Nobody Cares: PRS

[Dakota Tebaldi]

Woman who called Michelle Obama an "ape" defrauded FEMA of $18k

The West Virginia woman who made national headlines in 2016 when she was placed on leave from a county development organization over a demeaning Facebook post about then-first lady Michelle Obama has now pleaded guilty to defrauding the Federal Emergency Management Agency out of thousands of dollars of disaster benefits.

Pamela Taylor, 57, admitted on Tuesday that she falsely registered for more than $18,000 in FEMA disaster benefits after historic flooding in Clay County, West Virginia, in June 2016, the U.S. attorney's office said in a statement. Those floods killed 23 people.

Taylor claimed that her primary residence was damaged in the flood and that she was staying in a rental property, the prosecutor's office said. Her home was not damaged, however, and she still lived there.

She faces up to 30 years in prison and a fine of up to $500,000 when she is sentenced on May 30.

 

[Katheryne Helendale]

 

[Porsupah Ree]

As seen recently in Seattle. ^_^

 

[Tigar]

Tax them, and then eat them!

 

[Brenda Archer]

What the hell happened at Activision Blizzard?

 

[Kamilah Hauptmann]

 

[Kamilah Hauptmann]

 

[Kamilah Hauptmann]

Dakota Tebaldi You were there for that big blowup in the rational community, right? Essay you might enjoy: The magical thinking of guys who love logic

 

[Porsupah Ree]

A pilot on a long test flight decided to take out his frustration in the air by spelling out “I’m bored” on his tracking device.

The “I’m bored” shape was only visible on his tracking device, and wouldn’t have been visible from the ground.

Pilot spells out 'I'm bored' in air during test flight

 

[Free]

In France, the Force is strong with lightsaber dueling

It’s now easier than ever in France to act out “Star Wars” fantasies, because its fencing federation has borrowed from a galaxy far, far away and officially recognized lightsaber dueling as a competitive sport, granting the iconic weapon from George Lucas’ saga the same status as the foil, epee and sabre, the traditional blades used at the Olympics.

Of course, the LED-lit, rigid polycarbonate lightsaber replicas can’t slice a Sith lord in half. But they look and, with the more expensive sabers equipped with a chip in their hilt that emits a throaty electric rumble, even sound remarkably like the silver screen blades that Yoda and other characters wield in the blockbuster movies .

And my mom thought having me swing a whiffle bat around the house going "whoozh whoozh" was stupid...

 

[Porsupah Ree]

Just Ellie ️ ️‍: "From the Devour The Rich Department: someone boug…" - Elekk: Mastodon for Gamers

 

[Dakota Tebaldi]

And my mom thought having me swing a whiffle bat around the house going "whoozh whoozh" was stupid...

 

[Free]

 

[Free]

 

[Porsupah Ree]

SCOTUS rules 9-0 that the Eighth Amendment protection against excessive fines applies to states as well as the federal government, which effectively kills revenue gathering via civil asset forfeiture. (This is good for everybody except corrupt municipalities and police departments.)

https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/18pdf/17-1091_5536.pdf

Just Ellie ️ ️‍: "uspol, scotus" - Elekk: Mastodon for Gamers

 

[Rose Karuna]

Just Ellie ️ ️‍: "uspol, scotus" - Elekk: Mastodon for Gamers

Also: Supreme Court Rules Against Excessive State Fines

This is certainly a step in the right direction. Some states (particularly Texas) flat out allowed what amounted to highway robbery.

Texas police made more than $50 million in 2017 from seizing people’s property. Not everyone was guilty of a crime.

The State of Florida passed laws against it but then Jeff Sessions announced the reversal of an Obama-era policy that restricted the instances in which state and local law enforcement could seize property under federal law and give the property to federal law enforcement agencies, splitting with the feds the value of the property.

In 2016, Florida unanimously a law banning police from taking people’s property under most circumstances unless they are charged with a crime. When Sessions reversed Obama's policy restricting federal forfeiture, local and state agencies were again able to ignore the state law and seize property under federal law, passing the belongings on to the feds for a cut. Seriously, our own police departments were robber barons.

 

[Veritable Quandry]

A lot of the resentment that spilled over into the protests in Ferguson, MO had to do with the police constantly issuing citations for long grass, jay-walking, minor traffic or vehicle maintenance (broken lights), etc. Fees and fines from the mostly African American residents, written up by the almost entirely white police force, made up a significant portion of the city budget.

 

[Innula Zenovka]

Also: Supreme Court Rules Against Excessive State Fines

This is certainly a step in the right direction. Some states (particularly Texas) flat out allowed what amounted to highway robbery.

Texas police made more than $50 million in 2017 from seizing people’s property. Not everyone was guilty of a crime.

The State of Florida passed laws against it but then Jeff Sessions announced the reversal of an Obama-era policy that restricted the instances in which state and local law enforcement could seize property under federal law and give the property to federal law enforcement agencies, splitting with the feds the value of the property.

In 2016, Florida unanimously a law banning police from taking people’s property under most circumstances unless they are charged with a crime. When Sessions reversed Obama's policy restricting federal forfeiture, local and state agencies were again able to ignore the state law and seize property under federal law, passing the belongings on to the feds for a cut. Seriously, our own police departments were robber barons.

This is something that always amazes me. We have criminal forfeiture in the UK, too, but only as a result of an order made by the judge at the end of a trial, after conviction. Otherwise, property (including cash) that's been seized as evidence has to be returned to the defendant.

The prosecution can apply for court orders earlier on, to prevent defendants from disposing of cash and property assets that are said to be the fruits of his criminal activities in an attempt to avoid forfeiture, but they can't simply confiscate stuff because they like the look of it.

 

[Innula Zenovka]

Errm.. when you've clandestinely booked a popular nightspot to hold a gathering of EDL supporters and Yellow Vests, claiming it's for a birthday party, maybe it's not a good idea to advertise the event, boasting about your subterfuge, on social media:

 

[Dakota Tebaldi]

LOL, check out Abraham Dean over here