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Tag: General News

  • Fact Check: No evidence of rising LGBTQ+ violent extremism or ‘trans terrorism’

    Genesse Ivonne Moreno entered a Houston megachurch on Super Bowl Sunday and began firing an AR-style rifle at worshippers, police said. Investigators were still piecing together details from the violent scene — celebrity pastor Joel Osteen’s Lakewood Church — when social media claims focused on the shooter’s gender.

    “The Lakewood Church shooter was transgender,” the popular Libs of TikTok X account posted Feb. 12. “He went by the name ‘Genesse’ and previously ‘Jeffrey.’” The post included what appeared to be part of a criminal record listing numerous aliases, some of which were male names. The post has 1.2 million views as of Feb 22. 

    (Screenshot of X post)

    Some users on X claimed Moreno, 36, was a trans woman, others claimed she was a trans man. Fox News included the detail in a headline, writing in a story that the shooter was “born as a man.” (Fox News has since changed the headline and story).

    A day after the Feb. 11 attack, the Houston Police Department acknowledged reports that Moreno had used the alias Jeffery Escalante, but Cmdr. Christopher Hassig, who leads the police department’s homicide division, said in a press conference that “through all of our investigation to this point … she has been identified this entire time as female … so we are identifying her as Genesse Moreno, Hispanic female.”

    Hassig also said there was a sticker on the weapon that said “Palestine” and police uncovered  “anti-semitic writings” during their investigation.

    Moreno died at the scene after exchanging gunfire with two off-duty police officers. Two other people were injured, including Moreno’s 7-year-old son, The Associated Press reported. 

    The claim that Moreno was transgender prompted a flurry of posts from conservative influencers stating that this incident signaled that the LGBTQ+ movement was transforming youth into violent terrorists.

    “One thing is VERY clear: the modern LGBTQIA+ movement is radicalizing activists into terrorists, and it’s only getting worse,” conservative influencer Benny Johnson wrote on X on Feb. 12.   

    Libs of TikTok described a “trans terrorist epidemic” and wrote on X that “the LGBTQ movement is turning activists into violent extremists.”

    A year ago, we examined similar claims following a deadly shooting at a Nashville, Tennessee, school. Extremism and domestic terrorism experts told PolitiFact they knew of no widespread threats of growing radicalization or violence from the trans population.

    A year later, the experts’ views remain the same.

    No evidence the LGBTQ+ movement is turning youth into terrorists 

    Experts said data shows far-right extremism — not LGBTQ+ violence — is increasing and outpaces terrorism from other perpetrators.

    In 2020, the Center for Strategic & International Studies, a nonprofit policy research organization, analyzed 893 terrorist incidents (attempted and foiled) from 1994 to 2020 and found that “right-wing attacks and plots accounted for the majority of all terrorist incidents in the United States,” in that period. In 2019, they accounted for almost two-thirds of all incidents, researchers said.

    The report defined “right-wing terrorism” as “the use or threat of violence by sub-national or non-state entities whose goals may include racial or ethnic supremacy; opposition to government authority; anger at women … and outrage against certain policies, such as abortion.”

    In 2021, the U.S. Office of the Director of National Intelligence reported that “racially or ethnically motivated violent extremists” and “militia violent extremists” present the most lethal threat. People who are racially or ethnically motivated, it found, are “most likely to conduct mass-casualty attacks against civilians” and militia violent extremists typically target law enforcement and government personnel. 

    A database maintained by the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism, a University of Maryland research center, tracked 3,203 violent and nonviolent extremists from 1948 to 2021 and found they are most often male, young, single and motivated by “far-right” ideologies.

    Experts don’t have the same concerns about LGBTQ+ “radicalization.”

    “Is there a serious threat by (transgender people) in terms of violence?” said Victor Asal, a University at Albany political science professor. “If you compare it to extremist right wingers and all sorts of other extremists, I think the answer is very easy. And the answer is no.”

    Adam Lankford, a University of Alabama criminology professor, said although many kinds of violent extremism were discussed during a working group he attended at the FBI’s law enforcement training academy, “there was no concern raised about crimes committed by people based on their gender identity.”

    Asal said there have been a few examples of violent trans activism. “But compared to other organizations, and more importantly, compared to other groups, this is infinitesimal,” he said. 

    Jon Lewis, a research fellow at George Washington University’s Program on Extremism, said violence against LGBTQ+ people is a greater worry. 

    “The closest thing that there is to a threat involving the LGBT community is the deeply concerning spike in threats targeting that community,” Lewis said.

    In May 2023, ABC News reported the Department of Homeland Security warned law enforcement agencies that threats of violence against the LGBTQ+ community were increasing. DHS’ website says that “these threats are increasingly tied to hate groups and domestic violent extremists.” 

    Ideological groups that tend to engage in violence frequently promote anti-LGBTQ+ views, said Mia Bloom, a communications professor and extremism expert at Georgia State University: “That’s the one thing that all the groups have in common.”

    The Williams Institute, a public policy research group on sexual orientation and gender identity topics at the University of California, Los Angeles, found in 2021 that transgender people are four times likelier to be victims of violent crime than people whose gender aligns with the gender assigned to them at birth. In 2022, the institute found that LGBTQ+ people are nine times likelier than non-LGBTQ+ people to be victims of violent hate crimes, which include those “motivated by bias,” that involve hate language or symbols, or “some confirmation by police as evidence that the incident was a hate crime.” 

    Do trans shooters perpetrate a disproportionate number of mass shootings?

    “Per capita violent trans extremists have to have become the most violent group of people anywhere in the world,” Donald Trump Jr. wrote in a post sharing the Libs of TikTok post about Moreno. “The amount of shootings they have completed or attempted likely pales in comparison to any other radical group based on how small a group they are. Can’t be close!”

    As evidence of a pattern,  Several social media users posted a list of shootings since 2018 that they claim were committed by people who identified as transgender or nonbinary.

    “Colorado Springs shooter: nonbinary (Colorado, 2022) 

    Nashville school shooter: trans (Tennessee, 2023)

    Aberdeen shooter: trans (Maryland, 2018)

    Denver school shooter: trans (Colorado, 2019)

    Iowa school shooter: trans/genderfluid (Iowa, 2024)

    Lakewood Church shooter: trans (Texas, 2024)

    The modern LGBTQ+ movement is radicalizing our youth into becoming violent extremists.” posted Libs of TikTok on Feb. 12. State names and years were added by PolitiFact for context.
     

    In four of the six cases cited, the perpetrators died in the attack. Determining shooters’ gender identity after they die often involves piecing together clues from social media accounts or conversations the shooters had with friends and family.

    PolitiFact could not independently confirm that all six shooters identified as transgender or nonbinary. The two who are still alive have confirmed their transgender and nonbinary identities. Two of the four who died following the shootings were transgender, police or friends have said. 

    A third suspect who is now dead has been linked to social media posts and accounts with LGBTQ+ flag emojis, he/they pronouns, and the hashtag “genderfluid.” And police are identifying Moreno as female.

    But experts cautioned that the larger context of gun violence and shootings show this list is misleading.

    There is no standard for defining and tracking gun violence. Some analyses base it on how many people die during an incident; others include the number of people injured; some track gun violence incidents that unfolded in public. Most databases do not track whether shooters were transgender. 

    The Gun Violence Archive, which collects data on mass shootings in which four or more people were shot and/or killed in a single event, counted 3,399 mass shootings from 2018 to Feb. 15, 2024. The earliest incident in the six shootings social media users cited happened in September 2018 in Aberdeen, Maryland — three people were killed by a 26-year-old whose family members and friends said struggled with mental illness and identified as transgender.

    Even if all six shooters identified as transgender, that is six out of 3,399 incidents, or 0.17%. Survey data from 2022 estimates transgender adults compose about 0.5% to 1.6% of the nation’s adult population. 

    This is an imperfect calculation. Not all six shootings listed by X users would qualify as a mass shooting under the Gun Violence Archive’s definition because, in the Lakewood Church shooting, fewer than four people were shot. And there may be more mass shooters who would identify as transgender that social media users haven’t cited.

    A narrower way to analyze this would be to look at the number of active shooter incidents, in which one or more people are engaged in killing or trying to kill people in a populated area. This way of tracking focuses on location and intent rather than injuries or fatalities. The FBI, which tracks these incidents annually, said there were 206 active shooter incidents from 2018 to 2022, 2023 data has not yet been released.

    If you take the three of the six shootings that happened from 2018 to 2022 and compare them with active shooting incidents tracked by the FBI, they would make up 1.46% of all incidents. 

    An epidemiological analysis of active and public mass shooters Lankford and others conducted in 2021 found that public mass shooters are most often young and male. Not all mass shooters are motivated by extremist ideology, but they are likelier to be single, unemployed and have previous military experience than the general population, the study said. 

    “To start worrying that somebody who’s trans is going to do mass shootings,” said Laura Dugan, a human security and sociology professor at Ohio State University, “that’s just not a concern, given the vast number of people who are not trans who do mass shootings.”



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  • Are the Warriors too small, or is Nikola Jokic an outlier?

    SAN FRANCISCO — Nikola Jokic controlled every facet of Sunday night’s primetime matchup in Chase Center, stalling Golden State’s momentum with a video-game stat line.

    Jokic registered 32 points, 16 rebounds, 16 assists, four steals and a block as Denver completed their season series sweep over the Warriors. Three of those four games went down to the final seconds, so it wasn’t all complete domination, but the Nuggets have the Warriors’ number.

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  • Zelensky asks Italy to expel ‘Putin supporters’


    The Ukrainian leader claims that pro-Russian sentiment in Europe endangers the delivery of weapons to Kiev

    Italy should revoke the visas of people with “pro-Putin” views to make sure they do not disrupt the delivery of Western military aid to Kiev, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky said at a press conference on Sunday. He made the comments a day after signing a security agreement with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni during her visit to the Ukrainian capital.

    A reporter for Italian daily Corriere della Sera asked Zelensky whether people in Europe that are sympathetic towards Russian President Vladimir Putin could “complicate” the flow of weapons to Ukraine.

    “I’m very thankful to your prime minister. She’s on our side, and I’m happy with the accord that we signed yesterday, but you are right: there are a lot of pro-Putin [people] in Italy. First of all, you have to cancel their visas,” Zelensky responded in English. He went on to urge Italy to provide more weapons, including anti-air missile systems.

    Kiev frequently accuses its critics in Europe and the US, including politicians and people such as tech billionaire Elon Musk, of spreading “Russian propaganda.”

    Last month, the Ukrainian Embassy in Rome protested several events dedicated to its ongoing conflict with Russia. In one case, a school in the Lazio region organized an online conference with a school from Russia’s Lugansk People’s Republic, which Ukraine views as “occupied territory.”

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    Ukrainian diplomats also complained about a planned exhibition and conference in Modena dedicated to the reconstruction and recovery of the Donbass city of Mariupol, which was captured by Russia in 2022 after months of fierce fighting. The organizers described Mariupol as “a symbol of the popular revolt against the junta in Kiev.” The mayor canceled the event, arguing that it would be seen as “open support” for Russia’s military operation in the neighboring state.

    Deep State Used U.S. Intelligence Agencies/DOJ to Illegally Terrorize Trump Supporters

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  • BREAKING: Kanu’s Trial Adjourned As Ruling On IPOB Leader’s Bail Pushed To March

    The Federal High Court Abuja has adjourned Nnamdi Kanu’s bail application ruling to March 19 and rescheduled the IPOB leader’s trial to commence on March 20, 2023.

    Kanu is facing terrorism-related charges as ordered by the Supreme Court, which set aside the Appeal Court verdict discharging him last year.

    Kanu’s lawyer, Alloy Ejimako, asked on February 15, 2023, that his client’s bail application and preliminary objection be heard before the trial.

    The prosecution, represented by Chief Adegboyega Awomolo, opposed the bail application but said he was willing to argue the preliminary objection.

    Awomolo, who is the Federal Government’s new lead counsel, also told Justice Nyako that the Supreme Court affirmed her decision of April 8, 2022, ordering that Kanu be tried on counts 1,2,3,4,5,8 and 15 of the terrorism-related charges of which the defendant has pleaded not guilty.

    Ejimako argued that Kanu’s health condition warrants bail, as affirmed by a Federal Government hospital.

    He claimed Kanu’s detention threatens his life and blamed trial delays on the prosecution’s amendments of charges.

    He told the judge that the prosecution are interested in proceeding with the hearing of the matter till conclusion in the interest of the nation.

    Nnaemeka Ejiofor announced his appearance for Kanu but Alloy Ejimako spoke on behalf of the legal team.

    Ejimako said it was quite obvious that the Supreme Court remitted the case back to the court but he had two motions – for bail and preliminary objection.

    Awomolo, the FG counsel, said he will be opposing the bail application, adding that he needs time to reply to Kanu’s further affidavit on bail.

    But Ejimako told Justice Nyako that the affidavit on bail was served the same day.

    The judge said the application for bail does not stop the commencement of trial.

    Ejimako said if the bail application was not going to be taken, “then let everybody go home and let us respond to all issues.”

    The FG’s counsel, Awomolo said he was ready to speak on the preliminary objection.

    Nyako, who has ruled nine times on Kanu’s bail applications in the past, said she was not happy with how lawyers in the matter have been handling the matter since 2015.

    “This is exactly the way this case has been going since 2015. I am talking to both sides. You truncate the proceedings,” Nyako said.

    Then, Awomolo rose and told the judge he recently joined the Federal Government’s team as lead counsel and has done his part in responding to processes served on him.

    He added he was ready to argue the bail application.

    Ejimako asked that his client be admitted to bail on the most legal terms possible.

    He said there is no dispute that the IPOB leader has a serious heart condition as confirmed by a Federal Government hospital.

    “Our humble submission is that the medical condition of the defendant speaks for itself and the health challenge persists despite the treatment offered him by the detaining authority,” Ejimako added.

    He said Kanu’s continual detention at the DSS facility threatens his life.

    He added that the delay in trying Kanu was caused by the Federal Government which amended charges against the IPOB leader three times since he was extradited since 2021.

    On the court’s observation that Kanu once jumped bail, Ejimako said developments that happened in the past has now become academic in view of the findings of judgements from other courts even outside Abuja.

    But Awomolo urged the court to dismiss the application and in the alternative order accelerated hearing of the case, saying Section 161 of the 1999 Constitution states that the applicant must prove that there are no good medical facility by the authorities detaining him to treat him.

    The senior lawyer contended that there is nothing tangible that has been brought to show that the IPOB leader is entitled to bail under the law.

    He said the court had ruled that Kanu jumped bail while she revoked his bail.

    “There is no evidence before the court that Kanu would not jump bail again,” Awomolo said, adding the court should refuse the application for bail.

    On his preliminary objection dated February 19, Ejimako asked the court to direct that before any trial can commence, the respondents must refrain from the following; seizure of documents of his lawyer, stopping lawyers from taking notes when counsel visiting to Kanu at the DSS, eavesdropping on Kanu’s conversation with Kanu and that the complainants must stop violation his client’s right.

    He also sought an alternative order that before commencement of trial, a non-custodial centre be created for Kanu to engage with lawyers of his own choice.

    Awomolo urged the court to dismiss the preliminary objection for being an abuse of court process and that a lawyer cannot dictate to the court how to conduct its proceedings.

    He said it is an insult for Kanu’s lawyer to dictate to the court in saying unless the detaining authority acts in certain ways, trial should not commence.

    He added that the complainant never breached the fundamental right of the IPOB leader.

    He said the secret police has been diligent in protecting Nnamdi Kanu’s life.

    After hearing the parties, Nyako fixed March 19 for bail while March 20 would be the commencement of trial.

    Kanu, who was first arraigned in 2015, is facing terrorism-related charges as ordered by the Supreme Court which set aside the verdict of the Appeal Court that discharged the IPOB leader last year.

    THE WHISTLER recalls that the Supreme Court had on December 15 upheld the Federal Government’s treason and terrorism charges instituted against Nnamdi Kanu.

    On October 13, 2022, the Court of Appeal justices quashed all charges against Kanu, agreeing with the submissions of Mike Ozekhome, the IPOB leader’s lead counsel.

    The Court of Appeal, while discharging Kanu of the 15 count charges against him, had barred the FG from trying Kanu on the charges he was facing before his forceful rendition from Kenya to Nigeria by agents of the Nigerian government on June 27, 2021.

    The justices held that Kanu’s extraordinary rendition from overseas was done in violation of international laws, and treaties on extradition, thereby shielding Kanu from being tried on the charges.

    But the appellate court later stayed its judgment after the federal government through the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation asked that the execution of the verdict be paused given its application to the Supreme Court.

    Reading the judgment prepared by Justice J. Garba, Justice Agim Emmanuel of the apex court held that if the police should illegally violate the rights of an accused, it should not block the court from jurisdiction.

    “There is no legislation that provides that a trial court will not have jurisdiction where a prosecution violates a person’s right.

    “Certainly, we decided not to go with the Court of Appeal decision,” Justice Agim had said.

    He said as much as the apex court strongly condemned what the prosecution did, Nigeria must protect its image through adherence to international and local law.

    “The Nigerian law has not stated that the court should decline jurisdiction from trying a case even if law enforcement has violated the rights of a person,” the apex court said, allowing the appeal of the FG.

    BREAKING: Kanu’s Trial Adjourned As Ruling On IPOB Leader’s Bail Pushed To March is first published on The Whistler Newspaper

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  • Supervisors to hear report on broadband feasibility study – Paradise Post

    OROVILLE — The long road to bring broadband internet to rural Butte County is set to hit another milestone Tuesday, when the Butte County Board of Supervisors will be hearing an update on a feasibility study conducted locally as part of a larger statewide effort.

    The origins of the Broadband Planning and Feasibility Study go back to May 2021, when the board hopped on a grant put forth by the Golden State Finance Authority, or GSFA, to come up with a way to plan for bringing faster internet to areas where it is lacking. Butte County contributed $25,000 for its part, and the grant was awarded more than a year later in September 2022.

    The GSFA ultimately selected Tilson Technologies to conduct the study. The results of the study thus far will be presented to the board during its upcoming meeting. According to the presentation filed in the agenda item, Tilson Technologies compiled information from local businesses, internet providers and other local institutions.

    The item states that it is informative only, though it is possible that the board could provide some kind of direction to staff based on the information.

    Other business

    Aside from the presentation on broadband internet, the board will look at and consider the following items:

    • A public hearing is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. Tuesday morning regarding a resolution related to the Initial Study and Mitigated Negative Declaration for a bridge replacement south of Oroville. The Central House Road Bridge Replacement Project would eventually replace the bridge located on Central House Road that passes over the Wyman Ravine.

    • The board will consider placing liens on five properties throughout Butte County in a 10 a.m. item.

    • A federal legislative update is scheduled for 11:10 a.m.

    • The board will vote on a budget adjustment for services provided by Compassion Pathway Behavioral Health, which handles crisis residential treatment at its facility in Chico. If approved, the maximum amount the county would be able to pay the company would increase from $1,379,699 to $2,362,123.

    The Butte County Board of Supervisors generally meets at 9 a.m. on the second and fourth Tuesday of the month at its chambers located at 25 County Center Drive, Suite 205 in Oroville. Meetings are free and open to the public. 

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  • Lakeside Girls Advance To 3A State Quarterfinals With 61-45 Victory Over Bonney Lake

    By Kiara Doyal, The Seattle Medium

    The Lakeside Lions (15-2) had a rocky start in their matchup against the Bonney Lake Panthers (19-13), but ultimately secured a 61-45 victory, earning their spot in the 3A state tournament next week at the Tacoma Dome.

    Both teams demonstrated excellent defense, with the score tied at 2-2 for the majority of the first quarter. Bonney Lake’s Jazmyn Shipp, Ava Rice, and Evin Elias led a 7-0 run, swinging the momentum in favor of the Panthers. Lakeside’s Lucy Ackerman halted the Panthers’ momentum with a jump shot, bringing the score to 4-9. This left the Lions trailing by 7 points heading into the second quarter, after a near buzzer-beater shot by Rice.

    The first 40 seconds of the second quarter brought a surge of high intensity to the gym, as Shipp, Elias, and Lakeside’s Mia Broom exchanged consecutive three-point shots. Following this trio, Lakeside began to take more control of the game, creating a 7-0 run led by Broom and junior Josie Albrecht, cutting the Panthers’ lead to 14-19.

    Broom gave a standout performance, scoring 20 points in the second quarter. She was relentless, scoring from nearly everywhere on the court and earning trips to the free-throw line after being fouled while shooting on multiple occasions. Her efforts led the Lions to a well-deserved 33-26 lead at halftime.

    During the third quarter, Bonney Lake, with four points from Shipp, started strong. However, Broom and Ackerman quickly added their own baskets for the Lions. The quick points from Broom and Ackerman prompted Bonney Lake to call a 30-second timeout to regroup. Nonetheless, the Lions maintained strong defense throughout the quarter, outscoring the Panthers 13-8.

    In the final quarter, Lakeside extended their lead with multiple three-point shots from Broom, freshman Anvi Bhatia, and Ackerman. Numerous fouls were called on Bonney Lake as they attempted to extend the game. Broom, taking most of Lakeside’s free throws in the fourth quarter, made all her attempts.

    The Lions maintained their dominance on the court against the defensive and offensive efforts of Shipp and Rice. Despite great efforts and strategic plays by Bonney Lake to try and make a comeback, including a three-point play by Shipp, the Lions secured their victory over the Panthers.

    Despite not achieving the outcome she had hoped for, Bonney Lake Girls Basketball Head Coach Kim Peters is ready to work as her team prepares for the next round of the state tournament. “We didn’t take care of the ball this game, and if we had, we would have been great,” said Peters. “We just have to do a better job and prepare for our next game,” she added.

    With this victory, Lakeside advances to the quarterfinals at the Tacoma Dome, just two games away from the 3A State Championship Game. Meanwhile, Bonney Lake will face Lincoln (Tacoma) in a loser-out game on Wednesday, Feb. 28, at 5:30 pm at the Tacoma Dome.

    Pictorial Highlights of Lakeside vs. Bonney Lake

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  • White House accuses Republicans of ‘attempting to erase their own records on IVF’

    The White House on Monday put the spotlight on House Republicans’ support for legislation that says life begins at conception even as many of them have rushed to defend in vitro fertilization following a controversial Alabama court ruling.

    Press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, in a memo shared with The Hill, pointed to GOP support for the Life at Conception Act, which she described as “an extreme, dangerous bill that would eliminate reproductive freedom for all women in every state.”

    The bill is co-sponsored by 125 Republicans in the House, including Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.). The proposal calls for equal protection under the 14th Amendment for “each born and preborn human person,” and it defines a human being as “each member of the species homo sapiens at all stages of life, including the moment of fertilization or cloning, or other moment at which an individual member of the human species comes into being.”

    The White House sought to contrast the support of many Republicans for that legislation with the flurry of statements from lawmakers and GOP leaders expressing support for IVF accessibility after an Alabama court ruled that frozen embryos are people.

    “We want to make it easier for mothers and fathers to have babies, not harder! That includes supporting the availability of fertility treatments like IVF in every State in America,” former President Trump said in the aftermath of the Alabama court ruling.

    Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) said Sunday on “Meet the Press” that IVF “is so critical to a lot of couples. It helps them breed great families.”

    The Senate GOP campaign arm urged candidates to voice support for IVF, and Arizona Senate candidate Kari Lake and Pennsylvania candidate Dave McCormick each issued statements opposing efforts to restrict IVF.

    Rep. David Schweikert (R-Ariz.), who previously co-sponsored a “fetal personhood” House bill that said life begins at conception, said on X that he would oppose efforts to restrict IVF.

    The Alabama Supreme Court ruling marked the first time a court has ever given rights and protections so early after conception. The ruling did not ban IVF and is limited to Alabama, but it has far-reaching potential and seems poised to open a new front in the fight over reproductive rights in the country, as millions of Americans have relied on IVF to have children.

    The White House has said the court ruling is a direct result of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade in June 2022.

    “Republican officials think they can obfuscate their way out of their support for these extreme policies. But spin is not a time machine,” Jean-Pierre said in Monday’s memo. “No attempt to ‘rebrand’ can change the fact that their true colors are on the record. They have spent decades trying to eliminate the constitutional right to choose and undermine reproductive freedom everywhere.”

    “Their agenda is clear, they’re just worried it’s not popular,” Jean-Pierre added.

    Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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  • ‘All You Care About is Illegals & Their Votes!’: Hecklers Disrupt AOC Town Hall


    “Every single one of us is being sold out by people that have brought illegals here to vote!” heckler shouts as he’s escorted away.

    Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s (D-N.Y.) Green New Deal town hall was disrupted on Thursday by hecklers outraged over her prioritization of illegal aliens over her own constituents.

    The far-left “Squad” member was touting her climate change legislation when two attendees, including a Republican challenger for her seat in the U.S. House, began to heckle her over the illegal alien crisis.

    “My name is Jonathan David Rinaldi and I’m running for Congress against AOC. The Green New Deal is a scam,” one man shouted. “They’re giving the NYCHA apartments away, they’re giving illegal aliens $10,000 a day…I want you to debate me AOC, debate me.”

    NYCHA refers to the New York City Housing Authority, which controls the city’s public housing projects.

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    Another man soon stood up and started shouting, “Secure the border now!”

    “You haven’t said one word about violent Venezuelan migrants, illegals,” the second man continued as AOC supporters attempted to drown the hecklers out with an “AOC” chant. 

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    “You don’t care, all you care about is illegal aliens and their votes. You don’t care about your constituents,” the second man went on. “That’s all you care about. You’re a disgrace.”

    AOC flashed a smile as security approached Rinaldi.

    “Every single one of us is being sold out by people that have brought illegals here to vote,” he shouted as he was being escorted away.

    “You only represent the illegal aliens,” Rinaldi told AOC directly.

    “Well, clearly I don’t, because I’m an elected member of Congress, so keep it pushing, bro,” Ocasio-Cortez snapped.

    Once the hecklers had been escorted from the venue, AOC claimed her base “clearly supports progressive immigration policies that welcomes all of our neighbors.”

    Progressive immigration policies…like open borders, unlimited welfare, and even citizenship for illegal aliens? How does this benefit her U.S. constituents in any way?

    Only days after the town hall incident, AOC dismissed the illegal alien crisis as a conspiracy theory, arguing on MSNBC that the U.S. economy is at risk unless corporations can be provided a surplus of cheap labor.

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  • Organ Theft Trial: Enugu Senator Ngwu Says Ekweremadu Grateful To Nigerians

    Senator Ike Ekweremadu has refuted claims that he feels abandoned by Nigerians in the wake of his ongoing legal troubles in the United Kingdom.

    According to Senator Osita Ngwu, who represents Enugu West Senatorial District, Ekweremadu expressed his deep appreciation for the prayers and overwhelming support and solidarity he has received from Nigerians since his recent ordeal.

    Ngwu, who recently visited Ekweremadu, released a statement condemning unfounded accusations against the former Deputy Senate President circulating in some media reports. He described these reports as malicious and spread by individuals known for engaging in malicious activities.

    “It has come to the attention of the Senate Minority Whip and Senator for the Enugu West District, Distinguished Senator Osita Ngwu, that a malicious story has been circulated by some individuals, who are known for engaging in malicious activities.

    “These individuals’ stock-in-trades involve targeting innocent citizens with false accusations and spreading rumours. Their claim that the distinguished Senator Ekweremadu is lamenting that Nigerians have forgotten him in London is completely false.

    “The former Deputy President of the Senate holds a special place in the hearts of the people of the Enugu West District. No amount of cheap blackmail or indecent innuendos can alter the fact that he has served my constituents with excellence, and my people pray for his continued well-being and safety.

    “I recently visited Senator Ekweremadu and had a lengthy conversation with him. During our meeting, Senator Ekweremadu expressed gratitude for the prayers and overwhelming support and solidarity he has received from Nigerians from all walks of life since his recent ordeal.

    “It is worth noting that the Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023 general election, His Excellency Mr. Peter Obi, a close friend of Senator Ekweremadu, was reported to have also denounced the diatribe allegedly published on social media by the nefarious group. Mr. Obi cautioned them against hiding behind credible platforms to promote ulterior interests,” he said.

    Ngwu urged Nigerians against “jaundiced” journalism and spreading misinformation, especially during such challenging times. He called on the public to refrain from false information and tarnishing the reputation of individuals.

    “This is not the time for any man or woman of conscience with any atom of humanity to be sponsoring false allegations against our leader to achieve whatever selfish goal. By the way there is no goal to be achieved except mere mischief and ill intentions to dissuade unsuspecting members of the public from offering their prayers and showing solidarity as well as sympathy to Ekweremadu.

    “For anyone to choose this time of his ordeal to embark on such venture is tantamount to dancing on the “grave” or showing how happy they are with what happened to the former Deputy President of the Senate and they have always wished him bad but God is above them and we on our part will do everything humanly possible and within the law to protect our former lawmaker who gave his all for the progress of Enugu West, the State and South East at large,” he emphasised.

    Ngwu concluded by condemning those who attempt to exploit Ekweremadu’s situation for personal gain, stating they will do everything humanly possible and within the law to protect their former lawmaker.

    Organ Theft Trial: Enugu Senator Ngwu Says Ekweremadu Grateful To Nigerians is first published on The Whistler Newspaper

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  • Mt. Spokane Shocks Garfield In An Intense 3A State Basketball Showdown

    By Kiara Doyal, The Seattle Medium

    The Garfield Bulldogs (18-7) faced off against the Mt. Spokane Wildcats (20-4) in a fast-paced, high intensity matchup, as they battled for placements in the next round of the State 3A Boys’s Basketball Championships next week at the Tacoma Dome.

    Garfield junior Legend Smiley set the tone early with a quick jump shot seconds into the opening seconds of the quarter. However, the defending state champion Garfield Bulldogs found themselves matched by the speed and talent brought by Mt. Spokane.

    Wildcat senior Ryan Lafferty was a pivotal playmaker, making strategic plays, assists, and getting some points of his own throughout the quarter. Lafferty and junior Nalu Vargas, gave the crowd a flawless series of three-point shots. However, Bulldog Ishe Kanhukamwe consistently responded and matched the Wildcats sharpshooters with two three-point shots of his own.

    Both teams playing a strong defensive and offensive game, resulted in multiple shot clock violations. Despite the pressure of the clock, Smiley connected on a three-point shot seconds before the shot clock expired to bring the Bulldogs withing four points, at 19-23, in the final minute of the first quarter.

    Garfield’s Dre Niko proved to be a powerful force on the boards. When Smiley missed a three-point attempt, Niko was right there to put it back in, bringing the score to 21-27 minutes into the second quarter.

    As the defensive efforts heightened for both teams, so did the number of fouls that were called. Smiley would go to the free throw line twice and make all of his attempts.

    Although Mt. Spokane faced several travel violations late on in the quarter, their momentum remained strong as they went into halftime leading 41-31.

    The halftime break ignited the Wildcats even more, as Vargas opened the third quarter with two back-to-back three-pointer shots as they increased their lead to 47-31. Lafferty, who has helped carry his team the entire of the game, demonstrated his talents by stealing the ball from Smiley and setting his teammate senior Bode Gardner up for a two-point basket, resulting in a Garfield timeout. 

    After the timeout, Garfield was struggling to get the ball down the court without losing possession. However, Kanhukamwe secured a critical three-point shot, narrowing the gap of the score to 37-53. The Bulldogs were also facing a challenge with the Wildcats aggressive rebounding, which gave Mt. Spokane multiple opportunities to shoot and extend their lead with the additional shots. 

    Garfield’s Jamari Harris and Kanhukamwe combined for 5 points in the final minutes of the third quarter, as the Bulldogs reduced the deficit to 11 points going into the final quarter. 

    Harris would bring the gym to their feet with a smooth crossover to start the final quarter with renewed energy. The energy in the gym carried over to Smiley as he began to truly perform. Snatching the rebound off of a missed free throw by teammate Kanhukamwe, Smiley easily put it back in for two points.

    The final quarter of play flew by as Vargas, Lafferty, and Gardner continued to work as a trio stretching out the Wildcats lead. With just over two minutes remaining and a 6-point deficit, the Bulldogs still worked to narrow the gap. 

    Despite the efforts from Harris, Kanhukamwe, and Smiley the defending state champions fell short to Mt. Spokane, losing 64-74. 

    “I am really proud of our kids and getting an opportunity to get the first round of state,” shared Mt. Spokane Head Coach David Wagenblast.  “Garfield obviously being the defending state champs, are a really good team and so for our kids to execute really well I thought that we were ready to play and focused.”

    With the win, Mt. Spokane will play the winner of the Todd Beamer and Mountlake Terrace matchup, on Thursday Feb. 29th at 10:30am. Garfield will play Arlington in a loser-out game Wednesday Feb. 28th at 9:00am at the Tacoma Dome. 

    Pictorial Highlights of Garfield vs Mt. Spokane

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