American actress Lisa Loring, best known for playing Wednesday Addams has passed away at the age 64.
She suffered a massive stroke and had been on life support for three days, her friend Laurie Jacobson posted on Facebook, adding “She is embedded in the tapestry that is pop culture and in our hearts always as Wednesday Addams. Beautiful, kind, a loving mother, Lisa’s legacy in the world of entertainment is huge. And the legacy for her family and friends -- a wealth of humor, affection and love will long play in our memories.”
Her daughter Vanessa Foumberg confirmed Loring’s death to Variety, saying she “went peacefully with both her daughters holding her hands.”
A 6-year-old Loring took on the role of Wednesday Addams, the eccentric young daughter of Gomez and Morticia, CNN reported. After the TV show ended two years later, she would return again as the character in a 1977 TV film, ““Halloween with the New Addams Family.”
The actress appeared on a number of shows, including a recurring role in “As the World Turns” from 1981 to 1983, as well as “Barnaby Jones,” “Fantasy Island,” “The Girl from U.N.C.L.E.” and “The Phyllis Diller Show.”
Loring (Lisa Ann DeCinces) was born on Kwajalein Atoll, Marshall Islands, a United Nations Trust Territory at the time, which had been administered by the United States. Her parents both served in the United States Navy, and divorced shortly after her birth. She grew up in Hawaii and later moved to Los Angeles with her mother. She began modeling at age three and appeared in an episode of Dr. Kildare, which aired in 1964. Her mother died of alcoholism in 1974 at age 34.
She was married four times and leaves behind two daughters and several grandchildren.
I hope Dominion wins its defamation lawsuit against OAN, Fox and this network.
The network of Fox and CNN rejects reaches the households of 80 million. One major service provider struggling itself decided to cut its losses by dropping it from its premium lineup.
Newsmax, a network founded by Christopher Ruddy as an alternative to Fox was created in 2014 to drive a narrative Fox was afraid to cover:
Unmitigated white nationalism.
The network hired former Fox stars like Eric Bolling, a known sexual predator who was sacked shortly after Bill O'Reilly's notable firing.
O'Reilly is a sexual predator who was on Newsmax before joining The First, a far right network with more washed up conservative agitators like Dana Loesch.
Dick Morris, the former Bill Clinton advisor who is a far right conspiracy theorist who is obsessed with Hillary Clinton. He was Softball Hannity's go to guy when it came to trashing Clinton and Barack Obama.
Greta Van Susteren, the so-called "liberal" who was fired from CNN, Fox and MSNBC. Now she found a home at Newsmax. She was most famous for spreading missing white women stories, concern trolling about Black crime, putting on far right lunatics like Sarah Palin, Ron DeSantis and Michelle Malkin.
Greg Kelly, the son of former NYPD commissioner Raymond Kelly, a notorious racist, Islamophobe, misogynistic sycophant.
Newsmax is being removed from DirecTV and being replaced with The First.
In a statement, DirecTV said it wanted to “continue to offer the network,” but the channel’s demands for carriage fee increases would have led to “significantly higher costs that we would have to pass on to our broad customer base.”
Newsmax disappeared from the lineup early Tuesday morning, affecting 13 million customers who use DirecTV’s satellite service, DirecTV Stream and U-Verse.
“We continually evaluate the most relevant programming to provide our customers and expect to fill this available channel with new content,” DirecTV said. Newsmax noted it offers its feed for free on its website, on YouTube and on multiple streaming platforms such as Roku, so viewers with DirecTV service will still be able to watch. Other carriers also continue to carry Newsmax.
DirecTV announced Thursday that “The First,” a conservative opinion and commentary TV network, will replace Newsmax in the coming days. “The First” is a four-year-old streaming network that has shows from O’Reilly and former One America News host, notable white nationalist Liz Wheeler.
In response to getting the boot, Newsmax accused DirecTV of bias and censorship.
“This is a blatant act of political discrimination and censorship against Newsmax,” CEO Christopher Ruddy said in a statement that was posted on Newsmax’s website. “The most extreme liberal channels, even with tiny ratings, get fees from AT&T’s DirecTV, but Newsmax and [One American News] need to be deplatformed.”
Washed Up 45 also responded, writing on his Truth Social platform that it’s a “big blow to the Republican Party, and to America itself.”
Last year, OAN, the right-wing conspiracy channel favored by the former president, was also dropped by DirecTV — because of its promotion of misinformation, not because of a carriage fee dispute.
The move was a significant blow to the fringe outlet because about 90% of the channel’s revenue came from subscriber fees paid by AT&T-owned platforms, which had included DirecTV until it was sold to TPG last year.
Through the years, OAN has promoted conspiracy theories and outright lies on a number of issues, including the results of the 2020 presidential election and the coronavirus pandemic. Washed Up 45 favored the network because it was willing to advance his election misinformation.
In late December, a woman on a Doordash run left her vehicle running with her children inside. A crazy Black woman got into the vehicle and took off prompting a AMBER Alert which spanned into a two day search that ended in Indianapolis.
Ky'air and Kason were twins. Their father, Lachez Thomas and mother Wilhelmina Barnett were grateful to the Indianapolis Metro Police, Columbus Police and Montgomery County Sheriffs for doing all they could to bring their children home for Christmas.
The suspect is currently in Indiana awaiting extradition to Ohio. She faces criminal charges in Indianapolis along with courtroom contempt. She allegedly spat and threw her feces on a guards. She is also facing a federal sandwich for kidnapping across state lines and reckless endangerment.
The suspect is innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
One of the twins who was kidnapped by that deranged woman has passed away. Ky’air Thomas, the infant who was found at the Dayton International Airport after this crazy woman took a mother's vehicle from Columbus has passed away.
Kidnapping suspect faces LIFE if convicted.
According to Columbus Police, officers were dispatched at 10:54 p.m. to a Columbus residence for a report of a baby not breathing. Ky'Air was then transported by medics to Nationwide Children's Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 11:44 p.m.
Police say they are actively investigating the incident.
The then 5-month-old twins were in a running car when it was stolen outside of a business in the Short North. Ky'Air was found early the next morning in a parking lot at the Dayton International Airport. His brother, Kason, was found two days later in Indianapolis, shortly after the suspect, a 24-year-old Black lunatic, was taken into custody.
An autopsy will be performed on Monday, according to multiple reports. The family's spokesperson has asked for privacy and said the family will put out a statement at a later date.
The Republicans want new blood and what they got was Ronna.
Republicans feel comfortable with Ronna Romney McDaniel, the embattled chairwoman of the far right political party.
Under her wing, Republicans lost the House in 2018, lost the Senate in 2020, lost the 2020 presidential election with Washed Up 45, lost some special elections, gained governorships in Virginia in 2021 and Nevada in 2022 but lost Arizona, Maryland and Massachusetts, barely won the House in 2022, lost numerous senate races many Republicans felt were easy pickings and have lots of depleted funds from donors who are scared that the party isn't focused.
Ronna carries on.
The Republicans are fuming that the party has no clear agenda to take on President Joe Biden and the Democratic Party.
Frustrated Republicans from state capitals to Capitol Hill to the luxury Southern California hotel where RNC members gathered this week are at odds over how to reverse six years of election disappointments. And while there are many strong feelings, there is no consensus even among the fighting factions about the people, policies or political tactics they should embrace.
On one side: a growing number of elected officials eager to move beyond the divisive politics and personality of Washed Up 45 despite having no clear alternative. And on the other: the GOP’s vocal “Make America Great Again” wing, which has no cohesive agenda yet is quick to attack the status quo in both parties.
“It will be extraordinarily difficult, if not near impossible, for Ronna McDaniel to put the pieces back together,” said Republican fundraiser Caroline Wren, a leading voice in the coalition of far-right activists, conservative media leaders and local elected officials across the country who fought and failed to defeat McDaniel. “These people are not just going to forget.”
Indeed, as RNC members packed up from the Waldorf Astoria ballroom Friday, there was broad agreement that McDaniel’s reelection alone would do little to heal the gaping divide that plagues their party, even as she celebrated a notably decisive reelection victory.
Washed Up 45 quickly congratulated McDaniel on his social media platform after privately helping her campaign. But conservative activist Charlie Kirk, a Washed Up 45 loyalist, likened McDaniel’s successful reelection to a “middle finger” for the GOP’s grassroots who demanded change at the institution that leads the party’s political activities.
“The country club won today,” Kirk said from the back of the Waldorf Astoria ballroom where RNC members from across the country voted to give McDaniel another two-year term. “So, the grassroots of people that can’t afford to buy a steak and are struggling to make ends meet, they just got told by their representatives at an opulent $900-a-night hotel that, ‘We hate you.’”
A similar sentiment roiled the Republican Party earlier in the month on Capitol Hill as Kevin McCarthy struggled through days of embarrassing defeats in his quest to become House speaker before acquiescing to the demands of the anti-establishment MAGA fringe.
McCarthy’s inability to control the hardline Washed Up 45 loyalists in his conference now threatens to undermine a high-stakes vote on the nation’s debt limit that could send shockwaves through the U.S. economy if not resolved soon. So far, House Republicans haven’t articulated a specific set of demands.
Some see the Republican divide as a byproduct of the GOP’s years-long embrace of Trumpism, a political ideology defined by its relentless focus on a common enemy and a willingness to fight that perceived foe no matter the cost.
McDaniel has repeatedly highlighted the perils of GOP infighting as she campaigned for an unprecedented fourth term as RNC chair. On Friday, she pleaded for Republican unity while citing a Bible verse once used by former President Abraham Lincoln before the Civil War.
“Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand,’” McDaniel said from the ballroom podium. “Nothing we do is more important than making sure that Joe Biden is a one-term president. But in order to do that, we have to be unified.”
It may get worse before it gets better.
The conclusion of the RNC’s winter meeting marks the unofficial beginning of the 2024 presidential primary season. Washed Up 45 has already launched his candidacy and promises to wage a fierce campaign against any would-be Republican competitors.
The RNC is in the process of scheduling the first Republican presidential primary debates, which will likely take place in Milwaukee, the site of the party’s next national convention, in late July or early August.
The Daily Mail and many far right outlets were excited to see two popular ABC News hosts ousted.
You notice they won't fire Softball Hannity and Ainsley Earhardt. Fox is a toxic work environment where many members of that network including Rupert Murdoch engaged in a pattern of sexual predatory behavior and misogynistic behavior. The network had been notorious for female anchors and hosts being ousted after they refuse sexual advances from members.
Gretchen Carlson and Andrea Tantaros are still reeling from being blackballed after they lead the charge to oust that predator Roger Ailes. Bill O'Reilly still exists despite his predatory behavior. What kept Charlie Rose, Matt Lauer and Tom Ashbrook off the air were their sexually predatory behavior.
Yet, Softball Hannity, Brian Kilmeade, Greg Gutfeld, Steve Doocy, Jesse Watters, Juan Williams, Tucker Carlson and John Roberts continue to prey upon women and men.
Softball Hannity had slept with Earhardt, Sara Carter and other women while married to Jill Rhodes, his former wife. They won't fire Jesse Watters after he admitted to predatory behavior and he cheated on his first wife with an intern who became his second wife.
But since T.J. Holmes and Amy Robach are an interracial couple, outrage from the junk food media and calls to fire. They were co-hosts of GMA 3: The Need To Know after Michael Strahan, Sara Haines and Keke Palmer were forced off the air during the pandemic.
Holmes and Robach had good chemistry on television and it led to a romance.
Well it appears that ABC News has fired both of them and it is expected to be a contractual lawsuit in the coming weeks.
Their romance was revealed when photos of them holding hands and spending time together surfaced in November.
They were taken off the air and placed on temporary hiatus.
Both were married to other people at the time but had separated.
Network president Kim Godwin said in a memo to staff at the time that the anchors would remain off the air pending the results of an internal review.
She called the romance a "distraction."
The Daily Mail spent weeks obsessing with Holmes having affairs. It was alleged he had slept with two interns before or after it was revealed he and Robach were dating.
Hell Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski both were married when they had an affair.
They ended up getting married.
T.J. Holmes is a possible sexual predator. His career is over. He been on CNN, BET, CBS and MSNBC. What other place can he go without the shadow of sexual predator hanging around him?
The cops did not kill this dangerous man holding hostage the husband of then House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
They want us to show sympathy towards Rush Limbaugh, Ashli Babbitt, Herman Cain, Diamond Hardaway and far right extremists but they never offer sympathy or compassion for those who are Democrats or their families.
FUCK ELON MUSK, FOX, NEWSMAX, BREITBART, MEGYN KELLY, CANDACE OWENS, ANDY NGO, JOHN CARDILLO, JESSE LEE PETERSON, CLAY HIGGINS, GLENN BECK, LARRY ELDER, KEVIN JACKSON, SOFTBALL HANNITY, MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE, TUCKER CARLSON, BILL O'REILLY, SILK HARDAWAY ROBINSON, SEBASTIAN GORKA, DINESH D'SOUZA AND TERRENCE K. WILLIAMS!
THEY JUSTIFY THIS BRUTAL ASSUALT AND FAN THE FLAMES OF HATE, DIVISION AND ANTIPATHY!
Prominent right-wing figures shared misinformation and disinformation about the attack. Within days of the attack, such claims had spread among the Republican mainstream. The New York Times noted that the claims "appeared intended to deflect attention from [the extremist] views." Right-wing figures who spread misinformation that implied that the attack could be a "false flag". Some of the lies that circulated about the attack on Pelosi were based on homophobia.
Elon Musk shared a tweet with an article from a right-wing fake news website, falsely suggesting that the attack resulted from a drunken Paul Pelosi having a fight with a male prostitute. Musk deleted his tweet hours later after it had amassed 24,000 retweets and 86,000 likes.
Some right-wing pundits depicted the attack on Pelosi as a random crime, blaming Democrats for it, rather than a targeted assault. Some spreaders of misinformation seized on early inaccurate reporting by some news outlets in the immediate aftermath of the attack; despite the outlets providing corrections, these reports fueled baseless conspiracy theories that went viral online and in right-wing circles.
The extremist had mental issues and was driven by the noise.
Be warned graphic violence. Take discretion.
WARNING: GRAPHIC ⚠️ Here's the body cam footage of Paul Pelosi being attacked by David DePape while the police fail to act pic.twitter.com/0uI29uBo0L
Here is @SpeakerPelosi husband Paul Pelosi and his “attacker” David DePape from released body cam footage. Notice them both smiling, Paul has a drink in his hand and is in his underwear. Looks to me like they were about to play “Hide The Hammer In My Hole” but were interrupted. pic.twitter.com/PhPomvWpZy
Well this didn't age well at all. Hey @w_terrence! The body cam footage was released of Paul Pelosi's attack. This wasn't a “bootycall gone wrong”. Now what say you? https://t.co/YIoKoBaRgX
Friend just reminded me: the same people have repeatedly blamed Pelosi for the Jan 6 insurrection where rioters sought to hunt her down and kill her. So this is consistent.
Jesse Watters says the MAGA terrorist who is charged with home invasion attempted murder and aggravated battery on Paul Pelosi should be released from jail since Democrats are soft on crime. https://t.co/sIkgBiMldX
these are just bad human beings. there's no way to sugarcoat it. Nancy Pelosi's husband is currently fighting for his life after a brutal assault perpetrated by a guy deluded by lies peddled by the likes of Ronna McDaniel. and she can't even lay off this stuff for one day. https://t.co/LTtiZDMi5P
On the day Nancy Pelosi's (D-CA) husband Paul was brutally assaulted, Republicans at an Ohio GOTV rally fired up the crowd with attacks on the Speaker.
Margie had this video up on her FB page, but has since taken it down. In it she can be heard accusing Nancy Pelosi of treason, reminding the crowd that treason is punishable by death and that she should be removed from office. pic.twitter.com/Xurni4UFkd
The suspect is innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Rep. Nancy Pelosi's (D-CA) husband, Paul was attack by an extremist. It was late October when this extremist broke into the home at 2am. The extremist was on a "suicide mission" to get those who he felt betrayed this country.
Thanks to the noise of Fox, Republican lawmakers and Washed Up 45, Nancy Pelosi is the most vilified woman on the planet, besides Hillary Clinton.
The San Francisco Prosecutor's Office and U.S. Justice Department released the video where it showed the extremist grabbing on Paul Pelosi's arm and stood with a claw hammer in hand. The extremist was irrational and Pelosi was trying his best to calm him down. He was seeking to kidnap the former House Speaker and torture her.
Since she was in Washington, DC and not at home, the extremist tried his best to at least hold a hostage.
Pelosi who was asleep was awaken to the shattering of glass. He entered the kitchen to see this extremist with a bag and numerous objects.
The extremist is a 42-year-old Canadian citizen, was arrested at the scene. He reportedly planned to take Speaker Pelosi hostage and interrogate her. State prosecutors believe the attack to be politically motivated. The extremist had a history of mental health issues and drug abuse; prior to the attack, he had embraced various far-right conspiracy theories, including QAnon, Pizzagate, and Washed Up 45's claims of a stolen election in 2020.
Online, he made conspiratorial, racist, sexist, and antisemitic posts, and pushed COVID-19 vaccine misinformation. His blog also contained delusional thoughts.
Still standing.
On October 31, the terrorist was charged with two federal crimes: assault of an immediate family member of a federal official with the intent to retaliate against the official on account of the performance of official duties; and attempted kidnapping of a federal official on account of the performance of official duties. He was also charged with six state felonies, including attempted murder, residential burglary, and assault with a deadly weapon. Within days, prominent figures including the former president shared disinformation and misinformation about the attack, casting doubt on the assailant's motives and claiming that the attack was a false flag operation.
After being Mirandized, the extremist gave an interview to San Francisco Police Department officers in which he said he planned to hold Nancy hostage and that he saw her as the "leader of the pack" of lies told by the Democratic Party. He said that he considered himself to be fighting "tyranny" and likened himself to the American founding fathers. The extremist told the police that he planned to kidnap and interrogate Nancy, and would break her kneecaps if she "lied" to him, believing that by doing so, "she would then have to be wheeled into Congress" as a "warning" to other members of Congress. He also told police that he was on a "suicide mission" and had additional targets in mind.
The day after the attack, investigators searched a garage in Richmond, California, where the extremist had lived for the previous two years, pursuant to a federal search warrant. Investigators reported seizing "two hammers, a sword, and a pair of rubber and cloth gloves" from the property.
Before the attack, the extremist was not known to the U.S. Capitol Police (USCP) and was not on any federal database tracking threats.
USCP had access to security cameras outside the Pelosi home; the cameras were installed eight years before the attack, and were among a network of approximately 1,800 cameras to which USCP has access. The footage includes the assailant breaking the glass and entering the home. However, at the time of the attack, the USCP did not monitor the external video footage in real time; such camera surveillance was only monitored when Speaker Pelosi was at home. Although Pelosi received more violent threats than any other lawmaker (and she is accompanied by a security detail when traveling), her home did not receive round-the-clock live protection.
Tyre Nichols was a father of a 5-year old son. Memphis Police treated him like a wounded animal.
It is worse than I've expected. Of course, the far right and concern trolls are justifying the brutal assault on Tyre Nichols by using the classic troupe, "he should have complied with the police."
The U.S. Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) also opened an investigation.
The suspect is innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
FOR EVERY BAD COP, THERE WILL BE A DEAD COP!
I DON'T BELIEVE EVERYTHING ON THE INTERNET OR THE COP'S VERSION.
THERE IS NO GOD!
GOD IS NOT FIXING THIS!
FUCK YOUR THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS!
FUCK FOX, NEWSMAX, BREITBART, CANDACE OWENS, ANDY NGO, JOHN CARDILLO, JESSE LEE PETERSON, LARRY ELDER, KEVIN JACKSON, SOFTBALL HANNITY, MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE, TUCKER CARLSON, BILL O'REILLY, SILK HARDAWAY ROBINSON AND TERRENCE K. WILLIAMS!
THEY JUSTIFY THIS BRUTAL ASSUALT AND FAN THE FLAMES OF HATE, DIVISION AND ANTIPATHY!
Part 2 - The Video.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and Shelby County Prosecutor released the footage of five former Memphis Police officers brutally assaulting Nichols. They claim he was resisting arrest and the reason for the encounter was alleged reckless driving.
Be warned, the video footage is graphic. Take discretion.
Can we say that even with arrest, the motorist should be alive!
On Jan. 7, the former police officers, Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin III, Desmond Mills Jr., and Justin Smith stopped Tyre near the intersection of Raines Road and Ross Road. Police alleged that he was pulled over for reckless driving. He was reportedly about 250 feet (75 m) from his home at the time. According to police, after an initial confrontation with police, Nichols fled on foot. A second confrontation occurred when officers caught up to him and tried to arrest him. Later, after viewing footage from cameras placed in the areas of the traffic stop, the Police Chief confirmed Nichols was not driving recklessly.
Officials have released video of Tyre Nichols' violent arrest by Memphis police. Nichols died three days after this encounter.
The criminal charges against the 5 former MPD officers for Tyre Nichols' death are the FIRST step toward accountability! However, we must also continue to call out America’s institutionalized culture of police violence to get real #JusticeForTyreNichols! pic.twitter.com/jJkOIQYUIr
🎙️2/2 This theory, though unconfirmed, also explains the joyful “woo” we posted about earlier. It also explains why the cops were so hyped from the second they stopped his car and dragged him out, their extreme aggression, and why Tyre ran. pic.twitter.com/ap9ZbrSm75
Police punched, kicked, pepper sprayed, and tased Nichols while he was defenseless, and beat him with a baton. Nichols' attorney said that police beat Nichols "savagely," and the Los Angeles Times described footage of his beating as "horrific," comparing it to the beating of Rodney King. Nichols reportedly called for his mother while being beaten.
Following the confrontations, Nichols complained of shortness of breath. EMS was not called in a timely manner. After writhing in pain for 20 minutes propped against the side of a police car and on the ground, Nichols' body went limp. Nichols was taken to the hospital and listed in critical condition, dying from his injuries on January 10. Relatives of Nichols said the officers involved were in unmarked vehicles and that Nichols experienced cardiac arrest and kidney failure because of officers beating him.
An image of a nearly unconscious Tyre at the hands of five bullies wearing badges.
Police can be heard yelling at Nichols to get out of his car and forcibly removing him from the car.
The video has been described by law enforcement and attorneys for Nichols' family as "absolutely appalling," "alarming," and "unconscionable."
The videos show officers kicking Nichols at least twice in the face, striking him at least three or four times with a baton in the upper body area, punching him at least four times to the face, punching him at least two more times to the upper body area and kicking him at least twice in the abdomen.
Police chief Cerelyn Davis said the officers' behavior constituted "a failing of basic humanity", that she was "confused" by the officers' aggression, and that it was unclear why the officers stopped Nichols. She said the video footage showed "acts that defy humanity ... a disregard for life, [the] duty of care that we're all sworn to and a level of physical interaction that is above and beyond what is required in law enforcement", and that what happened to Nichols was "about the same, if not worse" than the Rodney King incident.
President Joe Biden spoke on the matter.
"Like so many, I was outraged and deeply pained to see the horrific video of the beating that resulted in Tyre Nichols’ death. It is yet another painful reminder of the profound fear and trauma, the pain, and the exhaustion that Black and Brown Americans experience every single day.
My heart goes out to Tyre Nichols’ family and to Americans in Memphis and across the country who are grieving this tremendously painful loss. The footage that was released this evening will leave people justifiably outraged. Those who seek justice should not to resort to violence or destruction. Violence is never acceptable; it is illegal and destructive. I join Mr. Nichols’ family in calling for peaceful protest.
If the former cops were white, the far right would raise money, slander the victim and claim Democrats are anti-police. With the suspects being Black, the far right is saying Black cops are needed and urban neighborhoods are a war zone.
I spoke with RowVaughn Wells and Rodney Wells, Mr. Nichols’ mother and stepfather, this afternoon. There are no words to describe the heartbreak and grief of losing a beloved child and young father. Nothing can bring Mr. Nichols back to his family and the Memphis community. But Mr. and Mrs. Wells, Mr. Nichols’ son, and his whole family deserve a swift, full, and transparent investigation.
We must do everything in our power to ensure our criminal justice system lives up to the promise of fair and impartial justice, equal treatment, and dignity for all. Real and lasting change will only come if we take action to prevent tragedies like this from ever happening again. That is why I called on Congress to send the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act to my desk. When Senate Republicans blocked that bill, I signed an executive order that mandated stricter use of force standards and accountability provisions for federal law enforcement, as well as measures to strengthen accountability at the state and local level."
There are protests in Memphis and it is expected to be national protest for police reform.
Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-TN), Gov. Bill Lee and Republicans better understand, this isn't a game. If they want to back police violence, they need to be bounced out of office.
A brutal incident involving a motorist and five Black Memphis Police officers led to a death. The five officers are being criminally charged with second-degree murder and the release of the body camera and dash camera will incite residents.
The suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
The death of 29-year old Tyre Nichols has sparked national outrage and rings echos of George Floyd.
His death was a lynching and it was a systematic pattern of abuse by police.
Will Republicans get their heads out their asses and help Democrats pass policing reform?
No.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) already calls Black Lives Matter a terrorist group.
Anyway, President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, Gov. Bill Lee, Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-TN) and the U.S. Representatives of Tennessee are aware of the situation. Lee has activated the National Guard for potential unrest upon the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and Shelby County prosecutor's release of the graphic video.
His parents saw the video and said it was too horrific.
Part 1 - The incident.
Part 2 - The video (next posting)
These five cops are suspects to murder.
On Jan. 7, the five Memphis Police officers stopped Nichols on suspicion of reckless driving. Between a brief confrontation, the motorist ended up in a coma. He died three days after that.
The Memphis Police had fired the five dirty cops. The Shelby County Prosecutor officially charged the former cops and they are now held in county lockup (some on suicide watch).
Police alleged that he was pulled over for reckless driving. He was reportedly about 250 feet (75 m) from his home at the time. According to police, after an initial confrontation with police, Nichols fled on foot. A second confrontation occurred when officers caught up to him and tried to arrest him. Following the confrontations, Nichols complained of shortness of breath. He was taken to the hospital and listed in critical condition, succumbing to his injuries on January 10. Relatives of Nichols claimed the officers involved were in an unmarked vehicle and that he experienced cardiac arrest and kidney failure because of officers beating him. A cause of death has not been released.
The suspects: Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin III, Desmond Mills Jr., and Justin Smith were charged with second-degree murder, official misconduct, aggravated assault and aggravated kidnapping.
The former cops have three to six years of experience. All were members of SCORPION, a group of about 50 officers assembled a year earlier to deal with the high number of serious crimes. The officers ride unmarked cars and wear plainclothes with a bullet-proof vest marked POLICE.
District Attorney Steve Mulroy contacted the TBI to look at allegations regarding excessive use of force during the arrest. On Jan. 15, the Memphis Police Department (MPD) announced the officers involved would face administrative action. The Department of Justice and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) also opened an investigation.
On January 20, the MPD announced that the five officers involved – Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin III, Desmond Mills Jr., and Justin Smith – would be fired.
Police Chief Cerelyn Davis said the actions of the officers involved was "a failing of basic humanity". Davis later said that after watching footage of the incident, she was "confused" on why the officers were so aggressive, and it was "still very unclear" why the officers conducted a traffic stop on Nichols.
By January 24, two Memphis Fire EMTs who were in the ambulance were relieved of duty.
Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland said video footage of the incident would be released later in January, first to Nichols's family and then to the public once the police department's internal investigation is finished and the family has reviewed the footage. Nichols's family attorneys who saw the footage said it reminded them of the beating of Rodney King, and that the officers had used Nichols as a "human piñata".
California has a jungle primary. It means that the two top candidates will face off in the general, regardless of label. That means if two Democrats are the top finishers, they will be on the ballot in the general election.
So far, three Democrats are vying for the seat of Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA).
Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA) who is progressive African American that represents Oakland and parts of Alameda County. She has not announced her bid yet.
Rep. Katie Porter (D-CA) who is progressive lawmaker that represents Irvine and parts of Los Angeles County and Orange County.
Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) now in. He represents parts of Los Angeles County which includes Los Angeles, Burbank, Pasadena and Hollywood.
The 2024 race is quickly emerging as a marquee Senate contest, even though the 89-year-old Feinstein, the oldest member of Congress, has yet to announce if she will seek another term, though her retirement is widely expected. Schiff is jumping in two weeks after Porter became the first candidate to declare her campaign for the safe Democratic seat.
I don't have a clear choice in the race so it would be interesting that Feinstein announces her bid to run and all three of them lose. If they lose, only Porter's seat has the risk of being a Republican gain.
Schiff who was a part of the first impeachment of Washed Up 45 and member of the Jan. 6 House Committee is vilified regularly on Fox (especially by Softball Hannity).
He was stripped of his committee assignments by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), the Droopy Dog of leadership.
Schiff, a former federal prosecutor, made clear he intends to anchor his candidacy to his role as Washed Up 45’s chief antagonist in Congress. In his campaign kickoff video, he said the “biggest job of his life” was serving as impeachment manager, and he promised to continue to be a “fighter” for democracy.
“If our democracy isn’t delivering for Americans, they’ll look for alternatives, like a dangerous demagogue who promises that he alone can fix it,” Schiff said of Washed Up 45, who has announced his 2024 campaign for the presidency.
Feinstein, a former San Francisco mayor who joined the Senate in 1992, told reporters in Washington this week that she will make a decision about 2024 in the “next couple of months."
The jockeying for the seat has created a politically awkward dynamic for Feinstein, who has broken gender barriers throughout her decadeslong career in local and national politics. In recent years, questions have arisen about her cognitive health and memory, though she has defended her effectiveness in representing a state that is home to nearly 40 million people.
Schiff, 62, said in an interview Thursday that he had spoken to Feinstein a day earlier to inform her about his plans.
“I want to make sure that everything I did was respectful of her and that I did so with her knowledge and her blessing,” Schiff told The Associated Press.
Asked if he was aware of the senator’s plans, Schiff said, “I don’t want to presume to speak for Sen. Feinstein, and I think she’s earned the right to announce her decision when she’s ready to make that announcement.”
Schiff was first elected to Congress in 2000 and represents parts of Hollywood. He has been a frequent target of conservatives — Washed Up 45 in particular — since the then-GOP-led House Intelligence Committee he served on started investigating the former president’s ties to Russia in the 2016 election. Schiff appeared frequently on television to question the former president’s actions.
That criticism intensified when Democrats took the House majority in early 2019 and he became the committee chair, and it reached a full-on roar with his role in the impeachment investigation of Washed Up 45’s dealings with Ukraine. The former president was impeached in December 2019 on charges he abused the power of the presidency to investigate rival Joe Biden and obstructed Congress’ investigation.
In an impassioned plea to the Senate in early 2020, Schiff urged Trump’s removal from office and framed the choice in moral terms. “If right doesn’t matter, we’re lost,” he said at the time.
“You know you can’t trust this president do what’s right for this country,” Schiff said. “You can trust he will do what’s right for Donald Trump. He’ll do it now. He’s done it before. He’ll do it for the next several months, he’ll do it in the election if he’s allowed to. This is why if you find him guilty you must find that he should be removed. Because right matters.”
The Republican-led Senate acquitted Trump of both charges. In 2021, he became the first president in U.S. history to be impeached twice, this time for inciting the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol after he lost the 2020 election. He was again acquitted by the Senate.
Republicans are still angry about Schiff’s starring role at the impeachment trial, with new House Speaker Kevin McCarthy accusing him of using his leadership position to “lie to the American public again and again.” McCarthy, R-Calif., said this week that he intended to block Schiff from continuing his service on the House Intelligence Committee.
Feinstein has not confirmed another run.
With the centrist Feinstein in the twilight of her career, the race in the heavily Democratic state already is shaping up as a showcase for an ambitious, younger generation on the party’s left wing.
Both Schiff and Porter are nationally recognized — Schiff through his leading impeachment role and Porter, a favorite of the party’s progressive wing, through her tough questioning of CEOs and other witnesses at congressional hearings. Each is also a formidable small-dollar fundraiser.
Neither has run statewide before, and each would face the challenge of becoming better known beyond their Southern California districts. Democrats are expected to dominate the contest — a Republican hasn’t won a statewide race in California since 2006, and the past two Senate elections had only Democrats on the November ballot.
Asked how he would stand out in what is expected to be a crowded field, Schiff said he would emphasize his central role of national struggles over democracy and the economy.
“I think that record of leadership, that record of staunch defense of our democracy, and the way that I’ve championed an economy that works for everyone, I think are a powerful record to run on,” he said.
In his announcement video, Schiff mixed shots of his family and highlights from his courtroom work with video from the impeachment proceedings and clips of Trump and other Republicans.
He warns that the threat of extremism is not over.
“Today’s Republican Party is gutting the middle class, threatening our democracy” Schiff says. “They aren’t going to stop. We have to stop them.”
The iconic image of a Jan. 6 insurrectionist who put his feet on the desk of then House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) is found guilty on all charges. He will get a lenghty bid.
Richard "Bigo" Barnett was unapologetic. He literally trying to make money off the image and tried to claim he was only looking for the restroom as he stormed the U.S. Capitol, vandalized Pelosi's office, urinated on her floor, took mail and left "Bigo was here, Nancy you bitch!" on a letter mast. He carried a machete and taser into the Capitol.
The jury found Barnett guilty on all eight counts in his indictment, including felony charges of civil disorder and obstruction of an official proceeding.
U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper is scheduled to sentence Barnett on May 3. The judge agreed to let Barnett remain free on certain conditions until his sentencing.
Outside the courthouse after the verdict, Barnett vowed to appeal his conviction, calling it an “injustice.” He noted that the judge had rejected his request to move his trial from Washington to Arkansas.
“This is not a jury of my peers,” he told reporters.
Prosecutors asked the judge to jail Barnett while he awaits sentencing. Justice Department prosecutor Alison Prout said the jury concluded that Barnett took a weapon into Pelosi’s office.
“We can only imagine what would have happened if (Pelosi) had been there at the time,” Prout said.
Barnett, 62, testified last Thursday that he was looking for a bathroom inside the Capitol when he unwittingly entered Pelosi’s office and encountered two news photographers. He said one of the photographers told him to “act natural,” so he leaned back in a chair and flung his legs onto the desk.
“Did it dawn on you that what you were doing could cause some trouble?” defense attorney Joseph McBride asked Barnett.
“I was just in the moment,” Barnett replied. “I’m just kind of going with the flow at this point.”
Barnett’s decision to testify was “unequivocally the right one,” his lawyer told reporters after the verdict.
“He had a story that needed to be told,” McBride said. “People needed to know why he came here, what his intentions were and what he did while he was here.”
Prosecutors said Barnett had a stun gun tucked into his pants when he stormed the Capitol and invaded Pelosi’s office. Barnett was convicted of entering and remaining in restricted building or grounds with a deadly or dangerous weapon — a stun gun with spikes concealed within a collapsible walking stick.
He won't be laughing when his ass is in federal time out.
Barnett took a piece of her mail and left behind a note that said, “Nancy, Bigo was here,” punctuating the message with a sexist expletive. The jury convicted of a theft charge for taking the envelope from Pelosi’s office.
Before leaving Capitol grounds, Barnett used a bullhorn to give a speech to the crowd, shouting, “We took back our house, and I took Nancy Pelosi’s office!” according to prosecutors.
Videos support Barnett’s testimony that a crowd pushed him into the Capitol as he approached an entrance, causing him to briefly fall to his knees as he crossed the threshold.
“We have no choice!” he shouted repeatedly as he entered the Capitol.
After police ordered him and others to leave Pelosi’s office, Barnett realized he had left his American flag behind. Body camera video captured Barnett shouting at a police officer in the Rotunda for help in retrieving the flag.
More than 940 people have been charged with federal crimes related to the Jan.6 attack. Nearly 500 of them have pleaded guilty. Barnett is one of several dozen Capitol riot defendants whose case has gone to trial.
Barnett is a retired firefighter from Gravette, Arkansas. He said he regrets coming to Washington for the “Stop the Steal” rally where Washed Up 45 addressed a crowd of supporters.
“Two years of lost life. Misery for my family,” he said.
While on house arrest last year, Barnett raised money by charging donors $100 for photos of him with his feet on a desk.
A prosecutor told jurors during the trial’s opening statements that Barnett planned the trip for weeks and came prepared for violence.
McBride told jurors that Barnett was just a “crazy guy from Arkansas” who didn’t hurt anybody on Jan. 6 and couldn’t have harmed anybody with the stun gun device because it was broken that day. McBride sarcastically called it “the most famous trespass case of all time.”
Prosecutors said Barnett had a history of arming himself at political demonstrations. In July 2020, they said, a 911 caller reported that a man matching Barnett’s description had pointed a rifle at her during a “Back the Blue” rally.
“Law enforcement ultimately closed the investigation as unfounded due to unresolved apparent discrepancies in the evidence,” prosecutors wrote.
In November 2020, police were called to a “Save the Children” rally when a caller said Barnett was carrying a gun at the protest and acting suspiciously.
Stefanik said Biden committed a crime while Pence made a mistake.
As expected, the Republicans show that they can't govern. They have neverending hypocrisy when it comes to investigations and accountability.
You know they're partisan when they refer to the Democratic Party as the pejorative "Democrat Party."
You know they are partisan when they refuse to say President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris while referring the formers as the president and vice president.
Rep. George Santos (R-NY) faces more controversy but House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), the Droopy Dog of Leadership refuses to boot him off committees and expel him from Congress.
Former Vice President Mike Pence had classified documents at his Indiana home, House Republican chair, Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) quickly dismissed it as a "nothing burger."
Stefanik pivoted to Hunter Biden and vowed to get more answers to why Biden had classified documents as then vice president. I smell that the Republicans are going to go after former president Barack Obama, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, former FBI director James Comey and Biden official John Kerry.
They will go after the FBI, Homeland Security, big tech and civil rights groups.
The do nothing Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), a frequent regular on Fox who is considering another run for president said is best about Republicans and Biden:
"Oh look, the Mike Pence story, it’s still early. You know, Mike Pence, as you noted he is a good friend, he’s a good man. He’s explained where these came from, what his office has put out is that in packing up the vice presidential offices that there were a couple of papers that were classified that were inadvertently put with non-classified materials. That was a mistake, but there’s no reason to think this was anything but inadvertent."
Pence had classified documents too.
Cruz added, "That is very different from what Joe Biden has done. Joe Biden has given zero explanation how these classified documents got there. And in particular, he has given no explanation as to how he has documents from his time in the Senate."
The Pence classified document revelation came just as Republicans in Congress were digging in on Biden, painting the president as careless and possibly jeopardizing sensitive information.
But similarities between how Pence and Biden each handled their respective cases, with lawyers quickly notifying the Justice Department and National Archives, could blunt some of those GOP attacks against the White House.
Republicans won on the noise. They were screaming inflation, crime and border. It gave them a small majority.
So far, they have passed abortion bans, pushing for spending cuts to raise the debt ceiling, drafting impeachment for top Biden officials and banning transgender girls/women from playing women sports.
Comedian Maya Rudolph will be the official spokesperson for M&Ms. She will replace the iconic candy characters after backlash from Fox and far right extremists.
They try to will Leslie Jones her..... Trust me.
She is a Black comedian who rose to fame from her SNL days. She did celebrity impressions of Vice President Kamala Harris.
Fox notoriously ranted against Mars Incorporated, the company best known for M&Ms, Twix, Snickers and Combos snacks is under fire for its makeover of its M&M mascot spokescandies.
The Green M&M which was known for wearing platform go go boots was given sneakers and the extreme right went bonkers. The Brown M&M wore stiletto pumps at first but was given a lower heel and it set off alleged sexual predators Greg Gutfeld, Jesse Watters and Tucker Carlson.
Laura Ingraham also participated in the great candy culture war.
Sean "Softball" Hannity, another alleged sexual predator was too busy worrying about Hillary Clinton and Hunter Biden to be concerned about candy.
The news comes three weeks before M&Ms is set to return to the Super Bowl with an ad after sitting it out last year. Mars hasn’t disclosed any other creative details about the ad.
The Super Bowl is advertising’s biggest stage, with big-name brands pulling out all the stops and paying millions for a 30-second ad in an effort to capture the attention of the more than 100 million viewers that watch the game live. Many spend millions more on marketing campaigns leading up to the big event.
Mars revamped the M&M candies last year. which are featured in red, green, orange, yellow, brown and blue, to give them more nuanced personalities. Some fans weren’t happy about the changes and took to social media to complain.
In a posting widely shared on social media on Monday, Mars said it was taking an “indefinite” pause on using the spokescandies.
“Now we get it — even a candy’s shoes can be polarizing,” the statement said. “Which was the last thing M&M’s wanted since we’re all about bringing people together.”
Mars didn’t say how long the pause would be for. Some likened the news to a publicity stunt that Planters tried in 2020 when it announced it was “killing off” its beloved spokescharacter Mr. Peanut ahead of the game.
Maya Rudolph is M&Ms new spokesperson.
“M&Ms announcing that they’re getting rid of long-standing and (mostly) beloved mascots because of peer pressure is newsworthy,” said Steve Merino, chief dreative director at ad agency Aloysius Butler & Clark. “That being said, many brands use their Super Bowl moment as a chance to pull a publicity stunt. Remember when Planters faked getting rid of Mr. Peanut? We’ll see if this is real, or just a thin candy shell.”
In Planters case, the ruse did not go seamlessly. Planters teased its Super Bowl ad nearly two weeks before the game, releasing a teaser that showed its Mr. Peanut mascot seemingly being killed. But when Kobe Bryant was killed in a helicopter crash, the marketing stunt suddenly seemed insensitive, so Planters paused its pre-game advertising. The actual Super Bowl ad was relatively inoffensive, with a baby Mr. Peanut appearing at the funeral. Planters is also returning to the Super Bowl this year for the first time since 2020, with an ad featuring Mr. Peanut.
The Super Bowl LVII will take place Feb. 12 at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, and will be broadcast on Fox.
