[ABC] COLUMBIA, S.C. -- Long a method of execution associated with political terror or military justice, a firing squad is set to kill a South Carolina inmate on Friday, the second time the state will have carried out that method in the past five weeks.
Mikal Mahdi was sentenced to die 20 years ago for the ambush killing of an off-duty police officer. He will be the fifth inmate executed by South Carolina in less than eight months as the state makes its way through prisoners who ran out of appeals during an unintended 13-year pause on the death penalty.
Mahdi, 42, chose to die by three bullets to the heart instead of lethal injection or the electric chair. On March 7, Brad Sigmon was executed in the first U.S. firing squad death in 15 years and only the fourth since 1976. The others all occurred in Utah.
The firing squad is an execution method with a long and violent history around the world. Death in a hail of bullets has been used to punish mutinies and desertion in armies, as frontier justice in America’s Old West and as a tool of terror and political repression in the former Soviet Union and Nazi Germany.
But South Carolina lawmakers saw it as the quickest and most humane way to kill an inmate, especially with the uncertainty in obtaining lethal injection drugs.
#5
5 days should be enough- have an appeals court follow the trial ( they’ll be involved anyway) , and if they sign off on the verdict and sentence, it’s time to be looking at menus for the last meal.
8 Apr 2025
[Justice.gov] Greenbelt, Maryland -- Today, Nicholas John Roske, 29, of Simi Valley, California, pled guilty to attempting to kill a United States Supreme Court Justice Kavanaugh in 2022. Roske faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. U.S. District Judge Deborah L. Boardman scheduled sentencing for Friday, Oct. 3, at 10 a.m.
#1
I wonder if he is still feeling those exhausting homicidal and suicidal urges that drove him to call the police to turn himself in before committing suicide by cop, or if the 28 year old will spend much of the rest of his life locked up while stabilized?
[Independent] A 64-year-old licensed practical nurse is facing federal charges after she allegedly grabbed a flight attendant’s genitalia while traveling from Las Vegas to North Dakota.
Jody Lynn Sherry-Berg was arrested Tuesday on one count of interference with flight crew members, according to federal court documents reviewed by The Independent.
The altercation occurred January 16 aboard an Allegiant Air flight from Harry Reid International Airport to Grand Forks International Airport, states an indictment unsealed April 8 in Minnesota federal court.
[Daily Mail, where America gets its news] A state of emergency has been declared in New Mexico's largest city, as the governor calls in the National Guard to help combat out of control crime.
Action by the Democratic governor clears the way for dozens of guard members to help the Albuquerque Police Department starting next month.
About 60 to 70 soldiers will be stationed in largest city, home to over a quarter of the state, for six months to a year, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham told reporters Tuesday.
Grisham pulled the trigger after the chief of police asked for assistance at the end of March, as the city of dealing with a fentanyl crisis, violent crime and growing homelessness problem.
Some of the troops will be assigned to Central Avenue, part of the historic Route 66.
The area is known as 'The War Zone' by locals, and is the site of homeless encampments and open-air drug use.
YouTuber Nick Johnson, who has over 1.1 million followers, visited Albuquerque earlier this year, calling it the 'most frightful neighborhood in America.'
National guard members will also free up local cops who normally provide security at the courthouse and airport so they can respond to crime. However, they will not be armed or in uniform, reported the Albuquerque Journal. Instead, the troops will be in polo shirts.
The city is hoping to increase its police force to 1,000 officer compared to its current size of 850.
#1
Underlying problem is that as a poor state, it ends up training officer who move on to better pay in AZ or CO.
It's compounded by being a Karenstan where no one wants to hold the vile utes accountable for the crime and violence they commit. Far more concern for 'reform' of the miscreants than justice for the victims. Add in that the DA plea bargains clear 1st Degree murder down to 2nd Degree from the start. Life is cheap. Welcome to the Wild West circa 2025.
Posted by: Bobby ||
04/11/2025 14:40 Comments ||
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#5
It may, possibly not be as stupid as it sounds -- though I think the policy of using NG troops when you could deputize volunteers is questionable.
Anyway, the New Mexico Army National Guard has the 226th Military Police Battalion with the 126th and 919th MP companies. So it is not as silly as tasking a military bridging detachment to do police patrols.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] On April 10, a helicopter crashed near Jersey City, located opposite New York City. The plane fell into the Hudson River. The police reported the incident on the social network X.
No details have been given, but police have already arrived at the crash site. It is reported that one person is believed to have died.
As reported by the Regnum news agency, on the evening of January 29, a Bombardier CRJ700 passenger plane and a Black Hawk military helicopter collided in mid-air near Ronald Reagan Airport in Washington. Both aircraft crashed into the river. There were three US military personnel on board the helicopter, which belonged to the US ground forces. There were 64 people on board the plane, including four crew members.
On February 1, the Russian Embassy in the United States officially confirmed the deaths of Russians in the plane crash over Washington. Among the dead were the 1994 world figure skating champions Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, as well as former figure skater Alexander Kirsanov, who previously competed in ice dancing.
The pilot of a Bombardier CRJ700 passenger jet attempted to prevent a collision with a military helicopter. The military helicopter belonged to an aviation brigade responsible for transporting “high-ranking officials.”
#3
I'm sure this is all due to not having the firm (but supple) hand of chest-feeder former Pothole Pete Buttgag on the tiller of our nation's Transportation
Posted by: Frank G ||
04/11/2025 5:28 Comments ||
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#5
Just remember, dozens of companies are at this very moment trying to make air taxis a working thing.
(Find someplace remote to hide from idiots falling from the sky.)
Posted by: ed in texas ||
04/11/2025 11:07 Comments ||
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[NYPOST] ''The Handmaid's Tale'' star Bradley Whitford told his former boss Jeff Bezos to ''f—— speak up'' against President Donald Trump ...The Hero of Butler, Pennsylvania... in a fiery interview on Tuesday. I guess the guy's a Dem, based on all the f——'s he's uttering.
The actor took aim at his current and former bosses for not taking a direct stand against Trump, telling Variety that entertainment industry executives were ''staying silent while their daughters' rights are being torn away.'' It could be that they're just waiting to see what happens. We just had four years of Stuck on Stupid and rapacity, so now see what happens when we do something different.
''You know, misogyny is at the reptilian brainstem of these right-wing Christian white nationalists. It's punitive. And, man, I'm pissed at all the people I work for. Like, 'F——. SPEAK. UP,''' Whitford railed. Lots of us in the "right wing" respect Christianity without actually practicing it. Misogyny is a frequent charge, seldom backed up. It's kinda like "raaaycism!" only with a cuddly bosom. I guess it's because we like girls. Whites still remain the majority in the nation, regardless of lefty attempts to push us into the Third World. Sounds like a a spew to me. Tell me why we should listen to this butthole?
''The Handmaid's Tale'' star's rage boiled over regarding Disney, the parent company of the studio producing his current show, reportedly screaming loudly enough for everyone in the Manhattan cafe to hear. Yeah, buddy! Ladies should all get one of those Handmaid's Tale hats. They're nearly as attractive as their pussy hats were.
''I mean, if you run Disney, which I guess I work for now, I've sat through'' — imitating a studio head at Disney — '''We really care for you and want to make sure you have access to healthcare.' Speak the f— up!'' Whitford yelled. It would be nice if he did. He's not making a lot of sense to my reptilian brainstem. Welcome to my mental File 13.
[Independent] Hungary has suggested a "biological attack" may be behind the country’s first foot-and-mouth disease outbreak in more than half a century.
The World Organisation for Animal Health said the outbreak, which was first detected on a cattle farm in the northwest near the border with Austria and Slovakia last month, has triggered border closures and the mass slaughter of cattle.
By Thursday, animal health authorities had inspected nearly 1,000 farms across Hungary. Of those, only four farms in the affected northwestern region returned positive results.
"At this stage, we can say that it cannot be ruled out that the virus was not of natural origin, we may be dealing with an artificially engineered virus," Prime Minister Viktor Orban's chief of staff Gergely Gulyas said at a media briefing
[Daily Mail, where America gets its news] Residents in Alaska's largest city are bracing for a looming volcano eruption that scientists have warned could happen in a few weeks.
Mount Spurr, an 11,000-foot-tall volcano, sits just 81 miles from Anchorage, which is home to nearly 300,000 people.
When it blows, the event 'would be explosive,' Matt Haney, scientist-in-charge at the AVO previously told DailyMail.com, adding that it would spew multiple plumes of ash rising as high as 50,000 feet into the air.
Each ash-producing explosive episode would last three to four hours, resulting in Anchorage and other nearby communities being engulfed in a giant cloud.
Volcanic ash can irritate the eyes, nose and throat, and cause more serious health issues for people with asthma, other forms of lung disease and severe heart problems, according to the International Volcanic Health Hazard Network (IVHHN).
Residents have stocked up on N9-5 masks, latex gloves and jugs of water to prepare for the layers of ash, along with protective goggles, gas masks and booties for their dogs.
Over the last year, Mount Spurr has been experiencing increased seismic activity, ground-surface displacement and gas emissions, all of which are signs of an impending eruption.
Seismic activity near Mount Spurr kicked off in April 2024, and in October, the rate of quakes increased from an average of 30 per week to 125 per week.
In a Tuesday update, experts at the Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO) wrote: 'Unrest continues at Mount Spurr volcano. Seismicity remains elevated with occasional small, shallow volcanic earthquakes detected beneath the volcano over the past day.'
'AVO continues monitoring activity at Mount Spurr for signals indicating that the volcano is moving closer to an eruption.'
Since the beginning of the month, the US Geological Survey (USGS) has detected hundreds of small tremors within a 30-mile radius of the volcano.
On April 2, a larger magnitude 3.7 quake struck near Petersville at 11:44am, about 30 miles north-west of Mount Spurr. This quake hit 65 miles below the surface — an earthquake depth that would typically be associated with tectonic plate movement.
These are the approximate positions of the U.S. Navy’s deployed carrier strike groups and amphibious ready groups throughout the world as of April 7, 2025, based on Navy and public data. In cases in which a CSG or ARG is conducting disaggregated operations, the chart reflects the location of the capital ship.
Ships Underway
Total Battle Force
295
(USS 234, USNS 61)
Deployed
97
(USS 69, USNS 28)
Underway
70
(42 Deployed, 28 Local)
Aircraft Carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) with its air wing consisting of F-35C Lightning IIs works alongside the USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility. pic.twitter.com/c2p4yxmBpj
Posted by: Fred ||
04/11/2025 00:00 ||
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[11133 views]
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#1
Obsolete infrastructure. We have more than enough money to maintain totally separate Atlantic and Pacific fleets now. The Pentagon is overflowing with cash.
[APNEWS] A merengue icon, a baseball star and others killed when a cement roof collapsed at a popular nightclub in the Dominican Republic were buried Thursday, as authorities called off the search for bodies with the corpse count at 221.
Mourners clad in black and white streamed into Santo Domingo's National Theater, where the body of singer Rubby P rez lay inside a closed coffin. P rez had been performing on stage at the packed Jet Set club early Tuesday when dust began falling from the ceiling and, seconds later, the roof caved.
President Luis Abinader and first lady Raquel Arbaje arrived at the theater and stood beside P rez's coffin for several minutes. Some mourners doubled over in tears as a recording of P rez singing the national anthem played. Renowned Dominican musician Juan Luis Guerra was among those gathered to pay their respects.
P rez, 69, had turned to music after a car accident left him unable to pursue his dream of becoming a professional baseball player. He was known for hits including ''Volver ,'' which he sang with Wilfrido Vargas's orchestra, and ''Buscando tus besos'' as a solo artist.
Posted by: Fred ||
04/11/2025 00:00 ||
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[Daily Mail, where America gets its news] China is preparing for a 'prolonged economic warfare' with Donald Trump after the president added additional tariffs on Beijing, while announcing a pause for other trading partners.
The Communist nation has spent years fostering a strategy that transitioned from building housing to $1.9trillion constructing factories to make cheap goods for export, seeing them rise 13 percent and 17 percent in 2023 and 2024.
Now, Chinese companies who had previously responded to Trump's tariffs by offering discounts to longtime U.S. clients are willing to forego the American market entirely as they attempt to find new buyers.
Joe Biden's trade representative Katherine Tai sounded the alarm of factories closing in America and worldwide to The New York Times: 'The tsunami is coming for everyone.'
China has started taking action against American companies, adding half a dozen to a trading blacklist, including Shield AI and Sierra Nevada.
Another 12 American companies - including American Photonics and BRINC Drones - now face export controls, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Trump announced a 125 percent tariff on China Wednesday morning, after the country had slapped a 'revenge tariff' of 84 percent on the United States in response to the 'Liberation Day' duty.
The president also announced a 90-day pause on all new 'reciprocal' tariffs on Wednesday, in a major reversal which caused one of the biggest stock market rallies in history, singling out China for its 'lack of respect... to the World's Markets.'
#1
Let her rip Chicoms...I can't wait to see how you handle millions of people told to go home without pay, and twiddle their thumbs! Can they hide a national 'Tiananmen Square' uprising?
[Breitbart] Pharmaceutical company Novartis announced plans to build seven facilities in the United States and expand others in a $23 billion investment over five years on the heels of President Donald Trump’s announcement of forthcoming tariffs on imported drugs.
The Swiss company revealed the major investment in a press release.
“This commitment enables Novartis to expand on its current manufacturing, research and technology presence across the country with 10 facilities, including 7 brand new facilities, creating nearly 1,000 new jobs at Novartis and approximately 4,000 additional US jobs,” the release said.
Six of the facilities will be manufacturing plants, two of which will focus on radioligand therapy in Florida and Texas. It remains to be seen where the other four plants will be built.
Moreover, the company is establishing a biomedical research innovation center in San Diego as part of the investment, and it is expanding three of its production facilities in Indiana, New Jersey, and California.
The company also noted that its goal is to ensure “all key Novartis medicines for US patients will be made in the United States.”
Think of the worst character traits of Jeb Bush and Mitt Romney combined in one person.
Even before assuming office he has done such tremendous damage to the country and also his party to warrant his resignation from politics in shame and dishonor, not his election as a head of government.
The Social Security Administration (SSA) on Tuesday night announced that it would conduct an "anti-fraud check" next week on all claims made over the telephone.
The announcement comes after the SSA scrapped its plans last month to remove phone options for ID verification, forcing beneficiaries to prove their identity in person, or online instead. The administration wanted to change the policy out of concern that fraudsters could illegally change a recipients' direct deposit number.
The SSA said the fraud check would take place on Monday, April 14, and all claims that appear suspicious would require the individual to prove their identity in person.
“Beginning on April 14, #SocialSecurity will perform an anti-fraud check on all claims filed over the telephone and flag claims that have fraud risk indicators,” the SSA posted in a thread on X. "Individuals that are flagged would be required to perform in-person ID proofing for the claim to be further processed. Individuals who are not flagged will be able to complete their claim without any in-person requirements.
"We will continue to conduct 100 percent ID proofing for all in-person claims," the administration continued. "4.5 million telephone claims a year and 70K may be flagged. Telephone remains a viable option to the public."
The updated policy is expected to help rural beneficiaries who were concerned that they did not have the means to travel to in-person offices, according to The Hill.
[APNEWS] Indonesian authorities on Thursday denied claims by separatist rebels in the Papua region that at least 17 gold miners slain by turbans were members of security forces.
The rebels said they attacked a gold panning camp in the Yahukimo district of Highland Papua province, killing 17 people, including five on Wednesday. Spokesman Sebby Sambon of the rebel West Papua Liberation Army claimed the victims were members of Indonesia's army disguised as gold miners.
He said his group had warned all workers to leave Indonesian government projects as well as traditional gold mining areas, or they would be considered part of the Indonesian security forces.
Ah. It’s not that they actually were Indonesian soldiers, but that the vicious idiots identified them as soldiers.
''The West Papua Liberation Army is responsible for the attacks at Yahukimo's gold panning camp,'' Sambom said. ''Because they were part of Indonesian intelligence and soldiers.''
Posted by: Fred ||
04/11/2025 00:00 ||
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[11138 views]
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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.
[ABC] COLUMBIA, S.C. -- Long a method of execution associated with political terror or military justice, a firing squad is set to kill a South Carolina inmate on Friday, the second time the state will have carried out that method in the past five weeks.
[NYPOST] ''The Handmaid's Tale'' star 
