Conservative Christian rally in Seattle bombarded by rowdy counter-protest against ‘fascist family values’ — 23 arrested

Conservative Christian rally in Seattle bombarded by rowdy counter-protest against 'fascist family values' — 23 arrested

Nearly two dozen people were arrestedin Seattle over the weekendafter left-wing protestors clashed with police at a conservative Christian rally in the heart of the city's historically LGBTQ neighborhood. Seattle police arrested 23 people at Cal Anderson Park in Capitol Hill Saturday, where Mayday USA — a Christian group with staunchly anti-trans beliefs — was holding a rally as part of its national "#Dontmesswithourkids" tour,according to the Seattle Times. Protesters of the MayDay rally waving transgender flags began clashing with police almost immediately after gathering around 1 p.m., with officers in riot gear being shoved and soon pelted with water bottles and other items. Eleven demonstrators were quickly arrested in an "initial scuffle," police said, with the remainder of the arrests happening over the course of about five heated hours as pepper spray was launched into the crowd as it chanted "Go home, fascists!" "The Mayday USA rally in Seattle is provocatively being held in the heart of the Queer community," said organizers of the counter-protest — which they dubbed "Keep Your Bibles Off Our Bodies." The protest's aim was to fight "fascist family values," the organizers added, calling Mayday USA's rally a "well-funded anti-trans, anti-queer event that is led by far-right Christian activists." About 500 demonstrators showed up to the "Keep Your Bibles Off Our Bodies" protest, with about as many people participating in the Mayday USA rally, the Times reported. Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell seemed to side with the counter-protesters, accusing the "far-right rally" of selecting the city'shistorically queer neighborhoodas a location "to provoke a reaction by promoting beliefs that are inherently opposed to our city's values." "Anarchists infiltrated the counter-protestors group and inspired violence, prompting SPD to make arrests and ask organizers to shut down the event early, which they did," he said, adding that he'd ordered his administration to look into the event's permitting. But Mayday USAorganizers say the only peoplecausing trouble were the counter-protestors — and that they didn't even want to hold the rally in Capitol Hill to begin with. "They say we don't like people. We're not the ones throwing things. We're here to love Jesus," said 58-year-old pastor and Mayday USA spokesperson Folake Kellogg, explaining that they tried to hold the event in a different neighborhood but that the city wouldn't let them. Mayday USA said in a statement that it refused "to stand idly by while the children of our nation are indoctrinated by a liberal, political, and sexual agenda that seeks to destroy their God-given identities." But counter-protestors characterized the religious group as hypocritical. "They like to cherry-pick quotes from the Bible. They say they want to protect children from people supposedly bad because of misinformation about trans people," said 19-year-old protestors Kaitlyn Calkins, who carried a sign reading "The Trump fascist regime must go now!!!"

byRoger Fisher

in

May 25, 2025

Conservative Christian rally in Seattle bombarded by rowdy counter-protest against ‘fascist family values’ — 23 arrested

Conservative Christian rally in Seattle bombarded by rowdy counter-protest against 'fascist family values' — 23 arrested Nearly two ...

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7 members of South American theft group arrested for Phoenix burglaries

7 members of South American theft group arrested for Phoenix burglaries

Seven members of a "South American Theft Group (SATG)" were arrested Friday for their involvement in twoPhoenix-areaburglaries, authorities said Saturday. Both heists – one in Tempe and another in Mesa – were committed on May 23, the Scottsdale Police Department said. All seven suspects were arrested on Friday at a short-term rental where they were staying, police said. Scottsdale Police were alerted to the group on May 20 by the Burbank Police Department in California. They were warned about a SATG group from Colombia that had allegedly committed burglariesin California, Oregon and Washington, and were possibly headed to Arizona. Exclusive Video: Dhs Nabs Numerous Suspects In Dramatic Sting Of Rival La Gangs Among the stolen property in California was a French Bulldog, which will be given back to its owner, police said. Read On The Fox News App Authorities in California shared the group's vehicle descriptions and other information with Arizona authorities. Scottsdale detectives eventually tracked the suspects down to the short-term rental property, police said. From May 20-22, authorities watched the group and followed them to theburglarized homeson May 23, police said. Colombian Nationals Arrested In Connection With Dozens Of Home Burglaries In Oregon: Police "They observed all seven suspects coordinate and participate in burglary activity at both locations," a police statement said. The suspects were identified as: Nicolas Rojas Leon, 23; Joan Sebastian Orozco-Vargas, 26; Andres David Sanchez-Novoa, 38; Natalia Isabella Ortiz-Daza, 26; Martha Juliana Echiverri-Guzman, 28; Lady Johanna Gueito, 32; and 25-year-old Angie Paola Herandez-Manrique. Each suspect was ordered held in the Maricopa County Jail pending "numerous criminal charges" on $150,000 cash-only bonds. Original article source:7 members of South American theft group arrested for Phoenix burglaries

byRoger Fisher

in

May 25, 2025

7 members of South American theft group arrested for Phoenix burglaries

7 members of South American theft group arrested for Phoenix burglaries Seven members of a "South American Theft Group (SATG)" wer...

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Far-left streamer Hasan Piker suspended from Twitch after broadcasting DC shooting suspect's manifesto

Far-left streamer Hasan Piker suspended from Twitch after broadcasting DC shooting suspect's manifesto

One of Twitch'smost popular streamerswas suspended from the platform over the weekend for reading the manifesto of the suspect in the killing of two Israeli Embassy staffers last week. Hasan Piker,a streamer with nearly 3 million Twitch followers and 1.6 million YouTube subscribers, is known for broadcasting far-left content under the handle HasanAbi. In a May 23 YouTube video titled "What People Miss About The DC Israeli Embassy Shooting," Piker went through the manifesto of Elias Rodriguez word for word. Rodriguez was charged with two counts of first-degree murder and multiple firearm-related counts after Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim were killed outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday night. In the video, Piker expressed a desire to "understand the mindset" of Rodriguez, who shouted "Free, free Palestine!" as he was arrested. "The reason why I read this manifesto … is oftentimes to understand the mindset of this person, especially when there are a lot of mainstream narratives that will immediately design an alternative scenario," Piker said in the video. 'Cheerleading For Terrorism': Twitch Star Called For New 9/11, Dismissed Horror Of Oct 7 Read On The Fox News App "I don't think that this person acted out on an antisemitic desire or is a f---ing Nazi or anything like that, but that is dangerous in a separate way," he continued. "The very fact that a person who is this legible, who has their s--t together enough to be able to write a f---ing, write prose such as this one, in the act of vengeance, in the acts of vigilante justice in his own mind, is meaningful in and of itself." Piker disputed claims that the shooter, who killed the victims outside an event held by the American Jewish Committee, was antisemitic – despite the fact that Lischinsky was an Israeli Christian and Milgrim was an American Jew. The pair worked together and planned to marry. "The idea that this is a neo-Nazi that came after Jewish people, deliberately looking for Jews to kill, like all of that stuff, is incorrect," Piker said. "This is not a value judgment on the actions of the shooter, but it's obvious that this was a person that was brain-broken by a lot of the realities that are unfolding in Gaza." In a Saturday post on X, Piker announced the suspension and shared an email from Twitch. The email stated that Piker violated a rule about the improper handling of terrorist propaganda content. "Based on a review of your activity or content, we have issued a global suspension on your account," the Twitch email said. "As a result, your access to Twitch services is temporarily restricted. Please be aware that repeated violations may lead to more serious actions on your account, including longer temporary suspensions or permanent suspension." In response, Piker claimed that Twitch's terms of service "dictates a suspension for even critical examination of the manifesto." Tim Walz And Aoc Play Madden On Twitch In Attempt To Appeal To Young Male Voters "i believe this is a bad policy for news and press freedom," Piker's post read. "ill take the suspension, but hope twitch changes this policy in the future." Piker has been known for creating extremist content in the past. He has regularly broadcast propaganda from the Houthis, an Iranian-backed group in Yemen that has been designated by the U.S. as a terrorist group, and claimed that "America deserved 9/11" during a 2019 stream. In March, Piker wastemporarily suspended from Twitchafter making a comment about murdering Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla. "They're not tackling providers; they're not actually going after false billing. They are trying to cut recipients. [Fraud] is not happening at the point of recipient. If you cared about Medicare fraud or Medicaid fraud, you would kill Rick Scott," Piker said. The political commentator later walked back the statements, telling his social media followers that he was "sorry" over the incident. Click To Get The Fox News App "I'll choose my words carefully next time and say, 'if Mike Johnson cares abt (sic) medicare fraud (since he wants to cut 800m from Medicaid/Medicare) he'd call for MAX PUNISHMENT for current fl gop senator/former gov Rick Scott- who has done the most Medicare fraud in us history!'" Piker's post read. Fox News Digital's Nikolas Lanum contributed to this report. Original article source:Far-left streamer Hasan Piker suspended from Twitch after broadcasting DC shooting suspect's manifesto

byRoger Fisher

in

May 25, 2025

Far-left streamer Hasan Piker suspended from Twitch after broadcasting DC shooting suspect's manifesto

Far-left streamer Hasan Piker suspended from Twitch after broadcasting DC shooting suspect's manifesto One of Twitch'smost popular s...

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Former police chief, serving murder and rape sentences, escapes from Arkansas prison

Former police chief, serving murder and rape sentences, escapes from Arkansas prison

A former police chief in Arkansas who is serving decades-long sentences for murder and rape escaped from prison Sunday, state corrections officials said. Grant Hardin, the former police chief of the tiny town of Gateway near the Arkansas-Missouri border, escaped from the North Central Unit in Calico Rock, where he has been held since 2017. Corrections officials did not provide any details about how he escaped. The Division of Correction and the Division of Community Correction are following leads with local, state and federal law enforcement agencies. Hardin pleaded guilty in October 2017 to first-degree murder in connection with the shooting death of 59-year-old James Appleton. According to an affidavit filed in the case, Appleton worked for the Gateway water department and was talking to his brother-in-law, then Gateway Mayor Andrew Tillman, when he was shot in the head on Feb. 23, 2017 near Garfield. Police found Appleton's body inside a car. Hardin, who was Gateway's police chief for about four months in early 2016, was sentenced to 30 years in prison. He is also serving 50 years in prison for the 1997 rape of an elementary school teacher in Rogers north of Fayetteville. KFSM-TV, reporting on his guilty plea in 2019, wrote that police used DNA samples from the crime scene to apply for a John Doe Warrant in 2003 as the statute of limitations neared. The DNA was tested against old and new profiles, and investigators got a match when Hardin was imprisoned for killing Appleton. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account atCNN.com

byRoger Fisher

in

May 25, 2025

Former police chief, serving murder and rape sentences, escapes from Arkansas prison

Former police chief, serving murder and rape sentences, escapes from Arkansas prison A former police chief in Arkansas who is serving decade...

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This robotic arm is creating traditional Chinese ink paintings

This robotic arm is creating traditional Chinese ink paintings

In 2018, Christie's held its first auction for a work of art produced by artificial intelligence (AI), which sold for$432,500. But Hong Kong-based cross-media artist Victor Wong didn't think the painting — which looks like a blurry oil painting of a man — was anything that revolutionary. "It totally mimics human work, it wasn't something different," he said. So the creative — who has a degree in electrical engineering and whose work spans movie special effects, art tech installations, and sculpture, among other art forms — decided to make something unique. His creation, AI Gemini, is an AI-driven robot that creates traditional Chinese landscape paintings — the "first-ever artificial intelligence ink artist in the world," accordingto 3812 Gallery, which represents Wong. (AI Gemini has no relation to Google's generative AI chatbot of the same name). It uses a robotic arm, purchased online and re-programmed, with an attached paintbrush. An algorithm interprets data sets of Wong's choosing, directing the robotic arm to paint mountain contours to form a landscape on Xuan paper, a thin rice paper traditionally used for painting. One series of paintings, inspired by China sendinga lunar roverto the far side of the moon, used information from a public NASA 3D moon map. He's also used data such as stock prices, where the stock index ups and downs can be interpreted as mountains and valleys, he says. The application of colors is based on deep learning and training in traditional ink landscape painting, and the amount of water used depends on changes in humidity, Wong explains. It takes about eight to 10 hours to produce a painting that's one meter (about three feet) tall and wide, he adds. Since Wong launched AI Gemini, he's held exhibitions in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Taipei, and London. He says his paintings have sold for around $20,000 to individual collectors, and he's worked on projects for corporates like Hong Kong's flagship airline Cathay Pacific. Ink landscape paintings date back thousands of years in China. Yet Wong says that by combining the ideas of humans with the capabilities of technology, he hopes to create "something that hasn't been seen before." The use of AI to create artwork is controversial. Earlier this year, more than 6,500 people signed anopen lettercalling on Christie's New York to cancel a sale dedicated solely to art created with the technology —the first of its kindfor a major auction house. The sale, which went ahead, brought in$729,000. Critics say that AI art lacks originality and artists complain that it's based on copyrighted images. Wong doesn't directly use AI-generated images. Instead of "training AI Gemini to copy the masters' artwork" says Wong, he wrote an algorithm to mimichowthe master's work. He says that the paintings he and AI Gemini create are original but adds that people attending his exhibitions will still sometimes exclaim, "It's not art!" Others are experimenting with combining robotics and art. A humanoid robot named Ai-Da is prompted by AI to create a painting, and artist Sougwen Chung has trained robots to paint with them on large canvases. Wong believes in innovation as a creative force. "Technology and art have never been separated," he says. He points to the invention of the paint brush — in China the tool became widespread during the Han dynasty, which lasted from206 BC to 220 AD— that enabled art forms like calligraphy. He adds that in the 15th century, artists including Leonardo da Vinci used innovative techniques like linear perspective, a mathematical system that uses a series of converging lines to create perspective in drawings and paintings. "The master always has a secret recipe to do their work," he says. "They always use the latest technology at the time." Employing artificial intelligence in art is simply a continuation of the trend, he believes, and one that is inevitable. "AI has become a part of life, and people still cannot really accept it, especially when it comes to art," says Wong. But, he adds: "You cannot escape AI." For more CNN news and newsletters create an account atCNN.com

byRoger Fisher

in

May 25, 2025

This robotic arm is creating traditional Chinese ink paintings

This robotic arm is creating traditional Chinese ink paintings In 2018, Christie's held its first auction for a work of art produced by ...

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