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Post by mhbruin on Apr 23, 2023 7:52:25 GMT -8
My girlfriend told me she was leaving me because I keep pretending to be a Transformer. I said, "No, wait! I can change."
Who Says You Can Never Be Too Rich or Too Thin?
Kenyan police have exhumed 21 bodies near the coastal town of Malindi, as they investigate a preacher said to have told followers to starve to death.
Dead children were among those exhumed, and police said they expected to find even more bodies.
The shallow graves are in Shakahola forest, where 15 members of the Good News International Church were rescued last week.
Preacher Paul Mackenzie Nthenge is in custody, pending a court appearance.
State broadcaster KBC described him as a "cult leader", and reported that 58 graves have so far been identified.
One of the graves is believed to contain the bodies of five members of the same family - three children and their parents.
Mr Mackenzie has denied wrongdoing, but has been refused bail. He insists that he shut down his church in 2019.
He allegedly told followers to starve themselves in order to "meet Jesus".
The Kenyan daily The Standard said pathologists will take DNA samples and conduct tests to determine whether the victims died of starvation.
Police arrested Mr Mackenzie on 15 April after discovering the bodies of four people suspected of having starved themselves to death.
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Post by mhbruin on Apr 23, 2023 7:54:15 GMT -8
Will the Real Michael Schumacher Please Stand Up?
The editor of a German magazine that published an artificial intelligence-generated 'interview' with Michael Schumacher has been sack
The magazine's publisher has apologised to the Formula 1 legend's family.
Schumacher, a seven-time world champion, suffered severe head injuries in a skiing accident in December 2013 and has not been seen in public since.
Die Aktuelle ran a front cover with a headline of "Michael Schumacher, the first interview".
A strapline underneath a smiling picture of Schumacher read "it sounded deceptively real", and it emerged in the article that the supposed quotes had been produced by AI.
The article was produced using an AI programme called charatcter.ai, which artificially generated Schumacher 'quotes' about his health and family.
"I can with the help of my team actually stand by myself and even slowly walk a few steps," read the Schumacher 'quotes'.
"My wife and my children were a blessing to me and without them I would not have managed it. Naturally they are also very sad, how it has all happened.
"They support me and are standing firmly at my side."
Schumacher's family said on Friday that they plan to take legal action against the magazine and over the weekend its publisher issued an apology.
"This tasteless and misleading article should never have appeared. It in no way meets the standards of journalism that we - and our readers - expect," said Bianca Pohlmann, managing director of Funke media group.
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Post by mhbruin on Apr 23, 2023 7:56:27 GMT -8
China Must Really Be Trying to Suck up to Putin
Ukraine has condemned what it called “absurd” comments from China’s ambassador to France, who questioned the sovereignty of former Soviet countries.
France and the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have also expressed dismay over the remarks.
Asked about his position on whether Crimea is part of Ukraine, Chinese Ambassador Lu Shaye said in an interview aired on French television on Friday that historically, the peninsula was part of Russia and had been offered to Ukraine by former Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev.
“These ex-USSR countries don’t have actual status in international law because there is no international agreement to materialise their sovereign status,” Shaye said.
His comments refer not just to Ukraine, which Russia invaded in February last year, but also to all former Soviet republics, which emerged as independent nations after the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, including many members of the European Union.
Responding on Sunday, Ukrainian presidential aide Mykhaylo Podolyak said the status of post-Soviet countries was “enshrined in international law”.
“It is strange to hear an absurd version of the ‘history of Crimea’ from a representative of a country that is scrupulous about its 1,000-year history,” Podolyak said, referring to China.
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Post by mhbruin on Apr 23, 2023 7:59:17 GMT -8
They Won't Stop, Because They Make Too Much Money by Lying
However you rank them, the plain truth is that Alex Jones and Fox News are vastly influential right-wing “media” voices. And now one has been assigned to pay history’s largest defamation award and the other to pay history’s largest defamation settlement.
This is not a coincidence. This is how they roll. Lying is what these people do. Why? A few reasons. Money, mostly, as the Fox-Dominion depositions showed (“It is not red or blue, it’s green,” Rupert Murdoch said). Also, to shock and upset conventional liberal opinion (which is tied to money, of course, because the more shocking they are, the higher the ratings, and the greater the profit).
The record would seem to indicate that Fox executives and anchors had no ideological motivation, because said record suggests that they knew Donald Trump was lying about the 2020 election. But their choice to go along with the Big Lie was partly an ideological choice too, and for this reason: They understood the stakes of going along with the lie. They knew very well that if Trump got his way, and states tried to put in substitute slates of electors or Mike Pence refused to certify the electoral votes on January 6, 2021, that would have been the end of more than 240 consecutive years of democratic rule in the U.S. The end! And they went along. It was driven by ratings in the first instance—which is hardly an excuse, by the way—but it was also revealing of the ideology of the place, where democracy takes a distant second to power.
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Post by mhbruin on Apr 23, 2023 8:00:39 GMT -8
So They Aren't Sober When They Watch Fox Noise All Day?
Older adults are increasingly drinking excessively and dying of alcohol-related deaths, and the problem has been compounded by ageism, stigma, a lack of interest from policymakers and health care providers and few age-appropriate treatment options, experts say. [...]
According to the 2021 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 7.6 percent of adults 50 and older had an alcohol use disorder in the past year — a lower rate than other adult age groups, but one that, like other adult age groups, has increased in recent years.
Older adults are more likely to die from alcohol-related causes, mostly from chronic diseases associated with years of drinking. In 2020, the rate of alcohol-induced deaths among 55- to 64-year-old men was higher than in any other age group, according to the CDC, and was second highest among men aged 65-74. Rates among older women are also increasing.
But with fewer medical professionals specializing in geriatrics, and even fewer of those professionals specializing in addiction training, the U.S. is not prepared to treat this growing need, experts say.
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Post by mhbruin on Apr 23, 2023 8:01:50 GMT -8
Of Course, the House QOP Lies, Too.
After all of the talking that Republicans did about an open and transparent House, the GQP has not had even one committee hearing about their bill to raise the debt-ceiling.
For almost two months, Republicans of all stripes filed into House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s office to cobble together a sweeping 320-page bill that would touch many aspects of domestic policy while also allowing the Treasury to continue borrowing another $1.5 trillion to fund the federal government.
Not a single committee held a hearing on a bill that would slash trillions of dollars from federal agency budgets and revoke clean climate tax credits. Not one committee held the traditional legislative markup to consider amendments and further debate on the measure. Not one Democrat had input into the measure.
And a surprising thing happened along the way. The Republicans, even the most conservative antagonists who decried this type of legislating, learned to like backroom dealmaking despite their demands in early January for McCarthy (R-Calif.) to promise a more open legislative process in exchange for their votes for speaker.
It Won't Pass the Senate Anyway. Why Bother Working on It?
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Post by mhbruin on Apr 23, 2023 8:04:31 GMT -8
Apparently DeathSentence's Hero is Vlad the Invader. He Wants to Make Florida More Like Russia.
Before Russia’s 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine, it had already become routine to hear of teachers considered “undesirable” be dismissed for political reasons — even before Yaroslav Kuzminov, the head of HSE, quit.
In June 2021, Kuzminov, who had worked in the role for 29 years, suddenly resigned his position as rector, three years before his contract was up. At the time, he said that he didn’t “wish to grow old as a rector.” The publication iStories later wrote that Kuzminov’s resignation “was carried out as part of a special operation.” The rector was supposedly given just one day to resign. [...]
Throughout 2022, HSE employees started to experience more and more pressure from the university. Even those who left Russia without making any sort of political statements faced pressure, according to the publication Proekt. If an instructor wants to conduct an online class, they are now required to send applications to a special committee. Without the committee’s approval, it remains impossible to issue the documents necessary to work remotely. One of the committee’s members is Vice-Rector Aleksey Koshel, a former assistant to United Russia deputies in the State Duma. Koshel is described as Anisimov’s “eyes and ears” and “special vice-rector” responsible for “liasing with external organizations.” Koshel’s official duties include HR matters.
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Post by mhbruin on Apr 23, 2023 8:06:15 GMT -8
What's in a Name? They Don't Call Ukraine a NATO Memver, But ...
The news receive scant coverage in the main line media but the announcement at the Ramstein Conference yesterday that Ukraine has reached agreement with NATO to have direct access to the NSPA system is huge.
The NSPA is NATO’s system for procurement and acquisition as well as logistics. In essence, Ukraine can directly send in requisitions for what it needs to any of the NATO members who have it and the US(possibly in conjunction with the EU joint Ukraine fund) will foot the bill.
Ukraine may not officially be a member of NATO but it might as well be. As of April 21, 2023 Ukraine no longer has to wait for Ramstein pledges of arms to get what they need for the war. And its supporting countries do not have to make any public declarations … unless they choose to. One could also assume that this is a back door way for Ukraine to now be able to BUY fighter aircraft from NATO members who are willing to sell and Uncle Sam will backstop the deal? The Polish F-16s may be headed to Ukraine sooner than we think.
“Ukraine has reached unprecedented levels of interoperability with NATO. We are, de facto, already a part of the Alliance's security space. I expressed my hope that this would expedite political decisions regarding our country's NATO integration,”… Ukraine’s Defense Minister Oleksii
And President Zelensky will be attending the next NATO Conference … in person.
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Post by mhbruin on Apr 23, 2023 8:06:55 GMT -8
Who Won the Week?
The long, sometimes-pokey arm of the law, as a Virginia grand jury indicts a bunch of Trump's "very fine people" on felony charges for their violent 2017 Nazi riot in Charlottesville
Dominion Voting Systems, for extracting nearly $800 million in defamation damages from Rupert Murdoch's evil empire---the largest settlement with a media entity in U.S. history
Judge Rowan Wilson, who was confirmed by the New York state Senate and becomes the first Black chief judge on state's highest court, tilting it to the left
Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) who returned to work this week after his treatment for depression and dished up some A+ trolling on the MAGA "fringy fringies"
Bruce Willingham, publisher of Arkansas' McCurtain Gazette News, who caught on tape racist MAGA politicians plotting behind closed doors to hire hitmen to hang and bury Black people and journalists
Rep. Dan Goldman (D-NY), whose knowledge of House committee rules got member Marjorie Taylor-Greene muzzled after one of her crybaby outbursts
President Biden: executive actions on child care/long-term care and environmental justice; hammers House GOP on debt ceiling; gets 7 more judges through judiciary committee
Washington state, for banning the sale of more than 50 kinds of assault weapon types, including AR-15s and AK-47s---the 10th state to pass such a ban
Ukraine's smart, tenacious, and finely-tuned military, for decimating Russia's tank arsenal so completely that Vladimir Putin had to cancel his country's Victory Day parade with tears in his eyes
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Post by mhbruin on Apr 23, 2023 8:07:54 GMT -8
Gov DeathSentence Finally Remembers He Has a Day Job.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Saturday he will request a Major Disaster Declaration for Broward County due to the catastrophic impacts of unprecedented flooding in Fort Lauderdale.
The announcement comes 10 days after heavy rainfall caused historic flooding that damaged countless homes and left residents reeling in the devastation.
DeSantis' request comes after Florida Democrats criticized his response time and claimed he went missing in action while people in Broward County suffered.
On Friday, Congresswoman Cherfilus-McCormick issued a statement urging DeSantis to make the request in the wake of flooding.
“Recent flooding has wreaked havoc across Florida’s 20th Congressional District, flooding our streets and displacing hundreds of families,” said Cherfilus-McCormick in a statement. "While we are slowly returning to a sense of normalcy, we need help, and we need it fast. I call on Governor Ron DeSantis to request a federal emergency declaration from President Biden so that Broward County can get the resources it desperately needs. Our communities cannot wait any longer.”
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Post by mhbruin on Apr 23, 2023 8:11:45 GMT -8
Apparenlty I't's Instacart Driver Hunting Season in Florida
A Florida couple delivering groceries for Instacart said their car was shot at when they drove to the wrong address.
Waldes Thomas told NBC6 he was delivering groceries Saturday with his girlfriend, Diamond D’arville when he drove to the wrong address. As they pulled out to leave, the couple said a man got into his truck and followed them.
“I had seen him pull out a gun, and that’s when I said, ‘We got to go, we got to go,’” D’arville told NBC6. “I was scared, I’m not going to lie.”
Thomas said he told the man he worked for Instacart but was fired upon anyway.
“We were there for Instacart, we were trying to tell him, and he went about it the wrong way — instead of just calling police, saying I have trespassers on my lawn, he decided to shoot,” Thomas said.
Video taken by NBC6 shows at least one bullet hole in D’arville’s car.
The Davie Police Department told NBC6 that a gun went off at the home but did not identify the homeowner. D’arville said they spoke to a detective but were told no laws were broken because they were on the shooter’s property.
So I Can Order Something From Instacart, Sit There Waiting, with My AK-47, and Open Fire As Soon As they Come on My Property?
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Post by mhbruin on Apr 23, 2023 8:13:45 GMT -8
How to Turn Misdemeanors into a Felony for Dummies Republicans
A Texas man facing multiple charges for his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol now faces a felony after he allegedly opened fire on police who came to check on him before his scheduled surrender.
Nathan Pelham, 40, was charged on April 11 with four misdemeanors for allegedly entering the Capitol during the Jan. 6 riot. The next day, Pelham told an FBI agent he would self-surrender the following Monday to face the charges.
That night, the Hunt County Sheriff’s Office initiated a welfare check at Pelham’s home in Greenville after a relative told authorities Pelham had a gun, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas said on Thursday.
When local police arrived, the house was dark and deputies turned on their emergency lights. Pelham’s daughter exited the home and was placed in a patrol car. Police could then hear gunshots coming from inside the house and took cover. More from the Northern District of Texas:
About an hour later, at approximately 9:38 p.m., Mr. Pelham – a previously convicted felon – walked onto the porch and allegedly fired towards several deputies, who could be heard on body-worn camera video noting bullets “whiz” by them. A deputy instructed Mr. Pelham to put his gun down, but he continued to wave it until re-entering his home. At 10:46 p.m., Mr. Pelham again exited the residence and fired multiple rounds.
Authorities were finally able to detain Pelham just after midnight. There were no injuries.
A search of Pelham’s home turned up a Smith & Wesson 9mm pistol and four boxes of ammunition. Police also found “several 9mm sized holes in the walls,” according to the U.S. Attorney’s statement.
Pelham, a previously convicted felon, was first investigated for his role in the Capitol attack when he attempted to enter Canada in March. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers searched Pelham’s phone and found “photos and video of Pelham near a door to the U.S. Capitol,” according to a criminal complaint.
Authorities noted that in at least one photo from the day of the attack, Pelham could be seen wearing a hat with a logo associated with the right-wing extremist gang the Proud Boys.
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Post by mhbruin on Apr 23, 2023 8:16:02 GMT -8
Another Way You and I Will Pay For the Fox Settlement
Fox Corp.'s $787.5 million settlement with Dominion Voting Systems over defamation charges is eye-popping, but the ultimate cost to the media company is likely to be much lower.
On Tuesday, Fox settled with Dominion over charges that Fox News baselessly accused the company of rigging its voting machines against former President Donald Trump in 2020. It was the most-watched media libel case in decades.
Fox had about $4 billion of cash on hand as of December 2022, and MoffettNathanson analyst Robert Fishman expects the company to pay the settlement during the current quarter.
How much the lawsuit will actually end up costing Fox is unclear because there are ways it can defray some of the expense, primarily through insurance and the use of tax deductions.
Fox can deduct the Dominion settlement from its income taxes as an expense necessary for the cost of doing business. Fox Chief Communications Officer Brian Nick has confirmed the deductibility of the settlement.
Big companies often deduct large settlements to help offset some of the cost, but since settlement amounts are usually confidential, it's difficult to pin down exactly how much they benefit. Payments that are seen as restitution or compensation can be deducted, while payments made to the government or at the direction of a government are usually not deductible.
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Post by mhbruin on Apr 23, 2023 8:18:35 GMT -8
The Article Never Mentions that the Withdrawal Was Negotiated by Previous Guy.Less than two years after President Biden withdrew U.S. personnel from Afghanistan, the country has become a significant coordination site for the Islamic State as the terrorist group plans attacks across Europe and Asia, and conducts “aspirational plotting” against the United States, according to a classified Pentagon assessment that portrays the threat as a growing security concern. The attack planning, detailed in U.S. intelligence findings leaked on the Discord messaging platform and obtained by The Washington Post, reveal specific efforts to target embassies, churches, business centers and the FIFA World Cup soccer tournament, which drew more than 2 million spectators last summer in Qatar. Pentagon officials were aware in December of nine such plots coordinated by ISIS leaders in Afghanistan, and the number rose to 15 by February, says the assessment, which has not been disclosed previously. “ISIS has been developing a cost-effective model for external operations that relies on resources from outside Afghanistan, operatives in target countries, and extensive facilitation networks,” says the assessment, which is labeled top-secret and bears the logos of several Defense Department organizations. “The model will likely enable ISIS to overcome obstacles — such as competent security services — and reduce some plot timelines, minimizing disruption opportunities.” Afghanistan has become a terrorism staging ground again, leak reveals
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Post by mhbruin on Apr 23, 2023 8:24:03 GMT -8
Crossing the Rubicon Dnipro
Ukrainian forces have established a presence on the eastern bank of the Dnipro River in the southern Kherson region, according to the Institute for the Study of War, in what would be a significant step in Ukraine’s effort to reclaim occupied territory.
The Washington-based think tank cited geolocated footage from Russian military bloggers, who in recent days have been openly discussing whether their side had lost control of the eastern bank of the Dnipro. Russian troops withdrew to the east side of the river in November, after months of Ukrainian strikes had stretched their supply lines to the regional capital of Kherson, on the river’s western bank.
The Ukrainians have established positions near Oleshky, directly across the river from Kherson, according to ISW’s analysis, which also indicated that Russian forces may no longer control a number of islands in the river.
“Russian forces may be prioritizing maintaining defenses in urban areas such as Oleshky and Nova Kakhovka, leaving the islands in the Dnipro River delta unmanned,” the institute wrote. “The extent and intent of these Ukrainian positions remain unclear, as does Ukraine’s ability and willingness to maintain sustained positions in this area.”
Although Ukraine has conducted operations on the Dnipro’s eastern bank in the Kherson region throughout the past year, its forces haven’t maintained a sustained presence there since the early days of the war.
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