Paradise News

Category: Metro

  • Top Biden Adviser Bragged Of Quiet Middle East One Week Before Hamas Attacked Israel

    From Daily Wire:

    One week before Hamas launched a surprise attack in Israel, a top aide to President Joe Biden touted a relative calm in the Middle East. 

    “The Middle East region is quieter today than it has been in two decades,” said U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, according to The Atlantic. He went on to stress that “challenges remain,” citing Iran’s nuclear weapons program and “tensions” between Israel and the Palestinians, but added, “the amount of time I have to spend on crisis and conflict in the Middle East today compared to any of my predecessors going back to 9/11 is significantly reduced.” 

    Sullivan, a former Obama administration official, was speaking at The Atlantic Festival. He had just talked about how the larger region had reached a semblance of peace after the Biden team “walked into” a chaotic situation dating back to the prior administration. 

    With the conflict escalating, clips of Sullivan’s comments gained traction on social media, leading to a torrent of criticism of him and the Biden administration that included references to controversies stemming from the deadly Benghazi embassy attack in 2012 and the 2016 presidential election. 

    “Jake Sullivan, the former Clinton aide who participated [in both the] Benghazi and Russia hoaxes, is one of those responsible for the worst foreign policy debacles and scandals in American history,” said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton, alluding to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. 

    Read more here…



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  • 14-year-old allegedly killed his teen brother and had 'detailed' hit list of other family members

    PIKE COUNTY, Ala. (TCD) — A 14-year-old male allegedly admitted to fatally shooting his teen brother and writing up a hit list of other family members he intended to kill.

    Pike County Sheriff Russell Thomas told WAKA-TV that on Tuesday, Oct. 3, a man called law enforcement to report he found his 17-year-old son, who had not been seen since the night prior, deceased on his property. Deputies responded to the residence, processed the scene, and took the victim’s family members to the station for interviews.

    Thomas interviewed the 14-year-old, and the teen allegedly “confessed that he shot and killed his brother at the residence.” The teen reportedly shot his brother inside their home, then the victim “staggered outside.” He collapsed on the ground and died.

    After that, the 14-year-old allegedly moved his brother’s body about 60 yards away to the edge of the property and went back inside to clean up the scene.

    The suspect’s friend reportedly learned the 14-year-old had a “detailed” list of family members he wanted to kill and “whether it would be easy or difficult.” Investigators searched the home and discovered the list inside the boy’s bag.

    Thomas said the teen allegedly “intended to shoot up” Pike County High School, where he and his brother both attended. He reportedly had specific students he wanted to target.

    In another press conference, Thomas said the teen told one of his classmates about the shooting. The student was reportedly taking and test and “was so bothered by what the 14-year-old friend told him that he reported it to the teacher.” The teacher subsequently informed administrators.

    Pike County District Attorney James Tarbox added, “Had the student not come forward, we might have had other deaths.”

    The Pike County School District released a statement Oct. 4 saying faculty became “aware of disturbing and threatening statements made by a fellow student,” which prompted the school to enact a safety protocol. The teen was “immediately removed from the school” and arrested.

    AL.com reports Thomas said the 14-year-old “asked his friend to help him murder the rest of the family and help him bury their bodies.”

    The teen is in custody at a juvenile detention facility.

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  • Progressive City Plans to Hand Out ‘Guaranteed Incomes’ To Transgenders, Illegal Immigrants

    From Townhall:

    According to 1,719 pages of documents from the City of San Francisco, obtained by Judicial Watch, San Francisco will allocate tax dollars on a preferential basis for black and Latino transgender individuals through a program that offers financial assistance to transgender people, Fox News Digital reported: 

    The pilot program provides low-income transgender residents with payments of up to $1,200 each month for up to 18 months with the goal of providing “economically marginalized transgender people with unrestricted, monthly guaranteed income as a way to combat poverty.” It uses pre-paid debit cards due to participants potentially not having bank accounts. The amount someone can receive is capped at $4,000. 

    Program documents, including those on its public website, say it prioritizes enrollment by race as well as those who engage in “survival sex trades,” those who have been in prison, and illegal immigrants. 

    Read more here…

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  • DHS Fails to Deport 99.7% of the 2.1 Million Illegal Immigrants it Freed Inside U.S.

    Besides shattering records for allowing enormous amounts of illegal immigrants into the U.S. through the Mexican border, the Biden administration has also failed to deport millions of migrants released by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) inside the country pending removal proceedings. Between January 20, 2021, and March 31, 2023, the agency created after 9/11 to safeguard the nation freed at least 2,148,738 illegal aliens into the United States, government figures obtained by members of Congress reveal. Only 5,993 were actually deported, according to a distressing report released this week by the House Judiciary Committee.

    Titled “The Biden Border Crisis: New Data and Testimony Show How the Biden Administration Opened the Southwest Border and Abandoned Interior Immigration Enforcement” the lengthy document includes new data obtained by federal lawmakers from DHS that expose the alarming state of immigration enforcement. Besides failing to remove millions of illegal immigrants released inside the country, the records show that a mere 6% of migrants were screened for fear of persecution when seeking asylum. “The Biden Administration has removed from the United States only 5,993 illegal aliens who were encountered at the southwest border and who were placed in removal proceedings before an immigration judge during that time,” the report states. “In other words, of the at least 2.1 million aliens released into the United States since January 20, 2021, the Biden Administration has failed to remove, through immigration court removal proceedings, roughly 99.7 percent of those illegal aliens,”

    The U.S. Border Patrol recorded a ghastly 5 million illegal immigrant encounters during the period examined by federal lawmakers and an eye-popping 6.2 million since Biden took office. “More than two and a half years into President Biden’s term, his Administration’s border crisis continues unabated,” the report states. “Publicly available information shows that encounters of illegal aliens on the southwest border surpassed 100,000 for the 31st straight month and total southwest border illegal alien encounters exceeded 2.2 million in the first 11 months of fiscal year 2023.” The bad news continues. “In August 2023, encounters of illegal aliens at the southwest border skyrocketed to 232,972 and the unreleased encounter numbers for September 2023 will reportedly shatter previous records, exceeding 260,000 encounters in a single month,” the congressional report says. As if those figures were not bad enough, more than 1.7 million known “gotaways” have evaded Border Patrol and escaped into the U.S. since January 2021, the stats show, with “untold numbers of unknown gotaways avoiding detection during that period.”

    As the illegal alien numbers keep rising and records get crushed, the Biden administration insists the border is under control with DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas laughably proclaiming his agency has made it very clear the border is not open, that crossing irregularly is against the law and those who are not eligible for relief will be quickly returned. That clearly has not materialized, figures provided in the House Judiciary Committee report show. In fiscal year 2021, the Biden administration released 310,379 illegal aliens at the southwest border. The number more than doubled during the administration’s first full fiscal year (2022) to 777,283. In the first 10 months of fiscal year 2023, Biden’s DHS released 929,496 illegal aliens encountered at the Mexican border. It is important to note that as outrageous as the figures are, they do not even include Unaccompanied Alien Children (UAC), which immediately get transferred to the custody of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The report reveals that between fiscal year 2021 through the end of July 2023 at least 341,802 UAC were transferred to HHS shelters where American taxpayers spend a fortune to house, medically treat, educate, counsel and entertain them.

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  • Parents of school shooter face trial; New evidence alleges motive in Tupac’s shooting — TCD Sidebar

    In this episode of True Crime Daily The Sidebar Podcast: Matt Murphy joins host Joshua Ritter to break down the biggest cases making headlines across the nation. They discuss the renewed investigation into a mother’s disappearance after her body is discovered, the parents of a school shooter charged criminally for negligence, and new evidence revealed by prosecutors in the shooting death of Tupac Shakur.

    Tweet your questions for future episodes to Joshua Ritter using the hashtag #TCDSidebar.

    YouTube: Parents of school shooter face trial; New evidence alleges motive in Tupac’s shooting — TCD Sidebar

    TRUE CRIME DAILY: THE PODCAST covers high-profile and under-the-radar cases every week. Subscribe to our YouTube page for podcasts, exclusive videos, and more, and don’t forget to follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.



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  • TLT sets 35% ethnic minority target for trainee and apprentice roles

    October 2030


    TLT is aiming to achieve 35% ethnic minority representation across its “early careers roles” within the next seven years as part of its efforts to break down barriers to entry into the legal profession.

    The Bristol headquartered outfit says the new October 2030 target applies to both trainee and solicitor apprenticeship roles. Currently one in five (20%) trainees and apprentices are minority ethnic.

    The Legal Cheek Firms Most List 2024 shows TLT recruits around 47 trainee solicitors each year as well as a number of solicitor and graduate solicitor apprentices.

    The firm hopes to achieve the 35% target through a range of grad recruitment initiatives and increased investment to grow its early career team. Progress against this target will be shared with the firm’s ethnic diversity network.

    The 2024 Legal Cheek Firms Most List

    John Wood, managing partner at TLT said:

    “We have a responsibility as an organisation to look at how we can open up the legal sector and give people from different backgrounds the opportunity to consider a career in law. We are committed to improving diversity at TLT by investing in our early careers, doubling our efforts to raise awareness amongst young people of the career opportunities in law and to continue to create an inclusive working environment. There is still a long way to go, however I am confident that we are one step ahead and are paving the way to diversifying the legal sector.”

    TLT isn’t the firm law firm to set targets in a bid to achieve greater ethnic diversity across its junior ranks, with the likes of Ashurst, Norton Rose Fulbright, Linklaters, Allen & Overy and Simmons & Simmons all making similar moves over the past few years.

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  • Man accused of fatally stabbing brother’s friend because he wouldn’t let him smoke weed

    DELTONA, Fla. (TCD) — Deputies have apprehended a 31-year-old man who allegedly killed his brother’s friend during an argument about marijuana over the weekend.

    According to a news release from the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office, on Sunday, Oct. 8, at approximately 11 a.m., deputies responded to a home at 2997 Glenridge Terrace to a report of a shooting. A witness reportedly found the 21-year-old victim bleeding from the abdomen, stopped to help, and called 911.

    When officials asked the victim who caused his injuries, he “pointed back at the house but was unable to provide more details.”

    The victim was transported to the hospital, where he succumbed to stab injuries, rather than the initially reported gunshot wounds.

    A witness who was present during the stabbing said Joseph McDonald was allegedly responsible for the victim’s death. The Sheriff’s Office subsequently launched a search for McDonald, who had fled the scene. Deputies also released McDonald’s photo, and citizens began reporting sightings.

    The Sheriff’s Office deployed helicopter crews and K-9 units to find McDonald, and at approximately 1:15 p.m., he was located coming out of brush near the 2000 block of Newmark Drive.

    McDonald’s left hand was reportedly wrapped and bleeding. He was transported to a hospital in Sanford, where medical staff said his hand injuries “appeared to be lacerations from a sharp object.”

    A witness told deputies that he and the victim went to the Glenridge Terrace house to smoke marijuana, but their friend wasn’t there, and their friend’s brother — McDonald — let them in. McDonald reportedly got angry when he “was not given a chance to smoke,” and he threatened to kill the victim.

    As the argument escalated, the victim allegedly went to the garage. Soon after, the Sheriff’s Office said the victim came outside bleeding and asking someone to call 911.

    McDonald faces a charge of first-degree murder and will be held without bond.

    According to the Sheriff’s Office, investigators learned McDonald allegedly suffered from mental illness and had lived in the home for approximately two months.

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  • World Mental Health Day: Calls to lawyer wellbeing helpline up nearly a quarter 

    LawCare issues fresh guidance to firms


    Wellbeing charity LawCare has seen a 24% increase in the number of legal professionals reaching out for support so far this year as it releases new guidance for employers to mark World Mental Health Day.

    The charity said that legal professionals are finding themselves overwhelmed and stressed amid heavy workloads, unrealistic targets and a global financial crisis.

    The sharp uptick in contacts reflects the increasing pressures of day-to-day life in the law and the lack of protection of mental health in the legal workplace, according to the charity.

    LawCare CEO Elizabeth Rimmer said:

    “Employers need to accept there are risks to mental health in the accepted working practices in law and take steps to mitigate, modify or remove these risks. Employers should focus on how the workplace can protect the mental health of their people, not undermine it.”

    The 2024 Legal Cheek Firms Most List

    In response to the rising numbers, LawCare has launched new guidance for employers to help them take steps to protect their workers from “psychosocial risks”, rather than waiting until they occur.

    Rimmer continued: “The tendency in legal workplaces is to respond to colleagues with work related mental health concerns once a problem has arisen. The goal should be to prevent these developing in the first place. Workplaces need to move from a support based approach to mental health to a risk based approach.”

    Struggling with stress or anxiety? Contact LawCare via its helpline or live chat.

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  • Va. man convicted of killing and setting woman on fire he mistook for his ex-girlfriend

    FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. (TCD) — A jury found a man guilty last week of fatally stabbing and lighting a woman on fire because he mistook her for his ex-girlfriend.

    On Oct. 5, Fairfax County Commonwealth Attorney Steve Descano announced Richard Montano was convicted of first-degree murder for killing Silvia “Kelly” Vaca Abacay last year.

    According to the statement, Abacay had been staying with Montano’s ex-girlfriend, who was a close friend of hers. On Aug. 10, 2022, 48-year-old Montano went into the apartment “likely intending to kill” his ex because she had broken up with him a few weeks prior. The woman and Montano had been together for eight years.

    A neighbor’s Ring camera reportedly showed Montano previously made his way into his ex-girlfriend’s apartment several times “without her knowledge,” including 10 days before the killing.

    On the day of the attack, a neighbor called Fairfax County Police four times after they heard “screaming and banging” coming from the apartment across the hall. Montano stabbed Abacay, 40, then set her body on fire. The medical examiner concluded Abacay suffered from blunt- and sharp-force injuries.

    The statement said prosecutors “believed that she was likely mistaken” for Montano’s ex when he killed her.

    Descano said, “As Commonwealth’s Attorney, I’ve seen considerable crime scenes and photos, but the photos from the case stood out in terms of the severity of the victim’s injuries.”

    Montano will be sentenced in January and faces up to life in prison.



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  • Squire Patton Boggs becomes latest international firm to secure law license in Saudi Arabia

    Joins likes of HSF, Latham and Clifford Chance


    International law firm Squire Patton Boggs (SPB) has become the latest big legal player to be granted permission to practice law in Saudi Arabia.

    SPB confirmed this morning that it had successful secured its law license from the Saudi Ministry of Justice. It submitted its application after signing a cooperation agreement earlier this year with Saudi outfit The Law Office of Looaye M. Al-Akkas.

    The move has been made possible after Saudi Arabia amended the Saudi Code of Law Practice back in March of this year, which now enables firms to apply for foreign law licenses. A number of firms have already taken advantage of this change, including Clifford Chance, Herbert Smith Freehills, Latham & Watkins and Kirkland & Ellis.

    The 2024 Legal Cheek Firms Most List

    Middle East practice co-chairs Gassan Baloul and Tom Wilson commented: “The coming decade promises to be a time of immense growth and development in Saudi Arabia and this marks another exciting milestone in our Middle East expansion strategy.”

    News of SPB’s Saudi license comes just days after the firm announced it had opened an office in Beirut, Lebanon.

    The Legal Cheek Firms Most List 2024 shows SPB has over 40 offices in more than 20 countries across the world. It recruits around 30 trainees each year.

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