Greene’s DC jail visit pulls GOP closer to January 6 rioters

March 25, 2023

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene swept into the District of Columbia jail to check on conditions for the Jan. 6 defendants, with Republican lawmakers handshaking and high-fiving the prisoners, who chanted “Let’s Go Brandon!” — a coded vulgarity against President Biden — as the group left.

A day earlier Speaker Kevin McCarthy met with the mother of slain rioter Ashli Babbitt, an Air Force veteran who was shot and killed by police as she tried to climb through a broken window during the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol.

And the House Republican leader recently gave Fox News’ Tucker Carlson exclusive access to a trove of Jan. 6 surveillance tapes despite the conservative commentator’s airing of conspiracy theories about the Capitol attack.

Taken together, the House Republicans can be seen as working steadily but intently to distort the facts of the deadly riot, which played out for the world to see when Donald Trump’s supporters laid siege to the Capitol, and in the process downplay the risk of domestic extremism in the U.S.

In actions and legislation, the Republicans are seeking to portray perpetrators of the Capitol riot as victims of zealous federal prosecutors, despite many being convicted of serious crimes. As Trump calls for the Jan. 6 defendants to be pardoned, some House Republicans are attempting to rebrand those who stormed the Capitol as “political prisoners.”

The result is alarming to those who recognize a dangerously Orwellian attempt to whitewash recent history.

“There’s no question Marjorie Taylor Greene and other Republicans are attempting to rewrite history,” said Heidi Beirich, the co-founder of the Global Project Against Hate and Extremism. “They’re making light of what was a serious attack on our democracy.”

The tour Greene led at the local jail Friday comes as nearly 1,000 people have been charged by the Justice Department in the attack on the Capitol — leaders of the extremist Oath Keepers convicted of seditious conspiracy. The 20 or so defendants being held at the jail, many in pretrial detention on serious federal charges, are among those who battled police at the Capitol, officials said, in what at times was a gruesome bloody scene of violence and mayhem.

Greene told the Associated Press the idea she’s trying to rewrite history is the “stupidest thing” she’s ever heard of, especially since the assault on the Capitol has been captured in the 41,000 hours of video that McCarthy made available to Fox News.

“We can’t rewrite it — it’s all on video,” Greene told the AP.

“You can’t change the history, but what we can do is expose the truth. That’s what we need to do,” Greene said.

The country has been here before — in the aftermath of the Civil War, when the Lost Cause movement sought to reframe the battle over ending slavery in the U.S. as one of states’ rights, and again in the years following the Civil Rights movement as critics of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. questioned his transformative legacy.

In the House under Republican control this year, the new leadership openly questions what happened on Jan. 6 as well as how the federal government is investigating and prosecuting extremists. Outside groups are raising money and rallying to the aid of Jan. 6 defendants.

This past week, a Republican-led Judiciary subcommittee probed the federal government’s treatment of parents protesting school board policies — sometimes violently — as unfair. In coming days, the new Republican committee on the “weaponization” of the federal government will delve into 1st Amendment free speech rights on social media.

McCarthy warned that the federal government is labeling parents as “domestic terrorists” for showing up at school board meetings, even though such prosecutions are extremely rare.

His was a reference to a 2021 Justice Department memo from Atty. Gen. Merrick Garland responding to the National School Board Assn.’s concerns about violent protesters at school board meetings. Garland had directed federal law enforcement to address what he called a “disturbing spike” in harassment of school officials.

Probing the matter, the Republican-led House Judiciary Committee released a report showing that in one federal investigation, the FBI interviewed a mom for allegedly telling a local school board “we are coming for you.” In another, the FBI investigated a dad who opposed COVID mask mandates after a tipster to a federal hotline said he “fit the profile of an insurrectionist” because he “rails against the government” and “has a lot of guns and threatens to use them.”

“Parents should have a right to go to school board meetings and not be called terrorists,” McCarthy said.

While Greene has said the Capitol attack was wrong, at the jail visit Friday she said she believes there’s a “two-tiered” justice system and that the Jan. 6 defendants are being “treated as political prisoners” for their beliefs.

Spartans and Highlanders will take to the floor at Provident Credit Union

Admin

March 20, 2023

San Jose State vs. Radford: Free Live Stream, TV Channel, How to Watch. The San Jose State Spartans (21-13) will host the Radford Highlanders (20-14) after winning three straight home games.

In its most recent game, San Jose State defeated Southern Indiana on Saturday, 77-52. Alvaro Cardenas Torre scored a team-high 22 points (and chipped in two assists and two boards). In its most recent game, Radford topped Tarleton State on Sunday, 72-70 in OT. DaQuan Smith scored a team-high 20 points (and chipped in one assist and two boards).
When is San Jose State vs. Radford and when does it start?

This matchup between the Spartans and Highlanders is scheduled to tip off on Monday, March 20, 2023. You can expect the opening tip at 5:00 PM ET.
Where to Watch San Jose State vs. Radford

The Spartans and Highlanders will take to the floor at Provident Credit Union Event Center for this matchup on March 20, and if you want to see the action live, get your tickets now from Vivid Seats!
What channel is the game on?

You can catch this game live on FloS.
San Jose State Spartans vs. Radford Highlanders Game Preview
San Jose State Stats, Odds & Insights

San Jose State is outscoring opponents by 1.6 points per game with a +54 scoring differential overall. It puts up 67.8 points per game (276th in college basketball) and gives up 66.2 per outing (64th in college basketball).

The 67.8 points the Spartans average are just 2.7 more than the Highlanders allow.

San Jose State knocks down 7.6 three-pointers per game (155th in college basketball) at a 32.5% rate (272nd in college basketball), compared to the 6.9 its opponents make while shooting 34.5% from beyond the arc.

In home games, the Spartans are averaging 5.4 more points per game (70.5) than they are on the road (65.1).

San Jose State’s offense has been less effective over its last 10 games, racking up 67.0 points a contest compared to the 67.8 it has averaged this year.
Radford Stats, Odds & Insights

Radford has a +161 scoring differential, topping opponents by 4.7 points per game. It is putting up 69.8 points per game, 216th in college basketball, and is giving up 65.1 per contest to rank 41st in college basketball.

The Highlanders average 69.8 points, only 3.6 more than the 66.2 the Spartans give up. Radford hits 6.7 three-pointers per game (259th in college basketball) at a 36.3% rate (67th in college basketball), compared to the 6.4 its opponents make, shooting 33.9% from beyond the arc.

Manchester United and Fulham will thrash it out on Sunday for a place

Admin

March 19, 2023

Manchester United vs Fulham live stream: how to watch FA Cup quarter-final online and on TV. Manchester United will try to maintain their winning streak when they host Fulham in a FA Cup quarterfinal clash at Old Trafford on Sunday. United already had one majestic win at Wembley Stadium as they got the better of Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup final and they could seal a return to Wembley with a win against the Cottagers. The Red Devils are still in the hunt for a treble this campaign and could boost their chances further.

United secured a passage to the Europa League quarterfinals with a 1-0 win over Real Betis while Fuham were blanked 3-0 by Arsenal in the Premier League.

Erik ten Hag’s side have seemingly made cup competitions their priority this season and could be on course for a treble of them.

Carabao Cup champions and into the last eight of the Europa League, Fulham know they are facing a team with a stunning home record this season.

Still, Marco Silva’s side have enjoyed a brilliant time of things since winning promotion from the Championship and have little reason to fear the trip to Old Trafford.

Manchester United look to continue their fight to win all available trophies this season as they host Fulham in the FA Cup quarterfinals.

Having won the Carabao Cup in February and reached the last eight of the Europa League, the Red Devils are bidding to secure a place in the FA Cup semifinals at Wembley in June. They could yet win an unprecedented quadruple of trophies, although their chances of lifting the Premier League title are slim at best.

Standing in their way at Old Trafford are a Fulham side enjoying a fine season under Marco Silva. In ninth place in the league table and only three points outside the top six, the Cottagers have found themselves in an unlikely quest for Europe.

League matches might usually take priority, but the chance to progress to the FA Cup semifinals is one they will be desperate to seize.

Fulham fans are dreaming of a first ever domestic cup

Kick-off: Sunday, March 19, 4.30pm GMT / 12.30pm ET / 10pm IST / 3.30am AEDT

Man Utd face Fulham in the last of the FA Cup quarter-finals, and the tie comes at an interesting moment for both clubs. United have had a volatile few weeks, winning silverware but also suffering one of the most humiliating defeats in their entire history, while the Fulham team’s performance levels have fallen off a cliff.

The Cottagers have won plenty of silverware in recent years thanks to their exploits in the Championship, but they’ve never lifted either of the big domestic cups, coming closest in 1975 when they lost the FA Cup final to West Ham.

In recent weeks they’ve shown a handy knack for snatching results against the run of play, but it seems that Marco Silva’s men have dipped into their well of fortune once or twice too often. Back-to-back defeats to Brentford and Arsenal were perhaps overdue, and in order to turn things around they need their main man Aleksandar Mitrovic to start firing again.

The big Serb has scored one goal in 2023, right at the start of the year, and though others have stepped up during his barren spell, Fulham look so much more dangerous when Mitrovic is playing well. Could the return from suspension of inspirational midfielder Joao Palhinha make the difference?

The Portuguese powerhouse’s return coincides with the absence of Man Utd’s own midfield general Casemiro, who’s serving the first of a four-match domestic ban. Erik ten Hag’s men are unbeaten in three since that jaw-dropping 7-0 humiliation at the hands of Liverpool, and Marcus rashford aside, they’re yet to get back to the levels they were playing at last month, when they won the Carabao Cup.

The FA Cup Quarterfinals match between Manchester United and Fulham is going to be held on Sunday, March 19. Let’s see how you can enjoy the match in the US and Canada. Surprisingly, they are meeting only for the 10th time at the FA cup. As of now, Manchester United has celebrated seven victories. For Fulham, two games landed on a draw and three from this day remained non-victorious.

Manchester United and Fulham will thrash it out on Sunday for a place in the FA Cup semi-finals at Wembley.

The two teams are set to lock horns at Old Trafford in their respective final games before the international break. Erik ten Hag’s Red Devils – who come into this quarter-final clash on the back of Thursday’s 1-0 Europa League win at Real Betis – have already won one domestic competition this season, lifting the Carabao Cup in February after beating a spirited Newcastle side 2-0.

As for Marco Silva’s Fulham, their impressive form in the Premier League has evaporated in recent weeks, but the opportunity to reach the last four of the FA Cup will fuel a fresh desire within the Cottagers’ camp. United are the heavy favourites but will have to make do without midfield linchpin Casemiro, who begins his four-match suspension following his controversial red card against Southampton last weekend.

Arsenal have a massive chance to move further clear in the Premier League title

Admin

March 19, 2023

Arsenal vs. Crystal Palace live stream: How to watch Premier League online, prediction, TV channel, time, odds. Arsenal returns to Premier League action Sunday when the top side hosts Crystal Palace in a 10 a.m. EST match at Emirates Stadium. Hopefully, a dry and fan-filled Emirates Stadium.

Last Saturday, Arsenal shoved past Bournemouth 3-2 to advance to a league-best 66 points and current 5-point cushion over nearest chaser, defending EPL champ Manchester City, entering the weekend.

Then came Thursday’s leaky roof, causing fans to vacate their seats while the home team dropped out of its Europa League title pursuit with a loss to Sporting Lisborn on penalty kicks.

Meanwhile, Crystal Palace remains in search of its first EPL win over 2023. It’s last defeat came midweek vs. Brighton and Hove Albion in the M23 derby. It will be up to Wilfried Zaha and mates Michael Olise and Eberechi Eze to press through Arsenal’s back line.

What: English Premier League

Who: Arsenal (21-3-3, 66 points) vs. Crystal Palace (6-12-9, 27)

When: Sunday, March 19, 2023

Time: 10 a.m. EST

Where: Emirates Stadium, London, England

Channel: USA Network

Sunday’s sole Premier League game should have constituted a homecoming for one of north London’s favorite sons but Patrick Vieira will be nowhere to be seen at the Emirates Stadium after Crystal Palace abruptly sacked their head coach on Friday morning. The Eagles are winless in 2023, parting ways with their manager in light of a 1-0 loss to Brighton in midweek.

Arsenal, meanwhile, have won their last five Premier League games but return to action three days after a morale and energy sapping 120 minutes against Sporting CP in the Europa League, drawing 1-1 in normal time before losing in the resulting penalty shoot out. To make matters worse both William Saliba and Takehiro Tomiyasu limped out of the game, the latter departing the ground on crutches after an awkward slip.

Arsenal: The last time Mikel Arteta’s side exited a cup competition (losing to Manchester City in the FA Cup) it began their worst run of form of the season so far, picking up one point from their next three Premier League games to open the door for City to burst back into the title race. This weekend they instead have an opportunity to push eight points clear in the first of what so many in north London are terming 11 finals.

“We have to move forward now,” said captain Martin Odegaard after the defeat to Sporting. “We have to look to Sunday. It started already now in the changing room and we get ready. We just have to change the mindset again. I think everyone is disappointed, but we have to move forward and just be ready for Sunday.

“Every time we have lost this season we have learned something from it. Every time we have come back and changed the situation again. That is what we are going to do again and the next game comes quick, so it’s a good opportunity to strike back. We have to show [our new mentality] now. I think it is pretty straightforward for us now, it’s only the League. We just have to focus on every game. It’s 11 finals for us. Just come back on Sunday, that’s all that matters now.”

Crystal Palace: With Vieira departed, Under-21 head coach Paddy McCarthy stepped up to lead training on Friday and is expected to be in the dugout on Sunday, supported by what is likely to be a skeleton crew with three of the former manager’s coaching staff having left with him. Though the former France international departed with warm words from chairman Steve Parish, patience ultimately snapped due to Palace’s woeful run of form in front of goal, most notably a three game streak before Wednesday’s loss to Brighton where they failed to register a single shot on target and averaged 0.35 expected goals per game.

With 21 goals from 27 games, the Eagles have the division’s fourth worst offensive record, a disappointing return from a squad that includes Ebere Eze, Wilfried Zaha, Michael Olise and Odsonne Edouard, though injuries did rob Vieira of several of those players. His successor should be able to keep Palace up; they are only three points off the relegation zone but five teams sit between them and the drop zone and Sunday’s game brings an end to a brutal run of fixtures.

Arsenal have a massive chance to move further clear in the Premier League title race as they host managerless Crystal Palace in another key London derby this afternoon. With rivals Manchester City on FA Cup duty this weekend, the Gunners can extend their advantage at the top-flight summit to eight points going into the international break with a sixth successive league win.

Mikel Arteta will be looking for a swift reaction from his side after they were stunned by Sporting Lisbon in the Europa League on Thursday night, falling at home in the last-16 via the cruel lottery of a penalty shootout. They are heavy favourites to triumph here though and equal their entire points tally from last season with 10 games still to play, with Palace on their longest winless run since 2016.

The Eagles have still yet to win a league game in 2023 and sacked Gunners icon Patrick Vieira on Friday sitting just three points above relegation danger, with Under-21 coach Paddy McCarthy in temporary charge amid rumours over a shock return for Roy Hodgson.

The atmosphere is already building nicely around the Emirates, where there is such a fizzing buzz and sense of anticipation and expectation these days.

Palace are on an 12-match winless run across all competitions, with their last win coming against Bournemouth on New Year’s Eve.

It is their longest sequence without a win since they failed to pick up a victory in 14 consecutive games between December 2015 and April 2016.

They have scored just four goals in that time and are yet to net in the first half of any game in 2023, still sitting in 12th but now just three points above the relegation zone.

Quizzed by Sky Sports after Vieira’s sacking, Palace co-owner Steve Parish said: “The players are fine and everybody is looking forward to Sunday, really. The feeling is good. You know, everybody loved Patrick, genuinely. The players had all the time in the world for him. You saw from the performances he never lost the players at all, they were all running and playing for him.

British fighter Leon Edwards will be looking to seal a glorious homecoming

Admin

March 18, 2023

Leon Edwards and Kamaru Usman will complete their thrilling trilogy at UFC 286 in London tonight. Leon Edwards defends his welterweight title against Kamaru Usman tonight, in the main event of UFC 286 at London’s O2 Arena. UFC 286 live stream, Kamaru Usman vs Leon Edwards 3 actual fight time, odds, card results, ESPN Plus PPV cost, TV price, how to watch online (3/18/2023).

Will ‘Rocky’ make a triumphant return to the UK?

British fighter Leon Edwards will be looking to seal a glorious homecoming on Saturday as he defends his Welterweight title against Kamaru Usman as the headline act for UFC 286 at the O2 Arena in London.

The trilogy match-up comes just seven months on from Edwards knocking out the seemingly unbeatable “Nigerian Nightmare” to take the crown, with this fight his first defence.

The two fighters went head-to-head early in their UFC careers back in 2015, with Usman coming out on top that evening, only for Edwards to claim revenge a full seven years later.

Edwards will now look to prove that his shock win at UFC 278 was no one-off as he looks to seal his status as the undeniable talent at 170lb.

The first numbered UFC event to take place in the UK since 2016, Usman is likely to face a hostile crowd as he takes on the popular Jamaican born, Birmingham bred fighter.

The headline-act rematch may have a tough act to follow, however, with the co-main event being tipped as a fight of the year candidate with Justin Gaethje facing off against Rafael Fiziev in a much-anticipated lightweight clash.

The main card starts at 9pm GMT / 5pm ET. The Edwards vs Usman cagewalks are expected at around 10.30pm GMT / 6.30pm ET. Follow our guide below as we explain how to watch a UFC 286 live stream, so you can catch Edwards vs Usman and the rest in the Octagon.

Beyond the Trilogy-deciding title fight of the headline act, and the much anticipated co-main event between Justin Gaethje and Rafael Fiziev, UFC 286 also boasts Jack Shore’s long-awaited return to action. The Welsh star is set to make his debut at featherweight against Iranian-born Finnish fighter Makwan Amirkhani.

Main card

Leon Edwards (c) vs Kamaru Usman – Welterweight

Justin Gaethje vs Rafael Fiziev – Lightweight

Jennifer Maia vs Casey O’Neill – Women’s flyweight

Gunnar Nelson vs Bryan Barbarena – Welterweight

Marvin Vettori vs Roman Dolidze – Middleweight

Prelims

Jack Shore vs Makwan Amirkhani – Featherweight

Sam Patterson vs Yanal Ashmoz – Lightweight

Chris Duncan vs Omar Morales – Lightweight

Muhammad Mokaev vs Jafel Filho – Flyweight

Early prelims

Lerone Murphy vs Gabriel Santos – Featherweight

Christian Leroy Duncan vs Duško Todorović – Middleweight

Malcolm Gordon vs Jake Hadley – Flyweight

Joanne Wood vs Luana Carolina – Women’s Flyweight

Jai Herbert vs Ľudovít Klein – Lightweight

Juliana Miller vs Veronica Macedo – Women’s Flyweight

Jamaican-born Edwards knocked out Usman in stunning fashion in August, taking the belt from the Nigerian-American to become Britain’s second ever UFC champion.

For Edwards, the result also marked revenge for a points loss to Usman in 2015, meaning tonight’s main event will round out a trilogy between the pair.

In the co-main event, former interim lightweight champion Justin Gaethje takes on rising contender Rafael Fiziev, in a fight that is almost guaranteed to steal the show.

The UFC returns to London tonight as Leon Edwards faces off against Kamaru Usman once again inside the octagon. The pair will complete a stunning trilogy at the O2 Arena, with the UFC welterweight title on the line once more.

Birmingham native Edwards famously knocked the dominant Usman out with a brilliant spinning kick at UFC 278 back in August to avenge his initial loss to the ‘Nigerian Nightmare’ in 2015. Whether or not lightning can strike twice remains to be seen. Usman was on course to be considered one of the greatest ever before that loss and will be desperate for revenge tonight. Still, home support for Edwards could be a huge factor.

The fight game produces profound changes in the blink of an eye

Admin

March 18, 2023

UFC 286 start time — Leon Edwards vs. Kamaru Usman: Live stream, fight card, PPV price, prelims, TV channel. Leon Edwards and his thousands of hometown supporters welcome Kamaru Usman to their colosseum on Saturday night. Usman enters enemy territory at the O2 Arena in London, England in pursuit of the UFC welterweight championship.

Here’s everything you need to know to catch the UFC 286 event on Saturday in London

The fight game produces profound changes in the blink of an eye. In August, Usman was 56 seconds away from tying the all-time UFC win streak record and sweeping Edwards 2-0 in their series. Improbably, Edwards lulled Usman into a trap that changed the landscape of the welterweight division. Edwards, clearly down on the scorecards, uncorked a brilliant head kick that laid out Usman for good. Edwards brought a rare UFC championship home to England and must defend it against his greatest rival in their trilogy fight.

Saturday’s co-main event features two of UFC’s most exciting fighters regardless of weight class. Justin Gaethje absurdly averages one post-fight bonus per fight; meanwhile, Rafael Fiziev has earned a Fight of the Night or Performance of the Night in five of seven Octagon appearances. Their collision is likely to produce not only another fantastic fight but also a shortlisted contender in the lightweight division.

Below is all the information you need to catch UFC 286 on Saturday night.
How to watch UFC 286 prelims

Date: March 18 | Location: O2 Arena — London
Time: 3 p.m. ET (1 p.m. ET for early prelims)
Channel: ESPN 2 | Stream: fuboTV (Try for free)
How to watch UFC 286 main card

Date: March 18 | Location: O2 Arena — London
Time: 5 p.m. ET
Stream: ESPN+ PPV | Price: $79.99

On Saturday night, Kamaru Usman and Leon Edwards meet in a rubber match for the welterweight championship in the main event of UFC 286. Their previous meeting saw Usman dominate the fight before Edwards scored a knockout with a head kick in the final minute of Round 5, ending Usman’s long reign as champion.

Usman has been the better fighter throughout their previous two meetings, winning nearly every moment of both fights, but it is the Edwards head kick that is the moment that truly stands out in their rivalry.

In the night’s co-main event, Justin Gaethje looks to maintain his status as one of the UFC’s elite lightweights when he takes on rising star Rafael Fiziev. The fight promises to be an exciting all-action fight between two heavy-hitting fighters with the ability to end the fight at any moment.

‘Rocky’ and ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ get their trilogy fight today for Edwards’ welterweight title — here’s how to watch the fight live online

The two first clashed in 2015 when Usman beat Edwards by unanimous decision. Then, at last year’s UFC 278, Edwards made a spectacular comeback by knocking out Usman securing the title. Today, Usman hopes to retake the belt and settle the fighters’ longstanding rivalry.

UFC 285 Main Card
Kamaru Usman vs. Leon Edwards — Edward’s UFC welterweight championship
Rafael Fiziev vs. Justin Gaethje — Lightweights
Gunnar Nelson vs. Bryan Barberena — Welterweights
Casey O’Neill vs. Jennifer Maia — Women’s flyweights
Marvin Vettori vs. Roman Dolidze — Middleweights

UFC 285 Prelims
Jack Shore vs. Makwan Amirkhani — Featherweights
Omar Morales vs. Chris Duncan — Middleweights
Sam Patterson vs. Yanal Ashmoz — Lightweights
Muhammad Mokaev vs. Jafel Filho — Flyweights

UFC 285 Early Prelims
Lerone Murphy vs. Gabriel Santos, — Featherweights
Christian Leroy Duncan vs. Dusko Todorovic — Middleweights
Jake Hadley vs. Malcolm Gordon — Flyweights
Joanne Wood vs. Luana Carolina — Women’s flyweights
Ludovit Klein vs. Jai Herbert — Lightweights
Julianna Miller vs. Veronica Macedo — Women’s flyweights

Given the fact that Edwards and Usman both have a win over the other, it’s no surprise that oddsmakers are predicting a very close fight. Usman is the favorite with moneyline odds of -260 against the champ’s +196.

In their first meeting, Usman out-fought Edwards to win by decision, and their second meeting last year initially looked like a repeat with Usman landing more strikes and dominating on the ground. Then, of course, Edwards flipped the script in a second by landing a killer head kick to knock out Usman. Neither fighter has been in the octagon since then, leaving Usman with a record of 20-2 and Edwards with 20-3-1, which also some insight into Vegas’ choice of Usman as the favorite.

The main event of UFC 286 will feature a long-awaited rematch between welterweight champion Leon Edwards and Kamaru Usman, the former champion of the division.

Edwards stunned Usman with a knockout head kick in the final minute of their UFC 278 fight in August 2022, ending Usman’s streak of 15 consecutive UFC victories and claiming the belt for the first time.

UFC 286 marks the third meeting between the two fighters. Usman defeated Edwards in his debut UFC match back in 2015. Edwards will be on his home turf fighting in London’s D2 Arena, but Usman remains the betting favorite as the fight approaches.

Senior police officer Suhail Sukhera who is leading the operation in a Lahore

Admin

March 18, 2023

Police in Pakistan stormed former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s residence in the eastern city of Lahore on Saturday and arrested 30 people amid tear gas shelling after someone opened fire from the roof of the building, officials said.

Senior police officer Suhail Sukhera who is leading the operation in a Lahore upscale neighborhood, said police moved to remove encroachments and a blockade erected by Khan’s Tehreek-e-Insaf party and his defiant supporters.

He said baton-wielding Khan supporters attempted to resist police by throwing stones and petrol bombs, but the officers moved on until a man on the roof of Khan’s residence opened fire. No one was hurt.

Sukhera said that police broke open the main door of Khan’s residence and found masks, petrol-filled bottles, iron rods and batons used in attacks on police during the week. Sukhera said that inside the sprawling residence, illegal structures were erected to shelter those who have been involved in attacks on police that have injured dozens of officers.

Witnesses said police attempted to disperse Khan supporters by firing tear gas and chased them to several homes in the upscale neighborhood of Zaman Park. Khan was expected to appear in an Islamabad court on Saturday after a top court Friday suspended his arrest warrant, giving him a reprieve to travel to Islamabad and face charges in a graft case without being detained.

Subscribe to Continue Reading

Khan has been holed up at his home in Lahore since Tuesday, after failing to appear at an earlier hearing in the case. His supporters hurled stones and clashed with baton-wielding police for two days to protect the former premier from arrest.

Khan, during his road trip to Islamabad, said in a video message that the government had planned his arrest despite his travel to a hearing. He said police had broken into his residence in Lahore while his wife was alone at the home. He condemned the action and demanded those responsible are punished under law.

Khan, now in the opposition, was ousted in a no-confidence vote in Parliament last April. He is accused of selling state gifts while in office and concealing assets. It’s one in a string of cases that the former cricket star turned Islamist politician has been facing since his ouster.

Donald Trump said in a social media post that he expects to be arrested Tuesday as a New York prosecutor is eyeing charges in a case examining hush money paid to women who alleged sexual encounters with the former president. Trump provided no evidence that suggested he was directly informed of a pending arrest and did not say how he knew of such plans.

But in a Saturday morning message on his Truth Social network, Trump noted “illegal leaks” from the Manhattan district attorney’s office that he said indicate “THE FAR & AWAY LEADING REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE & FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, WILL BE ARRESTED ON TUESDAY OF NEXT WEEK.”

Danielle Filson of the district attorney’s office said prosecutors “will decline to confirm or comment” on questions pertaining to Trump’s post, as well as potential charges. A Trump spokesman did not immediately respond to calls for comment.

The indictment of Trump, 76, would be an extraordinary development after years of investigations into his business, political and personal dealings. It is likely to galvanize critics who say Trump, a 2024 presidential candidate, lied and cheated his way to the top and to embolden supporters who feel the Republican is being unfairly targeted by a Democratic prosecutor.

In his social media post, Trump repeated his lies that the 2020 presidential election he lost to Democrat Joe Biden was stolen and he urged his followers to “PROTEST, TAKE OUR NATION BACK!” That language evoked the message from the then-president that preceded the riot at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, when his supporters broke through doors and windows of that building and left officers beaten and bloodied as they tried to stop the certification of the election.

Law enforcement officials in New York have been making security preparations for the possibility that Trump could be indicted.

There has been no public announcement of any time frame for the grand jury’s secret work in the case, including any potential vote on whether to indict the ex-president.

Trump’s posting echoes one made last summer when he broke the news on Truth Social that the FBI was searching his home as part of an investigation into the possible mishandling of classified documents.

The grand jury in Manhattan has been hearing from witnesses, including former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen, who says he orchestrated payments in 2016 to two women to silence them about sexual encounters they said they had with Trump a decade earlier.

Trump denies the encounters occurred, says he did nothing wrong and has cast the investigation as a “witch hunt” by a Democratic prosecutor bent on sabotaging the Republican’s 2024 presidential campaign.

Manhattan Dist. Atty. Alvin Bragg’s office has apparently been examining whether any state laws were broken in connection with the payments or the way Trump’s company compensated Cohen for his work to keep the women’s allegations quiet.

Porn actor Stormy Daniels and at least two former Trump aides — onetime political advisor Kellyanne Conway and former spokesperson Hope Hicks — are among witnesses who have met with prosecutors in recent weeks.

Cohen has said that at Trump’s direction, he arranged payments totaling $280,000 to Daniels and Playboy model Karen McDougal. According to Cohen, the payouts were to buy their silence about Trump, who was then in the thick of his first presidential campaign.

Cohen and federal prosecutors said the company paid him $420,000 to reimburse him for the $130,000 payment to Daniels and to cover bonuses and other supposed expenses. The company classified those payments internally as legal expenses. The $150,000 payment to McDougal was made by the then-publisher of the supermarket tabloid National Enquirer, which kept her story from coming to light.

Federal prosecutors agreed not to prosecute the Enquirer’s corporate parent in exchange for its cooperation in a campaign finance investigation that led to charges against Cohen in 2018. Prosecutors said the payments to Daniels and McDougal amounted to impermissible, unrecorded gifts to Trump’s election effort.

Piotr Hofmanski said in a video statement that while the ICC’s judges

Admin

March 17, 2023

The International Criminal Court said Friday that it has issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin on suspicion of war crimes because of his alleged involvement in abductions of children from Ukraine.

The court said in a statement that Putin “is allegedly responsible for the war crime of unlawful deportation of population [children] and that of unlawful transfer of population [children] from occupied areas of Ukraine to the Russian Federation.”

It also issued a warrant Friday for the arrest of Maria Alekseyevna Lvova-Belova, the commissioner for children’s rights in the office of the president of the Russian Federation, on similar allegations.

The court’s president, Piotr Hofmanski, said in a video statement that while the ICC’s judges have issued the warrants, it will be up to the international community to execute them. The court has no police force of its own to execute warrants.

“The ICC is doing its part of work as a court of law,” Hofmanski said. “The judges issued arrest warrants. The execution depends on international cooperation.”

Ukraine also is not a member of the court, but it has granted the ICC jurisdiction over its territory, and ICC prosecutor Karim Khan has visited four times since opening an investigation a year ago.

The ICC said that its pretrial chamber found there were “reasonable grounds to believe that each suspect bears responsibility for the war crime of unlawful deportation of population and that of unlawful transfer of population from occupied areas of Ukraine to the Russian Federation, in prejudice of Ukrainian children.”

The court statement said that “there are reasonable grounds to believe that Mr Putin bears individual criminal responsibility” for the child abductions “for having committed the acts directly, jointly with others and/or through others [and] for his failure to exercise control properly over civilian and military subordinates who committed the acts.”

After his most recent visit, in early March, ICC prosecutor Khan said he visited a care home for children barely a mile from the front line in southern Ukraine.

“The drawings pinned on the wall … spoke to a context of love and support that was once there. But this home was empty, a result of alleged deportation of children from Ukraine to the Russian Federation or their unlawful transfer to other parts of the temporarily occupied territories,” Khan said in a statement. “As I noted to the United Nations Security Council last September, these alleged acts are being investigated by my office as a priority. Children cannot be treated as the spoils of war.”

Although Russia rejected the allegations and warrants of the court as null and void, others said the ICC’s action would have an important impact.

“The ICC has made Putin a wanted man and taken its first step to end the impunity that has emboldened perpetrators in Russia’s war against Ukraine for far too long,” said Balkees Jarrah, associate international justice director at Human Rights Watch. “The warrants send a clear message that giving orders to commit, or tolerating, serious crimes against civilians may lead to a prison cell in The Hague.”

David Crane, who indicted Liberian President Charles Taylor 20 years ago for crimes in Sierra Leone, said dictators and tyrants around the world “are now on notice that those who commit international crimes will be held accountable to include heads of state.”

Taylor was eventually detained and put on trial at a special court in the Netherlands. He was convicted and sentenced to 50 years’ imprisonment.

“This is an important day for justice and for the citizens of Ukraine,” Crane said in a written comment to the Associated Press on Friday.

On Thursday, a United Nations-backed investigation cited Russian attacks on civilians in Ukraine, including systematic torture and killing in occupied regions, among potential atrocities that amount to war crimes and possibly crimes against humanity.

The sweeping investigation also found crimes committed against Ukrainians on Russian territory, including deported Ukrainian children who were prevented from reuniting with their families, a “filtration” system aimed at singling out Ukrainians for detention, and torture and inhumane detention conditions.

A top Pakistani court Friday suspended an arrest warrant for former Prime Minister Imran Khan, giving him a reprieve to travel to Islamabad, the capital, to face charges in a graft case without being detained.

Khan has been holed up at his home in the eastern city of Lahore since Tuesday after failing to appear at an earlier hearing in the case. His supporters hurled stones and clashed with baton-wielding police for two days to protect the former premier from arrest.

Khan, now in the political opposition, was ousted in a no-confidence vote in Parliament last April. He is accused of selling state gifts while in office and concealing assets. It’s one in a string of cases that the former cricket star-turned-Islamist politician has been facing since his ouster.

He is now due in court Saturday, after Aamer Farooq, the chief justice of the Islamabad High Court, suspended the arrest warrant in the graft case. The court Friday also warned Khan that he could face contempt proceedings if he again fails to show up before the judge.

The 70-year-old opposition leader has also claimed that his removal from power was part of a conspiracy by his successor, Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, and the United States. Both Washington and Sharif’s government have denied the allegations.

Bayern Munich host Paris Saint-Germain in Wednesday Champions League

Admin

March 8, 2023

Bayern Munich host Paris Saint-Germain in Wednesday’s UEFA Champions League round of 16 second leg clash with the Germans holding a 1-0 lead from leg one. The French giants have won all three of their games since their narrow defeat at Parc des Princes while Julian Nagelsmann’s side have lost one and won the other two. Both sides top their respective domestic leagues and Christophe Galtier’s men are eight points clear outright in Ligue 1 while Bayern are level with Borussia Dortmund. PSG are without Neymar and Presnel Kimpembe for this one after the Brazilian’s surgery was confirmed by the club on Monday with a three to four-month absence expected. Benjamin Pavard is suspended for the hosts and Manuel Neuer as well as Lucas Hernandez are out injured. Kylian Mbappe became PSG’s all-time top scorer with his 201st goal against FC Nantes in Ligue 1 over the weekend.

We are well prepared and I am curious to see how PSG start the game, said Thomas Muller pre-game. We may have the chance to pressure them. I know PSG, but I do not watch five or six consecutive 90-minute games. When I see their highlights, you always see a contribution from Neymar. Sometimes he can decide a game with a single action.

It’s an important match, we knew that after the first leg, there was still the second leg to play, said PSG’s Marco Verratti later. We lost 1-0 at home, so they have a slight advantage but everything is still to play for. To get through, we will need to put in a top performance against a top side. We believe in ourselves, we will need to perform very well to take the qualification back to Paris.

It’s important to arrive here feeling confident, added the Italian. After the defeat in the first leg, we spoke a lot and we picked up three wins on the trot, we have found our feet again, as well as the tactical system from the start of the season. We will need to be at our best to win this match, Bayern also want to qualify. There will be a lot of top players on the pitch. We want to enjoy ourselves and go out and qualify. Tomorrow, out on the pitch, we will need to show that we are strong and win here.

The season doesn’t come down to just this match, argued Galtier. Every match is important. It’s a very difficult competition, there will be a winner and a loser tomorrow. But we play every match with the ambition of winning it. The Champions League is a very important objective, we want to go as far as we possibly can. We will need to have a much more defiant approach than what we showed in the first leg. If we are in that mindset, we have the opportunity to qualify.

It’s the most anticipated matchup of the round of 16 as two serious championship contenders square off in what many consider to be an early final. On the one hand there will be the leaders of the Bundesliga, Bayern Munich, an always tough team that has the virtue of becoming very strong in the UEFA Champions League.

And as if that were not enough, in the first leg as visitors they won 1-0, so their favoritism grew even more. However, they should not be overconfident since their rivals are nothing less than Paris Saint-Germain, the leaders of Ligue 1, with all their stars, such as Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe.

Justice Department’s break with Trump is likely to be popular with Democrats

Admin

March 2, 2023

The Justice Department said Thursday that Donald Trump is not entitled to absolute immunity against civil lawsuits seeking to hold him liable for the attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

Government lawyers agreed with Trump that presidents are entitled to robust protections against being sued over their official duties. But in a newly filed court brief, they disagreed that the allegations in the Jan. 6 cases against the former president — that he incited imminent violence — would entitle him to that immunity at this stage of the litigation, while also making clear they weren’t taking a position on whether the underlying claims were valid.

“In the United States’ view, such incitement of imminent private violence would not be within the outer perimeter of the Office of the President of the United States,” the Justice Department lawyers wrote.

Trump has argued that he cannot be sued at all over statements leading up to the assault because speaking on matters of public concern fell within the “outer perimeter” of his presidential duties.

The position risks legal complications and political blowback. The government has been pulled into litigation over Trump’s role in Jan. 6 while a federal criminal investigation is underway. The department historically embraced a broad interpretation of the constitutional separation of powers that protects a current or former president from being sued over official acts, so taking a stance against Trump risks allegations of political bias.

A federal district judge previously rejected Trump’s immunity defense against a trio of lawsuits filed by congressional Democrats and U.S. Capitol Police officers who responded to the violence at the Capitol. Trump’s lawyers have urged the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit to reverse that ruling and dismiss the claims against him.

The Justice Department’s break with Trump is likely to be popular with Democrats and Trump critics. The department had faced criticism from the left early in the Biden administration when it backed Trump’s position that a federal law that protects government employees against being sued over official duties shielded him against a defamation lawsuit; that case is pending.

The U.S. isn’t a party in the Jan. 6 civil cases and hadn’t asked to get involved — the D.C. Circuit had invited the government to share its view in a friend-of-court brief after a three-judge panel heard arguments in December. In a sign of the legal complexities and political sensitivities at stake, the department had asked for two deadline extensions before filing its brief.

The Justice Department’s position on the immunity question doesn’t guarantee that Trump will lose, but it’s a significant setback to his case. Lawyers for Trump and for the plaintiffs have until March 16 to file a response.

Trump’s position is that the U.S. Supreme Court has been clear that immunity applies to any conduct that falls within the “outer perimeter” of a president’s official duties, pointing to a 1982 decision, Nixon vs. Fitzgerald. His lawyers argue that judges shouldn’t engage in “content-based analysis” and probe the “political context” of a president’s public discourse.

During the Dec. 7 hearing before the DC Circuit, Trump attorney Jesse Binnall argued that the immunity might not apply to actions by a president that were “purely personal,” but that any remarks on the “bully pulpit” would be covered. Responding to a series of hypothetical scenarios posed by the judges, Binnall said Trump couldn’t be sued even if he explicitly urged his supporters to “burn Congress down.

SPRTS