Message from @Karl XII
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LOS ANGELES (AP) — Two flight attendants for a Chinese airline were fined and ordered to leave the United States within 72 hours for attempting to smuggle nearly two-dozen spotted and box turtles in a carry-on bag from Los Angeles to China.
City News Service reports Monday that U.S. District Judge S. James Otero ordered Chinese nationals Huaqian Qu and Renfeng Gao to pay $5,500 each to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service before returning to China within three days.
The U.S. Attorney's Office says the two China Eastern attendants pleaded guilty last month to a federal conspiracy charge, which carries a possible penalty of up to five years behind bars.
HARTFORD, Conn. — Right-wing radio host and conspiracy theorist Alex Jones argued he was acting as a journalist, comparing himself to the Washington Post reporters who uncovered the Watergate scandal, when he questioned on his talk show "Infowars" the official narrative given by officials in the 2012 Sandy Hook school shooting.
In written arguments filed Friday, Jones moved to dismiss a defamation lawsuit filed by the families of some of the 26 people killed in the Connecticut shooting. Jones acknowledged that he had called the shooting a hoax, but said he now believes it happened.
"Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein relied on allegations from 'Deep Throat' to link the Nixon Administration to the Watergate break-in," his lawyers wrote in filing for a dismissal. "Such journalism, questioning official narratives, would be chilled if reporters were subject to liability if they turned out to be wrong,"
A gunman killed 20 first-graders and six educators at the Newtown, Connecticut, school Dec. 14, 2012.
Several families filed suit in April in state Superior Court, saying that Jones' comments questioning the shooting have tormented them and subjected them to harassment and death threats by his followers, some of whom have accused them of being crisis actors.
The First Amendment simply does not protect false statements about the parents of one of the worst tragedies in our nation's history," said Bill Bloss, an attorney who represents the families. "Any effort by any of the defendants to avoid responsibility for the harm that they have inflicted will be unsuccessful."
The plaintiffs include the parents of four children killed at the school — Daniel Barden, Dylan Hockley, Ben Wheeler and Avielle Richman. Also suing are relatives of two slain educators — school Principal Dawn Hochsprung and first-grade teacher Victoria Soto. FBI agent William Aldenberg, one of the first responders to the scene, is also a plaintiff.
The lawsuits seek monetary and punitive damages, attorney fees and other costs. They do not say exactly how much money the families are seeking
In separate lawsuits filed in Texas, where Jones' "Infowars" media company is based, the parents of slain children Jesse Lewis and Noah Pozner sued Jones seeking more than $1 million in damages for alleged defamation.
Wolfgang Halbig, who the families said was a frequent guest on Jones' show and questioned whether the school shooting really happened, is also named as a defendant in the case.
Halbig, a former police officer who lives in Sorrento, Florida, said in April that he believes people died in the shooting, but that authorities refuse to clear up what he believes are discrepancies in the official story.
Jones acknowledged allowing Halbig and others to question the shooting on his show, but said he has a constitutional right to do that.
"To stifle the press (by making them liable for merely interviewing people who have strange theories) will simply turn this human tragedy into a Constitutional one," his attorneys wrote.
Jones' attorneys asked for oral arguments on their motion. Those were not scheduled Monday.
I would like to see any autopsy evidence from the victims
LOS ANGELES, Calif. - A former MTV VJ who was last seen in the Inland Empire has been reported as a missing person, the Riverside Police Department said on Monday.
Josiah "Jesse" Camp, 38, was reported missing on Thursday by his sister after family had not heard from him in about a week, Riverside police said in a news release. Camp, who appeared as an MTV VJ in the late 90s and early 2000s, gained fame after hosting several shows and winning MTV's Wanna Be a VJ contest.
Police said Camp was reportedly seen in Fontana on Thursday morning before he was reported missing.
Camp was also recently in Riverside and is possibly a transient who is known to frequent motels throughout the Inland Empire, according to police.
"There does not appear to be anything suspicious at this time regarding Jesse being missing other than his ceased contact with family and friends," Riverside police said in the statement.
Josiah "Jesse" Camp was the first winner of MTV's "Wanna Be a VJ" contest. (Credit: Riverside Police Department)
Jesse Camp won MTV's "Wanna be a VJ" contest in 1998. Since his time at the network, Camp attempted a career as a recording artist but quickly removed himself from the public eye.
Camp is described as white, standing 6 feet 5 inches tall, weighing about 170 pounds, with brown hair and blue eyes.
@FeistyCat Hey Feisty!!! I just want to personally thank you for all you do! I so really appreciate that you came in on the wee hours of the morning to help out the Walker Bros. You inspired me so much I stayed up all night too!!! Again Thank you fellow Patriot!!! Much Love
You have gained a rank @ʙɪɴᴀʀʏ ᴀɢᴇɴᴛ🐉🦋, you just advanced to 36 . Thanks for all you do Patriot!
Unite the Right' anniversary: White nationalists want to rally in D.C. — and Charlottesville
This year's rally will focus on 'white civil rights,' and only American and Confederate flags will be allowed - no neo-Nazi paraphernalia.
Author: Caroline Simon, USA TODAY
Published: 2:01 AM EDT July 24, 2018
Updated: 2:15 AM EDT July 24, 2018
When hundreds of neo-Nazis and white supremacists held a rally a year ago in Charlottesville, Virginia, the demonstration turned into a riot that left one woman dead and shocked the nation.
For the August anniversary, the torch-carrying, swastika-bearing protesters want to repeat their demonstration in Charlottesville and in Washington, D.C.
But those who are part of the increasingly visible far-right sentiment in America now face divisions within their own movement and seem unlikely to rally in the same large numbers as last year.
Jason Kessler, who organized last year's event under the banner "Unite the Right," was denied a permit to gather in Charlottesville this year, but he will fight that decision in a court hearing Tuesday. In Washington, Kessler's permit application for an Aug. 12 rally received initial approval and details are being worked out.
Kessler said this year's rally will focus on "white civil rights" – what he sees as limited rights for white people, particularly surrounding free speech. Only American and Confederate flags will be allowed at the D.C. event, Kessler said; no neo-Nazi paraphernalia.
“What I’m really trying to do is start a new movement," Kessler said. "I feel like the 'alt-right' has been a symbol for neo-Nazism." Although the theme is white rights, he said the rally is "open to everybody."
Kessler said he expects fewer people this year because of concerns about possible violence.
I think it’s definitely going to be different in terms of attendance," he said. "A lot of people are going to be very scared for their safety."
The group also faces internal divisions and struggles to turn an Internet-focused movement into a viable political force.
“I think the hope was that they would step away from their computers and enter into real politics," said George Hawley, a University of Alabama professor who has written a book about the alt-right. “And that was not the result."
Facebook chats between Kessler and other white nationalists — obtained by ThinkProgress, a left-wing website — show the difficulty of planning the August rallies. According to the chats, organizers struggled to agree on speakers and logistics and grew frustrated with neo-Nazis who did not support the white civil rights-only theme.
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"The Alt-Right is poor, disorganized and lacking in conviction," Kessler wrote in a May 13 message.
Last August's demonstrations rocked Charlottesville for two days. On the evening of Aug. 11, hundreds of torch-bearing protesters marched through the University of Virginia campus, chanting white supremacist slogans such as "Blood and Soil" and "Jews Will Not Replace Us."
The next day, the group swamped downtown Charlottesville – along with several armed, uniformed paramilitary groups – and were met by counterprotesters.
Rioting broke out, several people were injured, and one woman, Heather Heyer, 32, died after a protester associated with the neo-Nazi groups backed his car through a throng of counterprotesters and struck her.
"The American public was appalled," said Lawrence Rosenthal, who chairs Berkeley Center for Right-Wing Studies. Americans "no longer saw these people as pranksters, especially after the death."
A group of counter-protesters injured during the rally have filed a civil lawsuit in federal court against Kessler and other leaders, alleging the demonstrators were responsible for the violence and the injuries. That case is still ongoing.
Another lawsuit, filed by Georgetown's Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection, alleged that the armed paramilitary groups at the rally were unlawful. Kessler and several of those groups recently agreed to a settlement, which stipulates that Kessler must "actively discourage" that sort of activity.
Mary McCord, the lead attorney for the plaintiffs in that lawsuit, said she hopes the settlement will discourage some protesters from attending a potential rally in Charlottesville next month.
“My hope is that this is sufficient deterrent to the individuals and defendants who are sued," she said. “Maybe they just won’t come back at all – that would be great."
If they do come back, Charlottesville will be ready. The city is organizing several community events to mark the anniversary – whether or not Kessler gets his permit.
We’re trying to use this anniversary as a chance to reflect, and to maybe make our own statement of protest and solidarity," said Rabbi Tom Gutherz with Congregation Beth Israel, Charlottesville's only synagogue. Beth Israel is located at the center of town and was forced to take security precautions last year when armed demonstrators began to gather outside.
City officials are also gearing up for security risks. Even without a permit, demonstrators could gather in smaller groups and make their presence known.
“The fact that they can show up, even if there’s five of them ... it’s something that alarms us," City Councilor Wes Bellamy said.
Bellamy, who is black, led the city's initial fight to remove Confederate statues, which sparked last year's rallies. “Regardless of whether they come with 10 or 20 or two, people are going to be on edge," he said.
Local activists are getting ready, too. Tanesha Hudson, a filmmaker and longtime advocate for minority rights, spent hours counterprotesting during last year's demonstrations. This year, she's prepared to fight harder.
“The more that they think they’re going to come here and disrespect my city, the more I’m going to plan and strategize to protect my city," she said.
Lisa Woolfork, a University of Virginia professor and Black Lives Matter organizer, said the anniversary gives Charlottesville a chance to show its distaste for the ideology seen at last year's rally.
“Our plans remain the same," she said. "It’s to stand together as a community to resist the rising tide of white supremacy – and that’s going to happen whether they’re granted permits or not granted permits.”
Now let’s blame the weather
https://www.facebook.com/102946646603/posts/10155470369491604/
@retiredDep how are you able to drop large text messages? Mine fail every time
WASHINGTON (CNN) —
Utah Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch's office has launched a campaign on Twitter to prove he is alive following the discovery that Google falsely shows he died in 2017.
On Monday, Hatch's office posted a screenshot of the auto-generated search result, writing, "Hi.. @Google? We might need to talk." Since the discovery, his Twitter account has posted several photos of Hatch reading the newspaper and attending his birthday party in March.
You have gained a rank @renachan, you just advanced to 13 . Thanks for all you do Patriot!
Among the tweets showing the senator is still alive and well were images of Hatch attending events in his state and giving a gift to German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
Hatch, 84, is the longest-serving Republican senator in history. He is retiring at the end of his term, clearing the way for former Massachusetts governor and Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney, who is running to replace him in a solidly red state.
Hatch's office also sent a video of Hatch to CNN's "Inside Politics with John King," wherein Hatch says, "The reports of my demise have been greatly exaggerated."
Following the release of the photos and footage on social media, Google changed the search result in order to reflect that Hatch is
Attorney General Jeff Sessions laughed off and repeated a “Lock Her Up” chant during a speech at a high school leadership summit.
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Sessions was speaking Tuesday in Washington, D.C, when members of the audience interrupted him with cries of “Lock Her Up.”
The chant refers to Hillary Clinton, President Donald Trump’s opponent in the 2016 president election. It was a staple of Trump campaign rallies as the FBI investigated Clinton’s use of a private email server and remains prevalent at some Trump events.
Sessions, the country’s chief law enforcement officer, laughed at the chant Tuesday and repeated the words once.
His speech was about Justice Department efforts to protect free speech on college campuses.
The Justice Department did not immediately comment.
