John Hanno – Page 63 – The Tarbabys Blog

McConnell comes to Trump’s defense after guilty verdict

The Hill

McConnell comes to Trump’s defense after guilty verdict

By Alexander Bolton – May 30, 2024

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.), who has steadfastly refused to comment about the presidential race or his long-running feud with former President Trump, came to his defense Thursday night.

Hours after the jury rendered its guilty verdict, McConnell declared that Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg (D) should never have brought the case and predicted the conviction would be overturned.

“These charges never should have been brought in the first place. I expect the conviction to be overturned on appeal,” McConnell wrote in a post on the social platform X.

McConnell’s surprise decision to weigh in on the outcome of a court case he has refused to talk about for months may indicate that Trump’s conviction could have a unifying effect on the GOP — rallying even his biggest skeptics within the party to his defense.

McConnell has let Trump twist in the wind by staying silent on other big occasions.

The Senate GOP leader stayed notably silent in April of last year, when Trump pleaded not guilty to the 34 felony counts brought by Bragg.

A key difference between now and then is that a year ago, Republicans who weren’t Trump fans had hope that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis or another Republican might win the party’s nomination for president.

Instead, Trump steamrolled his opponents in this year’s primary and is the presumptive GOP nominee.

He has had trouble unifying the party, however, as significant shares of GOP primary voters in Indiana and other states have voted instead for former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, even though she dropped out of the presidential race in March.

Thursday’s verdict may bring skeptical mainstream Republicans closer to Trump.

Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), a leading Senate GOP moderate who voted to convict Trump on the impeachment charge of inciting the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, criticized Bragg on Thursday for waging a politically motivated prosecution.

“It is fundamental to our American system of justice that the government prosecutes cases because of alleged criminal conduct regardless of who the defendant happens to be. In this case the opposite has happened. The district attorney, who campaigned on a promise to prosecute Donald Trump, brought these charges precisely because of who the defendant was rather than because of any specified criminal conduct,” Collins said in a statement Thursday evening.

“The political underpinnings of this case further blur the lines between the judicial system and the electoral system, and this verdict likely will be the subject of a protracted appeals process,” she said.

McConnell and Collins were two of the biggest Trump skeptics in the Senate GOP conference to slam the Bragg decision to prosecute the former president, but other Republican senators not especially close to Trump also rallied to his defense.

“I’ve been on a flight, but just landed and saw the news. This case was politically motivated from the beginning, and today’s verdict does nothing to absolve the partisan nature of this prosecution,” said Senate Republican Whip John Thune (S.D.), who opposed Trump’s effort to block the certification of Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory and whose career Trump later tried to end in an act of retaliation.

Trump tried to drum up a conservative primary challenger to knock Thune out of office in 2022, but the effort fizzled.

That past bad blood appeared entirely forgotten by Thune on Thursday after news of the verdict.

“Regardless of outcome, more and more Americans are realizing that we cannot survive four more years of Joe Biden. With President Trump in the White House and a Republican majority in the U.S. Senate, we can finally end the disastrous Biden-Schumer agenda that’s crushing American families and businesses,” Thune said in reaction to the verdict.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) delivered his own response shortly after McConnell criticized the successful prosecution of Trump.

“No one is above the law. The verdict speaks for itself,” Schumer said in a short statement.

Trump’s G.O.P. Allies Assail His Guilty Verdict and Warn It Will Backfire

The New York Times

Trump’s G.O.P. Allies Assail His Guilty Verdict and Warn It Will Backfire

Republicans urged the former president to appeal the verdict after a jury found him guilty of all 34 criminal counts.

By Neil Vigdor and Luke Broadwater – May 30, 2024

Mike Johnson wears a blue suit with a striped blue tie, with his eyes cast down. A man is standing behind him. — House Speaker Mike Johnson said the verdict made Thursday a “shameful day in American history.”Credit…Kenny Holston/The New York Times

The Republican allies of former President Donald J. Trump wasted no time in blasting the guilty verdict returned by a New York jury on Thursday and in imploring him to appeal, repeatedly turning to words like “travesty” and “injustice” to describe the moment.

Top Republicans on Capitol Hill tried to one-up one another in demonstrating who could defend Mr. Trump, who was convicted of all 34 felony counts in the hush-money case, and condemn the verdict in the most strident terms.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, who was among the cavalcade of Trump supporters who showed up outside Mr. Trump’s trial in a show of loyalty, called Thursday a “shameful day in American history.”

“Democrats cheered as they convicted the leader of the opposing party on ridiculous charges,” he said. “This was a purely political exercise, not a legal one.”

The Trump Manhattan Criminal Verdict, Count By CountFormer President Donald J. Trump faced 34 felony charges of falsifying business records, related to the reimbursement of hush money paid to the porn star Stormy Daniels in order to cover up a sex scandal around the 2016 presidential election.

The No. 2 Republican in the House, Steve Scalise of Louisiana, said in a statement that America had been rendered a “banana republic.” And Representative Jim Jordan of Ohio, the chair of the House Judiciary Committee and a close ally of Mr. Trump’s, condemned a “kangaroo court.”

“The verdict is a travesty of justice,” he fumed.

It was also a moment of alignment for Republicans who have at times been at cross purposes, like Representative Matt Gaetz of Florida, another Trump acolyte, and Kevin McCarthy, the former House speaker Mr. Gaetz and other hard right members pushed out last year.

Mr. McCarthy, whose differences with Mr. Trump had simmered in the open, wrote that “President Trump’s only ‘crime’ is running against Joe Biden in 2024.”

Mr. Gaetz leaned into the moment to help Mr. Trump raise money for his presidential campaign, sharing an image on X of Mr. Trump pumping his fist with the words “never surrender” in all caps.

And Vivek Ramaswamy, one of Mr. Trump’s former G.O.P. primary opponents, warned on X: “This will backfire.”

The sentiment was echoed by the right-wing podcaster Jack Posobiec, who declared matter-of-factly: “Trump just won the election.”

Still, some prominent Republicans called for respecting the judicial system.

“Regardless of the result, I urge all Americans to respect the verdict and the legal process,” Larry Hogan, the former governor of Maryland who is running for Senate there, said in a statement. “At this dangerously divided moment in our history, all leaders — regardless of party — must not pour fuel on the fire with more toxic partisanship. We must reaffirm what has made this nation great: the rule of law.”

Chris LaCivita, a top official in the Trump campaign, responded to Mr. Hogan online: “You just ended your campaign.”

John R. Bolton, who fervently disavowed Mr. Trump after serving as his national security adviser, urged Republicans to abandon the former president.

“Today’s verdict is a fire-bell in the night,” Mr. Bolton wrote on X. “The Republican Party now has one last chance to change course, and not nominate a convicted felon for President.”

But for the most part, Republicans were eager to display their support for Mr. Trump.

Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, a far-right House member from Georgia, posted an image of upside-down flag on social media. The flag, a symbol of distress, is fast becoming a rallying cry on the right. One flown outside the home of Supreme Court Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. in January 2021 has led Democrats to call for his recusal from cases related to the Capitol attack.

Marjorie Taylor Greene speaks as she is surrounded by people holding out microphones and other recording devices. — Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia outside the Capitol earlier in May. Ms. Taylor Greene shared an image of an upside-down flag on social media after the verdict was announced.Credit…Kenny Holston/The New York Times

Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida, who endorsed Mr. Trump after he was unsuccessful in persuading Republican primary voters that Mr. Trump’s legal woes made him politically vulnerable, empathized with his former rival.

“If the defendant were not Donald Trump, this case would never have been brought, the judge would have never issued similar rulings, and the jury would have never returned a guilty verdict,” he wrote.

Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina and Gov. Doug Burgum of North Dakota, two more of Mr. Trump’s former primary rivals, also weighed in. Mr. Scott called the process a sham in a video posted on social media. “Un-freaking-believable,” he said. And Mr. Burgum, whose presidential bid never gained traction, wrote on X that “This lawfare should scare every American.”

Representative Lauren Boebert, the provocateur from Colorado, wrote, “If this were happening in another country, Biden would be asking Congress to authorize a war to reinstate democracy abroad.”

Kari Lake, a candidate for the Senate in Arizona and one of Mr. Trump’s fiercest defenders, called the verdict an “egregious example of election interference and an outright mockery of the rule of law.”

“This legal tyranny will be summarily rejected by the American people on Nov. 5,” she wrote.

Mike Pompeo, who was secretary of state under Mr. Trump and whose name has been floated as a potential running mate, panned the jury’s verdict.

“The future of this country should — and will — be decided by the American people in an election, not by 12 New Yorkers in a travesty of a politicized courtroom,” Mr. Pompeo wrote on X.

Ken Bensinger contributed reporting.

The Secret Reasons Why You Should Always Tip In Cash

Delish

The Secret Reasons Why You Should Always Tip In Cash

Taylor Ann Spencer – May 30, 2024

dollar banknotes and coins, money tips — Why You Should Always Tip In Cashvinnstock – Getty Images

We live in an era of cash-free convenience. We buy most things by swiping or tapping credit cards or holding our phones up to a screen. We prefer to tip our servers, bartenders, and hair stylists the same way because it’s as simple as hitting a button.

But what if I told you that there are several practical reasons why we should all be tipping exclusively in cash? The fast is, cash tipping is the only way to ensure that your servers actually walk away with 100% of their tip money.

As a former NYC bartender and server, I have plenty of my own opinions, but I also talked to several former and current service industry workers to get their perspective. Here’s why you should consider bypassing the credit card tip screen and leaving cash instead.

The Server Gets the Tip Immediately

One of the biggest reasons to tip in cash is that the service worker will receive that money immediately. This is a big bonus on both a psychological and a practical level. According to Colton Trowbridge, a longtime server who has worked in both Kansas and NYC restaurants, cash tips are better because they provide immediate evidence of earning money: instant gratification.

“It feels a little bit more real when it’s in your hand,” he says. This might sound trivial, but when you’re in the middle of a crazy eight-hour brunch shift and your guaranteed hourly rate is only 50% of the legal minimum wage, tangible proof that you are actually earning decent money counts for a lot.

Cash tips are also important because they mean that the server will likely get to take the money home that night. They won’t need to wait two weeks to receive it with a paycheck. This is often true even if the server has to pool their cash tips with others at the end of the night. “I have worked in a pooled house where cash is divided up evenly and then it’s given to you,” Trowbridge shared. “In that case, I prefer it for sure.”

For some servers, this day-to-day cash flow might not be necessary. For others, it might be as critically important as allowing them to buy food for their families or pay the babysitter who watched their children while they were working. Of course this varies by the individual, and there’s no way customers can know a specific worker’s situation. Regardless, cash is always the better bet.

Cash Tips Leave Less Margin for Error

There’s significantly less margin for error when you tip in cash. Think about it: a $10 bill is $10, and when you give it to your server, they have it securely in their hand and its value is indisputable.

But when you tip on a credit card, there are many potential pitfalls. If you’re writing the tip on a printed slip, there’s the possibility for written errors. Maybe you put the period in the wrong place and ended up tipping way less (or way more!) than you intended. Maybe you forgot to sign the slip or, worse, took the signed slip with you by accident.

I have personally lost at least two or three sizable tips when customers erroneously walked out the door with those slips. In these cases, the restaurant’s payment has already been processed, but the only proof of the tip left on the credit card is that slip they scrawled on. Without it, the server is left empty-handed.

glass tip jar at checkout counter — Catherine McQueen – Getty Images

Businesses Can Deduct Credit Card Processing Fees From Tips

No, you didn’t misread that. In most states, it is 100% legal for businesses to pay their credit card processing fees from the tip money left for servers on credit cards.

This is clearly stated on the U.S. Department of Labor website under the Fair Labor Standards Act: “tips are charged on customers’ credit cards…the employer may pay the employee the tip, less that [credit card service fee] percentage.”

Only Maine, Massachusetts, and California have laws banning this. So, to be absolutely clear, if you have tipped a server on a credit card in any other state, there’s a high probability that the server (or the pooled house the server belonged to) didn’t receive the full tip you left them.

Most businesses do not necessarily tell their staff when they are removing the fees from the tip pool. Trowbridge shared that he has worked at one restaurant where he knew they were taking out the fees, but only because he asked them point-blank.

“It’s frustrating,” he said. “I don’t think that’s something that most people are aware of.” Since then, he has worked in several other spots where he and his fellow servers might have been losing out on credit card tip money because of processing fees, yet it was never really discussed. “It’s definitely not a big topic of conversation in the industry.”

In this age of contactless payment, it takes extra planning to make sure you have cash on hand for tipping. But all things considered, it’s definitely worth it. Next time you reach the optional tipping screen, hit “skip” and tell your server you’ll be leaving the tip in cash. They’ll appreciate that extra effort.

Trump criminal charges guidebook: Here are all 88 felony counts against the former president across 4 cases

Yahoo! News

Trump criminal charges guidebook: Here are all 88 felony counts against the former president across 4 cases

Yahoo News breaks down exactly what Trump is being charged with in each case as well as the judges, prosecutors, co-defendants and key dates.

Dylan Stableford and Ed Hornick – May 30, 2024

Ajury in Manhattan on Thursday found Donald Trump guilty on all 34 counts in his hush money trial.

Trump — the first former American president to be convicted of a crime — faces three other criminal cases.

Below is a breakdown of what Trump is being charged with along with the names of those prosecuting him, his co-defendants, judges overseeing them and key dates in each case:

➡️ Manhattan hush money case

Former US President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump walks to speak to the press after he was convicted in his criminal trial at Manhattan Criminal Court in New York City, on May 30, 2024. A New York jury convicted Donald Trump on all charges in his hush money case on May 30, 2024 in a seismic development barely five months ahead of the election where he seeks to recapture the White House. (Photo by JUSTIN LANE / POOL / AFP) (Photo by JUSTIN LANE/POOL/AFP via Getty Images) — Former US President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump walks to speak to the press after he was convicted in his criminal trial at Manhattan Criminal Court in New York City, on May 30, 2024. (Photo by JUSTIN LANE/POOL/AFP via Getty Images) (JUSTIN LANE via Getty Images)

Verdict: Guilty on all 34 counts

What to know: Trump was indicted last March over his role in the so-called hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels, who said she’d had an affair with Trump, on the eve of the 2016 election. Michael Cohen — Trump’s longtime fixer who went to federal prison for orchestrating payments to Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal (who also said she’d had an affair with Trump), as well as for lying to Congress — testified multiple times before the grand jury voted to indict the former president.

What is Trump charged with? 34 identical criminal counts of falsifying business records in the first degree.

[Click here to read the full indictment]

Lead prosecutor: Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg

Attorneys representing Trump: Susan Necheles, Todd Blanche, Emil Bove

Judge presiding: Juan Manuel Merchan

➡️ Georgia election conspiracy case

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis. (Christian Monterrosa/AFP via Getty Images) (CHRISTIAN MONTERROSA via Getty Images)

What to know: Trump and his allies were charged in a 41-count indictment stemming from a years-long investigation into their efforts to overturn Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 presidential election in Georgia. Biden carried Georgia by just 11,779 votes. Three of the counts against Trump were later dismissed, though Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis appealed their dismissal.

What is Trump charged with? 10 criminal counts, including:

• Violation of the Georgia RICO Act
• Conspiracy to commit impersonating a public officer
• Conspiracy to commit forgery in the first degree
• Conspiracy to commit false statements and writings
• Conspiracy to commit filing false documents
• False statements and writings
• Filing false documents

[Click here to read the full indictment]

Who else is being charged?

Eighteen of Trump’s allies, including former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows; attorneys Rudy Giuliani, Jenna Ellis, Sidney Powell, John Eastman, Ray Stallings Smith, Robert Cheeley and Kenneth Cheseboro; former Justice Department official Jeffrey Clark; Republican strategist Michael Roman; chairman of the Georgia GOP David Shafer; Georgia Republican state Sen. Shawn Still; police chaplain Stephen Lee; Blacks for Trump organizer Harrison Floyd; publicist Trevian Kutti; former Coffee County GOP chair Cathleen Latham; Fulton County GOP poll watcher Scott Hall; and Coffee County elections supervisor Misty Hampton.

Lead prosecutor: Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis

Lawyers representing Trump: Steven Sadow

Judge presiding: Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee

➡️ Jan. 6 case

What to know: Last August, a federal grand jury voted to indict the former president over his efforts to hold on to power following his loss in the 2020 election, including his actions leading to the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection at the Capitol.

What is Trump charged with? Four criminal counts:

• Conspiracy to defraud the United States
• Conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding
• Obstruction of and attempt to obstruct an official proceeding
• Conspiracy against rights

[Click here to read the full indictment]

Who else is being charged?

The indictment lists six unnamed co-conspirators.

Lead prosecutor: Special counsel Jack Smith

Lead attorney representing Trump: John Lauro

Judge presiding: Judge Tanya Chutkan

➡️ Classified documents case

Boxes of records stored in a bathroom and shower at Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate — This image, contained in the indictment against Trump, shows boxes of records stored in a bathroom at Mar-a-Lago. (Justice Department via AP) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

What to know: Trump was indicted last June on charges stemming from the Justice Department’s investigation into his handling of classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Fla., after he left office as well as alleged efforts to obstruct the probe.

What is Trump charged with? 40 criminal counts in the classified documents case, including:

• Willful retention of national defense information
• Conspiracy to obstruct justice
• Withholding of a document or record
• Corruptly concealing a document or record
• Concealing a document in a federal investigation
• Scheme to conceal
• False statements and representations

[Read the full indictment]

Who else is being charged? Walt Nauta, Trump’s valet and personal aide; and Carlos De Oliveira, the property manager at Mar-a-Lago.

Lead prosecutor: Special counsel Jack Smith

Lead attorney representing Trump: Todd Blanche

Judge presiding: U.S. District Court Judge Aileen Cannon

New Jersey woman loses leg in train accident, then pulls herself off tracks: ‘She’s unbelievable’

Fox News

New Jersey woman loses leg in train accident, then pulls herself off tracks: ‘She’s unbelievable’

Andrea Vacchiano – May 29, 2024

Lisa walking without leg smilingFox News

Lisa smiling while hugging two relativesFox News

Split image of morristown station and train carFox News

"glamputation" party in hospital — “glamputation” party in hospitalFox News

There’s nothing a Jersey girl can’t do.

That sentiment rang true when a 29-year-old young woman from the Garden State saved her own life after she was hit by a train in early May.

Lisa Fitzgerald was struck by a New Jersey Transit (NJT) train at the Morristown train station in northern New Jersey on May 5. Lisa’s stepmother Stacie Weil-Fitzgerald told Fox News Digital that it was “pouring rain” on the night of the horrific accident, and Lisa was waiting for a train to take her to New York City.

“Freak accident…somehow, she wound up under the train,” Weil-Fitzgerald explained. “Her leg was immediately severed off of her.”

‘DISORIENTED’ BOATER STRANDED ON THE WATER FOR DAYS AFTER RUNNING OUT OF GAS

The mother explained that the train was still coming into the station when Lisa was struck. She was hit by the last few cars of the train.

“She corralled herself up onto the platform and she waited on the tracks,” Weil-Fitzgerald described. “She crawled herself over, poor thing.”

“She was like, ‘I was just so scared that my hair was going to get caught up in there and that they were going to suck [me back in],” she added. “So she waited for the train to stop. She levied herself up on to the platform and she started screaming for help.”

Weil-Fitzgerald told Fox News Digital that some people at the Morristown train station just walked by her and ignored her screams. Lisa wasn’t helped until an NJT worker noticed her.

“Her leg was completely severed. She was bleeding out…she started screaming for help,” Weil-Fitzgerald explained. “And somebody that works for New Jersey Transit, the ticket collector, came over, and he totally freaked out.”

TEEN MIRACULOUSLY SURVIVES BEAR ATTACK AFTER BROTHER RESCUES HIM: ‘A BLESSING’

“She said, ‘You have ten seconds to give me help. And she started screaming, counting, ’One, two, three,'” she described. “And luckily enough, two Morristown Police Department officers heard.”

Lisa tried tourniquetting her own leg with her T-shirt until police officers assisted her. The Morristown Department of Public Safety (MDPS) confirmed the incident in a Facebook post.

“Upon making contact with the female, [an officer] noticed her left leg right above the knee was severed from her body and she was bleeding profusely,” the MDPS statement read. “He immediately applied a tourniquet and tightened it until the bleeding was observed to have stopped.”

Morristown Fire Department (MFD) officials also arrived to assist officers and recover the missing limb. Lisa’s leg was located under the train and given to medical personnel.

“The actions of Officers Hollain, Cerrick and Moran undoubtedly saved this woman’s life,” officials added. “They exhibited unwavering composure which facilitated quick effective decision-making and provided comfort and support to the victim.”

Weil-Fitzgerald told Fox News Digital that, even in the tragic situation, Lisa’s bright personality shone through.

“She was totally coherent and she was making jokes,” she said. “She was like, ‘Please get me to the hospital. I’m not going to die this way.'”

Lisa was rushed to a hospital and treated, but her leg could not be reattached to her body. A GoFundMe set up by her sister has raised over $77,000 so far.

The tragic incident happened two weeks before Lisa’s 30th birthday party. The birthday plans were scrapped and made into a “glamputation” party instead.

“We decorated the hospital and we had a big celebration for her,” Weil-Fitzgerald said. “And she is in such good spirits. With her GoFundMe, people have just been so supportive and so amazing. That really makes us feel good.”

Lisa, who is one of 8 siblings, has been called the “Miracle of Morristown” for surviving the incident and displaying such resilience and grit through her recovery.

“She’s unbelievable,” the proud mother said. “She has not stopped smiling.”

Southern US city tops list of dirtiest in the nation, study says

Fox News

Southern US city tops list of dirtiest in the nation, study says

Pilar Arias – May 29, 2024

A recent survey named the “dirtiest” city in the U.S., and earning the top spot this year is none other than Houston, taking the crown from last year’s dirtiest, Newark, New Jersey.

Houston’s ranking in the study from LawnStarter came after a comparison of 152 U.S. cities in the categories of pollution, living conditions, infrastructure and customer satisfaction.

The study says Houston, also known as Space City, is the third most polluted of all the cities ranked, behind San Bernardino, California, and Peoria, Arizona. It cites another study that “found that the city’s petrochemical facilities severely violate EPA safety guidelines.”

LawnStarter data says Houston ranks “third worst in greenhouse gas emissions from large industrial facilities,” and the city has “the biggest cockroach problem, too.”

A spokesperson for the Houston Solid Waste Management Department — which is in charge of waste collection, disposal and recycling — did not immediately respond to a Fox News Digital request for comment.

ALLIGATOR DISCOVERED TAKING BITES OUT OF DEAD WOMAN IN HOUSTON

Last year’s reigning champion, Newark, slipped to the overall rank of No. 2.

Rounding up the top 10 are San Bernardino; Detroit; Jersey City, New Jersey; Bakersfield, California; San Antonio; Fresno, California; Oklahoma City; and Yonkers, New York. New York City came in at No. 12.

RESIDENTS IN TEXAS, OKLAHOMA SEEK SHELTER AS TORNADO DAMAGES HOMES, OVERTURNS TRUCKS

The Houston, Texas skyline — The Houston skyline and I-45 commuter traffic at dusk.

So why does any of this matter? LawnStarter said the study is meant to have people look beyond garbage, pests and poor waste management, saying the negative effects from living in dirty cities can be worse than people realize, citing health problems such as lung cancer, heart disease and stroke that can stem from air pollution.

“Here’s the bottom line: Dirty cities aren’t just an eyesore — they also damage our bodies and our wallets,” LawnStarter says.

NYC looting from TMX — New York City, where a store is seen after a looting in 2022, did not even make the top 10 list of dirtiest cities in the U.S.

LawnStarter provides lawn care providers to customers via its website and mobile application. The company used the survey as an opportunity to attract new business.

“Clean cities tend to have lots of tidy, healthy, green lawns,” they said.

Original article source: Southern US city tops list of dirtiest in the nation, study says

America’s dirtiest city is revealed — and it’s not NYC or anywhere near the north

New York Post

America’s dirtiest city is revealed — and it’s not NYC or anywhere near the north

Mary K. Jacob – May 28, 2024

The dirtiest city in America is not exactly what you would expect it to be.

Do you think New York’s filthy sidewalks, gross subway cars and rat infestations make it America’s dirtiest city? You’re in for quite a surprise.

A recent study by LawnStarter has crowned Houston, Texas, as the nation’s dirtiest city — bumping Newark, New Jersey from the top spot.

New York City, despite its notorious grime, didn’t even crack the top 10. It landed in 12th place. While the Big Apple dodged the title of dirtiest, it’s still grappling with its trash and pest problems.

The dirtiest city in America is not exactly what you would expect it to be. NY Post composite

A recent study found that Houston currently stands as the dirtiest city in America. Houston Chronicle via Getty Images

Trash floating around a construction barge at Buffalo Bayou in Houston. Houston Chronicle via Getty Imag

Houston’s new dubious honor stems from its terrible air quality, infrastructure woes and a staggering number of pests invading homes.

LawnStarter’s sister site PestGnome pulled data showing Houston has the worst cockroach problem, with the city crawling with the creepy critters.

It’s not just Houston; southern cities seem to be a haven for cockroaches. San Antonio, Texas and Tampa, Florida, join Houston in the top three for cockroach infestations.

If cockroaches aren’t your nightmare, steer clear of Boston, Philadelphia and Baltimore. These cities top the list for rodent-infested homes.

A chart showing the nation’s worst offenders. Lawn Starter

Despite California’s hefty spending on cleaning efforts, several of its cities still rank poorly. San Bernardino, notorious as the “armpit” of California, ranks fourth dirtiest due to atrocious air quality.

Riverside and Ontario, also in the LA metro area, share this dismal air status, now plagued by pollution-heavy warehouses that have replaced orange groves and vineyards.

San Francisco, however, shines as a cleaner gem in California. With a $72.5 million street cleaning spree in 2019 and an additional $16.7 million budget in 2023, it’s among the cleaner half of US cities.

Newark, New Jersey ranked second of the dirtiest cities in America. mandritoiu – stock.adobe.com

But this doesn’t account for the rising homeless and drug epidemic facing the city.

Dirty air isn’t the only issue — drinking water contamination is rampant in the southwest. Except for Salt Lake City, every major southwest city violated the Safe Drinking Water Act in 2020. Las Vegas, ranking 19th dirtiest overall, has the most unsafe water in the region.

Ohioans have a particular knack for littering cigarette butts. With five Ohio cities boasting the highest share of smokers, the state is battling an onslaught of discarded cigarettes, despite local campaigns urging residents to kick the habit.

Surprisingly, many of the cleanest cities are coastal, with Virginia Beach topping the list.

However, being near water isn’t a cleanliness guarantee — Fremont, California, and Winston-Salem, North Carolina, also rank among the most pristine cities despite their inland locations.

Amy Coney Barrett’s Husband Has a New Client—and It’s Disturbing

New Republic – Opinion

Amy Coney Barrett’s Husband Has a New Client—and It’s Disturbing

Talia Jane – May 29, 2024

According to an exclusive report from Rolling Stone, Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett’s husband, Jesse Barrett, is now repping Fox Corporation in a $3 million defamation suit, raising questions about conflicts of interest and personal enrichment enjoyed by conservative Supreme Court justices.

As Rolling Stone points out, the case is notable because Fox Corporation—the parent company of Fox News—is directly paying the family of a Supreme Court justice, which neither Barrett nor her husband are required to disclose. Barrett’s husband is a managing partner at SouthBank Legal, which opened its D.C. office—led by Barrett—after his wife joined the Supreme Court. Jesse Barrett’s list of anonymized cases on the SouthBank Legal website now includes “represented a prominent media company in a lawsuit alleging defamation.” That addition joins an already lengthy list of white-collar cases on his company profile, tucked between defending a Berkshire Hathaway company in an employment discrimination suit and defending an event promoter from fraud claims.

The defamation lawsuit Jesse Barrett has taken on alleges that Fox 32—a Chicago-area local station for Fox—ran a hit piece about Lavell Redmond who in 2021 was hired by the mayor of Dolton, Illinois, to work as a building code enforcement officer. The Fox report centers Redmond’s conviction for aggravated sexual assault of a minor, for which he pleaded guilty and served 24 years in prison, as the crux of the story while claiming Redmond was hired to enter “into Dolton homes and businesses to inspect them.” Redmond disputes this claim in his suit, according to Rolling Stone, noting that his work entailed inspecting building exteriors, not entering people’s homes.

The outlet later followed up on its reporting with news that Redmond had been arrested and may face new charges for violating the conditions of the sex offender registry—an accusation Redmond alleges is the direct result of Fox’s earlier misleading reporting on his job duties.

Barrett, representing Fox, filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit, according to Rolling Stone. The motion to dismiss claims the suit was filed too late and that the corporation didn’t commit defamation because the “gist” of the reporting was “indisputably true” and characterized the central outrage of Redmond’s hiring—that a sex offender was entering people’s homes, which resulted in his arrest—as “immaterial details.”

While the relationship between conservative justices and right-wingers continuously raises ethical concerns, constitutional law professor Anthony Michael Kreis noted the odds of Fox Corporation’s case being kicked up to the conservative-held Supreme Court are slim given that Barrett would have to recuse herself from the case, winnowing the number of Fox News–brained justices on the court.

“You don’t hire the spouse of a Supreme Court justice to represent you in major litigation unless (1) you think they’re competent to do so and (2) you don’t foresee going to the Supreme Court where the spouse would have to recuse and you might really want/need their vote,” Kreis wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

Regardless, it’s entirely too convenient that the husband of a conservative Supreme Court justice is representing a conservative media company, and poses curious questions as to why Barrett, who is based in D.C., was tapped to represent the media company based in New York City for a lawsuit filed by a man in Illinois.

North Korea Sends Poop Balloons to South

TIME

North Korea Sends Poop Balloons to South

Chad de Guzman – May 29, 2024

Don’t look up. South Korean authorities warned residents along the border with North Korea that an “air raid” was underway. But it wasn’t rockets that were incoming. Rather: floating overhead were more than 150 balloons carrying trash and what’s believed to be feces.

An emergency disaster text alert was sent across cities on Tuesday night, according to South Korean newspaper Hankyoreh, ordering residents to “refrain from outdoor activities and report [objects] to military bases when identified,” along with the message in English: “Air raid preliminary warning.”

The incursion comes days after North Korea warned it would retaliate against anti-Pyongyang leaflets sent over by activists in South Korea earlier this month.

South Korean news agency Yonhap reported that South Korea’s military detected the balloons flying and falling in various locations across the country from Tuesday evening to Wednesday morning local time, going as far as South Gyeongsang, a province more than 180 miles from the demilitarized zone border between the two countries.

The balloons appeared to carry trash—like plastic bottles, batteries, shoe parts, and even feces—a South Korea Joint Chiefs of Staff official said. The military is working with police to collect the materials for analysis, local paper Chosun Ilbo reported, and has advised residents not to come into contact with the droppings and instead report them to authorities.

This photo provided by South Korea Defense Ministry, shows trash from a balloon presumably sent by North Korea, in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, May 29, 2024. <span class="copyright">South Korea Presidential Office—AP</span> — This photo provided by South Korea Defense Ministry, shows trash from a balloon presumably sent by North Korea, in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, May 29, 2024. South Korea Presidential Office—AP

“Tit-for-tat action will be also taken against frequent scattering of leaflets and other rubbish by [South Korea] near border areas,” North Korea’s vice minister of national defense said on Sunday. “Mounds of wastepaper and filth will soon be scattered over the border areas and the interior of [South Korea] and it will directly experience how much effort is required to remove them.”

South Korea’s military condemned the act, saying on Wednesday that the balloons “clearly violate international law and seriously threaten our people’s safety.”

It’s not the first time North Korea has flown in garbage through balloons: in 2016, it sent what were initially feared to be biochemical substances but eventually turned out to be cigarette butts and used toilet paper.

North Korean defectors and activists in South Korea have also flown balloons the other way with propaganda payloads for years, in hopes of convincing North Korean residents to stand up against Kim Jong-un’s totalitarian regime. Pyongyang has long bridled against the practice, which it has labeled “psychological warfare.”

Park Sang-hak, center, a refugee from North Korea who runs the group Fighters for a Free North Korea, and South Korean activists prepare to release balloons bearing leaflets during an anti-North Korea rally near the border village of Panmunjom in Paju, South Korea, on April 15, 2011.<span class="copyright">Lee Jin-man—AP</span> — Park Sang-hak, center, a refugee from North Korea who runs the group Fighters for a Free North Korea, and South Korean activists prepare to release balloons bearing leaflets during an anti-North Korea rally near the border village of Panmunjom in Paju, South Korea, on April 15, 2011.Lee Jin-man—AP

Earlier this month, a group of North Korean defectors sent about 20 large balloons carrying some 300,000 leaflets criticizing Kim. The balloons also reportedly carried about 2,000 USB sticks containing K-pop content, including songs from members of Korean boyband sensation BTS. (Kim has called South Korean K-pop a “vicious cancer.”)

As tensions escalate between North and South Korea, experts emphasize that this kind of exchange of balloons remains far preferable to missiles. Peter Ward, a research fellow at the Sejong Institute, told Reuters: “These kinds of grey zone tactics are more difficult to counter and hold less risk of uncontrollable military escalation, even if they’re horrid for the civilians who are ultimately targeted.”

North Korean trash balloons are dumping ‘filth’ on South Korea

CNN

North Korean trash balloons are dumping ‘filth’ on South Korea

Jessie Yeung and Yoonjung Seo – May 29, 2024

South Korean authorities said the balloons, which landed in several locations, were filled with "filth and garbage." - South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff — South Korean authorities said the balloons, which landed in several locations, were filled with “filth and garbage.” – South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff

The deflated balloon that carried the North Korean trash bags. Balloons have previously been used by South Korean activists to send materials across the border. - South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff — The deflated balloon that carried the North Korean trash bags. Balloons have previously been used by South Korean activists to send materials across the border. – South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff

North Korea has adopted a new strategy to contend with its southern neighbor: sending floating bags of trash containing “filth” across the border, carried by massive balloons.

The South Korean military began noticing “large amounts of balloons” arriving from the North starting Tuesday night, detecting more than 150 as of Wednesday morning, according to the country’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS).

Photos released by the JCS show plastic bags carried by two giant balloons, with some broken packages spilling scraps of plastic, sheets of paper, and what appears to be dirt onto roads and sidewalks.

The balloons so far contain “filth and garbage” and are being analyzed by government agencies, said the JCS, adding that the military was cooperating with the United Nations Command.

South Korean authorities said the balloons, which landed in several locations, were filled with “filth and garbage.” – South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff

“North Korea’s actions clearly violate international law and seriously threaten the safety of our citizens,” it added. “All responsibility arising from the North Korean balloons lies entirely with North Korea, and we sternly warn North Korea to immediately stop its inhumane and low-level actions.”

Local governments also sent messages to residents in the northern Gyeonggi and Gangwon provinces to warn of the “unidentified objects,” and advised against outdoor activities. The packages risk damaging residential areas, airports and highways, said the JCS.

The move, according to North Korean state media KCNA, was to retaliate against South Korean activists who often send materials to the North – including propaganda leaflets, food, medicine, radios and USB sticks containing South Korean news and television dramas, all prohibited in the isolated totalitarian dictatorship.

Campaigners in the South, including defectors from North Korea, have long sent these materials through balloons, drones, and bottles floating down the cross-border river – even after South Korea’s parliament banned such actions in 2020.

“Scattering leaflets by use of balloons is a dangerous provocation that can be utilized for a specific military purpose,” said Kim Kang Il, North Korea’s Vice Minister of National Defense, KCNA reported on Sunday.

He accused South Korea of using “psychological warfare” by scattering “various dirty things” near border areas, declaring that the North would take “tit for tat action.”

“Mounds of wastepaper and filth will soon be scattered over the border areas and the interior of (South Korea) and it will directly experience how much effort is required to remove them,” Kim said, according to KCNA. “When our national sovereignty, security and interests are violated, we will take action immediately.”

Kim also decried joint US-South Korea military drills, which have increased in recent years as tensions have risen in the Korean peninsula.

The 2020 law that prohibited sending leaflets also restricted loudspeaker propaganda broadcasts, which the South’s military once championed as part of psychological warfare against the North until it withdrew the equipment following a 2018 summit between the two Koreas.

But even after parliament passed the ban, activists told Reuters they planned to continue – including the defector Park Sang-hak, who had been sending materials back to his homeland for 15 years, vowing to continue in an effort to give North Koreans a rare glimpse of the outside world.

Earlier this month, Park’s organization Fighters for a Free North Korea said in a statement it had sent 20 balloons toward North Korea, containing 300,000 leaflets that condemned Kim Jong Un and 2,000 USB sticks containing K-pop and music videos.

“In order to appeal and urge the North Korean people to rise up and put an end to Kim Jong Un … the group is sending the leaflets to the compatriots in North Korea,” the organization said in a statement.

For decades, North Korea has been almost completely closed off from the rest of the world, with tight control over what information gets in or out. Foreign materials including movies and books are banned, with only a few state-sanctioned exceptions; those caught with foreign contraband often face severe punishment, defectors say.

Earlier this year a South Korean research group has released rare footage that it claimed showed North Korean teenagers sentenced to hard labor for watching and distributing K-dramas.

Restrictions softened somewhat in recent decades as North Korea’s relationship with China expanded. Tentative steps to open up allowed some South Korean elements, including parts of its pop culture, to seep into the hermit nation – especially in 2017 and 2018, when relations thawed between the two countries.

But the situation in North Korea deteriorated in the following years and diplomatic talks fell apart – prompting strict rules to snap back into place in the North.