Jose Garcia
Jose Garcia's JournalCourt denies Jussie Smollett's request to toss conviction
Source: WGN
CHICAGO — The Appellate Court of Illinois has denied Jussie Smollett’s request to toss his conviction on disorderly conduct counts.
In 2021, Smollett was found guilty of five felony counts of disorderly conduct. The former ‘Empire’ actor was accused of paying two brothers to stage a racist and homophobic attack on him in January 2019 so that he could gain notoriety.
A panel of three judges issued the 2-1 decision.
A Cook County judge sentenced Smollett to 150 days in jail, 30 months of probation, $120,106 in restitution to the City of Chicago and a $25,000 fine. He spent six nights in jail and was freed on March 16, 2022 pending this appeal.
Read more: https://wgntv.com/news/chicago-news/decision-expected-in-jussie-smolletts-appeal-on-friday/
Report: Florida GOP Chair Christian Ziegler accused of sexual battery
Source: Sarasota Herald-Tribune
The Sarasota Police Department is investigating an allegation of sexual battery against Florida GOP Chair Christian Ziegler, according to a report by the Florida Center for Government Accountability.
Citing anonymous sources close to the investigation, the government watchdog group says police seized Ziegler's cell phone and "investigators continue to conduct a forensic examination of the electronic device."
Multiple GOP sources with knowledge of the investigation confirmed the sexual battery investigation and said the probe also involves allegations of illegally taping sex acts.
The USA TODAY NETWORK - Florida has requested documents from the Sarasota Police Department but has yet to receive them.
Read more: https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/news/politics/2023/11/30/florida-republican-chair-christian-ziegler-accused-of-sexual-battery/71754031007/
Senator: White House not seeking conditions on military aid to Israel, despite earlier Biden comment
Source: Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — National security adviser Jake Sullivan told lawmakers this week that the White House is not seeking to place conditions on U.S. military assistance to Israel, days after President Joe Biden signaled openness to the notion that was being pushed by some Democrats as the civilian death toll in Gaza from Israel’s war against Hamas climbed.
Sen. Chris Van Hollen, who was among the senators who met privately with Sullivan on Tuesday, told The Associated Press on Wednesday that Sullivan “made it clear that the White House is not asking for any conditionality in aid. So I want to leave that very clear.” A second person directly familiar with the meeting confirmed the account.
Sullivan met with about a dozen Democratic senators to discuss their questions about how the administration would ensure that any U.S. weapons provided to Israel are used in accord with U.S. law. The meeting was held via a teleconference in which Sullivan was at the White House and senators were in a classified room on Capitol Hill. It came as some progressive lawmakers concerned about the civilian toll have suggested that the U.S. place conditions on the types of military assistance and how it could be used by Israeli forces against Hamas targets.
Last week, Biden told reporters that conditioning military aid to Israel was a “worthwhile thought.” But he suggested that had he done so earlier, it would have been more difficult to secure the release of hostages held by Hamas.
Read more: https://www.sun-sentinel.com/2023/11/29/senator-white-house-not-seeking-conditions-on-military-aid-to-israel-despite-earlier-biden-comment/
Ohio Man Arrested for Faking Anti-Palestinian Hate Crime: Police
Source: Newsweek
An Ohio man is facing charges after lying about how he suffered injuries, baselessly claiming he was the victim of an anti-Palestinian hate crime, local police said.
Hesham A. Ayyad, 20, of North Olmsted, Ohio, is charged with making false alarms, falsification, obstructing official business, domestic violence and assault, according to records from the Lorain County Jail, which show he was released on bond on Wednesday.
Ayyad was taken to the hospital on October 22 after telling officers he had been hit by a vehicle in a "racially motivated" attack, claiming that he was struck on Cook Road in Olmsted Township near the North Ridgeville border, North Ridgeville police told local media.
Ayyad's claims sparked a Muslim civil rights group to demand that police investigate the alleged attack, according to an October 23 statement by the Cleveland chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Cleveland)
Read more: https://www.newsweek.com/ohio-man-arrested-faking-anti-palestinian-hate-crime-police-1845000
Capitol Police working to 'keep back' crowd 'violently' protesting outside DNC
Source: ABC News
Capitol Police said they are working to "keep back" 150 people who are "illegally and violently" protesting outside of the Democratic National Committee in Washington, D.C.
They said they were making arrests but didn't say how many. It appears, based on social media postings, that protesters are calling for a ceasefire in the Middle East.
"Right now our officers are working to keep back approximately 150 people who are illegally and violently protesting in the area of Canal Street and Ivy Street, SE. Officers are making arrests. All Members have been evacuated from the area. Please stay away from the area," Capitol Police said in a statement.
Read more: https://www.google.com/amp/s/abcnews.go.com/amp/Politics/capitol-police-working-back-150-people-protesting-dnc/story%3fid=104930336
Manchin: I Will Not Seek Reelection, I Will Fight to Unite The Middle
Source: Twitter
https://twitter.com/Sen_JoeManchin/status/1722698734910210420?t=e1XZwgLx-dSgTNOI0XFEjQ&s=19
Read more: https://twitter.com/Sen_JoeManchin/status/1722698734910210420?t=e1XZwgLx-dSgTNOI0XFEjQ&s=19
Manhattan public defender Victoria Ruiz resigns after caught tearing down posters of kidnapped Israelis
Source: 1010 WINS Radio
NEW YORK (1010 WINS) -- The Manhattan public defender who was captured on camera tearing down posters of hostages kidnapped during Hamas' Oct. 7 terror attack in southern Israel, has resigned, a representative for the New York County Defender Services told 1010 WINS exclusively Tuesday.
Ruiz's colleagues were informed Tuesday in a memo by NYCDS executive director Stan Germán, sources said, adding that the incident had polarized the staff. The decision to leave was her own, sources said.
1010 WINS has reached out to Ruiz for comment on her resignation.
In the video, posted by the non-partisan StopAntisemitism X account, Ruiz is spotted smirking tearing down posters, while someone asks, "Why are you taking down pictures of missing children? Why are you taking down pictures of babies?" Ruiz never answers and instead walks away and smirks.
Read more: https://www.audacy.com/1010wins/news/local/ny-lawyer-victoria-ruiz-resigns-after-israel-poster-incident
Connecticut judge orders new mayoral primary after surveillance videos show possible ballot stuffing
Source: Associated Press
A state judge has taken the unusual step of ordering a new Democratic mayoral primary in Connecticut’s largest city to be held after the Nov. 7 general election is completed. The decision comes after surveillance videos showed a woman stuffing what appeared to be absentee ballots into an outdoor ballot box days before the original primary.
Superior Court Judge William Clark determined the allegations of possible malfeasance warrant throwing out the results of the Sept. 12 primary, which incumbent Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim won by 251 votes out of 8,173 cast. Absentee ballots secured his margin of victory.
“The volume of ballots so mishandled is such that it calls the result of the primary election into serious doubt and leaves the court unable to determine the legitimate result of the primary,” Clark wrote in his ruling, adding that the videos “are shocking to the court and should be shocking to all the parties.”
The new primary date has not been set yet.
Read more: https://apnews.com/article/connecticut-judge-bridgeport-ganim-mayor-election-1e6d23567703c55430968ffdaa0b6369
Space Force awards $2.5 billion in rocket contracts to SpaceX and ULA for 21 launches
Source: CNBC
The U.S. Space Force assigned 21 rocket launches to SpaceX and United Launch Alliance, worth about $2.5 billion in total, the military branch told CNBC.
Space Force's Space Systems Command on Tuesday announced the mission assignments, which represent the last round of orders under a multiyear program called National Security Space Launch (NSSL) Phase 2.
The final batch of assignments were split almost evenly, according to Col. Doug Pentecost, the deputy program executive officer of the Space Force's Space Systems Command. ULA received 11 missions, valued at $1.3 billion, and SpaceX received 10 missions, valued at $1.23 billion.
Read more: https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.cnbc.com/amp/2023/11/01/space-force-awards-spacex-ula-with-2point5-billion-for-21-launches.html
G.O.P.'s Buck Won't Seek Re-Election, Citing His Party's Election Denialism
Source: The New York Times
Representative Ken Buck, a conservative Colorado Republican who played a central role in ousting Kevin McCarthy from the speakership, said he will not seek re-election next year, citing his party’s election denialism and many members’ refusal to condemn the Jan. 6. 2021, assault on the Capitol.
Mr. Buck, serving his fifth term from a sprawling district east of Denver after a career as a prosecutor, said he had decided to step aside because his differences with the contemporary Republican Party had grown too great to continue serving in its ranks. He condemned his party’s reluctance to take on big issues and said it had badly damaged itself with voters.
“We lost our way,” said Mr. Buck, 64, who announced his intentions in interviews and a video news release. “We have an identity crisis in the Republican Party. If we can’t address the election denier issue and we continue down that path, we won’t have credibility with the American people that we are going to solve problems.”
His announcement followed one earlier Wednesday by Representative Kay Granger, Republican of Texas and chair of the Appropriations Committee, who said she also would not run again next year. She too played a prominent role in the speaker showdown. Others are likely to follow suit given the chaos that has engulfed the Republican-led House.
Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/01/us/politics/ken-buck-election-republicans.html
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