December 7, 2022

ALL IN THE FAMILY: Polygamist Mormon 'Prophet' Had Sex With His Underage Wives' Father, FBI Says

“Heavenly Father has the right to do anything he wants,” Samuel Bateman told law enforcement.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/polygamist-mormon-prophet-samuel-bateman-had-sex-with-his-underage-wives-father-fbi-says



Samuel Bateman, a self-proclaimed “prophet” of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, had 20 wives, many of whom were under the age of 15, according to an FBI investigation.

Bateman drank wine and had sex with a male follower, Moroni Johnson, in a motel room in Lincoln, Nebraska, in front of his underage wives, new court documents show, some of whom were Johnson’s own daughters. The FBI said the women and girls were required to stand naked and watch the “binding of brothers.”

Bateman also forced his wives to have sex with other male followers, the documents say. He maintained that he was acting under instructions from “Heavenly Father,” and told the girls that had “sacrificed their virtue for the Lord.”

Eight underage girls said to be Bateman’s wives were found at a Spokane Air BnB last Thursday, according to the Spokesman-Review. They had previously run away from children’s homes in Arizona where they were placed following Bateman’s arrest in August on charges of child endangerment.

December 7, 2022

Catfishing Cop Who Killed California Teen's Family Had a Violent Past

https://www.thedailybeast.com/catfishing-virginia-cop-austin-lee-edwards-was-detained-in-2016-for-violent-threats



The Virginia police officer who catfished a 15-year-old girl in California and then killed three members of her family had been detained for a psychiatric evaluation in 2016 after threatening to kill himself and his dad, according to a police report obtained by the Los Angeles Times, raising questions about how Austin Lee Edwards ever became a cop.

Edwards, who was ultimately killed in a shootout with cops, had been a deputy for the Washington County Sheriff’s Office for a month after working as a Virginia State Police officer. In 2016, he locked himself in a bathroom and harmed himself, leading his dad to calling police, the report says.

Edwards bit his dad and tried to leave when he heard police had been called, also evading treatment, according to the report. Police issued an emergency custody order and temporary detention order against Edwards.

He didn’t disclose the incident to the Virginia State Police when he began training in 2021, said an agency spokesperson, who added that a “thorough background check” was done and no “indicators of concern” arose during his employment.

Read it at the Los Angeles Times

December 7, 2022

Molly Jong-Fast: Kanye, Elon, Trump: Why the News Cycle Is Trapped in a Narcissist Vortex

Is there any way to escape the attention-seekers dining in Mar-a-Lago or the one heading to Mars?

https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2022/12/kanye-west-elon-musk-donald-trump-media-news-cycle



On October 6, the GOP House Judiciary Committee Twitter account, which tends to mimic the thoughts and tweets of one jacketless culture warrior congressman, Jim Jordan, tweeted out three names, “Kayne. Elon. Trump.” The message seemed clear: These three men represented today’s Republican Party. Well, on December 1, the Judiciary GOP Twitter account finally deleted the tweet. The deletion occurred at around the time Kanye West, now known as Ye, appeared on Alex Jones’s streaming show Infowars, where he told the conspiratorial host, “I love Jewish people, but I also love Nazis.” At one point during the livestream, it seemed like Jones was trying to temper West’s antisemitic rhetoric, perhaps fearing another lawsuit. Jones is currently on the hook for $1.5 billion for lying about the dead elementary school kids of Sandy Hook.

The time between the midterm elections and the New Year should be a relatively slow news cycle, as political passions cool and Congress winds down—that’s why it’s called the lame-duck session. But not this year, as we’ve been subjected to a stream of scandals and controversies involving West, Elon Musk, and Donald Trump. Last week, I wrote about Trump’s Mar-a-Lago dinner with West, which was a scandal that involved both West and Trump as well as white supremacist Nick Fuentes. Trump still hasn’t apologized or disavowed white supremacism since the incident, but he did call for the termination of the Constitution this past weekend, a democracy-threatening scandal that might eclipse his dining with two antisemites scandal. The news cycle has already seemed to shift away from asking Republicans about the former president breaking bread with bigots to him musing about suspending the Constitution. Amid the recent Trump-West drama, there has also been a West-Musk imbroglio, as the Twitter chief—who just reinstated West to the platform—suspended his account for tweeting a swastika inside a Jewish star.

The media is trapped in a narcissist vortex. It’s easy to see similarities between the three men propped up by the House GOP, and, sadly, inescapable on the internet. They each seem to have a deep existential hunger for attention, and just as gratified by negative as by positive headlines. Trump was the king of the outrage cycle in 2016. He literally rode the reams of free media that accompanied his countless negative news cycles into the White House. Even Trump would admit that, without Twitter, he might never have won.

Since Musk bought Twitter, he’s become the main character of the site. Musk has sort of occupied the Trumpian space—making news, trolling liberals, and amplifying the far-right. And Musk has an army of protectors ready to battle his critics. I, myself, have tangled with Musk; he once responded to a story about the cost of my apartment by sharing a SpongeBob SquarePants meme. This past weekend, another right-wing-adjacent account posted a screenshot of one of my tweets laughing about Hunter Biden’s laptop and asked why I had blocked them as if it was some kind of gotcha. Musk tweeted back, “Good questions,” and I was immediately flooded with trolls and bots just like I was when Donald Trump Jr. tweeted at me in the past.

https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1521195604596113408
https://twitter.com/thevivafrei/status/1599052684212211712
https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1599128067552997376
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December 7, 2022

A Right-Wing Zionist Digests Trump's Anti-Semite Dinner Party

Can the former President be the “best friend Israel ever had in the White House” while also legitimatizing “Jew-haters”?

https://www.newyorker.com/news/q-and-a/a-right-wing-zionist-digests-trumps-anti-semite-dinner-party



Three weeks ago, the Zionist Organization of America gave what it called its highest honor to former President Donald Trump. According to Morton Klein, who runs the Z.O.A., the award commemorated Trump as the “best friend Israel ever had in the White House.” Last week, at Mar-a-Lago, Trump had dinner with Ye—formerly known as Kanye West—and the white supremacist Nick Fuentes, setting off the biggest firestorm over Trump’s bigotry since his response to the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville (which Fuentes attended).

After Trump’s dinner with Fuentes, Klein told the Times, “I have become very frightened for my people.” He added, “Donald Trump is not an antisemite. He loves Israel. He loves Jews. But he mainstreams, he legitimizes Jew-hatred and Jew-haters. And this scares me.” A child of Holocaust survivors who was born at a displaced-persons camp in Germany, Klein became an economist before eventually transitioning into pro-Israel activism. He took over the Z.O.A., which was founded in 1897 and is the oldest Zionist organization in America, in 1993. Since then, he has hewed to a hard-right line, opposing a Palestinian state and frequently supporting right-wing politicians in America who favor right-wing policies in Israel.

I recently spoke by phone with Klein. During our conversation, which has been edited for length and clarity, we discussed his confusion over Trump’s dinner, why Trump has got close to bigots in recent weeks, and Klein’s questions about Barack Obama’s birthplace.



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related

https://twitter.com/ZeeshanAleem/status/1598335540327227393

December 7, 2022

The hottest new restaurants to visit in December 2022

From disco dancing with a side of Japanese tapas in Sydney to opulent, Boston-style seafood towers served up in London, these are the best new restaurants to visit this month

https://cluboenologique.com/story/new-restaurants-opening-around-the-world-december-2022/



The festive season tends to usher in a renewed zest for dining out. For those looking for a new place to bring in the Christmas season, there’s plenty of restaurant openings to get excited about. For Londoners, the city’s first modern Palestinian restaurant promises to titillate with a strict no-hummus policy, while celebrating the best of the Gaza Strip’s cuisine. A new residency at Mount Nelson, a Belmond Hotel in Cape Town, is showcasing the best of pan-African cuisine, using native ingredients across a selection of small plates and creative cocktails. Across the pond, you’ll find the latest Italian-American opening in New York’s Soho, bringing old-school Little Italy glamour to the area. If you prefer your dinner with a little disco, head to Sydney’s Kissuu for modern Japanese-inspired sharing plates, fun cocktails and a mirror-ball-bedecked DJ booth. Keep reading below for more hot new restaurant openings this month from across the globe.

NEW RESTAURANTS TO VISIT AROUND THE WORLD IN DECEMBER 2022

December 7, 2022

FL Man 75, kills neighbors 81, in laundry dispute - "Call the police, I just shot Henry and Ginger"

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2022/12/6/2140292/-FL-Man-75-kills-neighbors-81-in-laundry-dispute-Call-the-police-I-just-shot-Henry-and-Ginger



On December 3, in the Cedar Pointe Condominiums, Stuart, FL, Hugh Hootman, 75, shot and killed his neighbors, Henry and Ginger Wallace, both 81. The cause? A petty neighbor-spat over laundry room etiquette that spiraled into absurdity. And a man with a gun who decided that killing was an appropriate form of dispute resolution.

Susan Hootman unknowingly sowed the seeds of this senseless tragedy when she propped open the community laundry room door. Her neighbor, Henry Wallace, was peeved. He went upstairs to the Hootman residence and yelled at Susan for her transgression. Susan was left shaken and upset by the encounter.

Some days later, Susan's husband Hugh encountered Henry Wallace at the condo’s mailboxes. Hugh sprang to his wife’s defense. He told Henry he had been out of line for browbeating Susan. Hootman demanded Wallace apologize. Wallace ignored Hootman and attempted to push past him.

An angered Hugh pulled out the 9mm pistol he kept in his pocket for self-defense and shot Henry dead. Hearing the shots, Henry’s wife Ginger ran out of her apartment, yelling in distress, and ran to where her husband lay. Hootman shot her twice, killing her.

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December 7, 2022

Idaho murders live: Victim families vent anger and frustration as Kaylee Goncalves 'stalker' details

emerge

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/crime/idaho-homicide-update-moscow-college-kaylee-goncalves-b2240356.html



Families of the four slain University of Idaho students have voiced their frustration at the lack of updates from law enforcement three weeks into the investigation.

Steve Goncalves, whose daughter Kaylee Goncalves was brutally stabbed along with her friends Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin on 13 November, told the New York Post on Sunday that he is working with private investigators.

The grieving father told the outlet that one of the officers assigned to the investigation was still a teen when the last murder took place in Moscow in 2015. The Moscow Police Department, Idaho State Police and the FBI are the agencies working on the investigation, which entered its third week on Sunday with no major developments.

Mogen’s stepfather, Scott Laramie, also told Fox News Digital that despite the consistent updates from law enforcement, it is frustrating that the killer is still at large.

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December 6, 2022

Turkey calls Sweden's extradition of PKK militant 'a start'

Turkey on Monday welcomed Sweden's extradition of a convicted Kurdish militant but signalled it expected more action before it would approve Stockholm's application to join Nato.

https://www.thelocal.se/20221205/turkey-hails-swedens-extradition-of-pkk-militant-as-a-start/


Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson shakes hands with Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the presidential palace in Ankara, Turkey, on Tuesday, November 8th, 2022. Photo: Burhan Ozbilici/AFP

Ankara has demanded that both Sweden and neighbouring Finland take tougher stances on Kurdish groups it deems “terrorists” in exchange for backing their Nato bids. “The return of the PKK terrorist is a start showing (Sweden’s) sincerity,” Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag told state television TRT. “We hope new ones will follow,” he said.

Sweden on Friday extradited Mahmut Tat, who is wanted by Ankara for membership of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which is listed as a terror group by Turkey and its Western allies. Tat, who was sentenced to more than six years in jail by a Turkish court, fled to Sweden in 2015 but was denied an asylum by the Swedish authorities. Tat was detained by Turkish police shortly after landing at Istanbul airport and jailed by an Istanbul court.

In the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Finland and Sweden in May dropped decades of military non-alignment and applied to join Nato. The bid needs unanimous approval from all Nato members. Turkey has held back on ratifying their Nato applications despite reaching an agreement with Sweden and Finland in June.

Among its demands on the Nordic nations, Ankara says it expects Stockholm in particular to take tougher action on issues including the extradition of criminals and the freezing of terror assets. Hungary, the only other Nato member who has yet to ratify the applications, has promised to put the issue to a vote in parliament next year.

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December 6, 2022

"Brave and fearless" Viva Magenta named Pantone Color of the Year 2023

https://www.dezeen.com/2022/12/02/viva-magenta-pantone-colour-year-2023/









A hot pink called Viva Magenta that is reminiscent of blush has been named as 2023 colour of the year by the American colour company Pantone. Described by the brand as "an unconventional red for an unconventional time", Pantone's Viva Magenta 18-1750 is a vibrant pinky colour with hints of purple that belongs to the red colour family. "It's assertive but it's not aggressive – we refer to it as a fist in a velvet glove," said vice president of the Pantone Color Institute Laurie Pressman. "It's a brave and fearless red shade that vibrates with vim and vigour," Pressman told Dezeen. "Its exuberance promotes optimism and joy."








Pantone's trend-forecasting research department the Pantone Color Institute selects the colour each year. It said that this year's colour choice reflects the "rebellious" spirit of the time and the renewed interest in creative experimentation following the coronavirus pandemic. "Audacious, witty and inclusive of all, Pantone 18-1750 Viva Magenta welcomes anyone and everyone with the same rebellious spirit," said the brand. "Powerful and empowering, it is an animated red that encourages experimentation and self-expression without restraint; an electrifying, boundaryless shade that is manifestly 'out there' and is a stand-out statement."







According to Pantone Color Institute's research, magenta pinks are already popular among the fashion and beauty community. It expects the interior world to follow suit. Earlier this year, Italian fashion house Valentino released a magenta pink coloured fall/winter collection and models have been wearing similar shades on their eyelids and lashes.





"It's a great colour for reflecting light, which gives it a sense of fantasy and glamour," trend forecaster and Pantone Color Institute member Jane Boddy said. "It's so flattering across all skin tones and all genders." "Traditionally you would imagine this be a colour for the lips or the cheeks whereas now we're seeing it as a solid eye colour in a painterly stroke," Boddy added.

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December 6, 2022

The World's Biggest Four Seasons Just Got an Overhaul

The massive property at one of the world’s best beach destinations can be best described in one word: dramatic.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-worlds-biggest-four-seasons-just-got-a-massive-overhaul





Once you’ve made it to Egypt, it’s hard to remember why, exactly, you had always delayed coming here. Sure, those Caribbean beach getaways were easier, the logistics of a trip here always seemed daunting, or every itinerary flat-out exhausting, but those hardly seem good enough excuses for leaving Egypt on the bucket-list cutting-room floor.





Perhaps, then, a little balance is in store when planning a trip to Egypt. What many a traveler might not know is that this country of pyramids and temples and gold-covered mummies also has one of the world’s greatest beach destinations—Sharm el Sheikh. And just in time for travelers flocking back post-COVID and the opening of the new Grand Egyptian Museum, the Four Seasons has unveiled an overhaul of its resort in Sharm, which also happens to be its largest in the world and the latest selection for Beast Travel’s column on new hotels, Room Key.





Generally speaking, we lead hectic and demanding lives and a vacation should still feel like a vacation. Your batteries, to use the cliché, should actually feel recharged. It’s why I’m a firm believer in the balanced trip—push yourself, maybe rough it a little, but make sure to also relax and treat yourself. At the end of summer I spent two weeks traveling alone in Egypt, visiting some of the most astounding and spectacular sights I have ever seen. And while this trip will forever stay with me as an incredible experience, I certainly would not categorize it as my most relaxing trip. At the end of my vacation, I was both mentally and physically fatigued from all the 4 a.m. wake-up calls practically every day to beat the sun and crowds, the long drives, and the deluge of new knowledge dropped on me each day.





Which isn’t to say I didn’t enjoy myself—for instance, in Cairo I was able to escape the mind-boggling hubbub of that megacity each day at the Four Seasons property right on the Nile. (Side note: If you can, go on one of the Four Seasons Nile Plaza’s felucca rides at sunset. Cairo may be seething with modern life, but the Nile still has a timeless quality. Plus, the hotel does as good of a job as one possibly can at creating an oasis of calm in one of the most relentless cities in the world.) But I cannot tell you how glad I was that I had made the decision to end this trip with a few nights at the Four Seasons in Sharm el Sheik, which sits on the tip of the Sinai Peninsula of the Red Sea.

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