Arizona Congressional Aide Found Dead After Reported Missing in Death Valley

Search teams have recovered the body of a missing congressional aide from Arizona, who disappeared with his girlfriend during a camping trip in Death Valley.

The Inyo County Sheriff’s Department located the couple on a steep ledge Thursday via an aerial search, but had difficulty reaching them.

When search teams were able to reach them Friday, they found that 32-year-old Alexander Lofgren was dead.

Surveillance video had captured some images of the couple and their Subaru in the National Park before they lost contact.

The cause of Lofgren’s death is not known, but his 27-year-old girlfriend Emily Henkel did survive and was flown out for medical treatment.

Lofgren worked in the office of Arizona congressman Raul Grijalva who tweeted that he was heartbroken over his aide’s death.

The couple were experienced campers, but their car had two flat tires and their supply of water may have run out days ago.

https://www.ntd.com/arizona-congressional-aide-found-dead-after-reported-missing-in-death-valley_595636.html

Priest at helm of NYC’s prestigious Regis HS getting ousted over sex-misconduct claims

The Jesuit priest at the helm of prestigious Regis High School in Manhattan is being ousted over claims of sexual misconduct, The Post has learned.

The school — which counts Dr. Anthony Fauci among its notable alumni — said it intends to remove the Rev. Daniel Lahart for cause, according to a letter sent to the community Sunday.

“The Board of Trustees has determined, based on the findings of the third party investigator, Fr. Lahart engaged in inappropriate and unwelcome verbal communications and physical conduct, all of a sexual nature, with adult members of the Regis community, including subordinates,” states the letter, obtained by The Post.

“This conduct was non-consensual, and moreover, continued notwithstanding express requests from the affected parties for the conduct to cease.”

The private all-boys school on the Upper East Side said it first learned of the allegations in late February and placed Lahart, 59, on administrative leave pending an investigation.

Based on the findings of the outside investigator, the Board of Trustees determined that Lahart had acted inappropriately, said the letter, sent by Chair Anthony DiNovi.

Lahart — who was named president in 2016 — was invited to participate in the probe but declined to do so, DiNovi wrote.

The priest was told last week that the board, after getting the nod from the USA East Province of the Society of Jesus, intended to remove him from his position effective April 21.

The board said it would not be divulging any other details about the allegations “in order to protect the privacy of the individuals involved.

“We assure you that the investigation was conducted with a commitment to due process,” the letter states.

“Please know the Board did not come to its decision lightly and took seriously its obligation to act with transparency, integrity, and compassion in service of our community, both with respect to Fr. Lahart and to those members of our community who were harmed by his conduct.”

A member of the school community was shocked to hear of the allegations against Lahart.

“He was mostly involved in fundraising,” the person noted. “There were no signs to suggest this.”

Lahart couldn’t be reached by phone Sunday and didn’t immediately return an e-mail or a message left for him at the school. Regis didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

https://nypost.com/2021/04/11/nyc-regis-hs-priest-getting-ousted-over-sex-misconduct-claims/

Charlyne Yi calls James Franco a ‘sexual predator,’ blasts Seth Rogen

Charlyne Yi ripped into Hollywood pals James Franco and Seth Rogen on Instagram, calling Franco a “sexual predator” and Rogen someone who allegedly “enables” his frequent collaborator.

Yi — who was cast alongside Franco and Rogen in the 2017 film “The Disaster Artist,” which Franco also directed — claims producers tried to “bribe” her when she looked to exit the movie because of Franco.

“When I tried to break legal contract & quit Disaster Artist because James Franco is a sexual predator, they tried to bribe me with a bigger acting role,” she claimed on Instagram. “I cried and told them that that was the exact opposite of what I wanted, that I didn’t feel safe working with a f–king sexual predator.”

Yi, 35, also claimed that since Rogen, 38, was a producer on the movie, “he definitely knows about the bribe and why I quit.”

In 2018, five women — including four of Franco’s acting students — came forward to accuse Franco of sexual misconduct in the past. This past January, a settlement agreement was reached in a lawsuit that alleged the actor of intimidating his students into gratuitous and exploitative sexual situations.

“The Disaster Artist” came out before the bombshell 2018 report, but Yi appeared to be alluding via Instagram to a 2014 incident involving Franco, now 42, allegedly contacting a 17-year-old girl about a hotel meet-up. Franco later said he acted like a “gentleman” and didn’t know the girl’s age.

In her Instagram post, Yi mentioned an “SNL” sketch Rogen performed “enabling Franco … Right after Franco was caught.” Just weeks after the interaction with the teen came to light, Rogen appeared on “SNL” and joked, “I decided to prank James Franco. I posed as a girl on Instagram, told him I was way young. He seemed unfazed. I have a date to meet him at the Ace Hotel.”

Yi and Rogen also worked together on the 2007 flick “Knocked Up.”

Yi said she was speaking out now because April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month.

Page Six has reached out to reps for Franco, Rogen and Yi for comment.

https://pagesix.com/2021/04/11/charlyne-yi-calls-james-franco-a-sexual-predator-blasts-seth-rogen/?_ga=2.204741335.675580292.1618167796-213270289.1618167796

‘Critical Race Theory’ Being Taught at US Army’s West Point: Congressman

A Republican congressman said he is looking for answers from the U.S. Military Academy West Point about whether “critical race theory” is part of instruction for cadets.

Rep. Michael Waltz (R-Fla.) sent a letter to West Point’s superintendent, Lt. Gen. Darryl Williams about “information” that recently came to his “attention from unsettled soldiers, cadets, and families that raises serious concerns about the U.S. Army’s introduction of elements of critical race theory into cadet instruction.”

“While we should always eradicate extremism of all forms from our ranks and never tolerate racism, I am alarmed that this doctrine that focuses our future leaders on race in ways that will be detrimental to unit cohesion, destructive to morale, and strain the readiness of our armed forces,” according to the letter.

Waltz told the Washington Examiner that he was able to speak with Williams.

“We had a brief phone call, he assured me they’re looking into it and assured me that I will promptly get a more formal response laying out what’s being taught and why in more detail,” Waltz told the Washington Examiner, adding, “We’re going to continue to press and get to the bottom of it.”

The congressman, in an interview with Fox News’ Tucker Carlson, said that he got evidence of a West Point lecture, titled, “Understanding Whiteness and White Rage,” adding that some families who spoke to him were disturbed by the content.

“This goes way too far: One of the things that has me so disturbed as a member of the Armed Services Committee and a combat veteran is when you come into the United States Army, is … from day one, you are all the same,” he told Fox.

Waltz, a former U.S. Army green beret, added, “You are told the only skin color you should worry about is camouflage… The enemy’s bullets don’t care about Black, White, or Brown, or political party or race or religion or any of that. And we shouldn’t care about it either as we are teaching the future leaders of the United States Army.”

https://www.ntd.com/critical-race-theory-being-taught-at-us-armys-west-point-congressman_595616.html

New research shows homicides rose in cities that experienced Black Lives Matter protests

Data show police-involved shooting deaths also dropped

The findings come after America experienced one of its most protest-loaded years in recent history following the death of George Floyd. Demonstrations in support of black lives, and against police violence, took place in cities across the U.S., and even garnered international support.

What are the details?

Travis Campbell, a Ph.D. student at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, discovered a significant rise in homicides in American cities where Black Lives Matter protesters demonstrated between 2014 and 2019.

In fact, Campbell found a 10% increase in homicides in such cities, translating to thousands of more-than-expected deaths.

On the other hand, Campbell found that Black Lives Matter protests often resulted in a significant reduction in police-related shooting deaths, the stated goal of protesters.

Vox explained:

From 2014 to 2019, Campbell tracked more than 1,600 BLM protests across the country, largely in bigger cities, with nearly 350,000 protesters. His main finding is a 15 to 20 percent reduction in lethal use of force by police officers — roughly 300 fewer police homicides — in census places that saw BLM protests.

Campbell's research also indicates that these protests correlate with a 10 percent increase in murders in the areas that saw BLM protests. That means from 2014 to 2019, there were somewhere between 1,000 and 6,000 more homicides than would have been expected if places with protests were on the same trend as places that did not have protests.

Why the increase?

Vox suggested two possibilities for the increase in homicides.

"[O]ne possible explanation is that police morale drops following scrutiny, leading officers to reduce their efforts and thereby emboldening criminals. Another is that members of the public voluntarily withdraw from engagements with the police after a police homicide delegitimizes the justice system in their eyes," Vox reported.

https://www.theblaze.com/news/new-research-shows-homicides-rose-in-cities-that-experienced-black-lives-matter-protests