Thirteen states now investigating alleged sexual abuse linked to Catholic church

Florida is the latest to announce a statewide investigation. NBC News contacted officials in all 50 states and D.C. and found 13 with statewide probes.

WASHINGTON — Florida's attorney general said Thursday she is launching an investigation of potential sexual abuse in the Roman Catholic church, making Florida at least the 13th state with an ongoing statewide probe of the church.

"Any priest that would exploit a position of power and trust to abuse a child is a disgrace to the church and a threat to society," said Attorney General Pam Bondi in a statement.

The Attorney General's Office will coordinate its probe with local prosecutors and review records from all seven of Florida's Catholic dioceses. It is also launching a tip line for victims.

During a press conference Thursday, Bondi said her office will be issuing subpoenas to the dioceses "immediately." Bishops in Florida have pledged cooperation with the investigation, Bondi said.

She called on victims across the country who may have been abused in Florida to use the tip line and contact her office.

"We want to hear your story. We want to help you if you have been abused. You can stop this from happening to other children," Bondi said.

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

NBC News has contacted the offices of the attorney general in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, and found that at least 13 states are either currently probing allegations of sexual abuse in the church or about to launch an investigation.

In addition to Florida, authorities in Arkansas, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York and Vermont told NBC News they are now investigating alleged sexual abuse linked to the church.

State investigators in Michigan revealed their investigation in late September after responding to a freedom of information request by NBC affiliate WOOD-TV. The Michigan investigation had been ongoing since August and covers all seven dioceses in Michigan, according to the WOOD-TV report.

"My department and this investigation will find out who knew what, and when," Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette said in a statement.

On Wednesday, Michigan law enforcement officials executed search warrants and seized "clergy files" from all seven state dioceses as part of Schuette’s investigation, according to the dioceses.

In a statement, the Archdiocese of Detroit said it cooperated fully, and described the search warrants as "an expected part of this process."

A spokesperson for Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh, Raquel Coombs, told NBC News the office has a policy of never confirming or denying investigations. But in September, Baltimore Archbishop William Lori told clergy that Frosh will be investigating records related to the sexual abuse of children.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/religion/thirteen-states-now-investigating-alleged-sexual-abuse-linked-catholic-church-n916646

London: Imam Convicted of Sexually Abusing Children Sent to Him for Qu’ran Lessons

An imam has been convicted of abusing two young girls assigned to him for Qu’ran lessons in Newham, London.

76-year-old Hafiz Azizur Rehman Pirzada, of Laughton Road, Northolt, was found guilty eight counts of sexual assault against a female under 13, and two counts of causing a child to engage in sexual activity, according to a Metropolitan Police statement.

The imam’s victims were two sisters, aged between 9- and 11-years old when the abuse took place, from 2007 to 2009. They came forward against their attacker in July 2015, but he was not arrested until July 2016 and not charged until March 2018.

“This is a case stemming back ten years, but despite the length of time since the incidents Pirzada has been convicted of his crimes,” commented Detective Sergeant Tony Killeen, of the Child Abuse and Sexual Offences Team.

“The victims have shown a great degree of courage, persistence and determination in securing the conviction, having persevered with the allegation and supporting the police investigation.

“The victims have had to live with this trauma and the absolutely horrendous abuse they endured for the years they were under the control of Pirzada and will have to live with these memories for the rest of their lives.

“Pirzada used his level of trust as a religious leader to assault the girls. I would urge anyone who has been a victim of Pirzada to contact police – specially trained officers are there to support you.”

The imam will not be sentenced for his crimes until November 19th, and the Metropolitan Police’s statement does not indicate what sort of punishment they expect the courts to hand down.

British judges are often unwilling to act punitively in such cases, opting for short or even entirely suspended prison sentences, which are not activated unless the convict is found guilty of carrying out further offences within a set time period.

Infamously, a judge ruled in 2014 that another imam who abused a girl during Qu’ran lessons should have his 40-week sentence suspended, accepting defence lawyer Frida Hussain’s plea that the imam was “married with six children. His wife doesn’t work and speaks very little English, they are dependent on him to lead their lives and with the running of the household.”

This decision was made despite the fact that the abuser, Suleman Maknojioa, was apparently no longer supporting the family due to his being unable to teach, with the defence admitting that his large household had become “reliant on benefits.”

The sentence was branded a “total disgrace” by a friend of the victim’s family.

https://www.breitbart.com/london/2018/10/05/london-imam-convicted-sexually-abusing-quran-lesson-children/

Ohio Billboard Protests US Aid to Israel

A billboard has just gone up in Ohio, that says: “$10 million a day to Israel? We need that money in America.”

The billboard is located in Richland County on US 30, MLK Expressway.

If Americans Knew erects billboards around the United States to tell Americans how much of their money goes to Israel,as U.S. media rarely reports this.

For example, legislation before Congress, today, will give Israel $38 billion over the next 10 years – the largest military aid package in U.S. history – yet, no U.S. mainstream media have told Americans that this bill even exists.

If Americans Knew is a nonpartisan, nonprofit American organization which provides information on Israel-Palestine to the American public, with particular emphasis on the U.S. connection.

The founder and executive director, Alison Weir, is the author of the best-selling book, Against Our Better Judgment: The Hidden History of How the U.S. Was Used to Create Israel.

Concerned Americans around the country frequently help choose the locations and fundraise for the billboards.

Israel partisans often try to pressure billboard companies into removing such billboards.

http://imemc.org/article/ohio-billboard-protests-us-aid-to-israel/

Cyber Criminals Can Buy Passports On The Dark Web For As Little As $15, Study Finds

Are you a convicted felon who has dreams of traveling abroad? Or a cybercriminal looking to set up a legitimate bank account into which you can deposit your ill-gotten funds? Then buying a passport off the dark web is an option that you should consider!

But while in the past forged or stolen passports would fetch a hefty sum on the black market, thanks to the modern marvel that is the dark web, prices have fallen significantly. Last month, Comparitech analyzed listings on a handful of illicit marketplaces to try and determine exactly how much a passport or passport scan can fetch in the seediest corners of the Internet. Their analysts scoured marketplaces like Dream Market, Berlusconi Market, Wall Street Market and Tochka Free Market, among others.

During their search, they discovered that passport scans, which are often enough for a scammer or criminal to set up a bank account in another person's name, can be purchased for as little as $15. For slightly more, an aspiring criminal can purchase a passport and drivers license scan - which would be enough to open an account on a cryptocurrency exchange or - better yet - hack into the account of an unsuspecting trader by exploiting password recovery tools.

However, real passports still fetch a hefty sum, and even forgeries can be prohibitively expensive for some.

Here are Comparitech's key findings:

The average price of a digital passport scan is $14.71.

If proof of address or proof of identification —a selfie, utility bill and/or driver’s license—is added to a passport scan, the average price jumps to $61.27.

Australian passport scans were the most common, and yet, the most expensive ($32).

The average price of a real, physical passport is $13,567.

The average price of a counterfeit, physical passport is $1,478.

Real or forged, passport scans are typically accompanied by other forms of identification - a utility bill, selfie of the ID card owner holding up their ID or a driver’s license. But they cost significantly more than the passport scan alone - often upwards of $60. But scammers get what they pay for: Because multiple forms of ID are usually required to bypass proof-of-address and proof-of-identification controls on websites. But if a user has one, they can seize control of the account of another individual, assuming the documents are in the correct name.

The bulk of Comparitech's analysis focused on digital scans and images of real passports. The site's researchers found 48 unique listings for real passports scans, 38 of which were not sold with any accompanying proof of ID or address, spanning 20 countries. While they found no discernible pattern in pricing relative to supply or the power of the country's passport, they did discover the Australian passports were the most common and the most expensive.

https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-10-04/cyber-criminals-can-buy-passports-dark-web-little-15-study-finds

FUCKERY AFOOT, ATTACK ON PEPE

Top Alt-Right Site Now Siding With Antifa – Calls For Attacks on Pro-Life Women

Top Alt-Right Site Now Siding With Antifa – Calls For Attacks on Pro-Life Women

Deep State Plants Andrew Anglin and “Weev” Auernheimer Celebrating Jordan Hunt’s Attack on Pro-Life Woman – Saying All Women Should Be “Beaten, Raped and Locked in Cages”

In an article on today’s “Daily Stormer” web site, mixed in with stories supporting Donald Trump and Brett Kavanaugh, Andrew Anglin and Weev published an article in which they lauded the cowardly attack by Jordan Hunt on a pro-life woman.

In the article, “Roy Batty”, most likely another one of Anglin’s sock-puppet pseudonyms, compared the soy-boy Jordan Hunt to Chuck Norris, and sided with Hunt when he called journalist Ben Shapiro a “Nazi” in a Tweet after the attack.

The article went on to attack all pro-life activists and conservatives, whom they said worshiped “Cuck Jesus”. It is clear that this is all being done in an effort to make Trump supporters and conservatives look as insane and degenerate as possible.

In another recent article, Anglin said that not just pro-life women, but all women “deserve to be beaten, raped and locked in cages“.

https://altrightexposedblog.wordpress.com/2018/10/05/top-alt-right-site-now-siding-with-antifa-calls-for-attacks-on-pro-life-women/

Kicked Out of Hungary, Soros’s Open Society Foundations Re-Opens in Berlin

George Soros’s Open Society Foundations (OSF) has completed its move from Budapest to Berlin, where the international grantmaking network is reportedly set to boost staff numbers from 80 to 150.

“We are pleased that our Berlin office together with London, New York and Washington will be a focus office for our foundations,” said Open Society Initiative for Europe co-director, Goran Buldioski, denouncing popular measures by Hungarian premier Viktor Orbán to limit the activities of far-left NGOs funded and coordinated by OSF.

“The repressive political climate in Hungary has made it impossible for us to work there safely and effectively,” the Macedonian told German news agency dpa, adding: “But this gives us the great opportunity to continue and expand our work from our new home in Berlin.”

Towards the end of last month, OSF announced it would take the Hungarian government to court over its “Stop Soros” legislation which features measures including a 25 percent levy on NGOs which promote open borders, and the outlawing of assisting illegal immigration.

As Breitbart London reported in May, when the organisation announced it would be closing its Budapest office, OSF chief Patrick Gaspard blasted Budapest for “using tactics unprecedented in the history of the European Union” to “denigrate” and “repress” the group’s work promoting far-left culture change and policies in Hungary.

OSF vowed to “pursue all available legal avenues to defend the fundamental rights that are threatened by the legislation”, which the Fidesz government went ahead with after winning a landslide victory in national elections in April, when Orbán and his party ran on a platform of protecting the country’s borders and Christian identity.

The western mainstream media almost invariably portrays the work of OSF in a similar light to how the organisation portrays itself, claiming the international grantmaking network furthers causes like “human rights” and “democracy”.

However, as well as pushing issues that are deeply unpopular with electorates in the countries in which it operates — such as mass, third world migration — other policies championed by OSF have been blamed for causing violence and chaos.

https://www.breitbart.com/london/2018/10/05/hungary-open-society-foundations-berlin/

Estonia admits over €1 trillion were laundered in the country in 2008-2017

Banks doing business in Estonia, which has been at the centre of a money-laundering scandal involving Danske Bank, handled more than $1 trillion in cross-border flows between 2008 and 2017, according to the country’s central bank.

The European Union member country of just 1.3 million people has been rocked by revelations that banks there laundered money from Russia, Moldova and Azerbaijan via non-resident bank accounts. The scandal has forced lenders in Estonia and neighbouring Latvia to shut down.

The data on cross-border flows, first reported by Bloomberg, suggests that the scale of the money laundering through the small Baltic country may have been larger then previously thought. The news sent Nordic banking shares sharply lower.

The central bank said that between 2008 and 2017, cross-border transactions totalled €1.1 trillion ($1.27 trillion). The number includes all flows, including resident and non-resident transactions, a spokesman said.

Estonia’s entire economic output came to about $25 billion last year – roughly the same as that of Uganda or Nepal – suggesting that much of the money flow was not directly linked to economic activity in the country.

The central bank did not say whether it considered any of the flows suspicious.

https://www.euractiv.com/section/banking-union/news/estonia-admits-over-e1-trillion-were-laundered-in-the-country-in-2008-2017/

Israel Launches Internet “Command Center” to Monitor Social Media

Many social media users have no doubt noticed a massive, coordinated censorship campaign in recent months. Many in the alternative media blame it on “The Left” trying to prevent their political opponents from influencing public discourse. But the video above indicates that a major driving force behind these free speech-stifling activities is, in fact, the Israeli government.

Video compiled from various sources. Hebrew portions removed for brevity.

If Americans Knew

On January 25th 2018, Israel’s Minister of Diaspora Affairs, Naftali Bennett, announced a new Israeli system, developed by the Israeli Ministry of Defense over the previous year, that monitors social media and provides real time data and analysis of so called “online anti-Semitism.”

According to Israel, many statements about Israel constitute “antisemitism.” In fact, an Israeli minister originated a new formulation for antisemitism in which many factual statements about Israel are supposedly “antisemitic.” Thus, this new system is often monitoring statements or information about Israel that the Israeli government dislikes.

The “Anti-semitism Cyber Monitoring System”, or ACMS allegedly examines every single post on Facebook and Twitter, uses artificial intelligence to determine whether or not to classify them as “anti-Semitic”, and then categorizes its findings according to geographic location, language, and other factors.

According to an Arutz Sheva article, the system scans around 200,000 suspected posts and tweets each day. Of these, roughly 10,000 are deemed to be “anti-Semitic.” Without access to Israel’s spreadsheet of such “antisemitic posts,” it is impossible to know how many truly constitute bigotry, and how many concern Israeli violations of human rights and/or international law.

The day after President Trump announced the relocation of the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem, the ACMS reportedly detected 9 times as many. On that day and the day before three Palestinians attacked by Israeli forces had died, including a nine-year-old boy.

Attempting to limit the free speech of others is nothing new for Israel and its advocates. Several months ago, If Americans Knew reported on numerous programs by Israel partisans to “control the narrative” by censoring the internet. Israel has used its powerful influence over many western nations to institute Israel-centric “antisemitism” laws. Some states in the U.S. have passed such legislation, thereby potentially impeding free speech and academic inquiry.

Similarly, Israel partisans are working to outlaw boycotts against Israel, despite the fact that such civil actions have normally been considered legal, valid methods of opposing wrongdoing. In fact, many legal analysts consider the right to boycott to be protected under the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

At the end of the video, Bennett claims that “anti-Semitism” is violence.

Even some Israel partisans oppose these Orwellian infringements on American fundamental rights. Anyone who is familiar with the Streisand Effect knows that they may ultimately produce the opposite of their intended result.

https://israelpalestinenews.org/israel-launches-internet-command-center-to-monitor-social-media/

‘It’s us or them,’ Netanyahu’s party says of Palestinians and Africans in race-baiting ads

“It’s us or them”, says a new election poster by Likud, suggesting that Jaffa can be either a “Hebrew city” or one taken over by the “Islamist movement”. “Only the Likud – the right of Tel-Aviv-Jaffa” it says at the bottom. There is a second version of the ad where “they” are African refugees, labelled as “infiltrators”, as Israelis from both right and left of the political spectrum like to call them (photo in Facebook post by David Sheen).

This is a municipal election racial bating campaign. Municipal elections in Israel, which take place every five years, are set for the end of the month.

“Hebrew city” is to be understood as a euphemism for ‘Jewish’. When the main Zionist labor union Histadrut called for “Hebrew work” in pre-state years, it was calling for Judaization of the work market. The notion of “Islamist movement” is to be understood as a reference to Palestinians in general, those whom Israelis would mostly call ‘Arabs’. In simple terms, Likud is doing the famous racial-bating of ‘Jews VS Arabs’. We know this one from Netanyahu’s 2015 warning that the “Arabs” are coming to vote “in droves”, on the eve of the last parliamentary elections.

Such racial incitement is not new in Jaffa either – for example in 2013, deputy mayor of Tel Aviv Arnon Giladi, also a Likud member, had launched a poster campaign to silence the Muslim call to prayer in Jaffa and “maintain the Jewish character” of the city. The posters feature a minaret saying “silencing the Muezzin? In Jaffa? Only the Likud can”. The hate campaign against African refugees is a more recent development. Prime Minister Netanyahu went last year on a tour in south Tel Aviv, saying he was “on a mission to give back south Tel Aviv to the Israeli residents” from the hands of the African infiltrators. He was touring with Culture Minister Miri Regev (also Likud), who in 2012 called the African refugees “a cancer in our body”.

https://mondoweiss.net/2018/10/netanyahus-party-baiting/

Leaked Emails Claim London Mayor Khan Lied About Trump Balloon Decision

Leaked emails appear to show the London Mayor Sadiq Khan may have backed and pushed to reverse a decision to block a caricature balloon of U.S. President Donald J. Trump from flying over Westminster.

The emails, seen by the Guido Fawkes Westminster political gossip blog, claim three of Mr Khan’s Mayoral Directors and closest advisers intervened to “make it happen” after the Greater London Authority (GLA) turned down the request in a “final” decision.

The London Mayor, however, publicly claimed he “was not involved in the decision at all” and allowing the “blimp” to fly, just metres about Parliament Square, was a procedural rather than political matter.

David Kurten, a UKIP representative in the London Assembly, told Breitbart London he was considering questioning the Mayor about the issue because of the new evidence, which could show Mr Khan is “personally responsible” for damaging London’s reputation in the U.S.

On the July 10, Mr Khan said on national television that “no” he did not “personally approve” the balloon but “supported” the GLA in their decision to allow for it to fly, implying the choice was completely separate from his office.

However, in April, GLA Facilities Management are claimed to have emailed the people behind the balloon protest to tell them that “we cannot consider the inflatable request below and the decision is final”, according to screenshots of emails on the Guido Fawkes blog.

A campaign was quickly started, with an article appearing in the Guardian headlined: “Come on, Sadiq Khan, let our Trump Baby blimp fly above London.”

https://www.breitbart.com/london/2018/10/05/exposed-leaks-claim-london-mayor-khan-lied-about-trump-balloon-decision/

Fugitive Mexican Cartel Queen ‘La Muñeca’ Extradited to Texas

“La Muñeca,” A top cartel figure who became famous for her sultry photographs on social media, was extradited to Texas for sentencing on drug conspiracy and bribery charges.

This week, federal authorities extradited 41-year-old Ana Marie Hernandez, a woman linked to the Juarez and Sinaloa Cartels. Hernandez, a legal permanent resident of the U.S., faces a possible sentence of 10 years to life in prison for her various convictions.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Hernandez worked with her husband Daniel Ledezma, a former U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer; as well as with other individuals to move hundreds of kilograms of cocaine through an international port of entry in El Paso, Texas.

https://www.breitbart.com/texas/2018/10/05/fugitive-mexican-cartel-queen-la-muneca-extradited-to-texas/

WTH? American Bar Association Says It is Re-Opening its Kavanaugh Investigation

Democrats have officially soiled their pants.

The American Bar Association announced on Friday afternoon just hours before the final vote to confirm Judge Brett Kavanaugh as the next Supreme Court Justice that they are reopening an evaluation on the baseless sexual assault smears against Kavanaugh.

These hacks are desperate.

At least we know where they stand from now on — before Kavanaugh we thought they were a slightly left organization.

Now we know they are fire-breathing liberal hacks.

Via PBS:

The American Bar Association’s Standing Committee on the Federal Judiciary said Friday it’s revisiting its evaluation based on “new information of a material nature regarding temperament.” It said it was unlikely the process will conclude before the Senate votes on Kavanaugh’s nomination.

Kavanaugh touted his “well-qualified” rating from the ABA committee during angry, emotional testimony last week, in which he denied sexual misconduct allegations.

Democrats have questioned whether he has the temperament for a lifetime appointment to the Supreme Court.

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2018/10/wth-american-bar-association-says-it-is-re-opening-its-kavanaugh-investigation/

Saudi Crown Prince Slams Obama, Praises Trump, Claims Aramco IPO Is Back On

The on-again, off-again, never-in-doubt, will-never-happen IPO of Saudi Arabia's state-owned oil company Aramco is back on… for 2021, according to prince Mohammad bin Salman.

https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-10-05/saudi-crown-prince-slams-obama-praises-trump-claims-aramco-ipo-back

Seems like that may explain President Trump having nicer things to say about the Saudis last night.

Russian Embassy in UK Demands Facts Amid London's Claims About GRU Cyberattacks

The statement comes a day after the UK Foreign Office accused the Russian military intelligence service of plotting cyberattacks on British soil.

The Russian Embassy in London has urged London to immediately provide information on Moscow's alleged attempts to conduct cyberattacks against London, sending a note to the UK's Foreign and Commonwealth Office requesting the relevant information.

Earlier, commenting on the recent claims voiced by London of Moscow allegedly plotting cyberattacks, the Embassy stated that these statements were "gross misinformation."

On Thursday, the UK Foreign Office stated that London assessed "with high confidence" that the Russian military intelligence service was "almost certainly" responsible for a series of cyberattacks on political institutions, media outlets and infrastructure across the globe, including in Britain.

Over the recent years, the Russian authorities have repeatedly been accused of carrying out cyberattacks against other countries, including the United States, France, the United Kingdom and Germany, and attempting, in particular, to influence the results of elections.

Moscow has repeatedly refuted claims of having links to cyberactors and attempting to meddle in other states' domestic affairs, noting that these claims were unfounded.

https://sputniknews.com/world/201810051068642191-russian-embassy-uk-cyberattacks/