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Emrys

Emrys's Journal
Emrys's Journal
January 19, 2021

Pennsylvania woman accused of laptop theft from Pelosi's office during Capitol riot taken into custo

Source: 6ABC Action News

Pennsylvania woman accused of laptop theft from Pelosi's office during Capitol riot taken into custody

A woman accused of storming the US Capitol and stealing a laptop or hard drive from the office of Speaker Pelosi with the intention of selling it to Russia's intel service has been taken into custody.

HARRISBURG, Pennsylvania -- A woman accused of storming the US Capitol and stealing a laptop or hard drive from the office of Speaker Pelosi with the intention of selling it to Russia's intel service has been taken into custody, according to the Justice Department.

Riley June Williams was taken into custody in the Middle District of Pennsylvania on Monday.

Williams is facing charges of Knowingly Entering or Remaining in any Restricted Building or Grounds Without Lawful Authority; Violent Entry and Disorderly Conduct on Capitol Grounds


Read more: https://6abc.com/pa-woman-accused-of-laptop-theft-from-pelosis-office-in-custody/9780340/



Mugshot:



Arrest record:



Note: This is a breaking story, so the content on the page at the link may have changed to add more details since the OP was posted.
January 17, 2021

Welsh Government to take legal action over Westminster 'power grab' act

The Welsh Government is set to press ahead with a legal challenge over Boris Johnson’s controversial “power grab” legislation, with the backing of Scottish ministers.

Jeremy Miles, Welsh European transition minister, wrote to UK ministers last month notifying of the intent to take action over the “outrageous attack on legislative competence” through the UK Internal Market Bill.

A response has now been received from the UK Government, but Miles has told members of the Senedd the questions which had been posed “haven’t been answered”.

He is expected to make a statement this coming week which will confirm the intention to proceed with the legal action.

https://www.thenational.scot/news/19017340.welsh-government-take-legal-action-westminster-power-grab-act/


It's good to see the Welsh Government taking the lead on this.
January 17, 2021

After White House Meeting with Trump, Mike Lindell Calls for Military Coup on Facebook

Following his meeting with President Trump on Friday, MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell said in a Facebook interview with Right Side Broadcasting News today that he’s praying that the military presence in Washington is part of Trump’s plan to retain power.

In Lindell’s interview—which has garnered hundreds of thousands of views on Facebook in just a few hours—he recounts the details of his meeting with the president and rattles off a series of unintelligible conspiracies in a Minnesota lilt.
...
The National Security Advisor meeting with a crack addict turned bed cushion magnate who sponsors a far right extremist media empire a week after a domestic terror attack on the U.S. Capitol is concerning in its own right.

But in the interview Lindell went further to specifically call for military intervention to keep Trump in power.

https://thebulwark.com/after-white-house-meeting-with-trump-mike-lindell-calls-for-military-coup-on-facebook/


The article at the link includes transcribed excerpts from the Facebook interview.
January 16, 2021

"It was absolutely my pleasure to crush a white nationalist insurrection ..."

Police officer Daniel Hodges excited much concern and sympathy when video showed him being crushed in a doorway and assaulted repeatedly while trying to obstruct the Capitol rioters. He's now recovering and has this to say:

https://twitter.com/liamstack/status/1350271918168006657

Liam Stack
@liamstack

“If it wasn’t my job I would do it for free. It was absolutely my pleasure to crush a white nationalist insurrection,” he said. “And we’ll do it as many times as it takes.”


Where's that "hats off" emoji?
January 16, 2021

Leading QC says Scottish ministers can seek 'McMafia' order into Donald Trump's finances

One of Scotland’s leading QCs has directly contradicted First Minister Nicola Sturgeon's claims that the Scottish Government is not responsible for the decision on whether to seek an Unexplained Wealth Order, amid renewed calls for ministers to investigate how Donald Trump financed the multimillion pound acquisition of his flagship international property.

Aidan O’Neill QC, one of the country’s most experienced advocates, said that ministers alone are responsible for deciding to apply for one of the so called 'McMafia' orders, and that it was “entirely reasonable” to expect the government to explain its decision making process in considering the use of an UWO.

His opinion, echoed by another leading advocate, directly contradicts claims made by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, who has argued that any application for such an order is a decision for the Crown Office.

It comes as the legal director of Avaaz, a non-profit global activism organisation, has written to Ms Sturgeon, asking her to "take responsibility" for an issue that is becoming increasingly "urgent."

However, a spokeswoman for the Scottish Government said last night that any decision to apply to the Court of Session for a UWO was an “operational matter” for the civil recovery unit, which reports to the [Scottish] Lord Advocate, and that it was “not appropriate” for the government to comment. She added that given the “sensitive nature” of the unit’s work, it was convention to neither confirm nor deny “the existence of any ongoing investigation.”

https://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/leading-qc-says-scottish-ministers-can-seek-mcmafia-order-donald-trumps-finances-3102713


As the article explains, the idea of raising an Unexplained Wealth Order against Trump has cropped up a number of times in recent years. It looks like the Scottish Government would prefer that to be a legal decision rather than a political one.

(X-posted in General Discussion)
January 16, 2021

Leading QC says Scottish ministers can seek 'McMafia' order into Donald Trump's finances

One of Scotland’s leading QCs has directly contradicted First Minister Nicola Sturgeon's claims that the Scottish Government is not responsible for the decision on whether to seek an Unexplained Wealth Order, amid renewed calls for ministers to investigate how Donald Trump financed the multimillion pound acquisition of his flagship international property.

Aidan O’Neill QC, one of the country’s most experienced advocates, said that ministers alone are responsible for deciding to apply for one of the so called 'McMafia' orders, and that it was “entirely reasonable” to expect the government to explain its decision making process in considering the use of an UWO.

His opinion, echoed by another leading advocate, directly contradicts claims made by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, who has argued that any application for such an order is a decision for the Crown Office.

It comes as the legal director of Avaaz, a non-profit global activism organisation, has written to Ms Sturgeon, asking her to "take responsibility" for an issue that is becoming increasingly "urgent."

However, a spokeswoman for the Scottish Government said last night that any decision to apply to the Court of Session for a UWO was an “operational matter” for the civil recovery unit, which reports to the [Scottish] Lord Advocate, and that it was “not appropriate” for the government to comment. She added that given the “sensitive nature” of the unit’s work, it was convention to neither confirm nor deny “the existence of any ongoing investigation.”

https://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/leading-qc-says-scottish-ministers-can-seek-mcmafia-order-donald-trumps-finances-3102713


As the article explains, the idea of raising an Unexplained Wealth Order against Trump has cropped up a number of times in recent years. It looks like the Scottish Government would prefer that to be a legal decision rather than a political one.

(X-posted in United Kingdom Group)
January 15, 2021

Leave.EU's virtual move draws ire in Ireland

Fine Gael lawmaker calls millionaire Arron Banks’ group ‘a threat to our democracy.’

DUBLIN — A provocative right-wing group that campaigned for Brexit, Leave.EU, has immigrated to Ireland — and at least one lawmaker wants it deported.

Neale Richmond, from the government coalition party Fine Gael, denounced Leave.EU for shifting its domain registration to Waterford in southeast Ireland from its previous home in Bristol, England.

“This organization is a threat to our democracy. It is a politically subversive organization that, if allowed to gain a foothold in our democracy, will have an absolutely detrimental effect,” Richmond told lawmakers Thursday.

Leave.EU made the move to retain the ability to operate online with its .eu suffix addresses, including its email accounts.

https://www.politico.eu/article/leave-eus-virtual-move-draws-ire-in-ireland/


One result of Brexit is that UK-based organizations can no longer use the .eu Web domain suffix.

When asked about the registration move, hasbeen "Brexit bad boy" Andy Wigmore, now reduced to serving as hasbeen wrecking operation Leave.EU's communications director (i.e. in charge of its phone and Twitter account), threatened famed Europhiles Politico: "Any more nonsense from Brussels-lovers like you and we may decide to put the full weight of Leave.EU behind Irexit."

Waterford accountancy firm MD Sean Power, in whose name Leave.EU had registered its new Irish domain, said he knew nothing about it, claimed never to have even heard of Leave.EU, and said his lawyers were looking into it.

Meanwhile ...

Leave.EU claims censorship by Irish government after website crash

Campaign group Leave.EU has claimed it strongly suspects the Irish government has shut down the organisation’s web operation after its website mysteriously went down this morning.
...
There is no evidence as of yet to show that there has been any involvement by the Irish government in the downfall of the campaign group’s website.

Leave.EU’s head of communications, Andy Wigmore said: “The timing is impeccable that the day after Mr Richmond’s churlish rant in the Irish Parliament, our website gets taken offline. It’s all very convenient.

“We’ll be looking into what’s happened as a matter of urgency. Mr Richmond can rest assured that we’ll be up and running again in no time.”

https://foxhole.news/2021/01/15/leave-eu-claims-censorship-by-irish-government-after-website-crash/


This led to the following exchange on Twitter:

https://twitter.com/nealerichmond/status/1350133638499868676

Leave.EU
@LeaveEUOfficial

Did the Irish government just shut us down? 🤣🤔

IRISH GOVERNMENT SHUTS US DOWN!
AFTER THIRD-RATE POLITICIAN CRIES
ABOUT US IN PARLIAMENT...

FULL STORY

Leave.EU claims censorship by Irish government after website crash
https://t.co/7jBOOKfao9


Neale Richmond
@nealerichmond

Leave means leave lads, jog on.


At time of writing, Leave.EU's site is still down. Whether this is the result of Irish government action, a random outage or legal action by Sean Power's lawyers is as yet unknown.
January 14, 2021

Revealed: walkie-talkie app Zello hosted far-right groups who stormed Capitol

Source: The Guardian

Audio and chat logs show insurrectionists communicated via the app, which has avoided proactive content moderation

...
“We are in the main dome right now,” said a female militia member, speaking on Zello, her voice competing with the cacophony of a clash with Capitol police. “We are rocking it. They’re throwing grenades, they’re frickin’ shooting people with paintballs, but we’re in here.”
...
“Jess, do your shit,” said another. “This is what we fucking lived up for. Everything we fucking trained for.”
...
The Zello user who described breaking into the Capitol building appears to be Jessica Watkins, a 38-year-old bartender from Ohio, who admitted to participating in the insurrection. Watkins told the Ohio Capital Journal she was the leader of a local militia called the Ohio State Regular and a member of the national Oath Keepers militia.

The username of the Zello profile in question, “OhioRegularsActual – Oathkeeper”, matches Watkins’s militia affiliations, referencing the Ohio State Regulars, Oath Keepers, and her role as a militia leader through the inclusion of “Actual” in her virtual “radio callsign”.



Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/jan/13/zello-app-us-capitol-attack-far-right



Many more details at the link for this rather long article.
January 14, 2021

Revealed: walkie-talkie app Zello hosted far-right groups who stormed Capitol

Audio and chat logs show insurrectionists communicated via the app, which has avoided proactive content moderation

...
“We are in the main dome right now,” said a female militia member, speaking on Zello, her voice competing with the cacophony of a clash with Capitol police. “We are rocking it. They’re throwing grenades, they’re frickin’ shooting people with paintballs, but we’re in here.”

“God bless and godspeed. Keep going,” said a male voice from a quiet environment.

“Jess, do your shit,” said another. “This is what we fucking lived up for. Everything we fucking trained for.”
...
The Zello user who described breaking into the Capitol building appears to be Jessica Watkins, a 38-year-old bartender from Ohio, who admitted to participating in the insurrection. Watkins told the Ohio Capital Journal she was the leader of a local militia called the Ohio State Regular and a member of the national Oath Keepers militia.

The username of the Zello profile in question, “OhioRegularsActual – Oathkeeper”, matches Watkins’s militia affiliations, referencing the Ohio State Regulars, Oath Keepers, and her role as a militia leader through the inclusion of “Actual” in her virtual “radio callsign”.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/jan/13/zello-app-us-capitol-attack-far-right


January 10, 2021

History rhymes. Trump's Turnberry course in Scotland lost the chance to host the Open in 2015,

well, basically, because he's such a blowhard racist asshole:

Donald Trump's Turnberry golf club to no longer host The Open tournament amid anger over controversial remarks

The more offensive he is, the more popular he is – but not in Scotland, and not with golf’s ruling class

When Donald Trump bought the famous Turnberry golf club in Ayrshire last year, he believed his name would soon be cemented alongside the legends of the game.

But his dream of handing over the trophy at The Open is in tatters, The Independent on Sunday can reveal, after golf’s governing body, headquartered in Scotland, privately decided that his reputation is now so toxic that the newly renamed Trump Turnberry can no longer host the game’s most prestigious tournament.

Controversial remarks made by Mr Trump in his campaign for the Republican nomination – about Muslims, Mexicans, Chinese and women, among others – have given him a near-pariah status in the global game, raising the risk of a boycott by sponsors and international players.

Previously, the new chief executive of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews, Martin Slumbers, had been expected to endorse Turnberry as a venue for the 2020 Open. But in June Mr Trump called Mexican immigrants “rapists” and called for a wall to be built along the United States-Mexico border. The comment, according to R&A insiders, raised eyebrows about what might come next.

One member told The Independent on Sunday: “Those who forecast worse would come, including warnings from our American cousins, have been proved correct.”

https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/golf/donald-trump-s-turnberry-golf-club-no-longer-host-open-tournament-amid-anger-over-controversial-remarks-a6771086.html


Trump's desperation to have Turnberry host the prestigious (and very lucrative) tournament continued during his term in office. This from 2018:

Donald Trump's Turnberry remains out in the cold as Open venue

Carnoustie, Scotland (CNN)The crown of Donald Trump's golf empire is set to remain out in the cold as a potential venue for the prestigious British Open.

The Trump-owned historic Turnberry resort on the west coast of Scotland hosted the last of its four Opens in 2009, when Stewart Cink beat the 59-year-old Tom Watson in a playoff, but it has since been overlooked as a venue for golf's oldest major.

The next available slot for an Open is in 2022, following the 150th anniversary of golf's oldest major back at St. Andrews --- dubbed the "Home of Golf" -- in 2021.

But when asked if Turnberry would be considered as one of the 10 eligible Open venues, the chief executive of organizer the R&A, Martin Slumbers, told a news conference ahead of this week's Open at Carnoustie: "In 2022 we'll be going south of the [Scottish] border."

https://edition.cnn.com/2018/07/18/sport/donald-trump-turnberry-british-open-golf-spt-intl/index.html


Trump subsequently pressured the US's Embassador to the UK to secure the Open for Turnberry, but maybe Woody Johnson wasn't the best emissary for this mission:

Trump asked UK envoy to get British Open: reports

US President Donald Trump sought to have his ambassador to the UK inquire with the British government if it would host the British Open at his golf course in Scotland, according to multiple reports.

The State Department's Inspector General opened a probe into Woody Johnson, who owns the New York Jets National Football League team and whom Trump chose as America's top envoy to the UK in 2017, after he raised the request with the UK secretary of state for Scotland, David Mundell, according to multiple reports.

Johnson reportedly made the overture over objections from his deputy, Lewis Lukens, who warned it poses ethical questions over the use of America's highest office for personal gain, according to the New York Times, which first reported the development Tuesday.

The Inspector General's probe delved not only into Johnson's request that the UK government hold the golf championship at Trump's Turnberry resort, but also a history of complaints against Johnson for alleged racist and sexist comments, CNN reported separately.

https://www.aa.com.tr/en/americas/trump-asked-uk-envoy-to-get-british-open-reports/1919290


And the snubbing continues:

Trump Turnberry Snubbed In Favour Royal Troon Hosting 2023 Open Championship.

Trump Turnberry’s return to host golf’s oldest major looks even more remote after the R & A, and organisers of golf’s oldest major, indicated the 2023 Open will be heading to Royal Troon.

Turnberry, as it was known before being taken over by the Trump organisation, last hosted The Open in 2009 when American Stuart Cink defeated five-time former Open winner, Tom Watson in a play-off.

Concerns, ... as reported in the Daily Record, have surrounded the political implications of staging the R&A’s top event at Turnberry, which was bought by Donald Trump in 2014.

The USA President, who has since passed control of the resort to his son, splashed £200m on overhauling its courses and hotel.

http://www.golfbytourmiss.com/2020/02/trump-turnberry-snubbed-in-favour-royal-troon-hosting-2024-open-championship/


So golf's ruling bodies showed much better judgement that the Republican Party and its hangers-on in distancing themselves from Trump during the last half-decade.

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Current location: Scotland
Member since: Mon Sep 7, 2009, 12:57 AM
Number of posts: 7,227
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