December 1, 2019

Man killed by booby trap rigged in his own home on Thanksgiving, police say

A man was shot to death on Thanksgiving night by a booby trap device he had apparently rigged in his home, officials say.

The deceased, identified by police as 65-year-old Ronald Cyr of Van Buren, Maine, called 911 after he was shot by his self-made home security device and was taken to a hospital, Van Buren Police said in a Friday news release.

“Regretfully, Mr. Cyr succumbed to the injuries sustained from the gunshot,” Van Buren Police said.

<snip>

Investigators at the scene later saw the booby trap themselves when they discovered Cyr’s front door was rigged with a device “designed to fire a handgun should anyone attempt to enter the door,” according to the statement. Police reportedly found other “unknown devices” in Cyr’s home that prompted police to call the Maine State Police Bomb Squad.

Van Buren, a predominantly rural town in northern Maine 320 miles from Portland, sits along the St. John River directly across the U.S.-Canada border and includes a land-based port of entry.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2019/12/01/ronald-cyr-booby-trap-death/

November 26, 2019

Anti-Gay Priest Accused Of YOU ALREADY KNOW

Eric Dudley, St. Peter's founder and outspoken LGBT critic, subjected men to sexual misconduct



Eric Dudley, the founder of St. Peter’s Anglican Church in Tallahassee and an outspoken opponent of homosexuality, subjected aspiring priests and other young men to sexual misconduct and harassment and abused his power as long-time rector before he finally was forced to resign.

That's according to a report by Godly Response to Abuse in the Christian Environment (GRACE), an independent group that helps churches with abuse inquiries and investigated allegations against Dudley.

The report, released Tuesday, illustrates how he pursued attractive young men, showering them with attention and gifts and giving them jobs at the church, even as he publicly espoused anti-gay views.

Beyond the misconduct committed by Dudley, the organization found that the church did not take "substantive action" in response to complaints against him for a number of years.

The report said some members and leaders at St. Peter's knew about misconduct complaints against Dudley since 2011 but that nothing was done until more allegations surfaced last year.

https://www.tallahassee.com/story/news/local/2019/11/26/eric-dudley-st-peters-founder-subjected-men-sexual-misconduct/4290537002/

November 26, 2019

Former MLB Player Threatens to clip Sen. Bernie Sanders should be elected President

https://twitter.com/RedDad777/status/1199380265480667137

He's getting flamed hard. Feel free to report the comment.

November 26, 2019

Melania Trump Booed by Children at Youth Opioid Summit in Baltimore

One pool reporter described the scene as the loudest boos yet for the first lady at a public event.

https://twitter.com/MyDaughtersArmy/status/1199376923618660352

First Lady Melania Trump was greeted with a chorus of boos from a large group of children on Tuesday when she was introduced to give a speech at the B’More Youth Summit on Opioid Awareness in Baltimore, Maryland.

The crowd, which already appeared somewhat restless, broke out into loud jeers (and a mix of cheers) when Mrs. Trump took the stage ahead of her speech.

<snip>

After he lectured the crowd for a bit, Mrs. Trump took to the podium to deliver her prepared remarks, only to experience more sporadic booing and a general hum of commotion.

The harsh reception that the first lady received in Baltimore, even from children, comes after her husband President Donald Trump’s repeated description of the city as a rat-infested hellhole.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/melania-trump-booed-by-children-at-youth-opioid-summit-in-baltimore

November 26, 2019

Gov. Matt Bevin pardons man serving life sentence for sex abuse of 6-year-old stepdaughter

Gov. Matt Bevin has pardoned a man serving a life sentence for sexually abusing and sodomizing his 6-year-old stepdaughter 20 years ago.

In his pardon and commutation order on Friday, Bevin wrote that Paul Donel Hurt had been wrongly convicted in Jefferson County in 2001 of three counts of sodomy in the first degree and two counts of sexual abuse in the first degree.

"Hindsight is never truly 20/20, but it appears to me, and to many others including the judge who sentenced him, that Paul Donel Hurt has been wrongly convicted and imprisoned for nearly 20 years," Bevin wrote.

In 2015, Hurt's accuser recanted her testimony in an evidentiary hearing. However, the trial court did not set aside the conviction, with Jefferson Circuit Judge Audra Jean Eckerle ruling that her recantation was an inconsistent, "shifting account" that was "no more likely to be true than false."

The Kentucky Court of Appeals upheld that ruling in August 2018, noting that after the retirement of Jefferson Circuit Judge Stephen Mershon — the judge in the original conviction — he began corresponding with Hurt in prison and contacted the victim, after which time she recanted.

<snip>

Bevin's order pardoning Hurt stated that "in light of all that is known and all that will forever remain unknown, it does not seem possible that justice can be truly served in this instance."

"Nonetheless, with the power vested in me as Governor of the Commonwealth, I believe it is my moral duty to commute the remaining sentence of Paul Donel Hurt and to grant him the full and unconditional pardon that he has requested," Bevin wrote.

The governor added that "it is my fervent hope and prayer that Mr. Hurt will find his faith in God and in his fellow man restored, and that he and his family will be abundantly blessed as he experiences the restoration of his freedom in the years ahead."

https://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/politics/2019/11/25/gov-bevin-pardons-man-serving-life-sentence-sexual-abuse-child/4296423002/

November 24, 2019

Pentagon chief asks for Navy secretary's resignation over private proposal in Navy SEAL's case

Defense Secretary Mark T. Esper asked for the resignation of Navy Secretary Richard V. Spencer on Sunday after losing confidence in him over his handling of the case of a Navy SEAL accused of war crimes in Iraq, the Pentagon said.

Spencer’s resignation came in the wake of the controversial case of Chief Petty Officer Edward Gallagher, a Navy SEAL who was accused of war crimes on a 2017 deployment. He was acquitted of murder but convicted in July of posing with the corpse of a captive.

Esper asked for Spencer’s resignation after learning that he had privately proposed to White House officials that if they did not interfere with proceedings against Gallagher, then Spencer would ensure that Gallagher was able to retire as a Navy SEAL, with his Trident insignia.

Spencer’s private proposal to the White House — which he did not share with Esper over the course of several conversations about the matter — contradicted his public position on the Gallagher case, chief Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Hoffman said in a statement.

Esper said in the statement that he was “deeply troubled by this conduct.”

“Unfortunately, as a result I have determined that Secretary Spencer no longer has my confidence to continue in his position," Esper said. "I wish Richard well.”

Spencer’s spokeswoman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2019/11/24/pentagon-chief-asks-navy-secretarys-resignation-over-private-proposal-navy-seals-case

November 22, 2019

Sacha Baron Cohen Uses ADL Speech to Tear Apart Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook

Sacha Baron Cohen accepted the International Leadership Award at the Anti-Defamation League’s Never is Now summit on anti-Semitism and hate Thursday. And the comedian and actor used his keynote speech to single out the one Jewish-American who he believes is doing the most to facilitate “hate and violence” in America: Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg.

He began with a joke at the Trump administration’s expense. “Thank you, ADL, for this recognition and your work in fighting racism, hate and bigotry,” Baron Cohen said, according to his prepared remarks. “And to be clear, when I say ‘racism, hate and bigotry’ I’m not referring to the names of Stephen Miller’s Labradoodles.”

Baron Cohen spent the rest of his speech systematically dismantling a recent address given by Zuckerberg at Georgetown University in which he defended Facebook’s limited attempts to combat its massive problems and explained away its inaction as a defense of “free expression.”

Calling that argument “ludicrous,” Baron Cohen said, “This is not about limiting anyone’s free speech. This is about giving people, including some of the most reprehensible people on earth, the biggest platform in history to reach a third of the planet. Freedom of speech is not freedom of reach. Sadly, there will always be racists, misogynists, anti-Semites and child abusers. But I think we could all agree that we should not be giving bigots and pedophiles a free platform to amplify their views and target their victims.”



https://www.thedailybeast.com/sacha-baron-cohen-uses-adl-speech-to-tear-apart-mark-zuckerberg-and-facebook

November 21, 2019

Neil Young Will No Longer Use Facebook Because Of Its "Obvious Commitments" To Republicans

It’s increasingly obvious to anyone paying attention that Facebook is not a politically neutral organization. The platform has recently made it clear that it won’t take down political ads, whether or not they’re false. Last month, there was leaked audio of Facebook chief executive talking in a meeting about how an Elizabeth Warren presidency would “suck for us.” Yesterday, NBC News reported that Zuckerberg and Facebook board member Peter Thiel had a previously undisclosed dinner with Donald Trump at the White House last month.

Last month, rock icon Neil Young talked about the possibility of leaving Facebook entirely. On the website of his Neil Young Archives reissue project, Young wrote:

We keep looking at Facebook and wondering if we should be using that platform at all, given the latest news. It’s a problem we face together. FB gives you more than you want and it’s not all good. A lot of it is very bad misinformation about political campaigns and ads that are outright falsehoods. These are fine with Facebook, but not with NYA. If we were to leave Facebook with our social outreach we would lose communications with millions. If we continue to be on Facebook, we are conflicted about who we are.

With that in mind, don’t be surprised if we drop all references and contacts with the platform. We recently ran an article describing how to delete the FB platform. It’s not easy to disengage but it is possible… if you believe them.

Today, Neil Young made it official. In another Neil Young Archives post, Young writes that he and his Archives are no longer going to use the platform:

Facebook is facing criticism for sponsoring the annual gala of the Federalist Society, the powerful right wing organization behind the nomination of the conservative supreme court justice Brett Kavanaugh.

This turn of events, in addition to the false information regularly supplied to the public on Facebook, with its knowledge, has caused us to re-evaluate and change our use policy.

I don’t feel that a social site should be making obvious commitments to one side of politics or the other. It further confuses readers regarding truthfulness in coverage and message.

NYA, no longer interested in further links with FACEBOOK, will be discontinuing use.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause to you.

Thanks,
NY

https://www.stereogum.com/2065635/neil-young-will-no-longer-use-facebook-because-of-its-obvious-commitments-to-republicans/news/

November 19, 2019

The Hill is trash.

"Jimmy Finkelstein, the owner of The Hill, has flown under the radar. But he's played a key role in the Ukraine scandal"



New York (CNN Business)James "Jimmy" Finkelstein, the owner of The Hill newspaper, is not a widely known media executive, but he is one of the era's most consequential.

Finkelstein resides at the nexus of President Trump, Rudy Giuliani, and John Solomon, the now-former executive at The Hill and current Fox News contributor who pushed conspiracy theories about Ukraine into the public conversation.

While Solomon has received significant media attention for his work at The Hill, Finkelstein has stayed out of the headlines, despite having himself played a crucial role in the saga.

Beyond his relationship with Solomon, Trump, and Giuliani, Finkelstein was Solomon's direct supervisor at The Hill and created the conditions which permitted Solomon to publish his conspiratorial stories without the traditional oversight implemented at news outlets. And he has kept a watchful eye on the newspaper's coverage to ensure it is not too critical of the President.

<snip>

Finkelstein has been friends with Trump for decades. In fact, according to a former employee at The Hill, he "boasts that he's a close friend" of the President. "Getting a phone call from Trump would fill him with joy," the former employee told CNN Business.

Trump himself has also privately acknowledged his relationship with Finkelstein. During an Oval Office interview with The Hill, according to a person with direct knowledge of the incident, Trump asked one of the outlet's staffers to send along his greetings to Finkelstein. "Tell Jimmy I said hello," Trump told the staffer.

Finkelstein's wife, Pamela Gross, who worked at CNN but left in 2017, is close with Melania Trump. Gross threw a baby shower for Melania Trump, according to a person familiar with the event.

Finkelstein and Gross are also both close with Giuliani, who currently serves as Trump's personal attorney. Finkelstein often hosts social gatherings at his Hamptons home and, according to a person familiar with the matter, Giuliani and his girlfriend spent multiple weekends at the residence this past summer.

<snip>

None of it would have been possible without Finkelstein, who hired Solomon in July 2017 as an executive vice president at The Hill and initially charged him with leading the newspaper's video division.

"Jimmy is the one who hired John Solomon," a former employee told CNN. "The editors didn't want him there."

A person close to Finkelstein noted that as owner, Finkelstein personally hires members of The Hill's senior management.
Almost immediately after Solomon's hiring, staffers at The Hill newspaper grew worried about his work.

"I remember almost immediately thinking, 'Why is he writing?'" the former veteran employee told CNN, noting that Solomon already had earned a reputation for conspiratorial work when he reported on things like the "deep state" for Circa, a now-defunct conservative news website.

Eventually, when his stories started getting more attention, employees inside The Hill's news division protested to newsroom leaders.

https://www.cnn.com/2019/11/18/media/jimmy-finkelstein-the-hill-ukraine/

November 18, 2019

State Department staffer resigns after allegations she inflated her resume

Mina Chang was accused of creating a fake Time magazine cover with her face on it, which she denies.

Mina Chang, a high-ranking State Department staffer who vaulted into the public spotlight after NBC reported she had inflated her resume, has resigned from her position.

Chang, the deputy assistant secretary in the State Department’s Bureau of Conflict and Stability Operations, was accused of overstating her academic credentials and creating a fake Time magazine cover with her face on it. Chang has rebutted NBC’s story, arguing that her academic statements were not misleading and that she did not commission the doctored Time cover.

“Resigning is the only acceptable moral and ethical option for me at this time,” Chang wrote in her resignation letter, obtained by POLITICO. Her resignation is effective immediately.

<snip>

“In already difficult times, the Department of State is experiencing what I and many believe is the worst and most profound moral crisis confronting career professionals and political appointees in the Department’s history,” Chang wrote. “Department morale is at its lowest, the professionalism and collegiality — once a hallmark of the U.S. diplomatic service — has all but disappeared.”

Chang also takes the State Department to task for not defending her.

“A character assassination based solely on innuendo was launched against me attacking my credentials and character,” she said. “My superiors at the Department refused to defend me, stand up for the truth or allow me to answer the false charges against me.”



A spokesperson for the State Department didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. A spokesperson for Chang said she didn’t have any further comment beyond the letter and a rebuttal document she wrote about NBC’s story. NBC didn't immediately respond to a request for comment about Chang's push back.

https://www.politico.com/news/2019/11/18/state-department-chang-resigns-resume-071385