List of All Articles with Tag 'm'

The Atlanta Braves are going to be buying at the MLB Trade Deadline, but what are their options for a dream trade, a smarter trade and a non-starter?Even with a pedestrian month of May, the Atlanta Braves are still very much in the driver's seat of the NL East and, by some calculations, the...

Draymond Green had harsh words for Celtics fans after their loss to Miami: "But I must say — it did not hurt me to watch the Boston Celtics fans suffer." The Eastern Conference Finals have been an emotional roller coaster for Celtics fans. To Boston's credit, what seemed lik...

On June 19, 2023, the United States will celebrate Juneteenth and the anniversary of Black emancipation. Here’s the meaning behind the holiday’s official flag.

Atlanta police have arrested three organisers behind a nonprofit group that provides bail and legal support to arrested protesters involved with a monthslong campaign against a sprawling, multi-million dollar law enforcement complex. Marlon Kautz, Adele Maclean and Savannah Patterson – all board members with the Atlanta Solidarity Fund – were charged with one count each of money laundering and charity fraud on 31 May. If convicted on money laundering charges, the organisers could face up to 20 years imprisonment and tens of thousands of dollars in fines. Bail fund organisers and civil rights groups have warned that the arrests mark a rapid and unconstitutional escalation of law enforcement retaliation against demonstrators involved with the “Stop Cop City” movement. Atlanta activists also fear that prosecutors are planning to indict those arrested in connection with the protests as a “criminal organisation” under Georgia’s sweeping state-level statute that has been used to target organised crime. Lauren Regan, executive director of the Civil Liberties Defense Center, called the arrests an “extreme provocation” from Atlanta Police Department and state prosecutors. “Bailing out protestors who exercise their constitutionally protected rights is simply not a crime,” she said in a statement. “In fact, it is a historically grounded tradition in the very same social and political movements that the city of Atlanta prides itself on. Someone had to bail out civil rights activists in the [1960s] – I think we can all agree that community support isn’t a crime.” The Atlanta Public Safety Training Center project has been at the centre of “Stop Cop City” protests and occupations since its proposal in 2021, expected to occupy 85 acres in a historically and environmentally significant forest area owned by the city of Atlanta. The police training facility in the South River Forest has drawn widespread opposition from environmental groups and criminal justice reform advocates. Police have arrested dozens of people during protests, including more than 40 people facing “domestic terrorism” charges. The Atlanta Solidarity Fund – among similar organisations across the country that provide bail support and legal aid – has predated the “Stop Cop City” movement and provided grants to a number of groups in the Atlanta area. The fund also has provided legal aid and bail assistance to protesters facing excessively high bonds, with some as high as $300,000. A statement from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation accuses the three arrested organisers with committing “financial crimes”; an arrest warrant for Ms Patterson connects a “money laundering” charge to reimbursements from the nonprofit to a personal PayPal account for expenses including “gasoline, forest clean-up, totes, [Covid-19] rapid tests, media, yard signs and other miscellaneous expenses.” In a statement defending the arrests, Georgia’s Republican Governor Brian Kemp called bail organisers “criminals” who “facilitated and encouraged domestic terrorism”. “As we have said before, we will not rest until we have held accountable every person who has funded, organized, or participated in this violence and intimidation,” Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr said. The arrests of the bail fund organisers on 31 May comes roughly one week after news of the project’s $67m price tag, more than double the $30m projected cost, and days before the Atlanta City Council’s anticipated vote on 5 June on whether to fund the facility. In a written statement prepared in the event of an arrest, Kautz said that criminal charges against the Atlanta Solidarity Fund “will have repercussions on the ability of movements to create change across the country,” a tactic from “a new playbook that criminalizes the coalition of advocates who are providing financial and physical support to movements.” Fair Fight Action, a voting rights organisation founded by Stacey Abrams in 2018, stressed that “legal aid groups and bail funds are, and have long been, critical resources for those seeking to make their voices heard in their communities.” “The timing of the state actions – just one week before a controversial vote – is not a coincidence,” the group said in a statement condemning the arrests. “Bail funds were integral during the Civil Rights Movement, oftentimes serving as the only path to freedom for arrested protesters. The incendiary rhetoric against and criminalization of these institutions by the Kemp administration represents an alarming escalation of tensions in the face of serious community concerns.” Sherilynn Ifill, former president and director counsel of the NAACP’s Legal Defense Fund, said the arrests “demand explanation” from Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens and Atlanta Police Department chief Darin Schierbaum. “They may wish to recall that targeting the charitable status [and] legitimacy of groups involved in civil rights organizing has a long and ugly history in the South,” she said. “This is dangerous stuff. It is anti-democratic and menacing to organizing and protest – core protected activity in a democracy.” State Senator Josh McLaurin lambasted Mr Carr for what he called an “attempt to score cheap political points by being reckless with people’s lives.” “This empty, 1990s-style tough-on-crime bull**** is tired and dangerous,” he said. Georgia state Rep Saira Draper, whose district includes the area where the arrests were made, said she is “deeply concerned” about the case and the “grossly excessive” use of a SWAT team and helicopters to make the arrests. “What I do know is weaponizing the powers of the state for political gain is abuse of power,” she said. Atlanta City Councilmember Liliana Bakhtiari also said the case deserves “the utmost scrutiny and sensitivity as it moves through the legal process.” Read More Marjorie Taylor Green falsely claims slain Georgia activist killed police officer at Cop City protest Autopsy strengthens case that ‘Cop City’ activist didn’t fire first before being gunned down by police

Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle Earth features an old mechanic presented in a new way. Here's what's changing.

Here's what Standard players need to know about the upcoming Lord of the Rings set for Magic: The Gathering.

Valorant Night Market is returning on June 7 to give players a chance to purchase six randomized gun skins at a discounted price.

Ryan Blaney won the Coca-Cola 600 last weekend and now the NASCAR circuit heads to Gateway Motorsports Park for this weekend's Enjoy Illinois 300 Presented By TicketSmarter.This will be the second ever edition of the race. Joey Logano won the inaugural version of it in 2022 and the 33-year ...

Brazil’s senate approved a provisional measure establishing the structure of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s cabinet, a

President Joe Biden’s journey on LGBT+ rights, from supporting restrictions to becoming the first top Democrat to come out in support of gay marriage, has been praised by a top US diplomat as a “very American story” and a “beautiful thing”. Mr Biden joined the chorus of outrage after the passing of Uganda’s draconian anti-gay law, calling for its immediate repeal and threatening sanctions if no action is taken. “The enactment of Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Act is a tragic violation of universal human rights—one that is not worthy of the Ugandan people, and one that jeopardizes the prospects of critical economic growth for the entire country,” he said in a statement on Monday. “I join with people around the world — including many in Uganda — in calling for its immediate repeal. No one should have to live in constant fear for their life or being subjected to violence and discrimination. It is wrong.” The bill was signed into law on Monday by Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni. The law includes the death penalty for what’s referred to as “aggravated homosexuality” – meaning those having sex while being HIV positive, those having sex with minors or others considered to be vulnerable. Under the law, an individual found guilty of “attempted aggravated homosexuality” can be sent to prison for 14 years. Mr Museveni sent the law back to the national assembly in April, requesting amendments to clarify the difference between identifying as LGBT+ and taking part in homosexual acts. That prompted pushback from some legislators, who appeared concerned that Mr Museveni would veto the bill as he faced a pressure campaign to do so from abroad. The amended version of the bill was passed early last month. Under a law from the colonial era, homosexuality was already illegal in the East African country as being “against the order of nature”, and with a possible punishment of life behind bars. Mr Biden said that since the new law was introduced, “reports of violence and discrimination targeting Ugandans who are or are perceived to be LGBTQI+ are on the rise. Innocent Ugandans now fear going to hospitals, clinics, or other establishments to receive life-saving medical care lest they be targeted by hateful reprisals”. “Some have been evicted from their homes or fired from their jobs. And the prospect of graver threats — including lengthy prison sentences, violence, abuse — threatens any number of Ugandans who want nothing more than to live their lives in safety and freedom,” he added. “This shameful Act is the latest development in an alarming trend of human rights abuses and corruption in Uganda. The dangers posed by this democratic backsliding are a threat to everyone residing in Uganda, including US government personnel, the staff of our implementing partners, tourists, members of the business community, and others.” Mr Biden said he has asked the National Security Council to review what effect the new law will have on the US relationship with Uganda, including the ability of the US to “safely deliver services under the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and other forms of assistance and investments”. The president said his administration is looking at possible sanctions and restricting entry into the US for anyone “involved in serious human rights abuses or corruption”. Mr Biden noted in his statement that “In total, the US government invests nearly $1bn annually in Uganda’s people, business, institutions, and military to advance our common agenda”. As vice president, Mr Biden forced the hand of the Obama administration when he went off-message during a May 2012 TV interview, becoming the highest-ranking Democrat to publicly support gay marriage. Mr Biden’s evolution on gay rights was a long time in the making. As a senator, he voted for the Defense of Marriage Act in 1996, which blocked the federal recognition of same-sex marriages. Earlier in the 1990s, he voted to remove federal funding for schools that taught acceptance of homosexuality. In 1973, he was captured wondering aloud if gay people may be security risks while serving in government or military roles. In an interview with The Independent, the State Department’s Chief of Protocol Rufus Gifford said that the president’s journey on gay rights is a “very American story”. “I think about my own evolution on equality, I think about my parents’ evolution on equality. And it’s a beautiful thing,” the 48-year-old said. The former US ambassador to Denmark describes his current role as “the first handshake and the American welcome for leaders” from around the globe. Mr Gifford advises the president and vice president on diplomatic protocol - and he travels with Mr Biden on all official international trips. Mr Gifford added that the president “opened his heart and mind to new ideas. And isn’t that all we want from our leaders?” “I mean, sure, let’s debate the evolution to a certain extent. But let’s lean into the fact that this evolution is real, it’s meaningful, and it’s actually impacting our lives,” he said. Read More Rachel Levine on Congress bigots, Don’t Say Gay and life as Biden’s top trans official: ‘Despair doesn’t motivate change’ Thousands march in Jerusalem Pride parade, first under Israel's most right-wing government ever LGBT+ flags vandalised for a fourth time at Canada church on eve of Pride Month Pregnant transgender man stars on Glamour UK’s Pride cover in hand-painted suit ‘A second job covered in glitter’: Meet the LGBT+ drag nuns who beat the LA Dodgers

Palantir Technologies Inc. Chief Executive Officer Alex Karp said new AI developments at his company are so powerful

An Oath Keeper who acted as part of a security detail on January 6 for Roger Stone before rushing to join the riot at the Capitol was sentenced to more than four years in prison Thursday for seditious conspiracy.