Photos of armed protesters in North Carolina carrying a rocket launcher, shotguns, and pistols while ordering food at a Subway restaurant are trending
Travis Long/The News & Observer
- Photos of armed protesters ordering sandwiches at a Subway restaurant in Raleigh, North Carolina, on Saturday quickly started to trend over the weekend.
- The protesters marched through Raleigh’s downtown streets to oppose the state’s stay-at-home orders, which it started easing Saturday.
- The armed protest came after others around the country, including a demonstration inside Michigan’s Capitol.
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Photos of a group of nearly a dozen armed protesters parading through downtown Raleigh, North Carolina, on Saturday afternoon quickly started to trend.
Travis Long, a photojournalist for The News & Observer, tweeted the photos he took of protesters carrying shotguns, pistols, and an AT-4 anti-tank rocket launcher into a Subway restaurant.
The protesters marched to oppose the state’s stay-at-home orders, which it started easing on Saturday as the state entered phase one of the reopening process, The News & Observer reported.
The photos were widely shared in the US and even given the meme treatment after an Ohio woman digitally replaced the weapons with sandwiches.
The protesters organized on a Facebook group called Blue Igloo, according to The News & Observer. The Facebook page called the protest an “opportunity for First and Second Amendment supporters to get together, meet people with commonalities and get some exercise while we’re all wasting away at home.”
When a member of the demonstration entered the Subway restaurant, he asked if they could come inside and order and said they weren’t trying to scare anyone, according to a livestream of the march reviewed by The News & Observer.
North Carolina had nearly 15,000 COVID-19 cases and over 550 deaths as of May 10, according to Johns Hopkins.
The armed protest is not the first to spark conversation and criticism. A similar demonstration in Michigan’s Capitol on April 30 also drew widespread attention.
via: https://currently.att.yahoo.com/att/xandr/photos-armed-protesters-north-carolina-204704216.html
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Man drives BMW into Staten Island woman’s house on Mother’s Day
An 84-year-old Staten Island woman got an unwanted Mother’s Day surprise when a speeding driver launched his BMW 330i into her home’s sunroom early Sunday, cops said.
The unidentified man drove the silver Beemer into the woman’s house at 6000 Amboy Road around 2:30 a.m., cops said.
“I was getting back into bed after getting up to go to the bathroom,” said homeowner Beatrice Rocle. “I heard Ba-rooom! I thought the boiler burst. I opened the door and saw the car on my porch. At least nobody got killed.”
A neighbor, who asked to remain anonymous, said the driver was speeding and jumped a curb before plowing into Rocle’s house.
“He was doing at least 50 mph!” the neighbor said. “He didn’t even slow down, he was flying! He was coming straight down Clearmont Avenue and he flew through the intersection right into the house.”
The neighbor said the man was driving so fast “he hit the curb and went airborne into the house.”
The man then sat in his car honking the horn before he jumped out spewing nonsense and tried to run away. At one point, his pants fell down and he ran into a fence, the neighbor said.
The man was taken to Staten Island University Hospital North with minor injuries. Charges were pending, cops said.
via: https://nypost.com/2020/05/10/man-drives-bmw-into-womans-house-on-mothers-day/
Photo Credit: nypost.com
Rats are mysteriously infecting humans in Hong Kong with hepatitis
Rats have been infecting humans in Hong Kong with a new strain of hepatitis, leaving scientists baffled about how exactly the virus was being transmitted from the rodents, according to a report.
There have been at least 11 patients, including one as recently as April 30, who have been found to have the rat strain of hepatitis E, CNN reported.
“What we know is the rats in Hong Kong carry the virus, and we test the humans and find the virus. But how exactly it jumps between them — whether the rats contaminate our food, or there’s another animal involved, we don’t know,” said Dr. Siddharth Sridhar, a microbiologist from the University of Hong Kong.
In the most recent case, the 61-year-old patient had no rats or rat excrement in his home, no one else in his household experienced symptoms, and he has no recent travel history, according to a report.
“Based on the available epidemiological information, the source and the route of infection could not be determined,” said Hong Kong’s Centre for Health Protection (CHP) in a statement, the outlet reported.
The illness, which can also cause fever, jaundice, and long-term liver damage, can be dangerous for vulnerable patients.
“This should not be happening,” Sridhar told the outlet. “We need ongoing vigilance in the public to control this unusual infection. I really hope that public health authorities take the first step and look at how much their populations are actually being exposed to rat hepatitis E.”
via: https://nypost.com/2020/05/10/rats-are-mysteriously-infecting-humans-with-hepatitis-in-hong-kong/
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Snoop Dogg irritated by people giving Tekashi 6ix9ine attention: ‘They gotta stop pushing this rat’
Snoop Dogg has expressed his disappointment over the attention given to controversial New York rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine following his release from prison.
6ix9ine, real name Daniel Hernandez, released new track “Gooba” and an accompanying video in an Instagram Live session that broke records for the social media platform.
However, Snoop was unimpressed and criticised the media for its handling of the rapper’s attempt at a comeback.
“They gotta stop pushing this [rat],” Snoop commented on an Instagram post by TIDAL’s chief content officer, Elliott Wilson.
“All these media outlets making snitching cool. I’m old school. F*** 69 and everybody pushing his line right now all New York GZ feel me on this and if you don’t f*** u2.”
He added: “@meekmill if you allow sucka s*** you a sucka. Love you cuz stay sucka free.”
Fellow rapper Meek Mill has been involved in a feud with 6ix9ine since his release, and also criticised his “Gooba” video, calling him “super trash”.
Mill had also questioned Wilson for sharing the 6ix9ine video over new music by Lil Durk.
Snoop recently appeared as a delivery driver in an advert for takeaway service Just Eat. Clips show the “Drop It Like It’s Hot” musician sat in the studio working on the track, dressed in regency period costume and riding a delivery bike.
via: https://currently.att.yahoo.com/att/snoop-dogg-irritated-people-giving-085800011.html
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Returning beachgoers left 13,000 pounds of trash on Florida’s Cocoa Beach, prompting crackdown
As coronavirus restrictions begin to ease, people and their trash have been inundating Brevard’s beaches.
Over 13,000 pounds of trash picked up at Cocoa Beach last weekend – less than a month after it reopened on April 21. As a result, officials are cracking down on littering, increasing fines and enforcement.
Littering in Cocoa Beach can now fetch offenders a $250 fine.
“As restrictions are becoming more relaxed during this pandemic, the City of Cocoa Beach is beginning to see an influx of day-trippers to our beaches, along with piles of unlawfully discarded trash in their wake,” Cocoa Beach Police Department wrote in a notice.
“This will not be tolerated.”
ccording to Cocoa Beach police, officers must witness a littering offense first hand to issue a citation. Anyone who wants to report littering is still encouraged to call police at 321-868-3251.
“Our community works very hard to be stewards of environmental sustainability. If I need to reallocate critical resources during our peak season to combat litterers, we are no longer asking our visitors to comply with our litter laws, we expect it, and there will be consequences for offenders,” said Chief Scott Rosenfeld in a statement.
Keep Brevard Beautiful, a volunteer organization that organizes trash pickups around the county, has recorded a large increase in trash on the beaches compared to other years.
According to KBB deputy director Bryan Bobbitt, last weekend saw a heavy influx of trash on the beaches.
Volunteers with Keep Brevard Beautiful picked up 33 bags of trash from Friday beachgoers, 122 bags for Saturday and 142 for Sunday.
That overshadows an average of fewer than 10 bags for a given day while beach access was restricted due to coronavirus.
“Normally there is an uptick but what we’ve seen this past weekend is way above normal,” Bobbitt said. “It’s equivalent to Fourth of July and Memorial Day weekend.”
“People need to understand if they leave trash on the ground a bird, fish or sea turtle could be killed by it. It’s not just a blight issue it’s an environmental issue all around,” he said.
Bobbitt said people who want to be even more helpful can take their trash and recyclables with them to prevent bins on the beach from overflowing.
“We encourage everyone to come and enjoy the beaches but pick up after yourself.”
via: https://currently.att.yahoo.com/news/returning-beachgoers-left-13-000-235230679.html
Photo Credit: msn.com
Teenager Ran Away to Be With Boy She Met on Dating Site. A Week Later She Was Dead.
A South Dakota teenager has admitted to slaying a 16-year-old girl who “ran away” from home to live with him after they met on an online dating website, authorities said.
Michael Campbell, 17, pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter on Thursday for the death of Shayna Ritthaler, a 16-year-old from Moorcroft, Wyoming, who was reported missing from a local coffee shop on Oct. 3. Less than a week later, her body was found in the basement bedroom of Campbell’s home.
“We got into an argument and then I shot her,” Campbell said during a change-of-plea hearing on Thursday, before referring to the teenager as his girlfriend, according to the Associated Press. “I shot her in the head.”
Meade County State’s Attorney Michele Bordewyk said in court that the two teenagers met on an online chat and dating website, Badoo. After weeks of talking online, the pair eventually planned for Campbell to drive to Wyoming so Ritthaler could “run away and live with him in his house,” prosecutors said in court on Thursday, the Argus Leader reported.
On Oct. 3, Ritthaler was seen getting into Campbell’s car at a coffee shop about four hours outside of Cheyenne. Prosecutors say the 17-year-old then drove her back to his home in Sturgis, South Dakota, about an hour away.
But back at Campbell’s home that he shared with his mother, the teenagers got into an argument. While Bordewyk said it wasn’t clear what sparked the argument, it escalated when Campbell grabbed a gun and shot Ritthaler once in the head.
The 17-year-old shot her “without the design to cause her death,” Bordewyk said, according to AP. When asked by Judge Kevin Krull if he had any justification for killing Ritthaler, Campbell replied: “No.”
On October 6, authorities found Campbell’s car and questioned him. The next day, Ritthaler’s body was found in his basement and the 17-year-old was arrested immediately.
Many details surrounding the shooting remain unclear because a Meade County judge sealed the case’s affidavit on Oct. 10 at the request of the county prosecutor who cited the “potential publicity” of a case that had a “sensitive nature.”
After his arrest in October, Campbell pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity with first and second-degree murder but changed his plea in Meade County Court as part of an agreement with prosecutors.
The plea agreement dismissed the murder charges and recommended a 55-year prison sentence. He will be sentenced on July 10.
Steven Titus, the teenager’s defense lawyer, said Thursday that the killing was unplanned and said drugs and alcohol were involved. Krull also said that Campbell suffers from PTSD, but Titus said he would wait until sentencing to discuss his client’s mental state.
Titus said he planned to make a “compelling case” as to why the plea deal and the 55-year sentence was fair, while Bordewyk said three of Ritthaler’s family members will make victim impact statements at the sentencing hearing.
Campbell was being held on a $1 million bond at a juvenile jail in Rapid City. As part of his change of plea on Thursday, Krull told the teenager he was barred from making contact with the Ritthaler family for the rest of his life and he owed them more than $83,000 in restitution.
via: https://currently.att.yahoo.com/att/teenager-ran-away-boy-she-181412947.html
Photo Credit: Moorcraft Police Department/Meade County Sheriff’s Office
Prisoners getting coronavirus relief checks should return them, IRS says
The Treasury Department is asking the relatives of deceased and incarcerated family members who mistakingly received economic stimulus payments intended to help Americans weather the coronavirus pandemic to return the funds to the federal government.
The IRS updated two notices Wednesday, issuing clarifications that nonresident aliens, deceased persons and incarcerated individuals are not eligible for economic relief.
“Deceased and incarcerated individuals do not qualify to receive Economic Impact Payments. See FAQ #41 to learn how to return an inadvertent payment,” a Treasury Department tweet said.
Congress approved a $2.2 trillion relief package in March that provided Americans with one-time payments of up to $1,200 per adult and $500 per child as many Americans face financial hardships brought on by the coronavirus pandemic. Most of the funds hit bank accounts in April, while others were sent paper checks.
A number of deceased people and foreign workers have received payments, which were distributed based on a person’s 2018 or 2019 tax returns. The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation told Fox News that at least one inmate also received stimulus funds.
“The inmate is a veteran, receives a pension, and files a tax return, which is why we believe he received the payment,” agency spokeswoman Dana Simas said.
Simas said directions were given to each institution in the California prison system to return relief payments mailed to inmates. It was unclear whether there will be any punitive repercussions if the funds are not returned.
An IRS spokesman declined to comment to Fox News on how widespread the mishaps are.
Return instructions vary based on the type of payment issued.
For direct deposits, the agency is asking that people submit a money order or personal check to the specified IRS location. Checks should be made payable to “U.S. Treasury” and “2020EIP” should be written on them, as well as the taxpayer identification number (Social Security number or individual taxpayer identification number) of the recipient of the check. An explanation of why the money is being returned should also be included.
via: https://nypost.com/2020/05/07/irs-prisoners-getting-coronavirus-relief-checks-should-return-them/
Photo Credit: AP
Alabama cop caught on video body-slamming maskless woman in Walmart
An off-duty Alabama police officer was caught on camera body-slamming a woman in Walmart in an altercation that cops say began because she wasn’t wearing a face mask.
Wild video posted by AL.com from the Tuesday incident in the Birmingham big-box store shows the cop placing the woman in handcuffs as she begins to walk away from him. The officer then grabs the woman, lifts her up and drops her to the floor face-first.
The Birmingham Police Department said it is investigating the use of force by the officer, who was off-duty and working a side gig as a security guard for the store.
The woman has not been identified but faces charges for disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, third-degree criminal trespassing, possession of
marijuana and unlawful possession of a controlled substance.
“We understand we’re operating in trying times,’’ said Birmingham police spokesman Sgt. Rod Mauldin in a video statement. “The Birmingham Police Department has maintained a consistent, community-oriented educational approach to the surrounding circumstances of COVID-19.”
In addition to her lacking a face mask, the interaction was spurred by the woman’s alleged “disorderly conduct,” Mauldin said.
A Walmart employee had asked the woman to wear a face covering, but she allegedly grew angry and attracted the attention of the officer.
The woman began “yelling out obscenities toward customers and employees,” Mauldin said. The officer began to detain her after she was asked to leave the store and refused.
“The officer used a takedown measure to gain control due to the other threat factors in the store,” he said.
via: https://nypost.com/2020/05/07/alabama-cop-caught-on-video-body-slamming-maskless-woman-in-walmart/
Photo Credit: Facebook
Man dies after being hit by landing jet at Austin, Texas airport
AUSTIN, Texas — A man was struck and killed by a commercial jet landing on a runaway at an Austin, Texas, airport Thursday night, authorities said.
The pilot of Southwest Airlines Flight 1392, a Boeing 737 arriving from Dallas, reported seeing a person on Runway 17R at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, shortly after the jet touched down at 8:12 p.m., according to a statement from the Federal Aviation Administration. The FAA says the driver of an airport operations vehicle later found the body on the runway.
Airport spokesman Bryce Dubee says officials do not believe the unidentified man was supposed to be on the runway at the time of the incident, but they’re working to confirm that and determine the events leading up to the incident.
No further information was immediately available.
via: https://nypost.com/2020/05/08/landing-jet-hits-kills-man-on-runaway-at-austin-texas-airport/
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Man accused of hiding in girl’s bedroom, sexually abusing her for a month
A Washington state man sexually abused a 12-year-old while hiding out in her bedroom over the course of a month, federal prosecutors said.
Zacharias Adrian Cavasos, 21, initially contacted the girl on social media in December before traveling from Washington to Oregon to meet the child at the Wildhorse Resort and Casino in Pendleton in February, according to court records cited by The Oregonian.
Cavasos then secretly moved into the girl’s room on Feb. 10, hiding from her grandfather by staying in a cavity beneath the girl’s bed after removing slats that held her mattress, Assistant US Attorney Jennifer Martin said.
Cavasos also allegedly hid in the girl’s closet at times until Feb. 25 — when her grandfather caught him in the home, which is on the Umatilla Indian Reservation, prosecutors said.
After getting kicked out, Cavasos managed to sneak back into the residence before he was found again in her room on March 11 and was arrested, Martin said.
Cavasos, whose attorney said may have an intellectual disability, has been charged with sexual abuse of a minor in the US District Court in Portland.
A judge, meanwhile, released Cavasos to a clean-and-sober house ahead of his trial, despite saying she was “troubled” by the accusations.
“When I started reading the nature of the allegations, I really was quite surprised by what I read,” Judge Youlee Yim You said. “I have never been aware of anyone alleged to have been living in a 12-year-old’s bedroom for a month.’’
Cavasos, who prosecutors say has admitted to having sex with the girl multiple times, was ordered to adhere to a curfew and GPS monitoring while at the facility, the newspaper reports.
Cavasos’ attorney, Thomas Price, said in court Wednesday that his client had no prior criminal record and that the allegations he faces do not contain details of violence.
Photo Credit: Multnomah County Sheriff