Posts Categorized: News

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Outrage as border agents on horseback ’round up’ Haitians for deportation; DHS tells Haiti’s government to expect EIGHT flights per day

PAUL RATJE/AFP via Getty Images

Border agents on horseback chased down and "rounded up" Haitian immigrants like cattle in Del Rio, Texas on Sunday.

One of the agents was seen swinging a rope to lasso a person wading in the Rio Grande.

More than 15,000 Haitians traveled to the Texas through South America and Mexico. They have been living in squalor amid human waste under the Del Rio International Bridge for a week.

The Department of Homeland Security said 400 agents and police will be in Del Rio, Texas on Monday to process the Haitian migrants for deportation back to Haiti.

PAUL RATJE/AFP via Getty Images

Advocacy groups are demanding answers to the disparity in U.S. immigration policy toward the Haitians.

Texas officials are overwhelmed by the surge of mainly Haitian immigrants that swelled from 4,000 to 14,000 in just 2 days last week.

A prevailing theory is that Haitians believe the Biden administration will treat them more kindly than the Trump administration that did everything it could to restrict border crossings.

PAUL RATJE/AFP via Getty Images

But DHS officials say the Haitians are not welcome here. One official said the migrants are being deported under Title 42 health protections -- due to Covid-19.

"Our borders are not open, and people should not make the dangerous journey," one official said.

But rather than resettle the Haitians in cities across the US - as Biden did with thousands of Mexican and Afghan migrants - the Haitians are being deported back to Haiti before they can apply for asylum.

Jordan Vonderhaar/Getty Images

After arriving in Ciudad Acuna, Mexico, the migrants waded across the Rio Grande dam in knee deep water to reach the encampment under the Del Rio International Bridge in Texas.

Prosperous Haitians who paid up to $10,000 to fly to South America from Haiti found themselves living in squalor under the bridge alongside the poorest Haitians.

Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

Their perilous journey ended right back where they started.

The first planeload of nearly 300 refugees landed in Haiti on Sunday.

As they descended the steps, many hid their faces from the cameras and threatened photographers who took their pictures.

One Haitian man said he lived and worked in Chile for years after migrating there when the 2010 earthquake in Haiti killed more than 200,000 people. He only followed the others to Texas when jobs dried up in Chile.

The man said border agents snatched him from under the bridge as he slept in the middle of the night and deported him back to a country he barely knows.

"How could they bring us back here?" he asked. "This is an injustice. I don't even know where we are going to sleep tonight.

"If Biden continues with these deportations, he's no better than Trump. I'm afraid for my safety here. I don't even know this country anymore."

DHS has told Haiti's government to expect up to eight flights a day beginning Monday.

Tom Cartwright of the advocacy group Witness at the Border who tracks repatriation flights, said three Coast Guard planes left Texas bound for Haiti on Sunday.

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Kasim Reed says crime and violence are ‘tearing Atlanta apart’

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Instagram/@kasimreed

Kasim Reed said the high level of crime and violence in Atlanta is a "national embarrassment", and he plans to crack down on crime if he is reelected mayor.

Reed is seeking reelection as mayor of Atlanta on Nov. 2. His first two terms as mayor began in 2010.

The mayoral candidate spoke by phone with Audacity Atlanta's Maria Boynton during the Grand Opening of his campaign headquarters at 568 14th Street in northwest Atlanta.

Reed says the level of crime and violence is "tearing Atlanta apart". He added, "right now 20 percent of the citizens of Atlanta want to leave the city."

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Courtesy, Precious Anderson, Esq.

Reed has raised over $2 million for his campaign so far. His campaign continues hosting high-profile events, including a private reception and fundraiser hosted by attorney Precious Anderson (pictured) at her Atlanta home on Wednesday.

Reed told the invited guests that if he is reelected, he plans to hire 750 new police officers.

He also told the intimate gathering that he is going to make sure women feel safer and that people in general feel safer in Atlanta.

Also, he will reopen City Hall where workers will be accessible to the residents of Atlanta.

He also discussed his plan to make more women millionaires through his Women Entrepreneurship Initiative that he started when he was mayor.

Some Atlantans say they hope Reed will make the Katherine Janness case a top priority when he's reelected mayor.

Katherine Janness and her dog, Bowie, were brutally stabbed in Piedmont Park on June 28. Their bodies were discovered by Janness' girlfriend, Emma Clark, about 50 yards inside the 10th Street gate just after 1 a.m.

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Facebook

"There was a slice on her face, like in an X pattern on her face," said Clark, pictured right. "And there was a deep cut to her throat; it was cut all the way to the bone."

Janness, 40, had been stabbed multiple times and a word was carved into her body.

"It's a very frightening crime," Fulton County District Attorney Fani T. Willis told The Washington Post.

Evidence suggests the killer spent time with the body after the murder.

"And that is strange," Willis said. "Most people commit a murder and want to get the hell away because they don't want to be caught."

Janness' killing stood out among the city's 110 homicides this year. She was Atlanta's first white homicide victim of 2021.

Willis, who started the job in January, faced a daunting backlog of 12,000 arrests from last year that have not resulted in formal charges.

Most of the city's homicides are committed by repeat offenders who were released from jail early due to overcrowding and staffing issues.

The city has convened 2 grand juries to sift through the evidence and return indictments. However, Willis said it could take "years" to clear the backlog of criminal cases.

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Nicki Minaj fans protest outside CDC in Atlanta

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A small but vocal group of Nicki Minaj supporters protested outside the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta on Wednesday.

According to Yahoo! News, the group was comprised of members of the anti-vaccine Black Hammer organization.

The protesters shouted "Nicki told the truth!" and "Fauci lied to me!" - referring to Dr. Anthony Fauci, Covid-19 adviser to Pres. Joe Biden.

The demonstrators also chanted "down with the CDC, Fauci lies to me."

A man in a black mask holding a megaphone said, "Nicki Minaj said I'm not going to take your vaccine."

The activists approached cars leaving the CDC headquarters on the city's northeast side.

Nicki sparked controversy earlier this week when she tweeted her reason for skipping this year's Met Gala.

The "Anaconda" rapper told her 22.6 million followers she was unvaccinated and preferred to do her own research before getting the vaccine.

She also claimed a friend of her cousin in her native Trinidad experienced impotency and swollen testicles after getting the shots.

Health ministers in Trinidad held an urgent press conference to deny the claim.

The ministers told the BBC "there is absolutely no reported side effect or adverse event of testicular swelling in Trinidad."

Watch the video below.

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Wendy Williams Hospitalized for Psychiatric Evaluation

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Wendy Williams has reportedly been hospitalized for a psychiatric evaluation after suffering a psychotic break.

According to TMZ, the 57-year-old host was voluntarily admitted to a hospital in New York on Wednesday for a psychiatric hold.

Police responded to a 911 call about a "non-violent" 57-year-old woman behaving erratically at Wendy's luxury high-rise in Manhattan.

She was bundled into an ambulance and transported to a NY hospital where she was admitted for a mental health evaluation.

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Wendy, who is fully vaccinated, was previously hospitalized after she tested positive for a "breakthrough case" of Covid-19. A source told TMZ that Wendy is currently "asymptomatic", meaning she is showing no symptoms of Covid.

Breakthrough cases occur when fully vaccinated persons are infected with Covid-19.

According to the Centers for Disease Control data on breakthrough cases: "Vaccine breakthrough cases are expected," and "no vaccine is 100% effective at preventing illness."

James Devaney/Getty Images

It's unclear at this stage when the talk show Diva will be discharged from the hospital. However, the insider told TMZ that her mental health "continues to improve each day".

It isn't clear what triggered Wendy's mental break. She recently began dating again after breaking off a mentally abusive relationship earlier this year.

Due to Williams' mental and physical health issues, the premiere of the new season of The Wendy Williams Show has been pushed from September 20 to October 4.

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Viral star Antoine Dodson’s mother dies; Seeks donations for funeral expenses

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Antoine Dodson, best known for going viral in 2010 after he declared "Hide yo kids, hide yo wife" in a news interview -- is mourning the death of his mother.

Antoine tells TMZ that his mom, Jennifer, died Sunday at a hospital in Decatur, Alabama. Antoine said her death came as a shock because he thought she was doing better after recent health issues.

Antoine says his mom began having problems with her leg around the time he became Internet famous. Her leg was amputated a few months ago. An infection set in and she was transferred to the ICU, but Antoine says she was getting better, according to TMZ.

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GoFundMe

Sadly, Jennifer took a turn for the worse and Antoine got the call on Sept. 12 that his mom had passed. He tells TMZ doctors believe she died of heart failure.

Antoine, 35, is asking for donations to cover his mother's funeral expenses. He says because of the pandemic, he's strapped for cash and really needs help.

Antoine created a GoFundMe account to raise cash. As of Friday morning, over $6,000 was raised of his $9,000 goal.

He wrote in the summary:

"I'm not in a financial position to put my mom to rest and so I'm asking for your help, even if you can't I appreciate all the love and support coming, God bless us all!! Thank you."

Antoine renounced his homosexuality in 2013 and disappeared from the limelight.
 

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UFC star Conor McGregor lunges at rapper Machine Gun Kelly before Video Music Awards: ‘I don’t fight little vanilla boy rappers’

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Machine Gun Kelly and Ultimate Fighting Champion superstar Conor McGregor nearly came to blows on the red carpet at the MTV Video Music Awards on Sunday night.

The two stars clashed outside the Barclays Center in New York before the ceremony got underway after the professional fighter appeared to lunge at the rap-rocker.

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Conor, who attended the VMAs with his voluptuous wife Dee Devlin, had to be pulled away by security guards. The fighter fractured his left tibia against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 in July. His handlers feared he might re-injure himself.

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Kelly, 31, walked the red carpet with his actress girlfriend Megan Fox, 35, who bared all in a completely see-through dress.

Sources claim Conor flew into a rage when Kelly refused to pose for a photo op with him.

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A New York Post insider claims McGregor threw his drink at Kelly, which prompted Kelly to step to Conor.

"They scuffled then it settled down and Conor went for him again," one source told the publication. "Everyone was screaming. McGregor was ready to throw fists. Security was having trouble holding him back."

Conor's representative was quick to downplay the drama, telling Page Six, "Conor only fights fighters."

Conor, 33, later told Entertainment Tonight "absolutely nothing" happened between him and Kelly.

"He showed up, and I don't know. I don't know the guy," he said. "Nothing happened with me, I only fight real fighters, people that actually fight, you know what I mean. I certainly don't fight little vanilla boy rappers. I don't even know the guy. I don't know anything about him, except that he's with Megan Fox."

Watch video of the skirmish below.
 

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4 People Injured in Dunwoody (Georgia) Apartment Explosion

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CBS46 News

Four people were injured when an apartment complex exploded in Dunwoody, Georgia, on Sunday, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

At least four people were injured by flying debris and some suffered burns.

The explosion occurred at the Arrive Perimeter complex at 2000 Asbury Square around 1:20 p.m. Sunday. 911 dispatchers received calls regarding an explosion at the complex at 1:24 p.m.

The explosion leveled at least three apartments, leaving at a least a dozen people homeless.

The Red Cross is helping residents who were displaced by the blast.

DeKalb County Deputy Fire Chief Melvin Carter told reporters the blast had "a tremendous amount of structural damage" to the apartments and the surrounding buildings.

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11 Alive News

Several agencies are investigating the cause of the explosion, "possibly from a gas leak," according to Carter.

Dozens of firefighters from the DeKalb County Fire Rescue and the Sandy Springs Fire Department were on the scene.

Neighbors within a half mile of the complex told Channel 2 Action News they heard the explosion.

Eboni Thornton was in a moving truck outside one of the buildings when she heard a loud boom and felt the truck move.

"The leasing office was collapsed on the left side, the double doors were blown out and I could hear a lady screaming her head off."

CBS46 News spoke with residents who say they smelled gas "for months" at the complex.

However, authorities say there is no confirmed cause of the explosion.

If you suspect a gas leak, call the utility company or 911.
 

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NY Hospital Stops Delivering Babies After Maternity Nurses Quit Over Vaccine Mandates

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A New York hospital will stop delivering babies after half of its maternity workers resigned over the vaccine mandates.

Lewis County General Hospital will stop delivering babies after September 24 due to a nursing shortage.

Lewis County Health System Chief Executive Officer Gerald Cayer announced the resignations at a press conference on Friday.

Cayer said 6 of the nurses in the maternity unit quit and another 7 are undecided.

"If we can pause the service and now focus on recruiting nurses who are vaccinated, we will be able to reengage in delivering babies here in Lewis County."

ER Productions Limited

In August, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced all healthy care workers at hospitals and nursing homes would be required to get at least one dose of mRNA vaccine by September 27.

Cayer said 30 nurses got vaccinated, while another 30 nurses resigned over the mandates.

"Our hope is as we get closer (to the deadline), the numbers will increase of individuals who are vaccinated, fewer individuals will leave and maybe, with a little luck, some of those who have resigned will reconsider. We are not alone."

Cayer said other NY hospitals are struggling with nursing shortages.

"There are thousands of positions that are open north of the Thruway and now we have a challenge to work through, you know, with the vaccination mandate."

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A Tale of Two Photos On Sept. 11, 2021

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Getty Images, Twitter

These two photographs, taken in NYC on Saturday, Sept. 11, shows the stark differences between the two political parties in America.

Pictured in one photo are (L-R) former President Bill Clinton and his wife, Hillary Clinton; former President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle Obama; and Joe Biden, the current U.S. President, with his wife, Jill Biden.

All are wearing black masks and appear solemn as they pay tribute to the thousands who died during the terrorists attacks on the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001.

In the second image, former President Donald Trump, center, is surrounded by NYPD officers and firefighters as they pay tribute to the fallen heroes on the 20th Anniversary of 9/11 in NYC. There is not a mask in sight.

The two photos are symbolic of a nation divided by political and power struggles.

In one photo, many see a reminder that there is no hope for the future.

In the second photo, some see Americans celebrating freedom and the pursuit of happiness.

Trump didn't attend any ceremonies in NYC, but he visited the 17th police precinct in Midtown and a neighboring fire station.

The former president joked that he didn't need a mask to pose with New York City's finest to mark 20 years since the towers fell.

He signed autographs and thanked the men and women for their bravery and sacrifice.

A few miles away, the Bidens, Clintons and Obamas attended the annual ceremony at the 9/11 Memorial in Lower Manhattan.

It isn't clear if they met with any of the heroes who sacrificed their lives to save others on 9/11.
 
Copyright Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the photograph(s) or video(s) used in this post. Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act of 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" of photographs for purposes such as parody, criticism, commentary, news reporting, education, and research.

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Lawsuit claims ‘Dog Whisperer’ star Cesar Millan’s pitbull killed Queen Latifah’s dog, then he tried to cover it up

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A lawsuit alleges Cesar Millan's pit bull severely injured an aspiring gymnast and mauled one of Queen Latifah's dogs to death.

Lidia Matiss, who filed the lawsuit, alleges Cesar's dog not only has a history of extreme violence, but it allegedly attacked and killed Queen Latifah's pup, and he then tried to cover it up.

According to TMZ, Lidia claims she went to an office building owned by Millan in Van Nuys, CA in 2017. Lidia says she was visiting her mom, who worked for Cesar.

She says she encountered Cesar's pit bull, Junior, who was roaming the halls unsupervised and off his leash.

Lidia claims the dog attacked her, repeatedly biting her and seriously injuring her left calf. She went to the ER for treatment of severe dog bites.
 
READ ALSO: Pit bull mauls man who climbed through window in family’s New Orleans home
 
The lawsuit says Lidia was a "star gymnast" who was being actively recruited by the University of Pennsylvania. However, everything changed after she was attacked and she could no longer compete due to the extreme pain.

Lidia's suit claims Cesar knew Junior had a history of violence yet regularly allowed the dog to roam free. She says the dog had bitten several people and mauled several dogs, including one dog owned by Queen Latifah.

MediaPunch / BACKGRID

According to the lawsuit, Queen Latifah brought 2 of her dogs to Cesar's Dog Psychology Center in Santa Clarita, CA. She says Junior mauled one of her dogs to death, and Lidia claims Cesar covered it up by telling his staff to tell Queen Latifah the dog was hit and killed by a car.

The 52-year-old celebrity dog trainer filed an answer to the lawsuit, claiming Lidia assumed the risk of being bitten because she knew of the danger. He also claims Lidia herself was negligent, although he doesn't say how.

Lidia says the bite left her impaired, wounded, disfigured and she continues to suffer physical and emotional pain. She's suing for unspecified damages.

The lawsuit is ongoing.

Cesar, who is best known as the "Dog Whisperer", stars in a new National Geographic series, "Cesar Millan: Better Human Better Dog."