Monthly Archives: May 2023

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Image source, Getty Images

Henry 'Enrique' Tarrio, the former national leader of the Proud Boys

Four members of the far-right Proud Boys, including former leader Enrique Tarrio, have been found guilty of seditious conspiracy for their role in the US Capitol riot.

The jury was unable to come to a decision on two charges against a fifth co-defendant.

The verdicts came after a trial lasting nearly four months.

The seditious conspiracy charge alone carries a sentence of up to 20 years in prison.

All five defendants were convicted on a range of lesser charges stemming from their activities on 6 January, 2021.

Who are the defendants?

The group's leader at the time of the riot, Henry "Enrique" Tarrio, was at the violent Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2017 and became the leader of the Proud Boys the following year.

He's a Cuban-American from Miami, a former Florida director of Latinos for Trump - and off the back of his notoriety made a brief run for Congress in 2020.

Unlike his co-defendants, Tarrio was not in Washington DC during the riot. He faced charges after burning a Black Lives Matter banner that was stolen from a Washington church and was also charged with violating weapons laws. He was arrested two days before the riot, and ordered by a judge to leave the city. He ended up watching events from a hotel room in nearby Baltimore.

The other co-defendants were:

Proud Boys gathered near the Washington Monument on the morning of the riot before making their way to the Capitol. More than 100 members of the group were present that day, and dozens have subsequently been arrested.

In court, prosecutors introduced a large volume of text messages, social media posts and videos to prove that the group's actions amounted to a co-ordinated plot to try to stop the certification of the 2020 election result.

The Proud Boys repeatedly posted a number of violent threats online. For instance, in November 2020, Tarrio wrote on a post by Joe Biden: "YOU need to remember the American people are at war with YOU. No TrumpNo peace. No quarter."

Others posted about civil war, firing squads and "traitors".

The trial took more than twice as long as expected and was delayed by slow jury selection, motions for mistrial by defence lawyers, numerous arguments over witnesses and evidence, and concerns about possible juror intimidation.

Lawyers for the defendants argued that the group was poorly organised, mostly non-violent, and that there was no preconceived plan to storm the building.

They also noted that Tarrio, a long-time police informant, was in touch with Washington police before 6 January and informed an officer of the group's plans for the day.

In closing arguments their lawyers placed the blame on Donald Trump, saying they merely followed his suggestion to show up in Washington DC on 6 January.

"'Be there, it's going to be wild,' the commander-in-chief said. And so they did," said Norm Pattis, an attorney for Biggs, referencing one of Mr Trump's tweets.

Image source, Getty Images

Proud Boys, many wearing orange hats, along with others outside the US Capitol on 6 January 2021

Who are Proud Boys?

The Proud Boys were founded in New York City in 2016 by Gavin McInnes, a co-founder of Vice who left the media company to embark on a career as a right-wing commentator and podcaster.

They describe themselves as an all-male drinking club, or a "pro-Western fraternal organisation".

But they became better known for their frequent brawls with left-wing anti-fascist activists in cities across the US.

They achieved mainstream fame after a presidential debate in September 2020. During a discussion about extremism, Joe Biden mentioned the organisation. Donald Trump responded by saying: "Proud Boys, stand back and stand by."

Video of the debate was aired in court, and defence lawyers unsuccessfully attempted to subpoena Mr Trump in an apparent attempt to argue the defendants were following presidential orders on 6 January, 2021.

Image source, Getty Images

Proud Boys have continued to hold events and protests since January 2021

What is seditious conspiracy?

Under US law, seditious conspiracy is defined as a plot to overthrow the government or use force "to prevent, hinder, or delay the execution of any law of the United States".

It is a rarely used law that dates from the US Civil War. Last year two leaders of the Oath Keepers - one of the other major organised groups present at the Capitol riot - were convicted in the first successful prosecution for seditious conspiracy since 1995. Three other members of that militia were acquitted of the charge during last year's trial.

Seditious conspiracy is less serious than treason, which is the only crime specifically spelled out in the US Constitution and requires a high standard of proof - the testimony of at least two witnesses in open court or a confession. Treason can also be punishable by the death penalty.

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Four Proud Boys guilty of seditious conspiracy over US Capitol riot - BBC

Donald Trump Jr. says that Fox News is run by "leftist executives" who are planning to "retaliate" against him for criticizing the network's decision to fire conservative pundit Tucker Carlson.

Fox News abruptly announced Carlson's departure on April 24, shocking the media world. The move also sparked outrage from Trump Jr. and a significant number of other prominent conservatives who had become dedicated viewers of Carlson's nightly opinion show.

Trump Jr., the eldest son of former President Donald Trump, claimed in a tweet on Wednesday that his "friends at Fox News" told him his disapproval of Carlson's departure had enraged the "leftists" and "RINOs," or "Republicans in name only," that supposedly run the network.

"Have heard from a few of my friends at Fox News that the leftist executives running things there are pissed at me for calling them out over firing Tucker and to 'expect retaliation,'" Trump Jr. tweeted. "A lot of good people still work at Fox, but their RINO leadership is at war with conservatives!"

Newsweek has reached out via email to Fox News for comment.

Trump Jr. has repeatedly denounced Fox News, on social media and his Triggered podcast, during the 10 days since Carlson's exit was announced.

In a tweet on Tuesday, he alleged that the network was attempting to "smear Tucker Carlson" and "attack" all conservatives by "leaking" a January 7, 2021, text message to The New York Times.

"Fox News leaking to the left-wing New York Times to smear Tucker Carlson isn't just an attack on Tucker, it's an attack on all of his fans and conservatives everywhere!" Trump Jr. tweeted.

The text message published by the Times, which reportedly led to Carlson being fired by the Fox News board, featured the conservative pundit saying that he had hoped for a group of "Trump guys" to beat and "kill" an "Antifa kid."

Carlson then criticized the Trump supporters for "jumping" the "Antifa kid," reasoning that it was "dishonorable" because it was "not how white men fight." He went on to say that he realized the "Antifa creep is a human being" and he should not have wished for his death.

Trump Jr. also lashed out at Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, his father's likely GOP presidential primary opponent, on Sunday for failing to publicly condemn Fox News over the Carlson ouster.

While Carlson will no longer appear on Fox News, his commentary appears to remain in high demand among conservatives. A video Carlson shared to Twitter days after he left the network quickly went viral, receiving more than 23 million views in the week since it was uploaded.

A poll conducted exclusively for Newsweek and released this week found that 36 percent of Americans would be either "significantly likely" or "likely" to watch Carlson if he were to launch his own "independent internet show."

Despite the likelihood that Carlson's return to punditry would be supported by a large audience, it is not clear that he would be legally able to launch his own show or appear on another network in the near future.

The terms of Carlson's contract with Fox News are not publicly known, with the possibility that he may have agreed to a non-compete clause that would prevent him from broadcasting during the duration of the contract.

See more here:

Donald Trump Jr. Says He's Angered the 'Leftist Executives' at Fox News - Newsweek

Carlson initially called the attack "dishonorable" and claimed it was "not how white men fight" before admitting that he found himself "rooting for the mob against the man, hoping they'd hit him harder, kill him."

"I really wanted them to hurt the kid," Carlson wrote. "I could taste it. Then somewhere deep in my brain, an alarm went off: this isnt good for me. Im becoming something I dont want to be. The Antifa creep is a human being. Much as I despise what he says and does, much as Im sure Id hate him personally if I knew him, I shouldnt gloat over his suffering. I should be bothered by it. I should remember that somewhere somebody probably loves this kid, and would be crushed if he was killed. If I dont care about those things, if I reduce people to their politics, how am I better than he is?

FOX News Media announced it and Carlson had "agreed to part ways," in a news release obtained by Mediaite.com on April 24.

"We thank him for his service to the network as host and prior to that as a contributor."

Carlson's tenure as host of FOX News Tonight concluded April 21 live broadcast and the company said it plans to have "an interim show helmed by rotating FOX News personalities until a new host is named," according to the news release.

The announcement came days after FOX News Media reached a $787.5 million settlement with Dominion Voting Systems over its personalities amplifying Trump's false voter fraud claims during the 2020 election. Text messages released through the Dominion lawsuit revealed that Carlson, who had publicly supported Trump on FOX News Tonight throughout his presidency and during his voter fraud claims, texted an unknown recipient, "I hate him passionately," when referring to Trump on January 4, 2021, two days before the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.

Carlson was cable news' highest-rated prime time host, with FOX News Tonight averaging 3 million viewers per night. The conservative political commentator joined FOX News in 2009, having previously contributed to CNN (2000-05), PBS (2004-05) and MSNBC (2005-08).

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Leaked Video Shows Tucker Carlson Bashing FOX Streaming ... - KFI AM 640

Top DemocratKatherine Clark's transgender daughter has been put on probation after she was arrested for allegedly assaulting a cop and spray-painting a monument during a violent anti-cop in Boston protest in January.

Jared 'Riley' Dowell, daughter of the House Minority Whip, has been told to write a letter of apology to the officer, complete 30 hours of community service, continue therapy and pay expenses for the vandalism at Boston Common in January.

In a deal with prosecutors her case will be dropped after a year if she completes all the requirements, a Suffolk County Judge said on Wednesday according to the Boston Globe.

Police say Dowell spray-painted 'All Cops Are Bast**ds' and 'NO COP CITY' on a Parkman Bandstand Monumenton the eastern side of the Boston Common during the Antifa rally on January 21.

Two days later, Dowell pleaded not guilty and vandalizing a historic monument or marker.

Clark addressed Dowell's contentious arrest calling it a 'difficult time.' Dowell is non-binary. She has not yet addressed her daughter's sentence.

'Last night, my daughter was arrested in Boston, Massachusetts,' Clark wrote on Twitter.

'I love Riley, and this is a very difficult time in the cycle of joy and pain in parenting. This will be evaluated by the legal system, and I am confident in that process.'

About 20 protestors surrounded cops while Dowell was arrested with some shouted profanity through megaphones.

The protest led to traffic coming to a complete stop as participants created a scene on the sidewalk, police said.

One protestor hit an officer in the face causing him to bleed from his nose and mouth, police said.

Dowell was charged withAssault by Means of a Dangerous Weapon, Destruction or Injury of Personal Property and Damage of Property by Graffiti.

Another person was taken into custody for graffiti and resisting arrest in Boston about an hour after Dowell.

Andrea Colletti, 27, was caught by officers after a short chase on foot.

Colletti gave cops a brief struggle before she was placed in handcuffs.

Meanwhile, Antifa protests in Atlanta became violent on Saturday as rioters armed with explosives screamed 'I can't breathe' as they were arrested by police officers after torching cars, hurling fireworks, and smashing windows with hammers.

Clad in black hoodies, ski masks, and surgical face masks in order to obscure their identity as they perpetrated acts of wanton vandalism, video footage saw at least three being pinned to the ground by police officers all the while screaming George Floyd's dying words.

However, unlike Floyd who died at the hands of Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin in May 2020, those who were being placed in cuffs on Saturday night were clearly able to breathe and they made their full-throated claims audible, in front of cameras.

The six rioters who were arrested have not yet been identified and their charges have not been released.

The rest is here:

Top Democrat Katherine Clark's transgender daughter gets PROBATION for 'hitting cop in the face' - Daily Mail

Before he was abruptly fired by Fox News last month, Tucker Carlson spent years hosting what many people would agree wasand what The New York Times literally calledthe most racist show in the history of cable news. He regularly promoted the great replacement theory, a concept beloved by white supremacists who falsely claim that Democrats are replacing white Americans with nonwhite immigrants so they can control the country. He told his viewers that Black Lives Matter protesters were coming for them and defended a man convicted of murdering a protester at a BLM rally. He said that immigrants make the United States poorer and dirtier. He borrowed material from neo-Nazis. And he insistedafter a gunman wrote about a Hispanic invasion in his manifesto and then killed 23 people in El Pasothat white supremacy is not a real problem.

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Despite all this, there were apparently some people who were still laboring under the impression, or holding out hope, that Carlson himself did not actually believe such thingsthat he was simply playing a racist on TV. For instance, the higher-ups at Fox News, who were reportedly not just shocked to read a racist text message written by Carlson that came out during its litigation process with Dominion Voting Systems, but used it as part of their decision to give him the ax.

Yes, The New York Times reports that one of Carlsons texts set off a panic at the highest levels of Fox on the eve of its billion-dollar defamation trial and contributed to a chain of events that ultimately led to Mr. Carlsons firing. The messagesent to a producer in the hours following the January 6, 2021, insurrectionreportedly reads as follows:

A couple of weeks ago, I was watching video of people fighting on the street in Washington. A group of Trump guys surrounded an Antifa kid and started pounding the living shit out of him. It was three against one, at least. Jumping a guy like that is dishonorable obviously. Its not how white men fight. Yet suddenly I found myself rooting for the mob against the man, hoping theyd hit him harder, kill him. I really wanted them to hurt the kid. I could taste it. Then somewhere deep in my brain, an alarm went off: this isnt good for me. Im becoming something I dont want to be. The Antifa creep is a human being. Much as I despise what he says and does, much as Im sure Id hate him personally if I knew him, I shouldnt gloat over his suffering. I should be bothered by it. I should remember that somewhere somebody probably loves this kid, and would be crushed if he was killed. If I dont care about those things, if I reduce people to their politics, how am I better than he is?

According to the Times, the text alarmed the Fox board, which saw the message a day before Fox was set to defend itself against Dominion Voting Systems before a jury, and they grew worried that it could become public while Carlson was on the stand. The message, the Times notes, added to a growing number of internal issues involving Mr. Carlson that led the companys leadership to conclude he was more of a problem than an asset and had to go, according to people familiar with the matter. (The message was also said to play a role in the companys decision to strike an eleventh-hour, $787.5 million settlement with Dominion.)

One day after the message was discovered, Foxs board told executives it planned to bring in an outside law firm to investigate Carlson. Its not clear what that investigation may have uncovered.Carlson, through a representative, told the Times he had no comment.

At the end of the day, is it a good thing that one of the worst purveyors of right-wing hate and deeply bigoted ideas is off the air? Obviously, yes. Is it nevertheless pretty weird that Fox executives were completely fine with everything Carlson said publicly, five nights a week, to millions of people, but were beside themselves to find out that, off the air, he actually believed it all? Very much so.

Read more:

Report: Fox News Fired Tucker Carlson After Discovering He Wasnt Just Playing a Racist on TV (Among Other Things) - Vanity Fair

Protesters against a Texas drag brunch met by armed LGBTQ supporters

Protesters against an all-ages drag brunch in Roanoke, Texas, pushed the town into the middle of a larger controversy over the issue.

Jasper Colt, USA TODAY

Caution: This story refers to racist and homophobic language.

Annie Nygard didnt know what was happening.

The business owner from San Diego, who co-founded Restrained Grace, a company that creates and sells jewelry, gifts and fetish gear and whose online profile uses the term "Antifa" suddenly started getting dozens of hate-filled direct messages on social media. The messages poured in, telling Nygard to kill herself, sending death threats as well as 88, a white supremacist term that stands for Heil Hitler.

It was distressing, said Nygard, who identifies as agender and uses she/they pronouns. I already have complex post-traumatic stress disorder, so, logging on to all that hate is just triggering in general.

Further north, in Sacramento, California, Unieke, a drag queen who appears at a local all-age drag show was being bombarded in the same way.

I was getting photos sent to me of, like white power, Unieke said. People saying that my day of the rope will come. People sending, like, monkey emojis and stuff like that mostly just racist remarks.

In recent weeks, attacks like this have repeated across the country: A Jewish university student in New Jersey bombarded with anti-Semitic messages; a trans man in Florida attacked for his identity; a Black YouTuber in Kentucky targeted because of his race. All found themselves flooded with racist and homophobic insults, memes, offensive photos and death threats.

What these people all had in common, but didnt know, was that they had been chosen as targets by a vicious campaign of online raids, orchestrated by an account run by one of the internets most notorious white supremacists, using the secure messaging app Telegram.

For months, a USA TODAY investigation found, the Telegram channel Project Mayhem amassed more than 1,500 followers, who assisted in organized raids advertised on the channel.

The channel, which functions similarly to a Twitter account, would post a call to raid someone, usually identified by their social media accounts. Channel followers would then flood that persons online presence with hatred.

But in recent weeks the channel took to fully doxing its targets providing full names, addresses, phone numbers and emails of people the group wishes to target, as well as photos of them and their family members, including children.

According to the calls to action posted by Project Mayhem, most of the targets were chosen because theyre Black or LGBTQ or because they identify with the anti-fascist movement. Racial slurs abound.

Lets show this f----- what real white boys are like! reads a post from April 3.

Another from April 2 spewed the N-word and said the targets would "hang from this theoretical treehouse."

"Bully this antifa..." the channel posted March 30, adding another slur.

Heidi Beirich, co-founder of the Global Project Against Hate and Extremism, who has monitored extremist activity since the 1980s, said shes never seen a campaign that was as open, blatant, and targeted as this one.

Whats so different about this is that it's literally orchestrated, Beirich said. Harassment usually just arises almost out of the ether because people don't like something somebody's saying, and so they get mobbed online. But to direct attacks, that's actually real nasty.

Telegram did not respond to a request for comment by USA TODAY on Friday. Sometime between that inquiry and Monday morning, the Project Mayhem channel disappeared from the site.

More from this report: He pushed harassment 'raids,' sold racist paraphernalia online. He was in federal custody at the time

While Americans enjoy significant freedom of speech because of the First Amendment, individuals do not have absolute free reign to use speech that internationally harasses or intimidates others, said Aaron Mackey, free speech and transparency litigation director at the Electronic Frontier Foundation.

Generally speaking, publishing information that is publicly available about individuals is not, in itself, going to be creating potential legal liability, Mackay said. But it gets trickier if you are directing people, or directly inciting people, to engage in a pattern of threatening or harassing an individual.

Danielle Citron, a law professor at the University of Virginia and author of two books on online harassment and privacy, said the bar to prosecute somebody for this sort of activity is even higher.

Successful prosecutions for online hate speech have to show a prolonged pattern of harassment against an individual, Citron said. Since Project Mayhem targets a new person every few days or even every few hours, it might not rise to the seriousness required to get the attention of prosecutors, Citron said.

When law enforcement pays attention is when it's targeted at a specific person, and it's sustained, it's not a one-off it has to be what they call a course of conduct. Citron said.

Thats at odds with the impact these raids can have on peoples lives, she acknowledges.

For any one person, it's 1,000 bee stings, and it is terrifying when you're the subject of the targeting terrifying and life threatening, Citron said. You may move, you may carry a gun, you may feel deeply unsafe, you may have people come to your home, right? So the consequences are profound and sustained for the victim. But for the perpetrators, any given perpetrator has to engage in a course of conduct.

None of the targets of the online raids who spoke to USA TODAY said they had reported harassment or threats to law enforcement.

But Citron acknowledged Project Mayhem could be a case that sets a new precedent.

The campaign is documented in months of online postings. The founder of the campaign is clearly identified, and while no one victim was targeted for more than a few days, the relentless attacks could be construed as a course of conduct, she said.

And, in this instance, law enforcement doesnt have to go far to find the man behind Project Mayhem. Indeed, even as he was directing many of these raids, he was in federal custody.

For years, Paul Nicholas Miller, a 34-year-old white supremacist from Florida, posted daily as Gypsy Crusader on Telegram, Gab and other websites, including identifying himself by that name in his livestream videos.

Miller announced the founding of an effort called Project Mayhem in Nov. 30, 2020.

The Project Mayhem chat for organized raids on social media has been established, Millers Telegram channel Gypsy Crusader News Network posted that day. RAID! WELCOME TO PROJECT MAYHEM appeared on the channel less than an hour later.

Miller first described his targets on his own channel. Later, he shared dozens of posts from a dedicated Project Mayhem channel. As Project Mayhem called for raids, Miller would post as himself in the discussions about the attacks. His Gypsy Crusader accounts would alert his followers to new Project Mayhem calls to action, announcing RAID INCOMING.

Miller also had a criminal record that traced to a 2007 drug arrest. When FBI agents raided his home in March 2021, they found he was illegally in possession of firearms. Miller went to prison for about two years, then was sent home in January under a supervised release program.

The Project Mayhem raids paused while Miller was in prison. But soon after his release, they began again.

And in recent weeks, the Project Mayhem posts became even more personal openly doxing people and calling for their harassment and bullying.

After transgender activist Dylan Mulvaney raised far-right extremists ire last month by partnering with Bud Light beer, Project Mayhem posted what appear to be Mulvaneys home address and phone numbers on Telegram. Mulvaney did not respond to a request for comment for this article.

Miller, at the time, was still in the custody of the Bureau of Prisons. The BOPs inmate locator placed him as being under the purview of a Residential Reentry Management office in Philadelphia, and a spokesperson confirmed that meant Miller was either in a halfway house or under home confinement.

A few days after receiving questions from USA TODAY about how Miller could be allowed to participate in online raids while still in federal custody, the bureau issued a statement saying, Out of an abundance of caution and in response to information recently received, Paul Miller was removed from community confinement and placed back into a secure facility.

Posts on the Project Mayhem channel stopped about the same time.

What is antifa? As crucial legal test for Antifa ideology heads to trial, right-wing media also scrutinized

When Nygard first saw the flood of hateful messages in her inbox, she was dismayed. Her initial response was to start deleting the messages and blocking the accounts sending them.

But then she decided to try a different tactic, and posted a story on Instagram describing the experience to her more than 35,000 followers.

The response was amazing, she said.

We had a flood of support messages, and a ton of trans people reached out to thank me for what I was doing to keep going, because it's important to just be present to be public right now, Nygard said. And that very quickly overwhelmed all the hate just all of those well-thought-out, crafted messages of love and support.

She added:

I think overall, I had a lot more faith in humanity restored by the experience, actually.

More: American extremists love Tucker Carlson. Five ways he helped spread their messages

More:

How the Telegram channel 'Project Mayhem' sparked online hate ... - USA TODAY

Learning that theres racism within Fox News is like Captain Renault In Casablanca discovering theres gambling at Ricks. Im shocked, shocked to find that gambling is going on here!

Newly revealed racist text from Tucker Carlson to a Fox News producer reportedly alarmed the Fox board when they first heard of it. Really? Alarmed? Shocked that theres gambling here? Please. What they were probably alarmed about was that it was discovered and would be entered into evidence by Dominion Voting Systems. The text contributed to two things: The $787.5 million settlement with Dominion and Tuckers firing.

In the text, Tucker talks about witnessing a group of white men beat up an Antifa kid,

Tucker wrote, A couple of weeks ago, I was watching video of people fighting on the street in Washington. A group of Trump guys surrounded an Antifa kid and started pounding the living shit out of him. It was three against one, at least. Jumping a guy like that is dishonorable obviously. Its not how white men fight. Yet suddenly I found myself rooting for the mob against the man, hoping theyd hit him harder, kill him. I really wanted them to hurt the kid. I could taste it. Then somewhere deep in my brain, an alarm went off: this isnt good for me. Im becoming something I dont want to be. The Antifa creep is a human being. Much as I despise what he says and does, much as Im sure Id hate him personally if I knew him, I shouldnt gloat over his suffering. I should be bothered by it. I should remember that somewhere somebody probably loves this kid, and would be crushed if he was killed. If I dont care about those things, if I reduce people to their politics, how am I better than he is?

Tucker, youre worse than that kid. Tucker always reduced and demeaned people he considered his political enemies.

Tucker also built a career pushing white nationalism. How many times did he promote the great replacement theory on his primetime show? This is a theory that whites are being systematically replaced with darker-skinned people. White nationalists love this theory as does Fox News as it fits their agenda of promoting hate and fear.

Fox News being shocked that theres racism in their establishment is a bunch of crock. They would have to be better actors than Claude Rains to pull that one off. Tuckers text doesnt just show that hes racist, but that a Fox News producer is too.

Theres been too many times that Ive sat at a bar and a white guy next to me, who I dont know, starts talking to me and drops N-bombs and other racist slurs. Ive also heard white strangers near me, who are not speaking to me, but are sharing their racism loudly and with confidence. Of course, the racism bothers me, but what also disturbs me is that theyre not shy in sharing their racismand with me, who they dont know. It bothers me that a racist will assume I share his viewpoints. Basically, hes judging me by the color of my skin. Its not my fault Im a 97 percent UK mutt.

But in Tuckers case, he knows this producer. He knows he can send the guy a racist text. He felt safe sending it. He also felt safe creating a hateful and misogynistic environment in his studio. Hell, Tucker felt safe pushing racism on his show. Shocked theres racism at Fox News? Here are your winnings, sir.

I once had a friend text me a very unfunny joke about auctioning President Obama. I ignored it. A few days later he texted again, Did you place a bid? And thats when I told him I wasnt cool with that shit. In his case, he knew I wasnt cool with it and was trying to get under my skin. We dont talk anymore because I have nothing for him. But I bet Tuckers producer didnt reply to his text, Please stop sending me this racist shit. Im not on board. Id like to see the reply and who it came from.

And speaking of gambling, Id bet a lot of money that theres more than one person at Fox News to who Tucker felt safe sending racist texts.

As for the writers strike, Im with the writers. I too am afraid of what the future brings, especially regarding artificial intelligence. Basically, every cartoonist is afraid of AI replacing us, and then a few weeks ago, someone shared a bunch of AI-created images of Republicans as drag queens and basically every editorial cartoonist (except for me) shared them.

You dont fight AI by sharing it on social media. I feel the same way about memes, which some are trying to replace editorial cartoons with. I dont share memes.

We should always support good writing. Even though it appears there are too many lazy remakes and shitty TV shows and movies, theres always good writing out there. For every ten Two Broke Girls, theres at least one Community, or The IT Crowd, or The Good Place. You just gotta search for it.

Writers, I stand with you. I feel your pain as someone whos in an industry where I cant organize to unionize or even produce a decent ethics guideline.

Creative note: I watched the first two seasons of Ted Lasso but none of season three. But I am planning on subscribing to Apple TV when season three is over, bingeing it, then canceling the service. Its what I did for the first two seasons. And speaking of writing, I watched Cocaine Bear last night.

Music note: I started to listen to Adam Ant and then turned it off when I tried to think of more stuff to add to this cartoon.

Signed prints:The signed prints are just $40.00 each. Every cartoon on this site is available. You can pay through PayPal. If you dont likePayPal, you can snail mail it to Clay Jones, P.O. Box 3721, Fredericksburg, VA 22402. I can mail the prints directly to you or if youre purchasing as a gift, directly to the person youre gifting.

Notes on my book, Tales From The Trumpster Fire:There are 19 copies of my book in stock, which go for $45.00 each, signed. Also, I have copies of my first book from 1997, Knee-Deep in Mississippi available for $20.00.

Tip Jar:if you want to support the cartoonist, please send a donation throughPayPalto clayjonz@gmail.com. You can also snail it to P.O. Box 3721, Fredericksburg, VA 22402.

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Scabbing With Tucker | claytoonz - Claytoonz

A Cleveland, Tennessee, man who pushed police barricades on Jan. 6, 2021, throwing a flagpole like a spear in the direction of officers defending the U.S. Capitol, was convicted Wednesday on 10 counts in an 11-count indictment.

Joseph Lino "Jose" Padilla, 42, opted for a bench trial instead of a jury trial, meaning the judge issued the verdict.

U.S. District Judge John D. Bates found Padilla not guilty of using a large metal Trump sign as a battering ram against police but found him guilty as charged on the other 10 counts, including the assault with a flagpole. The conviction related to the flagpole carries the highest potential penalty in sentencing.

Bates set Padilla's sentencing for 2 p.m. Sept. 13. Padilla will remain in custody until his hearing, and each side will submit sentencing memos on Sept. 6, Bates said.

Closing arguments Wednesday morning brought an end to the three-day trial. Padilla took the stand Tuesday in his own defense.

U.S. Assistant Attorneys Doug Brasher and Andrew Haag and Padilla's lawyer, Michael Cronkright, focused mostly on what both sides contend are the most serious of the 11 counts one count of assaulting, resisting or impeding certain officers; two counts of assaulting, resisting or impeding certain officers using a dangerous weapon; and obstruction of an official proceeding.

Bates repeatedly asked questions of the lawyers and sought clarity in their arguments before he retired to deliberate on the case just before noon Wednesday. Descriptions of Padilla by each side veered from a raging rioter bent on a government takeover to a patriotic fan of police who was looking to right a wrong, express his First Amendment rights and help rescue a police officer.

Brasher in his closing statement said Padilla's self-portrayal as a patriotic lover of democracy is belied by his actions.

"There's nothing patriotic about violently attacking police officers, officers like Sgt. Jason Cropper, detective Sgt. Owais Akhtar, Capt. (Carneysha) Mendoza, Sgt. Paul Riley and officer (Oscar) Corado," Brasher said of law enforcement officers who testified Monday and Tuesday in Padilla's trial.

Padilla repeatedly broke the laws those officers were attempting to enforce in protecting the Capitol while Congress met inside to certify the Electoral College vote in the 2020 election of Joe Biden as president, Brasher said.

"On Jan. 6, 2021, Jose Padilla didn't back the blue," Brasher told Bates.

Padilla that day ignored physical barriers, police warnings and commands to get back, Brasher said. Instead Padilla attacked police, pushed bike racks against them and pushed a large metal Trump sign toward them like a battering ram and then threw the flagpole.

"Most of all he tried to get past the officers into the Capitol, so he could achieve by force what he could not do by voting," Brasher said.

Bates pressed Brasher for clarity and sufficient evidence that Padilla's 8-second contact with the Trump sign amounted to trying to use it as a battering ram and qualified the sign as a "dangerous weapon."

Attacking or Defending?

Regarding the flagpole, Brasher said Padilla's contention he was attempting to help an officer who had fallen down fails when video evidence showed he apparently ignored rioters at the same moment near the downed officer, including one with a crutch, another with his hands on an officer's gas mask, one with a large wooden stick, another throwing a canister, others with stolen police riot shields and batons, along with many other violent acts.

Brasher said after the flagpole was thrown, Padilla appeared unconcerned about the officer hit by the projectile.

Cronkright in his closing statement to Bates said Padilla had made some unanticipated concessions during the trial, admitting to assaulting an officer, but the metal sign was never used by Padilla as a weapon and the flagpole was thrown because Padilla was trying to protect a police officer who had fallen in the crush at the Capitol doors.

Cronkright said Bates' determination on these issues would play into his decisions on the other counts against Padilla.

There was no way to attach to Padilla's intentions that day to those of other rioters at the Capitol, Cronkright said, and the court would have to make a call on whether Padilla, in the moments he had contact with the Trump sign, was actually pushing it into police or if Padilla was trying to erect it, as he testified.

Padilla testified a man with a megaphone shouted, "Put it up here," which he said was an "awesome" idea.

The flagpole, Cronkright said, was thrown because Padilla was responding to a dangerous situation he believed was taking place. He was focused on the downed officer who was surrounded by rioters, including one in a red hat he testified he thought had picked up an ax handle to assault the officer on the ground.

"Our assertion is that in the case no crime was committed because it is a lawfully justified action," Cronkright told Bates.

In the government's second half of closing statements, Haag and Bates discussed the assault counts and whether they fit standards of a simple assault charge a one-year penalty or assault involving physical contact an offense carrying a potential eight-year term.

According to trial testimony, Padilla in January 2021 was a stay-at-home dad in Cleveland, Tennessee, living with his wife and three sons. The couple have been married for 18 years. Padilla served in the Army National Guard for about 11 years, including time in Iraq as a signal support systems specialist. He was honorably discharged in October 2012, according to testimony. Padilla testified he now has a 100% disability rating for post-traumatic stress disorder but he said it had no effect on his ability to testify.

Padilla was arrested after an anonymous tipster identified him from videos posted online during and after the breach. Those videos became the focus of most of the first two days of the trial.

'Internet Bravado'

Considerable trial testimony also surrounded Padilla's posts on social media after Jan. 6. Padilla dismissed his posts as "rhetoric," "exaggeration" and "internet bravado." Many of the posts were on the site thedonald.win, while others were on Facebook and other platforms, according to testimony.

On Jan. 7, 2021, according to the criminal complaint filed in the case, Padilla posted the following message on his Facebook page:

"There's a lot of memes and posts flying around saying that the people who were fighting last night were all Antifa provocateurs etc. I just want to say that as a first-hand observer of every point of last night, that it was not Antifa. They were Patriots who were trying to Restore the Republic after being attacked by the cops, who struck first. Even those who broke the windows next to the doorway to the Capitol were Patriots trying to find a way to turn the Flanks of the cops."

On Jan. 14, 2021, law enforcement attempted to interview Padilla, who responded, "I do not answer questions," the complaint states.

Between Jan. 7-18, 2021, Padilla posted numerous comments in chats on the website, thedonald.win, including five singled out in the complaint and in trial testimony and presented here without editing:

"After I had my right hand knuckles and ring finger crushed for just talking to an officer I knew was a soldier and reminding him of his duty to refuse unlawful orders, I got pissed, and so did many others. That's when we started pushing."

"I was right there. I have the wounds to prove it. I pushed the rails, I pushed the stairs, and then pushed the doorway. I was beaten unconscious twice, sprayed more times than I care to count, received strikes from batons that should have been lethal (Multiple temple and carotid strikes) except that God was on my side."

"They may have let the first group in for the fear mongering. The rest of us they smashed our hands, tased us and sprayed us for the crime of standing at the railing yelling. Then we got pissed and started to push. Then they ran up the stairs and we followed, and I think God the guys on the left of the building were able to push up the stairs, allowing the capture the second tier and start knocking on the Capitol Building doors."

"Honestly, the guy breaking the windows weren't Antifa. They were Patriots trying to find a new way in so we could flank the cops who were holding the doorway."

"If we could have occupied the Capitol, we could have invoked the right given to us in the 2nd paragraph of the Declaration of Independence....We would have been in the Seat of Power. All we would need to do is declare our grievances with the government and dissolve the legislature, and replace it with Patriots who were there. Then simply re-adopt the Constitution with amendments added to secure future Federal elections."

Padilla has remained in federal custody in Washington since his arrest Feb. 23, 2021, and he pleaded not guilty to charges March 30, 2021.

Contact Ben Benton at bbenton@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6569.

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Cleveland, Tennessee, man in Capitol breach trial found guilty on ... - Chattanooga Times Free Press

A trans-identified homeless man accused of recently kidnapping a special needs student in Portland, Oregonhas been released from custody after a judge determined that bail be reduced to zero, per the released booking records.

Matthew Clayton Stark, 42, reportedly approached the special needs student while riding the yellow line MAX train near the Rose Quarter Transit Center in January 2022, according to court documents viewed by KATU.

"That was the biggest mistake you ever made," Stark reportedly told the boy before threatening him with physical violence and stealing his cell phone, KATU reports.

According to the affidavit, Stark walked the boy to a house in North Portland after getting off the train and ordered him to knock on the door and tell someone that "Micha was here to see his son." The homeowner said they were unfamiliar with that name. Stark then walked away from the victim who immediately called the police.

Police were unable to locate Stark until February 2022, when a transit deputy recognized Stark from a flyer and made an arrest, the outlet reports.

Stark was arraigned on charges of kidnapping, coercion, and interfering with public transportation on February 10, 2022, and during an April 25 hearing, the judge reduced Starks bail to zero.

Stark, who self-identifies as a woman named "Tru," was charged with kidnapping, coercion, and interfering with public transportation on February 10, 2022. However, Stark was released from custody on April 25 after a Multnomah County judge reduced his bail to $0.00 following a court hearing.

Stark reportedly worked with Street Roots, a Portland-based newspaper that pays homeless people, and was subsequently profiled by the outlet in 2021. Stark said he is guided by one quote: "Whatever you love, do it in such a way that inspires others to follow behind you boldly." Stark went on to suggest that Portland is a hub of "feminine energy," going on to say: "Im a 40-year-old trans female, and Im happy that way. Its almost a trepidatious feeling to me how comfortable I am with myself. I spent most of my life being uncomfortable, and its an amazing feeling to be my authentic self."

Stark has also made clear that he is a staunch supporter of the trans movement, posting a photo on Facebook of a drawing that equates trans rights with human rights.A second photo that was posted to Facebook suggests that Stark is also an aspiring Antifa member, sketching what appears to be Egyptian-inspired garb, with the words "Antifa cloaks" and "All Angels Passover with Tru's Redline On Board" written around the depiction.Stark's artistic talent doesn't just include sketches and drawings, but also music. A two-minute video features Stark awkwardly looking at and away from the while singing "The Dock of the Bay" by Otis Reading.

Aside from the kidnapping charges, Stark has an extensive criminal record with charges that include possession of amphetamines, trespassing, and "climbing up and down from Blue Star Memorial Tower... swinging around nunchakus," the outlet reports.

Before the judge ordered his release, Stark received a "Very High Risk" category for pretrial monitoring following aClose Street Evaluation Report.

As a condition of release, the judge ordered Stark to attend an outpatient treatment program for substance abuse, but never showed up andan arrest warrant was issued for Stark in October 2022.

According to KATU, Stark reportedly told his counselor that he would"rather be homeless living in a tent" than get treatment for substance abuse.

Authorities were unable to locate Stark until May 2, 2023, and appeared in court on Wednesday.

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Trans-identified homeless male, repeat offender, released without ... - The Post Millennial

New York, New York - Newly leaked videos of Tucker Carlson show the former Fox News host making some questionable comments and espousing white nationalist rhetoric.

Videos shared on Tuesday by Media Matters, a progressive watchdog group, shows Carlson making some questionable comments while off-air.

In the first clip, Carlson is having a conversation with Piers Morgan, and jokes "If we're going to talk about sex, I'd love to hit some of the fine points of technique."

The two continue to crack jokes, with Morgan teasing Carlson for a segment he did on "tanning testicles."

In the second clip, Tucker talks about a guest he had on his show, sharing that he "thought his girlfriend was kind of yummy."

He went on to say that he was "just kidding, in case this is being pulled off the bird," also stating, "Hey, Media Matters for America, go f*** yourself."

The videos come after Carlson was recently fired from Fox News for undisclosed reasons.

Several other clips have been circulating on social media, but the most damning leak was a text exchange reported by the New York Times, in which Tucker shares his thoughts on a video of "Trump supporters" attacking "an Antifa kid."

"It was three against one, at least," he wrote. "Jumping a guy like that is dishonorable, obviously. It's not how white men fight."

"Yet suddenly I found myself rooting for the mob against the man, hoping they'd hit him harder, kill him," he added. "I really wanted them to hurt the kid. I could taste it."

Carlson has blamed "the media" and both major US political parties for his unceremonious exit from Fox News.

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Tucker Carlson thirsts over guest's girlfriend and shares violent fantasies in leaked video and texts - TAG24 NEWS