marble falls
marble falls's JournalCoroner releases grim report on Vegas massacre
https://nypost.com/2017/12/22/coroner-releases-grim-report-on-vegas-massacre/Las Vegas killer Stephen Paddock ...(killed himself immediately)... after he slaughtered 58 people in the deadliest mass shooting in modern US history, according to a coroner’s report.
According to Clark County Coroner John Fudenberg, none of the victims killed at an outdoor concert Oct. 1 was trampled to death while trying to escape the festival grounds.
Some survivors have described receiving injuries other than gunfire during their escapes.
Most of those killed died from a single gunshot wound, according to the coroner’s office. Four victims sustained multiple gunshot wounds.
Twenty-one people were shot in the head, 36 died with chest and back wounds and one <snip> died of a gunshot to the leg, according to a chart the coroner released.
<snip>
Officials have said more than 500 people were injured when Paddock, 64, a high-stakes video poker gambler, sprayed gunfire from the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Hotel into a crowd of 22,000 people at the Route 91 Harvest Festival below.
When police stormed Paddock’s suite after he stopped firing, they discovered shell casings all over the floor.
“My initial scan, coming in the room with my rifle, is just seeing, I’m seeing one male down, bleeding from the face,” said Officer Matthew Donaldson. “He was not a threat. Kept going, kept going, kept going.”
Federal and local authorities have not said publicly what they think motivated Paddock to amass an arsenal of assault-style weapons and ammo.
With Post wires
Trump Finally Gets His Wall ... At An Irish Golf Course
Source: HuffPo
Trump Finally Gets His Wall ... At An Irish Golf Course
He gets two of them, as environmentalists warn the barriers could damage protected wildlife areas.
By Nick Visser
<snip>
The Trump International Golf Links and Hotel Doonbeg, one of several golf courses owned by President Donald Trump’s business empire, was given the go ahead to construct two sea walls along the border of the property to protect the land from coastal erosion. The 2,000-foot and 850-foot barriers are dramatically scaled down from original plans to build a 1.7-mile structure, which was rejected by local county officials a year ago.
<snip>
Eamon Ryan, leader of Ireland’s Green Party, expressed disappointment Thursday over the approval of the walls. He said they “will interfere with the natural circulation of the dune system. Local jobs would be better protected by adjusting the course to the evolving natural world.”
<snip>
The Trump Organization has spent $330 million to acquire and develop golf course since it started such projects in 1997, according to Reuters. Trump has often sparked controversy in defense of his courses, including an instance where he sent a letter to a Scottish minister calling proposed wind farms near one of them “monsters.”
<snip>
As part of the application, golf course officials argued that the effects of global warming, including a rise in sea levels, would increase coastal erosion rates.
<snip>
Read more: https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/trump-wall-irish-golf-course_us_5a3c1cf7e4b025f99e15c344?ncid=inblnkushpmg00000009
One of Trumps arguments for these wall is the effects of global warming!!
Jeff Sessions Reportedly Revives Probe Of Uranium One Deal
Source: HuffPo
Jeff Sessions Reportedly Revives Probe Of Uranium One Deal
An FBI investigation into Hillary Clinton’s ties to the deal has found no wrongdoing.
By Alana Horowitz Satlin
Chip Somodevilla via Getty Images
The Justice Department is reviving an inquiry into former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and the government’s controversial approval of the Uranium One deal, NBC News reported on Thursday.
A now-dormant FBI investigation into whether Clinton had ties to the deal has not found evidence of wrongdoing. But NBC, citing “multiple law enforcement officials,” reported that Attorney General Jeff Sessions has in recent weeks directed Justice Department prosecutors to ask FBI agents to explain evidence uncovered in the probe.
<snip>
Following pressure from President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans, Sessions last month said he would consider appointing a new special counsel to look into Clinton and Uranium One, as well as other matters involving Democrats. Sessions pledged during his confirmation hearing last year that he would recuse himself from any possible investigations involving Clinton.
The Uranium One obsession among Trump and his allies has increased in recent months as Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s probe intensifies into the Trump campaign’s ties to Russia. Four people have been charged, including former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn.
Read more: https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/jeff-sessions-uranium-one-hillary-clinton_us_5a3b9b52e4b025f99e14cd5e?ncid=inblnkushpmg00000009
Now the diversion effort begins in earnest.
Chris Christie Is Quietly Reveling in Robert Mueller's Scrutiny of Jared Kushner
Chris Christie Is Quietly Reveling in Robert Mueller's Scrutiny of Jared Kushner
The New Jersey governor previously helped put Kushner's father behind bars.
By Chris Sosa / AlterNet
December 19, 2017, 9:34 PM GMT
https://www.alternet.org/news-amp-politics/chris-christie-quietly-reveling-robert-muellers-scrutiny-jared-kushner
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie used an MSNBC appearance to cast suspicion on Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump's son-in-law and husband of Ivanka Trump.
Christie said Kushner "deserves scrutiny" by special counsel Robert Mueller because "he was involved in the transition and involved in meetings that call into question his role."
The governor explained that if Kushner is innocent, the investigation would clear him. He added, "And if he’s not, that will come out too."
“Whether he deserves it or not, he’s getting it,” Christie said of the increased scrutiny of Kushner, “[T]he facts will determine that ultimately."
Christie also stifled GOP talking points that insinuate Mueller is part of an anti-Trump conspiracy, saying, "[Mueller's] an honest guy. I believe he will do an honest, fair investigation."
<snip>
Minnesota Man May Get New Trial After Jurors Admit They Thought He Must Be Guilty Because He's Blac
Minnesota Man May Get New Trial After Jurors Admit They Thought He Must Be Guilty Because He's Black
It's enough to get a new hearing, if not a new trial.
By Brad Reed / Raw Story
December 21, 2017, 11:21 AM GMT
https://www.alternet.org/news-amp-politics/minnesota-man-may-get-new-trial-after-jurors-admit-they-thought-he-must-be-guilty
A Minneapolis man may get a new trial after two jurors came forward and admitted that racism was a major reason why they chose to convict him.
Local news station Fox 9 reports that two jurors are now saying that they were influenced by racist arguments made by another juror during deliberations when they decided to convict Michael Smith, who has been in jail for the past five years for illegally possession a firearm as a convicted felon.
Smith was accused by police of illegally possessing a firearm just months after he was released after serving a ten-year prison sentence for a third-degree murder charge. The police never produced any concrete evidence linking Smith to the firearm in question, so the trial came down to whose word jurors chose to believe.
The jury foreman said this week that a major reason they chose to believe the police was because of racism — and they said that one juror told his peers that Smith must be guilty because “he is a black person with a previous criminal record living in North Minneapolis… you know he’s just a banger from the hood.”
Smith has maintained his innocence the entire time and has insisted that his conviction was completely unfounded. According to Fox 9, the new revelations of racism on the part of jurors are “enough to get a new hearing early next year and a possible new trial.”
Brad Reed is a writer living in Boston. His work has previously appeared in the American Prospect Online, and he blogs frequently at Sadly, No!.
https://www.alternet.org/news-amp-politics/minnesota-man-may-get-new-trial-after-jurors-admit-they-thought-he-must-be-guilty
Child sexual abuse promoter among dead in Amtrak wreck
Child sexual abuse promoter among dead in Amtrak wreck
Auburn man killed in derailment identified as child pornography collector
By Levi Pulkkinen, SeattlePI Updated 5:30 pm, Wednesday, December 20, 2017
http://www.chron.com/seattlenews/article/Child-Sex-Abuse-Advocate-among-Amtrak-dead-12445593.php
A man killed in the deadly Amtrak derailment south of Seattle has been identified as an Auburn child pornography collector and an outspoken proponent of child sexual abuse, whose crimes were first detailed in a 2013 SeattlePI story.
<snip>
(Benjamin) Gran, a leading member of an online forum dedicated to promoting the sexual abuse of children, served a federal prison term after he was caught with a collection of child pornography videos.
The Pierce County coroner's office said Wednesday that Gran, 40, died of multiple traumatic injuries sustained in Monday’s crash. His death came six years after child pornography investigators arrived at his apartment door.
<snip>
Agents visited Gran’s home in July 2011 after investigation launched in the Netherlands targeting “boylovers” identified him as a member of a pedophile group online. Dutch police and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security launched the investigation – dubbed “Operation Rescue” – in 2009 aimed at bringing down the forum. Investigators had by then arrested 12 suspected child abusers and rescued 100 children.
Investigators described Gran as a close friend of Robert Mikelsons, a Dutch man at the center of the ring and a fellow supporter of the movement to legitimize the sexual abuse of children. Mikelsons, Gran and the other BoyLovers.net forum members asserted molestation and rape were healthy for the children they hurt.
Relying on email recovered during the investigation, investigators contend Gran and Mikelsons began discussing their shared interest in child pornography as early as 2004. In those email, Gran admitted to uploading child pornography he produced to the forum.
Having secured a search warrant, agents seized electronics from Gran’s Auburn home. They found child pornography was found on a DVD and other items in the home.
Speaking with KING-TV's Drew Mikkelsen, Gran's mother described him as "Amtrak's biggest fan."
<snip>
Gran was ultimately sentenced to two years in prison and placed under court supervision for the rest of his life. He was released from federal prison in 2015.
Gran died on the inaugural run on a faster train route between Seattle and Portland, Oregon. Authorities are investigating the wreck and have said that the train was going 80 mph in a 30 mph zone, derailing south of Seattle and toppling some cars on Interstate 5 below. Dozens of others were hurt, some seriously.
<snip>
This report contains information from The Associated Press.
SeattlePI senior editor Levi Pulkkinen can be reached at 206-448-8348 or levipulkkinen@seattlepi.com. Follow Levi on Twitter at twitter.com/levipulk.
Paul Ryan Dismisses Sexual Misconduct Allegations Against Trump As This Other Stuff
Paul Ryan Dismisses Sexual Misconduct Allegations Against Trump As ‘This Other Stuff’
The House speaker won’t say whether he believes more than a dozen women who have accused the president of sexual assault or harassment.
By Marina Fang
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/paul-ryan-trump-sexual-misconduct_us_5a3a5765e4b025f99e137b00?section=us_us-news
WASHINGTON ― House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) wouldn’t say whether sexual misconduct allegations against President Donald Trump merit attention, but pledged to help “change the culture” for women in the workplace.
Asked on NBC’s “Today” show on Wednesday whether Congress should investigate the president’s alleged history of sexual misconduct, Ryan dodged the question. He wouldn’t say whether he believes the stories of more than a dozen women who say Trump sexually harassed or assaulted them in incidents that span decades.
<snip>
Several of Trump’s accusers have called for a congressional investigation in response to the cascade of sexual misconduct claims against prominent men in politics, media, sports and entertainment. Some Democratic lawmakers have said Trump should resign.
<snip>
Ryan on Wednesday dismissed the misconduct allegations against the president as “this other stuff.” At the same time, he argued “we need to change the culture” for women in the workplace, including in Congress.
“I don’t even know what all of these allegations are,” Ryan said of the accusations against Trump. “I’m focused on fixing Congress. I’m focused on my job where I work, making this institution safe. I want my daughter to be able to grow up in an economy, to go into work, public or private sector, where she’s not being harassed, where she’s being empowered. That’s what I’m focused on. I’m not focused on this other stuff.”
He said bringing up the accusations against the president makes the issue of sexual misconduct “a partisan food fight” ― even though the issue has ensnared politicians of both parties.
<snip>
Ryan attempted to explain why those cases merited scrutiny, but not Trump’s, saying the accusations against the president involved “criminal matters.”
“Congress doesn’t do criminal investigations,” Ryan said.
<snip>
Throw the weasels out!
Men Try To Guess If These Situations Are Porn Or #MeToo Stories
Men Try To Guess If These Situations Are Porn Or #MeToo Stories
Over 80 percent of porn scenes contain some form of physical aggression toward women.
By Alanna Vagianos
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/men-try-to-guess-if-these-situations-are-porn-or-metoo-stories_us_5a3ac4bee4b06d1621b17351
Porn or #MeToo?
That’s the question two filmmakers recently asked a group of men for a new video project titled “Be Frank.” Created by Dutch natives Damayanti Dipayana and Camilla Borel-Rinkes, “Be Frank” is a seven-minute film featuring men discussing the recent #MeToo movement and the role men can play in combating sexual violence.
“The project aims to close that gap and enables men to be part of the conversation and the solution,” Dipayana told HuffPost. “Additionally, being Dutch may have something to do with it ... we’re known to be quite frank about any and every topic.”
In the above “Be Frank” clip, Dipayana and Borel-Rinkes asked men to read different storylines and then guess whether the situation was from a pornography script or a #MeToo story. The #MeToo campaign, originally created by activist Tarana Burke, has recently sparked a cultural reckoning with how we deal with sexual violence around the world.
Although it’s revealed at the end of the clip that all of the stories are porn scripts, many of the guys have trouble discerning which ones are porn and which ones are sexual assault.
<snip>
The depiction of violence against women in porn has long been a point of contention. Some people believe porn perpetuates rape culture and violence against women by repeatedly portraying women in demeaning or non-consensual sexual situations. Others believe porn can be a healthy and necessary sexual outlet for many viewers.
Mostly, it comes down to the fact that porn serves as a stand-in for sexual education for many young men due to a glaring lack of comprehensive sex-ed programs in the U.S.
<snip>
Man Arrested After 5-Year-Old Son Fatally Shoots Himself With Gun Left In Glove Box
Source: Huffpo
Man Arrested After 5-Year-Old Son Fatally Shoots Himself With Gun Left In Glove Box
The suspect faces a criminal negligence charge.
By David Moye
A Florida man is facing negligence charges after his 5-year-old son fatally shot himself in the head with a gun he found in the glove box of the man’s car.
Jamal Daniel Todman was arrested Monday and charged with negligent storage of a firearm in connection with the Oct. 4 death of his son Judah.
The accidental shooting happened outside an Orlando day care center, while Todman, 34, was inside picking up his 3-year-old son, according to the Orlando Sentinel.
It’s unclear how long Judah was left in the car by himself. However, when his father and brother came back, the gun from the car’s glove box was on the floor, and Judah was slumped over with blood on his head, according to WESH.
The boy was rushed to a hospital across the street, but died from self-inflicted shooting wounds.
<snip>
Gunshot wounds are now the third leading cause of childhood deaths in the U.S., according to a study published earlier this year in the journal Pediatrics.
Read more: https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/jamal-todman-negligence-son-gun_us_5a3ac313e4b0b0e5a79f3cc4
Another issue that affects public health and safety a GOP Congress ignores.
Men Try To Guess If These Situations Are Porn Or #MeToo Stories
Men Try To Guess If These Situations Are Porn Or #MeToo Stories
Over 80 percent of porn scenes contain some form of physical aggression toward women.
By Alanna Vagianos
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/men-try-to-guess-if-these-situations-are-porn-or-metoo-stories_us_5a3ac4bee4b06d1621b17351
Porn or #MeToo?
That’s the question two filmmakers recently asked a group of men for a new video project titled “Be Frank.” Created by Dutch natives Damayanti Dipayana and Camilla Borel-Rinkes, “Be Frank” is a seven-minute film featuring men discussing the recent #MeToo movement and the role men can play in combating sexual violence.
“The project aims to close that gap and enables men to be part of the conversation and the solution,” Dipayana told HuffPost. “Additionally, being Dutch may have something to do with it ... we’re known to be quite frank about any and every topic.”
In the above “Be Frank” clip, Dipayana and Borel-Rinkes asked men to read different storylines and then guess whether the situation was from a pornography script or a #MeToo story. The #MeToo campaign, originally created by activist Tarana Burke, has recently sparked a cultural reckoning with how we deal with sexual violence around the world.
Although it’s revealed at the end of the clip that all of the stories are porn scripts, many of the guys have trouble discerning which ones are porn and which ones are sexual assault.
<snip>
The depiction of violence against women in porn has long been a point of contention. Some people believe porn perpetuates rape culture and violence against women by repeatedly portraying women in demeaning or non-consensual sexual situations. Others believe porn can be a healthy and necessary sexual outlet for many viewers.
Mostly, it comes down to the fact that porn serves as a stand-in for sexual education for many young men due to a glaring lack of comprehensive sex-ed programs in the U.S.
<snip>
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