"John McCain was our best spy in Congress"…love it!!!!
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Saturday, March 30, 2019
Sad story...No amount of money can bring back 43 years
Two black men wrongfully convicted of murder freed after 43 years
Two black men who were wrongfully convicted of murder in Florida were freed earlier this week after serving more than 40 years behind bars.
Clifford Williams Jr. was 34 years old and his nephew, Hubert Nathan Myers, was just 18 when they were arrested in May 1976 after the shooting of two women, CNN reports.
The two were reportedly at a party in Jacksonville when the two women were shot, one fatally, in an apartment nearby. But they were quickly arrested, wrongfully convicted and subsequently handed life sentences after just a two-day trial at the time.
It wasn’t until Thursday that Williams, who is now 76, and Myers, 61, had their convictions vacated.
"I'm nervous because I feel like I'm still locked up," Williams told CNN Thursday. "Once I get with my family and know I can look back ... and the reality hits in, I think I'll be all right."
The news comes after a review of the men’s case under the Conviction Integrity Review (CIR) division of the State’s Attorney’s Office in Florida found that the state “no longer has confidence in the integrity of the convictions or guilt of the accused,” a report on the state's investigation seen by ABC News read.
The two men reportedly filed multiple motions for "postconviction relief” that would eventually fail before they began to see a change of luck after petitioning the CIR unit in 2017.
Among the findings from their work with the unit, officials also reportedly discovered another man, Nathaniel Lawson, had confessed to the 1976 shooting years after Williams and Myers were convicted for it.
Why weren't they released when this occurred?
The comprehensive review of the case would later lead to the state throwing out Williams's and Myers’s convictions and setting them free.
According to The Florida Times-Union, Myers will be eligible for compensation from the state for his wrongful imprisonment but Williams will not due to his past criminal record prior to the wrongful conviction.
Really...43 years in jail for something he didn't do?
Ex-lawmaker says Biden inappropriately touched her in 2014
Creepy Joe
Anyone surprised?
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Lucy Flores
Flores revealed on Friday in a personal essay that Biden planted a 'big slow kiss' on the back of her head before she went on stage at a rally for her campaign on November 1, 2014 in Las Vegas, Nevada
Washington (AFP) - Joe Biden, who is leading polls for the Democratic presidential nomination, on Friday faced a misconduct accusation by a Nevada ex-lawmaker claiming the then-vice president inappropriately kissed her before a campaign event.
Lucy Flores, the state's Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor in 2014, said she was beside the stage awaiting her turn to address a rally when Biden put his hands on her shoulders from behind, then leaned in and smelled her hair.
Joe 'on stage'.
Tough for Joe to deny Flores' accusation judging by past performances.
"I was mortified," Flores, 39, recounted in New York magazine.
"He proceeded to plant a big slow kiss on the back of my head," she added.
"My brain couldn't process what was happening. I was embarrassed. I was shocked. I was confused," and "I wanted nothing more than to get Biden away from me."
It was unclear just how the accusation might impact Biden's decision to officially enter the race. Those close to the Democrat have reportedly said Biden, 76, could announce his plans in April.
Biden's spokesman Bill Russo said Friday that Biden was "pleased" to support Flores's candidacy, but does not recall the incident.
"Neither then, nor in the years since, did he or the staff with him at the time have an inkling that Ms. Flores had been at any time uncomfortable, nor do they recall what she describes," Russo said in a statement.
He added that Biden "believes that Ms. Flores has every right to share her own recollections and reflections and that it is a change for better in our society that she has the opportunity to do so."
Biden's overly familiar approach with women has been a subject of discussion for years.
He has had a reputation for awkwardly touching the wives, mothers or daughters of senators during swearing-in ceremonies, and he came under criticism for massaging the shoulders of new defense secretary Ash Carter's wife in 2015.
Biden's behavior is receiving renewed attention in the #MeToo era when the movement against sexual assault has led to the downfall of dozens of politicians, entertainment figures and businessmen.
At a Democratic Party dinner in Delaware this month, he acknowledged how his physical style has raised questions.
"I'm a tactile politician, always have been. That's what gets me in trouble as well," Biden said.
Flores wrote that the celebrated Democrat ignores the "power imbalance" that exists between Biden and the women he touches.
"Even if his behavior wasn't violent or sexual, it was demeaning and disrespectful," she added.
Thursday, March 28, 2019
This explains it
'They could have worn white face': Jussie Smollett lawyer offers bizarre explanation as to why the Empire actor told police his Nigerian assailants were white
It was all just an honest mistake.
I'm not bullshitting she actually said this.
Jussie Smollett's lawyer Tina Glandian suggested on Thursday that the reason he told police his Nigerian attackers were white was because they 'might have been wearing white face' and had disguised themselves. Her evidence of the theory is 2016 video of Abel Osundairo dressed up as the Joker
Finally, we got to the bottom of it.
Meanwhile..at Kim Foxx’s office.
Wonder if they're related?
Famous last words
“I’ve been truthful and consistent on every single level since day one. I would not be my mother's son if I was capable of one drop of what I’ve been accused of.”
After the FBI gets done he may be motherless.
DOJ, FBI to review ‘outrageous’ Jussie Smollett case, Trump says
Although this was a personal attack on Trump he should have stayed out of this.
It will come back to bite him on the ass!
It will come back to bite him on the ass!
Smollett’s lawyers will use this Tweet to get him off if any other charges are filed claiming POTUS influenced the jury pool… or some other legal mumble jumble.
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President Trump announced Thursday that the FBI and Justice Department will review the “outrageous” decision to drop charges in the Jussie Smollett case.
The president weighed in as controversy mounted in Chicago and across the country over the abrupt dismissal of the charges that the "Empire" actor faked a hate crime, amid widespread speculation over what happened behind the scenes that led to the deal with Cook County prosecutors.
The handling of the case has led to even deeper fractures in the Chicago political and law enforcement establishment.
With Mayor Rahm Emanuel fuming over the move to make the case go away, Chicago police came out swinging Wednesday and released the full 61-page investigative report in the alleged hate crime hoax. Chicago police reportedly then became subject of a court order that barred them from releasing further files even though they were widely available online.
The release of the documents came one day after Cook County prosecutors dismissed a 16-count indictment against the actor, saying they had cut a deal with the TV star to perform two days of community service and forfeit his $10,000 bond to the city.
The move made it possible for Smollett's attorneys to get his criminal case immediately sealed and wiped clean.
The dismissal of charges drew a swift backlash from the city's mayor and police chief and raised questions about why Smollett was not forced to admit what prosecutors had said they could prove in court — that the entire episode was a publicity stunt.
In another sign of escalating tensions behind the scenes in the wake of the decision, an internal email from the office of Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx -- obtained by Fox News -- asked assistant state's attorneys to dig for any examples to bolster Foxx’s claim that the dropped charges weren't as uncommon or shocking as they seemed.
The email read in part, “We are looking for examples of cases, felony preferable, where we, in (exercising) our discretion, have entered into verbal agreements with defense attorneys to dismiss charges against an offender if certain conditions were met...”
Foxx recused herself from the case in February but defended her office offering Smollett “an alternative prosecution model” in a series of interviews Wednesday.
21 to smoke 16 to vote... seems to be a disconnect here
Washington set to become ninth state to raise smoking and vaping age to 21
I'm not an advocate for smoking but this is coming from the same party who want 16-year-olds to vote without photo ID and if they're illegal don't let that get in the way either!
----------------
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The Washington Legislature passed a proposal on Wednesday to raise the age for smoking and vaping to 21, putting the state on the brink of being the ninth to change its law.
The bill would raise the legal age to purchase tobacco and vaping products, including e-cigarettes regardless of whether they contain nicotine. Gov. Jay Inslee is expected to sign the proposal.
The Senate approved the measure 33-12 after the House passed it 66-30 in February. The policy, once signed, will become effective at the start of 2020, penalizing anyone selling to underage buyers.
State tobacco use accounts for more than $2.8 billion in annual health care costs, according to a press release from Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson. The average state household reportedly pays $789 in taxes each year due to those costs.
'End-game strategy': No smoking? Hawaii lawmaker wants to say goodbye to cigarettes forever
“By passing this bill, the Legislature is saving thousands of Washingtonians from a lifetime of addiction and smoking-related illnesses," Ferguson said in the statement. "Because 18- to 20-year-olds supply younger teens with tobacco and vape products, this will reduce the number of cigarettes and vape products in our high schools, which will lead to fewer kids getting addicted."
If the proposal had passed when first introduced in the 2015 legislative session, Washington would have been the first state to raise the smoking and vaping age.
Instead, California and Hawaii were first to raise the age, with policies becoming effective in 2016, according to the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. New Jersey followed in 2017, as did Oregon, Maine, and Massachusetts in 2018. Virginia's policy is set to go into effect this July, according to the campaign.
Republican state senators called the proposal over-protective, arguing that 18-year-olds can make life-altering decisions including marriage, military enlistment and voting.
“Either you’re an adult at 18 or you’re not,” said Sen. Phil Fortunato, an Auburn Republican. “This is a personal freedom issue.”
FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb announced Thursday that he will “advance” a new rule to ban menthol in cigarettes and begin a separate process to ban menthol and other flavored cigars. (Photo: Mark Lennihan/AP)
Eighty-one percent of adult smokers tried their first cigarette before turning 18, the American Lung Association says.
Other conservatives expressed concern about whether the bill would create black markets around federally-regulated Native American reservations.
Nationally, more than 3.6 million middle and high school students used e-cigarettes in the past month in 2018, the Food and Drug Administration said, despite the federal government banning sales to those under 18.
Washington's set of bills targets sellers of tobacco and vape products, but other states and municipalities have passed rules aimed at buyers.
Wednesday, March 27, 2019
FBI reviewing why charges were dropped against 'Empire' actor Jussie Smollett
There was a time when you said FBI you could take some solace...not anymore.
Never thought I see the day I would side with Rahm Emanuel.
-----------------------------
Never thought I see the day I would side with Rahm Emanuel.
-----------------------------
FBI reviewing why charges were dropped against 'Empire' actor Jussie Smollett originally appeared on goodmorningamerica.com
Fuming from the stunning decision by prosecutors to drop charges in the "hoax" attack case against "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel blasted the move Wednesday, saying all the evidence police collected against the TV star should be unsealed as the FBI opened a review of the disposition of the case.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is reviewing the circumstances surrounding the dismissal of the criminal charges against Smollett, two law enforcement sources briefed on the matter told ABC News on Wednesday. The sources insisted it is not an investigation, but a "review."
"He's saying he's innocent and his words aren't true," Emanuel told ABC News chief anchor George Stephanopoulos on "Good Morning America." "They better get their story straight. This is actually making a fool of all of us."
But Cook County State Attorney Kimberly Foxx, whose office dismissed the charges against Smollett, insisted that the actor did not receive any special treatment. She said Smollett was allowed to dispose of his case through an alternative prosecution program, just like 5,700 other people her office has charged with low-level felonies over the past two years.
In an interview with ABC News, Foxx said Smollett qualified for alternative prosecution because he doesn't have a history of violence, lacks a criminal record and was charged with a class four felony, which is one step above a misdemeanor. She said her office would rather put resources towards prosecuting violent criminals.
Foxx said in a separate interview with ABC station WLS-TV that while Smollett was not found guilty in a court of law, "I believe, based on the facts and the evidence presented in the charging decision made by this office, this office believes that they could prove him guilty."
"I think this office, based on the charging decision, believes he is culpable of doing that," Foxx said.
She also noted that Smollett did community service and forfeited his $10,000 bond, which she said is equal to the maximum restitution her office could ask for under state statutes.
Call from Michelle Obama's former chief of staff
Foxx said she recused herself from the case about a week before Smollett was formally charged after consulting her office's chief ethics officer about a phone call she received from Tina Tchen, the one-time chief of staff for former first lady Michelle Obama, asking on behalf of Smollet's family about the status of the case. She said she later spoke to a relative of Smollett's who she would not identify.
She said she was not doing any favors for anyone.
Tchen told ABC News in a statement late Wednesday that she reached out to Foxx shortly after Smollett reported being attacked and he was still considered a victim by police.
"My sole activity was to put the chief prosecutor in the case in touch with an alleged victim’s family who had concerns about how the investigation was being characterized in public," Tchen said in a statement.
Soon after Emanuel's GMA interview Wednesday, Chicago police released some supplemental reports in the investigation of Smollett in compliance with a Freedom of Information Act request filed by WLS-TV.
The documents handed over included details from interviews detectives conducted with two brothers, bodybuilders Abimbola and Olabinjo Osundairo, who claim the actor solicited them to help him stage a Jan. 29 street attack on him.
Both brothers testified before the grand jury that indicted Smollett on 16 counts of disorderly conduct stemming from a report Smollett filed on the attack that detectives determined was a "hoax."
After releasing the reports -- a small portion of a total investigation file described as being about eight inches thick -- the Chicago police received a judge-imposed gag order barring them from releasing more case documents and from even discussing the investigation, according to Anthony Guglielmi, the police department's spokesman.
Foxx said the case should have never been under seal by the court clerk and that officials are working to make the case public.
On Tuesday, the Illinois State Attorney's office dismissed all felony counts of disorderly conduct against Smollett after what the 36-year-old actor claimed was a racist and homophobic attack on him that police investigators determined was bogus and allegedly intended to garner Smollett publicity and eventually a pay raise.
Smollett denied the accusations and, following Tuesday's court hearing, reiterated his innocence, saying at a news conference that he has "been truthful and consistent on every single level since day one."
"I would not be my mother's son if I was capable of one drop of what I was accused of," he said.
Mayor Emanuel suggested Wednesday that it was unconscionable for prosecutors to dismiss the case after Smollett agreed to forfeit the $10,000 bond he put up and complete "two days" of community service at the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, the non-profit Chicago community organization founded by the Rev. Jesse Jackson.
Adding further to the mystery of why the state attorney's office dismissed the charges, the Rainbow PUSH Coalition released a statement saying that Smollett spent time at their offices, but added, "There was no court-ordered community service here."
"Let's get to the bottom of this. Let's find out what happened," Emanuel said. "Especially [in] a city that embraced not only him as an actor but more importantly the values of being whoever you are, whoever you love, whatever your background is, you have a home here. He took that, turned it around and tried to self-promote himself. And the fact is, he's walking around with no sense of contrition, no sense of remorse, and the fact is also the state's attorney is saying he's actually guilty of this hoax, and he's walking around saying, 'No, I'm innocent.'"
Cook County First Assistant State Attorney Joe Magats, who took over the case after Foxx recused herself, said Tuesday it was his decision alone to dismiss charges against Smollett.
Magats said he took into consideration Smollett's lack of a criminal history and that the disorderly conduct charges are "low-level" felonies.
In an interview with WLS-TV Tuesday, Magats defended his decision, saying it was "the right disposition in the case."
"This was not an exoneration. To say that he was exonerated by us or anyone is not true," Magats said.
But Emanuel called Magats decision "not on the level."
"He's an actor, a person of influence. He got treated differently than everyone else," he said of Smollett.
One of Smollett's attorneys, Tina Gladian, said she was shocked to hear Emanuel and Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson "double down" on their accusations against Smollett.
"I think if they believed the charges they never would have dismissed the case," Gladian said on "GMA" of the state attorney's office. "I'm saying their actions speak louder than words. They could have proceeded in a variety of ways. We were ready to move forward. We appeared in court and pled not guilty. We were ready to fight the charges and they're the ones who voluntarily discontinued the matter, so I think that speaks volumes."
Smollett could still face federal charges. The FBI and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service are continuing their probe -- reported by ABC News on Feb. 20 -- into whether Smollett played a role in sending a threatening letter to himself prior to what police said was a staged attack on him, a law enforcement official briefed on the matter told ABC News on Tuesday. The letter was sent Jan. 22 to the 21st Century Fox studio where the television series "Empire" is filmed.
Brothers were 'shocked'
In the investigation reports released by the Chicago police Wednesday, Abimbola and Olabinjo Osundairo told detectives they had absolutely nothing to do with the threatening letter sent. Law enforcement sources told ABC News that Smollett allegedly got the brothers to help him orchestrate the attack because he was upset the letter did not get enough attention.
"Both were emphatic about the denial," detectives wrote of the brothers in the police reports released Wednesday.
After testifying before a Cook County grand jury on Feb. 20, one of the brothers told officers "that it felt good that he told the truth but still felt that the Chicago Police may want to charge him," according to the police reports.
The brothers claimed, according to police documents, that Smollett paid them to help stage the attack. One of the brothers said he received a $100 bill from Smollett on Jan. 25 and a $3,500 check from the actor on Jan. 27.
Their lawyer claimed the check was meant to pay the brothers for helping Smollett to get his body in top shape for an upcoming music video and to help in the allegedly bogus attack.
The reports also detail surveillance video of the Osundairo brothers at a Chicago hardware store in the days before the attack purchasing a face mask, knit caps, gloves, a red hat and sunglasses.
Smollett told police the two men who attacked him were wearing masks and shouted racist and homophobic slurs as well as "MAGA country!" before hitting him, pouring "an unknown chemical substance" on him -- possibly bleach -- and wrapping a rope around his neck.
In the police reports released Wednesday, one of the brothers identified a El Yucateco hot sauce bottle that he claimed he filled with bleach and poured on Smollett during the allegedly phony attack.
An attorney for the brothers said Wednesday that they were "shocked" by the decision to drop the charges against Smollett.
"They did not understand how this happened," attorney Gloria Schmidt told WLS-TV. "We were fully cooperating and we had every intention of fully cooperating, and it was just like the rug got pulled out from under us."
Schmidt said the Osundario brothers are now focused on "working very hard to piece their lives back together."
"Did they make a bad choice?" she said of them helping Smollett allegedly stage the attack. "Of course they did and they've apologized for it. But did they do something illegal...? No, they are not co-conspirators. No, they did not do anything illegal."
Tawana Déjà vu
The case went from a slam dunk to the dropping of all charges. A 180 in the blink of an eye. Apparently filing a false police report, paying accomplices with a check, witnessing the accomplices on video purchasing MAGA hats, bleach, rope, etc, and lying to police are not crimes in the windy city anymore.
The logic:
So if a person claims they were assaulted in Chicago their 'punishment' for reporting it to the police is community service and losing $10,000? Sounds legit to me.
Pretty soon will be reading...
Pretty soon will be reading...
Jussie Smollett wins $7 million on wrongful arrest lawsuit
Tuesday, March 26, 2019
Later... he discovers Barry got him off
Unless some better explanation surfaces, here’s the lesson of this weird turn in the Smollett case:— David Axelrod (@davidaxelrod) March 26, 2019
You can contrive a hate crime, make it a national news, get caught and-if you are a well-connected celebrity-get off for $10K and have your record expunged and files sealed.
The Prosecutor
Prosecutor Joe Magats (so apropos) said he thought Jussie Smollett was guilty but 'based on the facts and circumstances' of the case and 'based on his lack of criminal background', the decision was made
If 'facts and circumstances' hold any significance Smollett should be behind bars.
If 'facts and circumstances' hold any significance Smollett should be behind bars.
I would scrutinize the hell out of this guy.
1. Check his phone records
2. Check his bank account
3. Check his balls... if the above comes up negative he doesn't have any
Remember him?
I'm going with Magats is no better.
Remember him?
I'm going with Magats is no better.
Jussie Smollett case: Chicago prosecutors drop all charges against 'Empire' actor
Plot twist of the year!!!
Pure and simple. Someone with a lot of money or a lot of pull probably both made this case go away.
Pure and simple. Someone with a lot of money or a lot of pull probably both made this case go away.
My earlier post:
I posted this a little while ago. Wrote it up as satire but now I’m not so sure.
[16 felony counts and there all dropped? How is that possible? Did Barry fly back to his hometown and accidentally bump into the prosecutors on the tarmac?]
What about the letter and the check?
Bet he's pissed.
If I was him I would get a hold of the prosecutor's phone records.
Use your brain and think of the logic of this story from the get-go. Two white guys supposedly wearing ski masks and MAGA hats are carrying not only bleach but a noose meandering around Chicago at 2am in -17-degree weather because they just knew Jussie Smollett was about to get hungry for a Subway sandwich.
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March 26, 2019, 11:21 AM EDT
By Andrew Blankstein, Minyvonne Burke and Amanda Sidman
In a stunning reversal, Chicago prosecutors on Tuesday dropped all charges against "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett just weeks after he was indicted on 16 felony counts for allegedly filing a false police report.
Smollett, 36, was seen arriving at a Chicago courtroom around 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday for an emergency hearing. Following his court appearance, his attorneys released a statement saying that the actor's "record has been wiped clean of the filing of this tragic complaint against him."
"Jussie was attacked by two people he was unable to identify on January 29th. He was a victim who was vilified and made to appear as a perpetrator as a result of false and inappropriate remarks made to the public causing an inappropriate rush to judgment," the statement read.
"Jussie and many others were hurt by these unfair and unwarranted actions. This entire situation is a reminder that there should never be an attempt to prove a case in the court of public opinion. That is wrong. It is a reminder that a victim, in this case, Jussie, deserves dignity and respect. Dismissal of charges against the victim, in this case, was the only just result."
Smollett was charged earlier this month by a grand jury of 16 felony counts of disorderly conduct for making a false report, according to a criminal complaint.
In February, he was charged with felony disorderly conduct after Chicago officers said he orchestrated his own alleged hate crime on himself in January because he was unhappy with his salary on the show "Empire."
His role on the Fox series, where he played Jamal Lyon, was cut from the final episodes of the fifth season "to avoid further disruption on set," the show's executive producers said in a joint statement on Feb. 22.
Smollett had told police on January 29 that he was beaten up by two masked men while he was out getting food in Chicago's Streeterville neighborhood. The actor, who is black and gay, said his attackers hurled racist and homophobic slurs before punching him, putting a noose around his neck and pouring what he said was bleach on him.
Brothers Ola and Abel Osundairo were arrested in February as police investigated the alleged assault but were later released by police. They are not considered suspects.
Smollett was then labeled as a suspect in his own alleged assault and arrested on Feb. 20. Prosecutors and police said Smollett allegedly paid the Osundairo brothers $3,500 via a check to attack him and also gave them money to buy the supplies they would need to carry out the hoax crime.
The actor and his attorneys have repeatedly denied the allegations against him. Mark Geragos, who represents Smollett, said in a statement to NBC News earlier this month that the indictment was "the prosecutorial overkill."
"This redundant and vindictive indictment is nothing more than a desperate attempt to make headlines in order to distract from the internal investigation launched to investigate the outrageous leaking of false information by the Chicago Police Department and the shameless and illegal invasion of Jussie's privacy in tampering with his medical records," Geragos said.
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