April 26, 2019

punishment for keeping teen in dog cage for 56 weeks - probation

Teen with Asperger's in courtroom confrontation with abuser she met in anorexia chat room and who did 'unimaginable things' to her after locking her in a dog cage for a YEAR, as judge lets him off with PROBATION
Michael Wysolovski, 33, on Thursday pleaded guilty to first-degree cruelty to children and interstate interference with custody
He was handed a 10-year sentence, with eight months to be served in jail - which he had already completed - and the rest to be spent on probation
Wysolovski had charges of rape and sodomy dropped against him but must register as a sex offender for life
He was arrested in 2017 for keeping 17-year-old Hailey Burns in captivity for 56 weeks
Police said Wysolovski made the teen count calories and had her perform oral sex on him in exchange for food
Burns said in her victim impact statement that she has been battling OCD, depression and agoraphobia, and attempted suicide three times

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6963991/Man-avoids-prison-keeping-teen-locked-cage-denying-food.html

A Georgia man who kept a teenage girl suffering from Asperger's in captivity for more than a year, denying her food and subjecting her to water torture will be spared prison but will have to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.

Michael Wysolovski, 33, from Georgia, on Thursday pleaded guilty to first-degree cruelty to children and interstate interference with custody.

Police said Hailey Burns, then aged 17, went missing from her Charlotte, North Carolina, home in May 2016. She was found 225 miles away in Wysolovki's home in Duluth 56 weeks later.

--------
Assistant District Attorney Michael DeTardo told Atlanta Journal Constitution that he had consulted the victim and her family before signing off on the plea deal.

He explained that Burns and Wysolovski agreed to enter a BDSM-type relationship where participants simulate non-consensual sex acts, but over time the man violated the boundaries of their agreement by subjecting Burns to violence against her wishes.

Because of the nature of Burns and Wysolovski’s arrangement, DeTardo said he could not guarantee a rape conviction at trial.

Beyond that, Burns and her family did not wish to go through a jury trial, and their main goal was having Wysolovski register as a sex offender, which Thursday’s sentence accomplished.

April 26, 2019

Missouri Republicans want to undo voters' redistricting wishes.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/missouri-republicans-want-to-undo-voters-redistricting-wishes-the-supreme-court-should-take-note/2019/04/25/f31e0d3c-678e-11e9-a1b6-b29b90efa879_story.html?utm_term=.c6d9cbb0efe6

LAST NOVEMBER, Missouri was one of a handful of states in which voters decided to limit politicians’ power over redistricting, the decennial process in which political boundaries are drawn, because allowing politicians to choose their own voters has become an increasingly corrupt exercise. Now, Missouri Republicans, who have a lock on the state’s legislature and stand to lose some control under the new system, are trying to roll back the reform, insisting that voters were tricked into approving it.

Their cynical maneuver represents another new low in the steady Republican undermining of democracy through false claims of voter fraud, restrictions on voting and other tactics. The Supreme Court, deliberating on whether politicians can be trusted not to deprive voters of their rights through extreme gerrymandering, should take note.

Missouri voters approved a plan that would rely on a professional state demographer to draw lines that would not be warped in favor of one party or another. It was not perfect, but it was better than what Republicans wanted: a system in which the parties have more control — and in which partisan fairness is not a focus. More to the point: Once Missourians embraced a different approach, the debate should have been over. Nevertheless, with supermajorities in both chambers of the statehouse, the GOP can ram the plan through.

----

Meanwhile, as Missouri lawmakers debate their rollback, Texas Republicans are moving to treat mistakes on voter-registration forms as felony offenses that could bring jail time and to discourage people from casting provisional ballots, NPR reported. Tennessee Republicans want to heavily fine groups that turn in improperly filled-in voter-registration forms. Arizona Republicans would cut voters from the mail-in ballot rolls if they do not vote in two successive elections. All of these will help dampen the vote in a country that already suffers from low participation.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/missouri-republicans-want-to-undo-voters-redistricting-wishes-the-supreme-court-should-take-note/2019/04/25/f31e0d3c-678e-11e9-a1b6-b29b90efa879_story.html?utm_term=.c6d9cbb0efe6

April 24, 2019

Grand Rapids Could Become First City To Punish Racist People Using 911 Against Black People

https://www.essence.com/news/grand-rapids-911-law/

Grand Rapids, Michigan may be the first city to make it illegal to call the police on a Black person for “breathing while Black”…or doing anything mundane while Black to be honest.

How would this work? To elaborate, Grand Rapids is in the process of planning an ordinance that would classify the abuse of 911 as a criminal misdemeanor. This means that people would actually get in trouble for calling the police on Black people just trying to live their normal, daily lives. This would be accomplished through the hypothetical “bias crime reporting prohibition” and would also build upon established protected class definitions, outline a referral and compliance process, and identify four main potential areas of discrimination that such calls—and abuse of a public service—could fall under.

“We in the community have had various conversations over the last few years about disparities that exist in Grand Rapids,” Jeremy DeRoo, executive director of advocacy group LINC Up, said.

This comes after the community has seen a spike in Grand Rapids police offers being dispatched in situations that have clearly been influenced by discrimination or implicit bias (i.e racism). This became particularly clear after a nasty incident in 2017 where someone called the police on a Black graduation party.

The proposed ordinance would be broken up into sections (focusing on things like public gatherings, employment practices, etc), would be punishable by up to $500 per day that such an incident occurs, and would be prosecuted by the city attorney’s office.

April 24, 2019

A Kind Restaurant Gesture Goes Viral

When an Alabama man went out to eat with two buddies, he noticed an older woman eating alone in the restaurant in Oxford. “My exact thoughts was ‘dang I’d hate to have to eat alone,'" writes Jamario Howard in a now-viral Facebook post, per Fox 8. Howard spoke to the woman briefly and learned that she was a widow who had gone out to eat on the eve of her 60th wedding anniversary. He gave his condolences, and she accepted his invitation to join him and his friends. "The point in this is always be kind and be nice to people," he writes. "You never know what they are going through." Read his full post, including a photo of their dinner, here.

https://www.newser.com/story/274261/a-kind-restaurant-gesture-goes-viral.html

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/good-news/young-man-asks-widow-eating-alone-to-join-him-this-woman-changed-my-outlook-on-life/ar-BBWd5fB

April 24, 2019

jaws of life used to free dog from cinder block

6 months old rottweiler

?quality=90&strip=all&w=618&h=410&crop=1

https://nypost.com/2019/04/23/jaws-of-life-used-to-free-dogs-head-from-cinder-block/

St. Johns County Fire Rescue posted on Facebook that firefighters responded to a Hastings home on Saturday.

Officials say the 6-month-old dog named Fifi had managed to wedge her head inside one of the block’s holes while sniffing around the home. The resident called rescue workers after failing to free the dog.

Deputies arrived first and attempted to free Fifi with soap and water. When that didn’t work, firefighters used the hydraulic tool to break the block into pieces.

Officials say Fifi was uninjured.

?quality=90&strip=all&w=300

A 6-month-old dog got too curious outside a home in the Hastings, Florida area, according to fire officials. When the homeowner got home Monday morning, Fifi’s head was firmly stuck inside one of the holes in a 30-pound concrete cinder block.

Fifi isn’t a blockhead any more.

Just ask the crew from St. Johns County Fire Station 8 following a novel rescue effort freed the Rottweiler puppy’s head from being stuck in the concrete block Monday.

“Fifi was uninjured and is excited to be sniffing around again,” fire officials said.

The 6-month-old dog got too curious outside a home in the Hastings area, according to fire officials. When the homeowner got home Monday morning, Fifi’s head was firmly stuck inside one of the holes in a 30-pound concrete cinder block.

The owner tried to free Fifi from the cinder block, but nothing worked. A call to the St. Johns County Communications Center resulted in deputies arriving on the scene. They attempted to use soap and water to grease the dog’s head free of the hole, fire officials said.

No soap, so to speak. But Fifi’s knights in fireproof armor were en route.

The crew from Station 8 on Morrison Road rolled up and began to work to free the canine from the concrete. The ultimate solution — using the Jaws of Life, which can exert more than 19,000 pounds of pulling force, firefighters carefully cracked the block and freed the puppy, fire officials said.

https://www.heraldtribune.com/news/20190423/florida-firefighters-free-fifi-dog-with-jaws-of-life/2

April 24, 2019

"Liberty. Guns. Bible. Trump. BBQ. That's my kind of LGBTQ movement," posted deputy sheriff

A sheriff’s deputy in Alabama has been placed on leave after he made anti-LGBTQ comments on social media — specifically, on a post about a teenage boy who was bullied until he killed himself, Alabama.com reported Monday.

-------------------------

On Sunday, Madison County Deputy Jeff Graves denounced the entire LGBTQ community in a comment to that Facebook post.

“Liberty. Guns. Bible. Trump. BBQ. That’s my kind of LGBTQ movement,” Graves reportedly wrote on Sunday. (His comment has since been taken down, Alabama.com reported.) “I’m seriously offended there is such a thing such as the movement. Society cannot and should not accept this behavior.”

The Madison County Sheriff’s Office acted fast. By Monday, Graves was placed on administrative leave while the agency investigated the incident.

“The Sheriff’s Office holds all its employees to a high standard, and the public can be assured that a thorough and complete audit will be conducted and appropriate action will be taken,” the Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.

“Bullying of any group or person in or outside of schools is unacceptable, and I welcome any and all efforts to raise awareness to bullying and bring bullying to a stop,” Sheriff Kevin Turner added. “The Madison County Sheriff’s Office is proud of the community support and engagement we have received over the years, and we look forward to growing those community partnerships."

https://news.vice.com/en_us/article/wjv585/alabama-sheriffs-deputy-attacks-lgbtq-community-after-gay-teen-dies-by-suicide

April 24, 2019

perp walk of puppy dumper / hunt 4 homeless man who saved them

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6952229/This-John-homeless-Coachella-hero-rescued-seven-puppies-dumped-trash.html

EXCLUSIVE: 'If it wasn’t for the homeless guy digging through the trash they wouldn’t have been found.' Meet the hero who rescued seven newborn puppies that were left for dead in scorching Coachella heat

A homeless Good Samaritan is behind the rescue of seven puppies who were minutes from death in the scorching sun
He pulled them out and left them in full view of nearby NAPA Auto Parts store in Coachella, California where a customer brought them inside and quick-thinking staff took over

Jazzy Espino, 23, who works at the store, was part of the rescue last Wednesday. 'If it wasn’t for the homeless guy digging through the trash minutes later, they wouldn’t have been found,' she told DailyMail.com

She told DailyMail.com: 'The puppies were really wet and sweating because they were so hot. They were crying and biting on our fingers because they were just so hungry' If it wasn’t for the homeless guy digging through the trash minutes later, they wouldn’t have been found.

Deborah Culwell was arrested Monday for allegedly dumping puppies in trash
Culwell, 54, is facing up to seven counts of felony animal cruelty, officials said

If you know him, please contact Louise.Boyle@DailyMail.com

April 23, 2019

Trump approval sinks 5 points after Mueller report, tying all-time low

Trump approval sinks 5 points after Mueller report, tying all-time low

https://www.politico.com/story/2019/04/22/trump-approval-mueller-report-1286386

Poll: Trump approval sinks 5 points after Mueller report, tying all-time low
Despite the slide to 39 percent, there is little support for using impeachment to remove the president.

President Donald Trump’s approval rating has dropped 5 points, equaling his presidency’s low-water mark, since last week’s release of the special counsel report into the 2016 election, according to a new POLITICO/Morning Consult poll.

Despite his sinking poll numbers, however, there is little support for removing Trump through the impeachment process, the poll shows.


Only 39 percent of voters surveyed in the new poll, which was conducted Friday through Sunday, approve of the job Trump is doing as president. That is down from 44 percent last week and ties Trump’s lowest-ever approval rating in POLITICO/Morning Consult polling — a 39 percent rating in mid-August 2017, in the wake of violence in Charlottesville, Va.

Nearly 6 in 10 voters, 57 percent, disapprove of the job Trump is doing.

But while views of Trump have tumbled since the publication of Robert Muller’s redacted report, so has support for impeaching him. Only 34 percent of voters believe Congress should begin impeachment proceedings to remove the president from office, down from 39 percent in January. Nearly half, 48 percent, say Congress should not begin impeachment proceedings.

April 23, 2019

Trump on today's Twitter rampage: NYT Needs to Get on Knees, Beg

https://www.newser.com/story/274259/trump-nyt-needs-to-get-on-knees-beg.html?utm_source=part&utm_medium=uol&utm_campaign=rss_world_img_b

– President Trump thinks the New York Times should "get down on their knees & beg for forgiveness." The comment came in a "Twitter rampage" attacking media outlets early Tuesday, per Fox News. Trump wrote that he was deserving of "a far bigger & better apology" than the paper offered in 2016—though bosses only admitted to underestimating support for Trump in the lead-up to the election—adding, "they are truly the Enemy of the People!" Trump went on to suggest he should be free from criticism considering the state of the economy. "In the 'old days' if you were President and you had a good economy, you were basically immune from criticism ... Today I have, as President, perhaps the greatest economy in historyand to the Mainstream Media, it means NOTHING," he wrote.

Trump also called out the "false and highly inaccurate writings" of Times columnist Paul Krugman, who blasted the president—"all indications are that he really is a racist"—and GOP—"no longer believes in American values"—in a Monday op-ed. "He is obsessed with hatred, just as others are obsessed with how stupid he is. He said Market would crash, Only Record Highs!" Trump wrote. "The Radical Left Democrats, together with their leaders in the Fake News Media, have gone totally insane! I guess that means that the Republican agenda is working. Stay tuned for more!" Trump added. The president also attacked CNN's Chris Cuomo and MSNBC's Joe Scarborough, while praising Fox & Friends. Later Tuesday, he's to honor White House News Photographers Association award winners in the Oval Office, per Politico. (Trump accuses Democrats of abusing their power.)

April 23, 2019

Shen Yun season

https://www.businessinsider.com/shen-yun-show-falun-gong-2019-3

Shen Yun posters are everywhere — here's everything you need to know about the mysterious show and the 'cult' behind it

Posters for Shen Yun are so ubiquitous that they've become a meme. But what is it, anyway?

The show, organized by Chinese religious minority Falun Gong which is opposed to the Chinese government, carries a strong political message.

It's shockingly profitable, according to public financial filings. The Shen Yun organization made $22.5 million in 2016.

Falun Gong is controversial for its bigoted beliefs, and is also harshly persecuted within China.

Shen Yun is a way Falun Gong communicates the story of its persecution.

https://www.chron.com/entertainment/article/shen-yun-cult-falun-gong-china-ads-show-reviews-13484697.php

You've seen the ads. But what's the deal with Shen Yun?

Unless you live under a rock, you've probably seen a billboard or heard dozens of ads for Shen Yun Performing Arts.

But what is it? The answer is a little complicated.

----
Some people who go to the show complain they didn't know what they were in for. Because nowhere in the effusive advertisements is it mentioned that Shen Yun has a political bent. Shen Yun translates to "divine rhythm," and according to the show's website, the artists who put on Shen Yun practice Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, a belief system that encompasses meditation, tai chi-type exercises, and "strict morality" (smoking, alcohol, and extramarital or same-sex sexual relations go against the teachings).

A 2017 Guardian article by Nicholas Hune-Brown describes one part of the show:

The curtain rose on a group of young students sitting in peace, meditating and reading oversized yellow Falun Gong books. The dancers performed elaborately pantomimed good deeds – helping an old woman with a cane, chasing down a woman who had dropped her purse. But when one unveiled a Falun Gong banner, suddenly a trio of men wearing black tunics emblazoned with a red hammer-and-sickle entered. The communist thugs began beating people up, clubbing and kicking innocent Falun Gong followers.

Scenes like that didn't sit well with all viewers.

The Fresno Bee's arts writer Donald Munro saw Shen Yun in 2016, and called the show "a beautiful and odd production that veers wildly between two extremes: delicate artistic excellence on one hand and a brusque, heavy-handed effort to inculcate political and spiritual viewpoints on the other."

Many people posting reviews on Yelp weren't as eloquent.

"Be warned: Religious sermon!" reads a Yelp review from someone who saw the show in Fresno. "I WALKED OUT as soon as anti-evolution statements were made on the screen. False advertising!"

"I rate this a Zero star. This show is purely CULT PROPAGANDA. Do not waste your money and time for this," said Ron F. from Pittsburg, Calif.