Author: J.P. Knowles

The U.S. Secret Service announced Tuesday that criminals used fraudulent COVID-19 relief applications and other resources to steal nearly $100 billion in pandemic benefits.

“The Secret Service currently has more than 900 active criminal investigations into fraud specific to pandemic-related relief funds,” Roy Dotson, the assistant special agent in charge of the national fraud investigation, said in a statement. “That’s a combination of pandemic benefits and all the other benefits programs too.”

The criminals applied for several pandemic relief programs established by the CARES Act, which included the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) for small businesses and direct stimulus payments to individuals. Funds distributed through statewide unemployment insurance were also stolen.

“Every state has been hit, some harder than others,” Dotson said. “The Secret Service is hitting the ground running, trying to recover everything we can, including funds stolen from both federal and state programs.”

Secret Service agents have recovered $1.2 billion and secured the return of more than $2.3 billion in stolen funds through Automated Clearing House reversals, the agency said. Approximately 100 individuals involved in the fraud have been arrested.

“Can we stop fraud? Will we? No, but I think we can definitely prosecute those that need to be prosecuted and we can do our best to recover as much fraudulent pandemic funds that we can,” Dotson said.

States have also reported high amounts of fraud, with California reporting that criminals have stolen as much as $31 billion in unemployment benefits in 2020 alone.

The prosecution in the Ghislaine Maxwell trial directly linked her to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, calling her “a sophisticated predator” during a blistering closing argument Monday.

“She was a sophisticated predator who knew exactly what she was doing,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Alison Moe told the jury in a Manhattan court. “When you’re with someone for 11 years, you know what they like,” Moe stated, adding that Epstein and Maxwell were “partners,” that many assumed were dating.

Maxwell is accused of grooming four girls during the 1990s and into the 2000s, with the prosecutor asserting that it’s “time to hold Maxwell accountable” and that “she caused deep and lasting harm to young girls.”

Moe described a “pyramid scheme of abuse” referring to the four accusers, Annie Farmer, Jane, Kate, and Carolyn, three of whom stated in testimony that Maxwell sexually assaulted them as teenagers.

Maxwell faces up to 80 years in prison if found guilty. With closing arguments set to conclude Monday night, Judge Alison Nathan instructed the jury that they may convict if they find that Maxwell ignored or tried to “consciously avoid” knowledge of Epstein’s sexual abuse ring.

Maxwell’s defense attorney maintained that she was, and still is, the government’s scapegoat for crimes committed by Epstein.

“Ghislaine is being tried here for being with Jeffrey Epstein. Maybe it was the biggest mistake of her life, but it is not a crime,” Laura Menninger said, attempting to distance her client from Epstein.

Maxwell did not take the stand in her own defense. The trial will likely conclude by her 60th birthday on Christmas day.

NASCAR driver Brandon Brown spoke out about being unwittingly being thrust into the political spotlight as the namesake of the phrase “Let’s go Brandon.”

“I accidentally became one of the most famous drivers in NASCAR,” he wrote in an opinion piece for Newsweek which was published Monday. “Thousands of fans could be heard chanting what the reporter (incorrectly) said was ‘Let’s Go Brandon!,’ and a meme was born.”

The chant took off at Talladega Superspeedway in October after Brown had just won the race. A section of the crowd was filmed as they were chanting “F*ck Joe Biden.” Sportscaster Kelli Stavast said that the crowd was instead chanting “Let’s go Brandon.” The phrase quickly grew into a popular substitute for the original expression.

“This whole Talladega race win was supposed to be a celebration, and then it was supposed to be something that I was able to use to move up, and I really wanted to capitalize on that,” Brown said.

He stated that he’d kept quiet about the whole thing because of the politics involved and the concern about alienating some fans, but it didn’t stop him from having some fun with it. In a non-political tweet just days after the interview, Brown added a twist.

He wrote in the op-ed that since that day, he has heard his name being chanted in “every conceivable” place, from sports arenas to the chambers of Congress.

“I understand that millions of people are struggling right now and are frustrated. Struggling to get by and struggling to build a solid life for themselves and their families, and wondering why their government only seems to make it worse. People have a right to frustration — even anger,” he added.

However, Brown said he has no interest in getting involved with any political debate. “I race cars. I am not going to endorse anyone, and I am certainly not going to tell anyone how to vote.”

“But, I’m also no longer going to be silent about the situation I find myself in, and why millions of Americans are chanting my name. I hear them, even if Washington does not,” he continued.

A federal judge overturned the bankruptcy plan of Oxycontin maker Purdue Pharma over a provision that would protect owners of the pharmaceutical company from separate litigation.

New York U.S. District Judge Colleen McMahon said that the provision to grant the Sackler family members immunity from thousands of lawsuits over the opioid crisis is “inconsistent” with the U.S. Bankruptcy Code, disagreeing with the court that had previously approved the $4.5 billion bankruptcy agreement.

“This is a seismic victory for justice and accountability that will re-open the deeply flawed Purdue bankruptcy and force the Sackler family to confront the pain and devastation they have caused,” Attorney General William Tong of Connecticut said in a press release following the ruling.

Purdue filed for bankruptcy protection in 2019 after facing thousands of lawsuits for claims that the company pushed doctors to prescribe OxyContin, which ignited the opioid crisis in the U.S.

In the bankruptcy deal, members of the Sackler family would give up ownership of the company. The company would still sell opioids, however, the profits would be used to fight the crisis.

David Sackler stated in August that the family would walk away from the bankruptcy deal if the family was not granted immunity from current and future civil claims associated with the company.

“The bankruptcy court did not have the authority to deprive victims of the opioid crisis of their right to sue the Sackler family,” Attorney General Merrick Garland stated after voicing approval of McMahon’s decision.

Purdue announced it would appeal the decision. Steven Miller, chairman of Purdue’s board, said in a statement that the ruling would “delay and perhaps end the ability of creditors, communities, and individuals to receive billions in value to abate the opioid crisis.”

Before 1996, doctors had resisted prescribing opioids except to the terminally ill, due to their addictiveness. Things changed when Purdue began an aggressive marketing campaign, distributing educational material that made light of the risks of opioids and encouraged doctors to prescribe them regularly as painkillers.

Purdue plead guilty to felony charges in 2007 for the false marketing of OxyContin and paid $635 million as a result. Three executives also pleaded guilty to criminal charges but managed to avoid prison time.

In 2010, Purdue reformulated Oxycontin to be “abuse-deterrent” in an effort to deter people from crushing the pills to snort or inject them. However, the move indirectly fueled greater heroin use in the U.S. as addicts could no longer get their high from the pills, prompting many to substitute heroin.

A record number of Americans died of overdoses between April 2020 to April 2021. Over 100,000 died in that time period as compared with 78,000 the previous year.

The Sackler family has given millions to museums and foundations for the past fifty years. “It’s blood money,” Andrew Kolodny, Brandeis University’s co-director of Opioid Policy Research said.

“I would hope the institutions that are taking Sackler money would begin to think about it and treat it in the same way they would a donation from [Colombian drug lord] Pablo Escobar.”

White House press secretary Jen Psaki refused to discuss the tension between President Joe Biden and Democratic West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin in a press briefing Monday afternoon.

Manchin announced Sunday that he would not be supporting Biden’s $2 trillion Build Back Better Act.

When asked if President Joe Biden feels betrayed, Psaki responded by saying that “Our objective and focus now is moving forward.”

“If I can’t go home and explain to the people of West Virginia, I can’t vote for it,” Manchin said Sunday.

Several reporters asked Psaki about Biden’s relationship with Manchin.

“I’m not going to relitigate the tick-tock of yesterday from here today,” Psaki said.

Another reporter asked Psaki if Biden still trusts Manchin.

“I understand the questions here, but our focus is on moving forward,” Psaki answered.

Throughout the press briefing, Psaki committed to referring reporters to her statement Sunday when asked about Manchin.

Psaki’s statement Sunday slammed Manchin for coming out against Biden’s Build Back Better Act.

“Senator Manchin promised to continue conversations in the days ahead and to work with us to reach that common ground. If his comments and written statement indicate an end to that effort, they represent a sudden and inexplicable reversal in his position, and a breach of commitments to the President and the Senator’s colleagues in the House and Senate,” Psaki said in the statement.

Manchin has often criticized Biden’s Build Back Better agenda and has spoken with Biden about the spending bill several times.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced Monday the Senate would still vote on the Build Back Better Act despite losing support from Manchin.

Nuclear safety officials issued a warning Thursday that conspiracy theorists who are worried about the effects of 5G may be wearing necklaces that are emitting harmful radiation.

Officials at the Netherlands Authority for Nuclear Safety and Radiation Protection issued a public safety notice warning that “quantum pendant” necklaces are radioactive and could damage DNA, according to research done by the Netherlands’ National Institute for Public Health and the Environment.

“The level of radiation measured is low and risk of health problems is low too,” the authority wrote. “However, it cannot be completely ruled out that wearing these products continuously for an extended period may prove harmful to your health in the long term.”

A “quantum pendant,” or negative ion jewelry, is often worn by people who are concerned about the effects of non-ionizing electromagnetic radiation emitted by 5G towers on their health. While electromagnetic radiation in large doses is hazardous and potentially lethal, “no adverse health effect has been causally linked with exposure to wireless technologies.”.

The Dutch nuclear safety authority warned that many products designed to counteract the effects of 5G actually contain ionizing radiation that can damage bodily tissue and even DNA.

“Due to the potential health risk they pose, these consumer products containing radioactive materials are therefore prohibited by law,” the authority wrote. “Ionizing radiation can damage tissue and DNA and can cause for example a red skin. Only low levels of radiation have been measured on these specific products.”

However, authorities warn that continuing to wear the jewelry could lead to long-term tissue and DNA damage.

Japanese police identified a suspect Sunday who may be responsible for an arson attack that killed 24 people.

Morio Tonimoto a 61-year-old man has been identified as the suspect who is believed to have set fire to a mental health clinic where he was a patient.

After reviewing footage from security cameras and searching his home, Osaka police believe Tonimoto is responsible for the arson and subsequent deaths.

Security camera footage shows the suspect riding a bike to the clinic with bags in a front basket and a bulky item tied to the back. The suspect was wearing a surgical mask and baseball cap.

Tonimoto received medical treatment after having been rescued from the fire himself. No charges or arrests have been made so far.

The Japanese government announced that they will be launching a nationwide safety inspection of similar buildings because the fire blocked the victims from the only emergency stairway in the building.

An editor of its product review division for The New York Times was fired Friday after leaving a profanity-riddled voicemail for a gun rights group.

Erin Marquis, an editor for Wirecutter since July, was fired after she left a voicemail for the Michigan chapter of the National Association for Gun Rights saying the group was a bunch of “fucking ghouls.” Marquis’s message was in response to a press release sent out by the group after a school shooting in Michigan, in which the group pushed back against demands for gun control.

“Hi I’m a journalist with The New York Times,” Marquis stated before asking the organization’s members how they “sleep at night.”

“Aren’t you just, like, a little bit worried that there might be a hell. And when you meet God, he will send you there?” Marquis asked.

The NYT suspended Marquis following the publication of the voicemail, pending an internal review of her conduct.

“Again, I am from The New York Times, and I’m letting everyone in The New York Times know what kind of fucking assholes you are. Congrats on being a laughing stock,” Marquis said, calling the group “f*cking ghouls” and saying she hoped “there is a God in heaven, so he who judges you when you die.”

The NYT has confirmed Marquis was indeed fired.

“The employee has been terminated from Wirecutter following our investigation related to inappropriate behavior,” a spokesperson said. “We expect our employees to behave in a way that is consistent with our values and commitment to the highest ethical standards.”

The NYT said her comments threatening to tell fellow NYT employees about the group’s alleged immorality damaged the newspaper’s reputation.

“Repeatedly invoking the New York Times’s name in an unprofessional way that imperils the reputation of Wirecutter, The Times, and all of our journalists is a clear violation of our policies and cannot be tolerated,” the spokesperson said.

Former Minnesota police officer Kim Potter fell apart Friday while testifying in her manslaughter trial for the fatal shooting of Daunte Wright.

Potter, 49, fatally shot 20-year-old Wright following his attempt to flee officers during a traffic stop in April in Brooklyn Center.

“Did you see anything when you saw this?” Potter was asked. “What did you do?”

“We were struggling, we were trying to keep him from driving away, it just went chaotic, and then I remember yelling ‘taser, taser, taser’ and nothing happened,” Potter testified as she began to cry. “And then he told me I shot him.”

Bodycam footage from Brooklyn Center Sgt. Mychal Johnson showed a frantic Potter screaming “Oh my God!” after she realized she shot Wright. “Holy sh*t! I just shot him!”

Johnson could be heard trying to console Potter saying, “Kim, that guy was trying to take off with me in the car.”

Johnson testified that had Wright hit the gas he could have been dragged by. Footage of the incident showed Wright escaped from police officers who had pulled his hands behind his back while placing him under arrest. Wright then jumped in the driver’s seat of his car and put the car in gear.

Stephen Ijames, a veteran Missouri police officer, testified that Potter had been justified in using force – whether it had been the taser or the gun. Ijames testified the officers were probably hyper-vigilant upon learning Wright had a warrant for his arrest.

“The very nature of flight and resistance brings with it danger to people in the path,” Ijames testified, noting it would have been a “dereliction of duty” to allow Wright to flee.

University of South Carolina School of Law Seth Stoughton testified Potter acted in an “excessive and inappropriate” manner.

“The use of deadly force was not appropriate and the evidence suggests that a reasonable officer in Officer Potter’s position could not have believed it was proportional to the threat at the time.”

Stroughton added deadly force would have been proportional but “inappropriate because of the proximity of two other officers and the passenger.”

Republicans in the House of Representatives introduced a bill on Thursday that would require all federal agencies to make records related to the COVID-19 pandemic available for public review within 100 days.

The Answer COVID FOIAs Now Act, sponsored by Texas Rep. Chip Roy, would order the head of each federal agency to clear all Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests related to COVID-19 treatments, as well as anything related to gain-of-function research. It was sparked by a Food and Drug Administration request to keep all documents related to the approval of the Pfizer vaccine classified until 2097, he explained.

“The American people have been misled, and information related to COVID vaccines has been hidden from the public eye or delayed in perpetuity by our public health ‘experts,’ throughout this pandemic,” Roy said. “The FDA’s request to have until 2097 to fully release documents related to the approval of the Pfizer vaccine is absurd. The American people deserve transparent and honest information; that is why I am proud to introduce this bill to bring necessary accountability and transparency for COVID-related FOIA requests. This is the first step among many needed reforms that will address the rank incompetence and dishonesty federal agencies have displayed throughout this pandemic.”

When forced to turn them over, government officials have liberally censored documents related to the COVID-19 pandemic. They have argued that fully disclosing the documents could impact law enforcement activities, or hinder national security.

“We must ensure the public can trust the very government institutions they pay for to serve them with integrity,” South Carolina Rep. and co-sponsor Ralph Norman added. “Fearmongering, virtue signaling, and, at best, inconsistent messaging have eroded the faith in the independence of these agencies and public health officials at large. It is imperative that federal agencies follow through on any FOIA requests in a timely manner on any COVID-related issue. I am proud to work with Rep. Roy on this legislation to restore the public’s faith in our government.”

National Institutes of Health Principal Deputy Director Lawrence Tabak admitted in October that the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID) funded gain-0f-function research through a sub-grant to the non-profit EcoHealth Alliance. NIAID head Dr. Anthony Fauci had denied that his agency funded the practice during congressional testimony.