Montana Man Arrested after Ripping Down a 10 Commandments Monument with a Chain to His Pickup Truck

A Montana Democrat was arrested for ripping down the Kalispell 10 Commandments monument with a chain tied to a pickup truck.

Montana police arrested a man who they said pulled down a courthouse Ten Commandments monument with a chain and a pickup truck, according to reports.

Anthony Weimer was booked into jail on a charge of felony criminal mischief following the incident Saturday in Kalispell, KHQ reported.

Police said they responded after callers reported seeing a man on the grounds of the Flathead County Courthouse attach a chain to a pickup truck before pulling down the monument into the street, according to the station.

The man was then said to have collected the chain before driving off in the pickup, the station reported.

Officers later located the truck, found the suspect and arrested him, according to the station.

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2020/06/montana-man-arrested-ripping-10-commandments-monument-chain-pickup-truck/

Chesapeake Files For Bankruptcy, Wiping Out $7 Billion In Debt And Any Existing Equity Value

After years of melting, the Chesapeake icecube is finally history: at exactly 350pm on Sunday afternoon, the company that launched the US shale boom, finally gave up and filed for a pre-packaged bankruptcy in the Southern District of Texas. In so doing, the company with roughly $9.5 billion in debt has become one of the biggest victims of a spectacular collapse in energy demand from the virus-induced global recession, and follows the collapse of another high-flyer in the US oil patch, Whiting Petroleum, which filed for Chapter 11 at the start of April after championing what was once the premiere U.S. shale field, the Bakken of North Dakota.

As part of its prepack agreement, Chesapeake announced that it had entered into a Restructuring Support Agreement ("RSA") with 100% of the lenders under its revolving credit facility, holders of approximately 87% of the obligations under its Term Loan Agreement, approximately 60% of its senior secured second lien notes due 2025, and approximately 27% of its senior unsecured notes, pursuant to which Chesapeake will implement a Chapter 11 plan of reorganization to eliminate approximately $7 billion of debt.

Of course, since 73% of unsecured bondholders refused to sign off on the deal, expect a very vicious bankruptcy fight over the recoveries, as hedge funds that accumulated positions in the bonds unleash hell in their fight with the secureds (even as the equity committee claims that all classes above it should be unimpaired).

Also, we have some bad news for Jefferies, which won't be able to repeat its hilarious attempt to fund the company in bankruptcy by selling stock to Robnhood daytraders: as part of the RSA, the Company has secured $925 million in debtor-in-possession financing lenders under Chesapeake's revolving credit facility. The DIP will provide Chesapeake the capital necessary to fund its operations during the Court-supervised Chapter 11 reorganization proceedings.

https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/chesapeake-files-bankruptcy-wiping-out-7-billion-debt-and-any-existing-equity-value

Protesters request police presence for 'defund the police' rally, citing their safety

'I s**t you not'

Over the weekend, a video of a police officer went viral. In that video, an unidentified police officer explains that he was called to provide security for protesters.

The irony, the officer explained, is that the protesters requested police presence for a…wait for it…"defund the police" rally.

"So I come in this morning and we're informed there's gonna be a protest to 'defund the police.' Well, that's fine, I like protests," the officer explained.

"Except they requested a police presence, you know, for their safety, at the 'defund the police' event," he continued. "I s**t you not."

https://www.theblaze.com/furnace/police-officer-protesters-request-police-presence-for-defund-the-police-rally-citing-safety

Charting The $1.7B Transfer Of Military Equipment To Police Departments

In the wake of countrywide protests surrounding the killing of George Floyd, questions around the militarization of police forces have taken center stage once again.

How did so many police departments across the United States end up with bomb-proof trucks and night vision goggles? Where are departments acquiring this equipment, and at what cost?

Visual Capitalist's Nick Routley notes that these questions and more are answered by data from the Defense Logistics Agency, which oversees the 1033 Program. The visualization above tracks the flow of military equipment to law enforcement over the past decade.

A note on the data: Much of the equipment acquired through the program is already used – and often obsolete by military standards. As well, the 1033 dataset captures shipments of equipment. Over time, items can be transferred between departments, meaning these official records may be less reflective of specific police department inventories as time goes on. For these reasons, we decided to cap our analysis to looking at the last decade (2010-2020) of transfers.

Free Military Surplus for Law Enforcement

The 1033 Program was conceived in the years following Operation Desert Storm, just as America’s violent crime rate was hitting an all-time high. During this era, America’s “war on drugs” and tough-on-crime political platforms provided the impetus for the militarization of police forces around the country.

The 1033 program has been likened to Craigslist’s “Free Stuff” section, and the comparison is apt. The mechanics of the program are relatively straightforward. Outdated military gear is transferred (at no cost) to state and local law enforcement agencies who go through the application process. The equipment is loaned to agencies, who are only responsible only for shipping and subsequent operating costs (e.g. fuel, spare parts).

Law enforcement agencies gain access to a vast array of military surplus, from office supplies and thermal underwear up to armored vehicles and multi-million dollar communications systems. Also included in the mix are medical supplies and gear to aid in search and rescue operations. Since the program’s inception, over $7.4 billion worth of property has been transferred.

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/charting-17b-transfer-military-equipment-police-departments

RUSSIA: ‘Reports on Our Role in Killings of US Troops in Afghanistan Fake News’

Media reports citing US Deep State intelligence assessments alleging that Russian intelligence has solicited killings of US troops by the Taliban in Afghanistan are yet another fake news pursing to disrupt the Afghan peace process, a representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Saturday.

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“We have paid attention to yet another fake news, released into media space by the US intelligence about Russian military intelligence’s alleged involvement in contracted killings of US troops in Afghanistan. This blunt story vividly illustrates the low intellectual abilities of US intelligence’s propaganda staff, who instead of making up something more elaborate has come up with such nonsense,” the Russian Foreign Ministry representative told journalists, adding that “on the other hand, what else one can expect from the intelligence that has miserably failed to succeed in the 20-year war in Afghanistan”, Sputnik reported.

According to the diplomat, it has become a commonly known fact that the US Deep State intelligence community has established a whole network of alternative income sources while on service in Afghanistan, including drug trafficking, charging militants for passage of vehicle caravans, and kickbacks on military contracts paid for by the US taxpayers’ money.

“Maybe the US spies are not happy about the fact that our [Russian] and their [US] diplomats together promote peace talks between Kabul and the Taliban? Their feelings are understandable — they just do not want to loose the mentioned illegal sources of income,” the foreign ministry representative noted.

On Friday, The New York Times published an article where it cited unnamed government sources as saying that US President Donald Trump was presented with an intelligence report that claimed that Moscow could have paid bounty to armed Islamic insurgents in Afghanistan to assassinate US soldiers. The outlet reported Trump had so far “failed to act on the report”.

In February, the US and the Taliban signed a peace deal that concluded rounds upon rounds of talks to launch the peace process in Afghanistan after almost two decades of armed conflict and insurgency. Last week, US Special Representative for Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad stated that intra-Afghan talks were closer than ever after Kabul and the Taliban carried out a significant exchange of prisoners.

https://www.fort-russ.com/2020/06/russia-reports-on-our-role-in-killings-of-us-troops-in-afghanistan-fake-news/

Germany, Europe Economy: Angela Merkel Speaks Out About Debt, Future Of EU Amid Coronavirus

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said in an interview Friday with six European newspapers that Germany can take on more debt to finance an economic recovery initiative for the European Union. The EU has been deliberating a financial assistance program for countries and regions that have been hard hit by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Merkel told the Guardian, Germany’s Sueddeutsche Zeitung, Le Monde in France, Italy’s La Stampa, La Vanguardia from Spain and Poland’s Polityka that “the coronavirus pandemic is confronting us with a challenge of unprecedented dimensions.” She said Germany should support extra financial help for countries such as Italy and Spain “in an extraordinary act of solidarity.”

“For Italy and Spain, for example, the coronavirus pandemic signifies a huge burden in economic, medical and, of course, because of the many lives lost, emotional terms,” she said. “In these circumstances, it is only right for Germany to think not just about itself but to be prepared to engage in an extraordinary act of solidarity.”

In May, France and Germany introduced a 500 billion euro ($560 billion) recovery fund in grants to help European regions and industries that have been devastated by the coronavirus. Later in the month, the European Commission proposed a 750 billion euro ($841 billion) plan that would not only include 500 billion euros ($561 billion) in grants, but also an additional 250 billion euro ($281 billion) in loans for heavily impacted European economies such as Spain and Italy.

Austria, the Netherlands, Denmark and Sweden have come out against the idea of grants, and have argued that assistance should only be provided in the form of loans.

Mediterranean European countries heavily reliant on tourism have seen their economies contract the most, as travelers stay home. Spain’s GDP fell by 5.2% in the first quarter of the year, while Italy saw a contraction of 4.7%. Germany, which had recession worries before the pandemic, only saw a 2.2% drop during the first three months of the year.

According to a press release from the European Commission in May, the EU economy as a whole is expected to contract by 7.5% in 2020. In 2021, the EU is projected to have a modest recovery of 6%.

On Wednesday, the International Monetary Fund warned of an even deeper downturn for the global economy than previously projected. The IMF in April predicted the global economy to drop 3% but now sees a 4.9% contraction.

https://www.ibtimes.com/germany-europe-economy-angela-merkel-speaks-out-about-debt-future-eu-amid-coronavirus-3002035

New Gun Owners Could Sway Future Elections

Gun groups say millions of new gun owners could create 'an even more formidable voting bloc'

The record-breaking gun sales during the coronavirus pandemic could bolster candidates that support the Second Amendment in 2020 and alter the course of American gun politics for the foreseeable future.

Several of the country's leading gun-rights groups are working to convert many more first-time owners into new gun-rights voters in the run-up to the 2020 election. Amy Hunter, a spokeswoman for the National Rifle Association, said that the group's success could change the political landscape at the local, state, and national level.

"The NRA believes voters who recently purchased guns for self-defense will join other Second Amendment voters and be an even more formidable voting bloc," Hunter told the Washington Free Beacon. "They're educated, passionate, and they know anti-gun politicians are the biggest threat to their fundamental right to self-defense."

New buyers are learning for the first time how public policy shapes their ability to exercise their rights. Larry Keane, spokesman for the industry's National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), said that firsthand experience can change how voters look at gun control and Second Amendment legislation.

"Particularly when people are purchasing these firearms because of concern about personal protection, the notion that anti-gun politicians who would strip us of our rights, would ban the most popular rifles being sold in the United States today is something that they should be taking into consideration" in the voting booth, Keane said. "I hope and I think that they will."

After surveying retailers, NSSF estimates that 40 percent of those buying guns beginning in March were first-time owners. Analysts estimate about 6 million guns have been sold in that time period, with each month setting a new sales record. That would translate to as many as 2 million Americans becoming new gun owners over that time.

If gun-rights groups can mobilize that group, they can significantly impact the future of gun policy across the United States, according to Alan Gottlieb, chairman of the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms.

"We’ve witnessed something that is nothing short of a sea change, and in some cases might approach the level of epiphany, about gun ownership," he said in a statement. "This new wave of gun owners could become a formidable force during this year’s election. From now on, we expect millions of new gun owners to pay closer attention to candidates, and reject those who would trample on their Second Amendment rights."

https://freebeacon.com/issues/new-gun-owners-could-sway-future-elections/

Church of Scientology tried to silence Danny Masterson’s alleged rape victims

Women who allege they were raped by That 70s Show star Danny Masterson have claimed The Church of Scientology tried to silence them.

Danny Masterson, who made a wisecracking name for himself on That ’70s Show, was arrested and charged on June 17 on multiple counts of rape against three women. But it’s not just the actor who is on trial.

The accusers are all former members of the Church of Scientology, to which the 44-year-old actor is said to be devoted.

Previously, four women, including the three from the criminal charges, filed a civil suit against Masterson and the church, accusing the church of harassing them for having reported the ­alleged assaults to authorities.

One of the lawyers for the civil suit, Stewart Ryan, said: “It is alleged [in the suit] that our clients reported the sexual assaults to Scientology at the times that they happened. It is alleged in the suit that Scientology attempted to cover up the sexual assaults.”

n a response to The New York Post, the church denied all claims against it from the civil suit.

The sole victim identified by name in the criminal filing, Chrissie Carnell Bixler, dated Masterson from 1996 until 2001 and claims to have been drugged and raped, multiple times, in the actor’s Hollywood Hills home.

According to the amended civil complaint: “On more than one occasion Plaintiff Bixler awoke in bed to find Masterson sexually assaulting her. In one specific instance, Masterson drugged … Bixler’s wine at dinner and… assaulted her. The following morning, Masterson admitted that he had anal sex with her while she was unconscious.”

Masterson has insisted that he is ­innocent of all civil and criminal charges. His lawyer Thomas Mesereau described the actor as ­“being in complete shock” over “nearly 20-year-old allegations.” Former Scientologists, however, see good reason for the delay.

They maintain that it would have been challenging for authorities to gain co-operation from ­alleged victims while they remained affiliated with the church. Bixler left in 2016.

Ex-Scientologist Geoff Levin alleged that, in a situation like this, church protocol would have been to deal with the allegations in-house and to take the women through “security checks”.

“Maybe you’d be directed into finding that, 10 million years ago, you enslaved a whole city and ­allowed your soldiers to rape all the women,” Levin added. “[And] that is the reason why this is happening to you now. It is brainwashing to the Nth degree.”

https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/celebrity-life/church-of-scientology-tried-to-silence-danny-mastersons-alleged-rape-victims/news-story/268388938b10799a15c37891188db4d0

https://pagesix.com/2020/06/27/church-of-scientology-tried-to-silence-danny-mastersons-alleged-rape-victims-suit/

University of Tennessee makes Covid-19 vaccine shot mandatory for students when available

The University of Tennessee has become the first one to require students and faculty to receive vaccines for the flu and Covid-19 that is yet to be developed sparking “push back” from critics.

The mandate was pushed through as an emergency rule by the university’s Board of Trustees, with the promise that it will soon become a permanent requirement.

"There may be some push-back, but we believe this is in the best interest of our students," UT System President Randy Boyd said.

There are medical and religious exemptions from the new rule, and students who only take online classes do not need to meet the requirement.

Students and faculty will be required to get vaccines based on their availability, with the university saying they will soon “establish a timeframe” based on the release of a potential Covid-19 vaccine. Since the university is expected to have students on campus in the fall and there is unlikely to be a vaccine by then, it’s unclear when the rule will be enforced.

The school did not require a flu shot before this emergency measure.

Critics have taken to social media to criticize the move, arguing it could be a first step to more establishments requiring a Covid-19 vaccine, with some arguing this an an infringement on individual rights and choice in healthcare decisions.

“If you don’t see they layout now, you never will,” author and congressional candidate Erin Cruz tweeted, adding the hashtags “#healthfreedom” and “#individualliberty.”

“And the mandatory vaccinations begin,” independent media company The Last American Vagabond added.

“I don’t know what they know in Tennessee, but this magical vaccine is not coming before new student orientation,” another user wrote.

Though other schools have not pushed through such a mandate, some have taken precautions against the pandemic in preparation for reopening. The University of California, San Diego, for instance, introduced a program last month to start regularly testing students who live on campus. The program began with students opting in, but could be expanded to mass testing conducted across the university on a monthly basis in the fall.

https://www.rt.com/usa/493192-university-tennessee-covid-19-vaccine/

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