July 13, 2023

'New meaning to the word idiot': Tommy Tuberville faces backlash over comments on white nationalism

Alabama Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville’s refusal to denounce white nationalism in a recent interview immediately sparked outrage from members of Congress and social media users.

Tuberville sparred with CNN host Kaitlin Collins on her Monday show ,after she brought up his previous comments on an Alabama radio station in which he called white nationalists Americans when asked whether they should serve in the military.

After Collins explained that a white nationalist believes their race is superior to others, Tuberville said “that’s some people’s opinion” and defended his prior remarks. Tuberville retracted his comments to reporters Tuesday, saying “white nationalists are racists."

But the Alabama lawmaker's comments still drew quick backlash. Stephen King, best-selling horror author, tweeted to his 7.1 million followers that Tuberville “gives new meaning to the word idiot.”

Senate Minority Whip John Thune, R-S.D., told ABC News that he wasn't sure what Tuberville was trying to say in the conversation with Collins, but he clarified that the Republican party doesn't accept white nationalism.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2023/07/13/tommy-tuberville-white-nationalism-racism/70408946007/

Sure they don't, John. Sure.

July 13, 2023

Colleges take athletes' word about sexual assault history

At many of the nation’s top sports colleges, vetting athletes for past sexual misconduct and violent acts under a new NCAA policy boils down to one step: asking them.

The policy was the national college sports organization’s answer to a series of scandals in which coaches recruited athletes with histories of violence against women, some of whom were later accused of reoffending. Starting with the 2022-23 school year, the rule was intended to keep campuses safer.

But if an athlete answers “no” to a list of questions about criminal convictions and school disciplinary action, officials at many multi-sport powerhouses – the University of Alabama, Louisiana State University, Ohio State University and more – generally take their word for it.

“They absolutely don’t want to know,” said Brenda Tracy, a gang-rape survivor whose nonprofit, Set The Expectation, works to reduce sexual violence in sports by educating athletes and coaches. “It’s ‘Don’t ask, don’t tell.’”

Adopted three years ago by the NCAA’s highest governing body, the policy requires all 1,100 member schools to take “reasonable steps” to confirm whether new and continuing athletes have records of serious misconduct, including sexual assault, dating violence and assault causing serious bodily harm. Athletes must annually disclose any criminal convictions and school disciplinary actions, and schools must have written procedures for obtaining information from athletes’ previous schools.

https://www.usatoday.com/in-depth/news/investigations/2023/07/13/ncaa-athlete-sexual-assault-vetting-dont-ask-dont-tell/70371805007/

Truth. Otherwise, the guy who murdered Hannah Green at UVA, Jesse Matthew, would never have been allowed there. He sexually assaulted women at both Christopher Newport and Liberty University. (And IMO this belongs in General Discussion, EarlG)

July 12, 2023

At least now we know why Larry Nassar was stabbed

https://www.thedailybeast.com/larry-nassar-shivved-in-prison-by-shane-mcmillan-over-gross-wimbledon-remark-report?ref=home

The Florida federal inmate accused of stabbing Larry Nassar multiple times on Sunday was allegedly provoked after the disgraced sports doctor made a lewd comment while watching Wimbledon.

A person familiar with the situation told The Daily Beast that the inmate accused of stabbing Nassar 10 times is Shane McMillan, who has a history of convictions for other prison attacks. The source said McMillan attacked Nassar, 59, inside his cell in the U.S. Penitentiary Coleman with a makeshift weapon. He allegedly told prison workers afterwards that Nassar made a comment while watching a women’s match.

“I wish there was girls playing,” Nassar allegedly told McMillan, the person familiar said.

The source added to The Daily Beast that the timing between when Nassar said the comment and when the attack occurred wasn’t clear. It took four other inmates to pull McMillan off Nassar, the source added. The Associated Press first reported the news of the comment that sparked the altercation.

_________

I have thoughts, and I bet you do too.

July 12, 2023

Former Russian Submarine Commander Gunned Down on His Morning Run

A former Russian submarine commander accused of targeting Ukrainian civilians with cruise missiles last summer was gunned down in southern Russia early Monday morning while jogging, according to Russian state media and Ukrainian Military intelligence officials, who did not claim responsibility.

“According to investigators, the body of Stanislav Rzhitsky, 42, was found with gunshot wounds near Beregovaya Street on Monday morning,” reported TASS news agency about the shooting in the southern city of Krasnodar.

Rzhitsky was serving as a mobilisation official at the time of his murder, said TASS, but he was immediately identified as a Russian Navy officer, who last summer commanded a diesel-powered submarine accused by Ukraine of intentionally targeting civilians. Rzhitsky, according to Ukraine, was responsible for a cruise missile attack on the Ukrainian city of Vinnytsia last July, in which 27 people died.

In an unusually detailed statement released on Telegram, Ukrainian military intelligence confirmed the killing and added some alleged detail, but stopped short of actually claiming responsibility for the hit.

https://www.vice.com/en/article/g5y577/stanislav-rzhitsky-shot-russia

It could be Ukrainian sympathizers, or it could be someone not happy with what he does currently....er, did.

July 11, 2023

Update--My murderer neighbor has been denied bond

https://www.wbir.com/article/news/crime/hcso-man-arrested-for-shooting-killing-wife/51-981edb03-8788-4d3e-a25e-35e9fc45dced

The rotten b*stard will hopefully sit in jail until a later hearing. I've never been very kindly disposed towards him anyway, but made peace with him because I liked his wife so much. She was just a lovely person, as you may gather from the article...kind of like Sara Lee, "nobody didn't love Mickey", except maybe, in the end, that rotten SOB. Here is what is mildly amusing. He hates noise, and as you probably know, county jails are probably not the quietest places on earth. I hope he is suffering big time. I'm not normally a vindictive person, but I am just so damn MAD! Why didn't he just shoot himself first, if he was so miserable? (I know, I know, I shouldn't encourage that either.)

July 11, 2023

Olympic champion Caster Semenya wins appeal against testosterone rules in human rights court

Champion runner Caster Semenya won a potentially landmark legal victory on Tuesday when the European Court of Human Rights decided she was discriminated against by sports rules that force her to medically reduce her natural hormone levels to compete in major competitions.

The ruling by the Strasbourg, France-based court questioned the “validity” of the contentious international athletics regulations in that they infringed Semenya’s human rights.

But the two-time Olympic champion’s first legal success after two failed appeals in sports’ highest court and the Swiss supreme court came with a major caveat. Amid her bid to be allowed to run again without restriction and go for another gold at next year’s Olympics in Paris, Tuesday’s judgment, while major, did not immediately result in the rules being dropped.

That might still take years.

The South African athlete’s challenge against the testosterone rules began in 2018.

https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-news/olympic-champion-caster-semenya-wins-appeal-testosterone-rules-human-r-rcna93663

Semenya is technically intersex, having one of the numerous conditions recognized under the umbrella of that category, but was raised as a female and identifies as female.

July 9, 2023

Middle fingers, complaints: Workers caught in culture wars face harassment

A Target employee in Nebraska found a business card promoting Christianity placed prominently on the store’s Pride display.

A Florida-based Anheuser-Busch salesperson withstood car horns and middle fingers on his delivery route.

A Starbucks employee in Wisconsin was allegedly ordered by a manager to remove LGBTQ-friendly decorations.

Such incidents -- recounted to ABC News by workers -- have arisen in recent weeks alongside boycotts against corporations over their gestures of support for the LGBTQ community. They underscore what some experts and labor leaders described as the latest rise in workplace tension fueled by a divide that pits consumers against companies.

Employees, the workers and experts said, have been thrust into the middle of an increasingly hostile political battle over corporate America.

"It’s easy to forget the workers in the culture wars," Elizabeth Tippett, a professor at the University of Oregon School of Law who focuses on workplace harassment, told ABC News. "They don’t choose what goes on the shelves and they’re just trying to do their jobs."

https://abcnews.go.com/US/middle-fingers-complaints-workers-caught-culture-wars-face/story?id=100192995

July 9, 2023

Chicago Cops Are Under Investigation for Sexual Assault of Immigrants Living in Police Station

Chicago police are investigating their own officers who are accused of sexual assault against newly arrived immigrants—including a now-pregnant teenager— who were living at a police station, according to the Chicago media. Chicago Sun-Times reported that one of the officers responsible for covering the neighborhoods of Lawndale and Little Village is accused of raping a teenager and impregnating them. No age was reported.

The newspaper reported that multiple officers are under investigation for sexual crimes, both internally and by an independent accountability arm.

The Civilian Office of Police Accountability said the department received a complaint on Thursday, triggering the internal investigation. “While COPA investigators are currently determining whether the facts and details of this allegation are substantiated, we want to assure the public that all allegations of this nature are of the highest priority and COPA will move swiftly to address any misconduct by those involved,” COPA first deputy chief administrator Ephraim Eaddy said in the statement to the Chicago Tribune on Friday.

It’s unclear if officers are on leave as the investigation progresses. The Sun-Times was unable to substaniate if any potential accusations were forwarded to the county prosecutor office.

Since April, the Tribune reported, 22 of Chicago’s police stations are housing hundreds of recently arrived people. In the last year, nearly 11,000 asylum-seeks have come to city, many on buses courtesy Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R). Those in power are attempting to get them into more permanent housing. Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) put $42.5 million to help immigrants in the state during this fiscal year.

https://jezebel.com/chicago-cops-are-under-investigation-for-sexual-assault-1850616704

I suppose that, just like LAUSD, they have organized criminal gangs operating openly.....

July 9, 2023

Former West Virginia coach Bob Huggins says he never resigned and wants his job back, attorney says

Bob Huggins says he never resigned as West Virginia’s basketball coach following a drunken-driving arrest and wants his job back, according to a letter from his attorney to the university.

Huggins’ Cleveland-based attorney, David A. Campbell, wrote to the university Friday that Huggins “never signed a resignation letter and never communicated a resignation to anyone at WVU,” according to the letter, which was obtained by The Associated Press on Saturday.

The letter threatens a lawsuit if Huggins isn’t reinstated. Huggins’ demands were first reported by West Virginia network MetroNews.

Huggins was charged with driving under the influence in Pittsburgh on June 16. A breath test determined Huggins’ blood-alcohol content was more than twice the legal limit. His resignation was announced by the university the following night. A week later, assistant coach Josh Eilert was promoted to interim head coach for the 2023-24 season.

Campbell’s letter said the university announced Huggins’ resignation “based on a text message from Coach Huggins’ wife” to Steve Uryasz, West Virginia’s deputy athletic director.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/sports/former-west-virginia-coach-bob-huggins-says-never-resigned-wants-job-b-rcna93277

Dude, you got a problem, and it ain't your "resignation", okay?

July 9, 2023

I am upset and in complete shock

https://www.citizentribune.com/news/local/hamblen-man-accused-of-murdering-his-wife/article_01663c76-1e5a-11ee-8c9f-23b3e7a17e61.html
My former next door neighbor, who my daughter now lives next to, murdered his wife last night. We have always had very close and cordial relationships with her. She was a very sweet person. He was an odd duck who mostly kept to himself. I knew he had a history of mental illness that was for the most part controlled by medication, although when I was working in the cardiac medical-surgical area of a hospital in Knoxville he had bypass surgery and when he was in CICU post-op he was off his meds and he went berserk and tried to tear the place apart--broke his restraints, attacked nurses, and had to be placed in leather restraints. But I would never have expected something like this. My daughter called last night as we were driving home from a gem show where we'd been vendors to tell me that there were cops and an ambulance at the house there but we thought maybe something had happened to him. Never in a million years would I have expected this.

RIP, Mickey. Thank you for your million kindnesses to my kids, my grandkids, and all the creatures, great and small, who crossed your path. You will be missed in the neighborhood.