4 children who survived 40 days in Colombian jungle recover as harrowing details emerge
The four Indigenous children who survived 40 days in the Amazon jungle after their plane crashed were recovering Sunday in a military hospital in Colombia, as new details of their harrowing story emerged in a country still mesmerized by their saga
2023-06-12 01:48
Has Rachel Morin's killer been found? Cops release video of suspect who may have killed Maryland mom in 'random act of violence'
The mother-of-five's body was discovered naked and brutally beaten on a trail run near her home on August 5
2023-08-18 17:26
New Mexico governor amends order suspending right to carry firearms to focus on parks, playgrounds
New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham on Friday narrowed an order that broadly suspended the right to carry firearms in and around Albuquerque to apply only to public parks and playgrounds where children and their families gather
2023-09-16 03:18
Apple might launch some very powerful Macs at WWDC
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Who was behind 'The Joe Rogan AI Experience' podcast?
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2023-06-20 22:49
Press freedom groups blast police raid of Kansas newspaper office: ‘Everyone involved should be ashamed’
The entire five-member police department of a small town in Kansas raided the office of a local newspaper and the home of its publisher, seizing computers, cell phones and other reporting materials and effectively shutting down publication. The weekly newspaper’s 98-year-old co-owner – apparently overwhelmed by the incident – collapsed and died the following day, according to the Marion County Record. Publisher Eric Meyer said the Marion Police Department’s raid on 11 August took “everything we have.” The incident is likely to cast a “chilling effect” on the newspaper’s abilities to publish and for members of the public to speak with its reporters, he told the Kansas Reflector. “Based on the reporting so far, the police raid of the Marion County Record on Friday appears to have violated federal law, the First Amendment, and basic human decency,” according to a statement from Seth Stern, director of advocacy for Freedom of the Press Foundation. “Everyone involved should be ashamed of themselves,” he added. The raid followed a series of stories about a restaurant owner who kicked reporters out of a meeting with Republican US Rep Jake LaTurner. A source had contacted the newspaper about the restaurant owner’s drunken driving record, and reporters sought to verify the information through government records. Mr Meyer ultimately decided against publishing anything. But the restaurant owner, KarI Newell, falsely claimed during a city council meeting that the newspaper had illegally obtained sensitive documents about her, which prompted the newspaper to publish a story that set the record straight. The newspaper was also actively investigating Gideon Cody, Marion’s chief of police, following allegations that he had retired from a previous job to avoid punishment over accusations of sexual misconduct. The Independent has requested comment from Mr Cody and Marion police. A warrant for the raid – performed by the entire police department and sheriff’s deputies – was signed by Marion County District Court Magistrate Judge Laura Viar. The two-page warrant stated that officers were allowed to seize phones, software, items that contained passwords, and all correspondence and documents “pertaining to Kari Newell.” Chief Cody also reportedly dislocated one reporter’s finger after snatching her phone from her hand during the raid. Officers also reportedly photographed personal financial statements and seized personal items – including a smart speaker used by the paper’s 98-year-old co-owner Joan Meyer to ask for assistance. “These are Hitler tactics and something has to be done,” Ms Meyer said. The following day, the Marion County Record reported that she was “stressed beyond her limits and overwhelmed by hours of shock and grief” following the raid of the newspaper’s office and her home. “Joan Meyer, otherwise in good health for her age, collapsed Saturday afternoon and died at her home,” the newspaper reported. “She had not been able to eat after police showed up at the door of her home Friday with a search warrant in hand. Neither was she able to sleep Friday night.” Emily Bradbury, executive director of the Kansas Press Association, said that the incident is unprecedented in the state. “An attack on a newspaper office through an illegal search is not just an infringement on the rights of journalists but an assault on the very foundation of democracy and the public’s right to know,” she said in a statement. “This cannot be allowed to stand.” The Radio Television Digital News Association also is demanding an explanation from police. Free expression advocacy organisation PEN America said such “egregious attempts to interfere with news reporting cannot go unchecked in a democracy,” and that the seizure of the newspaper’s equipment “almost certainly violates federal law & puts the paper’s ability to publish the news in jeopardy.” In The Record’s own reporting of the incident, Mr Meyer condemned what he called police “Gestapo tactics” used to crush dissent. “We will be seeking the maximum sanctions possible under law,” he added. The Record is expected to file a federal lawsuit. The Press Freedom Tracker has recorded at least 55 incidents targeting journalists’ First Amendment-protected activities within the last year. Earlier this year, officials in Oklahoma were caught on tape fantasizing about killing journalists. Two journalists in North Carolina were recently found guilty of trespassing for reporting on the evictions of homeless people during a law enforcement sweep in Asheville. The latest incident in Kansas appears to be “the latest example of American law enforcement officers treating the press in a manner previously associated with authoritarian regimes,” Mr Stern said. “The anti-press rhetoric that’s become so pervasive in this country has become more than just talk and is creating a dangerous environment for journalists trying to do their jobs,” he added. Read More Michigan officials apologise after wrongly arresting 12-year-old Black boy in ‘unfortunate’ incident A Black woman says she was wrongly arrested at eight months pregnant. She’s suing over ‘mistaken’ face ID tech Lawsuits, jail threats and ‘enemy of the people’: Donald Trump’s endless war on the media
2023-08-13 08:50
Biden's movable wall is criticized by environmentalists and those who want more border security
The Biden administration’s plan to build new barriers along the U.S.-Mexico border in South Texas calls for a “movable” design that frustrates both environmentalists and advocates of stronger border enforcement
2023-11-11 13:25
Hamas' social media following has skyrocketed since its attack. America is powerless to stop it
Hamas is barred from most social media platforms. But its following has surged on popular messaging app Telegram since its October 7 terror attack on Israel.
2023-10-17 03:53
Dettori draws a blank on emotional Royal Ascot farewell
Frankie Dettori was deprived a fairytale farewell to Royal Ascot as the Italian superstar drew a blank on all his...
2023-06-25 02:50
Israel Gaza conflict: Scottish footballer Clark Robertson tells of escape
Clark Robertson, who plays professionally in Israel, has been able to return home to Aberdeen.
2023-10-11 20:49
Japan's new cabinet priorities to keep BOJ in political spotlight
By Leika Kihara TOKYO Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's expected economic stimulus package will focus on easing the
2023-09-13 14:20
Ke Huy Quan reunites with Harrison Ford on 'Indiana Jones' red carpet
Short Round surprised Indiana Jones on the red carpet.
2023-06-16 21:58
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