of Coutts committee’s meeting make two things clear. First, Farage was still regarded as wealthy enough to be a profitable customer. “The client’s EC [economic contribution] is now sufficient to retain on a commercial basis,” it says, noting that he had been downgraded to “lower risk” in the classification of “politically exposed persons”.
Second, the choice to get shot of Farage was motivated by Coutts’ objections to his views. “The committee did not think continuing to bank NF [Nigel Farage] was compatible with Coutts given his publicly stated views that were at odds with our position as an inclusive organisation.” He failed a political or inclusivity test and was regarded as a risk reputation-wise.
Are we really happy with the idea of bank committees passing inclusivity judgments on customers and then not explaining their decisions? It is surely possible to disagree profoundly with Farage’s views on most issues and find Coutts’ stance alarmingly illiberal.
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), the chief financial regulator, doesn’t see much a problem, it should be said. Its chair, Ashley Alder, told the Treasury select committee that regulated firms must treat customers fairly but added: “For banks as well as other commercial enterprises, it’s fundamentally up to them to choose who they do business with.” He went on: “I’m not aware of anything in the FCA rulebook that goes to the point around how banks judge their own attitude to reputational risk, if that’s what it comes down to.”
Well, OK, banks are private businesses (even NatWest, 39%-owned by the state) and they can choose their customers. But it is also reasonable to expect some accountability and transparency in the process. It is, for example, hard to pin down how the stated purposes and values of NatWest and Coutts lead them to consider, among other things, Farage’s contact with non-vaccinated Novak Djokovic or his retweeting of a Ricky Gervais trans joke.
Here’s one of NatWest’s descriptions of its purpose: “We champion potential, helping people, families and businesses to thrive. Because when they thrive, so do we.” That’s just blurry. As for Coutts, the front page of its website boasts that it wants clients who are “disrupters and challengers”, two descriptions that, perversely, could be applied to Farage.
In money-laundering cases and suchlike, it isn’t possible for banks to explain why a customer has been ditched. The regulatory demands for secrecy are rightly strict. But there is a problem if requirements for confidentiality elsewhere are used as cover for excluding accounts of politicians whose views the bosses of banks find distasteful.
Farage makes a difficult case because so many other people understandably regard him as objectionable. But Coutts’ position here is odd. It seems to amount to this: if we find your views lawful but offensive, we’ll do nothing if you’ve got £1m on deposit; but we may dump you without explanation if you’ve got less. How does that align with those fluffy corporate values? | Not_Explicit |
His comments followed a Labour backlash against Mayor of London Sadiq Khan for compromising what many leftists had seen as a sure-fire victory in the by-election for Boris Johnson’s old seat Uxbridge and South Ruislip.
Danny Beales, Labour’s defeated candidate in Uxbridge, blamed his defeat to the Conservatives on a “single policy”, namely Mr Khan’s decision to extend the ultra-low emissions zone (ULEZ) to the outer areas of London, including Mr Johnon’s former constituency.
In further signs of prioritising electability over green goals, Sir Keir said on Saturday (July 22) that he had spoken to Mr Khan and called for reflection on “how” the expansion plans were being carried out.
Mr Rees-Mogg wrote: “Sir Keir Starmer is not a fool and is making some worryingly clever moves to give himself electoral credibility and appeal beyond Islington.
“The cancellation of the £28billion green fandango is wise. It is not affordable and moving away from the fanatical green agenda is prudent.
“Similarly, keeping the two-child limit for parents on benefits helps keep spending under control but also appeals to taxpayers, who feel that the benefits system is unfair to them.”
He concluded his brief paragraph on the Labour leader saying that Sir Keir was “taking the barnacles off the boat”.
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In June, Labour scaled back its plans to borrow £28billion a year to invest in green jobs and industry as the party’s leadership looked to review its spending in an attempt to prove its fiscal credibility.
Ms Reeves announced that their borrowing scheme would no longer begin in the first year of a Labour Government but would “ramp up” by the middle of their stint.
She said the decision had to be taken as a result of the poor economic backdrop and rising interest rates, after Liz Truss’s short premiership crashed the markets last autumn.
“No plan can be built that is not a rock of economic and fiscal responsibility … I will never play fast and loose with the public finances,” she said.
And in further evidence that Labour are cognisant of a need not to strong-arm their green policies at the expense of electability, Sir Keir said he had called upon Mr Khan to reassess how he rolls out the ULEZ.
Labour saw success in Thursday's three by-elections, overturning a huge 20,000 Conservative majority in Selby and Ainsty.
The swing of almost 24 percentage points was the second largest produced by Labour at a by-election since 1945 and ranks on a scale similar to those seen under Sir Tony Blair's leadership ahead of his 1997 landslide victory.
But its failure to overturn a 7,000 majority in Uxbridge and South Ruislip, Mr Johnson's former seat, has seen Labour publicly question Mr Khan's proposals to extend ULEZ to all London boroughs. | Not_Explicit |
Pence in New Hampshire says he’s ‘not interested in trading insults’ with Trump
Former Vice President Mike Pence said on Friday that he’s “not interested in trading insults” with former President Trump after a voter at a meet-and-greet in New Hampshire pushed him to “stand up” to his onetime boss.
“Some people think we did a fair amount of standing up two and a half years ago,” Pence argued, according to ABC News, in an apparent reference to his decision to certify the 2020 election on Jan. 6, 2021, in the face of pressure from Trump.
However, the former vice president suggested that his campaign is more focused on “laying out the choice for the American people” in the election than going back and forth with Trump.
“I’m not interested in trading insults with my old friend. I’m not,” Pence said, according to ABC News. “And some people think that’s the way to win the presidency. I don’t. But laying out the choice for the American people, we’ve been doing it. We’ll keep doing it.”
Pence’s remarks came in response to a comment from a registered Independent at the meet-and-greet, who said he would “love” to see Pence as president.
However, the voter added, “I’m just gonna give you an honest comment. I don’t believe you ever will be until the day you stand up to that man.”
A recent New Hampshire poll showed Pence garnering just 1 percent support among likely Republican primary voters in the Granite State. Trump maintained a sizable lead over the crowded field of GOP candidates in the poll, with 37 percent support, despite dropping several points.
The former vice president is performing slightly better in the national polls, with about 6.6 percent support on average, according to FiveThirtyEight.
Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. | Not_Explicit |
CCL Products Q1 Result Review - Inline; Balance Sheet Leveraging A Key Monitorable: Nirmal Bang
Strong volume growth of 20% was mainly a function of new capacity in Vietnam.
BQ Prime’s special research section collates quality and in-depth equity and economy research reports from across India’s top brokerages, asset managers and research agencies. These reports offer BQ Prime’s subscribers an opportunity to expand their understanding of companies, sectors and the economy.
Nirmal Bang Report
Key Points
CCL Products India Ltd.’s Q1 FY24 Ebitda came broadly in line with our estimate and implies a volume growth of ~20% YoY. Management maintained volume growth guidance of 20% for FY24.
FY25E earnings downgrade mainly factors in elevated interest cost post the increase in debt levels, as highlighted in the earnings call. Key operating parameters like Ebitda/kg and volume growth remain intact.
Downgrade to 'Accumulate' with a revised target price of Rs 700 (25 times price-to-earning on June-25E earnings per share).
While we remain structurally positive on the business backed by the strong leadership, near-term issues related to balance sheet and recent run up in the stock price makes the risk-reward unfavorable from one-year time horizon.
Click on the attachment to read the full report:
DISCLAIMER
This report is authored by an external party. BQ Prime does not vouch for the accuracy of its contents nor is responsible for them in any way. The contents of this section do not constitute investment advice. For that you must always consult an expert based on your individual needs. The views expressed in the report are that of the author entity and do not represent the views of BQ Prime.
Users have no license to copy, modify, or distribute the content without permission of the Original Owner. | Not_Explicit |
American patent trolls target S.Korean companies
Of lawsuits filed by US plaintiffs against domestic businesses last year, 84.6% were by non-practicing entities
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Over 80% of American companies that sued South Korean companies for patent infringement last year were non-practicing entities (NPE), or “patent trolls.”
An NPE conducts no production activity and instead earns profits through lawsuits.
The Korean Intellectual Property Office on Wednesday said that among 149 patent lawsuits filed by US companies against South Korean ones last year, 126 or 84.6% were from NPEs, up from 69.4% in 2020. Of the 126, 90.5% or 114 were aimed at corporations, mainly Samsung Electronics.
The number of such complaints against domestic small and medium businesses also doubled last year from six to 12.
Four of the five American companies filing the most complaints were NPEs, led by Daedalus Prime LLC with 10. Founded in 2021 and owning 122 Intel patents, the latter is suing companies like Samsung Electronics.
Covering complaints and lawsuits, the number of patent disputes filed in the US last year was 208, about 70% or 145 of which were related to electrical and electronics and information and communications technology. Next on the list were chemical and bio, mechanical materials and equipment.
Write to Hae-Sung Lee at [email protected]
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A drone attack on an ammunition depot in Crimea has led to civilian evacuations and disrupted transport, Russian authorities have said.
Sergei Aksyonov, the Russian-installed governor of occupied Crimea, said Ukraine was behind the attack, without providing evidence.
Mr Aksyonov said local residents living within five kilometres of the blast were being evacuated.
Rail services across the Kerch bridge have also reportedly been halted.
Earlier on Saturday, Russian authorities stopped traffic on the bridge, but then swiftly reopened it to cars.
A later update from the Moscow-installed government said road traffic was again halted until further notice.
Mr Aksyonov said infrastructure facilities in the Krasnogvardeysky district in Crimea were the target.
"According to preliminary data, there were no damages or casualties," Mr Aksyonov wrote on a Telegram post.
The BBC has not been able to independently verify the attack.
The Kerch bridge, often referred to as the Crimea bridge, was opened in 2018 and it enables road and rail access between Russia and Crimea - Ukrainian territory annexed by Russia in 2014.
The bridge has become a symbol of Russian occupation and is also an important re-supply route for Russian forces in southern Ukraine.
On Monday, a blast on the bridge killed two people and damaged the road but the railway line, which runs parallel to it, was not damaged.
The Kremlin blamed Kyiv for Monday's attack and said Ukraine had carried out a "terrorist" act. Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed to retaliate and accused Ukraine of launching a "senseless" and "cruel" attack.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said the Crimea bridge is a legitimate target.
Speaking on Friday he said the bridge was "the route used to feed the war with ammunition and this is being done on a daily basis", adding that Kyiv sees it as "an enemy facility".
"So, understandably, this is a target for us," Mr Zelensky said, in a video address to the Aspen security conference in the US.
Monday's alleged attack was the second major incident on the Kerch bridge in the past year.
In October 2022, the bridge was partially closed following a huge explosion. It was fully reopened in February. | Not_Explicit |
Intel Corp. has introduced a processor in China that is designed for AI deep-learning applications despite reports of the Biden administration considering additional restrictions on Chinese companies to address loopholes in chip export controls.
The chip giant’s product launch on July 11 is part of an effort by U.S. technology companies to bypass or curb government export controls to the Chinese market as the U.S. government, citing national security concerns, continues to tighten restrictions on China's artificial intelligence industry.
CEOs of U.S. chipmakers including Intel, Qualcomm and Nvidia met with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday to urge a halt to more controls on chip exports to China, Reuters reported. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, National Economic Council director Lael Brainard and White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan were among other government officials meeting with the CEOs, Reuters said.
The meeting came after China announced restrictions on the export of materials that are used to construct chips, a response to escalating efforts by Washington to curb China's technological advances.
VOA Mandarin contacted the U.S. chipmakers for comment but has yet to receive responses.
Reuters reported Nvidia Chief Financial Officer Colette Kress said in June that "over the long term, restrictions prohibiting the sale of our data center graphic processing units to China, if implemented, would result in a permanent loss of opportunities for the U.S. industry to compete and lead in one of the world’s largest markets and impact on our future business and financial results."
Before the meeting with Blinken, John Neuffer, president of the Semiconductor Industry Association, which represents the chip industry, said in a statement to The New York Times that the escalation of controls posed a significant risk to the global competitiveness of the U.S. industry.
"China is the world’s largest market for semiconductors, and our companies simply need to do business there to continue to grow, innovate and stay ahead of global competitors,” he said. “We urge solutions that protect national security, avoid inadvertent and lasting damage to the chip industry, and avert future escalations.”
According to the Times, citing five sources, the Biden administration is considering additional restrictions on the sale of high-end chips used to power artificial intelligence to China. The goal is to limit technological capacity that could aid the Chinese military while minimizing the impact such rules would have on private companies. Such a move could speed up the tit-for-tat salvos in the U.S.-China chip war, the Times reported.
And The Wall Street Journal reported last month that the White House was exploring how to restrict the leasing of cloud services to AI firms in China.
But the U.S. controls appear to be merely slowing, rather than stopping, China’s AI development.
Last October, the U.S. Commerce Department banned Nvidia from selling two of its most advanced AI-critical chips, the A100 and the newer H100, to Chinese customers, citing national security concerns. In November, Nvidia designed the A800 and H800 chips that are not subject to export controls for the Chinese market.
According to the Journal, the U.S. government is considering new bans on the A800 exports to China.
According to a report published in May by TrendForce, a market intelligence and professional consulting firm, the A800, like Nvidia's H100 and A100, is already the most widely used mainstream product for AI-related computing.
Combining chips
Robert Atkinson, founder and president of the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, told VOA in a phone interview that although these chips are not the most advanced, they can still be used by China.
“What you can do, though, is you can combine lesser, less powerful chips and just put more of them together. And you can still do a lot of AI processing with them. It just makes it more expensive. And it uses more energy. But the Chinese are happy to do that,” Atkinson said.
As for the Chinese use of cloud computing, Hanna Dohmen, a research analyst at Georgetown’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology, told VOA Mandarin in a phone interview that companies can rent chips through cloud service providers.
In practice, it is similar to a pedestrian hopping on an e-share scooter or bike — she pays a fee to unlock the scooter’s key function, its wheels.
For example, Dohman said that Nvidia's A100, which is “controlled and cannot be exported to China, per the October 7 export control regulations,” can be legally accessed by Chinese companies that “purchase services from these cloud service providers to gain virtual access to these controlled chips.”
Dohman acknowledged it is not clear how many Chinese AI research institutions and companies are using American cloud services.
“There are also Chinese regulations … on cross-border data that might prohibit or limit to what extent Chinese companies might be willing to use foreign cloud service providers outside of China to develop their AI models,” she said.
Black market chips
In another workaround, Atkinson said Chinese companies can buy black market chips. “It's not clear to me that these export controls are going to be able to completely cut off Chinese computing capabilities. They might slow them down a bit, but I don't think they're going to cut them off."
According to an as yet unpublished report by the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, China is already ahead of Europe in terms of the number of AI startups and is catching up with the U.S.
Although Chinese websites account for less than 2% of global network traffic, Atkinson said, Chinese government data management can make up for the lack of dialogue texts, images and videos that are essential for AI large-scale model training.
“I do think that the Chinese will catch up and surpass the U.S. unless we take fairly serious steps,” Atkinson said. | Not_Explicit |
Washington — GOP Rep. George Santos, who wasin May, has asked the federal magistrate judge overseeing his case to ease his pretrial travel restrictions and allow him to move within a 30-mile radius of the District of Columbia.
Santos' lawyer told U.S. Magistrate Judge Anne Shields in a letter Wednesday that the embattled congressman has a "good faith basis" for requesting the change to the conditions of his release, which restricted his travel to Washington, D.C., New York's Long Island and New York City.
"In light of the small geographical area of the District of Columbia, there is a frequent need to travel outside the District of Columbia for usual and customary functions of someone who lives and works in the District of Columbia, such as dining, shopping, meetings, events, and even use of the local airports," Joseph Murray, Santos' lawyer said.
Murray added that this has led to "unnecessary notifications" to the government and Pretrial Services of Santos' travel, which can be "easily remedied" by extending the area where the congressman can move without advance notice to anywhere within 30 miles of the district.
The letter noted that neither the government nor Pretrial Services, an office that supervises defendants who are released pending trial, objected to the request.
Santos, who has beensince he was elected to represent New York's 3rd Congressional District last November, was charged in a 13-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in May. He faces seven counts of wire fraud, three counts of money laundering, two counts of lying to the House and one count of theft of public funds.
Santos pleaded not guilty to all charges and was released on a $500,000 bond,. As part of the conditions of his release, the freshman lawmaker surrendered his passport, and his travel was limited to New York City, Long Island and the District of Columbia. Other travel in the U.S. requires advanced notice to the government and Pretrial Services.
Santos is running for reelection, and Murray said during the congressman's arraignment in May that he would need the freedom to attend campaign events and fundraisers.
for more features. | Not_Explicit |
The U.S. and U.S.-led United Nations Command say they are working to resolve the situation involving a U.S. soldier who ran into North Korea at a border village. The incident involving Private Travis King comes at a time of high tensions on the Korean Peninsula.
The pace of both North Korea's weapons demonstrations and U.S.-South Korean military exercises has intensified lately in a cycle of tit-for-tat.
Other Americans have crossed into North Korea over the years, including a few U.S. soldiers. Some were motivated by evangelical zeal or simply attracted by the mystery of a severely cloistered police state fueled by anti-U.S. hatred. Others were detained after entering North Korea as tourists. In one tragic case, it ended in death.
Here’s a look back:
Charles Jenkins
Born in Rich Square, North Carolina, Jenkins was one of the few Cold War-era U.S. soldiers who fled to North Korea while serving in the South.
Jenkins, then an Army sergeant, deserted his post in 1965 and fled across the Demilitarized Zone separating the two Koreas. North Korea treated Jenkins as a propaganda asset, showcasing him in leaflets and films.
In 1980, Jenkins married Hitomi Soga, 21, a Japanese nursing student who had been abducted by North Korean agents in 1978.
Soga was allowed to return to Japan in 2002. In 2004, Jenkins was allowed to leave North Korea and rejoin his wife in Japan, where he surrendered to U.S. military authorities and faced charges that he abandoned his unit and defected to North Korea. He was dishonorably discharged and sentenced to 25 days in a U.S. military jail in Japan. He died in Japan in 2017.
Bruce Byron Lowrance
It’s clear that North Korea’s handling of American detainees is influenced by the state of its relations with Washington.
Lowrance benefited from cozy diplomacy in 2018 between then-U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who met for a summit in June of that year, where they issued aspirational goals for a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula without describing when and how it would occur.
Five months later, North Korea announced it was expelling Lowrance, who had entered the country illegally through China in October. North Korea’s decision to deport Lowrance after only a month of confinement was remarkably quick by the country’s standards, apparently reflecting an eagerness to keep alive a positive atmosphere for dialogue with the United States.
During the buildup to the Trump-Kim summit in June, North Korea released three American detainees — Kim Dong Chul, Tony Kim and Kim Hak Song — who returned to home on a plane with then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
However, the diplomacy broke down after the second Trump-Kim summit in February 2019, when the Americans rejected North Korean demands for major sanctions relief in exchange for a partial surrender of its nuclear capabilities.
Matthew Miller
In September 2014, Miller, then 24, from Bakersfield, California, was sentenced to six years of hard labor by North Korea’s Supreme Court on charges that he illegally entered the country for spying purposes.
The court claimed that Miller tore up his tourist visa upon arriving at Pyongyang’s airport in April that year and admitted to a “wild ambition” of experiencing North Korean prison life so that he could secretly investigate the country’s human rights conditions.
North Korea’s initial announcement about Miller’s detainment that month came as then-President Barack Obama was traveling in South Korea on a state visit.
Miller was freed in November that same year along with another American, Kenneth Bae, a missionary and tour leader.
Weeks before his release, Miller talked with The Associated Press at a Pyongyang hotel where North Korean officials allowed him to call his family. Miller said he was digging in fields eight hours a day and being kept in isolation.
Kenneth Bae
Bae, a Korean-American missionary from Lynnwood, Washington, was arrested in November 2012 while leading a tour group in a special North Korean economic zone.
North Korea sentenced Bae to 15 years in prison for “hostile acts,” including smuggling in inflammatory literature and attempting to establish a base for anti-government activities at a hotel in a border town. Bae’s family said he suffered from chronic health issues, including back pain, diabetes, and heart and liver problems.
Bae returned to the United States in November 2014 following a secret mission by James Clapper, then-U.S. director of national intelligence, who also secured Miller’s release.
Jeffrey Fowle
A month before Bae and Miller were released, North Korea also freed Fowle, an Ohio municipal worker who was detained for six months for leaving a Bible in a nightclub in the city of Chongjin. Fowle’s release followed negotiations that involved retired diplomat and former U.S. Representative Tony Hall of Ohio.
While North Korea officially guarantees freedom of religion, analysts and defectors describe the country as strictly anti-religious. The distribution of Bibles and secret prayer services can mean imprisonment or execution, defectors say.
In 2009, American missionary Robert Park walked into North Korea with a Bible in his hand to draw attention to North Korea’s human rights abuses. Park, who was deported from the North in February 2010, has said he was tortured by authorities.
Otto Warmbier
Warmbier, 22, a University of Virginia student, died in June 2017, shortly after he was flown home in a coma after 17 months in North Korean captivity.
Warmbier was seized by North Korean authorities from a tour group in January 2016 and convicted on charges of trying to steal a propaganda poster and sentenced to 15 years of hard labor.
While not providing a clear reason for Warmbier’s brain damage, North Korea denied accusations by Warmbier’s family that he was tortured and insisted that it had provided him medical care with “all sincerity.” The North accused the United States of a smear campaign and claimed itself as the “biggest victim” in his death.
In 2022, a U.S. federal judge in New York ruled that Warmbier’s parents, Fred and Cindy Warmbier, should receive $240,300 seized from a North Korean bank account, which would be a partial payment toward the more than $501 million they were awarded in 2018 by a federal judge in Washington. | Not_Explicit |
Hunter Biden is set to make his first court appearance in Delaware where he is expected to plead guilty to misdemeanor tax charges Wednesday morning stemming from the years-long federal investigation into his tax affairs.
President Biden's son is expected to appear in front of Judge Maryellen Noreika at 10:00 a.m.
Hunter Biden, 53, has agreed to plead guilty to two misdemeanor counts of willful failure to pay federal income tax.
"Despite owing in excess of $100,000 in federal income taxes each year, he did not pay the income tax due for either year," the U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware David C. Weiss’ office said upon announcing the charges last month. "According to the firearm Information, from on or about October 12, 2018 through October 23, 2018, Hunter Biden possessed a firearm despite knowing he was an unlawful user of and addicted to a controlled substance."
Weiss' office said if convicted, Hunter Biden faces a maximum penalty of 12 months in prison on each of the tax charges – a total of two years. There is a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison on the firearm charge for which he agreed to a pretrial diversion program.
Such programs according to the DOJ website, "divert certain offenders from traditional criminal justice processing into alternative systems of supervision and service" such as mental health or substance abuse treatment. Those who successfully complete diversion programs, the DOJ says, can see "declination of charges, dismissal or reduction of charges, or a more favorable recommendation at sentencing."
"A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors," Weiss' office said.
"The investigation is ongoing," the office said in a statement last month.
Hunter Biden will also enter into a pretrial diversion agreement regarding a separate felony charge of possession of a firearm by a person who is an unlawful user of or addicted to a controlled substance.
The plea deal, which has faced ire from Republicans and opponents of the president, is likely to keep Hunter Biden out of jail.
Hunter Biden's first court appearance comes after highly-anticipated public testimony from two IRS whistleblowers – Gary Shapley and Joseph Ziegler – who were part of the IRS' investigative team on the Hunter investigation. They alleged the investigation and prosecutorial decisions were influenced by politics. The Justice Department has denied the allegations.
The appearance also comes a day after Judge Noreika has threatened Hunter Biden's legal team with sanctions over allegations about lying to the clerk's office. His counsel is accused of avoiding proper court procedure to allegedly get information about IRS whistleblowers removed from the docket.
Specifically, a lawyer from Hunter's legal team is accused of misrepresenting who she was when asking to remove amicus materials from the docket. She allegedly called to ask the clerk to seal the information instead of making a formal request to the court.
Noreika gave Biden's legal team until 9 p.m. on Tuesday to explain their side.
Hunter Biden has been under federal investigation since 2018. That investigation into his "tax affairs" began amid the discovery of suspicious activity reports (SARs) regarding funds from "China and other foreign nations." IRS whistleblowers said the investigation began as an "offshoot" from an existing probe into a foreign pornography platform.
Fox News first reported in 2020 that the FBI had subpoenaed a laptop and hard drive purportedly belonging to Hunter Biden in connection with a money-laundering investigation in late 2019.
In December 2020, weeks after the 2020 presidential election, Biden publicly acknowledged he was under investigation related to his taxes. At the time, Biden said he took the matter "very seriously" and was "confident that a professional and objective review of these matters will demonstrate that I handled my affairs legally and appropriately, including with the benefit of professional tax advisors."
The firearms charge stemmed from allegations that Hunter Biden lied during a gun purchase in 2018.
Fox News first reported in 2021 that police had responded to an incident in 2018, when a gun owned by Hunter Biden was thrown into a trash can outside a market in Delaware.
A firearm transaction report reviewed by Fox News indicated that Hunter Biden purchased a gun earlier that month.
On the firearm transaction report, Hunter Biden answered in the negative when asked if he was "an unlawful user of, or addicted to, marijuana or any depressant, stimulant, narcotic drug, or any other controlled substance?"
Hunter Biden was discharged from the Navy in 2014 after testing positive for cocaine.
When asked for comment after the charges were announced, the White House released a statement saying: "The President and First Lady love their son and support him as he continues to rebuild his life. We will have no further comment." | Not_Explicit |
A Russian delegation led by Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu has arrived in North Korea, to be joined by a Chinese delegation later on Wednesday.
They will attend Pyongyang's celebrations of the 70th anniversary of the end of the Korean War, marked typically by massive military parades.
The visits are the first to North Korea since the country shut its borders in a bid to keep out the pandemic.
It is unclear if this signals a change in Pyongyang's border policies.
The reclusive North Korea had sealed the country off from all trade and diplomatic ties in early 2020, even with Russia and China, which are its main economic and political partners.
They even cut off imports of essential goods like food and medicine.
North Korea has been facing food shortages, which have been made worse by its border closure and strict international sanctions that have been imposed because of its nuclear programme.
Some analysts say the inclusion of Chinese and Russian envoys in this year's 'Victory Day' parade - as the 1953 Korean armistice is called locally - hints at a possible loosening of Covid restrictions.
It comes weeks after images of North Koreans walking around without masks were shown on state media.
A delegation led by Russian Defence Minister Shoigu arrived in North Korea late Tuesday, and received a warm welcome on the tarmac at an airport in Pyongyang.
He walked past a line a saluting soldiers and a red banner emblazoned with the words, "Welcome, Comrade Defence Minister of the Russian Federation Sergei Shoigu!" in both Korean and Russian.
The Chinese delegation will be led by Li Hongzhong, who is part of the Chinese Communist Party's central policymaking committee, and will arrive sometime on Wednesday, according to a party spokesperson.
China and Russia are both long time allies of North Korea.
Beijing had sent troops in the fall of 1950 to support North Korea in the war against South Korea. The Soviet Union had also supported North Korea in the war before the USSR collapsed in 1991.
Since then, Russia has remained a natural ally for North Korea because of their mutual dislike for the US. Washington has, in fact, accused North Korea of providing military aid to Russia in the war in Ukraine, a claim that both Pyongyang and Moscow deny.
The invitation also comes on the backdrop of rising geopolitical tensions between the US and Russia over the Ukraine war. Ties between Beijing and Washington are also frayed because of Taiwan.
The US has been trying to talk to Pyongyang following the defection of US soldier Travis King to North Korea.
Pvt King, who was meant to go back to the US to face disciplinary action, ran into North Korea while on a tour at the Joint Security Area (JSA), an area in the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ) that divides North and South Korea.
The United Nations Command, which the United States is a part of, had earlier said talks have begun with North Korea over Pvt King, but did not elaborate on the details. | Not_Explicit |