Longtime political consultant charged with embezzling $1.4M from Congressional campaign

CINCINNATI – A political and media consultant has been charged federally with wire fraud and falsification of records related to the embezzlement of more than $1.4 million from a United States Congressional campaign.

A bill of information was filed Tuesday against James R. Schwartz II, 41, of Cincinnati.

From 2011 through 2019, Schwartz worked as a consultant on behalf of Rep. Steve Chabot’s Congressional campaign through his companies Fountain Square Group LLC and Prime Media LLC. Schwartz also served as the de facto treasurer for the campaign.

Schwartz allegedly embezzled funds from the Republican’s Congressional campaign by writing checks to himself and his companies from the campaign that were for more money than he and his companies had actually earned. He allegedly concealed the embezzled funds by misrepresenting the amounts paid to him and his companies in reports to the Federal Election Commission. It is alleged that Schwartz fabricated bank statements and other documents in submissions to the Federal Election Commission in order to conceal his embezzling.

Committing wire fraud and falsifying records in a federal investigation are crimes punishable by up to 20 years in prison.

https://breaking911.com/longtime-political-consultant-charged-with-embezzling-1-4m-from-congressional-campaign/

California Man Pleads Guilty to Scheme to Defraud Afghan Government on U.S. Funded Contract

https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/california-man-pleads-guilty-scheme-defraud-afghan-government-us-funded-contract

THEY LIED: Feds Admit 'Bear Spray' Was NOT Used Against Officer Sicknick

The American people have been fed lie, after lie, after lie about what happened on January 6th.

First we were told Officer Brian Sicknick was "killed by a pro-Trump mob" who bashed him over the head with a fire extinguisher.

After that was proven to be a lie, they arrested two guys and tried to imply they killed him by spraying a powerful "bear spray" at him.

Last week, after over three months of stalling, DC's chief medical examiner admitted Sicknick died of "natural causes" on Jan 7 after suffering two strokes.

On Tuesday, the feds admitted they have no proof that Sicknick was hit with any bear spray.

From Washington Times, "Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick not sprayed with bear spray, prosecutors say":

Prosecutors told a federal judge Tuesday that U.S. Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick was assaulted with Mace — not the more dangerous bear spray as originally reported — debunking another false narrative that emerged after the officer’s death the day after the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol.

The stunning admission by Gilead Light of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia came in open court during a hearing to determine whether two men accused of assaulting Sicknick and two other officers during the riot should remain in jail ahead of their criminal trial.

While Mr. Light said one of the suspects Julian Khater, 32, was holding an aerosol-based bear spray before the assault, he claimed Mace or pepper spray was used on the officers.

"It does appear that the bear spray Mr. Khater was holding before the assault was not used during the actual assault," Mr. Light said. "What was used was a smaller can."

"George Tanios and Julian Khater were arrested March 14 and charged with several crimes including four counts related to possession and use of a 'deadly or dangerous weapon' and for conspiring ahead of time to use the spray against police officers," American Greatness reports. "They've been behind bars ever since. Both were transported to the nation's capital where they joined dozens of January 6 detainees held in solitary confinement in a D.C. jail."

https://www.informationliberation.com/?id=62191

Laredo CBP Officers Seize $1.9 Million in Methamphetamine Over the Weekend

LAREDO, Texas—U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Office of Field Operations (OFO) officers intercepted methamphetamine with an estimated street value of more than $1.9 million in one enforcement action over the weekend.

“Operational vigilance in border security led to this interdiction of methamphetamine, which helps disrupt the flow of illegal narcotics from reaching our communities,” said Acting Port Director Eugene Crawford, Laredo Port of Entry.

A container holds more than 98 pounds of methamphetamine discovered within a vehicle at Juarez-Lincoln Bridge.

A container stores more than 98 pounds of

methamphetamine discovered by CBP officers within

a passenger vehicle at Laredo's Juarez-Lincoln Bridge.

The seizure occurred on Friday, April 23rd, at the Juarez-Lincoln Bridge, when a CBP officer referred a 2010 Chevrolet Malibu for a secondary examination. The vehicle was driven by a 22-year-old male United States citizen making entry from Mexico. Following a canine and non-intrusive imaging system examination, CBP officers discovered a total of 19 packages containing 98.5 pounds of alleged methamphetamine concealed within the vehicle.

The narcotics had an estimated street value of $1,971,794.

CBP seized the narcotics and the vehicle. The driver was arrested, and the case was turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement-Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI) special agents for further investigation.

For more information about CBP, please click on the attached link.

https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/local-media-release/laredo-cbp-officers-seize-19-million-methamphetamine-over-weekend

Six arrested in north Mississippi on child exploitation charges, officials say

JACKSON, Miss. — At least six people were arrested on child exploitation charges duringOperation Blue Rain, the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office announced Tuesday.

The operation was a partnership between Hernando Police and the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office that “involved the use of online, undercover, and traditional investigative actions to locate individuals attempting to lure children to meet for sex or asking them to produce child pornography.”

The United States Department of Homeland Security, Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, Panola County Sheriff’s Office, Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, and the Tishomingo County Sheriff’s Office were also involved in Operation Blue Rain.

“Nothing motivates me more than protecting our children from predators who would rob them of their innocence,” said Attorney General Lynn Fitch. “I would like to thank the law enforcement officers, investigators, and all of our federal, state, and local partners who assisted in Operation Blue Rain for their hard work and continued support in our fight to protect our children and our communities.”

Operation Blue Rain led to the arrest of at least six people on charges related to the sexual exploitation or enticement of minors, as well as three suspects arrested on charges related to narcotics.

The following were arrested and charged as part of Operation Blue Rain:

Michael Murphy, 37, was arrested on allegations of accessing child exploitation material following a search warrant. Murphy was apprehended at his place of employment in Panola County.

Terry Eugene Johnson III, 23, was arrested and charged with child exploitation for enticing a child. Johnson made arrangements to meet the child for sexually explicit conduct at a location in DeSoto County.

Rick Russell, 21, was arrested in DeSoto County and charged with child exploitation for enticing a child to meet for sexually explicit conduct.

Johnny Allen Polnitz, 23, was arrested for possession of drug paraphernalia in DeSoto County.

Tailya Tanee Smith, 20, was arrested for possession of drug paraphernalia in DeSoto County.

Deaundra Donelle Wilson, 29, was arrested in DeSoto County and charged with child exploitation for enticing a child to meet for sexually explicit conduct.

Johnathan Deshaun Ford, 21, was arrested in DeSoto County and charged with child exploitation for enticing a child to meet for sexually explicit conduct.

Jermichael Parker, 26, was arrested for possession of drug paraphernalia in DeSoto County.

Richard Carter, 62, who is already a registered sex offender, was arrested on charges originating from the State of Florida. Pending charges allege Carter sexually abused a minor in Mississippi and Florida. Mississippi investigators located Carter and collected evidence from Carter’s residence in Tishomingo County.

Investigations are still ongoing and may result in additional arrests, according to the Attorney General’s Office.

https://www.fox13memphis.com/news/local/six-arrested-north-mississippi-child-exploitation-charges-officials-say/WN2ZEULPMRFB5HGA53FKVF6UXA/

9 people arrested on sexual exploitation, narcotics charges in undercover sting

Nine people are behind bars after an undercover sting to bust child predators.

The week-long effort known as Operation Blue Rain involved the use of online, undercover, and traditional investigative work to locate people attempting to lure children to meet for sex or asking them to produce child pornography.

The Mississippi Attorney General’s Office and the Hernando Police Department teamed up and rallied the help of five other county and federal agents who say more arrests could come.

Here are the people arrested and charged as part of Operation Blue Rain:

Michael Murphy, 37, was arrested on allegations of accessing child exploitation material following a search warrant.

Terry Eugene Johnson III, 23, was arrested and charged with child exploitation for enticing a child. Johnson made arrangements to meet the child for sexually explicit conduct at a location in DeSoto County.

Rick Russell, 21, was arrested in DeSoto County and charged with child exploitation for enticing a child to meet for sexually explicit conduct.

Deaundre Donelle Wilson, 29, was arrested in DeSoto County and charged with child exploitation for enticing a child to meet for sexually explicit conduct.

Johnathan Deshaun Ford, 21, was arrested in DeSoto County and charged with child exploitation for enticing a child to meet for sexually explicit conduct.

Richard Carter, 62, who is already a registered sex offender, was arrested on charges originating from the State of Florida. Pending charges allege Carter sexually abused a minor in Mississippi and Florida.

https://www.wlbt.com/2021/04/27/people-arrested-sexual-exploitation-narcotics-charges-undercover-sting/

Alabama state trooper arrested on child sex charges

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — An Alabama state trooper arrested on charges of sexually abusing a child was placed on leave from work, police said.

Montgomery police began an investigation that resulted in trooper Christopher Bauer, 41, being charged with sexual abuse of a child younger than 12, sodomy and other sex-related offenses.

Bauer was being held in the Montgomery County jail with bail set at $105,000, news outlets reported. Court records were not available Wednesday to show whether Bauer had an attorney who could speak on his behalf.

Authorities didn’t release any details about the charges, which remained under investigation. The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency said Bauer was put on leave after police began investigating.

https://apnews.com/article/arrests-alabama-c5ce99000280e83201905861bdab2a5b

Michigan Senate approves creation of child abuse offenders registry

LANSING, MI - In 2013, Erica Hammell received a call from her ex-husband about their 1-year-old son Wyatt.

The St. Clair Shores mother heard over the phone that her son was transported to Children’s Hospital of Michigan in Detroit for treatment of a massive brain hemorrhage, according to the hospital. The father’s girlfriend at the time, Rachel Edwards, was later charged with abusing Wyatt, who survived the ordeal.

She pleaded no contest to second-degree child abuse and is now serving two years and 10 months to 10 years in prison, according to state corrections records. Before that, Edwards served two probation sentences for previous child abuse offenses, according to Macomb County Court records.

State lawmakers have since worked with Hammell to create “Wyatt’s Law.” The legislation would create a registry of child abuse offenders maintained by the Michigan State Police, allowing parents to search for red flags in the background of anyone involved with caring for their children.

On Wednesday, Wyatt’s Law took a big step towards enactment.

The Michigan Senate approved Senate Bill 371 by a wide bipartisan vote of 33-2 on April 28. Sen. Curtis Hertel, D-East Lansing, is the main bill sponsor. Republicans such as Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey, R-Clarklake, and Democrats such as Sen. Adam Hollier, D-Detroit, also co-sponsored.

“Sometimes great things happen from great tragedy,” Hertel said on the Senate floor. “Anybody that has met Wyatt would know that.”

The bill would create a computerized registry of people convicted of child abuse in Michigan maintained by MSP. Other provisions include:

The database would include each individual’s legal name and aliases, their date of birth, what municipality they list in their residential address and a brief summary of convictions.

A requirement that the state police maintain a website for public use with basic information on offenders. Information such as the name of the victim, an individual’s social security number, any arrests not resulting in a conviction, email addresses used by the offender and ID numbers would still be private.

A requirement that the registry is shared with regional state police posts, local law enforcement agencies and sheriff’s departments.

Use of nonpublic, private information by someone other than the individual registered in the database would be a misdemeanor offense punishable by up to a year in prison or a $1,000 fine.

The implementation of the child abuse offender registry would cost approximately $5 million to start and $2.5 million annually to maintain, according to Senate Fiscal Agency analysis. This is based on costs to run Michigan’s sex offender registry, which is also run by state police.

Hertel praised the bravery of Hammell to push forward with the legislation, knowing that it could bring back the trauma Wyatt and she suffered eight years ago.

“Instead, they took that moment in their lives, that tragedy in their lives and are using it to invest in all children in Michigan,” he said.

There were 27,894 confirmed victims of child abuse in 2020, according to statistics from the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s Kid Count Data Center. A year earlier, that number was 35,636 victims.

Wyatt’s Law would be a “tool” for parents, law enforcement and social workers to make “informed decisions” on the wellbeing of children, Hertel said.

“Legislation like this is why I - and I’m certain many of you - got into public service in the first place,” he told his fellow state senators. “This bill identified a problem in our system, and if it is solved, it will make Michigan a better and safer place to live and raise a family.”

The bill now heads to the House for further deliberation. If approved there with no amendments or revisions, it would head to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s desk for potential enactment.

https://www.mlive.com/public-interest/2021/04/michigan-senate-approves-creation-of-child-abuse-offenders-registry.html

Wellton Agents Make Significant Desert Meth Seizure

YUMA, Ariz. – Wellton Border Patrol agents thwarted their third major bust in three days. The methamphetamine smuggling attempt occurred in the desert south of Dateland, Arizona, on Tuesday.

Yuma agents seized $196K worth of meth near Dateland, AZ.

Yuma agents seized $196K worth of meth near

Dateland, AZ.

At approximately 9:30 a.m., agents detected, tracked and apprehended a group of six migrants attempting to smuggle 109 pounds of methamphetamine in backpacks. When agents encountered the group in the Mohawk valley east of the Sierra Pinta Mountains, the migrants tried to flee the area. A Yuma Air Branch air interdiction agent monitored the migrants and guided agents on the ground to their location.

All migrants in the group were arrested and transported to the Wellton station for further processing and the methamphetamine, which has an estimated value of $196,000, was seized.

https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/local-media-release/wellton-agents-make-significant-desert-meth-seizure

Nestlé ordered to stop diverting spring water from San Bernardino Forest

Nestlé has been ordered to stop taking spring water from the San Bernardino National Forest for its bottled water products. The decision, made by California’s Water Resources Control Board, comes after a probe into Nestlé’s use of spring water found multiple violations and excessive resource depletion. The company has spent years taking the spring water to package and sell it.

The order comes at a time when the state has been ramping up action to conserve water following worsening drought conditions. California is currently facing water scarcity due to persistent droughts over the past decade. Just earlier this week, Governor Gavin Newsom announced a regional drought emergency affecting two northern counties. In his announcement, Newsom requested state agencies to take necessary measures to stop the situation from getting worse.

The order by the Water Resources Control Board has been a long time coming. There have been several complaints about Nestlé’s use of natural spring water, some dating back several years. An online petition against Nestlé Waters North America from 2015 outlined the negative impacts of the company’s actions on the community, including shortages of water downstream.

Jule Rizzardo, assistant deputy director for the Division of Water Rights, has condemned Nestlé’s actions, saying that the spring water diversions have been ongoing against recommendations to stop the resource depletion.

“It is concerning that these diversions are continuing despite recommendations from the initial report, and while the state is heading into a second dry year,” Rizzardo said.

Nestlé has been given a 20-day period, within which it can respond to the directive with a request for a hearing. Failure to respond may result in a final order. If adopted, the order may limit the company’s surface stream diversions to pre-1914 water rights. Nestlé may also be required to submit an annual report to monitor its water consumption.

In the Strawberry Creek watershed alone, Nestlé has over 13 water sites where the water is redirected to a facility for bottling. The Strawberry Creek watershed is a vital tributary of the Santa Ana River, and such diversions affect the availability of water downstream.

https://www.blacklistednews.com/article/79800/nestl%C3%A9-ordered-to-stop-diverting-spring-water-from-san-bernardino.html

CEO Of $2 Billion Startup Fired For "Microdosing" On LSD At Work

Psychedelic drugs have been a hot topic in the financial press this week. Between the hallucinatory experiences of a German billionaire, and the market debut of 'magic mushroom' company MindMed eliciting talk of a "shroom boom", most of that coverage has been refreshingly positive. But that changed Tuesday morning when Bloomberg reported that the CEO of a $2 billion startup has been unceremoniously fired for "microdosing" with LSD at work.

The board of Marketing startup Iterable dismissed the CEO, Justin Zhu, for taking LSD before a meeting back in 2019. Zhu told Bloomberg he had "experimented" by taking a small amount of the drug (a practice known as "microdosing") in an attempt to boost his focus. Looking back, he probably should have kept this information to himself.

https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/ceo-2-billion-startup-fired-microdosing-lsd-work

OUTRAGEOUS: FISA Court Signs Off on Warrantless Surveillance Again Despite Numerous FBI Abuses

FISA Court judges have excused another year of FISA abuse by the FBI and signed off on their desire to do it again in 2021.

Americans woke up to the FISA Court in 2017 when we learned about material criminal actions that the FBI participated in during the Obama years. We also learned by 2020 and 2021 that the FBI would not investigate or prosecute 2020 Election fraud cases, convincing all Americans that the FBI was truly corrupted.

In spite of all this, we now find out that the FBI continued its criminal ways from the Obama Administration into the Trump Administration and yet the FISA Courts, who know this, decided to give the FBI another chance. The Washington Examiner reports:

The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court’s presiding judge signed off on the sweeping surveillance powers held by federal spy agencies, a newly declassified yearly report shows, despite finding “widespread violations” of the FBI’s rules related to handling and searching the massive number of emails and other intercepts collected without a warrant.

Judge James Boasberg, the top judge on the FISA court, issued a 67-page ruling in November, which was made public on Monday, dealing with FBI analyst searches of information on U.S. citizens in emails and other data sources that the National Security Agency has collected. Despite a number of problems highlighted by the judge, similar to those highlighted in a December 2019 ruling by the FISA court, Boasberg gave the green light to the NSA’s warrantless surveillance program, authorized under Section 702 of the FISA Amendments Act, for another year.

The program stems from U.S. tech companies assisting the NSA overseas with intercepting the communications of foreign targets — some of whom are communicating with U.S. citizens. Despite improper searches by the bureau, the judge largely gave the FBI a pass, arguing many of the violations occurred before newly implemented reforms from the bureau were put in place.

“While the Court is concerned about the apparent widespread violations of the querying standard … it lacks sufficient information at this time to assess the adequacy of the FBI system changes and training, post-implementation,” Boasberg concluded. “Under these unique circumstances, and in the absence of evidence to the contrary, the Court is willing to again conclude that the improper queries described above do not undermine it’s prior determination that, with implementation of the documentation requirement, the FBI’s querying and minimization procedures meet statutory and Fourth Amendment requirements.”

This isn’t the first time the FBI lied to the FISA Court. In 2016 John Carlin lied to the FISA Court and he is now Acting Deputy AG under Biden.

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2021/04/outrageous-fisa-court-signs-off-warrantless-surveillance-despite-numerous-fbi-abuses/

Report: Joe Biden Plans to Ban Menthol Cigarettes

President Joe Biden plans to ban menthol cigarettes despite concerns from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) that it would fuel racial injustice.

The ban on menthol cigarettes will be announced this week, according to CBS News and The Washington Post, citing people “familiar with the plan.”

The ACLU warned Biden the ban would have “serious racial justice implications” for people of color and more “negative interactions with local law enforcement.”

“Banning menthol cigarettes risks massive setbacks to our criminal justice system at precisely the moment we should be advancing reform,” the letter obtained by CBS News read.

But some public health organizations support banning menthol cigarettes because they are targeted at black smokers.

“For generations, tobacco companies have promoted menthol cigarettes to the African American community, preying especially on African American youth. The results are clear and grim,” said American Medical President Susan R. Bailey, MD said in a statement supporting the ban.

Over 20 million Americans smoke menthol cigarettes, according to the Food and Drug Administration, but a ban would not go into effect immediately.

The Wall Street Journal reported last week that the Biden administration was also considering a requirement for all tobacco companies to lower the amount of nicotine in all cigarettes.

The White House has declined to comment on the record about their plans for new cigarette regulations.

“We will review a range of policy options in line with the President’s public health goals,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said.

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2021/04/28/report-joe-biden-plans-to-ban-menthol-cigarettes/

Moment police pull elderly Christian preacher, 71, off his podium and ARREST him for making 'homophobic statements' - after 'he refused to stop reading from Genesis 1 that God made 'only two genders' and families should be 'headed by a father and mother'

Women heard shouting 'this is a Christian country' as the preacher is led away

Police said they had received complaints about his 'homophobic comments'

Preacher arrested under Public Order Act before being released without charge

This is the moment police pulled an elderly Christian preacher off his podium and arrested him for making 'homophobic statements' - after supporters say he refused to stop reading from the Bible about how God wanted families to be headed by a 'father and a mother'.

Two women can be heard shouting 'this is a Christian country' as two policemen lead the 71-year-old man away when he refused to stop addressing the crowd outside Uxbridge Station in West London.

Police said they had received complaints the man had been making 'allegedly homophobic comments' and arrested him under the Public Order Act, which can be used under the vague proviso that someone is using 'abusive or insulting words' that cause 'harm' to someone else. He was later released without charge.

A statement posted to a Christian Facebook his supporters read: 'Whilst he was preaching, he expounded the final verses of Genesis 1, declaring that God's purpose in creating mankind was to set human beings in families, headed by a father and a mother, not by two fathers, or by two mothers.

'The distinction within mankind of just two genders, male and female, made in the image of God, constitutes the essence of God's created order.'

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9521123/Moment-police-arrest-elderly-preacher-71-street-quoting-homophobic-statements-Bible.html

Woman whose scientist father plied her with bootleg alcohol to rape her from the age of 11 and performed DIY abortions after getting her pregnant twice shares her harrowing story in a new book

WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT

Kim Chown, 52, from Darlington, Durham spoke of horrific abuse suffered at hands of dad Francis Beaumont

Paedophile father was renowned microbiologist and lecturer at prestigious universities around the world

She lived a life of forced depravity and rape at his hands - shares experiences in book Who Will Believe You?

A woman who was force fed bootleg alcohol and repeatedly raped by her scientist father from the age of 11 has told of her childhood from hell in a devastating new book.

On the face of it, Kim Chown, now 56, from Darlington, County Durham, was the daughter of a respectable scientist and university lecturer who worked around the developing world, moving from Nigeria, Sudan and Brunei to Papua New Guinea and the Atlantic island of St Helena.

But behind closed doors, tragic Kim lived a life of forced depravity, rape, sexual abuse and botched DIY abortions all at the hands of her paedophile father.

Francis Beaumont, known as Bernard, a microbiologist and histology expert who was an 'esteemed lecturer at universities around the world', even threatened to dissolve his daughter in an acid bath if she ever told of the sickening years of abuse she had suffered.

Kim's parents married in 1960, and she spent her early years in Nigeria and the Sudan with both her parents, who separated in 1968, with her mother taking her four children back to Leeds.

At the age of 11, Kim's father took her away for what was meant to be a six-week holiday to Kenya, but he kept her with him to endure a sickening catalogue of abuse.

In 2018, he was finally brought to justice and jailed for 20 years for five counts of rape, after Kim's husband eventually persuaded her to report him to the police.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-9516949/Woman-repeatedly-raped-scientist-father-tells-childhood-new-book.html

Command Master Chief Resigns at Coast Guard Academy; Investigation Underway

The Coast Guard's senior enlisted leader, Command Master Chief Brett VerHulst, resigned his duties at the Coast Guard Academy on Tuesday and is being investigated over alleged inappropriate conduct.

A spokesman said Wednesday that the Coast Guard Investigative Service is looking into the case but declined to say more about it, citing the investigation.

"The Coast Guard cannot provide details at this time in order to preserve the integrity of the investigation and to protect the Coast Guard's ability to take appropriate final action," said Cmdr. David Milne, an academy spokesman.

Academy Superintendent Rear Adm. Bill Kelly sent an email to staff Tuesday afternoon announcing the resignation, Milne confirmed.

The news was first reported by Navy Times.

VerHulst remains in the service and has been assigned to the Coast Guard Research and Development Center in New London, Connecticut.

He had served as the academy's command master chief since 2017. According to his academy bio, his primary duty was to serve as an adviser to Kelly on "issues and initiatives pertaining to the entire Coast Guard Academy workforce."

"Further, he helps to carry out command intent and facilitates communications and the effective functioning of the organizational chain of command," the biography states.

Before his orders to New London, he served as command master chief for the 17th Coast Guard District in Juneau, Alaska. He has served on three Coast Guard cutters and held assignments in Massachusetts, Oregon, Louisiana, California and Virginia, in addition to Alaska and Connecticut.

Master Chief Anthony Schell will serve as interim command master chief; Master Chief Maria D'Angelo is expected to become the academy's next permanent command master chief this summer.

VerHulst did not respond to a request for comment.

https://www.military.com/daily-news/2021/04/28/command-master-chief-resigns-coast-guard-academy-investigation-underway.html

300 persons rescued from traffickers in 2020

About 300 persons were rescued from trafficking rings in 2020 despite the prevalence of COVID-19, with about 50 cases still pending in court, it was learnt yesterday.

Director-General of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) Imaan Suleiman-Ibrahim stated this when she visited Governor Bababjide Sanwo-Olu at the Lagos House in Ikeja.

Suleiman-Ibrahim, who lamented the growing trend of human trafficking and drug abuse, sought the state’s support to address it from the preventive angle. She also praised Sanwo-Olu’s leadership style and the government’s efforts at combating COVID-19.

Sanwo-Olu pledged his administration’s continued support for NAPTIP towards reducing the menace.

The governor, who identified human trafficking and drug abuse as major challenges in the country, urged NAPTIP not to rest on its oars at combating the menace.

https://thenationonlineng.net/300-persons-rescued-from-traffickers-in-2020/

Slaver appeals sentence and conviction in New Zealand's first slave case

How slavery is defined has been the basis of a hearing in the Court of Appeal for the first man in New Zealand sentenced for using someone as a slave.

Joseph Auga Matamata,​ 66, was sentenced to 11 years last year by Justice Helen Cull in the High Court at Napier after being found guilty after a jury trial in March of 10 charges of trafficking people and 13 charges of dealing in slaves.

The names of those involved are suppressed.

A reparation order of $183,000 was also made against Matamata.

Matamata’s lawyer Nick Chisnall asked whether slavery meant the complete deprivation of liberty or was it a degradation of liberties?

“Is it all or nothing?”

The Crown’s case was that over 24 years Matamata lured Samoan citizens to New Zealand by leading them to believe they would earn big money, then reduced them to “chattels”, exposing them to degradation, and humiliation for his own financial gain.

He was trusted by his victims due to his position as chief, or matai, in Samoa, and they believed, wrongly, that he would ensure they were in the country legally.

He had said he was a father figure to the victims.

Matamata is appealing his conviction and sentence while the Solicitor-General is appealing the sentence.

Chisnall agreed with the Court of Appeal judges that this was a case of economic servitude rather than a case where people were sold.

He said the issue was how modern slavery was approached.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/124963843/slaver-appeals-sentence-and-conviction-in-new-zealands-first-slave-case

FEAR-MONGERING FAIL! — Arizona Court Rules Maricopa County Audit Will Go On – No Temporary Restraining Order!

The Maricopa County Audit Will Go On.

The news out of Arizona is that the Maricopa County audit will go on.

GOP Chairwoman Dr. Kelli Ward tweeted this out moments ago.

For the record — TRO means temporary restraining order

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2021/04/fear-mongering-fail-arizona-court-rules-maricopa-county-audit-will-go-no-temporary-restraining-order/

China tells Australia to abandon its 'Cold War mentality' while criticising our politicians

China has criticised Australian politicians for making remarks that "instigate confrontation" after weeks of warnings of conflict in the Indo-Pacific were followed by Home Affairs Secretary Mike Pezzullo using a staff address to say "drums of war" are beating in the region.

Key points:

Relations between China and Australia have soured over the past 12 months

Current and former politicians in Australia have warned of potential military conflict with China recently

China's Foreign Ministry spokesman has criticised Australia for what he labelled a "Cold War mentality"

In his Wednesday press conference Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian, called Australia's politicians the "real troublemakers" and declared Australia's hyping of a China threat "unethical".

He also said Australia had long benefited from its relationship with China, which in recent times has deteriorated since Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne called for an investigation into the origins of COVID-19.

"As a country that has long benefited from cooperation with China, it is unethical for Australia to hype a 'China threat' theory, nor is the allegation consistent with facts," he said.

"It will end up hurting itself.

Some of that hurt has already occurred as China has come down heavily on several Australian industries with trade bans and heavy tariffs — and now Mr Zhao has accused Australia of operating with a Cold War mentality against China.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-04-29/china-warns-australia-over-old-war-mentality/100102896

Politico’s Playbook Is A Perfect Encapsulation Of The Self-Obsessed, Out-Of-Touch Reality Of Corporate Media

How, you might ask, could Politico's Playbook possibly report on a country they don't even begin to understand, never mind defend its morality? It's delusion, of course.

It’s completely normal for parents to put masks on children over the age of two while they are playing “in uncrowded outdoor spaces.” Oh, and Tucker Carlson is “a self-styled anti-nanny state libertarian.”

All that and a bag of chips if you read Politico’s Playbook newsletter Tuesday morning. Of course, those observations were scattered in with a number of pat progressive pronouncements about X being scientific and Y being racist, all sans any supporting evidence.

But what made the mask claim and the libertarian characterization stand out isn’t that we have different politics or simply disagree, as is normal to do. Rather, it’s just how uninformed by reality those observations are. They betray not simply a lack of understanding or really even attention to current events (although they do both of those things). They also substitute understanding with lazy and dated “conventional wisdom,” which is to say, “caricatures.”

Let’s start with Tucker, because that one’s fun. The paragraphs leading the newsletter are titled “IS TUCKER CARLSON LOSING HIS MIND?” and try to parse what the four authors of the newsletter call the recent changing tone of the host of one of cable’s most-watched programs, which they characterize as “especially strange for a self-styled anti-nanny state libertarian.”

Now, in order to think that Tucker Carlson is “a self-styled anti-nanny state libertarian,” you would have to rely on caricatures of the man from literally the early 2000s when he co-hosted CNN’s “Crossfire.” You would have had to have been completely unaware of his nightly broadcasts for the past nearly five years of his show. Or of the article he wrote for Politico Magazine itself months before that show debuted. I worked for him back then at The Daily Caller, and while the man once held some libertarian views, the conservatism of men like Patrick Buchanan was far more evident in his opinions, writing, and public appearances than any childish claptrap.

But whatever. It’s just a TV show, right? Well, not quite, because “Tucker Carlson Tonight” is almost certainly the most influential public thinker and media figure on the right. His politics helped influence the policies of the last president’s administration, often curtailing Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump’s more liberal impulses. And no person besides former President Donald Trump has remotely as much sway over the GOP’s base as Tucker does.

https://thefederalist.com/2021/04/28/politicos-playbook-is-a-perfect-encapsulation-of-the-self-obsessed-out-of-touch-reality-of-corporate-media/

Wisconsin Democrat received rental income from massage parlor that advertised on illicit websites

A Democratic congressman from Wisconsin reportedly made thousands of dollars by renting a property to a massage parlor that advertised on websites that list spas where illicit sexual services are sold.

Financial disclosures from Rep. Ron Kind (D-Wis.) show he earned between $15,001 and $50,000 in rental income from a building he rented in La Crosse, Wisconsin, in 2018 and 2019, Fox News reported.

One of the tenants at Kind's property, Asian Sunny Massage, previously known as Impression Spa, reportedly advertised on several illicit websites that direct prospective clients to places where they can illegally buy sexual services.

One such website called RubMaps has previously been described as a "Yelp for sex spas," or brothels that pose as massage parlors and have been linked to human trafficking and sex slavery.

Fox News reported:

Impression Spa first opened in April 2018 and an ad appeared on BodyRubsMap on its opening day. BodyRubsMap has advertised itself as the "best alternative to Backpage," a now-seized website known as "the largest online U.S. marketplace for sex trafficking."

AssortList is a website similar to Craigslist and Backpage, with categories including dating and massages, but also "adult" services including phone sex, escorts, strippers and strip clubs.

While the website did not list "massages" under the "dating" or "adult" categories, the advertisements posted by Impression Spa were placed under the "Women Men" subsection of dating.

Fox News linked to several Facebook posts from Impression Spa posted in 2019 that included screenshots from advertisements on AssortList featuring suggestive photos of women and the spa's contact information.

Some of the comments on these Facebook posts complained that there were "no professional boundaries to the clients" at the alleged massage parlor. Another comment complained that his "actual massage was terrible" and said the owner of the establishment told him, "no money no honey."

In a statement to Fox News, the owner of Asian Sunny Massage, Jie Yang, denied that the parlor performed any other service besides providing massages.

Yang claimed that her business only advertises on Google. When confronted with screenshots from the illicit websites, Yang said her "manager" was responsible for advertising but refused to let Fox News speak to the manager, saying they would only speak with police.

Rep. Kind declined to comment to Fox News on the story.

Kind has represented Wisconsin's 3rd Congressional District in the U.S. House since 1997, though in recent years the district has swung rightward. In the 2016 presidential election, the district went for Donald Trump, who received 49% of the vote to Hillary Clinton's 45%. Former President Trump also won the district in the 2020 election, expanding his share of the vote to 51.5%. Kind won re-election in 2020, narrowly defeating his Republican challenger Derrick Van Orden 51.3% to 48.6%.

https://www.theblaze.com/news/wisconsin-democrat-rental-income-massage-parlor

Rudy Giuliani responds to the feds raiding his NYC apartment

Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani on Wednesday accused federal agents of ignoring copies of Hunter Biden’s computer hard drives when they raided his apartment — and blamed the investigation of him on “Trump Derangement Syndrome.”

In a statement released by his lawyer, Giuliani said the FBI “steadfastly declined” to take the hard drives when he “offered them on several occasions.”

“Keep in mind that the agents could not read the physical hard drives without plugging them in, but they took Mr. Giuliani’s word that the hard drives were copies of Hunter Biden’s hard drive and did not contain anything pertaining to Mr. Giuliani,” the statement said.

“Their reliance on Mr. Giuliani’s credibility tells you everything you need to know about this case.”

The statement from lawyer Robert Costello described Wednesday’s action against Giuliani as an example of how the Justice Department is “running rough shod over the constitutional rights of anyone involved in, or legally defending, former President Donald J. Trump.”

“It is outrageous that the Trump Derangement Syndrome has gone so far that hatred has driven this unjustified and unethical attack on the United States Attorney and Mayor who did more to reduce crime than virtually any other in American history,” the statement said.

https://nypost.com/2021/04/28/rudy-giuliani-responds-to-feds-raiding-his-nyc-apartment/

CT Senate Passes Bill to Remove Religious Exemptions for Child Vaccinations

(NBC Connecticut) – The Connecticut Senate has passed a bill that would remove the religious exemption for childhood vaccinations.

The Senate vote was 22-14.

The controversial bill drew huge crowds to the Capitol on Tuesday. People lined Capitol Avenue all the way down to the Legislative Office Building, holding up signs that say “Parents call the shots,” “My body, my kids, my choice,” and “Coercion is not consent.”

They oppose the move to remove the religious exemption clause for child vaccinations.

Proponents of the bill argue that a highly contagious disease like measles could overwhelm a school with a low herd immunity rate and adversely affect those children who can’t receive a vaccine for medical reasons.

“All we’re doing is closing a loophole for nonmedical exemption,” said Sen. Bob Duff, Senate majority leader. “People are abusing quote unquote religious exemptions for non-religious reasons only because they don’t believe in health and science.”

Duff said the bill will grandfather in students attending K-12 with non-medical exemptions. Those not yet enrolled in school wouldn’t be able to enroll unless they have had their vaccinations for things like measles, mumps and rubella. The only exemption allowed would be for medical reasons.

https://www.naturalblaze.com/2021/04/ct-senate-passes-bill-to-remove-religious-exemptions-for-child-vaccinations.html

Government Official Who Approved Improper Spying On Trump Staffer Tapped For Spy Court Advisory Role

Former Justice Department official Mary McCord will serve in an advisory role for the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court earlier this month.

McCord was one of the officials who reviewed and approved warrants to surveil former Trump campaign aide Carter Page.

The FISC, which approved the warrants in 2016 and 2017, later excoriated government officials for providing false and misleading information about Page and the infamous Steele dossier.

Mary McCord, a former Justice Department official who approved efforts to snoop on former Trump campaign aide Carter Page, has been appointed to advise the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court.

The same court excoriated government officials in late 2019 for providing misleading information in four applications to surveil Page, who served as a Trump campaign national security adviser.

The surveillance court appointed McCord, who served as assistant attorney general for national security through May 2017, to be an amicus curiae on April 15.

The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC) relies on eight amicus curiae to provide advice and expertise on matters related to foreign intelligence collection.

McCord, who currently works at Georgetown University, helped oversee Crossfire Hurricane, the FBI’s investigation of the Trump campaign’s possible ties to Russia. She also took part in the process of reviewing an application the FBI submitted for Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) warrants against Page, a former Naval officer who joined the Trump team in March 2016.

McCord is named 25 times in a Justice Department inspector general (IG) report that details a series of missteps by government officials during the Crossfire Hurricane probe.

While McCord is not criticized in the IG report, she did review and ultimately approve the flawed FISA applications against Page.

The IG report identified 17 “significant” errors and omissions in the FBI’s applications for warrants to surveil Page.

Most of the errors were committed by FBI agents and officials and involved with the bureau’s handling of information from former British spy Christopher Steele.

https://dailycaller.com/2021/04/28/mary-mccord-fisa-carter-page/

Google’s Parent Company Doubles Profits Thanks to Pandemic Advertising Boom

Google’s parent company Alphabet has reportedly more than doubled its profits after companies massively invested in digital advertising to reach people working and interacting online during the coronavirus pandemic.

The Times reports that profits at Google-parent Alphabet have more than doubled this year due to a major increase in advertising investment from companies attempting to reach people working online during the coronavirus pandemic.

Alphabet has been largely boosted by “elevated consumer activity online” as it again beat Wall Street’s expectations. The tech giant’s revenue jumped by 34 percent to $55.31 billion in a record-breaking first quarter, bringing its overall net profits to $17.93 billion.

Alphabet’s shares are now on track to reach a new high following the earnings report. Alphabet is now valued at more than $1.5 trillion and makes more money from digital advertising than any other company.

Alphabet sells advertising space on Google’s search engine and YouTube video platform among many other websites. Alphabet also develops smartphones and has businesses in the self-driving vehicle and healthcare industries.

Sales within Alphabet’s Google search business rose by 30 percent to $31.88 billion. YouTube’s advertising revenues increased by 49 percent to $6.01 billion. Google’s fast-growing cloud computing division saw a 46 percent jump in sales, hitting $4.05 billion.

The figures are released as Alphabet faces mounting scrutiny from regulators attempting to curb the company’s market dominance. Alphabet has further announced that its board approved a $50 billion share buyback program.

Other American tech giants saw impressive earnings this week, with Microsoft surpassing expectations amid continued demand for its Azure cloud computing service and Xbox video game consoles. Microsoft saw its revenue increase by 19 percent to $41.7 billion.

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella commented: “Over a year into the pandemic, digital adoption curves aren’t slowing down. They’re accelerating and it’s just the beginning.”

https://www.breitbart.com/tech/2021/04/28/googles-parent-company-doubles-profits-thanks-to-pandemic-advertising-boom/