RandySF
RandySF's JournalHow Liberty University Discourages and Dismisses Students' Reports of Sexual Assault
When Elizabeth Axley first told Liberty University officials she had been raped, she was confident they’d do the right thing. After all, the evangelical Christian school invoked scripture to encourage students to report abuse.
“Speak up for those who can’t speak for themselves, for the rights of all who need an advocate. —Proverbs 31:8.” It was quoted in large type across an information sheet from the school’s office tasked with handling discrimination and abuse.
Axley was a first-year student at Liberty in the fall of 2017. She had been at the school less than three months. One Saturday night, she went to a Halloween party at an off-campus apartment and drank eight shots of vodka, along with a couple of mixed drinks. She doesn’t remember much after that, until, she recalls, waking up with a fellow student on top of her and his hand pressed over her mouth. (The student denies Axley’s allegations.)
After Axley returned to her dorm, she called the campus police department. One of the officers drove her to the local hospital, where, records show, a nurse documented 15 bruises, welts and lacerations on her arm, face and torso.
Axley wasn’t sure what to do next, but she did know that she wanted the man to “stay away from her,” as she recalled. So when Axley got back to her dorm that Sunday morning, she again told someone at Liberty, her resident adviser.
https://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/the-liberty-way-how-liberty-university-discourages-and-dismisses-students-reports-of-sexual-assaults
DeSantis eyes $5,000 bonus for unvaccinated police to relocate to Florida
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) said Sunday that he is looking to enact legislation that will provide a $5,000 bonus to police officers to relocate to Florida, where they can avoid vaccine mandates.
DeSantis told host Maria Bartitomo on Fox News’s “Sunday Morning Futures” that Florida is “actively working” to recruit law enforcement officers from other states who are being fired for not getting the COVID-19 vaccine.
“We're actually actively working to recruit out-of-state law enforcement, because we do have needs in our police and our sheriff's departments. So, in the next legislative session, I'm going to hopefully sign legislation that gives a $5,000 bonus to any out-of-state law enforcement that relocates in Florida,” DeSantis said.
“So, NYPD, Minneapolis, Seattle, if you're not being treated well, we will treat you better here. You can fill important needs for us, and we will compensate you as a result,” he added.
The governor’s comments come amid his escalating conflict with the Biden administration over its impending vaccine mandate, which will require businesses with 100 or more workers to require vaccines or weekly testing.
https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/578234-desantis-eyes-5000-bonus-for-unvaccinated-police-to-relocate-to-florida
Baldwin was 'practicing' with gun when it went off, warrant says
Witnesses said actor Alec Baldwin was "practicing" with a gun when it went off before filming started on the set of "Rust" in New Mexico, according to new information released Sunday in search warrants.
The new information includes previously unreported statements from director Joel Souza and cameraman Reid Russell.
Souza said Baldwin had been practicing Thursday when the gun went off, killing cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, 42, and injuring director Joel Souza, 48, according to the latest warrant information.
The cast and crew had taken a lunch break, and when they returned, Souza told authorities, he wasn’t sure if the firearm to be used by Baldwin had been checked anew for safety.
"Joel advised they returned back to the set after lunch, although he is not sure if the firearm was checked again," the warrant states. "Joel stated they had Alec sitting in a pew in a church building setting, and he was practicing a cross draw. Joel said he was looking over the shoulder of Halayna, when he heard what sounded like a whip and then loud pop."
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/baldwin-was-practicing-gun-when-it-went-warrant-says-n1282254
OH-SEN: Bonus Tweet of the Day
https://twitter.com/georgevclark/status/1452470261672972296?s=21VA-GOV: Glenn Youngkin Financed a PAC That Supports 2020 Deniers and 1/6 Apologists
When Glenn Youngkin was running for the Republican nomination in Virginia’s gubernatorial contest earlier this year, he refused to say whether Joe Biden had legitimately won the 2020 election. Then after he secured the nomination, he acknowledged on Fox that Biden indeed “was legitimately elected our president.” A few weeks ago, Youngkin even said that he would have voted to certify the election had he been a member of Congress. And when right-wing supporters of his campaign recently held a rally where they pledged allegiance to a flag flown at a pro-Trump demonstration in Washington, DC, on January 6 before the Capitol Hill riot, Youngkin called this act “weird and wrong” and denounced the violence of January 6.
But throughout the tight race that pits him against former Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe, Youngkin has been striving to have it both ways: come across as a reasonable Republican in a state Biden won by 10 points, while still embracing the endorsement he received from Donald Trump and playing footsie with Trump’s baseless claim the election was stolen by repeatedly calling for “election integrity.” Yet in one important aspect, Youngkin has signaled his full support for the Trump conspiracy crowd: he has funneled his own personal cash into the campaigns of Big Lie advocates and 1/6 apologists.
In August, Youngkin, the former CEO of the Carlyle Group, announced he would pump $1 million into Virginia Wins, a political action committee that supports down-ballot Republican candidates in the state. (Youngkin’s personal fortune is estimated at about $440 million, and he has loaned his campaign at least $16.5 million.) According to Virginia state campaign finance records, Youngkin kept his word: his million-dollar donation to the PAC accounts for almost all of the $1,043,500 the group had raised as of September 30. And a good chunk of this money has gone to Trump Republicans who echo Trump’s claim of fraud and who downplay the violent Trump-incited raid on Congress.
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2021/10/virginia-gop-candidate-glenn-youngkin-financed-a-pac-that-supports-2020-deniers-and-1-6-apologists/
'The Secrets of Isis' Star Joanna Cameron Dies at 70
Joanna Cameron, known for her lead role on the 1970s DC television series The Secrets of Isis, has passed away. She was 70 years old.
Cameron's passing was confirmed on Facebook and Twitter by her Isis co-star Joanna Pang Atkins. "Sad to post that JoAnna Cameron 'The Mighty Isis' has flown to heaven," Atkins wrote. "She suffered a stroke and passed away from complications this past Friday. We shared the wonderful lasting experience of making The Secrets of Isis. May she RIP." Atkins shared a photo of Cameron alongside herself and fellow Isis star Brian Cutler.
https://www.cbr.com/joanna-cameron-obituary/
VA:GOV: "BIG" Early Voting in Deep-Blue Northern Virginia Saturday
See below for some very interesting – and encouraging – early voting stats from yesterday, as well as some early-Sunday-morning analysis by UVA Law grad Sam Shirazi. Nice job!
-“Here’s the thing about Arlington where I live; January 6 did not go down well here, it was across the river and our police helped respond to it I remember all the sirens heading into DC. Pledging allegiance to Jan 6 flag did not help. Just saying…”
-“Better picture for Rs in Hanover County (R suburbs of Richmond). Very high early vote compared with rest of VA. Traditional R base seems to be turning out, but the problem is that new Trump voters not so much. Maybe they changes on Election Day?”
-“How bad is early voting for Rs in SW. Lee county (far SW) had 124 people vote on Saturday in person w population ~20K for ~ .6% of population. Arlington had 3K vote with population ~238K for ~ 1.3% vote. D part of VA had twice turnout“
-“To put BIG Saturday Arlington number in prospective, ~ 85,000 people voted in Arlington in 2017. Yesterday with almost 3,000 people voting in person, Arlington had almost 3.5% of its total 2017 vote in one day. And that’s not counting mail ballots!”
-“Good point by @ZacharyStarbuc1 that slow early voting on Saturday in R stronghold of Rockingham with just 153 votes. As you can see it has had consistent early vote. But maybe Rs have burned through early voters in the Valley. Ds room to grow in NOVA”
-“Picture is more mixed for Republican early voting on Saturday. Roanoke County (few R suburban counties) saw 486 in person votes, which is less than many other days. My guess R base more retired folks so weekend voting less important for them “
-“Loudoun also saw record in person early vote on Saturday with 2,996 people voting. This is just day or early voting and a lot can change, but narrative that Democratic early voting lagging behind is not accurate given these new numbers”
-“Very clear that Democrats are voting big right now and Republicans not keeping up. BUT Republicans may wait until Election Day so something to keep in mind”
-“Alexandria also saw largest day of early voting on Saturday with 1,222 voting in person. Less of a big number than Arlington, but still respectable (also Alexandria is smaller than Arlington) “
-“Arlington saw MASSIVE early vote on Saturday with 2,936 people voting in person during first day of weekend voting with expanded locations. In person voting never broke 1000 in any other day of early voting here “
-“BIG Fairfax County early vote continued on Saturday as 9,001 more people voted in person Up from 7,367 that voted on Friday. Republicans can still make up ground on Election Day, but Democrats banking a lot of votes “
-“Both parties high propensity voters seem motivated and are voting early in large numbers. Both parties low propensity voters lagging in early voting BUT Democrats seem to be focusing GOTV on getting low propensity base. Not sure what Rs are doing to get infrequent Trump voter”
-“New base in SW had had very poor turnout, particularly in Buchanan which has some of lowest in VA. This means traditional R activists very motivated, but new Trump voters not so much? But this could change on Election Day”
-“Before you say Buchanan is large rural county where early voting is hard Brunswick is large rural county with majority African-American population and it has higher early voting rate than average!”
-“Before someone jumps all over me, Virginia early vote is not going to tell us who will win. It can help us understand if GOTV operations are working and if people motivated to vote. Yes we still need to wait for Election Day vote, but let’s not pretend early vote is irrelevant.”
https://bluevirginia.us/2021/10/big-early-voting-in-deep-blue-northern-virginia-saturday-very-clear-that-democrats-are-voting-big-right-now-and-republicans-not-keeping-up
The Cascades - Rhythm of the Falling Rain
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