[NY Daily News] Federal immigration officials say they’ve arrested 114 foreign nationals in the New York area, 99 of them in the city, during an 11-day enforcement sweep this month.
U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement officials arrested 104 men and 10 women in a sweep federal officials say targeted immigrants with criminal records -- including a Mexican national convicted of manslaughter, and an Ecuadoran citizen convicted of rape.
ICE officials wouldn’t say exactly where those arrested were scooped up, or if they were nabbed in home raids, or at city courthouses -- a practice blasted by city lawmakers and legal aid groups.
Nor would they release the names of the people arrested -- even though many have pending criminal cases or will face prosecution for reentering the country illegally.
[WND] So-called "fact-checking" website Snopes.com is reportedly on the verge of financial collapse since one if its founders has been accused of using company cash to fund his contentious divorce and to pay for fancy vacations with his new wife, a former escort and porn actress.
The financial situation has apparently become so dire that Snopes owner David Mikkelson launched a crowd-funding website to solicit donations, according to London’s Daily Mail. Readers contributed more than $500,000 in just the first 24 hours.
As WND has reported, Snopes.com, a website that’s been around since 1995, is sometimes cited by other "fact-checking" sites to support their claims. Facebook has even indicated it plans to use Snopes as one of its arbiters of "fake news." But WND revealed the site has been criticized by conservatives for a left-leaning bias and admits it has no standard procedure for fact-checking.
Snopes.com’s founders, former husband and wife David and Barbara Mikkelson, have been embroiled in a lengthy and bitter legal dispute in the wake of their divorce. At one point, Barbara accused the CEO of using company money for prostitutes. Barbara Mikkelson also accused her ex-husband of embezzling more than $100,000 in company funds. She urged the court to limit access to David’s bank account because she said she feared he would drain the company funds due to his wild spending habits.
David claimed Barbara took millions from their joint accounts and bought property in Las Vegas. He has since remarried to a former escort and porn actress, Elyssa Young, who is one of the site’s staff members. Young, who was a Las Vegas escort until at least 2015, charged $500 for her services. She also starred in porn films as "Erin O’Bryn." Lot more at link, including pictures if you can stand them.
Using porn actresses to do 'fact checking', what a novel idea! That should make 'facts' true!
Posted by: Seeking cure for ignorance ||
07/27/2017 06:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[5 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
Using p0rn actresses to do 'fact checking', what a novel idea!
Yep, sure buddy, that's seven inches. What are you trying to get away with?
(BTW, using trade labor over credentialed labor, which hasn't been too keen on 'facts', may be just as good. That was the original journalist process, apprentice, journeyman, master.)
LUCASVILLE, Ohio (AP) -- A child killer was put to death with no apparent complications Wednesday in Ohio’s first execution since a problem-plagued one 3½ years ago triggered an uproar over the reliability of the lethal injection drugs used by the state.
Ronald Phillips, 43, was condemned to die for the 1993 rape and slaying of his girlfriend’s 3-year-old daughter, Sheila Marie Evans. He was given a three-drug combination never used in Ohio before.
As he lay on the execution table, he apologized to the child’s aunt and half-sister, who were there to watch him die for his crimes.
"I know that Sheila Marie didn’t deserve what I did to her," he said.
Donna Hudson, the victim’s aunt, said: "God forgave him, but, I’m sorry, I don’t think I can."
[Iran Press TV] Mohammed Abdel Wahhab el-Tantawi, a well-known Egyptian reciter of the Holy Koran, has died. He was believed to be more than 70.
Egyptian media said on Wednesday that Tantawi, known for his hearty and emotional recitations of the holy book, died earlier in the day after a long battle with heart disease.
Tantawi was also a hafiz, a term used to distinguish those who have memorized the Koran in full. He became a professional reciter in 1969, when he was admitted to Al Azhar University, Egypt’s top religious authority. His voice was on air in radio stations across Egypt’s Delta region in the 1980s.
The reciter was popular in many Moslem countries, as it normally goes for Egyptian masters of the art. Many in Iran viewed him as an icon and Tantawi used to relish the memories of his single trip to the country in 2009.
Posted by: Fred ||
07/27/2017 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[5 views]
Top|| File under:
[Daily News] Canadian pop star Justin Bieber clipped a 57-year-old paparazzo with a hulking pickup truck while leaving a Beverly Hills church service, police said.
Bieber knocked the photographer to the ground at an "extremely slow speed" outside the Saban Theater at Wilshire Blvd. and N. Hamilton Dr. just before 9:30 p.m. local time, Beverly Hills police Lt. Scott Dowling told the Daily News.
Video shows Bieber pulling his black F-150 out of a driveway and then striking the photographer in front of a paparazzi gaggle.
The remaining paparazzi gathered around their grimacing colleague, snapping photos as someone said a prayer, according to footage from TMZ.
The "Despacito" singer remained at the crash site and even asked the camera-slinging gaggle to give the photographer some space. Bieber was later released. He was not cited for the crash, police said.
[NYP] An alligator attacked a homeless man as he was bathing in a Florida pond, taking his left index finger, two toes -- and a testicle, according to reports.
Fredric Iman, 68, recalled Tuesday from his hospital bed how the horrifying incident went down during an interview with local ABC affiliate, WZVN.
"I tried to get it away, and it tried to pull me in," he said, describing how the 9-foot gator grabbed hold of him from behind.
"I turned around, and...punched it in the eye."
Iman told WZVN that he had been taking his usual, morning bath on Monday in a retention pond in Port Charlotte -- which is about 100 miles south of Tampa -- when the attack unfolded.
"You’re having a nice day one minute, and the next minute, you’re a bloody mess," he said.
After being bitten several times on his left foot and leg, left hand, and groin, Iman managed to escape the gator’s jaws and trek up to a nearby surgery center, where a worker called police.
"It ate his toes off," the employee said, while speaking to a 911 operator.
#4
An alligator attacked a homeless man as he was bathing in a Florida pond, taking his left index finger, two toes -- and a testicle, according to reports.
Ouch.
Posted by: Dave D. ||
07/27/2017 14:19 Comments ||
Top||
#5
Waited til after he was cleaned. Smart Gator
Posted by: Frank G ||
07/27/2017 14:23 Comments ||
Top||
#6
"I turned around, and...punched it in the eye."
[AA.TR] Gambia ... The Gambia is actually surrounded by Senegal on all sides but its west coast. It has a population of about 1.7 million. The difference between the two is that in colonial days Senegal was ruled by La Belle France and The Gambia (so-called because there's only one of it, unlike Guinea, of which there are the Republic of Guinea, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, New Guinea, the English coin in circulation between 1663 and 1813, and Guyana, which sounds like it should be another one) was ruled by Britain... ’s new president Adama Barrow has told Anadolu Agency that his government will not hesitate to seek the extradition of the country’s former autocratic ruler Yahya Jammeh.
Jammeh, former military ruler who governed the small nation with an iron fist from 1994 to 2016, has been accused by right groups and opponents of widespread killings and torture during his reign.
"Every atrocity and human rights One man's rights are another man's existential threat. abuse in the past 22 years will be investigated and people who are responsible will be prosecuted. We will not compromise that without any doubt," Barrow said in an interview with Anadolu Agency on Wednesday.
About two months ago, Gambia’s High Court issued an arrest warrant for over a dozen former soldiers believed to be part of Jammeh’s hit squad but their extradition from Guinea Bissau and Mauritania, where they are reportedly based, has not yet been secured.
"We will not hesitate to do that [seek Jammeh’s extradition] but we will have to wait for the due process," he said. "We have to get the facts first. That is why getting those people [soldiers] back in this country will help in that process.
"That is why we are in contact with neighboring countries so that we can get those people and have firsthand information."
Despite promises for justice after the fall of Jammeh, Barrow’s administration is yet to secure any successful prosecution.
Posted by: Fred ||
07/27/2017 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[6 views]
Top|| File under:
[Guardian] Britain is to ban all new petrol and diesel cars and vans from 2040 amid fears that rising levels of nitrogen oxide pose a major risk to public health.
The commitment, which follows a similar pledge in France, is part of the government’s much-anticipated clean air plan, which has been at the heart of a protracted high court legal battle.
The government warned that the move, which will also take in hybrid vehicles, was needed because of the unnecessary and avoidable impact that poor air quality was having on people’s health. Ministers believe it poses the largest environmental risk to public health in the UK, costing up to £2.7bn in lost productivity in one recent year.
Ministers have been urged to introduce charges for vehicles to enter a series of "clean air zones" (CAZ). However, the government only wants taxes to be considered as a last resort, fearing a backlash against any move that punishes motorists.
"Poor air quality is the biggest environmental risk to public health in the UK and this government is determined to take strong action in the shortest time possible," a government spokesman said.
[Breitbart] The Chinese state propaganda outlet Global Times has published an incendiary column claiming that the Chinese public "really detest US reconnaissance" in Asia and "actually wanted" China to shoot down a U.S. reconnaissance plane dangerously intercepted over the weekend.
The Global Times called the Pentagon’s objection to the outrageous aerial move "ridiculous" and demanded the United States cease all intelligence operations in the region.
On Sunday, two Chinese fighter jets gave chase to an American reconnaissance aircraft over the international waters of the East China Sea, forcing the American plane to maneuver away from them rapidly. American officials with knowledge of the situation described the Chinese jets’ behavior as "unsafe," while the Pentagon clarified that the American plane was conducting a "routine" mission.
"The ’righteousness’ of the Pentagon is ridiculous," the Times complained. "US military reconnaissance threatens China’s national security and an intercept by the Chinese navy is justified."
The article goes on to praise the Chinese military for its "restraint," suggesting that the will of the Chinese people would have been to see the incident turn deadly. "The public actually wanted the US reconnaissance plane to be shot down directly," the article claims. "Of course the PLA would not do it, but the Chinese people really detest US reconnaissance, which is bound to have an impact on the response of the Chinese military."
#3
The Hainan Island incident was caused by incompetent PLAAF pilot "Wrong" Wei. Not much has changed, their pilots still don't know how to do an intercept.
Posted by: Herb McCoy7309 ||
07/27/2017 3:39 Comments ||
Top||
#4
FWIW - I've heard the P-3 crew acquitted themselves admirably during captivity. Sadly they did not have enough time on the way down for a complete destruction. ChiComs ended up w/some good stuff.
Posted by: Bangkok Billy ||
07/27/2017 5:54 Comments ||
Top||
#5
The F-22s that will start escorting them might have something to say about shooting them down.
#6
Oh, yeah, get the American public to actually look at the 'Made in China' labels. You don't have enough money or lobbyists if that took hold. And we'll see how nimble American companies are in shifting their outsourcing.
[The Hill] Civil rights icon: I fought too hard against discrimination to watch transgender ban happen.
Civil Rights icon John Lewis (D-Ga.) ripped President Trump's Wednesday announcement banning transgender people from serving in the military, saying he didn't fight to end racial discrimination just to allow discrimination based on gender identity.
"I fought too long to end discrimination based on race and color to allow discrimination based on gender identity to be considered acceptable," Lewis tweeted late Wednesday.
"I stand with our transgender service members, and I pray that they will not lose heart. They must know that we love them. We respect them. We are grateful for their service and sacrifice, and most importantly, we will stand for their rights, just as they have stood for ours," Lewis continued over a series of tweets.
#2
I fought too long to end discrimination based on race and color
BS. You fought for power. Affirmative Action is race based discrimination. Ask the Asians attempting to enter California universities and the Ivy League. As Holder said, 'my people'.
#3
That's a powerful and moving argument, Mr. Civil Rights Icon. Except your premise is utterly wrong. Joining the military isn't right. It's something you have to qualify for. There is a whole list of things that will disqualify you, like being fat and stupid.
#4
...not to mention the American with Disabilities Act. Though the enemy has shown a proclivity to use wheelchair bound individuals for ordnance delivery, but with no attendant retirement plan.
[DAWN] A search operation is underway to arrest the members of a panchayat (village council) who fled after ordering a man to rape a 17-year-old girl, police said on Wednesday.
According to SHO Malik Rashid, the search operation began after two cases were registered against the members of the council at a cop shoppe inside the Violence Against Women centre in Multan.
The council, comprising at least 40 men, was convened in Muzaffarabad's Rajpur area after a 12-year-old girl, F*, was raped by a man while cutting grass in a field on July 16, reads the First Information Report (FIR) filed at the cop shoppe.
On July 18, the panchayat ordered F's brother to rape 17-year-old N*, the sister of the accused. According to the police, N was dragged to the area where the panchayat was convened and was raped before the men and her parents.
After the incident, the parents of N filed an FIR on July 20, while a second FIR was filed on July 24 by F's family, who had initially wished to keep the matter quiet.
After the cases were registered, the police started investigations and tossed in the calaboose Drop the gat, Rocky, or you're a dead 'un! 20 of the council's members, including the head of the panchayat who gave the order. Search operations for the remaining men are underway.
Posted by: Fred ||
07/27/2017 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[4 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Pakistan
[DAILYCALLER] Secretary of Defense James Mattis has ordered a full review of any military training not directly relevant to warfighting.
Mattis told the services to conduct a review of the "requirements for mandatory force training that does not directly support core tasks," according to a Friday memo obtained by Military Times.
In other words, Mattis wants a full examination of all the hours of burdensome, irrelevant training service members have to undergo before deployment.
"I want to verify that our military policies also support and enhance warfighting readiness and force lethality," Mattis said.
Mattis also asked for a review into what should be done about permanently non-deployable service members.
The memo states that the review will be headed by a working group under the Pentagon’s undersecretary for personnel and readiness, a position currently occupied by Anthony M. Kurta. While President Donald Trump ...New York real estate developer, described by Dems as illiterate, racist, misogynistic, and what ever other unpleasant descriptions they can think of, elected by the rest of us as 45th President of the United States... recently tapped Robert Wilkie for the job, Wilkie has not yet been confirmed by the Senate.
Mattis has recently involved himself in various personnel issues, particularly by encouraging Congress to block an amendment by GOP Rep. Vicky Hartzler to the annual defense budget bill that would have prevented Department of Defense funds from being used to pay for transgender medical treatments. Hartzler’s amendment failed after 24 Republicans voted against it.
Recommendations from the new review Mattis has set in motion are due by Dec. 1, 2018.
Posted by: Fred ||
07/27/2017 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[8 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
Given that Congress repealed the prohibition on women in combat, all the EEO personnel should be reclassified immediately to 11B and sent post haste to the front.
#3
..that's the Air Force, about as close to civie work we have. Nothing destroys a good soldier as that kind of 'detail'. Bad soldiers on the other hand.....
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
[NY Daily News] Federal immigration officials say they’ve arrested 114 foreign nationals in the New York area, 99 of them in the city, during an 11-day enforcement sweep this month.
[WND] So-called "fact-checking" website Snopes.com is reportedly on the verge of financial collapse since one if its founders has been accused of using company cash to fund his contentious divorce and to pay for fancy vacations with his new wife, a former escort and porn actress.
[Iran Press TV] Mohammed Abdel Wahhab el-Tantawi, a well-known Egyptian reciter of the Holy Koran, has died. He was believed to be more than 70.
[NYP] An alligator attacked a homeless man as he was bathing in a Florida pond, taking his left index finger, two toes -- and a testicle, according to reports.
[AA.TR] 
[Breitbart] The Chinese state propaganda outlet Global Times has published an incendiary column claiming that the Chinese public "really detest US reconnaissance" in Asia and "actually wanted" China to shoot down a U.S. reconnaissance plane dangerously intercepted over the weekend.
[The Hill] Civil rights icon: I fought too hard against discrimination to watch transgender ban happen.
