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A man wanted just two slices of cheese on his sandwich, so when his wife used three slices in his grilled cheese sandwich, he became irate.

Angered at the sight of all the extra cheesiness, James DePaola became agitated and violent, yelling at the woman, Michele DePaola. According to WSB-TV, DePaola then ripped the landline out of the wall so his wife couldn’t call the police and reportedly screamed at her intensely. The couple’s 12-year old daughter who witnessed the incident called the police to the scene, according to Athens-Clarke County police.

James DePaola was charged with obstruction of a 911 call and criminal trespass/damage to property over what the police now refer to as “the grilled cheese incident”. DePaola has a history of “abusive behavior,” and was often “excessively critical and controlling of day to day things in life” like sandwiches, apparently.

read more: https://www.mediamatters.org/jesse-watters/fox-news-guest-decrying-migrant-crime-previously-arrested-after-getting-violent-over

The no-bid micro contracts awarded to vendors at the center of a bribery scandal are rife with wildly inflated costs, an analysis finds.

How much does it cost NYCHA to change a lightbulb?

In one case, more than $708 per bulb.

That’s the rate the housing authority paid one vendor, who submitted a total bill of $4,250 to replace six LED bulbs and covers at Throggs Neck Houses in The Bronx, according to records reviewed by THE CITY.

Another vendor billed NYCHA $4,985 to replace one door to a compactor room. Yet another charged $4,875 to put in slip resistant rubber treads on a stairway with 15 steps — a cost of $325 per step.

When law enforcement officials arrested 70 current and former NYCHA workers on bribery charges earlier this month, they identified small no-bid contracts for apartment repairs, awarded to select vendors in exchange for cash to superintendents, as the source of corruption.

What prosecutors didn’t say was that many of the bills submitted by the vendors who win these so-called micro-purchase contracts raise serious questions about whether NYCHA wound up paying them hundreds of thousands — or even millions — of taxpayer dollars in inflated costs over the years.

All of these bills had one thing in common, a review of contract data by THE CITY found.

The vendors sought compensation as close to the maximum allowed at the time on each contract, regardless of the work performed. Micro contracts have a built-in incentive for vendors to bill for just below the maximum allowed — $5,000 until late 2019, $10,000 since — no matter what the scope and value of the task at hand is.

read more; https://www.truthdig.com/articles/nyc-housing-authority-paid-out-708-for-replacing-a-single-lightbulb/

Governor Kathy Hochul has been a staunch supporter and defender of Israel's ongoing siege and bombardment of Gaza and sanctioned settler violence in the occupied West Bank, even going so far as to travel to Israel a few weeks after the Hamas attacks of October 7, despite being told her father was on his deathbed.

For Hochul, her unwavering support of Israel is reflexive—Israel, in her mind, has a right to defend itself, no matter the consequences to civilian populations.

Last Thursday, Hochul spoke at a fundraiser of the UJA-Federation of New York, which, according to the Intercept, "has been accused of sending millions in tax-exempt dollars to organizations that support Israel’s illegal settlement program in the occupied West Bank." The UJA-Federation also originally paid for Hochul's October trip to Israel; after criticism, she then said her own office would cover the expense.

While at the fundraiser, Hochul reiterated her support of Israel and its actions in Gaza and the West Bank.

"If Canada someday ever attacked Buffalo, I'm sorry my friends, there would be no Canada the next day," Hochul said. "That's a natural reaction. You have a right to defend yourself and to make sure it never happens again."

read more:https://hellgatenyc.com/hochul-bomb-canada-psych

During a visit to lobby legislators on transgender issues, Senator Carden Summers (R) knelt down and told a child he would protect her. When he learned she was trans, he backed away.

On Feb. 6, a group of families met to lobby senators on issues affecting the local transgender community in Georgia. One mother, Lena Kotler, decided to take her two children with her to give the topic a human face. While waiting to meet with Democratic Sen. Kim Jackson, who they had heard was a big supporter of LGBTQ+ rights, another senator passed by — Republican Sen. Carden Summers, the primary sponsor of the state’s bathroom ban bill. Little did he know that one of the children he would be interacting with, Aleix, 8 years old, was a transgender child.

According to Kotler and other families who were present, the senator stopped to say hello. That’s when Kotler spoke to Senator Summers about how she was there with her kids to “talk to legislators about keeping her kids safe.” Although she did not mention that one of her children was trans, they were present with LGBTQ+ signage - something the Senator apparently missed when he knelt down in front of Aleix and said, according to Kotler, “Well you know, we’re working on that and I’m going to protect kids like you.”

Kotler then replied, “Yeah - Alex is trans, and she wants to be safe at school, she wants to go to the bathroom and be safe.”

That is when, according to multiple witnesses, Sen. Summers stood up and fumbled his words, repeating, "I mean, yeah, I'm going to make sure she's safe by going to the right bathroom," continuing to use the correct pronouns for Aleix. When asked if he would make her go to a boy's bathroom, he then allegedly backed away, saying, "You're attacking me," turned around, and walked off quickly.

read more: https://www.erininthemorning.com/p/georgia-senator-vows-to-protect-girl?publication_id=994764&post_id=141716994

Bill Eigel, a Republican gubernatorial candidate in Missouri, may not realize, but this is physically impossible.

A gubernatorial candidate in Missouri is arguing against abortion access for rape victims on the basis that it would technically allow babies to gain access to the medical procedure.

Republican Missouri State Senator Bill Eigel took the draconian (and idiotic) stance during a debate last week, over an amendment to the state’s already restrictive abortion ban. Missouri has only allowed abortions in the event of medical emergencies since shortly after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June 2022. The new amendment, proposed by Democratic state Senator Doug Beck, would permit abortions for children aged 12 and under if they are victims of rape or incest, raising health concerns for child rape victims if their pregnancies were carried to term.

“You want to bring back the institution of abortion so that kids can get abortions in the state of Missouri. A 1-year-old could get an abortion under this,” Eigel said, according to the St Louis Post-Dispatch.

The uneducated response immediately called for a fact-check from Beck.

“I don’t know that a 1-year-old could get pregnant, Senator,” he retorted, before asking if Eigel was “OK” with the “forced birth of a child being raped.”

“I don’t support the institutions of rape or of incest. But your amendment doesn’t address those,” Eigel replied.

read more: https://newrepublic.com/post/178982/maga-republican-candidate-missouri-eigel-babies-abortion

archive: https://archive.ph/u3Pvw

Chaya Raichik accused an NBC journalist of silencing tactics and claims victimhood in the face of scrutiny over her incendiary online behavior.

In the wake of an NBC News investigation detailing how Chaya Raichik’s social media posts may have influenced a wave of bomb threats across the United States and Canada, Raichik, 29, has launched a vigorous counterattack at the media outlet. Known for her far-right extremist anti-LGBTQ+ Libs of TikTok account, Raichik turned to X, formerly Twitter, accusing NBC News and its reporter, David Ingram, of trying to incriminate her unjustly and labeling them as the real threats to public safety.

The NBC News piece explored connections between Raichik’s online activities, particularly her critiques of LGBTQ+ people and content, and subsequent threats to various institutions.

This has led security experts to describe her influence as a form of stochastic terrorism, a tactic identified for its capacity to incite random acts of violence through broad, provocative messaging.

NBC News unearthed a concerning pattern: approximately 33 instances were identified where institutions or individuals criticized by Raichik subsequently faced bomb threats or other forms of violent intimidation. These incidents, spanning from November 2020, affected schools, libraries, hospitals, small businesses, and elected officials across 16 states, Washington, D.C., and Ontario, Canada.

read more: https://www.advocate.com/news/chaya-raichik-nbc-stochastic-terrorism

Chaya Raichik, creator of the anti-LGBTQ+ account Libs of TikTok, was appointed to the state's Library Media Advisory Committee. Her posts frequently are followed by bomb threats on schools.

Ryan Walters, the state superintendent of public instruction for the Oklahoma State Department of Education, has appointed Chaya Raichik, creator of the extremist online Twitter account known as Libs of TikTok, to the Library Media Advisory Committee on Tuesday. He claimed that she would help “make Oklahoma schools safer for kids and friendly to parents.” Her appointment, however, contrasts with her history of targeting LGBTQ+ people in schools and hospitals through viral posts that often precede bomb threats against her targets. This appointment is not Superintendent Walters' first controversial decision. Previously, he advocated for policies promoting Christianity in public schools and entered into an agreement with PragerU to provide right-wing educational programming in schools. This educational programming claimed, among other things, that slavery was “no big deal.”

Libs of TikTok, managed by Raichik, became active in 2021 and quickly gained notoriety for posting videos and pictures of transgender and queer individuals, medical providers, teachers, and Pride events. These posts often include editorialized captions labeling the subjects as groomers. The account's viral posts frequently precede bomb threats against its targets. For instance, after a post about Boston Children's Hospital's transgender care, the hospital received bomb threats, leading to intermittent shutdowns. In Kiel, Wisconsin, following a tweet about a transgender person in the local school district, multiple responses called for violence against the district. Consequently, Kiel schools faced a month of disruption due to bomb threats. Other instances of violent threats following her posts have affected the University of South Dakota, a library in North Carolina, and even a librarian in Oklahoma's Union Public Schools district. Now, Raichik will have direct influence over the library system that her posts have endangered.

Raichik appears unfazed by the violence her posts seem to spur, and in fact seems to revel in it. In an article published by Media Matters, the site 35 identified threats of violence in one report. Another disinformation researcher found 66 instances of threats following her tweets, often within 5 days of posting. When USA Today published a groundbreaking article titled “When Libs of TikTok tweets, threats increasingly follow,” the account posted a picture of Raichik holding the paper and posing with a smile. She also changed her banner for a short time to a picture of her logo with bomb fuses attached to it.

read more: https://www.erininthemorning.com/p/oklahoma-appoints-libs-of-tiktok?publication_id=994764&post_id=140978646

Pro-Palestine Drag Race queens are speaking out about a viral image that appears to show their names written on an Israeli missile.

On Tuesday, Drag Race season 14 winner Willow Pill posted a screenshot to X of a viral photo that appears to show a missile with “IDF you better werk!” and “Queers against Hamas” written on it, as well as the names of New York drag legend Lady Bunny, Drag Race season 13 runner-up Kandy Muse, and Willow Pill. Each has been outspoken in their support of Palestine amidst Israel’s ongoing bombardment and siege of Gaza, and though the veracity of the photo is hard to determine, the queens posted their reactions to it on X.

“It’s so disappointing to see queer people and drag race fans who think they are good for supporting drag turn around and support the murder of Palestinian people with decorated missiles,” the season 14 queen tweeted. “If your goal was to agitate me; you got me. I’m fucking livid, and I hope you rot in hell.”

read more: https://www.them.us/story/willow-pill-lady-bunny-kandy-muse-react-to-viral-israel-missile-photo

A Connecticut town council voted to ban the LGBTQ+ pride flag in government buildings almost immediately after coming under Republican control.

The Enfield Town Council voted in a meeting Monday to ban all flags from flying at government buildings save for the United States, Connecticut state, and military flags. The new policy, which went through with a vote of 6-5, replaces a 2022 policy that allowed the rainbow flag to fly during Pride Month in June.

While some the council members pushing the policy claimed to do so as a way to remain "neutral," Councilor At-Large Gina Cekala, who voted against the measure, accused them of directly targeting the LGBTQ+ community and Pride flag.

“I think the real reason is you don’t want that Pride flag up on this town hall,” she said, “which is absolutely disgusting."

Tom Tyler, the interim town attorney, claimed at one point that if the the Pride flag was allowed to be flown, “ISIS could come in and want to display one, the IRA…basically anybody. You’d have to be content neutral and let everybody." He then went off-topic to accuse schools of trying to indoctrinate students with “transgender ideology.”

The decision came as a betrayal to many of the town's residents, including Brandon Jewell of PFLAG Enfield, who noted that two of the Republicans voting to ban flags previously voted in favor of the 2022 policy that allowed the Pride displays.

read more: https://www.advocate.com/news/connecticut-pride-flag-ban-isis

If you leave things in your yard, you shouldn’t be surprised if they get stolen. People are opportunistic, and if they see your kid’s bike sitting there unsecured, they may decide it’s a perfect opportunity to give it to their kid. Heck, sometimes even entire cars get stolen out of driveways. It sucks, but it happens. However, one Florida woman recently came home to find that her entire driveway had been stolen, WFTV reports.

According to the victim, Amanda Brochu, it all began when she put her house up for sale. She had some renovations done, including replacing the roof. Over the course of several days, her son counted at least five contractors coming by to measure the driveway. When confronted, one of the contractors said a man who identified himself as “Andre” had contacted them about a driveway replacement and claimed he was the landlord. When asked for proof that he owned the house, he stopped responding.

Brocue then called the cops, who got in contact with “Andre,” who claimed he accidentally gave the contractor the wrong address. Not long after that, her driveway disappeared. “I come home and my driveway is gone,” Amanda Brochu told the news outlet.

As it turned out, Brochu and the contractor who removed her driveway were victims of an overpayment scam. Scammers like “Andre” look for houses that are listed for sale online, pretend to be the homeowner and get a contractor to give them a quote for some work on the house. Then they’ll send a check for more than the agreed-upon amount. Then they ask for a refund. After the contractor sends the extra money back, they find out the check bounces, meaning they don’t get paid and they just lost whatever money they refunded.

While the scammer still hasn’t been arrested, the good news for Brochu is, she won’t have to pay for a new driveway. After the story originally aired, a local business volunteered to replace her driveway for free. Still, it’s a good reminder that if you aren’t careful, if you try to sell a house, you need to be careful that someone doesn’t steal your driveway.

read more: https://jalopnik.com/florida-woman-had-her-entire-driveway-stolen-1851149403

original title: The pill messiah: Doug Smith claims he can end the opioid crisis. But will his troubled past catch up with him first?

new title is from the local matters newsletter where I got the story from https://www.ire.org/news/newsletters/

Douglas Randall Smith would have you believe he’s on the verge of a medical breakthrough that could end the opioid epidemic and keep millions of people alive.

He says he didn’t ask for this burden, but he alone sees a path toward a cure now blocked by corrupt government agencies and drug companies motivated by politics, ignorance and greed.

“I was the only person on this planet who recognized what was really going on,” Smith told The Post and Courier. “These are things that I don’t talk about because I don’t brag. That’s not the person that I am.”

Smith preaches that patients have been fed lies for decades by doctors pushing painkillers for profits. The FDA and DEA are in on the con, he says.

He tells them a test he created will prove they were never addicted in the first place — for a $600 fee.

He also tells them he’s a doctor.

He doesn’t say he was stripped of his medical license for overprescribing painkillers that killed at least one person.

Or that the man he hired to help run his telehealth addiction treatment clinic faces the same type of accusations, which led to the death of three patients.

Or that the IRS has been chasing him for years over taxes they say he never paid.

read more: https://www.postandcourier.com/news/special_reports/doug-smith-north-carolina-opioid-church-ekklasia-sozo-accused-fraud-telemedicine-lawsuit/article_0b0889dc-6c4d-11ee-b608-cbf70d011305.html

A site similar to 12ft.io but is self hosted and works with websites that 12ft.io doesn't work with.

How does it work?

It pretends to be GoogleBot (Google's web crawler) and gets the same content that google will get. Google gets the whole page so that the content of the article can be indexed properly and this takes advantage of that.

link: https://github.com/wasi-master/13ft