Secretary of State Marco Rubio terminated the legal status of a 42-year-old Laotian national convicted of repeatedly sexually assaulting a child, and had him deported to Laos, weeks after Minnesota's Board of Pardons wiped his record clean. Internal clemency documents now show exactly why the board's review commission recommended that pardon: four of six commissioners […] The post Documents reveal why Minnesota clemency board pardoned convicted child sex offender facing deportation appeared first on American Almanac .
Secretary of State Marco Rubio terminated the legal status of a 42-year-old Laotian national convicted of repeatedly sexually assaulting a child, and had him deported to Laos, weeks after Minnesota's Board of Pardons wiped his record clean. Internal clemency documents now show exactly why the board's review commission recommended that pardon: four of six commissioners cited the man's fear of deportation as a reason to grant him a fresh start. The case of Tue Lue Vang has become a sharp test of how far state officials will go to shield illegal immigrants from federal immigration enforcement, even when the person in question pleaded guilty to first-degree criminal sexual conduct against a girl who was ten years old when the abuse began. …Open
The Red Cross has pulled its aid workers out of the Netherlands' main asylum seeker registration centre at Ter Apel, declaring that the safety of its employees "can no longer be guaranteed" after a wave of stabbings and harassment by migrants at the overcrowded facility. The decision marks a stark admission from one of the […] The post Red Cross withdraws aid workers from Dutch asylum centre after stabbings, citing safety breakdown appeared first on American Almanac .
The Red Cross has pulled its aid workers out of the Netherlands' main asylum seeker registration centre at Ter Apel, declaring that the safety of its employees "can no longer be guaranteed" after a wave of stabbings and harassment by migrants at the overcrowded facility. The decision marks a stark admission from one of the world's most recognized humanitarian organizations: conditions inside a European asylum centre have deteriorated so badly that even the people sent to help can no longer safely do the job. Local Red Cross director Harm Goossens called the withdrawal a "very drastic decision" driven by violence from what he described as "a small group of troublemakers." Multiple stabbings occurred at the centre in just over a week, and…Open
Apple News and Google News ran zero stories about the mounting controversies surrounding Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner for roughly six months, even as conservative outlets published at least 112 reports on his Nazi tattoo, offensive Reddit posts, and sexual misconduct allegations, a new Media Research Center study alleges. The alleged blackout, which the […] The post Study: Apple News and Google News buried negative coverage of Maine Democrat Graham Platner for months appeared first on American Almanac .
Apple News and Google News ran zero stories about the mounting controversies surrounding Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner for roughly six months, even as conservative outlets published at least 112 reports on his Nazi tattoo, offensive Reddit posts, and sexual misconduct allegations, a new Media Research Center study alleges. The alleged blackout, which the MRC says ran from November through May, began shortly after a late-October poll showed Platner as the strongest Democratic challenger to unseat Republican Sen. Susan Collins. It ended only after The New York Times published a May 30 report on Platner's sexting controversy, by which point the candidate had become a political liability rather than an asset. The timeline…Open
Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger has tapped Stanley Meador, the former head of the FBI's Richmond field office whose shop produced a since-retracted memo calling for surveillance of Catholic churches, to co-chair a new state council on prison reform. The appointment, first reported by the Washington Free Beacon, puts Meador back in a high-profile government role […] The post Spanberger picks former FBI official tied to retracted anti-Catholic memo to lead Virginia prison reform council appeared first on American Almanac .
Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger has tapped Stanley Meador, the former head of the FBI's Richmond field office whose shop produced a since-retracted memo calling for surveillance of Catholic churches, to co-chair a new state council on prison reform. The appointment, first reported by the Washington Free Beacon , puts Meador back in a high-profile government role months after the FBI ousted him over the same controversy that made his name a byword for federal overreach against people of faith. Spanberger announced the Community Partnership Council on Corrections on June 23, naming Meador, her secretary of public safety and homeland security, and Virginia Department of Corrections director Joseph Walters as co-chairs. The governor said…Open
Wai Ching Ho, the Hong Kong-born actress best known for her role as the formidable Madame Gao in Marvel's "Daredevil," has died at 82. Her family confirmed the news in a statement, as NBC News reported on July 13. No cause of death was disclosed. The family did not reveal where Ho died or provide […] The post Wai Ching Ho, Marvel's Madame Gao, dead at 82 appeared first on American Almanac .
Wai Ching Ho, the Hong Kong-born actress best known for her role as the formidable Madame Gao in Marvel's "Daredevil," has died at 82. Her family confirmed the news in a statement, as NBC News reported on July 13. No cause of death was disclosed. The family did not reveal where Ho died or provide an exact date. What they did share was a note of gratitude, and a window into how widely Ho's work had touched people across the industry and beyond. "Her family are deeply grateful for the incredible outpouring of love and support and the many beautiful messages and memories people have shared about our beloved Wai. Reading how much she meant to so many is comforting to us during this difficult time." A career that spanned four decades Ho's…Open
The Michael Jackson biopic "Michael" crossed $1 billion in worldwide ticket sales, a milestone no biographical film has ever reached and a landmark moment for a studio that has long played second fiddle to Hollywood's biggest players. The film's global tally stood at $1.001 billion as of Saturday, Variety reported, with $629.8 million coming from […] The post Lionsgate's 'Michael' becomes first biopic to hit $1 billion at the global box office appeared first on American Almanac .
The Michael Jackson biopic "Michael" crossed $1 billion in worldwide ticket sales, a milestone no biographical film has ever reached and a landmark moment for a studio that has long played second fiddle to Hollywood's biggest players. The film's global tally stood at $1.001 billion as of Saturday, Variety reported , with $629.8 million coming from international markets and $371.8 million from domestic theaters. For Lionsgate, which produced the picture and handled North American distribution, the number rewrites the company's record book entirely. It also sends a message that Hollywood's cultural gatekeepers have been trying to muffle for years: audiences still want to sit in a dark theater and watch a big story told well, no streaming…Open
Navarone Garibaldi Garcia, the 39-year-old son of actress Priscilla Presley and screenwriter Marco Garibaldi, launched a GoFundMe campaign to buy a pizza oven so he can sell "affordable organic pizza" from his driveway. When critics pointed out that his mother is one of the most famous women in America, Garcia fired back on Instagram, telling […] The post Priscilla Presley's 39-year-old son asks strangers for $5,500 to fund a driveway pizza business appeared first on American Almanac .
Navarone Garibaldi Garcia, the 39-year-old son of actress Priscilla Presley and screenwriter Marco Garibaldi, launched a GoFundMe campaign to buy a pizza oven so he can sell "affordable organic pizza" from his driveway. When critics pointed out that his mother is one of the most famous women in America, Garcia fired back on Instagram, telling them to mind their own business. The fundraising goal: $5,500. Garcia says he is putting up $3,000 of his own money. He needs strangers to cover the rest, for an oven. As of Sunday afternoon, Page Six reported that Garcia had raised $2,880, more than halfway to his goal. The backlash, predictably, was already well underway. The pitch Garcia, who fronts a band called Them Guns, posted a video to…Open
England beat Norway 2, 1 in a World Cup quarter-final at Miami Stadium on Saturday night, but the moment that seized the internet had nothing to do with tactics or extra time. It was Victoria Beckham, seated, unmoved, lips pursed, while her husband David leapt from his chair to celebrate Jude Bellingham's first-half stoppage-time goal. […] The post David Beckham defends Victoria after her stone-faced World Cup reaction goes viral appeared first on American Almanac .
England beat Norway 2, 1 in a World Cup quarter-final at Miami Stadium on Saturday night, but the moment that seized the internet had nothing to do with tactics or extra time. It was Victoria Beckham, seated, unmoved, lips pursed, while her husband David leapt from his chair to celebrate Jude Bellingham's first-half stoppage-time goal. The photos spread instantly, and the former Spice Girl became the tournament's most recognizable meme overnight. David Beckham, 51, responded publicly by commenting on a post from stand-up comedian Jenny Johnson, who had poked fun at Victoria's visible lack of enthusiasm. Beckham dropped a string of crying-laughing emojis and a one-liner that told you everything about how the couple has handled 28 years in…Open