Media Today

[Rick Plant]

'Never seen anything like this': Fatal Michigan tornado wiped out a Hobby Lobby, Jimmy Johns and Quick Lube

Authorities in Michigan are detailing extensive damage from a fatal tornado that struck the town of Gaylord on Friday.

Channel 4 News reports at least one person died and 44 others were injured.

The tornado reportedly first struck a mobile home park and was on the ground for two or three miles.

“I would say it was on the ground for about two hours,” said Gaylord Mayor Sharrad. “It did wipe out a Hobby Lobby, Jimmy Johns, Quick Lube on our west side of town, and then it came into town, and it wiped out a lot of homes.”

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is on the scene and has issued an emergency declaration.

"Officials say the damage is substantial as the people injured have been transported to multiple hospitals after the emergency facility in Gaylord stopped accepting patience due to lack of power as it is running on emergency generators," Channel 4 reported.

The mayor told the station, “I’ve never seen anything like this in my life."

Watch the clip below:

[Rick Plant]

‘There will be blood’: Elon Musk seeks to hire ‘hardcore streetfighters’ as Tesla stock tanks



The world's richest man is seeking to hire a team of lawyers to sue people on behalf of his electric car company.

"Tesla is building a hardcore litigation department where we directly initiate & execute lawsuits. The team will report directly to me," Musk posted to Twitter, which he is seeking to acquire.

He included an email address and asked people to "please send 3 to 5 bullet points describing evidence of exceptional ability."

"Looking for hardcore streetfighters, not white-shoe lawyers like Perkins or Cooley who thrive on corruption," he explained.

"There will be blood," the billionaire added ominously.

Musk's search for streetfighters came the same day The New York Times reported, "Tesla’s shares have declined more than 40 percent since April 4 — a much steeper fall than the broad market, vaporizing more than $400 billion in stock market value. And the tumble has called attention to the risks that the company faces. These include increasing competition, a dearth of new products, lawsuits accusing the company of racial discrimination and significant production problems at Tesla’s factory in Shanghai, which it uses to supply Asia and Europe."

The company's problems may get worse.

"Mr. Musk has not helped the stock price by turning his bid to buy Twitter into a financial soap opera. His antics have reinforced the perception that Tesla lacks an independent board of directors that could stop him from doing things that might damage the company’s business and brand," The Times reported. "Tesla’s image is under pressure in ways that could hurt the automaker among the environmentally conscious, politically liberal customers who have long been its biggest customer base. The California Department of Fair Employment and Housing is suing Tesla, accusing it of allowing racial discrimination and harassment to flourish at its factory in Fremont, Calif., near San Francisco."

Also on Friday it was reported that Larry Ellison, the biggest backer of Musk's takeover bid of Twitter, was on a planning call with Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Fox News personality Sean Hannity about keeping Trump in office despite the fact he lost the 2020 election to Joe Biden.

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/20/business/tesla-stock-elon-musk.html

[Rick Plant]

'Known white supremacist' sought by police after threats against Texas Capitol: report



The Texas Department of Public Safety is searching for a Pennsylvania man who allegedly made terrorism threats.

"Hardy Carroll Lloyd, 44, is a known white supremacist and is wanted by authorities after posting a series of threatening comments online," KHOU reported Friday. "In them, he talks about carrying a firearm onto the grounds of the Texas State Capitol this weekend and challenging any law enforcement officer who tries to take enforcement actions against him, Texas DPS said."

The man reportedly has ties to the Austin area.

"Lloyd is a convicted felon and cannot legally carry a firearm. He is described as being 5 feet and 11 inches tall and weighs about 250 pounds," the station reported. "Texas Crime Stoppers is offering a cash reward of up to $1,000 for information leading to Lloyd's arrest. Texas DPS said all tips are guaranteed to be anonymous."

Authorities say the man should be considered armed and dangerous and are asking for the public's help in locating the subject.

In 2021, CBS Pittsburgh reported there were fears of violence after Lloyd was released from prison.

Watch:

[Rick Plant]

Michael Avenatti asks for leniency after stealing $300K from Stormy Daniels — because he wrote letter saying he's 'sorry'



On Friday, the Associated Press reported that disgraced former celebrity attorney Michael Avenatti is pleading for leniency at sentencing after his conviction for stealing $300,000 from his former client, adult film star Stephanie Clifford, a.k.a. Stormy Daniels.

One of the reasons, his lawyers argued, is that he wrote Daniels a heartfelt apology letter.

"His lawyers cite a letter he sent to the porn actor saying he is truly sorry. His lawyers wrote on Thursday in a Manhattan federal court submission that he wants counseling and alcohol treatment. He was convicted of cheating Daniels of nearly $300,000 in book proceeds," said the report. "He tried to justify taking some proceeds by citing legal quests he took on for Daniels to negate the effects of a 2016 payment she said she received to remain silent about a tryst with Donald Trump."

“This sobering reality is as sufficient and powerful a punishment and deterrence as any," declared his lawyers. "Worse, Mr. Avenatti’s extreme rise and fall played out on the most public of platforms, an experience he is unlikely to ever recover from reputationally.”

Avenatti's conviction for stealing from Daniels, who also alleges he filed an ill-fated defamation suit against Trump in her name without her consent, is not the only criminal conviction secured against the firebrand California lawyer.

In 2021, Avenatti was sentenced to two years in prison for trying to extort $20 million from Nike. He has been hit with three dozen indictments including perjury, tax evasion, and stealing from clients, including a mentally ill paraplegic man who won a settlement from Los Angeles County.

https://www.wcpo.com/news/national/california-lawyer-michael-avenatti-faces-sentencing-apologizes-to-stormy-daniels

[Rick Plant]

Ginni Thomas urged Arizona Republicans to overturn 2020 result – report

Wife of supreme court justice Clarence Thomas emailed six days after election already called for Joe Biden


Ginni Thomas with her husband the supreme court justice Clarence Thomas, left.

Ginni Thomas, the wife of the US supreme court justice Clarence Thomas, pressed Republicans in Arizona to overturn Joe Biden’s victory there in 2020, the Washington Post reported.

Repeating Donald Trump’s lie that the vote had been marred by fraud, Thomas wrote: “Please stand strong in the face of political and media pressure. Please reflect on the awesome authority granted to you by our constitution. And then please take action to ensure that a clean slate of electors is chosen for our state.”

Thomas did not mention Biden or Trump. But, the Post said, “the context was clear”.

Biden won Arizona, a swing state vital to the contest, by about 10,000 votes. The call was first made by Fox News, enraging Trump.

Ginni Thomas is an activist with deep ties on the Republican far right. Reports of her involvement in Trump’s attempt to hold on to power have led to calls for her husband’s impeachment and removal, or at least recusal from election-related cases.

In January, Thomas was the only justice to say Trump should be able to withhold from the House committee investigating the January 6 Capitol attack documents which turned out to include texts sent by his wife to Trump’s chief of staff.

On Friday, the Post said Ginni Thomas emailed two Arizona Republicans on 9 November, six days after election day and two days after Biden’s win was called.

She also requested a live or online meeting “so I can learn more about what you are doing to ensure our state’s vote is audited and our certification is clean”.

One of the lawmakers, Shawnna Bolick, replied, saying, “I hope you and Clarence are doing great!” but deflecting the demand for a meeting.

The Post said Thomas replied: “Fun that this came to you! Just part of our campaign to help states feel America’s eyes!!!”

The Post also reported that Thomas emailed the same Republicans on 13 December, a day before the electoral college met to confirm Biden’s victory.

That email said: “Before you choose your state’s electors … consider what will happen to the nation we all love if you don’t stand up and lead.”

The Post said the email contained a link to a video of a man who appeared to be Geoffrey Botkin, an activist, “delivering a message meant for swing-state lawmakers, urging them to ‘put things right’ and ‘not give in to cowardice’ [and saying] ‘You have only hours to act’.”

The video is no longer available. Botkin did not comment to the newspaper. Nor did Ginni Thomas. The Post said a supreme court spokesperson did not respond.

On 14 December, the day the electoral college confirmed Biden’s win, Bolick signed a letter calling for Arizona’s electoral votes to go to Trump or “be nullified completely until a full forensic audit can be conducted”.

In 2021, Arizona Republicans conducted a controversial vote audit. It did not reveal substantial electoral fraud. It did increase Biden’s margin of victory.

Also in 2021, the New Yorker reported that Bolick had introduced a bill that “would enable a majority of the legislature to override the popular vote … and dictate the state’s electoral college votes itself”.

Like Trump loyalists elsewhere, Bolick is now running for secretary of state, the office which runs elections.

On Friday, the New Yorker reporter Jane Meyer tweeted “one additional detail”, linking Ginni Thomas’s moves in Arizona back to her husband.

Clarence Thomas, Meyer said, is godfather “to Clint Bolick’s child, and Bolick’s wife is the Arizona lawmaker who Ginni Thomas pressured to overturn the 2020 election.

“No conflicts of interest?”

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/may/20/ginni-thomas-2020-election-arizona-emails

[Rick Plant]

Texas cop fired and jailed for tasering her sons — ages 8, 11, and 12: prosecutors



Authorities in Texas say they acted quickly after receiving a report that a law enforcement officer tasered her young sons.

"A former Precinct 4 Deputy Constable remains in Harris County jail Friday evening, facing felony allegations she used a stun gun, commonly known as a Taser, on her three minor children," KTRK reported. "Xochitl Ortiz is no longer a deputy constable. She was fired when she was arrested earlier this week."

The boys are 8, 11, and 12.

"The facts allege that you used a Taser to tase each of your children: one on the hand, one on the buttocks, one on the shoulder. The facts allege the complaining witnesses complained of shock and pain and don't feel safe in your home," a hearing officer said as Ortiz was arraigned.

Ortiz is being held on $450,000 bond.

Constable Mark Herman claims his office quickly took action when notified of the allegations.

"On April 14, 2022 my office received a complaint in reference to these allegations and immediately initiated an investigation. My office, along with investigators with the Harris County Sheriff's Office worked together, culminating in my office placing ex-deputy Xochitl Ortiz into custody and transferring her to the investigators," Herman said.

Watch in link below:

https://abc13.com/xochitl-ortiz-houston-constable-child-abuse-mom-uses-stun-gun-on-sons-mark-herman/11875463/

[Rick Plant]

WHO working on more monkeypox guidance as cases rise

LONDON (Reuters) -The World Health Organization said it expects to identify more cases of monkeypox as it expands surveillance in countries where the disease is not typically found.

As of Saturday, 92 confirmed cases and 28 suspected cases of monkeypox have been reported from 12 member states that are not endemic for the virus, the U.N. agency said, adding it will provide further guidance and recommendations in coming days for countries on how to mitigate the spread of monkeypox.

"Available information suggests that human-to-human transmission is occurring among people in close physical contact with cases who are symptomatic", the agency added.

Monkeypox is an infectious disease that is usually mild, and is endemic in parts of west and central Africa. It is spread by close contact, so it can be relatively easily contained through such measures as self-isolation and hygiene. See EXPLAINER:

"What seems to be happening now is that it has got into the population as a sexual form, as a genital form, and is being spread as are sexually transmitted infections, which has amplified its transmission around the world," WHO official David Heymann, an infectious disease specialist, told Reuters.

Heymann said an international committee of experts met via video conference to look at what needed to be studied about the outbreak and communicated to the public, including whether there is any asymptomatic spread, who are at most risk, and the various routes of transmission.

He said the meeting was convened "because of the urgency of the situation". The committee is not the group that would suggest declaring a public health emergency of international concern, WHO's highest form of alert, which applies to the COVID-19 pandemic.

He said close contact was the key transmission route, as lesions typical of the disease are very infectious. For example, parents caring for sick children are at risk, as are health workers, which is why some countries have started inoculating teams treating monkeypox patients using vaccines for smallpox, a related virus.

Many of the current cases have been identified at sexual health clinics.

Early genomic sequencing of a handful of the cases in Europe has suggested a similarity with that spread in a limited fashion in Britain, Israel and Singapore in 2018.

Heymann said it was "biologically plausible" the virus had been circulating outside of the countries where it is endemic, but had not led to major outbreaks as a result of COVID-19 lockdowns, social distancing and travel restrictions.

He stressed that the monkeypox outbreak did not resemble the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic because it does not transmit as easily. Those who suspect they may have been exposed or who show symptoms including bumpy rash and fever, should avoid close contact with others, he said.

"There are vaccines available, but the most important message is, you can protect yourself," he added.

© Reuters