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☆ 2 Russian Women Put on a Play. Then the State Came for Them.
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-25 | by ( Valerie Hopkins | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

They wrote and staged their play as an indictment of terrorism, examining the deception and depravity of violent extremists and the people whose lives they ruin. But now the two women behind the production of “Finist the Brave Falcon” are standing trial in a Moscow courtroom, charged with justifying the kind of acts they meant to condemn. The director, Yevgenia Berkovich, 39, and the playwright, Svetlana Petriychuk, 44, two highly decorated fixtures of contemporary Russian theater, have been in custody for more than a year. They face up to seven years in prison if convicted. One of their lawyers and people in the Russian cultural community contend that the prosecution is one of the clearest examples of the accelerating crackdown on freedom of expression since Russia attacked Ukraine in February 2022.

Persons: Yevgenia Berkovich, Svetlana Petriychuk Locations: Moscow, Russian, Russia, Ukraine

☆ Who is Julian Assange, what did the Wikileaks founder do to go through a 12-year legal battle?
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-25 | by ( Helen Regan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange was released from a British prison and was making his way back to his home country Australia on Monday after his 12-year battle against extradition to the United States ended in a plea deal. Assange boarded a flight from London’s Stansted airport on Monday after being released on bail from prison, according to a statement from WikiLeaks on Tuesday. “Julian Assange is free,” WikiLeaks said. WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange boards a plane at a location given as London, Britain, in this still image from video released on June 25, 2024. Former Ecuadorian president Lenín Moreno told CNN he is glad the Wikileaks founder won’t be handed over to the US.

Persons: Julian Assange, Assange, “ Julian Assange, “, Chelsea Manning, ”, Jack Taylor, Hillary Clinton’s, John Podesta, Abu Hamza al, Masri, Joe Biden, Assange’s, Stella Assange, “ Julian, Lenín Moreno, won’t, Moreno, Gustavo Petro Organizations: CNN, Ecuadorian, WikiLeaks, US Justice Department, Wikileaks, Army, US, of Scientology, European, Human Rights, Westminster Magistrates, Democratic National Committee, London’s Metroplitan Police, UN, Amnesty, American Locations: Australia, United States, London, Iraq, Afghanistan, London’s Stansted, ”, United Kingdom, Britain, Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands, Hawaii, Townsville, Queensland, Guantanamo Bay, Iraqi, Sweden, Stockholm, Westminster, England, London’s, Colombia, Mexico

☆ A Timeline of Julian Assange’s Legal Saga
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-24 | by ( Charlie Savage | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Under the agreement he will be freed, having already served that time while in British custody. The deal brought an abrupt end to an extraordinary legal saga that has raised novel issues of national security, press freedoms, politics and diplomacy. Julian Assange, an Australian computer specialist, founds WikiLeaks with a mission of using the internet to help whistle-blowers bring hidden information to light. 2009An Army intelligence analyst becomes a key contributor. A U.S. Army intelligence analyst now known as Chelsea Manning downloads large batches of documents from a classified computer network and begins uploading them to WikiLeaks.

Persons: Julian Assange, Chelsea Manning Organizations: WikiLeaks, Army, U.S . Army Locations: Britain, United States, Australian, Iceland, Sweden

☆ China is greenlighting possible death penalties for 'diehard' supporters of Taiwan gaining independence
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-24 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

China officially says that supporting Taiwan's independence can be a crime. Punishments include prison sentences of more than 10 years and even the death penalty. It's the first time the country has so clearly outlined a set of legal guidelines aimed at Taiwan. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementChina on Friday outlined a list of behaviors that it defines as criminal acts related to supporting Taiwan's independence, saying punishments may go as far as the death penalty.

Persons: — Organizations: Service, Business Locations: China, Taiwan

☆ Julian Assange agrees to plea deal with Biden administration that will allow him to avoid imprisonment in US
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-24 | by ( Evan Perez | Devan Cole | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

The plea deal would credit that time served, allowing Assange to immediately return to Australia, his native country. The plea deal must still be approved by a federal judge, but as of Monday morning, Assange had been released from a UK prison, according to WikiLeaks. A federal judge in the Northern Mariana Islands set a plea hearing and sentencing for Wednesday morning, according to the US District Court there. President Joe Biden in recent months has alluded to a possible deal pushed by Australian government officials to return Assange to Australia. FBI and Justice Department officials have opposed any deal that didn’t include a felony guilty plea by Assange, people briefed on the matter told CNN.

Persons: Julian Assange, Assange, “ Julian Assange, ” Assange, Chelsea Manning, Manning, Joe Biden, Katelyn Polantz, Holmes Lybrand, Lauren Said, Moorhouse, Claudia Rebaza, Christian Edwards Organizations: CNN, Justice Department, WikiLeaks, High Court, Stansted, Department, Prosecutors, Court, Army, FBI Locations: United States, London, Australia, Northern Mariana Islands, Iraq, Guantanamo

☆ Julian Assange has reached a plea deal with the U.S., allowing him to go free
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-24 | by ( Michael Kosnar | Ryan J. Reilly | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

LONDON, ENGLAND - MAY 19: Julian Assange gestures as he speaks to the media from the balcony of the Embassy Of Ecuador on May 19, 2017 in London, England. Photo by Jack Taylor/Getty Images)WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange plans to plead guilty as part of a plea deal with the U.S. Justice Department that will allow him to go free after spending five years in a British prison, according to court documents. Assange was charged by criminal information — which typically signifies a plea deal — with conspiracy to obtain and disclose national defense information, the court documents say. Court documents revealing Assange's plea deal were filed Monday evening in the U.S. District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands, a U.S. territory in the Pacific Ocean. A superseding indictment was returned against Assange more than five years ago, in May 2019, and a second superseding indictment was returned in June 2020.

Persons: Julian Assange, Jack Taylor, Assange, Barack Obama's, Chelsea Manning, —, Robert Mueller, Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, Trump, Putin, Manning, Obama Organizations: U.S . Justice Department, Department, WikiLeaks, Northern, Ecuadorian Embassy, Court, Democratic National Committee Locations: ENGLAND, Ecuador, London, England, U.S, Afghanistan, Iraq, Northern Mariana Islands, Australia, London —, United States, Russian

☆ Assange Agrees to Plead Guilty in Exchange for Release, Ending Standoff With U.S.
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-24 | by ( Glenn Thrush | Megan Specia | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, agreed to plead guilty on Monday to a single felony count of illegally obtaining and disclosing national security material in exchange for his release from a British prison, ending his long and bitter standoff with the United States. Mr. Assange, 52, was granted his request to appear before a federal judge at one of the more remote outposts of the federal judiciary, the courthouse in Saipan, the capital of the Northern Mariana Islands, according to a brief court filing made public late Monday. It was a fitting final twist in the case against Mr. Assange, who doggedly opposed extradition to the U.S. mainland. The islands are a United States commonwealth in the middle of the Pacific Ocean — and much closer to Mr. Assange’s native Australia, where he is a citizen, than courts in the continental United States or Hawaii. Shortly after the deal was disclosed, WikiLeaks said that Mr. Assange had left London.

Persons: Julian Assange, Assange, doggedly, ” Matthew J, McKenzie Organizations: WikiLeaks, United, Australia “, Justice Locations: United States, Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands, Britain, U.S, Assange’s, Australia, Hawaii, London

☆ Larry Ray was accused of starting a sex cult of college students at Sarah Lawrence. Here's where he is today.
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-23 | by ( Callie Ahlgrim | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Read previewBack in 2019, The Cut published a bombshell investigation into a pattern of concerning student behavior at Sarah Lawrence College. After "The Stolen Kids of Sarah Lawrence" was published in April 2019, a joint FBI and NYPD task force began investigating the allegations. Ray (born Lawrence Grecco) was indicted on charges including sex trafficking, forced labor, conspiracy, racketeering, tax evasion, and exploitation. In early 2023, Judge Lewis Liman sentenced Ray, then 63, to serve 60 years in prison. Later that year, several of the cult's survivors filed a lawsuit against Sarah Lawrence, saying the school failed to protect them.

Persons: —, Larry Ray, Ray, Talia Ray, Hulu docuseries, Here's, Talia, Ray ., Santos Rosario, Sarah Lawrence, Lawrence Grecco, Claudia Drury, Drury, William F, Sweeney Jr, Judge Lewis Liman, Liman Organizations: Service, Sarah Lawrence College, Business, Hulu, FBI, NYPD, Prosecutors, New York Times, York Magazine Locations: New Jersey, Manhattan

☆ Warnings signs for Biden’s Jewish support as war in Gaza drags on and antisemitism rises
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-23 | by ( Edward-Isaac Dovere | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +14 min

Still, conversations about a possible drift toward Donald Trump, though, are evident in the several Jewish elected Democratic leaders who grimaced and ducked when asked by CNN to discuss their sense of Jewish support for Biden. Talking with Jewish voters in Michigan, “I’ve had a couple of people say point blank, ‘How could any Jew vote for a Democrat?’” said Troy Zukowski, the West Michigan chair of the Michigan Jewish Democrats. The president does have some key Jewish voices of support in important places. Trump’s support among Jewish voters in 2020, at 30% according to Associated Press exit polls, was the highest for a Republican presidential candidate in decades. The expected central theme of that effort, according to one of the people involved, will be: As a Jewish American, do you feel safer than you did four years ago?

Persons: Joe Biden’s, –, Biden, Joe ”, Kamala Harris, Doug Emhoff, Donald Trump, grimaced, megadonor Haim Saban, “ I’ve, ’ ”, Troy Zukowski, “ I’m, I’m, Alejandro Mayorkas, Neera Tanden, Jon, John Kirby, Kirby, Joe Biden, ”, Josh Shapiro, “, Shapiro, Pharaoh, Hitler, Kim Jong, Benjamin Netanyahu’s, Emhoff, Ben Stiller, chitchatting, Alex Edelman’s, Israel, sickening ”, Trump, Morgan Ortagus, Haile Sofer, Jake Sullivan, Netanyahu, Lee Zeldin, ” Zeldin, Rashida, Harris, Biden “, ” Emhoff, who’s, antisemites, Andrew Weinstein, it’s, “ He’s, I’ve, Joe Organizations: Washington CNN, CNN, Jewish, Democratic, White, Biden, Democrat, Michigan Jewish Democrats, Trump, Homeland, National Security, Justice, NSC, Pennsylvania, American, Israel, Nova Music, Wing, House, Jewish voters Trump, State Department, Jewish Democratic Council of America, Associated Press, Republican, United Arab Emirates, Capitol, GOP, Democratic Party, Biden ’, Republican Jewish Coalition, Naval Observatory Locations: Israel, Pennsylvania , Michigan, Georgia, Wisconsin, Arizona, Michigan, West Michigan, Palestine, president’s State, Jerusalem, Gaza, Lower, Manhattan, Brooklyn, America, Charlottesville , Virginia, Germany, Washington, Bahrain, New York, Detroit, American, Charlottesville, ”, Florida

☆ After Escaping China by Sea, a Dissident Faces His Next Act
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-23 | by ( John Yoon | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The dissident’s lone regret after his 200-mile escape across the Yellow Sea was not taking night vision goggles. Nearing the end of his jet ski journey out of China last summer, Kwon Pyong peered through the darkness off the South Korean coast. As he approached the shore, sea gulls appeared to bob as if floating. “I had everything — sunscreen, backup batteries, a knife to cut buoy lines,” he recalled in an interview. In response, he said, he faced an exit ban and years of detention, prison and surveillance.

Persons: Kwon, ” Organizations: Communist Party Locations: China, Korean, South Korea

CNN —Iranian dissident rapper Toomaj Salehi had his death sentence overturned by the Iranian Supreme Court this week in what his lawyers have deemed a victory for human rights in Iran. After being briefly released from prison in 2023, Salehi was re-arrested for “making false claims and spreading lies,” according to Iranian judiciary news agency Mizan. On Saturday, his lawyer Amir Raesian broke the news of the reversal in a post on X, saying that the Iranian Supreme Court had “avoided irreparable judicial error” and overturned Salehi’s death sentence this week. The Supreme Court found that the death sentence delivered to Salehi was excessive and failed to comply with Iranian law,” the group said in a statement Saturday. London-based human rights lawyer Caoilfhionn Gallagher who is the international counsel for the Salehi family said it was “not enough” that his life had been “spared” by the Iranian authorities.

Persons: Toomaj Salehi, Salehi, Mahsa, Amir Raesian, “, Iran’s, Chambers, Caoilfhionn Gallagher, Gallagher, ” Gallagher, Toomaj, ” “, Richard Branson, ”, Jemimah Steinfeld, ” Claudia Bennett Organizations: CNN, Iranian, Mizan, UN, Academy, Human Rights Foundation Locations: Iranian, Iran, Isfahan, London’s, London, British

☆ Paul Whelan urges Biden admin to take ‘decisive action’ to secure his release as he surpasses 2,000 days in Russian custody
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-22 | by ( Jennifer Hansler | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Whelan said he was aware that Gershkovich’s trial is scheduled to begin behind closed doors in the Russian city of Yekaterinburg next week. Gershkovich, who has been declared wrongfully detained, has also been charged with espionage, which he denies. And in my case, that’s 100% true, and I’m sure in Evan’s case, it’s 100% true. But people go to trial here and they’re automatically guilty, and then they’re given a sentence, and that’s it,” he said. “We put a substantial offer on the table to secure the release of Evan and Paul Whelan some months ago, as we said publicly; we’re continuing to work to secure their release.

Persons: CNN —, Paul Whelan, ”, Biden, Evan Gershkovich, Whelan, “, You’re, it’s, ” Whelan, Evan, Paul, you’ve, ’ ”, Trevor, Reed, – Gordon Black, Alsu Kurmasheva, Gershkovich, they’re, Matthew Miller Organizations: CNN, US State Department, ex, Marine, State Department, ”, Moscow – Locations: Mordovia, Russia, Moscow, Guantanamo, Russian, Yekaterinburg

☆ Fahim Saleh murder jury must decide if Tyrese Haspil believed stabbing and dismembering tech CEO was 'reasonable'
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-21 | by ( Laura Italiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +16 min

Days before admittedly stabbing and dismembering tech CEO Fahim Saleh, ex-personal assistant Tyrese Haspil admittedly used $750 of his victim's money to buy this 6-by-6-inch cake for his girlfriend. Anything less than unanimity — say if one juror accepts Haspil's EED defense and 11 do not — will cause a mistrial. Killer Tyrese Haspil, left, and Fahim Saleh in the lobby of Saleh's Lower Manhattan condo complex, one minute before the attack. Tyrese Haspil, accused of the 2020 murder-dismemberment of tech CEO Fahim Saleh, in state Supreme Court in Manhattan. Fahim Saleh is facing his killer, Tyrese Haspil, as the elevator doors close on the victim's apartment.

Persons: —, They'll, Tyrese, Fahim Saleh, Haspil, Saleh, Tyrese Haspil, Louis Vuitton, Chauveau, Alan Chin, who'd, Barry Rosenfeld, he'd, Linda Ford, He'd, Exed, Tasers, Fahim Saleh's, Joseph Goldstein, Sam Roberts —, Society — Organizations: Service, Business, Attorney, Louis, Manhattan, Home Depot, York Penal Law, Amazon, Buy.Taser.com, New York, Society Locations: Manhattan, France, Lower Manhattan, American, Gokada, Nigeria, Brooklyn, Lagos, New York, balaclava, New

☆ Ángeles Flórez Peón, Spanish Civil War’s Last Militiawoman, Dies at 105
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-21 | by ( Adam Nossiter | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Ángeles Flórez Peón was 17 when she braved mortar and artillery fire to bring food to her fellow Republican volunteers in the trenches of northern Spain during the Spanish Civil War. At 18, she was a nurse tending to the wounded in the doomed effort to save Spain from a military takeover. Ms. Flórez Peón died on May 23 in a hospital in Gijón, Asturias. The Spanish press, which first reported her death, called her the last remaining militiawoman of the Spanish Civil War. Pedro Sánchez, Spain’s Socialist prime minister, paid tribute to her on social media, writing, “105 years of dignity, commitment and struggle for equality, liberty and social justice.”

Persons: Ángeles, Peón, Flórez Peón, Pedro Sánchez, ” Organizations: Republican, Nationalist, Socialist Locations: Spain, Asturias, Gijón

☆ Steve Bannon makes longshot request to Supreme Court to avoid prison
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-21 | by ( John Fritze | Tierney Sneed | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: 1 min

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☆ The man who dismembered tech CEO Fahim Saleh said he was so in love he was disturbed. Prosecutors say he was on Bumble.
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-21 | by ( Katie Balevic | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Read previewA Manhattan jury is about to decide the fate of Tyrese Haspil, the 25-year-old former personal assistant on trial for the brutal murder of his boss, tech CEO Fahim Saleh. That's the only major question," Roberts told the jury, arguing that his client was suffering from extreme emotional disturbance, or EED. Those thefts spiked when he got into the relationship, Roberts told the jury, referencing a graph of the embezzlements over time. When it was the government's turn to make closing arguments, prosecutor Linda Ford popped the love bubble.

Persons: —, Tyrese Haspil, Fahim Saleh, Saleh, Haspil, Sam Roberts, Roberts, Chauveau, Marine, Linda Ford, Ford, Bumble, April Newbauer Organizations: Service, Haspil, Business Locations: New York, Nigeria, Manhattan, France

☆ Appeals Court Denies Bannon’s Emergency Motion to Remain Free
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-21 | by ( Zach Montague | More About Zach Montague | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The three-judge appeals panel that denied Mr. Bannon’s emergency motion on Thursday was split, 2 to 1, with Judge Justin R. Walker dissenting. Judge Walker noted that Mr. Bannon was petitioning the Supreme Court to consider his case and wrote that he should remain free until it decides whether to hear his appeal. Mr. Bannon’s lawyers have argued that his case involves important legal questions surrounding the separation of powers. At trial, they argued that Mr. Bannon was acting on the advice of lawyers who counseled him that he could disregard the subpoena under former President Donald J. Trump’s executive privilege. Mr. Bannon had served briefly as Mr. Trump’s top political adviser in the White House but had left the position long before the attack on the Capitol.

Persons: Stephen K, Bannon’s, Bannon, Trump, Justin R, Walker, Judge Walker, Donald J, Trump’s Organizations: Capitol

☆ Fake elector case in Nevada dismissed over venue question, state attorney general vows appeal
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-21 | by ( Associated Press | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford said he’ll take the issue to the state Supreme Court after Clark County District Court Judge Mary Kay Holthus ruled that Las Vegas was the wrong venue for the case. “They’re done,” said Margaret McLetchie, attorney for Clark County Republican Party chairman Jesse Law, one of the defendants in the case. The state Republican Party issued a statement welcoming the court decision, pointing to Ford’s vow to appeal and asking for contributions to continue the court fight. Chattah ran as a Republican in 2022 for state attorney general and lost to Ford by just under 8% of the vote. Also, unlike other states, Nevada did not have a legal challenge pending in courts at the time.

Persons: Donald Trump, Aaron Ford, he’ll, Mary Kay Holthus, we’ll, ” Ford, “ They’re, ”, Margaret McLetchie, Jesse Law, Michael McDonald, Jim DeGraffenreid, Shawn Meehan, Jim Hindle, Eileen Rice, McDonald’s, Richard Wright, Ford, ” Wright, Holthus, Matthew Rashbrook, McDonald, Brian Hardy, Meehan, Sigal Chattah, Chattah, Joe Biden, Kenneth Chesebro, Chesebro, Trump, Biden, State Barbara Cegavske, Cegavske Organizations: LAS VEGAS, Las, Clark County Republican, Democratic, Republican, “, Republican Party, Convention, Ford, Trump, State Locations: Nevada, Clark, Las Vegas, Carson, Douglas, Storey County, Carson City, Reno, ”, Nevada’s Storey, Milwaukee, Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin

☆ Supreme Court upholds domestic violence gun restriction
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-21 | by ( Lawrence Hurley | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Activists rally outside the U.S. Supreme Court before the start of oral arguments in the United States v. Rahimi second amendement case in Washington on Tuesday, November 7, 2023. The Supreme Court on Friday upheld a federal law that prohibits people subjected to domestic violence restraining orders from having firearms, taking a step back from its recent endorsement of a broad right to possess a gun. The court on an 8-1 vote ruled in favor of the Biden administration, which was defending the law — one of several federal gun restrictions currently facing legal challenges. He argued that he cannot be prosecuted under the federal gun possession restriction in light of what the Supreme Court concluded. But the case before the justices concerns his separate prosecution by the Justice Department for violating the federal gun possession law.

Persons: Biden, John Roberts, Clarence Thomas, Hunter Biden, Joe Biden's, Ketanji Brown Jackson, Joe Biden, Zackey, Rahimi's, Rahimi Organizations: U.S, Supreme, New York State, Justice Department, Circuit, Appeals Locations: United States, Washington, Texas, Arlington , Texas, New Orleans

Trump’s campaign insists the former president is his own best adviser and he alone will make the call. Vance,” Trump Jr. told Newsmax in January. That’s a key concern of Trump’s top advisers who have otherwise let the former president dictate the process. “President Trump should not be made to explain other people’s scandals or statements.”Burgum’s wealth may have worked in his favor for a time when Trump trailed President Joe Biden in the money wars. But the recent influx of cash into the campaign following Trump’s fundraising blitz and criminal convictions has blunted that advantage.

Persons: Donald Trump, Donald Trump Jr, Sen, J.D, Vance, Rupert Murdoch, Trumpworld, Doug Burgum, Sean Hannity, Florida Sen, Marco Rubio, Trump, —, Burgum, Rubio, South Carolina Sen, Tim Scott, Elise Stefanik, Byron Donalds, Ben Carson, “, Susie Wiles, Chris LaCivita, Wiles, “ Susie, Nikki Haley, Scott, In Rubio, Hannity, Kellyanne Conway, Trump’s, Mike Pence, Conway, ” Conway, namechecked Donalds, Marc Andreessen, Brian Hook, Bill Ackman —, Ken Griffin, Griffin, Haley, Steve Bannon, Bannon, Paul, Trump’s Jesus, Jesus, ” Bannon, ” Trump, Newsmax, ” Tucker Carlson, Carlson, Vance “, I’ve, Pence, ”, bankroll, Marco Rubio’s, Joe Biden Organizations: CNN, Ohio Republican, North Dakota Gov, Fox News, Florida, Trump, Republican National Convention, House GOP, Florida Rep, Urban, Street, South Carolina Gov, Indiana Gov, Washington Post, Democratic Party, The New York Times, Wednesday, White, Politico, Trump Jr, GOP, Fox, North, Republican, New, ”, Wall Street, Murdoch’s, Corp, “ Locations: Milwaukee, South Carolina, Florida, New York City, Nevada, Conway, Mar, Washington, South Florida, Miami, Vance’s, North Dakota, White

David DePape was convicted on Friday of five charges, brought by the state of California, for breaking into Nancy Pelosi’s home in 2022 and beating her husband with a hammer. The verdict in the state trial concluded a case that had raised fears of politically motivated violence in a divided America and reflected some of the darkest currents in the country’s politics. In the years leading up to the attack, Mr. DePape was submerged in online conspiracy theories like Pizzagate and QAnon and the virulent rhetoric that right-wing figures had for years embraced against their opponents, including Ms. Pelosi. The convictions by a state jury in a San Francisco courtroom followed Mr. DePape’s convictions in federal court last year that resulted in a 30-year sentence. Mr. DePape, 44, now faces a life sentence without parole in state prison, to be completed after he serves his federal term.

Persons: David DePape, Nancy Pelosi’s, DePape, Ms, Pelosi Locations: California, America, San Francisco

☆ 'Perfect Wife' is based on the true story of a woman who faked her kidnapping. Here's what happened to Sherri Papini.
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-21 | by ( Eammon Jacobs | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read preview"Perfect Wife: The Mysterious Disappearance of Sherri Papini" tells the story of a woman who went missing on November 2, 2016, after she staged her own kidnapping. The Hulu true crime docuseries details how Sherri Papini was found 22 days later in Yolo County, California, near Interstate 5, some 150 miles away from her home in Redding, California. AdvertisementShe signed a plea deal admitting that she had lied to the authorities and that the kidnapping never happened. Papini was released from prison in 2023Sherri Papini leaves the federal courthouse after being sentenced to 18 months in prison in September 2022. Rich Pedroncelli/APAccording to the Federal Bureau of Prisons, Papini was officially released from prison on September 29, 2023.

Persons: —, Sherri Papini, James Reyes, Denise Huskins, Matthew Muller, Papini, Reyes, Keith Papini, Rich Pedroncelli, Papini's, I've, Violet, Tyler Organizations: Service, Business, Netflix, FBI, Federal Bureau of Prisons, CBS News, Redding, USA Locations: Yolo County , California, Redding , California, Costa Mesa, Sacramento , California, California

☆ Russian court begins hearing treason case against US-Russian citizen
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-20 | by ( Christian Edwards | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —The trial of a US-Russian dual citizen, accused of committing treason by fundraising for Ukraine’s military, has begun in the Russian city of Yekaterinburg. Chris Van Deerden, Karelina’s boyfriend, told CNN he had bought her tickets to visit the country as a birthday gift. Karelina is among several American citizens being held in Russian prisons, including journalists and former soldiers. His trial will also be held behind closed doors in Yekaterinburg, where he was arrested more than a year ago. Discussing Karelina’s case, the Russian investigative journalist Andrei Soldatov told CNN the FSB aims “to build up a bank of hostages with American passports,” which Moscow can use “as leverage” in any negotiations with Washington.

Persons: Ksenia Karelina, Chris Van Deerden, ”, ” Van Heerden, Karelina, Evan Gershkovich, Andrei Soldatov Organizations: CNN, Federal Security Service, Street Locations: Russian, Yekaterinburg, Ksenia, Ukrainian, Beverly Hills , California, Los Angeles, Russia, New York, Ukraine, American, Moscow, Washington

☆ Israel-Gaza war: He saved the life of Hamas’s leader. Then they murdered his nephew
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-20 | by ( Sophie Tanno | Tal Alroy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

“I know the person who planned and conceived and initiated this criminal attack,” Bitton told CNN’s Christiane Amanpour. Bitton blames Sinwar for the murder of his nephew, who was killed after Hamas militants raided his home on October 7. In 1989, he was sentenced to four life sentences in Israel for the abduction and killing of two Israeli soldiers. Nir Oz was one of several kibbutzim that bore the brunt of Hamas’ attack on October 7, with many residents murdered or taken hostage. He doesn’t care.”With this in mind, Bitton believes that Israel made a mistake by not creating an alternative to Hamas’s rule, which could have undermined Sinwar’s power.

Persons: CNN — Hamas’s, Israel, Yuval Bitton, “, ” Bitton, CNN’s Christiane Amanpour, –, – Yahya Sinwar, Bitton, Sinwar, Tamir Adar, Yuval Bitton “, ” Sinwar, Khan, ”, Gilad Shalit, Gilad, Nir Oz, Tamir, Bitton –, Bitton's Organizations: CNN, Hamas, Israel, IDF Locations: Gaza, Nafha, Israel

☆ George Santos says he's now on OnlyFans, but he's there to 'stir the pot' and not to post 'adult content'
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-20 | by ( Kwan Wei Kevin Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Fans of the disgraced ex-congressman George Santos can now subscribe to him on OnlyFans. Santos announced his debut on the popular adult content creation platform on Wednesday. AdvertisementFormer Rep. George Santos has found a new way to monetize his infamy besides selling videos on Cameo. According to Santos' OnlyFans profile, a monthly subscription costs $29.99, while a three-month bundle will set his fans back $80.97. https://t.co/vYviMechYB — George Santos (@MrSantosNY) June 19, 2024But Santos was quick to downplay any expectations of him releasing racy snaps.

Persons: George Santos, Santos, —, vYviMechYB — George Santos, Semafor, Marcia Kramer, It's Organizations: Service, Business, CBS

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