>Morning, frenz
Fake News NYT and Fake News Washington Post change one word in the talking point headline.
I guess they aren't that creative when it's a 1pm talking point
Ray Epps,focusof a Jan. 6 conspiracy theory, is charged in Capitol riot
Epps has sued Fox News, Tucker Carlson for repeatedly accusing him of being a government agent
By Tom Jackman
Updated September 19, 2023 at 5:20 p.m. EDT|Published September 19, 2023 at 1:37 p.m. EDT
https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2023/09/19/ray-epps-jan6-conspiracy-theory-charged/
Ray Epps, Target of Jan. 6 Conspiracy Theory, Charged in CapitolAttack
By Alan Feuer
Sept. 19, 2023
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/19/us/politics/ray-epps-jan-6-conspiracy-theory-charged.html
>Mornin' Ralph… Please pass the Covfefe.
>I guess they aren't that creative when it's a 1pm talking point
<muh conspiracy theory
Check the only Epps story on Google News US section today
Looks like she may have died suddenly
Local News
JoAnne Epps, Temple University's acting president, dies
philadelphia
By Tom Ignudo, Jessica Macaulay, Aziza Shuler
September 20, 2023 / 5:26 AM / CBS Philadelphia
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – JoAnne Epps, Temple University's beloved acting president, died on Tuesday, the university said. She was 72 years old.
Epps became ill during a memorial service at Temple for Charles L. Blockson, a curator of the Blockson Collection. She was then taken to Temple University Hospital for further treatment and pronounced dead at around 3:15 p.m., the university said.
"She had an amazing ability to be the calming force in troubled waters and pull everyone together and was a pleasure to work for, made every day coming into work fun and was steering the Temple ship in the right direction," Ken Kaiser, the senior vice president and chief operating officer of Temple, said. "I think it's just a gut punch right now. It's hard."
Temple officials didn't disclose a cause for Epps' death. A doctor from Temple University Hospital said Epps, who first joined Temple's faculty in 1985, suffered a "sudden episode" during the event and resuscitation efforts weren't successful.
Gregory Mandel, the senior vice president and provost at Temple, said the Board of Trustees will meet on Wednesday to put together a plan as the university manages through the transition period.
The university will have a vigil at the Bell Tower at noon on Wednesday to honor Epps.
"We're all in deep grief and at a loss for words. We grieve for JoAnne's family, her friends and our Temple community," said Mandel, who was emotional during the news conference at Temple Hospital.
Mandel said after Epps' sudden passing, he started thinking of memories throughout his time on North Broad. He said Epps was a friend ever since he joined Temple's law faculty in 2007.
"We've worked together in several different capacities over the years," Mandel said. "She's been an extraordinary leader, she's been a mentor for me and many others, she's been a close confidant."
"President Epps represented the best part of the Temple community, devoting nearly 40 years of her life to supporting us, as my colleague Ken said in man different capacities," he added. "We will all get through this. The university has a spectacularly strong community and we will get through this together."
Epps didn't retire and went on to become Temple's acting president in April after Jason Wingard, the university's first Black president, resigned due to her "love for the university," Mandel said.
Epps, a Cheltenham, Pennsylvania native, had several roles at Temple. She was the dean of Temple Beasley School of Law from 2008-16 until she became the university's executive vice president and provost in 2016. Epps was eventually replaced by Mandel as the provost in 2021.
Epps was also an assistant U.S. Attorney in Philadelphia and a deputy city attorney in Los Angeles.
Before Temple named Epps acting president, Wingard's tenure was filled with criticisms from students, faculty and alumni as the university community dealt with crime around campus and the fatal shooting of Temple University Police Sgt. Christopher Fitzgerald.
Wingard's time at Temple lasted less than two years.
kek
no it doesn't
Ray Epps Charged Over Jan. 6 Riot,Dealing Major Blow to Tucker Carlson’s Conspiracy Theory
Jennifer Bowers BahneySep 19th, 2023, 11:52 am
Ray Epps, who was the subject of a conspiracy theory promoted by former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, has been charged with one count related to the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol.
According to court documents, Epps was charged with a misdemeanor count of disorderly or disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds. According to NBC News, “He was charged by information, which suggests that he plans to enter a plea deal.”
The former marine and one-time chapter president for the far-right Oath Keepers said he went to the Capitol on Jan. 6 in support of then-President Donald Trump. According to The New York Times, Epps was “seen on video encouraging demonstrators to march with him and enter the Capitol at one point. At another point, however, he pleads for restraint once it becomes clear the situation is turning violent. He also pushes past a police barricade into a restricted part of the Capitol grounds.”
The fact that Epps wasn’t immediately charged with any wrongdoing became fodder for Carlson, who promoted the theory that Epps was really an undercover agent used by the FBI to rile up the crowd outside the Capitol. Other supporters of Trump in the media latched on to the theory, which placed blame for the violence not on Trump and his supporters but on shadowy government forces.
Epps’ hometown newspaper The Arizona Republic reported:
Carlson ratcheted up the rhetoric about Epps in successive episodes of his popular broadcast after the insurrection. He first raised questions about Epps, played videos of him at the Capitol, pointed to Epps never being charged, then accused him of stage-managing the insurrection.
Carlson offered no direct evidence to support his claims.
Carlson has since been fired by Fox News, where he made most of his comments about Epps. Still, Epps is suing the cable news network for defamation, writing in a complaint, “Fox knew it needed a scapegoat for January 6th. It settled on Ray Epps and began promoting the lie that Epps was a federal agent who incited the attack on the Capitol.”