Paris Olympics flame lit in ancient-inspired ceremony, starting torch relay from Greece to France

The flame was lit early Tuesday at the site of ancient Olympia and will be carried more than 3,000 miles on its way to the French capital this summer.

The Olympic flame was lit at the birthplace of the Games in Greece on Tuesday in a ceremony rich with ancient traditions that will launch a torch relay culminating in Paris on July 26.

The flame was lit at the site of ancient Olympia and will be carried more than 3,000 miles on its way to the French capital this summer.

In ancient times the flame was lit with the energy of the sun, and it would remain lit in a sanctuary at Olympia known as the Prytaneum.

In keeping with the ancient custom, actor Mary Mina, a “high priestess,” asked the sun god Apollo for help in lighting the flame in the ruins of the temple of Hera, the wife of Zeus and queen of the gods.

https://www.nbcnews.com/sports/olympics/paris-olympics-flame-lit-ceremony-torch-relay-greece-ancient-olympia-rcna147959

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene introduced an amendment requiring members to “conscript in the Ukrainian military” if they vote for the Ukraine supplemental bill.

A special State Department panel told Secretary of State Antony Blinken that the U.S. should restrict arms sales to Israeli military units that have been credibly accused of human rights abuses. He has not taken any action.

A special State Department panel recommended months ago that Secretary of State Antony Blinken disqualify multiple Israeli military and police units from receiving U.S. aid after reviewing allegations that they committed serious human rights abuses.

But Blinken has failed to act on the proposal in the face of growing international criticism of the Israeli military’s conduct in Gaza, according to current and former State Department officials.

The incidents under review mostly took place in the West Bank and occurred before Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel. They include reports of extrajudicial killings by the Israeli Border Police; an incident in which a battalion gagged, handcuffed and left an elderly Palestinian American man for dead; and an allegation that interrogators tortured and raped a teenager who had been accused of throwing rocks and Molotov cocktails.

Recommendations for action against Israeli units were sent to Blinken in December, according to one person familiar with the memo. “They’ve been sitting in his briefcase since then,” another official said.

https://www.propublica.org/article/israel-gaza-blinken-leahy-sanctions-human-rights-violations

Target peeping suspect fired from Opendoor Church, was volunteer at Greenville elementary school

GREENVILLE, N.C. (WITN) - Police say they’re checking the cell phone of a man arrested Monday on secret peeping charges to see if there are any sexual activities involving children on it.

WITN has learned that Thomas Elliott was a volunteer at a Greenville elementary school.

Opendoor Church in Winterville also provided a statement to WITN saying, “Thomas Elliott was immediately terminated upon notification of his arrest on Monday.” The church did not provide details on what exactly he did there.

Greenville police say the 21-year-old Elliott was arrested at Target on Greenville Boulevard Monday. Video obtained by WITN shows the man arrested by police placing his phone under a woman’s skirt.

https://www.witn.com/2024/04/16/greenville-police-charge-man-with-secret-peeping-target/

#breakingnew 🚨🚨Former Republican Congressman Madison Cawthorne who was tailgating me, just rear ended a FL State Trooper‼️ Im SHOOK 🤯😡😳 I was driving on i75S towards Miami in the left lane and this black tinted sports car was tailgating me relentlessly. I accelerated ahead and moved to the right lane in front of a tractor trailer to let the car by. 5 mins later the highway comes to a complete stop, I swerve to the side so no one rear ends me and slow to a halt. Suddenly the car door opens and a man in a wheelchair rolls out. At the same moment I have to navigate around his car and I look ahead to see the officer exiting from his rear ended vehicle holding his neck in the left lane as well. I pulled over to the right shoulder lane and stopped to ask if everyone was ok and to offer assistance. I couldnt believe my eyes. It occured to me that former CONGRESSMAN CAWTHORNE from NC was the black CAR that stormed by me in an angry road rage tantrum. I spoke to the cop to see if he was ok as he was quite stunned & kept reaching for his neck. He said he was ok, asked if I was a witness, (I wasnt, I must have been 30 seconds behind) and I gave them water as i didnt know what else to do after he thanked me for stopping.

As I drove away & replayed the surreal scene in my head I realized it was the same car who was erratically & aggressively driving behind & then around me. Unbelievably scary & upsetting to see 🥺

(Happened at 4:32pm heading South on i75 towards Miami around the Big Cypress Reservation)