doseofsarcasm

#Target #White #Business #Cynicism #Sarcasm An elite Massachusetts liberal arts college has quietly conceded that there was no truth to allegations of racism made by one of their students that 'ruined the lives' of numerous campus workers. Oumou Kanoute was in the canteen at Smith College on July 31, 2018 when she claimed she was profiled for 'eating while black' after a security guard asked her what she was doing. Kanoute, a psychology undergraduate student, posted video of the incident on social media and claimed that she was the victim of racism. She named staff: one of whom was hospitalized with stress, and another janitor, who was not present, was forced from his job. Kanoute said the security guard may have been carrying a 'lethal weapon' when, in fact, he was unarmed. As a result, Smith forced employees to attend seminars about unconscious bias, with one staff member, who disagreed with it, quitting her job. However, an independent law firm investigating the incident has now found that there was no evidence of wrongdoing and cleared all those involved. On the day of the incident, Kanoute, a 21-year-old who was raised in New York after her family emigrated from Mali, was in an empty canteen that was reserved for a summer camp program for young children. The 150-year-old women-only college, whose motto is 'audacity, agency, authenticity,' charges $80,000 a year in fees. About 6.6 per cent of Smith's more than 2,500 undergraduates identify as black, according to college data: 36.3 per cent identify as a person of color. Jackie Blair, a veteran cafeteria employee, mentioned to Kanoute that it was reserved for the summer school, and then decided to drop it, according to The New York Times. A janitor, who was in his 60s and poor of sight, and had worked at Smith for 35 years, was emptying garbage cans when he saw a figure reclining and eating alone, in a far corner of the canteen which was supposed to be closed.

#BLM #Cullors #Facebook #Netflix #Twitter Tech moguls who made their fortunes from Facebook, Twitter and Netflix have donated at least $7.5 million to groups tied to BLM co-founder Patrisse Cullors, who has in turn publicly backed their policy goals, according to a new report. Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, Facebook co-founder Dustin Moskovitz, and Patricia Ann Quillin, the wife of Netflix's billionaire CEO, all gave generously to Cullors' PAC and associated charities, according to the New York Post. Cullors for her part has strongly advocated for 'net neutrality', a policy that financially benefits online content providers such as Netflix and social media sites. And the cozy relationship has even seen Facebook and Twitter censor perceived criticism of Cullors, with Facebook going so far as to block users from sharing a DailyMail.com article detailing a controversy over her expensive real estate holdings. Of the donors named by the Post, Moskovitz his wife Cari Tuna have given the most generously, donating more than $5.5 million from 2017 to 2020, according to public records cited by the Post. Moskovitz, 36, was one of the co-founders of Facebook. He left the company in 2008, but retained a 2 percent stake that puts his net worth at nearly $20 billion. His donations went to Dignity and Power Now, a non-profit started by Cullors, and Reform LA Jails, a California PAC she co-founded to lobby for civilian oversight of the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department. Dorsey, who has an estimated net worth of $14 billion, chipped in $1.5 million last year through his #startsmall philanthropy initiative. That money went to Black Lives Matter and The Movement for Black Lives, a coalition of activist groups founded by Cullors. Quillin, the wife of Netflix billionaire Reed Hastings, donated $250,000 to Reform LA Jails in 2020. Cullors' own finances are entwined to a degree with Reform LA Jails, which in 2019 paid $110,000 in consulting fees to a company controlled by her and her wife, Janaya Khan, according to the Post. There are no rules prohibiting officers of a California PAC from paying themselves or family members for consulting services. Cullors in 2015 described herself as a 'trained Marxist', and last December elaborated on her views, saying 'I do believe in Marxism.' 'I'm working on making sure that people don't suffer, I'm working to make sure people don't go hungry,' she explained in a YouTube video. Over the years, Cullors has been vocal in her support of net neutrality, a policy that is strongly favored by content giants and decried by internet service providers. Net neutrality prohibits service providers from charging companies such as Netflix for the vast amounts of data they send through the networks. The policy does not put 'neutrality' requirements on content providers such as Twitter and Facebook, who are given broad immunity in deciding what posts are allowed on their platforms.

#Portland #TedWheeler #BLM #Antifa #Riot The mayor of Portland, Ore., asked residents for help Friday in putting an end to violent protests that have erupted in recent weeks — and periodically since last summer — and urged the public to stand together and “take the city back.” “They want to burn, they want to bash, they want to intimidate, they want to assault,” Mayor Ted Wheeler (D) said Friday after announcing that the city would extend its state of emergency through Monday after a string of demonstrations that have resulted in several businesses being vandalized and public buildings defaced. “Our job is to unmask them, arrest them and prosecute them,” he said, asking the public to contact the police and provide them with information about the rioters, write down their license plate numbers or film them when they commit acts of vandalism. Wheeler asked for residents’ cooperation, which he underlined should be nonconfrontational, ahead of a march planned for Friday night that was announced on social media as an “autonomous demonstration.” The march began around 9 p.m. in northwest Portland, with around 75 people mostly dressed in black, and was declared a riot by the police soon after protesters began blocking streets, breaking windows of a Starbucks and writing graffiti on a restaurant and a bus shelter, according to a police statement. A small group of participants also pushed their way into a restaurant. Officers arrested two people, both 29, and charged them with criminal mischief in the first degree. The police said they had found a flier with the instructions: “bloc up, be water, no megaphones, no streamers.” Such words had been included on fliers on previous nights when people “armed with weapons used to cause damage, wearing helmets, body armor, and gas masks” had committed “crimes such as criminal mischief, arson and assault,” the police said in a statement before the march. The fact that the flier discouraged live-streaming led the police to think the participants intended to commit crimes and wanted to avoid video evidence that could be used to identify and arrest them, the statement added. Ahead of the march, Wheeler also instructed police to intervene and stop “the self-described anarchist mob” from engaging in “criminal destruction” as he underscored the need for the community to stand together. “Our community needs to resume their lives, people need to go back to work, employers need to be able to reopen,” Wheeler said, adding that he supported “all police tactics” needed, including the controversial “kettling” maneuver, which is to surround, box in and contain a crowd by blocking off exit points and then making arrests. The mayor also commended Black and Black Lives Matter leaders who have spoken against the violence. In the same video conference, Chris Davis, deputy chief of the Portland Bureau of Police, said the community is tired of “pointless violence” and added that they are seeing the same people join these demonstrations, with several of them having been arrested more than once for crimes ranging from disorderly conduct to arson and even attempted murder. Friday’s unrest was the latest in a recent string of violent incidents in the city. Last Monday, a group of about 80 people protested outside a police precinct and smashed windows at Blazers Boys & Girls Club across the street, causing thousands of dollars of damage to the nonprofit organization that serves neighborhood youths. “We are heartbroken by what happened here last night,” Terry Johnson, the club’s chief executive, told KPTV FOX 12 Oregon. “Any time our building is impacted, we can’t provide a safe space for serving our kids.”

#Bronx #LizbethMass #DwanyeWalker #Hero #JoseReyes A construction flagger who was shot dead by a man who 'exploded' when she introduced him to her boyfriend has been pictured. Lizbeth Mass, 52, was shot dead on Wednesday by 66-year-old Jose Reyes, a handyman who had become friendly with her and would sometimes bring her lunch. She worked at City Island in the Bronx and was beloved by its residents. She was from Brooklyn but had worked at the site for years. Reyes, 66, would often cycle past her and bring her sandwiches. They'd become friends but on Wednesday, he shot her six times after she introduced him to her boyfriend, Dwayne Walker. In the chaotic aftermath of the killing, Walker got into his car and mowed down Reyes. He hopped out of the vehicle and it rolled back, hitting Reyes again, while no one was driving. Walker then grabbed Reyes and pushed him over the hood of the car, beating him repeatedly. He held him down until cops arrived. Reyes was taken into custody. Walker was allowed to go free. 'I spoke to this guy and he seemed OK,' he said. He said Reyes 'exploded' when he learned he was her boyfriend. 'When my sister presented her boyfriend to him he changed his look. I think he didn’t know she had a boyfriend,' the victim's brother Raul said. He added that his sister was friendly towards everyone she met and that the man likely had the wrong impression. It's unclear how long Walker and Mass had been together. 'I’m all right. She didn’t deserve this. Nobody deserves this,' he said. Little is known of Reyes. He was taken into custody at the scene.

#SanAntonio #Police #Shooting A police officer was shot in the hand after a driver pulled a gun during a routine traffic stop, but still managed to return fire, killing two suspects and wounding a third in San Antonio, Texas. The officer pulled a truck over Friday afternoon and had 'casual conversation' for a couple minutes with the driver, said San Antonio Police Chief William McManus, who reviewed the officer's body camera. Then the driver pulled out a gun and fired multiple times, the chief said. One bullet hit the officer in the hand and another hit his radio. The officer retreated and returned fire, killing the driver and passenger, both men. A third passenger, a woman, was shot in upper torso and was rushed to an area hospital, McManus said. 'He was an officer patrolling here, routine traffic stop, which turned out to be not so routine after all,' McManus said. 'The officer is very, very lucky to be alive at those close range having been shot in the hand and not somewhere else more vital.' The driver or passengers weren't making any motions with their hands, and no one made any excited movements or raised their voices, said McManus, adding he doesn't know why the driver resorted to violence. The police officer's identity wasn't revealed, but McManus said he's a five-year veteran of the force and is recovering in the hospital. He's been placed on administrative leave, according to the San Antonio Police Department. Both men who were killed appeared to be in their mid 20s, the chief said. San Antonio police said their names will be released after the medical examiner makes positive identifications of both men. Police said the third victim, a 22-year-old woman, was graved by a bullet, and her injuries aren't life threatening. The San Antonio Police Department Shooting Team and Internal Affairs will conduct separate, but concurrent investigations, per department protocols. The case will then be forwarded to the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office for an independent review. This is San Antonio's second gunfire exchange involving police in two days. On Thursday, a gunman with 'mental issues' was shot and killed by police after he drove up to the terminal of San Antonio International Airport and open fired.

#NYC #Dindu #Shooting #MentalHealth The daylight assassin who shot her ex-lover, a mother-of-two, dead in the street on Wednesday should be treated as the victim of 'intergenerational trauma' who 'deserves compassion', according to a Democratic city council candidate. Latisha Bell, 38, is in custody now for the murder of her 52-year-old girlfriend Nichelle Thomas. On Wednesday, she walked up to her in the street in Park Slope, Brooklyn, and shot her in the back of the head then, hours later, turned herself in to police. Her sister has since revealed that she has mental health problems and that the pair were together for 20 years before splitting three years ago. It's unclear where Latisha was able to get a gun; New York is a red flag law state which prevents people with a documented history of mental illness from buying firearms. Her sister told DailyMail.com that Nichelle did something to make Latisha snap, but wouldn't say what it was. That was what prompted her to commit murder suddenly. But on Thursday, Brandon West, the Democratic candidate for District 39 (Park Slope-Gowanus) said that it was Latisha who was the victim and claimed on Twitter: 'People don't just wake up one day and choose to commit homicide.' He went on to say Latisha had been let down by the system. 'We can only progress if we recognize that even murderers and abusers are victims, as they're usually suffering at the hands of complex emotional and intergenerational trauma which compels them to commit awful acts. We should uplift compassion and understanding above all else. 'People grow up in hostile and toxic environments, experience abuse and poverty and receive minimal help or education from professionals and the government. 'This can lead to them having undiagnosed, unsupported mental and material issues that end up perpetuating violence,' he said. 'If we work toward catching these problems earlier, we'll see a substantial decline in all forms of person-to-person violence. Conversely, having beat cops on every corner of the city is not only impractical, but it won't solve this problem, and it'll exacerbate others,' she said. He then, in his six of eight tweets, said: 'In that vein, I'd like to express my deepest condolences to the family and friends of Nichelle Thomas. Her death is a tragedy for Park Slope. 'Additionally, I hope that by providing assistance to those in pain, we can prevent this type of violence in the future.' Nichelle had two adult children. She was a beloved member of her church, and had lived in her apartment in Park Slope for 20 years, including some of the time with Latisha. After her arraignment on Thursday, Latisha's sister told DailyMail.com: 'Something happened that I don't want to discuss - something really did happen that was traumatizing to my sister - she just couldn't deal with it anymore. 'She realized that she was using her for her own good. She felt she couldn't take it. 'Enough is enough,' she said. My sister's been dealing with mental issues for a very long time. The other party was aware - I'm so sorry she had to go through this. I'm sorry both of them had to go through this. 'My sister doesn't deserve this. She tried to leave her alone but the woman kept coming back to her.' Afterwards, Eric Adams - one of the mayoral candidates in the upcoming November election, made an appearance outside the deli where the shooting happened to advocate gun reform. Latisha walked up to Nichelle and put a gun to the back of her head then pulled the trigger and fled the scene on Wednesday at 1pm. Latisha later walked into a police station and told the cop on duty: 'I am turning myself in for the homicide. 'The gun is inside the bag. I need to talk to the homicide detective. I did the shooting.' She is being held without bail on murder and weapons charges.

#JewellJones #Michigan #Representative #DUI A Michigan state lawmaker threatened to call Governor Gretchen Whitmer on cops who arrested him after he crashed his car while drunk, according to a police report. Rep. Jewell Jones, 26, is accused of driving at twice the drink-drive limit with a loaded gun in his cup holder when he crashed his black Chevy into a ditch on the side of I-96 in Fowlerville, about 65 miles outside of Detroit. He allegedly taunted state troopers who responded to the scene on April 6, telling them he ran their budget, and was pepper sprayed and tasered twice while resisting arrest, police say. 'I’m telling you if you do, it's not going to be good for you. I run y’all budget bro,' Jones told police, according to the police report. Jones made history in 2016 by becoming the youngest-ever member of the Michigan House at the age of 21. Shortly before 6pm on April 6, state troopers received multiple calls about a black Chevy with a vanity license plate reading 'ELECTED' which was speeding and driving erratically on I-96. At 6:09pm, police and EMS say they responded to a crash involving the same truck. The responding officer said in the police report, obtained by DailyMail.com, that the driver, later identified as Jones, appeared to be 'highly intoxicated.' His speech was slurred and 'his eyes were red bloodshot and glassy and his fine motor skills were poor,' police said in the report. The officer tried to talk to Jones, but he didn't want to speak to the officer; instead walked past him to get into the ambulance, according to the report. He continued to ignore officers' demands, and became increasingly agitated, according to police. Officers used a stun gun and pepper spray to subdue him. 'I don't give a f**k bro, when I call (Michigan Governor) Gretchen (Whitmer), I'll need y'all ID's, badge numbers, everything,' Jones told police after they used the stun gun, according to the police report. Jones continued to actively resist by refusing 'to comply with the simple verbal command of releasing his left arm,' police said in the report. 'I'm not giving you my arm unless you shoot me. You shoot me, I'll get up,' Jones allegedly told police, according to the police report. It took at least three officers to put the cuffs on Jones. Throughout the confrontation, he allegedly continued to taunt the officers. 'If you strike me it's going to be bad for you, if you hit me it's going to be very bad for you. I'll call Governor Whitmer right now,' Jones said, according to the police report. He also allegedly pushed an emergency medical technician in the chest, according to the report. Jones' blood alcohol content was 0.19, more than double the the legal driving limit of 0.08, according to the report. During the arrest, police found a loaded .40-caliber Glock handgun in the cup holder in the center console, according to the report. Jones was ultimately charged with resisting and obstructing a police officer, operating a motor vehicle with a high blood alcohol content, operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated, possession of a weapon while under the influence of alcohol and reckless driving.

#American #Fire #Cancer #Jerk #Flight #Survive A two-time cancer survivor says she was humiliated by American Airlines staff in a dispute over her 'f*** cancer' sweatshirt after she was told she wouldn't be allowed to board her flight to North Carolina if she did not cover up. Roslyn Singleton was boarding a flight from Los Angeles to Charlotte last Tuesday when she was approached by an employee who told her to cover up her sweatshir. Singleton asked the employee if the policy prohibiting her sweatshirt was in writing and she says was asked if she wanted to speak to a manager. Singleton says she covered up the sweatshirt with a jacket but was approached by staff once more while in line to board the plane. She said the worker 'humiliated' her. 'The first thing she said to me — she didn't say hello, she didn't say ma'am, she didn't say anything — she said, 'I was made aware that there was an issue,' Singleton told WSOC-TV in an interview. 'I literally just took my jacket off. I ripped the sweatshirt off my body and I just walked away and stood in line and felt humiliated because she literally pointed me out like a child after I complied with what they asked me to do.' In a statement to WSOC-TV, American Airlines says their policies 'prohibit clothing that displays offensive statements and inappropriate language from being worn on board.' But the airline goes on to say that airline employees should have considered the context of Singleton's sweatshirt and offered an apology to her. 'In this instance, our team should have taken the broader context of the message displayed on the customer's shirt into consideration when explaining our policies. 'Our team is reaching out to learn more about Ms. Singleton's experience, apologize and reaffirm our support for efforts to fight cancer.' Singleton, who says her father is currently battling cancer, tells WSOC-TV why she wore her sweatshirt. 'I don't love cancer,' she said. 'I don't respect it, and my sweatshirt gave my exact sentiments on something that has tried to kill me twice.' She adds that she would have 'gladly' removed the sweatshirt with no problem if she were approached differently. American Airlines says they are internally reviewing why Singleton was approached a second time after covering up her sweatshirt with her jacket. WSOC-TV reports that Singleton and her attorneys are seeking an apology from the airline and are asking that employees involved in the incident be fired. Singleton is also asking that American Airlines review policies dealing with customer conflicts.

#BLM #Racism #Vegas #Strippers Topless dancers can shed coronavirus restrictions next weekend in Las Vegas and get face-to-face with patrons again, under rules accepted Thursday by a state COVID-19 task force. But masks still will be required for adult entertainment employees and recommended for customers. Strippers must also stay at least three feet away from clients - unless they have had at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, or a negative test within the last seven days. Sin City strip clubs that went dark when Nevada Gov Steve Sisolak ordered casinos, clubs and nonessential businesses closed in March 2020 will be able to open May 1 at 80 per cent of fire code capacity under strict social distancing guidelines. Occupancy limits will be relaxed but not lifted completely at many other businesses including stores, spas and saunas, restaurants, bars and even karaoke clubs. The reopening plan was adopted on Tuesday by county officials and summarized Thursday by Deputy Clark County Fire Chief Billy Samuels. Hair and nail salons, tattoo parlors and massage therapists will be able to book customers by appointment only. A separate plan to lift restrictions almost completely in Washoe County skidded to a halt after health district, school and Reno city officials protested and pointed to rising local coronavirus case numbers. Existing rules including 50 per cent capacity and six-foot social distancing will remain in effect. As of Thursday, the coronavirus pandemic has claimed 5,400 lives in Nevada and badly hurt an economy dependent on tourism, conventions, hotel bookings and the buzz of big crowds. It has also shuttered businesses and threatened the livelihood of bartenders, waiters, entertainers and hotel clerks. 'We know there is COVID fatigue in our community,' Washoe County Commission Chairman Bob Lucey said in a statement before accepting an offer from task force chief Caleb Cage to broaden support and submit a finalized plan in coming days. No firm time frame was set. Lucey had favored what he termed a 'workable' plan to relax restrictions but acknowledged a rift among regional policymakers.

#Prostitution #NYC #Onlyfans #UK Shout out to 'raspy voice guy' and 'Lil ugly dude', people who actually should be offended (somewhat) by what was written on their receipts. A woman has slammed a 'disrespectful' barman for describing her as the 'girl by herself' on her drinks receipt - despite drinking alone. The woman, from the US, who goes by @GotMiAAngel on social media, was enjoying a quiet night out by herself in Washington, DC, but things took a downwards turn when she saw the receipt for the four cocktails she had ordered which came to to $64 (£46). Taking to Twitter, she shared a photograph of the receipt and told how she was left frustrated when the waiter named Shaun had referred to her as the 'girl by herself.' And it wasn't long before many took to the comments section to defend the woman in question, with one writing: 'Like why u pointing it out?? Like embarrassing you for what?' Others shared their own experiences in a bid to make the woman feel better, with one writing: 'I feel you on this one,' before sharing a copy of a receipt which branded him: 'Raspy voice guy.' Another captioned a post: 'That’s better than the one I got,' before sharing his receipt which read: 'Lil ugly dude.' However, not everyone was in agreement, with some suggesting the woman was overreacting. 'Why disrespectful? Seems a simple way to help the waiters identify guests they are serving,' wrote one. 'How else would you like them to describe you - color of hair, clothes. Only in the US do you get so hung up on all this. We've got bigger issues to be thinking about than this petty one.'

Derek Chauvin was found guilty Tuesday on all charges. As a result, the former Minneapolis police officer faces up to 75 years in prison, though the sentence could be significantly less. Most experts predict the high-end of the sentence to be closer to 40 years. Chauvin was found guilty on two counts of murder—second-degree unintentional murder and third-degree murder. According to sentencing guidelines, he likely faces at least 12.5 years on those charges since he has no criminal history. But maximum sentences for each charge differs. Second-degree murder carries a maximum sentence of 40 years; third-degree murder carries a maximum sentence of 25 years; and an additional second-degree manslaughter is punishable by up to 10 years. He would most likely be sentenced to four years for the manslaughter charge, according to state guidelines. In addition, the judge has the option to rule that the sentences be served concurrently, or at the same time, meaning that the longest sentence is the active one, or consecutively. However, it is unlikely that Chavin will be sentenced to serve consecutive sentences. The state also sought a lengthier sentence prior to the verdict, citing aggravating factors. State filings showed these factors included Floyd's death happening in the presence of children; Floyd being treated with "particular cruelty"; and, as a police officer, Chauvin "abused his position of authority." Sentencing is expected to come in eight weeks. First, a pre-sentencing report about Chauvin's background must be produced. Then, Judge Peter A. Cahill will have to determine if there were special circumstances related to the crime that would justify a higher sentence than the prison terms laid out by Minnesota's sentencing guidelines. Chauvin, who was seen on video pressing his knee to George Floyd's neck for more than nine minutes as Floyd pleaded that he could not breathe, has been out on bail since last fall. Following the reading of the verdict, Judge Cahill revoked Chauvin's bail, and he will remain in custody until sentencing.

#Oregon #Vaccine #Mandate #Mask Oregon officials are considering making its mask mandate permanent in workplaces despite many other states lifting their COVID-19 restrictions amid the nation's vaccine rollout. Michael Wood, administrator of the state's department of Occupational Safety and Health, said the requirement to wear a face covering and practice social distancing in all businesses across the state may be extended indefinitely. The proposal would keep the rules in place until they are 'no longer necessary to address the effects of the pandemic in the workplace' and would then be repealed. But the idea has prompted a flood of angry responses, with everyone from parents to teachers to business owners and employees slamming the move as government overreach. It comes as at least six Republican states have lifted their mask mandates in recent months, with Texas Governor Gregg Abbott going as far as to announce his state 'open 100 percent.' The Oregon health department adopted a temporary emergency rule in November requiring masks, social distancing and pandemic-related training in workplaces across the state. But the emergency order is set to expire on May 4 and cannot be extended beyond that 180 days. Wood said the mask mandate should continue for now as he warned Oregonians that 'we are not out of the woods yet.' Making the rule permanent is simply a way to tackle a technicality in the state law that requires a 'permanent' rule to keep current restrictions from expiring, he said, as he insisted the rule will be 'repealed' as soon as it is safe to do so. The workplace rule is 'driven by the pandemic, and it will be repealed,' Wood said. 'But, it might not need to go away at exactly the same time the State of Emergency is lifted,' he said. Wood did not provide a timeframe for when it would be repealed but said the decision will be made based on a complex mix of factors, including case counts, vaccination rates, case severity and advice from the Oregon Health Authority. 'It will be a complicated assessment when we do it, and I would say it is impossibly complicated to do in advance,' Wood said. Besides mask and distancing requirements, Oregon's proposal includes more arcane workplace rules regarding air flow, ventilation, employee notification in case of an outbreak, and sanitation protocols. It dovetails with separate actions issued by Democratic Governor Kate Brown, using a state of emergency declaration, requiring masks in public statewide - and even outside when 6 feet of distance can't be maintained - and providing strict, county-by-county thresholds for business closures or reductions in capacity when case numbers rise above certain levels. Wood's comments sparked an immediate backlash with his agency receiving a record 5,000-plus public comments - mostly critical - smashing its previous high of 1,100 comments. 'The majority of comments were simply hostile to the entire notion of COVID-19 restrictions,' Wood said. 'The vast majority of comments were in the context of, 'You never needed to do anything.'' Justin Spaulding, a doctor at the Cataract & Laser Institute of Southern Oregon, is among those who raised concerns about the proposal in public comments. 'I do not understand these new guidelines for business. If we put these into effect we will only continue to blunt the recent drop in business,' he wrote. 'We have a large subset of patients that are unwilling (or) hostile with the current guidelines, and making them permanent will only make it worse.' A petition on Change.org opposing the rule gained nearly 60,000 signatures and spread on social media, drawing even more interest to the proposal. State Sen. Kim Thatcher, a Republican from Keizer, blasted the mandate when more of the population are getting vaccinated each day and after businesses have had to play 'mask cop' for the last year. 'When will masks be unnecessary? What scientific studies do these mandates rely on, particularly now that the vaccine is days away from being available to everyone?' she said. 'Businesses have had to play 'mask cop' for the better part of a year now. 'They deserve some certainty on when they will no longer be threatened with fines.'

#SouthCarolina #Deandre #Sergeant #Media #Lies #Patience #BLM The young black man aggressively confronted by Army drill sergeant Jonathan Pentland is mentally ill and has been committed to a facility following the incident in a quiet gated community, Dailymail.com can reveal. Pentland, 42, has been charged with third degree assault and battery after finding the man outside his large detached house and telling him: 'You've come to the wrong neighborhood motherf****r'. The alleged victim - identified only as Deandre on social media - has been facing charges of trespass and animal cruelty from different incidents, Dailymail.com can reveal. He told Pentland he 'was walking to my house' during the confrontation, which was filmed in a three-minute clip that went viral - and sparked Black Lives Matter Protests outside the home near Columbia, South Carolina. And he appears confused but composed as Pentland aggressively accuses him of 'hanging around' the community for 15 minutes. The soldier asks where Deandre lives and claims he is 'harassing the neighborhood'. Deandre replies he lives locally, which Pentland insists is not the case because it is a 'tight-knit community'. The Staff Sergeant repeatedly yells at him and gets in his face. He tells the man: 'You're in the wrong neighborhood. I ain't playing with you. I'm about to show you what I can do.' He also says: 'Check it out, you can either walk away or I'm going to carry your a*s out.' At one point he pushes the man, who almost falls to the ground. In fact, Deandre does appear to have a close relative who lives just a 10-minute walk from the scene of confrontation. Houses in the area are of a very similar build. Pentland, an instructor at nearby Fort Jackson, fled his home with wife Cassie. It was a still standing empty Friday night, with a broken upstairs window after the protests outside. It is not known where they are currently. The father of two has been suspended from his drill instructor role until the outcome of the Department of Justice assault charge. Brigadier General Milford Beagle Jnr, commander of Fort Jackson, said: 'Soldier conduct on and off duty must be exemplary to retain the trust of our communities and our nation.' Dozens of Black Lives Matter protestors rallied outside Pentland's home at The Lakes at Barony Place in the Summit neighborhood of Richland County on Wednesday night, holding signs and chanting. The career soldier faces 30 days in jail and a $500 fine if found guilty. He is listed as having been detained in the Richland County Jail and issued a personal recognizance bond, according to online jail records. He was originally handed a citation for malicious injury to property for slapping Deandre's phone out of his hand and cracking it, according to reports. Sheriff Leon Lott said Pentland was not arrested on the day of the incident as it took officers time to investigate properly. He has not named the victim, but said he would not face charges. He added the man had been involved in other incidents in the neighborhood in the delays leading up tot he video, but 'none of them justified the assault that occurred'. The sheriff said: 'The first time I saw the video it was terrible. It was unnecessary.'

#Placerville #Noose #WhiteGuilt #California The California Gold Rush town of Placerville will change its logo to remove a noose that stems from its mid-19th century reputation as 'Hangtown' following lynchings of criminal suspects by mobs of miners. The first lynchings, of two Frenchmen and a Chilean, was carried out in 1849 - five years before the official founding of the town. Placerville is 50 miles east of Sacramento, and now home to 10,000 people. The City Council voted Tuesday night to remove the noose after listening to emotional comment from residents. Some argued that it is part of the history of the town, but others said it is violent and gives the city a bad reputation, the station reported. The council's vote was unanimous. 'I am horrified and deeply hurt that we have a symbol of a noose in our logo,' said one caller during a Zoom debate on the issue on Tuesday. 'A noose is a symbol of death. A noose is a symbol of lynching. A noose is a symbol of racism. I think we're better than that.' Yet others, according to KCRA, said it should be put to a public vote. 'I would like us to keep our noose. It's taking away from our history,' said another. 'We need to keep our history. This world right now is taking inch by inch little pieces of our history and throwing it away. 'If you guys are gonna change anything it needs to come out to the people and the people should be able to vote on it.' The decision comes amid a reconsidering of images of nooses in the context of racial injustice and the history of violence against black people in America. The signs and symbols of Hangtown are commonplace in Placerville, the El Dorado County seat in the western foothills of the Sierra Nevada about two hours northeast of San Francisco.

#DeBlasio #HateCrime #Vaccine #Johnson #NYC An Asian man has been violently attacked in broad daylight in New York as the city continues to struggle with soaring rates of violent crime. Just hours after the horrific attack, 'soft-on-crime' Mayor Bill de Blasio was seen rubbing elbows with Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda in nearby Times Square. The ugly incident occurred Monday afternoon on the Upper East Side, with the assailant allegedly targeting the man at random before body slamming him into the glass window of a store. The store surveillance camera captured that shocking moment, and shows the attacker subsequently trying to flee before he was stopped by a Good Samaritan. The assailant also allegedly sucker-punched the Asian victim, although that incident was not captured on the camera. According to ABC 7, the attacker had been yelling at random pedestrian 'Don't look at me!' before he suddenly targeted and followed the Asian man. Afterward, the man was seen yelling at the Good Samaritan who stopped him, saying: 'I'm gonna kill somebody! Get out of my face!' Police arrived at the scene, but not before the offender had left on foot. As of Tuesday afternoon, he is still at large. The NYPD told The New York Post that the attacker did not make any anti-Asian slurs, so the the incident has not been logged as a hate crime. However, one eyewitness told ABC that the offender - who is black - was 'yelling about Chinese, Spanish and white people'. Hate crimes are up 28.1 percent this year, while violent crime is also on the rise. The Mayor appeared to be in high spirits and he hobnobbed with A-list celebrity Miranda as they opened a new vaccination center for Broadway workers in the area. 'We want to gather again, and we want to tell stories in the dark,' Miranda stated at a press conference to celebrate the center. 'We cannot do that if we don't feel safe and if you don't feel safe. So the first step in that process is getting our vaccination shots, and the next steps will follow.' De Blasio also took to the podium to profess his love of Broadway. ------------------------ Virginia is stopping using Johnson & Johnson's COVID vaccine after a 45-year-old woman died following her vaccination in March. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is investigating the woman's death, Virginian health authorities announced on Tuesday. The CDC's Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) system notes the woman who died began having headaches six days following vaccination, then was hospitalized once the headache worsened and she had started dry heaving. A head CT scan showed hemorrhaging expanding up to 1.6 centimeters and eventually, cortical vein thrombosis, as listed in the six other cases. She died on March 18, Richmond.com reported - 12 days after receiving a dose administered by a school. VAERS does not list any known allergies or underlying medical conditions other than depression. News of her death, and Virginia's decision to stop using the J&J vaccine, came on the day the CDC and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advised a pause in the use of the company's jabs. Their recommendation was made after six patients, out of the 6.8 million to receive the jab so far, reported blood clots. J&J announced that they were also delaying the rollout of their vaccine in Europe, and pausing clinical trials. The patients were all women aged 18-48, who suffered a cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) six to 13 days after receiving the jab. It is still too early to tell whether or not the vaccine even caused the blood clots and it is a one in a million side effect. Five times as many people have died from COVID-19 in the U.S. as they do from blood clots ever year. The agencies, however, say they want to do more tests and studies and that it could take days for them decide on whether or not to resume it. They may impose a restriction on the vaccine based on the demographic of people who have developed blood clots - all of them are women under 50. The White House on Tuesday tried to smooth over the sudden halt of the Johnson and Johnson COVID-19 vaccine, claiming it would not affect their goals to vaccinate the U.S. - despite health experts saying it clearly sets back the country's rollout. President Joe Biden said in the Oval Office on Tuesday: 'I made sure we have 600 million doses of the mRNA - not of either Johnson & Johnson or AstraZeneca. 'So, there is enough vaccine that is basically 100 per cent unquestionable for every single solitary American,' he said. Now, everyone who had a J&J appointment has been told they'll get one of the other doses instead - which suddenly eats into the country's stock pile of each, and sets future appointments back even further.

#Whitlock #Cullors #BLM #Fraud #Twitter A prominent black sports journalist barred from Twitter for the 'crime' of discussing the $1.4 million house bought by a Black Lives Matter co-founder slammed the company for trying to silence legitimate debate. Jason Whitlock, 53, told DailyMail.com on Monday that Twitter was 'going too far' by blocking him from posting to his account, which has nearly 450,000 followers. The censorship by Twitter comes as social media companies, including Twitter and Facebook, have increasingly 'de-platformed' figures who stray too far from opinions they consider acceptable. 'BLM is one of Big Tech's sacred cows,' Whitlock told DailyMail.com 'I’ve been harping on the fraudulence and the financial grift of BLM for years.' 'I think Twitter has been looking for an excuse to de-platform me,' he said. BLM raised $90 million last year, the AP has reported, but it's unclear how leaders are paid - if they are paid - because the organization's finances are opaque, a fact that has sparked criticism, even among local BLM chapters. Now, Whitlock says, Twitter is trying to silence him for asking questions about BLM's finances. He was silenced just as it emerged that BLM co-founder Patrisse Cullors, a self-professed 'trained Marxist', had purchased the $1.4 million house in LA. The New York Post reported Cullors had also bought two other LA homes in recent years, and paid $415,000 for a 3.2 acre property in Georgia. When Whitlock tweeted his response to the news of Cullors's purchase, he included a link to the popular celebrity real estate website The Dirt, which first reported the details of the property. Cullors, 37, raised eyebrows with her new three bedroom, three bathroom house in Topanga Canyon, Los Angeles - a largely white district. In her new zip code, 88 per cent of residents are white and 1.8 per cent black, according to the census. Whitlock explained: 'Twitter locked my account around 4pm Friday,' confirming his account was still blocked. 'They said my account was locked because I revealed personal information about someone. 'They said I needed to remove the tweet that linked the dirt.com story about Cullors buying a house in Topanga.' There was no explanation of how linking to the Dirt.com story revealed personal information as neither the story, nor Whitlock's tweet, listed an address - and the purchase also was discussed widely elsewhere on Twitter and reported throughout the press. Twitter didn't respond to DailyMail.com's request for comment. Whitlock tweeted on Friday, in response to a critic of his original tweet: 'She had a lot of options on where to live. She chose one of the whitest places in California. She'll have her pick of white cops and white people to complain about. That's a choice, bro.' On Monday, Whitlock further told a YouTube channel: 'I'm still in Twitter jail, because I won't post bail.' He added: 'I won't post bail. I'm not sure if I'm going to post bail,' he said, referring to deleting his tweet, which had been removed from view by Twitter. He insisted he did nothing wrong. 'I find it hypocritical,' he said, of her decision to live in a largely white neighborhood. 'There is so much hypocrisy. She's acting like a capitalist. 'They want you to remove the tweet to start your 12 hour sentence. Why should I remove the tweet? They have already removed it. I sat back and said I'm going to do nothing, and see where this story goes. 'I'm going to play Nelson Mandela in the Twitter jail,' he said of the former South African leader. He pointed out that Twitter's move had only served to shine a spotlight on the story, adding it 'has gone exactly how I wanted it to go'.

#Harry #Meghan #Markle #Oprah #Interview #UK #Royals #Kirk Conservative talk show host Charlie Kirk has attacked 'unbelievably ungrateful' Meghan Markle, accusing her of setting out to tarnish her in-laws and inventing the shocking story of how a senior member of the Royal family asked about the color of her son Archie's skin. Kirk, 27, delivered his scathing verdict on Markle's remarks on his radio show on Monday. He was unimpressed with Markle, who he described as a 'self-indulgent tradition-destroying leftist', and her husband Prince Harry, who was labeled 'a metrosexual beta male really lacking in almost all testosterone'. And he saw her criticism of the Royal family as deeply ungrateful. Kirk then showed a clip of Piers Morgan, speaking on Fox News on Monday morning and discussing the couple's bombshell claim that someone within the family asked about the color of baby Archie's skin. Morgan said that the pair were wrong not to specify who in the family made the remark, arguing that it left the entire family open to accusations of racism. He accused Markle of inventing the story, in the same way that actor Jussie Smollett staged a racial attack on himself in January 2019 in Chicago, because he was unhappy with his salary and wanted to promote his career. Kirk said: 'I don't think anyone said it. 'I think she's making it up, like Jussie Smollett. 'I think somebody said something, completely different, in a different category, and she is using it now to go make people feel sorry for her.' A hunt is now on to find who uttered the racist remark about the unborn child. Prince Philip was cleared, with Oprah saying Harry had confirmed the comment was not made by the Duke of Edinburgh or the Queen. Asked about the alleged comment at his COVID press conference on Monday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: 'The best thing I can say is that I've always had the highest admiration for the Queen and the unifying role she plays. 'And as for all other matters to do with the royal family I've spent a long time now not commenting on royal family matters and I don't intend to today.' Harry refused to reveal the person's identity on Sunday night as did Meghan and claimed they wanted to protect whoever it was - leaving the rest of the family open to suspicion. Asked by Oprah if the couple left the UK because of racism, Harry replied: 'It was a large part of it.' Speaking on CBS on Monday, Oprah said she was 'surprised' the Sussexes revealed details of an alleged conversation with a member of the royal family who expressed 'concern' before he was born about how dark their son Archie's skin tone might be. The talk show host also said she was taken aback by Meghan's disclosures about her mental health, and about Harry's revelation at feeling 'trapped', during their explosive interview.

#Predator #Philip #Guard #Inmate #Miami Police arrested a guard at a Miami girls detention center for allegedly engaging in activity with a 15-year-old inmate. Javontate Richardson, 30, was arrested after a 15-year-old inmate told her youth care specialist at the Miami Girls Academy Detention Center that she engaged in activity with Richardson, who worked as a guard at the facility, according to the Miami Herald. The alleged incident occurred on April 5. According to Miami-Dade police, after the girl notified the specialist, management at the detention center reviewed surveillance camera footage based on information the teen provided. Police say security footage 'confirmed that (the) incident occurred.' According to the Miami Herald, Richardson was an employee of TrueCore Behavioral Solutions, the contractor who operates the Miami Girls Academy. Richardson was promptly fired on Thursday. The Florida Department of Juvenile Justice Inspector General will also investigate the incident. 'The actions taken by this individual and the harm caused to this child is inexcusable and unacceptable,' the Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) said in a statement. 'This behavior has not and will not be tolerated by DJJ, and it is our expectation that they be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.' The 15-year-old girl has been offered medical care and mental health counseling, DJJ said. Richardson's former employers said that they are cooperating with law enforcement and investigators 'to ensure this individual is brought to justice. 'TrueCore has a zero-tolerance policy with regard to such actions by staff towards any youth in our care and custody.' they said in a statement. Miami-Dade Schools Police took Richardson into custody and he was charged by the Crimes Unit with battery on a minor and misconduct with an inmate. Police say they are concerned there may be more victims, the Miami Herald reported. He is currently being held at Miami-Dade's Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center with no bond.

#Louisiana #Predator #Teacher #Student A Louisiana teacher's aide who was arrested in February for allegedly having sex with a 16-year-old foreign exchange student has been charged with additional counts stemming from a trip to New Orleans with the boy. Kimberly Wellman-Rich, 36, was booked into the New Orleans jail on Monday on counts of carnal knowledge of a juvenile, which is Louisiana's equivalent of statutory, and indecent behavior, among others. She was later released on $35,000 bail. The new charges are related to allegations that in January, Wellman-Rich took the boy from Jefferson Parish to New Orleans and had sex with him at a French Quarter hotel. Wellman-Rich's husband, Jeffrey Rich, later confronted the teen, who told him about his many encounters with his wife, according to newly filed court documents. The teen said Jeffrey was 'angry' but told him to keep his encounters with Kimberly a secret 'from everyone except him.' In mid-February, Wellman-Rich, who worked as a special education teacher's aide at Edgar Martin Middle School, was arrested in Jefferson Parish on similar charges related to her suspected relationship with the 16-year-old foreign exchange student from Europe, who had been staying at her house. She was fired from her job less than two weeks after her February 11 arrest, reported Nola.com. Jeffrey Rich, 35, was charged at the time with accessory after the fact to felony carnal knowledge of a juvenile and contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile. He remains free on bail. The case began unfolding on January 22, when an anonymous tipster told police that Wellman-Rich was hosting a juvenile foreign exchange student at her home in Youngsville and having sex with him. Police said they interviewed witnesses and gathered evidence, which led them to believe that Wellman-Rich’s husband ‘had first-hand knowledge’ of the alleged abuse. Investigators also said they learned that the couple allowed the teen to smoke marijuana and drink alcoholic beverages in their home. The teenager was removed the home once the investigation began, police told KFLY. According to documents filed in court this week, the couple began hosting the teen in August 2020. When the boy turned 16, Wellman-Rich allegedly had sex with him. Police said the teen was a virgin before his encounter with the married teacher's aide. During his interview with investigators, the boy said he and Wellman-Rich had sex multiple times on the couch, in her bed and in the guest room. During some of the encounters Jeffrey was at home but in another room. According to the filings, Wellman-Rich told friends about her relationship with the minor, but pleaded with him to keep it a secret. The legal age of consent in Louisiana is 17. On January 15, Wellman-Rich went on a trip to New Orleans with three girlfriends and brought the foreign exchange student along with her. After a night of bar-hopping, Wellman-Rich allegedly kicked her friends out of their shared hotel room so that she could have sex with the teenage boy, according to the documents. When they returned home, the boy allegedly came clean to Jeffrey Rich about his relationship with his wife.

#restaurant #heinz #ketchup #shortage Ketchup has become the latest product impacted by a pandemic-related shortage, with packets of market leader Heinz in short supply after many restaurants turned to take-out - and COVID-19 safety precautions keep shared bottles off of tables. Restaurant chains across America are scrambling to get their hands on single-serve packets of the red stuff, with many being forced to turn to generic alternatives or to pouring the condiment from big tubs into smaller containers, according to the Wall Street Journal. The shortage comes as Heinz, which accounts for 70 percent of the tomato ketchup retail market in the US, has struggled to keep up with a spike in demand over the last year. Restaurants across America also shuttered, with many turning to take-out and delivery only as a way of staying afloat. This meant restaurants started dishing out single-serve ketchup packets along with their orders, as opposed to simply having a bottle on the table for customers dining at their restaurants. As a result, retail ketchup sales rose around 15 percent from 2019 to 2020, topping $1 billion, according to Euromonitor. Now, even with many restaurants reopened for outdoor and indoor dining, COVID-19 safety precautions mean bottles shared by different customers are still a no-go. Guidance from many local health departments advises restaurants against offering shared condiment bottles with even Texas - where Governor Gregg Abbott last month vowed to 'open Texas 100 percent' and lifted the mask mandate - recommending 'single use, non-reusable portions.' Chris Fuselier, owner of Denver-based Blake Street Tavern, said he has been 'hunting high and low' to get his hands on ketchup and last month was shaken when none of the condiment arrived from its supplier. The restaurant was forced to opt for a generic version and is apologizing to customers about the issue. But as well as the limited supply, the shift is costing hard-hit restaurants more, with single-serve packets more expensive than bulk. This comes as the price of ketchup has also soared over the last year due to demand outpacing supply, with packet prices 13 percent higher than back in January 2020, the Journal reported. Long John Silver's, which runs around 700 fast food joints across America, told the Journal it is spending an extra $500,000 a year on ketchup than it did in pre-pandemic times. Heinz said it is boosting manufacturing and developing new innovations in an effort to meet the surge in demand. Steve Cornell, Kraft Heinz's president of Enhancers, Specialty and Away from Home Business Unit, told the Journal the company is opening new manufacturing lines starting with two in April. This will bolster production by around 25 percent to create more than 12 billion packets a year of the condiment, he said. The company has also increased shifts at its plants and diverted production from some varieties toward making more single-serve packets. 'We're busy doing everything we can,' Cornell told the Journal. Heinz has also developed a no-touch ketchup dispenser in efforts to find alternatives to the single-serve packets that can still be safe amid the pandemic. This is just the latest in a long line of products whose supply chains were hard hit by the pandemic

#Pierce #ESPN #Fired #Twerk #Women #Smoking #Wife NBA analyst Paul Pierce has been fired by ESPN after he posted an Instagram Live video of himself surrounded by scantily-clad women, seemingly smoking a joint. Pierce, 43, a married father-of-three, tweeted cryptically on Monday: 'I can't lose even when I lose I'm winning.' The news of his firing was first reported by Barrett Sports Media. Pierce, who played 19 seasons in the NBA, had worked for the network since his retirement in 2017, including being a part of the 'NBA Countdown' pregame show. He posted an Instagram video on Friday night that showed him playing poker and smoking with scantily clad dancers performing in the background. Pierce, the MVP of the 2008 NBA Finals with the Boston Celtics, addressed his future on Twitter, posting: 'Big Things coming soon stay tuned make sure u smile #Truthshallsetufree.' Nicknamed The Truth - a moniker given to him by Shaquille O'Neal, who told a reporter in 2001: 'My name is Shaquille O'Neal and Paul Pierce is the motherf****** truth. Quote me on that and don't take nothing out. I knew he could play, but I didn't know he could play like this. Paul Pierce is The Truth'. Pierce started and ended his career as a Celtic. He spent his first 15 years with the team, winning the 2008 NBA title and being named to 10 All-Star teams. Only John Havlicek played more season with the Celtics, who retired Pierce's No. 36 jersey. Pierce ended as the Celtics' all-time leaders in three-point field goals (1,823), free throws (6,434) and steals (1,583), and his 24,021 career points trails only Havlicek. He was traded to the Brooklyn Nets in 2013, spent 2014-15 with Washington and played his final two seasons for the Los Angeles Clippers. Pierce re-signed with Boston in 2017 so he could retire as a Celtic. He is a first-time nominee for induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame with the Class of 2021.

#Easter #Bunny #Mask #Propaganda President Joe Biden joined Jill Biden and the Easter Bunny at the White House on Monday to offer a message of hope and a promise that next year will be a better celebration of the holiday. 'Easter's a day of joy when we celebrate resurrection,' the president said from the South Portico balcony of the White House. 'But this year, we know many are still going without the familiar comforts of the season.' Below the first couple, the South Portico was decorated with large painted cutouts of rabbits and chicks - all painted wearing protective masks. The steps were covered in fake grass. Before the Bidens came out, a breeze blew over a large brown rabbit and a gray rabbit but White House staff reset them before the president's speech. Joe Biden and Jill Biden's signatures were on a couple large egg shaped cut outs. Champ and Major's paw prints were on two others. Biden started out his remarks on a humorous note. When he walked out onto the balcony, he said 'Good to see you, buddy,' to the Easter Bunny, who was wearing a maroon-colored face mask that covered his nose and whiskers. But he turned serious, acknowledging people had to celebrate the holiday apart this year due to the coronavirus pandemic, which has killed more than 555,000 Americans. 'The virus is not gone. And the second year in a row most will be apart from their families or friends,' he said. 'We know that the longed-for Dawn is almost here.' He vowed next year will be different. 'We look forward to next year when the White House will ring with joy the season once again,' he said. 'And they'll be an Easter Egg Roll, God willing.' He ended his remarks with: 'Take care of the Easter Bunny.' And Jill Biden picked a flower from the balcony arrangement and handed it to the bunny, who was played Lt. Col. Brandon Westling, United States Air Force Military Aide to the president. The Bidens canceled the traditional Easter Egg Roll that takes place on the South Lawn the Monday after the holiday. The thousands of commemorative eggs typically given out to children have, instead, gone to vaccination sites and communities and health care centers all across America. This year's commemorative wooden White House Easter Egg features the first dogs, Champ and Major, along with the Easter Bunny wearing a face mask. The eggs are for sale through the White House Historical Association. The Bidens spent the holiday weekend at Camp David with their family and returned to the White House on Monday morning.

#Incest #Murder #Prison #Mcclure #Choudhary #McGuire #Meth A North Carolina woman has been sentenced to the maximum 40 years in prison for murdering her younger sister's boyfriend so that the sibling could marry their father as part of a twisted torture and incest plot. Anna Marie Choudhary, 33, of Boone, was sentenced on Wednesday in McDowell County Circuit Court for her January guilty plea to second-degree murder in the 2019 death of John Thomas McGuire. The body of McGuire, 38, of Owatonna, Minnesota, was found months later in a grave at the now-former residence of Choudhary’s father, Larry Paul McClure Sr, in the McDowell County community of Skygusty, West Virginia. Choudhary’s sister, McGuire's girlfriend Amanda Naylor McClure, 31, from Minnesota, in October was sentenced to 40 years in prison for second-degree murder. McGuire's mother, Karen Smith, attended Choudhury's sentencing hearing remotely and wished her son's three killers 'a very miserable life,' reported Bluefield Daily Telegraph. According to earlier testimony, Amanda and McGuire, who were in a relationship, were living in Indiana and were having problems with a vehicle. Her father and sister drove there to bring them to West Virginia. All four were using drugs. Choudhary said at her sentencing that Larry enticed McGuire to play a 'trust game' in which McGuire’s feet were tied up. 'This game of trust was one of the most evil things I’ve hard of,' Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Dennie Morgan said. When he tried to get out of the bindings, Amanda hit him in the head with a wine bottle, Choudhary said. Larry testified that McGuire was tortured for three days, beginning on Valentine's Day 2019. During that time, the victim was hog-tied and injected with a 'bad batch' of homemade methamphetamine. At one point he had a black garbage bag placed over his head and, eventually, he was strangled by Choudhury, McClure said. McGuire was buried in a shallow grave behind McClure's house, but days later his body was dug up, dismembered and reburied in two different places. Two weeks after that, Amanda married her biological father, Larry, with her sister Anna acting as the witness at their nuptials in Virginia. During a hearing in January, Choudhury recounted the harrowing chain of events that led to McGuire's murder. She said her sister, their dad and McGuire had been having fun until Amanda suggested the 'trust game' game where she said she would prove she could untie herself from 'anything'. But Amanda tied up John instead. That is when, Choudhury told the judge, 'things started to get strange'. They'd taken homemade meth, which Choudhury says did not crystallize properly.

#Nevada #Reno #Segregation #Discrimination #Racism A taxpayer-funded university in Nevada is denying claims that it has designated certain ‘identity-based’ dorm rooms off limits to whites ‘for the safety of student participants.’ It was alleged on Wednesday that the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR) does not permit white students to live with African-American, Native American, and Latino classmates at a campus dormitory, according to the Young America’s Foundation. But a spokesperson for the university told DailyMail.com that the YAF report was inaccurate and that a university official in charge of dormitories 'misspoke' when he was quoted as saying that the living quarters were off limits to whites. The dorm, Great Basin Hall, has instituted so-called ‘living learning communities,’ or LLCs, according to YAF. ‘In these communities, students with shared academic, social and cultural interests live on the same floor and attend courses together,’ according to the university web site. ‘This experience is considered a "high-impact practice," promoting...higher grade point averages [and] higher first-year to second-year retention rate.’ The LLCs are designed to make it easier for students to ‘interact and engage with academic and administrative faculty outside of the classroom’ as well as ‘develop personal relationships with peers of similar academic, social and cultural interests.’ The UNR web site lists a total of 15 LLCs, most of which are designated according to the college that students plan to pursue their major, including the College of Business, College of Science, or College of Engineering. Four of those LLC are distinctly identity-based - black scholars; indigenous; gender, sexuality and identity; and ‘Latinx.’ The black scholars LLC ‘connects all students and provides a supportive environment to collectively explore black Identity, cultures and communities,’ according to the web site. The LLC also ‘will provide support, mentoring and networks necessary for educational success and empowerment while providing a comfortable living experience on campus. ‘Students will have the opportunity to connect and network with peers and faculty who identify as black faculty, engage in common black studies classes, and participate in cultural events and activities on campus and in the local community.’ The other identity-based LLCs offer the exact same services for students from their respective ethnic and gender-based backgrounds. When a reporter for Young America’s Foundation tried to get a better understanding of the requirements for gaining entry into one of the identity-based LLCs, she was informed that white students could not register. ‘In the identity-based communities, for the safety of student participants, it is important only students who hold that identity are considered,’ Dean Kennedy, who heads UNR’s Office of Residential Life, Housing, and Food Services, told YAF. But the university released a statement to DailyMail.com claiming that Kennedy misspoke and that whites are free to live together with the minority students in the LLCs.

#Obama #Latino #Jefferson #School #Activists #Cancel #Culture ‘Cancel culture’ may be about to claim two more unlikely victims - Barack and Michelle Obama. Latino activists in suburban Chicago have come out against renaming a local middle school after the 44th president and his wife this week due to his immigration policies. The issue came up on Tuesday during a contentious meeting at the Waukegan, Illinois Board of Education, where members said they were opposed to honoring the man some call ‘the deporter-in-chief.’ DailyMail.com has reached out to the Obamas for comment. The board is mulling changing the names of two of its middle schools - Thomas Jefferson Middle School and Daniel Webster Middle School, according to WLS-TV. Jefferson, the nation’s third president, is being erased from the school because he once owned slaves. Webster, a former secretary of state and member of Congress, was a supporter of slavery. Nationwide, local councils have taken down statues and renamed public squares and sites that once bore the names of historical figures with controversial pasts and views about race. The movement gained steam after the May 2020 police-involved death of George Floyd, a 46-year-old black man in Minneapolis. His fatal arrest triggered a massive worldwide protest. As the Waukegan Board of Education met to mull name changes to both schools, Latino community members pleaded not to rename either of the schools after the Obamas. ‘I will not be part of renaming a school after someone who did not and does not represent the undocumented community,’ said Edgar Castellanos, a District 60 school board member who came to the United States as an undocumented child. Another local activist, Julie Contreras, works with an organization that runs shelters for undocumented children near the southern border. She also spoke out against honoring Obama, accusing him of breaking his promise as president to help undocumented migrants. ‘From the time Barack Obama became president until 2017 when he left, he today is still the highest ranking president with deportations in our nation,’ Contreras said. ‘We feel that Barack Obama did disservice to us. He denied us, and he didn't stop the deportations, the way he promised.’ She added: ‘If you're removing the name of Thomas Jefferson - one oppressor - the name of Obama is another oppressor and our families do not want to see that name.’ The president of the school board, Brandon Ewing, who is black, said that while he has no objections to renaming the school after Obama, he said he needed to be ‘aware of the concerns.’ During a protest held outside of the school on Tuesday, one member of the community said that his father was deported in 2015, when Obama was president. ‘It was something very sad,’ Mauricio Sanchez said. ‘We couldn't even say goodbye to our dad. We just hoped for him to be able to get out.’ A decision on renaming the school is expected later this month. Other possible names that have been mentioned include the late member of Congress and civil rights activist John Lewis; Ellen Ochoa, the first Hispanic woman to go to space; Katherine Johnson, one of the first African American women to work as a NASA scientist; and the late artist Edith Smith.