NBC News reports Cesar Sayoc, an ardent Trump supporter who pleaded guilty to sending more than a dozen pipe bombs to prominent critics of President Donald Trump last year, was sentenced Monday to 20 years in prison.
Sayoc sent homemade pipe bombs bundled with glass shards to prominent Democrats including Hillary Clinton and former President Barack Obama.
The series of mailed pipe bombs, which prosecutors described in court papers as “a domestic terror attack,” spurred a nationwide scare last year.
He was arrested on Oct. 26 outside an auto-parts store near Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Sayoc was living out of a white van plastered with stickers praising Trump and slogans condemning liberals and the media. He would shower at the gym where he works out, a Florida-based cousin previously told NBC News.
From Oct. 22 to Nov. 2, the FBI and U.S. Postal Service recovered 16 manila padded envelopes containing improvised explosive devices that were believed to have been sent by Sayoc from Florida, prosecutors said.
Sayoc is also accused of sending the devices, or addressing them to be sent, to former Vice President Joe Biden; former Attorney General Eric Holder; former CIA Director John Brennan; Sens. Cory Booker, D-N.J., and Kamala Harris, D-Calif.; Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif.; activist Tom Steyer; and former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper.
Sayoc had faced a possible sentence of life in prison.
Police reportedly found a list of more than 100 additional possible targets.
A cousin describes Sayoc to NBC News as a “lost soul” and a “loose cannon” who abused steroids.
This fall, the longest-running headliner in Las Vegas history, Frank Marino, will join the longest-running production on the Las Vegas Strip, Legends in Concert.
“I’m truly honored to be joining the cast of Legends in Concert for a limited engagement,” said the former star of Divas Las Vegas. “I’m simply ecstatic to be going from Diva status to a Legend inside the world-famous iconic Tropicana Las Vegas.”
Marino also shares that this will be his swan song appearance as the legendary first lady of comedy, Joan Rivers.
Marino joins the cast of Legends beginning September 11 and will be joined by a new cast of tribute artists singing some of the biggest hits of recorded music.
Fans will be taken into a “Bohemian Rhapsody” with Fernando Castro’s mesmerizing tribute to the one and only Freddie Mercury and the iconic catalog of Queen; moved far from the “Shallow” with Tierney Allen’s breathtaking homage to Lady Gaga; and transported to the 80s with Jill Burke’s stunning recreation of Pat Benatar’s “Love is a Battlefield.”
Elvis also returns to the Legends in Concert Theater with hunk of “Burnin’ Love” Matt Lewis and his beloved portrayal of The King, Elvis Presley.
The acclaimed production featuring stunning tribute artists also dazzles fans with historic showgirl costumes curated directly from iconic Vegas productions of the past, creating a special tribute to the showgirl glamour that is synonymous with the Entertainment Capital of the World.
Legends in Concert performs at Tropicana Las Vegas Monday through Saturday (dark Sunday) at 7:30 p.m. Tickets can be purchased in person at the Tropicana Box Office, or online at ticketmaster.com and ticketbat.com.
President Obama issued a statement today regarding the twin mass shootings that occurred over the weekend.
After sharing condolences from his family for the victims of the attacks, Obama wrote, “No other nation on Earth comes close to experiencing the frequency of mass shootings that we see in the United State. No other developed nation tolerates the levels of gun violence that we do.”
He also called out those who say “tougher gun laws won’t stop all murders” because “the evidence shows that they can stop some killings.”
The former president also wrote of the accused El Paso shooter: “Troubled individuals who embrace racist ideologies and themselves obligated to act violently to preserve white supremacy.”
“We should soundly reject language coming of the mouths of any of our leaders that feeds a climate of fear and hatred or normalizes racists sentiments; leaders who demonize those who don’t look like us, or suggest that other people, including immigrants, threaten our way of life, or refer to other people as sub-human, or imply that America belongs to just one certain type of people,” said Obama in closing.
“In one voice our nation must condemn racism, bigotry and white supremacy,” Mr. Trump said.
But Mr. Trump stopped well short of endorsing the kind of broad gun control measures that activists and Democrats have sought for years, instead falling back on time-honored Republican remedies, calling for stronger action to address mental illness, violence in the media and in video games.
He warned of “the perils of the internet and social media” with no acknowledgment of his use of those platforms to promote his brand of divisive politics.
It remained unclear whether Mr. Trump’s 10-minute remarks after one of the most violent weekends in recent American history could place him in a position to unify the nation when many Americans believe he is personally responsible for inflaming racial division. He took no responsibility for the atmosphere of division, nor did he recognize his own reluctance to warn of the rise of white nationalism until now.
The First Lady and I join all Americans in praying and grieving for the victims, their families, and the survivors. We will stand by their side FOREVER! pic.twitter.com/zOQLvAuXoh
Today, I am also directing the Department of Justice to propose legislation ensuring that those who commit hate crimes and mass murders face the DEATH PENALTY – and that this capital punishment be delivered quickly, decisively, and without years of needless delay. pic.twitter.com/BDXdpelK7F
Trump, struggling with a bad case of what appears to be dry mouth, falsely claimed the Ohio mass shooting took place in Toledo. (It happened in Dayton.) pic.twitter.com/dzOcsIV5ox
In the aftermath of two deadly mass shootings over the weekend, one conservative Ohio state lawmaker put the blame for the tragic events on same-sex marriage, video games, transgender people, drag queens, President Obama and more.
On Saturday, a lone gunman killed 20 people at a Walmart store in El Paso, Texas. That was followed by another shooting in Dayton, Ohio, which left 10 dead and at least 27 more wounded.
State Rep. Candice Keller (R), who represents a district near Dayton, wrote on her Facebook page, “After every mass shooting, the liberals start the blame game. Why not place the blame where it belongs?”
She went on to list who she feels are the real culprits for so many mass shootings beginning with, “The breakdown of the traditional American family (thank you, transgender, homosexual marriage and drag queen advocates).”
Also on her list of folks to blame for the two mass shooting events were:
Fatherlessness
Video games (although other countries have video games as well and not nearly the gun violence that is seen in the U.S.)
Open borders
Recreational marijuana
Students in school who misbehave
Disrespect for the police (she gave a shoutout to Obama for some reason)
Hatred of our veterans (athletes are to blame for that one)
The Democratic Congress (although Democrats only control one chamber of Congress)
Culture (in general we guess) for ignoring the importance of God and the church
State officeholders and something about the 2nd Amendment
And, of course, ‘snowflakes’ who “can’t accept a duly-elected president
I’m not sure how Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny managed to avoid the list, but maybe she was in a hurry.
When the Dayton Daily Newscontacted Keller about the post, she told a reporter she had posted something “to her private, personal Facebook page.”
And when the post was read to her over the phone, she said “it sounded like part of her posting but she couldn’t be sure if it had been altered,” introducing the idea that she had been possibly hacked.
The post was promptly deleted, but screengrabs have gone viral on the internet.
Brian Hester, Chairman for the Butler County Democratic Party, responded to the post telling the Daily News, “She loves to fan the flames and play the role of victim here, not the nine people who were killed….She is fundamentally unfit for office.”
Hester added, “She is an embarrassment to her party, to conservatives, to Butler County, and to the state Legislature.”
People suffer from mental illness in every other country on earth; people play video games in virtually every other country on earth.
The difference is the guns.— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) August 5, 2019
Notice how Candice Keller blamed these recent mass shootings on everything EXCEPT white supremacist terrorism pic.twitter.com/alL14XIKEX— QP (@IamQuidpro) August 5, 2019
Ohio state Rep. Candice Keller would rather blame transgender people, marriage equality and drag queens (we’re confused about that, too) than actually do something about gun safety and reform in this country. https://t.co/JLsHp9p3h0— GLAAD (@glaad) August 5, 2019
Academy Award winner and accused sexual assaulter Kevin Spacey made a rare public appearance this past Friday after a lengthy period of self-imposed exile.
This is the first appearance since sexual assault charges against him by a young man in Nantucket were dropped in July after his accuser refused to waive his 5th Amendment rights.
The odd appearance included a dramatic recitation of Gabriele Tinti’s poem “The Boxer” at Rome’s Palazzo Massimo alle Terme museum.
Spacey read the poem to a gathering of nearly 150 museum attendees in front of the bronze nude statue known as “Boxer at Rest.”
“Spacey appeared in front of the Greek statue Boxer at Rest in Rome, to read Gabriele Tinti’s poem The Boxer, about an exhausted fighter used for entertainment then left bleeding by the ringside. … Standing beside the Greek bronze cast of the ravaged fighter, which dates from around 316 BC, Spacey, dressed in a tobacco-coloured suit, intoned the poem to a startled audience at the Palazzo Massimo alle Terme.”
According to reports, journalists were tipped off in advance of the appearance. It would appear that Spacey chose the poem for subtext.
From the poem:
“The more you’re wounded the greater you are. And the more empty you are. I have endured no end of sleepless nights. They used me for their entertainment, fed on shoddy stuff. Life was over in a moment.”
Acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney told ABC News reporter Jon Karl that Donald Trump’s heated racial rhetoric is not to blame for the rash of recent mass shootings by white nationalist terrorists.
“This is a serious problem … but they are sick, sick people and the president knows that … I don’t think it’s fair to try and lay this at the feet of the president.”
“This is a serious problem … but they are sick, sick people and the president knows that … I don’t think it’s fair to try and lay this at the feet of the president,” Mick Mulvaney says when asked why Trump downplayed the threat of white nationalism. https://t.co/6OolEGh96xpic.twitter.com/wex0S7AV3F
Mulvaney’s title is ‘Acting’ Chief of Staff for a reason. He’s merely an actor in Trump’s reality show, saying the lines he’s given.
WATCH: Eddie Glaude Jr. says White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney can’t “acknowledge” that shootings in El Paso and Dayton are domestic terrorism because of the shooters’ race. @esglaude: “I can give less than a damn what Mick Mulvaeny thinks about what I say.” pic.twitter.com/YItQ4zPSnM
This year in America, there have been 251 mass shootings as of day 215; three of them in the past week.
While the motive of the Dayton shooter is still TBD, the shooters in Gilroy, CA and El Paso, TX were both motivated by racist hate with the goal of slaughtering men, women, and children of color.
This is the sickening truth that Americans woke up to today and must live with.
How do any of us cope with the ceaseless crisis of gun violence and our leader’s complacency and willful inaction? How do we stem the growing tide of racism, xenophobia, and public displays of hate? How did we get here? What’s going on?
Nearly fifty years ago, the great Marvin Gaye asked the same question after an act of police brutality. His chart-topping, “What’s Going On?” is a ballad of grief, yearning, and most of all hope.
It became an instant classic and has brought people together in the darkest of times reminding us of common humanity when we are in most need of healing.
Playing For Change, an artist collective created to inspire and connect the world through music recently released a cover of Gaye’s hit that shines a special light of hope today.
“Playing For Change is a movement created to inspire and connect the world through music, born from the shared belief that music has the power to break down boundaries and overcome distances between people.
“Our primary focus is to record and film musicians performing in their natural environments and combine their talents and cultural power in innovative videos we call Songs Around The World.
“Through these efforts, we aim to create hope and inspiration for the future of our planet.”
(screen capture)
Founded in 2002, Playing For Change released its first album in 2009, “Songs from Around the World,” featuring 100 musicians from 21 countries.
From its liner notes:
“For seven years our small film crew traveled the world with recording equipment and cameras in search of inspiration — we traveled from streets and subways to native Indian reservations, through African towns and villages, up to the Himalayan Mountains and beyond.
“Throughout the journey, we created a movement connecting the world through music. This album is a collective statement from over 100 musicians spanning five countries. Many of them have never met in person, but through their different cultures, these songs demonstrate a profound human connection and willingness to unite.
“Through music, we can understand our differences and create a better world.”
Playing For Change’s debut music video, a cover of the Ben E. King classic, “Stand By Me,” showcases their inspirational and remarkable journey.
Their latest music video of Imagine Dragon’s “Love” was recently released and its message could not be more relevant or important. Featuring musicians from across six continents, “Love” reminds us we are all one in the human choir inviting us to share in the song,
“All around the world, we are one …” and let’s share the love with everyone we meet.”
As we’re enjoying season 2 of the acclaimed FX series POSE, I see many on social media living for the musical performances on the show, especially by Tony Award winner Billy Porter as ‘Pray Tell.’
But some may not realize how extensive Porter’s recording career is.
After winning the television talent show Star Search back in 1992 (while performing on Broadway), Porter began making his mark in the recording studio.
One of his most well-known pop music tracks (even if folks didn’t know it was the future Golden Globe/Emmy Award nominee) was “Love Is On The Way,” the lead single from the soundtrack of the 1996 Bette Midler / Goldie Hawn / Diane Keaton film, The First Wives Club.
Porter’s own albums offer his own distinct musical style which combines R&B, pop, and soul.
His latest single, “Love Yourself,” an upbeat paean to looking to ourselves first for approval.
The song “Time,” from his spectacular live one-man show, At the Corner of Broadway + Soul, was written by Porter and grabbed national attention when it was featured on the reality dance competition, So You Think You Can Dance.
He also recently teamed up with his longtime friend, two-time OutMusic Award winner Matt Zarley, on a cover of the 1994 Des’ree hit, “You Gotta Be.” Again, the theme of self-love and empowerment weaves its way through the Porter catalog. Note – all proceeds of the new recording go to the Los Angeles LGBT Center.
Mayor Pete Buttigieg told attendees at a labor union forum in Las Vegas Saturday that the United States is “under attack” by white nationalists carrying out deadly mass shootings across the country, and those white nationalists have become emboldened by Donald Trump.
Buttigieg was speaking at a forum in Las Vegas sponsored by the public-sector labor union AFSCME.
News of the recent mass shooting at an El Paso Walmart broke during the event.
Eschewing his prepared introductory remarks, Buttigieg addressed the tragedy head-on.
“America is under attack from homegrown white nationalist terrorism,” Buttigieg said in his opening remarks. “White nationalism is evil. And it is inspiring people to commit murder, and it is being condoned at the highest levels of the American government, and that has to end.”
When asked his thoughts on Trump’s position on white nationalists, Buttigieg said the president “at best condones and encourages white nationalism.”
A post shared by Pete Buttigieg (@pete.buttigieg) on Aug 3, 2019 at 5:41pm PDT
Buttigieg also called for stricter gun control laws across the country.
“We are the only country in the world with more guns than people,” said the 37-year-old White House contender. “It has not made us safer. We can respect the Second Amendment (on gun rights), and not allow it to be a death sentence for thousands of Americans.”
Among several policies he shared that would help stem the tide of gun violence were:
• Implementing universal background checks for firearm purchases
• Banning the sale of high capacity magazines
• Allowing the Centers for Disease Control to research gun violence
• Passing “red flag” laws that remove firearms from at-risk people, such as those convicted of domestic violence
Buttigieg also said there should be stricter regulations for military-style firearms often used in mass shootings.
“Weapons of war have no place in American neighborhoods,” said the Afghanistan war veteran.
Buttigieg addressed the lack of leadership on gun violence by the president today.
“Will the President of the United States leave his golf resort, go back to Washington, address the nation, condemn—in no uncertain terms—white nationalism, and call for the Senate to convene tomorrow to enact at least the most basic gun safety reforms that most Americans want?”
Will the President of the United States leave his golf resort, go back to Washington, address the nation, condemn—in no uncertain terms—white nationalism, and call for the Senate to convene tomorrow to enact at least the most basic gun safety reforms that most Americans want? pic.twitter.com/GEVLkLuWei
