Police are investigating a death in Utica, New York, of a teenage girl who was killed by a young man who posted graphic violent images of her body on social media sites. Users in far-right corners of the internet are hailing the killing, further demonstrating the proclivity for violent extremist acts among the participants in those digital enclaves.

The Observer-Dispatch, a Utica newspaper, reported yesterday that Utica police were investigating a death with some details that matched unverified claims that had been shared online about the killing of the teenager identified as Bianca Devins, an aspiring social-media influencer and model. WKTV confirmed today that the victim in question was Devins. NBC New York reports that the death is still being investigated, “appears to have involved an image posted to Instagram” and that police plan to meet with Devins’ family today. Soon after the story broke, the hashtag “#ripbianca” trended on Twitter.

The alleged killer posted graphic images to Instagram showing the teenage girl with her neck slashed, and one of himself with a wound suggesting that he had slit his own throat. (Right Wing Watch reviewed these images and the Instagram account from which they came, but will not be publishing the graphic images in question.) Despite early reports that Devins connected with her killer online, Heavy reports that Devin’s sister “says the suspect was a family friend” and BuzzFeed News reports that Utica police said that “the couple had just attended a concert together and were in a relationship.”

On 4chan and 8chan, users shared graphic images of the homicide and lauded the killer for his actions. On 4chan’s “r9k” board, where discontented young men gather to deride women for their appearances and share their loathing for society, some users argued that the killing was justified; others went as far as to celebrate it. On incel forums online, similar sentiments were shared. Incel communities online exist as places where young men convince each other that they have a right to expect sex from women and encourage each other to adopt extreme and violent misogyny as a response to their failures.
http://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/4chan-users-incels-extol-reports-of-teenage-girls-death/

The fate of California’s high-speed rail project was cast into further doubt Tuesday when the federal government announced plans to cancel $929 million in grant funds, a move U.S. officials linked to violations of the grant agreement but some view as political payback.

The action marks an escalation in the battle between President Trump and the state of California since Gov. Gavin Newsom said last week that the project lacked a path to complete a statewide system and vowed to scale back the $77-billion mega-project.

The Transportation Department also said it was “actively exploring every legal option” to get back an additional $2.5-billion grant that is being used to finance the construction of 119 miles of rail line in the Central Valley.

The two federal grants represent about one-fourth of all the funding for the project to date — money critical to completing the Central Valley portion and finishing environmental reviews for other segments between San Francisco and Los Angeles. If the funds are lost or tied up in a long legal battle, the state would probably have to either make up the money elsewhere or further curtail the project.

Newsom on Tuesday vowed to block the move, arguing that it was political payback by the Trump administration.
https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-high-speed-rail-20190219-story.html

Jonathan Reiner, the longtime cardiologist of former Vice President Dick Cheney, sounded the alarm bells on the Trump White House refusing so far to release any medical data from President Donald Trump’s physical examination that took place last week.

Taking to Twitter, Reiner writes that, “it’s been four days since the president underwent his annual physical exam and still no data has been released.”

He then asks, “What are they hiding?”

Last Friday, presidential physician Dr. Sean Conley announced that Trump was “in very good health” while also projecting that “he will remain so for the duration of his presidency, and beyond.”

However, no other information or data about the results of the examination has been released, which is a contrast to the president’s first annual exam that offered some details about Trump’s cardiac health, blood pressure and mental acuity.

Dr. Ronny Jackson, who at the time served as Trump’s physician, said the president was in excellent health but could stand to lose some weight. Overall, the president was listed at 239 pounds, or exactly one pound below the obesity level for a man of his height.
https://www.rawstory.com/2019/02/dick-cheneys-longtime-cardiologist-accuses-trump-white-house-hiding-medical-data/