John Roberts has lost control of the Supreme Court – CNNPolitics

The Supreme Court’s dramatic 5-4 action leaving a Texas abortion ban in place at midnight Wednesday establishes that the Roberts Court no longer is Roberts’ Court.

(CNN)The Supreme Court’s dramatic 5-4 action leaving a Texas abortion ban in place at midnight Wednesday establishes that the Roberts Court no longer is Roberts’ Court.

Chief Justice John Roberts dissented with three liberal justices in what could be regarded as the least considered but most consequential case in years.

Since Justice Amy Coney Barrett joined the court last October and he lost his position at the ideological center of the bench, Roberts has been on the dissenting side in a handful of close cases. But the Texas abortion controversy arguably marked his most significant loss to date.

Source: John Roberts has lost control of the Supreme Court – CNNPolitics

New Yorkers disappointed in Hochul’s answer on investigating nursing home tragedy: ‘Not good enough’ | Fox News

New Yorkers, many of whom were still grieving, were not thrilled with Gov. Kathy Hochul’s, D., answer Wednesday regarding how she plans to investigate last year’s COVID-19 nursing home tragedy and the Cuomo administration’s reported cover-up.

Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, D., was condemned for enforcing a mandate that forced COVID patients into nursing homes last year, which critics alleged led to the staggering death toll in those facilities, and reports later revealed his administration blocked the release of the true death toll.

Hochul was asked what she would do to get to the bottom of the sweeping tragedy.

“I need to continue working to identify the principals involved in those decisions,” Hochul told MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” Wednesday, adding she plans to assemble a new team over the next 45 days.

CUOMO ADMIN DELIBERATELY BLOCKED RELEASE OF TRUE NURSING HOME DEATH TOLL: REPORT

Source: New Yorkers disappointed in Hochul’s answer on investigating nursing home tragedy: ‘Not good enough’ | Fox News

Bodybuilder charged in Jan. 6 Capitol riot – YouTube

More than seven months after a mob of pro-Trump rioters attacked the Capitol building, authorities have identified and arrested a high-profile suspect who was photographed dragging a police officer down a set of stairs during the siege.

Logan Barnhart, a 40-year-old Michigan bodybuilder, faces multiple charges, including assaulting federal officers with a dangerous weapon, according to the FBI.

HuffPost, which first reported Barnhart’s arrest, said Barnhart became a “white whale” for online internet sleuths searching for information on unidentified insurrectionists in the aftermath of the attack. The “Sedition Hunters” community gave Barnhart the nickname “CatSweat” because he is alleged to have worn a Caterpillar brand sweatshirt to the Capitol on January 6.

The FBI had been referring to the suspect, who was wanted for assaulting officers, as Capitol suspect 128-AFO. According to HuffPost, the outlet identified Barnhart months ago thanks to the work of “citizen sleuths,” but refrained from publishing his name because of his violent history, which includes rioting charges from his teenage years.

Source: https://www.businessinsider.com/bodybuilder-photographed-dragging-officer-during-capitol-riot-arrested-2021-8

Former Pirates pitcher Felipe Vazquez sentenced in sexual assault case

GREENSBURG, Pa. — Former Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Felipe Vazquez was sentenced Tuesday to two to four years in state prison for sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl in Westmoreland County.

Vazquez was found guilty in May on 15 charges: 10 counts of sexual abuse of children, two counts of unlawful contact with a minor and one count each of statutory sexual assault, indecent sexual assault and corruption of a minor.

>>PREVIOUS STORY: Former Pirates pitcher Felipe Vazquez found guilty on multiple sexual assault, abuse charges

During the trial, Vazquez did not deny the sexual relationship he had with the teenager, but he did deny knowing that she was only 13 years old.

Vazquez’ attorney claimed the teen misled his client about her age.

Investigators said Vazquez and the girl began a relationship in 2017 and it continued until he was arrested in 2019. The investigation began after the girl’s mother found photos from Vazquez on her daughter’s cellphone and called police.

Source: Former Pirates pitcher Felipe Vazquez sentenced in sexual assault case

Jeannette-based gun marketplace website sues Facebook, Instagram over removal | TribLIVE.com

The owner of a Jeannette-based weapons marketing internet site contends he and his company were improperly removed from two social media platforms and suggested his conservative, pro-gun politics were the cause, according to a lawsuit filed this week in Westmoreland County.

Armslist LLC and owner Jonathan Gibbon of Jeannette said in January 2020 both Facebook and Instagram closed off access to and removed his private and business accounts without explanation.

According to the lawsuit, Armslist and Gibbon contend there was no basis for those actions and no policies of Facebook or Instagram were violated.

“Armslist doesn’t sell or market guns. It’s a site that is similar to Craigslist, and it drives traffic to its site by making posts on social media. To do that, they make posts supporting the Second Amendment,” said Jay Carson, Armslist’s Cleveland-based attorney.

Gibbon, a lawyer from Jeannette, has owned Armslist since its inception in 2007. He, along with one of his employees, filed the lawsuit that demands Facebook and Instagram restore their accounts. No monetary damages are being sought in the lawsuit.

Neither Facebook nor Instagram responded to requests for comment.

Source: Jeannette-based gun marketplace website sues Facebook, Instagram over removal | TribLIVE.com

Westmoreland County woman accused of embezzling $340K from credit union, setting fire as cover up

A Westmoreland County woman has been indicted on charges that she embezzled $340,000 from Valley 1st Community Credit Union, where she worked as a branch manager, and later setting a fire in the credit union’s safe to try to cover up the theft.

Patty Lynn Mavrakis, 63, faces charges of embezzlement from a federal credit union, wire fraud and use of fire to commit a federal felony.

Prosecutors said Mavrakis embezzled the money in September 2016 and later set the fire, after which she allegedly claimed the fire destroyed the missing currency.

She also allegedly made an insurance claim on behalf of the credit union for the missing currency.

If convicted, Mavrakis could face a maximum total sentence of 60 years in prison, a fine of $1.5 million or both.

Source: Westmoreland County woman accused of embezzling $340K from credit union, setting fire as cover up

Appeals court tosses ruling against Pennsylvania COVID-19 measures

A federal appeals court has dismissed a judge’s ruling that threw out Gov. Tom Wolf’s sweeping COVID-19 restrictions, saying the issue is now moot because statewide mitigation measures have expired and Pennsylvania voters have since constrained a governor’s emergency powers.

Source: Appeals court tosses ruling against Pennsylvania COVID-19 measures

Demonstration planned as parents push back against Pittsburgh Public Schools’ delayed start

A demonstration is planned Wednesday evening to protest against Pittsburgh Public Schools’ announcement that the academic year may be delayed by two weeks due to transportation issues.

The protest was organized by city school parents and is set for 6 p.m. outside the school board’s headquarters on South Bellefield Avenue in Oakland.

District officials Tuesday said they wanted to delay the start of the year due to a shortage of about 6,000 bus seats for students entering the 2021-22 school year. In order to add enough bus drivers to make close the gap, the first day of school is set to be pushed back from Aug. 25 to Sept. 8.

Source: Demonstration planned as parents push back against Pittsburgh Public Schools’ delayed start

Teen boy duct-taped after trying to kick out plane’s window

 

Flight attendants have once again resorted to duct tape to restrain an unruly passenger — this time tying down a 13-year-old boy on an American Airlines flight as another family member punched a window, according to the airline.

The teen threw a tantrum and fought with his mother aboard an American Airlines flight from Maui to Los Angeles on Tuesday, CBS Los Angeles reported.

The boy acted up on the Airbus A321 about an hour into the flight, which took off at 12:44 p.m., according to the outlet and flight-tracking sites.

Video posted by the station shows masked passengers helping the crew restrain the wild adolescent. One flight attendant is seen scurrying up the aisle with a roll of gray duct tape.

The flight diverted to Honolulu, where the boy was taken into custody, according to CBS LA. No one was reported injured.

Duct tape also was used in two other recent airline incidents, including passenger Maxwell Berry, 22, being tied to the back of a seat on a Frontier flight from Philadelphia to Miami on Aug. 3.

Source: Teen boy duct-taped after trying to kick out plane’s window

Mother charged after young child found wandering in a diaper in Westmoreland County

The incident happened a little before 10 a.m. on July 7 on State Route 136 in Hempfield Township.

Police said Riffer told them her 2-year-old daughter must not have woken her up.

Police said the young child found on the side of the road was dirty and had a full diaper.

Investigators also said the residence was covered in food waste and smelled of animal feces and decomposing garbage.

Riffer is charged with endangering the welfare of children and faces a preliminary hearing on Oct. 15.

Incident happened in July

Source: Mother charged after young child found wandering in a diaper in Westmoreland County

Hundreds of residents told to evacuate after Miami condo building deemed unsafe

Since the partial collapse of Champlain Towers South in Surfside, Florida, which left 98 people dead, officials have sought to review the structural integrity of buildings.

Hundreds of Miami residents were forced from their eight-story condo building on Monday night after city officials determined the structure was unsafe.

The 137-unit building at 5050 NW Seventh St. was placed under an evacuation order, according to Miami building director Asael “Ace” Marrero, NBC Miami reported.

“We obviously don’t feel that it’s safe,” he told the news station. “Structural integrity has been degraded by the contractor proceeding with the repairs that they were not authorized to do.”

Source: Hundreds of residents told to evacuate after Miami condo building deemed unsafe

Passport backlog, mailing delays force many to cancel summer travel plans – WPXI

If you’ve been waiting what seems like a long time to get your passport in the mail, you’re not alone: there’s a significant backlog right now.

The problem began when the secure facilities where passports are processed were closed for several months last year due to the pandemic. And even when they reopened, many offices were not fully staffed. The employees who have returned are contending with a massive backlog.

The State Department said there are currently 2 million applications it must process, and it is working to bring back more staff and increase hiring to meet the demand. The agency also said part of the problem involves “mailing delays.”

We contacted the U.S. Postal Service seeking an explanation. It sent us a press release that, in part, reads: “The Post Service continues its efforts to improve service performance and reliability with the goal of meeting or exceeding 95% of on-time delivery.”

Meanwhile, phones at the offices of U.S. representatives and senators have been ringing off the hook.

“The amount of calls to our office regarding passports has been so intense,” said Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Worcester). “People are calling that they have a sick relative in another country, that they’re going to a funeral or a wedding.”

Rep. McGovern told 25 Investigates he’s even had to reassign staff to help with all the passport calls.

“People shouldn’t have to call their member of Congress to be able to get answers and be able to get their passport delivered to them,” he said.

McGovern is among a group of more than 50 members of Congress who are pushing the State Department to clear the passport backlog. They wrote a letter to the State Department demanding a timeline for reducing the “outrageous backlog.”

25 Investigates obtained a copy of the letter which, in part, reads: “When the pandemic forced a nationwide shut down in mid-March of last year, a large backlog of passport applications formed as Bureau of Consular Affairs staff transitioned to remote work.

Source: Passport backlog, mailing delays force many to cancel summer travel plans – WPXI

Andrew Cuomo top aide Melissa DeRosa resigns – CNNPolitics

(CNN)New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s top aide Melissa DeRosa resigned late Sunday, less than a week after the release of a report from the state attorney general that found Cuomo sexually harassed 11 women.

“It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve the people of New York for the past 10 years. New Yorkers’ resilience, strength, and optimism through the most difficult times has inspired me every day,” DeRosa secretary to the governor said in a statement obtained by CNN.
“Personally, the past 2 years have been emotionally and mentally trying. I am forever grateful for the opportunity to have worked with such talented and committed colleagues on behalf of our state,” she said in the message, which did not mention Cuomo.
DeRosa’s resignation comes on the eve of a meeting of the state Assembly’s Judiciary Committee that could deliver a timeline for Cuomo’s potential impeachment. The 38-year-old, who held the highest-ranking appointed position in the state, appeared throughout New York State Attorney General Letitia James’ August 3 report, in which investigators concluded that Cuomo sexually harassed 11 women, including current and former state employees. The report detailed a “toxic” workplace environment under Cuomo and said that environment allowed for his allegedly harassing behavior to go overlooked. It also highlighted alleged instances of retaliation against at least one accuser.
Cuomo has denied the allegations, saying last week that he “never touched anyone inappropriately or made inappropriate sexual advances.”
In February, DeRosa came under scrutiny for her role in the administration’s underreporting of Covid-19 deaths in nursing homes last year.
In a private virtual conversation with lawmakers, DeRosa said the administration had not provided them with information requested months earlier because Cuomo’s team had been concerned about a preliminary inquiry from former President Donald Trump’s Department of Justice, according to a transcript of the conversation that was subsequently released by the governor’s office.
“And basically, we froze,” DeRosa told Democrats on the call, “because then we were in a position where we weren’t sure if what we were going to give to the Department of Justice or what we give to you guys, what we start saying was going to be used against us while we weren’t sure if there was going to be an investigation.”
DeRosa accused Trump of turning the nursing home issue into a “political football” and then directing “a political hack” at the Justice Department to begin an inquiry into New York and other Democratic-led states.
A different report from James’ office released in January found that New York had underreported Covid-19 deaths among residents of nursing homes by approximately 50%.

Source: Andrew Cuomo top aide Melissa DeRosa resigns – CNNPolitics

Woman who accused Andrew Cuomo of groping files criminal complaint | Andrew Cuomo | The Guardian

Assistant to New York governor accused him of groping her while they took a selfie together

The complaint from a woman identified as “executive assistant #1” to protect her identity increases the possibility Cuomo could face criminal charges related to his conduct, detailed in a 165-page report released this week by the New York state attorney general Letitia James’s office.

Source: Woman who accused Andrew Cuomo of groping files criminal complaint | Andrew Cuomo | The Guardian

65% of African-Americans Banned from Dining in NYC After de Blasio Implements Vaccine Passport

New York City’s COVID-19 vaccination passports disproportionately disadvantage black communities and it isn’t even close.

Democratic New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced the city’s plan to implement COVID-19 vaccination requirements for gyms, restaurants and other businesses.

“It’s time for people to see vaccination as necessary to living a good and full and healthy life,” de Blasio said during a news conference.

Trending:
Teachers Union Publishes Instruction Manual from Hell – Here’s the Sick How-to Guide

Beginning on Sept. 13, New York City citizens will be forced to show either their “Key to NYC Pass” or the state’s “Excelsior Pass” if they wish to enter the aforementioned businesses.

“It will require vaccination for workers and customers in indoor dining, in indoor fitness facilities, indoor entertainment facilities,” the mayor said.

Source: 65% of African-Americans Banned from Dining in NYC After de Blasio Implements Vaccine Passport

The Biden Administration Issues A New Eviction Moratorium After A Federal Ban Lapsed : NPR

After intense pressure from progressives, the CDC has announced a more limited eviction moratorium days after an earlier freeze on evictions expired.

Days after a national eviction moratorium expired, the Biden administration on Tuesday issued a new, more limited freeze that remains in effect through Oct. 3.

Like the previous order, the two-month moratorium issued Tuesday comes from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The new ban on evictions covers parts of the United States that are experiencing what the CDC calls “substantial” and “high” spread of the coronavirus.

As of Tuesday afternoon, that’s the vast majority of U.S. counties.

The order, which cites the rise of the delta variant, says: “Without this Order, evictions in these [higher transmission] areas would likely exacerbate the increase in cases.”

“Where we are right now with such high disease rates, we felt a new, tailored order [was needed] to make sure that … working Americans who were at risk of eviction could be stably housed during this really tenuous, challenging period of time,” the CDC’s director, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, told NPR’s All Things Considered.

Source: The Biden Administration Issues A New Eviction Moratorium After A Federal Ban Lapsed : NPR

Probe finds Gov. Cuomo sexually harassed multiple women, violated federal and state law

By Bernadette Hogan and Bruce Golding

State Attorney General Letitia James Tuesday will release her report on the probe into sexual harassment allegations against Gov. Andrew Cuomo, The Post has learned.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo violated federal and state laws by sexually harassing multiple women — including current and former state employees — through actions that included touching their “intimate body parts” without consent, officials said Tuesday.

Cuomo also allegedly retaliated against some of the victims and created a “toxic” and hostile work environment in the Executive Chamber, officials said.

The blockbuster announcements came during a news conference at which state Attorney General Letitia James said an independent probe she commissioned had found that Cuomo engaged in “unwanted groping, kissing, hugging and making inappropriate comments.”

James called it “a sad day for New York” and said it was up to Cuomo to decide whether to resign, as has been demanded by lawmakers on both sides of the aisle.

Investigators gathered evidence from 11 women, nine of whom are or were state employees, said former acting Manhattan US Attorney Joon Kim, one of two outside lawyers hired to conduct the probe.

One alleged victim is a state trooper who served on Cuomo’s security detail, Kim said.

The trooper told the investigators that while she was holding a door open for Cuomo, he passed by and ran his open hand against her stomach, Clark said.

“She told us she felt completely violated,” Clark said.

Source: Probe finds Gov. Cuomo sexually harassed multiple women, violated…

N.J. town drops case against resident over F-bomb anti-Biden flag display after ACLU intervenes – nj.com

Roselle Park voluntarily dismissed its case in Superior Court on Tuesday against a borough homeowner who hung anti-President Biden flags with the f-word on her fence.

The American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey was representing the homeowner, Patricia Dilascio, and her daughter, Andrea Dick, in their appeal to Superior Court in Union County. A municipal court judge earlier this month ruled the homeowner had violated a local obscenity ordinance and ordered them to remove the signs with the f-word — or else pay a $250-a-day fine.

ACLU of NJ Executive Director Amol Sinha said in a statement shortly after the ruling that the dismissal was a First Amendment win for the Roselle Park family and all New Jerseyans.“
The First Amendment exists specifically to make sure people can express strong opinions on political issues – or any other matter – without fear of punishment by the government,” said Sinha. “Today’s decision confirms that our position was correct: Roselle Park had no grounds to issue fines for a political sign and the town’s use of its obscenity ordinance infringed upon fundamental rights protected by the First Amendment.

Source: N.J. town drops case against resident over F-bomb anti-Biden flag display after ACLU intervenes – nj.com

Republican lawmaker blames his party for lack of answers in emotional statement

The House select committee investigating the deadly Capitol riot is holding its first high-profile hearing today. Follow here for the latest news.

Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger called out other members of his party, saying “we need to reject those that promote” conspiracies about the insurrection on the US Capitol on Jan. 6.

He said he agreed to serve on this select committee because he wants to know what happened that day and present the facts to the public “free of conspiracy,” adding he wants Americans to be able to trust the committee.

“This cannot continue to be a partisan fight. I’m a Republican. I’m a conservative. But in order to heal from the damage caused that day, we need to call out the facts. It is time to stop the outrage and the conspiracies that fuel the violence and division in this country and most importantly, we need to reject those that promote it,” he said.

Kinzinger got emotional during his comments to the four officers who were testifying.

Liz Cheney official 116th Congress portrait.jpg

WASHINGTON — Republican Liz Cheney made clear Tuesday she wants the committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection to have teeth, moving quickly to use subpoenas to force testimony from key witnesses. Cheney said Americans should know what happened “every minute of that day” inside the Trump White House.

“The task of this committee will require persistence,” the Wyoming congresswoman said in opening remarks at the committee’s first hearing on Capitol Hill. She is one of two Republicans on the bipartisan panel.

Cheney said the committee should move to “issue and enforce subpoenas.”

“We must overcome the many efforts we are already seeing to cover up the facts,” she said.

Cheney specifically noted that “we must know what happened here at the Capitol” but also that the committee should find out what happened “every minute of that day in the White House: every phone call, every conversation, every meeting leading up to, during and after the attack.”

That comment shows that Cheney and others on the committee plan to use subpoena power to compel testimony from top officials in the Trump White House, such as former chief of staff Mark Meadows, former Vice President Mike Pence and former President Donald Trump himself.

Source: (21) Republican lawmaker blames his party for lack of answers in emotional statement

Pelosi Selects Republican Adam Kinzinger To Serve On Jan. 6 Panel : NPR

Kinzinger will join fellow Republican Liz Cheney at the committees first hearing Tuesday. Both supported impeaching Trump for Jan. 6, and were the only GOP members to support the committee’s creation.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has appointed Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois, one of the rare vocal critics inside the Republican Party of former President Donald Trump, to serve on the special committee charged with investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.

The Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the U.S. Capitol is set to hold its first hearing on Tuesday. Kinzinger will join Wyoming’s Liz Cheney as one of two Republicans chosen by Pelosi to serve on the nine-person panel. Both Cheney and Kinzinger voted in favor of impeaching Trump following the attack on the Capitol, and were the only GOP members to support the committee’s formation last month.

In a statement, Pelosi said that Kinzinger “brings great patriotism to the Committee’s mission: to find the facts and protect our Democracy.”

Kinzinger’s appointment follows Pelosi’s decision this past week to reject two of the five Republicans tapped for the panel by House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif. The two Republicans that Pelosi blocked — Jim Banks of Indiana and Jim Jordan of Ohio — are among Trump’s staunchest defenders in Congress and each voted against certifying the 2020 election results.

Source: Pelosi Selects Republican Adam Kinzinger To Serve On Jan. 6 Panel : NPR

Bizarre arrest of FBI agent spotlights accusations of bureau corruption

. Some members of the Wolverine Watchmen are accusing the feds of entrapment.

The FBI agents took an active part in the scheme from its inception, according to court filings, evidence and dozens of interviews examined by BuzzFeed.

One FBI informant from Wisconsin allegedly helped organize meetings where the first inklings of the Whitmer plot surfaced, even paying for hotel rooms and food to entice people to attend, BuzzFeed reported. The Iraq veteran, identified as “Dan” by BuzzFeed, allegedly shelled out for transportation costs to militia meetings and apparently goaded members to advance the plot.

Kareem Johnson, a black, left-wing attorney representing Pete Musico, one of the 14 arrested, told The Post the FBI played an outsize — and, at the very least, inappropriate — part in the incident. Before the bureau was involved, Johnson and other attorneys said, the Watchmen weren’t even considered a violent threat.

“The FBI knew these people had some beliefs and were egging them on and providing help and ammunition,” Johnson said. “They encouraged, helped instigate and escalated the criminal conduct of those individuals. At the end of the day, there were almost as many FBI agents leading the group as the other people in the group.”

Source: Bizarre arrest of FBI agent spotlights accusations of bureau corruption

Letter: No one has been charged with sedition or insurrection | Letters To Editor | goskagit.com

Dear Editor,

In the July 13 edition of the Stanwood Camano News, a letter to the editor called for the removal from office those who aid and abet sedition and insurrection activities. The writer lists a number of Republicans who he believes are complicit. He’s right that that should not be tolerated, and elected officials should be held accountable.

But wait. How many of the rioters in the Jan. 6 assault on the Capitol have been charged with sedition or insurrection? The answer is zero.

More than 500 people have been arrested in this riot, and rightly so. However one would think that if the Justice Department, especially after such an aggressive effort to track down and arrest the rioters, had a good case to charge them with sedition or insurrection, they would surely do so. But they haven’t. Why? Perhaps they don’t believe that that was really the crime.

Yet the letter writer wants the Republicans held accountable for a crime that in the eyes of the Justice Department they can’t prove. Maybe the writer wants the Republicans held accountable for Democrats’ talking points. On the contrary, I wonder if the writer is equally concerned with the assaults on one of our other equal and cherished institutions — the judiciary.

Antifa rioters have assaulted federal courthouses numerous times, doing severe damage and attempting to burn them. Yet despite Democratic lawmakers’ claims that Antifa doesn’t exist, the writer doesn’t call for their accountability. Can we look forward to a letter from him on their accountability?

Ron Manz

Camano Island

Source: Letter: No one has been charged with sedition or insurrection | Letters To Editor | goskagit.com

Mississippi asks U.S. Supreme Court to overturn Roe v Wade

By Pete Williams

WASHINGTON — Lawyers for the state of Mississippi urged the U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday to overturn Roe v Wade, taking a more aggressive approach than the one presented when they asked the court a year ago to hear the case.

The case for overturning the two main decisions that legalized abortion in the United States — Roe v Wade in 1973 and a later case, 1992’s Planned Parenthood v Casey — is overwhelming, the state said. “The conclusion that abortion is a constitutional right has no basis in text, structure, history, or tradition.”

By ruling that a state may not impose an undue burden on a right to abortion, the Supreme Court has placed itself “at the center of a controversy that it can never resolve.”

The state is appealing lower court rulings that struck down a law banning most abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy. The Gestational Age Act would allow later abortions only in medical emergencies or cases of severe fetal abnormality.

Source: Mississippi asks U.S. Supreme Court to overturn Roe v Wade

Opinion: Officer who shot Ashli Babbitt wasn’t assigned to any Congress member’s security

A Facebook post claimed that an officer involved in the killing of a woman during the Jan. 6 capitol riots was “a bodyguard to a high-ranking Democrat in Congress.” That’s false.

Facebook post: A bodyguard of a high-ranking Democrat in Congress fired the shot that killed Ashli Babbitt on Jan. 6.

PolitiFact’s ruling: False

Here’s why: There are plenty of questions still unanswered about the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. For some Republicans, that includes identifying who shot one person who stormed the Capitol that day. In a recent email to supporters, former President Donald Trump asked, “Who shot Ashli Babbitt?”

Trump brought up the question again on July 11 during a discussion with Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures” host Maria Bartiromo. But this time, he had a theory.

“I will tell you they know who shot Ashli Babbitt. They’re protecting that person,” Trump said in the phone interview. “I’ve heard, also, that it was the head of security for a certain high official — a Democrat — and we’ll see, because it’s going to come out. It’s going to come out.”

More:Capitol Police officer who shot Ashli Babbitt during Jan. 6 riot will not face charges, DOJ says

The comments set off a frenzy of social media posts, like this one shared on Facebook, that claim the high-ranking official the officer was assigned to was either Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer or House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

The photo in the post shows a person in a suit wearing a face mask and holding a handgun in his right hand. By the background seen in the photo, he appears to be pictured in the House of Representatives. “He shot Ashli Babbitt,” the caption reads. “Pelosi’s or Schumer’s personal bodyguard. Prove me wrong!”

The officer involved was placed on leave while Babbitt’s death was being investigated by D.C.’s Metropolitan Police Department, which shares jurisdiction with the Capitol Police.

The investigation concluded in April, and the Justice Department announced that it would not be pursuing criminal charges against the officer involved.

“Officials examined video footage posted on social media, statements from the officer involved and other officers and witnesses to the events, physical evidence from the scene of the shooting, and the results of an autopsy,” the department said in a statement. “Based on that investigation, officials determined that there is insufficient evidence to support a criminal prosecution.”

A Pelosi spokesperson declined to comment for this story, deferring to the Capitol Police statement. Schumer’s office did not respond to an email seeking comment.

Our ruling

Because official sources have not identified the officer involved in the shooting, we cannot verify or debunk any names being thrown around on the internet. But claims that the officer worked for Schumer or Pelosi are contradicted by the Capitol Police. They say that the person who fired the shot was not assigned to any Congress member’s security detail. We rate this post False.

Sources

  • Facebook post, July 11, 2021
  • Fox News, ‘Sunday Morning Futures’ on Trump’s Big Tech lawsuit, US-China relations, July 11, 2021
  • NBC News, Trump wrong about officer who shot Jan. 6 rioter Ashli Babbitt, law enforcement official says, July 12, 2021
  • Justice.gov, Department of Justice Closes Investigation into the Death of Ashli Babbitt, April 14, 2021
  • Email interview, Capitol Police, July 13-14, 2021

Judge forces US Capitol rioter to unlock laptop seized by FBI – CNNPolitics

(CNN)A federal judge forced a US Capitol rioter to unlock his laptop Wednesday after prosecutors argued that it likely contained footage of the January 6 insurrection from his helmet-worn camera.

The judge granted the Justice Department’s request to place Capitol riot defendant Guy Reffitt in front of his laptop so they could use facial recognition to unlock the device. The maneuver happened after the hearing ended and Reffitt’s lawyer confirmed to CNN that the laptop was unlocked.
Investigators seized the laptop and other devices earlier this year pursuant to a search warrant.
Reffitt has been in jail since his arrest in January. His case received national attention after his son spoke publicly about how Reffitt had threatened to kill family members if they turned him into the FBI.

Source: Judge forces US Capitol rioter to unlock laptop seized by FBI – CNNPolitics

Trump supporter who took part in Capitol riot sentenced to 8 months for felony | US Capitol attack | The Guardian

Lawyers for Paul Hodgkins, who pleaded guilty to one count of obstructing an official proceeding, ask for leniency
Hodgkins pictured during the riot. Prosecutors said he deserves some leniency for taking responsibility almost immediately and pleading guilty to the obstruction charge.
Hodgkins pictured during the riot. Prosecutors said he deserves some leniency for taking responsibility almost immediately and pleading guilty to the obstruction charge. Photograph: AP

A Florida man who breached the US Senate chamber carrying a Trump campaign flag is scheduled on Monday to become the first 6 January rioter sentenced for a felony, in a hearing that will help set a benchmark for punishment in similar cases.

Prosecutors want Paul Hodgkins to serve 18 months, saying in a recent filing that he “like each rioter contributed to the collective threat to democracy” by forcing lawmakers to temporarily abandon their certification of Joe Biden’s election victory and to scramble for shelter from incoming mobs.

Video footage shows Hodgkins, 38, inside the Senate, wearing a Trump 2020 T-shirt, a flag flung over his shoulder and eye goggles around his neck. He took a selfie with a self-described shaman in a horned helmet and other rioters on the dais behind him.

Source: Trump supporter who took part in Capitol riot to be sentenced for felony | US Capitol attack | The Guardian

Speaker of Georgia House demands investigation into Fulton County election irregularities | Just The News

Georgia’s Speaker of the House David Ralston is demanding an investigation to “determine if any irregularities or willful fraud occurred” in the state’s largest metropolis last November, saying recent revelations about problems with vote counting in Fulton County merit an independent probe.

Ralston sent a letter late last week to Fulton County election officials requesting that the Georgia Bureau of Investigation be allowed to conduct the investigation.

The request comes after Just the News reported last month that an independent observer for Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger noted two dozen pages of irregularities in the Atlanta vote counting center last Nov. 3, including double scanning of ballots, insecure transportation of ballots and possible voter privacy violations.

Raffensperger told Just the News he believes the problems in Fulton County are so extensive that the state should take over running elections in the Atlanta area.

Separately, a watchdog group called VoterGA, which won court access to absentee ballot data, said last week its review found that Fulton County’s hand count audit of the November election was riddled with “massive errors and provable fraud.”

Source: Speaker of Georgia House demands investigation into Fulton County election irregularities | Just The News

‘goodblend’ Medical Marijuana Dispensary Opening In Pittsburgh – CBS Pittsburgh

 

 

By: KDKA-TV News Staff

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — A new medical marijuana dispensary is opening in Pittsburgh.

“goodblend” opened at 10 a.m. Saturday on Baum Boulevard.

People who enter must have a valid Pennsylvania medical marijuana patient card.

Source: ‘goodblend’ Medical Marijuana Dispensary Opening In Pittsburgh – CBS Pittsburgh

Judge won’t let contractor see Capitol Riot grand jury evidence – POLITICO

A federal judge has thrown a monkey wrench into the prosecution of more than 500 Capitol riot defendants by denying the Justice Department’s request to share grand jury materials with a contractor hired to organize the massive amounts of video, social media, email and other evidence in the cases.

The ruling Friday could complicate and drag out the prosecutions by requiring government personnel to be more involved in aspects of the process of sharing evidence with defense attorneys.

Source: Judge won’t let contractor see Capitol Riot grand jury evidence – POLITICO

Utah company halts sales of Lego handgun case kits after cease and desist | US gun control | The Guardian

Utah company has stopped selling a kit that encases Glock handguns in Lego blocks, amid uproar and after the Danish toymaker demanded it cease and desist.

Marketing the “Block19” as a “a childhood dream come to life”, Culper Precision introduced it on Instagram, saying: “We wanted the second amendment to simply be too painful to tread on, so there was only one logical solution.”

Red, yellow and blue blocks made the original weapon barely visible, disguising it as a child’s toy.

Source: Utah company halts sales of Lego handgun case kits after cease and desist | US gun control | The Guardian

%d bloggers like this: