Paradise News

Tag: United States

  • Fact Check: No, Hamas no se ha rendido a Israel

    Usuarios en las redes sociales dicen que la guerra entre Israel y Hamas ya terminó porque Hamas se rindió, pero esto es falso.

    “El ejército israelí ha entrado en Gaza, a partir de ahora la milicia de Hamas se vió obligada a rendirse al ejército israelí ondeando sus banderas blancas en sus manos”, dice un video en Facebook del 15 de octubre. 

    El subtítulo de la publicación también dice: “Gritos de Triunfo en Israel- ¡Gaza ahora es de Israel! ¡HAMAS se rinde en un acto de desesperación!”.

    La publicación fue marcada como parte del esfuerzo de Meta para combatir las noticias falsas y la desinformación en su plataforma. (Lea más sobre nuestra colaboración con Meta, propietaria de Facebook e Instagram).

    PolitiFact no encontró reportes verídicos de que Hamas se rindió a Israel. La guerra entre Hamas e Israel continúa. 

    Israel ha bombardeado Gaza con ataques aéreos, pero por ahora no hay tropas israelíes invadiendo el terreno de Gaza. El 13 de octubre Israel ordeno a mas de un millón de personas a evacuar la ciudad de Gaza, la ciudad mas poblada en el territorio Palestino. 

    El primer ministro de Israel Benjamin Netanyahu prometió el 15 de octubre “demoler a Hamas” en respuesta a los ataques terroristas del 7 de octubre. 

    PolitiFact también verificó videos falsos en inglés que dicen que Hamas se rindió.

    Calificamos estas declaraciones como Falsas. 

    Una versión de este artículo originalmente fue escrita en inglés.

    Lea más reportes de PolitiFact en Español aquí.

    __________________________________________________________________________

    Debido a limitaciones técnicas, partes de nuestra página web aparecen en inglés. Estamos trabajando en mejorar la presentación.

     



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  • Jim Jordan Backs Patrick McHenry For Temporary Speaker, Will Remain House Speaker Designee

    Congressman Jim Jordan has announced his endorsement of Congressman Patrick McHenry as a candidate for the position of Temporary Speaker of the House.

    Additionally, Jordan has confirmed his commitment to maintaining his current role as Speaker Designee.

    House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan has expressed his endorsement for Speaker pro Tempore Patrick McHenry to assume the role of interim Speaker of the House until January, following two unsuccessful attempts to get the required 217 votes.

    According to an anonymous source cited by the Daily Caller, Jordan intends to persist in his efforts to get support until the specified time. The individual in question retains the designation of speaker. I am not discontinuing my education. I will be residing in McHenry till the month of January on a temporary basis.

    Jordan’s next announcement will declare his decision to forego a third vote for Speaker, as originally intended, and express his support for the proposal to temporarily empower McHenry until January 3rd. Jordan will continue to hold the position of designated speaker.

    Following the second round of voting, Jordan fell short of the required 217 votes needed to secure the speakership. The concluding quorum call indicated that the House of Representatives had an attendance of 432 individuals, signifying that a majority threshold of 217 members is required for decision-making, unless members opted to vote “present” during the roll call vote for the speaker.

    On Wednesday, Jordan’s bid to assume the position of Speaker of the House was unsuccessful in the second round of voting due to insufficient votes.

    On Tuesday, Jordan experienced defeat in the initial round for the position of speaker, when 20 Republicans cast their votes against him.

    According to conservative donors who spoke with the Daily Caller on Monday evening, they have expressed their intention to refrain from providing financial support to Republican House members who decline to endorse Jordan for the position of speaker.

    The House Republicans will have a meeting to deliberate on potential courses of action regarding the selection of a Speaker.

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  • Iowa man who had satanic shrine sentenced for killing missing woman and putting her head on a stick

    MITCHELL COUNTY, Iowa (TCD) — A 24-year-old man will spend the next several decades in prison for killing a missing 29-year-old woman, decapitating her, and leaving her head on a stick in a park.

    Court records show Nathan Gilmore was sentenced Oct. 16 to 50 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to second-degree murder for the death of Angela Bradbury. He was initially charged in August 2022 with first-degree murder.

    Bradbury’s family reported her missing to the Cerro Gordo County Sheriff’s Office on Feb. 1, 2022, and said she had not been seen since April 6, 2021. A body was found in July 2021 at the Greenbelt Trail, and in March 2022, the Cerro Gordo County Sheriff’s Office announced the remains were positively identified as Bradbury’s.

    The Iowa Department of Public Safety said in a statement last year that Mitchell County Sheriff’s Office deputies and officials from the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation executed several search warrants in Osage and St. Ansgar on Aug. 19, 2022, as part of their investigation into Bradbury’s disappearance. Investigators arrested Gilmore three days later on Aug. 22, 2022.

    According to the criminal complaint, in the early evening of July 12, 2021, a teenager was reportedly walking on the Greenbelt Trail when she noticed “what appeared to be a human skull, which had been placed on a stick.” The teen called her mother, who then contacted the Mitchell County Sheriff’s Office. A deputy arrived at the scene and “took custody of the skull.”

    DNA testing showed the skull was that of a female.

    Bradbury’s family submitted DNA samples to law enforcement after reporting her missing. The Iowa Office of the State Medical Examiner positively identified Bradley on Feb. 4, 2022. Investigators discovered some of her other remains in the same park two months later. The medical examiner determined Bradbury died by homicide.

    The criminal complaint says Bradbury was arrested late at night on April 5, 2021, for trespassing at a car dealership. She was released at noon the next day. She was reportedly last seen leaving a friend’s house at approximately 5 p.m. April 6 and getting into Gilmore’s car.

    Detectives spoke with Gilmore on Aug. 19, 2022, and he “provided an accurate description of the skull.”

    He reportedly said he knew the details because of what he read in news articles and what people in town were saying, but he said he did not know anything else about the human remains or who they belonged to.

    Then, during the interview, Gilmore walked back his previous remarks and confessed to picking up Bradbury, then changed his story a third time. GPS data showed Gilmore was in the Greenbelt Trail area the night of April 6, 2021.

    According to the complaint, investigators discovered a drawing that “depicted a satanic goat’s head in the shape of a pentagram with what appears to be blood spatters drawn on it.” Then, next to the drawing, Gilmore had written “04-06,” “0590,” and “43.3, -92.8.”

    The complaint says 04-06 refers to the date Gilmore was last seen alive, 590 is an acronym from Urban Dictionary that means “someone is tired of living,” and the last numbers are coordinates for Greenbelt River Trail Park.

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  • Judicial Watch Sues CDC for Records about CDC Guidance on Breastfeeding by Males

    (Washington, DC) – Judicial Watch announced today it filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for records related to updated guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on breastfeeding by transgender biological males (Judicial Watch v. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (No. 1:23-cv-03001)).

    The lawsuit was filed after the CDC, a component of Health and Human Services, failed to respond to a July 6, 2023, FOIA request asking for:

    1. All records reviewed, referenced, or relied upon in the drafting and publishing of updated guidance pertaining to breastfeeding by transgender individuals on the CDC’s web site. For purposes of clarification, this guidance is published at 

    2. All records of communication between any official or employee of the CDC and any other individual or entity regarding the updated guidance described in part one of this request.

     The CDC posted on its website advice to “transgender parents who have had breast surgery” about breastfeeding or “chestfeeding” infants:

    Some transgender parents who have had breast/top surgery may wish to breastfeed, or chestfeed (a term used by some transgender and non-binary parents), their infants. Healthcare providers working with these families should be familiar with medical, emotional, and social aspects of gender transitions to provide optimal family-centered care and meet the nutritional needs of the infant.

    In an article dealing with “Health Equity Considerations” is a subsection titled “Here are some things your emergency preparedness and response team can do to help achieve health equity when working with families who have young children.” The CDC advises:

    Remember that:
    If you have questions about infant nutrition or medications before and while breastfeeding, please consult with your healthcare provider….

    • Transgender and nonbinary-gendered individuals may give birth and breastfeed or feed at the chest (chestfeed). The gender identity or expression of transgender individuals is different from their sex at birth. The gender identity of nonbinary-gendered individuals does not fit neatly into either man or woman.
    • An individual does not need to have given birth to breastfeed or chestfeed.
    • Some families may have other preferred terminology for how they feed their babies, such as nursing, chestfeeding, or bodyfeeding.

    U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), ranking member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, and Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-KS) Senate Committee on Health, Education Labor and Pensions in July 2023 sent a letter to CDC Director Mandy Cohen, asking for information about the CDC’s guidance for transgender women (biological men) who wish to breastfeed:

    We are writing to you with serious concern about the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) guidance for biological men who identify as women (transgender individual) who wish to breastfeed. CDC’s Pledge to the American People commits that the basis of all public health decisions will be made on the highest quality scientific data that is derived openly and objectively. This guidance, however, seems driven by political considerations rather than science, and the Agency has provided no explanation of the reasoning and data behind these recommendations.

    The senators ask for “information regarding the scientific basis” regarding its guidance, including:

    Did the CDC use any peer-reviewed studies to inform its guidance on transgender individuals breastfeeding? If so, please provide these studies with your response. If not, why not?

    What data did CDC rely on that compares the nutritional benefits of biological women’s breast milk with the breast milk produced by a transgender individual?

    What data did CDC rely on to evaluate the long-term effects or health risks to an infant from being breastfed by a transgender individual who has received hormonal therapy to transition genders?

    Why does the CDC recommend that health care providers help transgender individual obtain a drug that is not approved for use in the U.S.?

    “The Biden administration attacks the health and welfare of infants by encouraging biological men to pretend to nurse them,” said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. “This dangerous transgender extremism is now the subject of a cover-up, as the CDC refuses to turn over any records under FOIA to Judicial Watch about its ‘advice’ to help biological men attempt to ‘chestfeed’ infants.”

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  • Fact Check: Explaining a deleted X post that said Israel is responsible for Gaza hospital strike

    Shortly after a deadly blast at a Gaza hospital, a pro-Israel social media influencer posted on X, formerly Twitter, that the blast was caused by an airstrike from Israel. He then deleted the post, raising suspicions among social media users about what or who caused the blast. 

    “Israel military leader deleted tweet saying (Israel Defense Forces) blew up the hospital,” read sticker text on an Oct. 17 TikTok video. Other videos referred to him as an Israeli spokesperson.

    Some social media users framed the post as an admission by Israel that it bombed the hospital. Activist Shaun King posted that Israel “took credit” for the explosion.

    “Once they saw how many civilians it killed he deleted this tweet and blamed the attack on Hamas and said Hamas bombed the hospital themselves,” King wrote on Instagram.

    The person who posted, Hananya Naftali, is a pro-Israel social media influencer and writer who has worked on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s digital team, online biographies for Naftali say. 

    Though social media users referred to Naftali as a “military leader” or an Israeli spokesperson, we found no evidence on his social media accounts or an Israeli government list of spokespeople that he is an official spokesperson for Israel or its military. He said in an Oct. 14 Facebook video that Netanyahu assigned him to a task force to defend Israel in the media.

    We contacted Naftali and Netanyahu’s press office for comment but received no response. An Israeli government spokesperson referred us to Netanyahu’s press office.

    After the hospital blast, Naftali initially posted Oct. 17 on X,”BREAKING: Israeli Air Force struck a Hamas terrorist base inside a hospital in Gaza. A number of terrorists are dead,” according to social media screenshots. Naftali’s post was deleted.  

    He later wrote on X that he’d deleted the first post because it had inaccurate information about Israel’s involvement and had been based on a Reuters headline that later changed.

    Hundreds of people were killed Oct. 17 in an explosion at a Gaza City hospital, and some news reports initially said it was the result of an Israeli airstrike, a claim Israel disputes.

    Naftali’s follow-up post referred to a Reuters headline. Reuters initially wrote about the blast in an Oct. 17 article headlined, “More than 300 killed in Israeli air strike on Gaza Hospital – civil defense official.” The article’s headline was later changed to read, “In deadly day for Gaza, hospital strike kills hundreds.” 

    A New York Times headline read, “Israeli Airstrike Hits Gaza Hospital, Killing 500, Palestinian Health Ministry Says,” and was later changed to, “Israelis and Palestinians Blame Each Other for Blast at Gaza Hospital That Killed Hundreds.” 

    The New York Times also separately reported that headlines were shifting after the hospital blast, highlighting “the difficulties of reporting on a fast-moving war in which few journalists remain on the ground while claims fly freely on social media.” 

    Naftali describes himself on his X profile as a “media personality” and “that Israeli who talks to the camera about peace in the Middle East.” According to his online biography on The Jerusalem Post, for which he has written, Naftali is a “Israeli Jewish influencer and human rights activist.” Netanyahu hired him in 2018 as a social media adviser. The Jerusalem Post reported it is unclear whether he still has that role.

    Naftali has served in the Israeli Defense Forces in the past and said Oct. 9 on X that he was recently drafted for this war. He said in that post that his wife, India Naftali, a journalist, would  manage and post on his X account during his deployment. 

    The blast’s origin remains under investigation. Hamas blamed an Israeli airstrike; Israel blamed a failed rocket launch by the Islamic Jihad, a militant group that works with Hamas. Islamic Jihad denied the accusation and also blamed Israel, The Associated Press reported.

    Adrienne Watson, spokesperson for the U.S. National Security Council, said Oct. 18 on X that although information is still being collected, the U.S.’ current assessment is that Israel is not responsible for the hospital explosion. The council advises President Joe Biden on national security and foreign policy. 

    The same day, President Joe Biden said in a public appearance with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Tel Aviv that, “based on what I’ve seen, it appears as though it was done by the other team — not you. But there’s a lot of people not sure.”

    PolitiFact New York Writer Jill Terreri Ramos contributed to this report.



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  • Hamas Terrorists Appear to Have Used North Korean Weapons During Ruthless Attack on Israel

    There is evidence suggesting that Hamas militants may have employed weaponry of North Korean origin during their aggressive assault on Israel.

    The study conducted, together with the examination of other evidence such as a militant video and weapons confiscated by Israel, suggests that the perpetrators of the assault in Israel on October 7 were probably equipped with weapons of North Korean origin and affiliated with Hamas, a designated terrorist organization. The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) has repeatedly refuted allegations of engaging in arms trade with terrorist organizations.

    One weapon that has been the subject of debate that is employed by Hamas is the F-7 rocket-propelled grenade. This particular weapon is designed to be launched from the shoulder and is commonly utilized by combatants to target armored vehicles. The authenticity of a film depicting the utilization of the F-7 rocket launcher by Hamas militants has been verified after meticulous examination conducted by two specialists in North Korean weaponry and South Korean military intelligence. An study of weaponry seized on the battlefield was also done by the Associated Press.

    These rocket launchers possess the capability to discharge a solitary warhead and exhibit a quick reloading mechanism, rendering them very advantageous armaments for less formidable militias and guerrilla factions engaged in battles against heavily armored vehicles.

    “It is not a surprise to see North Korean weapons with Hamas,” said Matt Schroeder, a senior researcher with Small Arms Survey.

    Jenzen-Jones referenced pictures of the weapons utilized by those affiliated with Hamas.

    “North Korea has long supported Palestinian militant groups, and North Korean arms have previously been documented amongst interdicted supplies,” Jenzen-Jones told The AP.

    Russia employs comparable armaments, and the North Korean F-7 has striking similarities to the extensively disseminated RPG-7 rocket-propelled grenade of the Soviet era. However, discernible dissimilarities exist, such as the presence of a conspicuous red stripe adorning the warhead of the North Korean variant.

    According to Schroeder, Hamas has released visual documentation depicting their training activities, wherein fighters can be shown using a weapon bearing a rocket-propelled grenade along with distinct design features like those found on the F-7 aircraft, including a red stripe.

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  • Judicial Watch Sues Director of National Intelligence for Records on Social Media Censorship

    (Washington, DC) – Judicial Watch announced today it filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit against the U.S. Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) for records and concerning censorship of social media users (Judicial Watch, Inc. v. Office of the Director of National Intelligence (No. 1:23-cv-02943)).

    Judicial Watch filed the lawsuit after the Office of the Director of National Intelligence failed to respond to a May 2023 FOIA request for:

    Records and communications of the National Counterterrorism Center … regarding the Foreign Malign Influence Center, including:

      1. Organizational chart;
      2. Position description of full-time employees and contractors;
      3. Annual budget;
      4. Communications with Twitter @twitter.com [now known as X], Facebook @facebook.com, Meta @meta.com, TikTok @tiktok.com, Reddit @reddit.com, YouTube @YouTube.com, Instagram @instagram.com, concerning “foreign influence operations,” “misinformation,” “disinformation;” and
      5. Policies, procedures, standard operating procedures, and strategic plans 6. Working groups established with governmental, nongovernmental organizations, or private entities.
      6. Working groups established with governmental, nongovernmental organizations, or private entities.

    In April 2022, the Department of Homeland Security announced a new Disinformation Governance Board. The new agency quickly became a flashpoint of controversy, characterized by critics as a frontal assault on the First Amendment. In August 2022, it was disbanded.

    In September 2022, the Foreign Malign Influence Center was established under the Office of Director National Intelligence with essentially the same mission: “as the primary U.S. Government organization for analyzing and integrating all intelligence and other reporting possessed or acquired pertaining to foreign malign influence, including election security.” The Center has proposed a public-private initiative, calling for “significant monetary and resource investment by the government” for “enhancing information sharing with private sector entities.”

    “The Biden administration apparently believes it can resurrect its domestic thought police deep inside the heart of America’s spy agencies, and no one would notice,” said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. “Well, Judicial Watch noticed and will pursue the facts in spite of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence agency’s illegal stonewalling.”

    Judicial Watch has produced a four-part documentary that details the coordinated effort by the government and Big Tech to censor and suppress information on topics such as Hunter Biden’s laptop, COVID-19, and election debates. The first episode aired Monday, October 16, 2023, on the Judicial Watch website, X/Twitter, Rumble, YouTube, Facebook and Instagram. A new episode aired each day this week. The series in its entirety will be available Thursday, October 19, 2023, at 7 p.m. ET.

    Judicial Watch has been in the forefront of uncovering government efforts to censor free speech and suppress opposition to its unconstitutional actions, including the U.S. Government’s dissemination of its own disinformation.

    On October 4, 2023, Judicial Watch filed a FOIA lawsuit on behalf the Daily Caller News Foundation (DCNF) against the U.S. Department of Education for records regarding book bans, the organization Moms for Liberty, and Ron DeSantis (Daily Caller News Foundation v. U.S Department of Education (No. 1:23-cv-02768)).

    In April 2023, Judicial Watch filed two lawsuits against the U.S. Department of Justice and other federal agencies for communications between the agencies and Facebook and Twitter regarding the government’s involvement in content moderation and censorship on the social media platforms.

    In June 2023, Judicial Watch sued DHS for all records of communications tied to the Election Integrity Partnership. Based on representations from the EIP (see here and here), the federal government, social media companies, the EIP, the Center for Internet Security (a non-profit organization funded partly by DHS and the Defense Department) and numerous other leftist groups communicated privately via the Jira software platform developed by Atlassian.

    In February 2023, Judicial Watch sued the U.S. Department Homeland Security (DHS) for records showing cooperation between the Cybersecurity and Information Security Agency (CISA) and social media platforms to censor and suppress free speech.

    Judicial Watch in January 2023 sued the DOJ for records of communications between the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and social media sites regarding foreign influence in elections, as well as the Hunter Biden laptop story.

    In September 2022, Judicial Watch sued the Secretary of State of the State of California for having YouTube censor a Judicial Watch election integrity video.

    In May 2022, YouTube censored a Judicial Watch video about Biden corruption and election integrity issues in the 2020 election. The video, titled “Impeach? Biden Corruption Threatens National Security,” was falsely determined to be “election misinformation” and removed by YouTube, and Judicial Watch’s YouTube account was suspended for a week. The video featured an interview of Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. Judicial Watch continues to post its video content on its Rumble channel (

    In July 2021, Judicial Watch uncovered records from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which revealed that Facebook coordinated closely with the CDC to control the COVID narrative and “misinformation” and that over $3.5 million in free advertising given to the CDC by social media companies.

    In May 2021, Judicial Watch revealed documents showing that Iowa state officials pressured social media companies Twitter and Facebook to censor posts about the 2020 election.

    In April 2021, Judicial Watch published documents revealing how California state officials pressured social media companies (Twitter, Facebook, Google (YouTube)) to censor posts about the 2020 election.

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  • Carl announces reelection bid in new first district

    Carl announces reelection bid in new first district

    Published 11:00 am Thursday, October 19, 2023

    Republican Jerry Carl has announced he is filing for reelection to continue representing Alabama’s First Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives.

    Jerry Carl

    Carl will be running in Alabama’s new First District, which will include Covington County in the 2024 election.

    “Today, I’m proud to announce I am filing for reelection to continue representing the people of Alabama’s First Congressional District in Congress,” Carl said.

    “At a time when our borders are being overrun, crime is on the rise in cities across America, and Joe Biden continues leading our country down the wrong path, this country needs more staunch conservatives like me who will deliver results and never back down from the fight.

    “I’m proud of the work my team and I have accomplished already for AL-01. Whether it’s our efforts to secure the border, slash wasteful government spending, stop overreach by the Biden admin, and stand firm against any efforts to take away our Constitutional rights, we’ve got a lot of work to be done in Washington, and the stakes are simply too high for us to let our foot off the gas and give up on the fight to save this country.

    “Serving Alabama’s First Congressional District in Washington has been the honor of a lifetime, and I am excited to have new counties across the Wiregrass in our district. I’ve already been on the ground in every county in the district, and I’ve been overwhelmed with strong support from folks in every community.

    The Republican primary will be held on March 5, 2024.

    Carl has already been endorsed by nearly 30 state lawmakers and local leaders in AL-01, and he raised $257,474 towards his reelection campaign in the third quarter of 2023.

    To learn more about Carl, visit his website or follow him on social media @CarlForAlabama.

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  • Sidney Powell Enters ‘Guilty’ Plea in Fulton County RICO Case Against Donald Trump

    Sidney Powell, a former attorney for Donald Trump, has entered a plea of guilt in the Fulton County case pertaining to the subversion of the Georgia election.

    The prosecution is advocating for a probationary period of six years as the appropriate sentencing.

    In addition to the court-ordered obligations, Powell will be compelled to provide testimony during forthcoming legal proceedings and compose a formal letter of apology addressed to the residents of Georgia.

    Powell’s guilty plea is a boost to Trump’s political opposition, which will seize on the admission of guilt to accuse the former president of being part of a “criminal conspiracy” to undermine the 2020 election, as has been laid out in Fulton County’s District Attorney Fani Willis’ racketeering case.

    Powell’s alleged culpability in the January 2021 intrusion of electoral systems Coffee County, Georgia is an integral component of her guilty plea.

    Legal analysts have nonetheless found issues with the Coffee County case.

    “Serious issues emerging w/ the charges brought by Fulton County DA Fani Willis – The indictment’s RICO allegations are insufficient to provide notice to the defendants per GA law,” the lawyer Techno Fog wrote. “The alleged contracts to conduct illegal activity b/w Powell, et al – are nonexistent.”

    “Computer trespass (Count 35) requires the knowing use of the computer ‘without authority’,” the lawyer added. “Big problem for prosecutors: the local election board granted access and supervised/directed the technical activities.”

    TechnoFog reacted to the guilty plea with criticism of the court.

    “Read the pleadings,” the lawyer wrote. “The Fulton County DA lied to the court repeatedly about the law. They hid exculpatory evidence from the grand jury (violating the prosecutor’s oath to do justice). And now the felonies vanish on the eve of trial. Totally unjust prosecution.”

    The Coffee County aspect of the Trump RICO case alleges that Trump associates gained illicit access to the county’s election systems and proceeded to duplicate election data. Their goal was to substantiate allegations of voting manipulation to justify election challenges. There is evidence that county officials permitted access, but the prosecution has repeatedly been pressed to reveal such exculpatory evidence.

    Powell’s lawyer strongly refuted the prosecutors’ allegations that she was the ‘mastermind’ behind the Coffee County breach. During the pretrial proceedings, it was asserted by the defense that the prosecution’ claims are inaccurate and that the forthcoming evidence would demonstrate that she did not play a central role in the event.

    Sidney Powell became the face of Trump’s election challenges, and teased voting integrity observers with promises of a “Kraken” of evidence that would prove the 2020 election was “stolen.” Her allegations, many of them unfounded, provided fodder for those who witnessed what they viewed was a flawed election.

    Furthermore, Powell appears to have botched some of her legal challenges, such as filing a lawsuit in the wrong court. On December 7, 2020, a federal judge in Georgia rejected her election-related lawsuit. The judge determined that the plaintiffs lacked standing to pursue the complaint, since it should have been filed with a state court. Additionally, the judge found that the claim was submitted after the appropriate deadline.

    The assertion made by U.S. District Court Judge Timothy Batten, who was nominated by President George Bush in 2005, references a precedent set by a circuit court decision, which concluded that comparable legal disputes pertaining to elections need to be pursued within the jurisdiction of state courts.

    “There’s no question that Georgia has a statute that explicitly directs that elections contests be filed in Georgia Superior Court,” Batten said.

    “They are state elections. State courts should evaluate these proceedings from start to finish,” he added.

    Powell has now become the second individual involved in the extensive racketeering investigation to enter a plea of guilty. In the previous month, Scott Hall, a bail bondsman, entered a plea of guilty and subsequently consented to providing testimony in forthcoming legal proceedings. The remaining 17 defendants, including Trump, have entered pleas of not guilty.

    The trial of Kenneth Chesebro, an attorney who supports the Trump administration, is scheduled to proceed on Friday, commencing with the process of jury selection.



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  • COLUMN: Shaking my way to a healthy lifestyle

    COLUMN: Shaking my way to a healthy lifestyle

    Published 9:15 am Thursday, October 19, 2023

    Pop singer and 12-time Grammy Award winner Taylor Swift wrote “Shake It Off” and released the hit song in 2014.

    Tish Richardson, Zack Maio, and Bobby Richardson

    While the lyrics have their own meaning, they took on a completely different meaning for me at the beginning of the year. I set a goal to lose 75 pounds by the end of 2023.

    I met with EmPower Nutrition owners Tish and Bobby Richardson on the final day of 2022 and set up a free wellness profile and consultation. After making random visits to their nutrition club since Hunter Smith first took me in January 2020, I decided to become one of their preferred members. I knew this was not going to be easy but knew my eating habits had to change for the better.

    Tish and I talked about a customized plan for me that would benefit me and help me lose weight. She took measurements of my chest, hips, waist, and arms on Dec. 31, 2022. When I stepped on the scale, I weighed 244 pounds, which was definitely overweight for my 5’10” height. My blood pressure and heart rate were both really high, too. Tish decided I should start with two meal-replacement protein shakes per day and one healthy meal with healthy snacks and plenty of water.

    I have never cared for water to drink, but if it meant getting my health back on track and shedding pounds, then let’s go. Granted, I have to flavor it, but water is water and really beneficial to your body, which I never paid attention to before. I started with two shakes: banana pudding and strawberry cheesecake. I lost seven pounds at my second weigh-in two weeks later and was proud to see those results. I completed my first month 13 pounds lighter. Tish reminded me every time how proud she was of me and to keep going strong.

    Fast forward nearly 10 months later, I am down 62.4 pounds and stand at 181.6 as of my last weigh-in on Oct. 5. I drink water multiple times every day and keep myself active as much as possible when I’m not writing. My blood pressure and heart rate are back to normal levels. As a matter of fact, my blood pressure was 117/79 and my heart rate was 67 Monday morning. I check it every day per my doctor’s orders with my next appointment in November.

    As if that’s not enough, my confidence level has changed dramatically. I have always struggled with my confidence, but this healthy lifestyle change put a stop to that. I started cooking more in the kitchen and began eating nutritious meals along with my two shakes a day. I have since learned how to make many more shakes at home and have probably 70 to 80 I can make. Who would have thought ice water would be the base for these delicious shakes? (And, no, they are not gritty for those who ask.)

    I have always put myself last in the past, but that’s not the case anymore. My health had to come first, and thanks to Tish and Bobby at EmPower Nutrition, I’m getting healthier day by day and boosting my confidence to levels I’ve never seen. Each time I go for a weigh-in, I make a Facebook post and receive comments and feedback from everyone following my journey.

    This has been one heck of a journey, and I have every intention to keep going with two months left in the year. The next step for me is reaching my goal weight of 170 and maintaining it. I hope to become a distributor of these products and help others achieve the same results I have seen. Tish is always thankful for new clients, and I encourage anyone who wants to lose weight to give her a try. She truly cares about her clients, and it shows through her continued support and smile. It’s up to you whether you want to weigh in once every week or two weeks. Personally, I try to go every two weeks but occasionally go once a week.

    Keep in mind wellness profiles and consultations with Tish are free. You only have to pay for your annual membership and the products to make at home. Just make sure you have a good quality blender.

    To say I feel “empowered” is an understatement. I have enjoyed every ride of this journey thus far and know God will continue to guide me along every step of the way with Tish and Bobby’s love, guidance, and support. Do you want to be healthy and shed pounds like I have? Well, let’s get you started and get you going on your own personal journey!

    Reach out to me and let me help you be successful, or see Tish and Bobby at EmPower Nutrition in Andalusia. You will not be disappointed and feel better, too!

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