Stembridge News Digest

  • Those attacks on gas stoves aren't really about health Wed, 01 Feb 2023 05:01:11 GMT
    Earlier this month, the Consumer Product Safety Commission announced that indoor gas stoves emit harmful pollution and that a ban on selling new ones was, to quote one of the agency's commissioners, "on the table."
  • Trump's deluded endorsement of Putin over the US intelligence community Tue, 31 Jan 2023 23:52:44 GMT
    Former President Donald Trump showed a distinct lack of patriotism on Monday, describing the U.S. intelligence community as a collection of "lowlifes" and "misfits." Trump implied that he has greater trust in Russian president and former KGB officer Vladimir Putin.
  • Hungary learns the hard way that price controls cannot curb inflation Tue, 31 Jan 2023 23:32:42 GMT
    The nationalist leadership of Hungary may have found fans in the conservative Anglosphere, but Prime Minister Viktor Orban's understanding of classical economics is dismal indeed. Just like President Richard Nixon learned the hard way a half a century ago, the government cannot use price controls to tame away inflation.
  • Why does Biden refuse to call foul on Turkey for threatening US hoops star? Tue, 31 Jan 2023 22:43:27 GMT
    Basketball star Enes Kanter Freedom is now justifiably blasting President Joe Biden for his silence in the face of a bounty the nation of Turkey placed on Mr. Freedom.
  • Teachers do not have the right to choose a child's gender Tue, 31 Jan 2023 22:40:29 GMT
    A teacher's job is to educate, not indoctrinate. Parents send their children to school to learn reading, writing, and arithmetic, not to have their opinions and ideas about life shaped by an unbalanced person with an education degree. In real life, they aren't learning to read or do math, but they are being taught to identify themselves as one of 73 fictitious genders and alter their sexual identities.
  • Football is the closest thing we have to a true colorblind meritocracy Tue, 31 Jan 2023 20:23:03 GMT
    While sports journalists obsess about the racial makeup of sports organizations, the NFL is proving itself to be the ultimate meritocracy where race doesn’t matter at all.
  • Why don't Minnesota Democrats care about the lives of babies? Tue, 31 Jan 2023 20:09:27 GMT
    The Minnesota Senate voted on a bill that allows abortions in the third trimester. The bill, known as the Protect Reproductive Options Act, was barely approved, squeaking through by one vote, 34-33. Previously, it passed along party lines in the House, 69-65. The PRO Act would codify abortion rights in the state. It now heads to Gov. Tim Walz (D), where it is expected to be approved and signed.
  • With Mark Houck, as with Jack Phillips, the persecution is the whole point Tue, 31 Jan 2023 19:24:59 GMT
    On Monday, a jury acquitted a Catholic father and pro-life activist after the federal government had brought trumped-up charges against him for violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances or FACE Act. The decision was the right one because the case should never have been brought in the first place. It was a clear example of this administration’s anti-religious bigotry and its willingness to stretch the law to meet its ideological ends.
  • Biden’s alternative reality on everything, including abortion Tue, 31 Jan 2023 19:16:46 GMT
    One can understand why President Joe Biden wishes the leaders of his Catholic faith didn’t believe what they believe, but they do.
  • 'Feminist Fecundity' won't work unless it's also 'Familist Fecundity' Tue, 31 Jan 2023 19:09:04 GMT
    In the early 2010s, liberal feminists in major newspapers attacked mothers and fathers who had too many children for their “smug fecundity.” Subsequently, amid a historic baby bust, liberal feminists in major newspapers are in full reverse, peddling the idea of "Feminist Fecundity.”
  • This Republican will reportedly launch a presidential bid in February Wed, 01 Feb 2023 05:06:51 +0000


    Nikki Haley, who served as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations during a portion of former President Donald Trump's White House tenure, will reportedly launch a 2024 presidential bid in February, according to the Post and Courier.

    The outlet reported that an individual in "Haley's inner circle" confirmed that Haley will jump into the 2024 presidential race — the outlet also reported that according to an invitation slated to be sent to Haley supporters, a "special announcement" will take place on February 15.

    Sources confirmed to Fox News Digital that Haley will formally announce her presidential bid on February 15.

    If Haley throws her hat into the ring, she would need to defeat Trump during the GOP presidential primary contest in order to secure the party's presidential nomination — Trump announced in November that he is running for president again.

    Prior to serving as U.S. ambassador to the U.N., Haley served as governor of South Carolina. Before that, she served in the state's House of Representatives.

    During an interview with Fox News Channel's Brett Baier, Haley said that when considering a presidential bid, "You first look at, does the current situation push for new leadership?" Haley also asked, "Am I that person that could be that new leader" — she indicated that she believes she could fill the role: "Yes, I think I can be that leader," she said.

    In 2021, Haley indicated that she would not run if Trump ran again. "I would not run if President Trump ran," she said when asked if a Trump presidential run would preclude her from running. She added that the topic is one they would discuss if that choice needed to be made.

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  • Woke school district promotes upcoming BLM flag-hoisting event Wed, 01 Feb 2023 04:00:00 +0000


    San Diego Unified School District posted on social media to promote an upcoming Black Lives Matter flag-hoisting event.

    "In honor of #BlackHistoryMonth, San Diego Unified students from across the district will raise the Black Lives Matter flag to signify our shared commitment to creating a just, equitable, and empathetic world," the district tweeted.

    A graphic included in the tweet indicates that the February 1 event is open to students, families, staff, and members of the community.

    The district has flown the BLM flag in the past as well, and it has also hoisted other controversial flags, including pride and transgender flags.

    "This morning, the district raised the Black Lives Matter flag, along with the Pride and Trans flags, at the Eugene Brucker Education Center," the district tweeted in June 2020.

    BLM is both pro-choice and pro-LGBT.

    "Black liberation movements in this country have created room, space, and leadership mostly for Black heterosexual, cisgender men — leaving women, queer and transgender people, and others either out of the movement or in the background to move the work forward with little or no recognition. As a network, we have always recognized the need to center the leadership of women and queer and trans people," the group's website states.

    In a statement responding to the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade last year, BLM declared that the ruling was "one of several this week designed to limit freedom in service of a white supremacist and patriarchal agenda." BLM also claimed that "full access to abortion care is necessary for all Black people."

    BLM recently tweeted, "Police represent the interest of capitalism and advance white supremacy at any and all costs."

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  • Police arrest Seattle-area pastor for allegedly dealing drugs, including fentanyl, cocaine, and meth Wed, 01 Feb 2023 03:30:00 +0000


    Police arrested a Seattle-area pastor who was allegedly dealing drugs, including fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine.

    "Steve Parker bragged about being a good drug dealer, saying he was good at business," read a charging document.

    Police allege that Parker led a double life. One, with his wife at their home in Arlington as a pastor caring for at least 14 sexual offenders who needed help staying off the streets. The other, with his girlfriend, dealing drugs at a home in Tulalip.

    Parker had been a guest pastor at least once at the Sisco Heights Community Church according to a report from KCPQ-TV. He worked as the director of Omni-Manna Service, a organization helping convicts and addicts find work and low-cost housing.

    A source reportedly tipped off the Skagit County Interlocal Drug Enforcement Unit to the allegedly illicit activities of the drug-dealing pastor late last year. Investigators say Parker was pulled over in his 2002 Subaru on Jan. 19 and found in possession of a loaded handgun as well as more than 2,000 counterfeit pills, 2.7 pounds of meth, fentanyl powder, and cocaine.

    Investigators said they found 30 guns during investigations at both of Parker's houses. Court documents said Parker admitted that he was receiving drug supplies three to four times a week.

    Police said in the charging documents that a number of people scattered from the alleged drug house when police arrived. They said they discovered a surveillance system that captured many of the activities at the house.

    Pastor Parker is charged with possession of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine, as well as money laundering, among other charges. He is being held on a $750,000 bond at the Skagit County jail and is due in court on Feb. 2.

    Here's more about the pastor's arrest:

    Arlington man claiming to be a pastor facing drug charges | FPX 13 Seattle www.youtube.com

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  • Beauty company claims dictionary examples of the word 'beauty' are 'limiting and exclusive,' calls for change Wed, 01 Feb 2023 03:00:00 +0000


    Coty, a beauty company, has launched a campaign to alter the traditional dictionary definitions and examples of beauty.

    "The #UndefineBeauty campaign recognizes that the current English language definitions of the term 'beauty' are outdated and no longer reflect the values of today's society. Specifically, the examples cited under the current entries for 'beauty' across the leading English dictionaries are both limiting and exclusive," the company claims.

    "'She was a great beauty in her youth' is the phrase often cited in major dictionaries to illustrate the concept of beauty," Coty claimed, noting that its "campaign calls for the Dictionary publishers to review these examples and remove the implicit ageism and sexism they currently contain."

    The company has issued an open letter urging English dictionary houses to reevaluate the word "beauty."

    "We're asking you to help us acknowledge and celebrate all the visions of beauty that exist today, and that will exist, by initiating a review of your definition of beauty, particularly the examples used to illustrated it, with the aim of developing a more modern, relevant, inclusive definition of beauty," reads the letter from Coty CEO Sue Y. Nabi and the company's executive committee and senior leadership team.

    Nabi is a transgender woman, according to British Vogue. A transgender woman is a biological man who identifies as a woman.

    Coty has also posted a petition on change.org.

    "This cause to change the definition of beauty acknowledges all those who celebrate and express their own visions of beauty every day, and validates those who have felt excluded by restrictive definitions of beauty," Coty's petition page states.

    "At Coty, we believe that no one can control or dictate what is, or is not, beautiful," Nabi said. "That is why the campaign to #UndefineBeauty aims to ‘undefine’ rather than simply ‘redefine’ beauty, so that no one feels excluded by the definition or examples that accompany it."

    Undefine Beauty | Coty www.youtube.com

    The promotion of woke ideology appears to be a trend in the beauty industry.

    NYX Professional Makeup has posted photos on social media of what appears to be a bearded man wearing bright pink lip cream — while some people had a positive reaction to the abnormal sight, others took issue with the post.

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  • Police say man accused of torturing women is using dating apps to find more victims and people to help him evade cops Wed, 01 Feb 2023 02:30:00 +0000


    Police are on a manhunt for a suspect accused of kidnapping and torturing a woman, and they believe he is avoiding police through the use of dating apps.

    Authorities said Friday that they found a woman bound and "severely beaten into unconsciousness" in Grants Pass, Oregon, on Jan. 24. They said she was secretly confined “in a place where she was not likely to be found."

    The woman was transported to a hospital in critical condition.

    When they raided a property in Wolf Creek with the help of an Oregon State Police SWAT team, they were unable to find their suspect, 36-year-old Benjamin Obadiah Foster.

    "Following a lengthy manhunt, Foster evaded capture and likely received assistance in fleeing the area," said Grants Pass police.

    Police said that Tina Marie Jones, a 68-year-old woman, had helped Foster after he had intentionally driven his vehicle over an embankment. She was arrested for hindering prosecution.

    Investigators said that the Foster is "actively using online dating applications to contact unsuspecting individuals who may be lured into assisting with the suspect’s escape or potentially as additional victims."

    Foster is wanted for attempted murder, kidnapping, and assault. There is a reward of $2,500 for information leading to his arrest and prosecution.

    Violent criminal history

    Foster had been previously accused of similar crimes of torture and kidnapping involving his girlfriend in Las Vegas, Nevada.

    Although he was charged with five felonies for holding her captive at her apartment for two weeks, he cut a deal with prosecutors, received a sentence of two and a half years in prison, and was granted time served for the 729 days he had been in jail before the conviction.

    “We are laser-focused on capturing this man and bringing him to justice,” said Grants Pass Police Chief Warren Hensman Thursday.

    “This is a very serious event, a brutal assault of one of our residents that we take extremely seriously,” he added.

    Police warned that Foster may have changed his appearance and he should be considered "extremely dangerous."

    Here's a local news report about the incident:

    Oregon torture suspect previously charged for similar crimes | NewsNation Prime youtu.be

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  • Woman accused of trying to kill doppelganger friend with poisoned cheesecake so she could steal her identity and return to Russia where she is wanted for murder of another woman Wed, 01 Feb 2023 02:00:00 +0000


    The trial of a woman accused of trying to kill her doppelganger friend with poisoned cheesecake kicked off on Monday in New York City.

    Prosecutors say Viktoria Nasyrova wanted to kill her friend Olga Tsvyk. Authorities believe that Nasyrova attempted to kill her friend with poisoned cheesecake so she could steal her identity. Nasyrova allegedly wanted to return to her home country of Russia. However, Nasyrova is wanted for the murder of another woman in Russia. Prosecutors suspect that Nasyrova planned to kill her look-alike friend, then use her identity to travel to Russia.

    In August 2016, Nasyrova asked Tsvyk — a skin beautification technician specializing in eyelashes — to fix her eyelashes. The Brooklyn native went to Tsvyk's home in Queens and allegedly served her cheesecake that was laced with poison. The sweet dessert was reportedly laced with the powerful Russian tranquilizer phenazepam.

    About 20 minutes after eating the poisoned cheesecake, Tsvyk said she started to feel “very ill.”

    “I started to look to lie down on the bed. I started to look for a pillow. I was realizing that I was losing consciousness and I said to her, ‘Vika, I’m feeling really bad.’ I started feeling very nauseous. I wanted to vomit. I started to vomit right by my bed onto the floor,” Tsvyk told jurors on Monday, according to the New York Post. "I told her, 'Vika, I’m going to throw up right now.’ She said, 'Don't worry about it. I will clean it up.' I remember she went to the bathroom and came back with Bounty."

    Assistant District Attorney Konstantinos Litourgis said, "She immediately gets sick. She starts to vomit. She was hallucinating. She came to realize many of her valuables were gone from her room -- almost $4,000 in cash, a red purse, a cherished ring, and, most importantly, her Ukrainian passport and her U.S.-issued employment authorization card."

    Authorities say Nasyrova scattered pills around Tsvyk's lingerie-clad body to make it appear like a suicide attempt.

    "Everything was done in this case very carefully and very methodically by this defendant … not only did she poison Olga in order to impersonate her … she also staged her bedroom to make it look like suicide," Litourgis told the jury.

    Police said Nasyrova had Tsvyk's passport in her possession when they arrested her.

    The district attorney said Nasyrova targeted Tsvyk because they have a similar appearance and both speak Russian.

    Authorities suspect Nasyrova was going to use Tsvyk's passport to travel to Russia. Nasyrova is wanted for the 2014 murder of another woman. Nasyrova was accused of drugging and killing her neighbor in Russia, and then fleeing to New York City.

    Litourgis described Nasyrova as a "very smart individual." However, Nasyrova reportedly made the mistake of leaving her DNA on the cheesecake container.

    "The DNA that was on that container belongs to Viktoria Nasyrova," Litourgis said in his opening statements. "So on top of everything you’re going to hear from civilian witnesses, you’re going to learn that there’s a cheesecake container that had [tranquilizer] Phenazepam in it and also had the defendant’s DNA on it."

    Nasyrova's attorney, Christopher Hoyt, said during opening statements, "This is not an open-and-shut case. We are here today because Ms. Nasyrova is not guilty of these charges."

    Nasyrova denied trying to poison Tsyvk during an interview on "48 Hours" in 2017. Nasyrova said, "I know this young woman. I can tell you that I did not force her to eat it."

    Before the murder allegations, Nasyrova was suspected of drugging men she met on dating websites and robbing them when they passed out, according to prosecutors.

    A man who met Nasyrova on a Russian dating site also suffered ailments that are similar to being drugged.

    The man had eaten fish and veggies cooked by Nasyrova. He passed out and woke up three days later in Columbia Presbyterian hospital. His watch and cash had reportedly been stolen.

    "His symptoms almost mirrored that of Olga’s,” Litourgis said.

    Nasyrova faces up to 25 years in prison if convicted of attempted murder, burglary, and others charges.

    Trial of a woman accused of poisoning her lookalike with cheesecake begins www.youtube.com

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  • Catholic students kicked out of the Smithsonian ​for wearing pro-life hats Wed, 01 Feb 2023 01:30:00 +0000


    A dozen Catholic school students were kicked out of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C., because they were wearing beanies with a pro-life message.

    The American Center of Law and Justice is representing the parents of the students from Our Lady of the Rosary School in Greenville County, South Carolina.

    An attorney for the ACLJ told WYFF-TV that the teenagers tried to attend the museum after attending the annual March for Life on Jan. 20.

    A mother of one of the students posted to Twitter about the incident. She wrote that her daughter told the man they were wearing the hats in order to identify each other in the crowd attending the museum.

    They said that a security guard approached them and told them to either take off the beanies or leave the museum. When they asked why they were being asked to leave, the guard reportedly told them that the museum was a "neutral zone."

    Nora Luz Kriegel, a parent of students at the Catholic school, joined a group that wrote the museum to petition for a change in its policies.

    "They should be allowed to wear the hats that they were wearing and to be able to express themselves," said Kriegel to WYFF. "And I felt it was very wrong that this person harassed them."

    A spokesperson for the air and space museum released a statement about the incident.

    "Asking visitors to remove hats and clothing is not in keeping with our policy or protocols. We provided immediate training to prevent a re-occurrence of this kind of incident, and have determine steps to ensure this does not happen again," said Alison Wood, the museum's deputy director of communications.

    Here's a local news report about the incident:

    Greenville students removed from National Air and Space Museum for wearing pro-life hats www.youtube.com

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  • Nebraska Dem tries to 'make a point' with proposal to punish those who bring kids to 'religious indoctrination camp' Wed, 01 Feb 2023 01:00:00 +0000


    Nebraska state Sen. Megan Hunt (D) has put forward a proposal to bar young people from attending church events, like youth groups, and punish those who bring youth to such events.

    The left-wing state lawmaker advanced the amendment to "make a point about" a bill that would bar young people from attending drag shows and penalize adults who permit youth to attend drag performances.

    "This is an amendment that I will use to make a point about the underlying bill, LB371, which bans all-ages drag shows. It won't pass, I would withdraw it if it had the votes to pass. It's a device to make a point. We need not clench nor worry," Hunt tweeted. "People are making a lot of the fact that I’m just trying to bring some levity to my work. Wow," she wrote in another tweet.

    The drag-related bill that Hunt is criticizing would punish people and businesses for allowing young people to attend drag shows.

    "No individual under nineteen years of age shall be present at a drag show. Any person nineteen years of age or older who knowingly brings an individual under nineteen years of age to a drag show shall be guilty of a Class I misdemeanor," the bill states in part. "No individual under twenty-one years of age shall be present at a drag show if alcoholic liquor is being served at such location."

    The proposal also stipulates that businesses, establishments, or nonprofits that host a drag event but fail to abide by the age-limit rules will be slapped with a $10,000 fine per violation — the measure indicates that if the owner or officer of an entity knowingly permits someone below the age limit to attend a drag show, that person would "be guilty of a Class I misdemeanor."

    Hunt's amendment calls for blocking youth from "religious indoctrination camp," which the proposal defines as "a camp, vacation Bible study, retreat, lock-in, or convention held by a church, youth group, or religious organization for the purpose of indoctrinating children with a specific set of religious beliefs."

    "The Legislature finds that there is a well-documented history of indoctrination and sexual abuse perpetrated by religious leaders and clergy people upon children. Abusers within churches and other religious institutions often use events like church or youth-group-sponsored camps and retreats to earn children's trust and gain unsupervised access to such children in order to commit such abuse," a portion of Hunt's amendment reads.

    "No individual under nineteen years of age shall be present at a religious indoctrination camp. Any person nineteen years of age or older who knowingly brings an individual under nineteen years of age to a religious indoctrination camp shall be guilty of a Class I misdemeanor," Hunt's amendment states. "No individual under twenty-one years of age shall be present at a religious indoctrination camp if alcoholic liquor is being served at such location, regardless if such alcoholic liquor is being served as part of a religious ceremony."

    Hunt has previously asserted that gun ownership is not a "God-given right."

    "Owning a gun isn’t a 'God-given right.' It’s a slave-owning, misogynistic founding father-given right. I’m not against 2a, but be real - the Constitution was written by people!" Hunt tweeted last year.

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  • Activists are outraged at Arizona bills that would limit and regulate drag shows Wed, 01 Feb 2023 00:30:00 +0000


    State lawmakers in Arizona have introduced three bills that would limit and regulate drag shows, and transgender activists are outraged.

    "This is absolutely insane," responded transgender activist Alejandra Caraballo on Twitter. "This bill is about criminalizing all gender nonconformity and enforcing it through draconian criminal penalties. It would also criminalize trans people existing in public."

    Caraballo was referring to the SB 1698 law proposed by Arizona state Senator Senator Justine Wadsack, a Republican. The law would ban performers who "dress in clothing and use makeup and other physical markers opposite of the performer's or group of performer's genders at birth to exaggerate gender signifiers and roles" from performing in front of children.

    Another bill, SB 1030, would limit the hours that drag shows could be performed and make a violation a misdemeanor.

    "There are very popular drag show brunches all over the valley," said drag performer Richard Stevens to KPHO-TV. "Some of them get anywhere from a hundred to three hundred people who want to just come out, they want to laugh."

    A third bill, SB 1026, would ban state funds going to pay for drag shows targeting children.

    "We see that these bills are another attempt to erase our people from existing in public really," said Xyra Flores with Trans Queer Pueblo.

    Human Rights Campaign Arizona Director Bridget Sharpe told KPHO that the bills are likely to gain some traction in the Republican-controlled state legislature, but they would be vetoed by the state's Democratic governor.

    Caraballo decried SB 1698 nonetheless.

    "Just to be clear, this bill almost certainly stands no chance of passing but the fact that they spent time drafting this and proposing it signifies how far they are willing to go legislate LGBTQ people out of public life," the activist tweeted.

    Here's more about the drag show regulation bills:

    Senator introduces bill that would limit drag shows in Arizona www.youtube.com

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  • Philly bus driver reportedly thwarts carjacking by barreling toward crooks with his 40-foot vehicle, blocking their escape, and scaring them away Wed, 01 Feb 2023 00:00:00 +0000


    A Philadelphia bus driver reportedly thwarted a carjacking last week by barreling his 40-foot vehicle toward the suspects, blocking their escape, and scaring them into running off without the car they were targeting.

    What are the details?

    Chris DeShields, a bus driver for the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority, was driving north on Frankford Avenue in the city's Fishtown neighborhood not long before midnight last week when he said he saw a trio of twenty-something-year-old men surrounding a young woman they’d forced out of a car, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported, adding that one of them snatched her keys.

    DeShields was carrying five bus passengers at the time, the paper said, citing Chris Valentin, chief bus operations officer for the agency.

    It didn't matter.

    The Inquirer said DeShields veered the bus toward the trio, leaned on the horn, flashed the blinkers, and shouted out the windows.

    “They had masks on, but you could see their eyes popping wide open,” DeShields, who's been driving buses for 17 years, told the paper. “Like, ‘What do we do now?’”

    With a 30,000-pound bus blocking their escape, the Inquirer reported that the trio ran off.

    What happened next?

    DeShields told the paper he exited the bus to ask people in a bar to watch the woman until she was able to get help — and then he got back inside and continued his route “to get my passengers home.”

    He saw police cars racing to the scene, the Inquirer reported, but when DeShields went by the area again later in his shift, the woman and her car were gone, and no police officers were present. While police confirmed to the paper that the incident went down, they provided no additional details.

    'We heard you were Batman'

    DeShields, 38 — who works a shift running from 4:30 p.m. to 2:05 a.m. — added to the Inquirer that he "caught hell in the depot the next day. My coworkers were laughing and teasing me, saying, ‘We heard you were Batman.’”

    Valentin noted to the paper that DeShields "saw a carjacking and made a judgment call in an instant, and we’re happy it worked out, and everyone was safe.”

    The agency's policy is that bus operators must keep themselves, passengers, and others safe, and they are discouraged from intervening in crimes, the Inquirer reported, adding that transit authority officials said drivers still are allowed to use discretion.

    “It was one of those nights where you are trying to get through work and then — bam!" DeShields recalled to the paper. "My radar’s been up ever since. It was scary but exciting at the same time.”

    He added to the Inquirer, “If you were raised a certain way, and you’ve got a bit of heart, you’re going to get involved with certain things. I’ve got a soon-to-be wife, and my sister — I would love somebody to help them if they get in a jam.”

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  • Suburban Chicago school employee accused of stealing $1.5 million in chicken wings Tue, 31 Jan 2023 23:30:00 +0000


    A school district employee in suburban Chicago is accused of stealing $1.5 million worth of chicken wings.

    Vera Liddell, 66, was arrested and booked into the Cook County Jail with a $150,000 bond. Liddell was charged with theft and operating a criminal enterprise, according to Cook County court records.

    Liddell, a food service director, is accused of stealing more than 11,000 cases of chicken wings, said to be worth $1.5 million, over a period of 19 months.

    Liddell, who worked for the Harvey School District 152 for more than 10 years, allegedly started stealing the chicken wings during the pandemic. Students were learning remotely, but the school district was still providing meals for children to be picked up.

    In January 2022, the district business manager conducted an internal audit that revealed the school district was over its annual food service budget by $300,000.

    An auditor discovered that the school district was billed for "massive quantities of chicken wings," and Liddell signed the invoices. However, chicken wings were never served to students because they contain bones.

    The cases of chicken wings were reportedly picked up from Gordon Food Service by Liddell using a school district cargo van.

    "Documents show that Liddell ordered the chicken wings separately from other food that was ordered for school use," Patch reported. "However, Gordon Foods never questioned the orders, as it believed that Liddell was authorized to order the food as part of her role with the district."

    "The food was never brought to the school or provided to the students," court records stated.

    Prosecutors claimed that Liddell placed hundreds of unauthorized orders for food items between July 2020 and February 2022.

    Harvey School District 152 interim superintendent Lela Bridges said she could not comment on the chicken wing theft because there is still an ongoing investigation. Bridges did say the school district was "fully cooperating with the authorities regarding this matter." The case is being investigated by the Cook County State’s Attorney Office.

    According to WGN-TV, more than 80% of the students in the school district qualify as low income.

    Liddell is scheduled to return to court on Feb. 2.

    Suburban school worker charged with stealing $1.5M worth of chicken wings from district www.youtube.com

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  • Severed penis discovered in gas station parking lot: Report Tue, 31 Jan 2023 23:00:00 +0000


    A man's penis was discovered at a gas station in Alabama earlier this week, reports say.

    According to Lagniappe, a weekly newspaper which covers news in the Mobile and Baldwin County, Alabama, areas, police received a call on Monday morning about "a human penis" that had been discovered at Midtown Mobile, a gas station in Mobile, Alabama.

  • LGBT+ organizations that host 'queer story hour,' drag events received thousands in COVID relief funds from Pennsylvania Tue, 31 Jan 2023 22:45:00 +0000


    The Pennsylvania Humanities Council gave thousands of dollars from the Biden administration's American Rescue Plan Act, funds dedicated to COVID relief, to LGBT+ organizations that host "queer story hour" and "drag story hour" for children, Fox News Digital reported.

    The ARP Act was signed into law in March 2021 after receiving only partisan support from Democratic lawmakers. The legislation was promoted as providing "additional relief to address the continued impact of COVID-19." However, some funds from the ARP Act were used for other purposes unrelated to COVID relief.

    The Pennsylvania Humanities Council received $1.4 million in relief funds from the National Endowment for the Humanities, which was allocated for the "recovery and reopening of humanities organizations."

    The council used the funds to support organizations promoting "equity and geographic diversity."

    Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center in Allentown, Pennsylvania, received $16,000 from the council. The community center, which describes itself as an "inclusive space" for "LGBTQ+ residents," previously hosted a "drag story hour" for children. The story hour was presented by a drag queen who read "King & King," a picture book about two princes who get married.

    The community center plans to host a "queer story hour" for children this weekend, during which a "queer reader" will read "I Am Jazz." The book, targeted to children from 4 to 8 years old, follows the story of a child who "was born transgender, which to her means having a girl brain in a boy body."

    The Mattress Factory Museum of Contemporary Art in Pittsburgh, which has hosted multiple all-ages drag events, was awarded $16,000 from the council. According to the museum, the ARP funds were used to put on a two-month installation in dedication to Greer Lankton, a deceased transgender artist known for creating lifelike and often nude dolls.

    The museum hosted a "Queer Afterlives in Artist Archives" program that, according to the event's description, was funded partly by "PA Humanities and the National Endowment for the Humanities as part of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021."

    Fox News Digital obtained an interim report from the Pennsylvania Humanities Council to the NEH where the council described its contributions to the community center and the museum as the "most significant outcomes" of the COVID relief funding.

    "The Mattress Factory recently held a 'Queer Afterlives in Artist Archives Symposium' and a celebration to launch the release of extensive public archives documenting the life and work of genderqueer artist Greer Lankton," the report stated. "The Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Center is building a community archive documenting the rich history of local and regional LGBTQ+ life and activism including print material, signs, memorabilia, garments and oral histories."

    The Pennsylvania Humanities Council, Mattress Factory Museum of Contemporary Art, and Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center did not respond to a request for comment, Fox News Digital reported.

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  • Woman fights thug who snatched her purse in grocery store parking lot, then is dragged from stolen getaway car — but she's not about to back down Tue, 31 Jan 2023 22:30:00 +0000


    A woman fought a man who snatched her purse in a Connecticut grocery store parking lot Saturday afternoon, and then she was dragged from the stolen getaway car amid the struggle and was injured — but she ultimately took back her property.

    What are the details?

    The woman reported that while placing groceries into her vehicle parked outside the Stop & Shop on North Colony Road in Wallingford, a silver, four-door BMW stopped about one car length past her, WVIT-TV reported.

    The male passenger in the BMW reportedly exited the vehicle and snatched the woman's purse from her shopping cart, the station said, adding that he then ran back to the BMW.

    But surveillance video shows the woman running after the purse snatcher.

    In fact, police told WVIT that while the suspect was reentering the BMW, the woman had caught up to him, reached into the vehicle, and grabbed her purse.

    Police added to the station that the BMW driver then began to accelerate forward, and the woman — still holding on to her purse — was dragged in the process. She suffered minor injuries, WVIT said.

    The station, citing police, said the driver stopped the BMW after a short distance, the male passenger pushed the woman away from the vehicle, and the victim still managed to retrieve her purse.

    She added that she took cover between other vehicles as she observed the BMW circle the parking lot and then depart toward North Main Street, WVIT reported.

    Wallingford police investigate purse snatching youtu.be

    Anything else?

    The station said the vehicle the suspects used was stolen out of North Haven about an hour and a half before the attempted purse snatching. It was identified as a 2014 BMW X6 with a Connecticut license plate AH38573, the station added.

    Police described the male passenger from the BMW as being in his early 20s, standing about 6 feet tall with a thin build and wearing gray shorts, a black jacket, and a blue du-rag, WVIT reported. Police don't have a description of the BMW driver except that he's a male, the station said.

    Both suspects remain at large, WVIT reported, adding that anyone with information is asked to contact the Wallingford Police Department Patrol Division at 203-294-2800 or at www.police.wallingfordct.gov.

    Police also urged citizens to use caution when shopping at local stores and getting gas, WFSB-TV reported.

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  • Florida man sues; says sheriff recklessly featured him on 'Wheel of Fugitive' spoof video when he was in jail Tue, 31 Jan 2023 22:15:00 +0000


    A Florida man is suing the Brevard County Sheriff's Office and Brevard County's sheriff after he was repeatedly featured on the department's "Wheel of Fugitive" video series.

    David Austin Gay, a 23-year-old Brevard County man, was featured on the show four times in 2021 while he wasn't technically a fugitive. On the dates in question, he was either an inmate at the Brevard County Jail, or had already been released from jail, according to the complaint filed January 25, 2023.

    Gay is suing for damages in excess of $50,000.

    Gay was told to "not bother showing up" to a new job after his then-future boss saw him on the show, according to the Miami Herald.

    Among the 12 counts in the lawsuit against Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey and the BCSO are defamation and intentional and reckless infliction of emotional distress.

    In the complaint, Gay seeks relief for, in part, "general and compensatory damages, loss of income, pain and suffering and resulting psychological assessment and treatment, [and] attorneys' fees, costs incurred in this action."

    Gay is demanding a jury trial.

    “The lawsuit was filed because right is right and wrong is wrong,” said Jessica J. Travis, the lead attorney of DefendBrevard.com law firm, in a statement acquired by the Miami Herald. Travis is representing Gay in the suit.

    The two- to three-minute "Wheel of Fugitive" episodes open with peppy music. Next, Brevard County's Sheriff Ivey appears alongside a large "Wheel of Fortune"-esque spinner with a sheriff's badge at the center and mugshots with names appearing on some or all of the ten wedges.

    The show concludes when Ivey provides details about the individual that appears on the wedge where the wheel stopped spinning. Ivey then encourages that individual to turn him or herself in, adding that others in the fugitive's sphere of influence may turn them in if they don't do it themselves.

    The BCSO is no stranger to creative use of YouTube to enhance community relations and bring criminals to justice. Other selections from the channel include "Fugitive Hunt," "Fishing for Fugitives," and "Mess Around and Find Out."

    The most recent "Wheel of Fugitive" episode, dated December 13, 2022, appears below.

    Wheel Of Fugitive With Sheriff Wayne Ivey youtu.be

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