CRIMINAL CAPITALI$M CULT
Mysterious Guru Summoned to Court After Beast Investigation

‘DEEPEST, DARKEST SECRETS’

Allegations about Liana Shanti’s Lumerian Mystery School have piqued the interest of a federal judge.

AMERIKAN KULTIST SPELLS LEMURIA WRONG

Jennings Brown
Updated Apr. 23, 2023 3:43AM ET / Published Apr. 22, 2023 8:01PM ET




Photo Illustration by Erin O’Flynn/The Daily Beast/Facebook

A mysterious self-help guru is under renewed federal scrutiny following an investigation by The Daily Beast into allegations that she is running a cult that encourages women to cut ties with their families.

Liana Shanti, who leads the Lemurian Mystery School, has been summoned for a hearing on April 24 by the court that sentenced her to five years’ probation after she pleaded guilty to concealing assets in a bankruptcy case.

According to the Honolulu federal court docket, Shanti’s probation officer received several complaints that she had “induced” people “to leave their families, remove their children from their homes, and take other uncharacteristic actions.” The docket also cites The Daily Beast article published in March.

The court noted that Monday’s hearing could lead to further proceedings and a revocation of Shanti’s probation—which could land her in jail.

The Daily Beast contacted Shanti by phone and email, and through her lawyer, but she did not respond.

“I hope this leads to an investigation into her teachings and her financial records,” says Jason Veras, who believes Shanti’s influence led to the destruction of his family. “She is a con artist and a criminal.”

The Daily Beast’s story on Shanti was based on court documents, leaked conversations from her private Facebook and Signal groups, and interviews with six former Shanti followers and 19 people who said they lost loved ones to the Lemurian Mystery School.

The reporting revealed that many of Shanti’s students made radical changes to their diets, began espousing QAnon-adjacent conspiracy theories, uncovered purported memories of childhood abuse, cut ties with their spouses and families, and took their children to new cities in regions that Shanti deemed safe from Luciferian forces.

Last year one of Shanti’s Canadian followers took her children and fled to Jacksonville, Florida, where she bought a $1.4 million McMansion. Four other Canadian Shanti followers and their children also moved into the house, which they named Destiny Manor.

After the owner of Destiny Manor posted in the Lemurian Facebook group about deceiving border patrol in order to get into the United States, Shanti responded, “You were on a mission. You accomplished it. 🙏”

An ex-member told The Daily Beast that at least 38 women moved to new cities due to Shanti’s insistence that they needed to flee certain states and countries.

Shanti has 22,700 followers on Instagram. The core group of students who pay to access Shanti’s private Facebook and Signal groups call themselves “Lemurian Sisters.” Some of the followers legally changed their names after Shanti gave them new Lemurian identities. Many of them have paid tens of thousands of dollars for her programs and audio courses, even though none of them have ever met her in person.

Liana Shanti is the creation, or alter ego, of Liane Wilson, a 52-year-old mother who lives in a Hawaii suburb. Wilson is a former lawyer who worked briefly at the New York-based firm Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom before moving to Hawaii and working as a timeshare salesperson for Wyndham.

In 2012, she began posting online as Liana Shanti, a women’s empowerment health coach. Shanti’s appearance was a mystery until 2018 when she started posting selfies. But the photos appear so heavily filtered that she seems almost ageless—leading some of her detractors to accuse her of being a catfish.

Shanti’s claims about her supernatural powers and career have evolved over time. She boasts in her audio courses, on social media, and in her podcast Deep Throat: And by that I mean Throat Chakra, that she has earned millions of dollars as a corporate lawyer and salesperson.

“I get asked ALL. THE. TIME: Liana: why the F do you do what you do?” she posted in her Instagram stories. “You made millions on Wall Street, and again in sales, and AGAIN with your nutrition biz. Everything you touch turns to gold.”

Photo Illustration by Erin O’Flynn/The Daily Beast/Facebook

But her bankruptcy filings in 2011 painted a much different picture. She claimed that she had $1,840,277.75 in liabilities and $545,699 in assets—or more than $1 million of debt.

It turned out that this accounting wasn’t accurate. In May 2021, Shanti pleaded guilty to the felony of concealing bankruptcy assets. Those assets included cashier’s checks from the sale of a diamond ring, earnings from her company Rawganic Vegan, and proceeds from a disability insurance policy.

In December 2021, Shanti was sentenced to five years’ probation and fined $21,000. She was also ordered to give her probation officer access to any requested financial information, which the probation officer can share with the U.S. Attorney’s office.

Families who say Shanti wrecked their lives and isolated their loved ones think she deserves further investigation. More than 20 people affected by Shanti submitted victim impact statements to the judge overseeing the case.

“I’ve spoken to a lot of families affected by Liana Shanti,” says Jason, who submitted a letter about his experience to the court. “It’s clear to me she has manipulated and persuaded these women to break the law, to kidnap their children.”

A few months after Jason Veras’ wife Jennifer started following Shanti, Jennifer began sharing conspiracy theories about the COVID pandemic and vaccines, cut ties with her mother, left Jason, took their kids, and refused to share their location, he says.

In an effort to save their marriage, Jason began listening to Shanti’s teachings, which, he says regretfully, caused him to despise his mother and cut ties with her. Jason’s sister Beverly also started following Shanti in order to understand what was happening to her sister-in-law. She says Shanti’s teachings caused her to cut ties with her mom, disconnect from her husband, and start plotting to take her children to Florida out of fear that Luciferian entities would put her and her children in concentration camps where they would be forced to take the soul-killing COVID-19 vaccine.

Jason and Beverly eventually pulled away from Shanti when they realized her teachings were tearing families apart. They then began connecting with other people who had similar experiences.

“Me personally, and all the families I’ve talked to, we all have been mentally and emotionally affected,” Jason said. “I hope these women can see the truth of Liana Shanti—that she’s a fraud and that they’ve been lied to. It’s sickening because these women look up to her like she’s Jesus.”

Shanti claims that she speaks directly with Jesus and she is the primary vessel for his teachings. She also teaches that she is a descendant of the ancient civilization of Lemuria, and can access the “Akashic Records,” which, according to Shanti, are stored inside whales and contain all the information in the universe. Shanti says that this is how she is able to tell her followers about past trauma and abuse that they don’t remember. Some of Shanti’s followers have reported their spouses or family members to child protective services after Shanti convinced them that those people had abused children.

As Lemurian Sisters uncover new memories of abuse, they often share sensitive details about their personal life in Shanti’s private Facebook and Signal groups. Shanti has posted these intimate confessions on her public Instagram account after people leave the group or are kicked out. In some instances, she has tagged the exiled former members’ employers in these posts.

“I don’t know what the laws are around coercing money out of people—but when you know all their deepest, darkest secrets, and then you want money from them, in all likelihood, they’re going to give it to you,” says a former Lemurian Sister who followed Shanti for three years, and did not want her real name used out of fear of retribution. “She collects private information, and she weaponizes people’s pain points. I hope that someone can go in and look at all the different ways she’s collecting money from people.”

“I don’t think that it requires any stretch of the imagination to expect them to investigate her for more financial crimes,” the ex-member says. “She is an evil human being. What she is doing is fucked up. And she needs to stop. It’s abusive. It’s horrible. She’s a Machiavellian nightmare.”

Russian ‘fingerprints’ on Sudan coup attempt
April 19, 2023 Bill Weinberg


As fighting continues in Sudan, derailing a transition to democratic rule that was slated for this month, commentators are noting Russian connections to the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) that sparked the crisis by apparently attempting a coup d’etat on April 15. The Kremlin’s notorious mercenary force, the Wagner Group, is said to be engaged in illegal gold mining operations in Darfur and Kordofan regions in collaboration with the RSF. Operations at a mine owned by RSF warlord Mohammed Hamdan Dagolo AKA “Hemeti” in the Nuba Mountains of South Kordofan state have sparked protests by locals over land-grabbing and pollution. The arrangement points to a Kremlin-backed design to make the RSF economically independent of the Sudanese state in preparation for an eventual seizure of power.

The Wagner Group appears to have entered Sudan some years ago at the invitation of long-ruling dictator Omar al-Bashir. As Al Jazeera notes:

The Wagner Group began its deployments in Sudan during the rule of former President Omar al-Bashir, who was forced from power in 2019 during large-scale protests.

Fearing that his rule was shaky, al-Bashir travelled to Russia in 2017 to meet with President Vladimir Putin and pitch Sudan to him as Russia’s “gateway to Africa” in return for Russian support. A short time later, Meroe Gold, a new mining company owned by the Russian company M Invest, began bringing Russian experts into Sudan, Africa’s third-largest producer of gold.

In 2020, the United States Department of the Treasury sanctioned M Invest and Meroe Gold, saying that its investigations had revealed that M Invest was a cover for the Wagner Group.

The Wagner Group was “primarily aimed at guarding mineral resources, particularly gold mining resources, and acting as a support force for the Bashir government in terms of protecting it from international opposition”, Samuel Ramadi, author of the book Russia in Africa, told Al Jazeera.

The RSF remained Wagner’s closest collaborator on the ground after Bashir’s ouster. Yet the mercenary outfit’s Sudan operations (unlike those elsewhere in Africa) were not cited by Washington when Wagner was placed under new sanctions by the US Treasury Department earier this year. In an analysis for The Africa Report, Sudanese democracy advocate Amgad Fareid Eltayeb suggests this omission was intended to buy the RSF’s acquiescence in the pending transition to civilian rule—despite the paramilitary force’s repeated acts of repression against pro-democracy protesters.

However, now that the RSF has unambiguously fallen out with Sudan Armed Forces, the lines are more clearly drawn. In a commentary for The Hill, Dr. Ariel Cohen of beltway think-tanks the Atlantic Council and Council on Foreign Relations says that Russia’s “fingerprints” are on the attempted coup, and portrays it as part of a pattern across the African continent. In several countries now, Wagner has stepped in as French forces have pulled out, often following a regime change that has benefitted Moscow. Cohen writes:

Russia’s influence in Africa remains purely disruptive and predatory. The Kremlin will use Wagner as a cudgel to secure natural resources across Africa and push the U.S. out, just as they evicted France. To keep up, Washington should expand diplomatic engagement, intelligence operations, and sanctioning of all entities linked to Wagner in Africa.

The U.S. should launch, with its allies, a robust program of military training and arms sales to boost pro-Western governments in the areas where China, Russia, and ISIS are on the prowl.

A century and a half later, the Scramble for Africa is back on in no uncertain terms. Last time around, the contending powers were the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Italy. This time it’s the United States, France, Russia and China.

Photo via Dabanga Radio

APOLOGY TO THE ‘WITCHES’: WHY NOW?



by Carole Linda Gonzalez
May 11, 2022 CounterVortex

Why apologize for something you are not responsible for? Especially when no one is left alive who deserves an apology.

That was the first thought many doubtless had when reading that the first minister of Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon, offered a formal apology to those who had been accused of witchcraft between the 16th and 18th centuries and were subsequently executed. The apology was issued on International Woman’s Day, this past March 8. Sturgeon said she was taking the occasion to acknowledge an “egregious historic injustice.”

Her action was a result of a campaign by the group Witches of Scotland (WoS) launched by Claire Mitchell QC, criminal appeals court attorney, and Zoe Venditozzi, a well-known Scottish writer. The WoS was founded to win an apology for those executed under the Scottish Witchcraft Act of 1563, and to build a national memorial to remember them. Historians believe up to 4,000, overwhelmingly women, were convicted under the law, with many burned at the stake. “Confessions” were often extracted by torture.

Recently, the Spanish region of Catalonia also pardoned 700 women who were tortured and put to death as witches centuries ago. On January 26, its regional parliament passed a resolution to rehabilitate their memory. Spanish historians have written that Catalonia was one of the first regions in Europe to carry out witch-hunts.

We may ask: What’s the point of apologizing? Everyone who suffered is long dead, and the Scottish government no longer executes people simply for being witches. Nor are the modern-day people of Scotland or Catalonia responsible for these ancient wrongs.

Making sense of it

But what does make sense is that in July 2021 the United Nations passed a resolution calling on countries to address their “witchcraft” accusation problems. This was undertaken in response to a rise in witch trials and mob lynchings in various countries around the world. Today’s victims remain much the same as those that suffered under the Scottish Witchcraft Act of 1563. They are vulnerable people—mostly women, children and the elderly, who in some countries suffer horrible punishments simply for being accused of “witchcraft.” Older widows are especially at risk.

Motives behind contemporary witchcraft hysteria may be anything from real fear of sorcery, desire for personal retribution, or financial gain. Most disturbingly, victims may be targeted as to provide ingredients for rituals as well—that is, their body parts.

In Indonesia, when the country’s leader Suharto resigned in 1998, his leaving office occasioned widespread unrest—and (for some reason) an intense frenzy of witch-hunts, resulting in the deaths of some 400 people. While there is widespread belief in Indonesia of magical practitioners called dukuns, some observers in the nation believed that these witch-hunts were meant to cover up simple murders with ulterior motives.

The horrific trial of a 90-year-old accused witch named Akua Dente was filmed in a rural community in Ghana in July 2020. She was tortured and forced into confessing. The next day a mob lynched her. Then, the video of the trial was published. It horrified the nation and news of it went global.

In July 2021, a year later, the UN make a formal statement on beliefs that lead to attacks like what happened to Dente. At the 47th Session of the Human Rights Council of the United Nations, the draft resolution sponsored by Cameroon was adopted, entitled “Elimination of harmful practices related to accusations of witchcraft and ritual attacks.” The resolution reaffirms the human rights enumerated in the Charter of the United Nations, and especially recalls the commitment to eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls. It also stresses that States should carefully distinguish between harmful practices amounting to human rights violations related to accusations of witchcraft, and the lawful and legitimate practices of religious minorities.

Modern notions
One wonders if Starhawk, contemporary witch and author of the neo-pagan classic The Spiral Dance, knew how difficult her task would be when she wrote: “The word witch carries so many negative connotations that people wonder why we use it at all. Yet to reclaim the word witch is to reclaim our right, as women, to be powerful.”

The vast majority of victims of the witch-burnings in Europe were women, and Sturgeon’s apology connects easily to modern notions of witchcraft, women, and feminism in the Western world. But the necessity of the 2021 UN Human Rights Council resolution speaks to the persistence of the old notions of witchcraft that spurred the burnings.

In this light, the apologies take on a deeper meaning. Memorials to those who died unjust deaths serve to keep the victims in current memory, and keep in mind the conditions that lead to such injustices. So it is appropriate timing that the WoS Campaign was launched in 2020 on International Woman’s Day.

———

Carole Linda Gonzalez is a New York area neo-pagan practitioner and commentator.

Image: 1555 German woodcut via History.com

Related:

Last Person Executed as a Witch in Europe Gets a Museum
by Ben Panko
Smithsonian, Aug. 27, 2017

Honoring the Earth Mother
by Carole Linda Gonzalez
The Village Voice, Jan. 26, 1999

From our Daily Report:

Saudi executions for 2015 set 20-year record
CounterVortex, Jan. 22, 2016

Saudi Arabia: woman faces execution for ‘witchcraft’
CounterVortex, Feb 18, 2008

Saudi teacher jailed for blasphemy
CounterVortex, Nov. 19, 2005

—————————-

Special to CounterVortex, May 10, 2022
Reprinting permissible with attribution

AMERICAN END TIMES PROTESTANTISM

UKRAINIAN UNION CONFERENCE
Adventist Pathfinders and Adventurers Club Mentors Learn to Serve in Ukraine’s Modern Conditions

RELIGIOUS IMPERIALISM

GROOMING FOR CONVERSION
Programming emphasized that the most important mission of a mentor is to develop trusting relationships with children and reveal to them the character of God.

UKRAINIA | VITALINA NEROBA

APRIL 22, 2023

The Always There Field School for mentors of the Pathfinder (children aged 10–15) and Adventurer (6–9) clubs was held from March 31 to April 2, 2023 at the “Your Camp” grounds. A total of 163 leaders from all over Ukraine joined the training, engaged in inspirational communication, and experienced exchange.

Many of the workshops at the field school were aimed at overcoming various challenges related to the ongoing conflict. In particular, medical doctor Volodymyr Matsyo conducted a practical workshop called "Premedical Basic Life Support," where the participants learned and updated their knowledge on how to help victims before the ambulance arrives. Vitaliy Neroba spoke about camping and survival in extreme situations, how to make camping interesting for teenagers, and what to take with you.

Valeriy Glushchenko taught the basics of marching; Philip Schubert encouraged creative tasks to develop out-of-the-box thinking; Oleksandr Melnyk shared his experience in organizing a tracking club in a Christian school; Anton Chumak spoke about new and interesting specializations; Maksym Buha played the game "Shapes and Forms"; Olena Nosova presented the program "Exit," which helps teenagers overcome difficulties, especially after a trauma.

At a meeting of the Adventurers' mentors with Vitalina Neroba, they outlined plans for the clubs and developed a strategy for the group to fill with teaching materials for different levels and discussed the development of specializations. They also talked about useful literature for club members and the need for mentors to study the psychology of child development.

Speakers Alisa Dubrova and Oksana Magdych (part of the Association of Christian Camps of Ukraine) shared their experience in organizing camp ministry. Magdych, a psychologist, revealed the value of true mentoring with the topic "Geometry of Mentoring," emphasizing that the most important mission of a mentor is to develop trusting relationships with children and reveal to them the character of the Creator and Savior, and this can only be done by those who are filled with the love of God.

Magdych also shared the importance of psychological safety in the camp, and the leaders learned about the important topic of today's post-traumatic stress disorder and ways to help children and adults. In turn, Dubrova spoke about the philosophy of sports programs and games with instructive conclusions. Participants of the field school immediately took part in the practical portion—active games that will be used at camp and club meetings.

The club leaders also learned how to develop and implement club projects together with Kairat Grayson and Maksym Karpenko, students of the Theological Faculty of the Ukrainian Adventist Theological Institute. Everyone looks forward to the creation of innovative, effective projects that will encourage Ukrainian teenagers to join the worldwide clubs of Pathfinders and Adventurers.

The organizers of the field school hope the leaders will translate the valuable lessons learned into practical club ministry and the field school will facilitate the ministry of responsible, dedicated mentors, the organization of cohesive teams, and the creation of special camp programs tailored to the specifics of the time.

At the end of the field school, two leaders of the Adventurers and two leaders of the Pathfinder clubs were solemnly initiated, and four leaders were also initiated as master guides.

Adventist Evangelistic Program Ends with Baptism

Since 2022, Adventists in Penza have led the “School of the Bible” for their local community, teaching many about the Bible.

RUSSIA | OLEG BAKHMUTSKOV

APRIL 20, 2023

On March 25, 2023, the Gospel program "The Bible in the Events of Our Time" ended in Penza, Russia. The outcome of the meetings was the baptism of two people.

This week-long program, which began March 18, featured guest speaker Oleg Goncharov, director of Public Affairs and Religious Liberty for the Euro-Asia Division (ESD). Every evening in the house of prayer of the local Adventist community, Bible stories sounded, taking listeners to distant times when an amazing book, the Bible, was being written. However, the real admiration is for how accurately this ancient book speaks about our days and the love God communicates to His people in order to prepare them for the second coming of Jesus Christ. That was the theme of the program.

Since the autumn of last year, the local community has been actively involved in a long-term effort organized by the ESD called the “School of the Bible.” The members of the church "sowed the seeds" of God's Word among relatives, friends, neighbors, and people around them. The result was not long in coming. Interested people appeared; teachers got involved in teaching Bible lessons; there was always someone present in the pastor's class.

The community invited Goncharov to help with inspiring spiritual reflections to encourage those who have already completed Bible courses to make a covenant with God, as well as those who are interested in starting to study the Bible. On Sabbath, the final day of the program, a baptism ceremony for two people took place in the house of prayer. Praise God!

Goncharov’s visit to Penza was filled with not only sermons but also meetings of various levels. Together with the local pastor, they were at a reception at the Penza Orthodox Diocese. From the Minister of Internal Policy of the Penza Region, P.S. Maslova spoke about the activities of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the Penza region, presented an album with photographs of social service, met with pastors and leaders of Protestant denominations in Penza, and discussed the creation of a platform for joint projects.

Seventh-day Adventist Church - Wikipedia

The Seventh-day Adventist Church^[a] is an Adventist Protestant Christian denomination^[2][3] which is distinguished by its observance of Saturday,^[4] the seventh day of the week in the Christian (Gregorian) and the Hebrew calendar, as the Sabbath,^[3] its emphasis on the imminent Second Coming (advent) of Jesus Christ, and its annihilationist soteriology. The denomination grew out of the Millerite movement in the United States during the mid-19th century and it was formally established in 1863.^[5] Among its co-founders was Ellen G. White, whose extensive writings are still held in high regard by the church.^[6]

Much of the theology of the Seventh-day Adventist Church corresponds to common evangelical Christian teachings, such as the Trinity and the infallibility of Scripture. Distinctive post-tribulation teachings include the unconscious state of the dead and the doctrine of an investigative judgment. The church places an emphasis on diet and health, including adhering to Kosher food laws, advocating vegetarianism, and its holistic view of human nature—i.e. that the body, soul, and spirit form one inseparable entity.^[7] The Church holds the belief that "God created the universe, and in a recent six-day creation made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day". Marriage is defined as a lifelong union between a man and a woman. The second coming of Christ, and resurrection of the dead, are among official beliefs.^[8]

The world church is governed by a General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, with smaller regions administered by divisions, unions, local conferences and local missions. The Seventh-day Adventist Church is currently "one of the fastest-growing and most widespread churches worldwide",^[3] with a worldwide baptized membership of over 21 million people, and 25 million adherents. As of May 2007, it was the twelfth-largest religious body in the world, and the sixth-largest highly international religious body. It is ethnically and culturally diverse, and maintains a missionary presence in over 215 countries and territories.^[9][10] The church operates over 7,500 schools including over 100 post-secondary institutions, numerous hospitals, and publishing houses worldwide, a humanitarian aid organization known as the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) and tax-exempt businesses such as Sanitarium^[11] which fund the church's charitable and religious activities.

History

Main article: History of the Seventh-day Adventist Church

The Seventh-day Adventist Church is the largest of several Adventist groups which arose from the Millerite movement of the 1840s in upstate New York,^[12] a phase of the Second Great Awakening.^[13] William Miller predicted on the basis of Daniel 8:14–16^[14] and the "day-year principle" that Jesus Christ would return to Earth between the spring of 1843 and the spring of 1844. In the summer of 1844, Millerites came to believe that Jesus would return on October 22, 1844, understood to be the biblical Day of Atonement for that year. Miller's failed prediction became known as the "Great Disappointment".^[12][13]

Hiram Edson and other Millerites came to believe that Miller's calculations were correct, but that his interpretation of Daniel 8:14 was flawed as he assumed Christ would come to cleanse the world. These Adventists came to the conviction that Daniel 8:14 foretold Christ's entrance into the most holy place of the heavenly sanctuary rather than his Second Coming.^[13] Over the next few decades this understanding of a sanctuary in heaven developed into the doctrine of the investigative judgment, an eschatological process that commenced in 1844, in which every person would be judged to verify their eligibility for salvation and God's justice will be confirmed before the universe. This group of Adventists continued to believe that Christ's second coming would continue to be imminent, however they resisted setting further dates for the event, citing Revelation 10:6, "that there should be time no longer."^[15]

Development of Sabbatarianism

As the early Adventist movement consolidated its beliefs, the question of the biblical day of rest and worship was raised. The foremost proponent of Sabbath-keeping among early Adventists was Joseph Bates. Bates was introduced to the Sabbath doctrine through a tract written by Millerite preacher Thomas M. Preble, who in turn had been influenced by Rachel Oakes Preston, a young Seventh Day Baptist. This message was gradually accepted and formed the topic of the first edition of the church publication The Present Truth, which appeared in July 1849.^[16]

On MSNBC, Angelo Carusone explains how right-wing media's coverage of crime and appeal to the fringes lead to a heightened threat of violence

Angelo Carusone: They are “taking an already simmering cauldron of anxiety, of fear, of hate, of rage, and they are ratcheting up that temperature, bit by bit.”

WRITTEN BY MEDIA MATTERS STAFF

PUBLISHED 04/22/23 8:38 PM EDT

Citation From the April 22, 2023, edition of MSNBC's American Voices with Alicia Menendez

ALICIA MENENDEZ (HOST): Angelo, I am so glad that Andy reminded us that 1/6 is a part of this continuum here. Philip Bump at The Washington Post reports, quote, "Fox News's coverage since mid-2020 has disproportionately involved clips of isolated criminal activity to generate a sense of unconstrained violence in urban areas -- despite evidence that the increase in crime since the pandemic also occurred in rural areas." You touched upon that, but what I want to come back to is the fact that this week, you had the GOP-led House leading a field hearing about crime in New York City, which then Fox News covers, and it just becomes part of this endless feedback loop where the circus becomes reality.

ANGELO CARUSONE (MEDIA MATTERS PRESIDENT AND CEO): Yeah, and I think the part that concerns me the most is -- I think, that it's one thing when it's just a misinformation, feedback loop, that itself is a problem, but in a way, it's actually less scary than the current scenario because a couple of years ago -- and now, it's really just fully formed -- there was a switch. And basically the Republican party, via the right-wing media, decided that they were going to organize power on what used to be considered the fringes. And so once they sort of moved those fringe and set them right and directly front and center in the Republican core, it actually basically pulls in people that are most likely to act on these types of ideas, on this misinformation feedback loop. So what they're basically doing is taking an already simmering cauldron of anxiety, of fear, of hate, of rage, and they are ratcheting up that temperature, bit by bit. And so every time they sort of misrepresent, missample the threat of crime, who's actually responsible, that it's coming for you, they are basically raising the temperature on that cauldron. So it shouldn't be a surprise that it's increasingly starting to spill over and boil over. It's kind of what they're doing. They are organizing power on the fringes. This is what you get when you move the fringes front and center.

3,000 migrants begin protest march in Mexico

BY JULIA MUELLER - 04/23/23 

Migrants start walking north on their way to Mexico City from Tapachula, Chiapas state, Mexico, Sunday, April 23, 2023.(AP Photo/Edgar Hernandez Clemente)

Roughly 3,000 migrants have begun a protest procession through Mexico toward Mexico City to demonstrate against detention centers and demand reforms to migrant treatment. 

The march of migrants — hailing mainly from Central America, Cuba, Venezuela, Ecuador and Colombia — started Sunday near the Guatemalan border. Though their stated destination is Mexico City, participants in similar marches have, in the past, headed further north to the U.S.-Mexico border.

The latest protest march comes after a deadly fire last month killed 39 migrants and injured 29 others at a Mexican migrant facility in Ciudad Juarez, across the border from El Paso, Texas.

Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said migrants at the facility had set fire to their mattresses as part of a protest against a supposed transfer. 

Three officials from Mexico’s National Immigration Institute, a guard at the migrant center and the Venezuelan migrant accused of starting the fire are reportedly in custody, facing homicide charges.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

ABOLISH THE DEATH PENALTY

California man who was exonerated after 20 years in prison launches bid for Congress

BY NICK ROBERTSON - 04/22/23 

A man who spent 20 years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit is now running for Congress in Southern California.

Francisco “Franky” Carrillo was wrongly convicted of committing a 1991 murder at the age of 16 and spent two decades in prison trying to prove his innocence before being exonerated in 2011. Now, he is running against Rep. Mike Garcia (R-Calif.) in California’s 27th District as a Democrat.

Carrillo is a member of the Probation Oversight Commission in Los Angeles and works with the LA Innocence Project. He was elected to a position in the Los Angeles County Democratic Party this year.

The 27th is a key swing district in California. Spanning from Santa Clarita to Lancaster, across the San Gabriel Mountains from Los Angeles, it is one of just 18 districts which elected a Republican to the House in 2022 after voting for President Biden in 2020.

Cook Political Report named the district one of the most competitive in the country for 2024.

Garcia is a Trump ally, and was one of the 147 congresspeople who voted to reject the results of the 2020 election.

In a video announcing his run, Carrillo positioned himself as a candidate that looks out for the interests of the average Californian, lambasting what he characterized as the unfair impact of rich and powerful people such as Fox Corp. owner Rupert Murdoch, pharmaceutical executive Martin Shkreli and Twitter CEO Elon Musk.3,000 migrants begin protest march in MexicoTrump suggests Putin ‘got a little more ambition’ after US withdrawal from Afghanistan

“There are people who abuse their power and benefit from the system. Then there’s the rest of us, who play by the rules and get screwed by the same exact system,” Carrillo said.

“The people who rig the system — the big CEOs, the hedge fund managers, the big corporations which jack up our prices — they get exactly what they want,” he added. “Meanwhile, we get screwed by the insurance companies, drug companies, oil companies and those politicians who they put in power.”

He called Garcia a “MAGA extremist” and “part of the problem.”

Google halts construction on its 80-acre San Jose campus with NO plans to restart in the 'near future' as company slashes costs by laying off workers and cutting perks

Google is halting construction on its planned 80-acre campus in San Jose

The company has already gutted its development team for the campus

Rising interest rates and fears of a recession have forced cuts at Alphabet

By STEPHEN M. LEPORE FOR DAILYMAIL.COM
PUBLISHED: 23 April 2023

Google is halting construction on its 80-acre campus in San Jose with no plans to pick it up again in the 'near future,' as they begin a series of layoffs and cost cutting measures.

The Google village, named Downtown West, would have included shops, restaurants, a hotel, and cultural and entertainment hubs, as well as potentially acting as the campus for 25,000 Google employees.

The company gutted its development team for the campus - which they said would have an economic impact of $19billion - earlier this year in a series of downsizing efforts as the economy gets worse for big tech.

Rising interest rates and fears that the country is on the brink of a recession have forced the cuts.

The plan was to break ground on the site before 2023 ended but it was paused after worries of delays at the start of the year, with no plan to begin again.


Google is halting construction on its planned 80-acre campus in San Jose with no plans to pick it up again in the 'near future' as they begin a series of layoffs and cost cutting measures

San Jose councilmember Omar Torres, who represents the area, was concerned about the rumors.

'We all originally knew that it's going to be a long-term plan,' Torres said in February. 'But yes, it's definitely concerning that a lot of the money is coming when the cranes are in the air.'

CNBC reports that sources are 'optimistic' that the campus will eventually be built, although it may have to be scaled back.

LendLease, the project's lead developer, made 67 layoffs in February, including of community engagement managers.

In a statement, a LendLease spokesperson said they remain 'committed in the creation of thriving mixed-use communities in the Bay Area, including the Google developments,' and still has a 'significant team to aid in delivering these communities.'

In March, Google took construction updates on the campus off of its website.

Two months earlier, the company announced the cutting of 12,000 jobs, representing about 6 percent of its workforce in order to deal with slowing sales growth following record growth in its headcount.

Google's finance chief, Ruth Porat, penned a rare company-wide email explaining how the tech giant is introducing measures to cut employee services in an effort to reduce expenses.

The Google village, named Downtown West, would have included shops, restaurants, a hotel, and cultural and entertainment hubs, as well as potentially acting as the campus for 25,000 Google employees

The plan was to break ground on the site before 2023 ended but it was paused after worries of delays at the start of the year, with no plan to begin again

An artist's sketch of Google's Downtown West development in San Jose. The company submitted new plans in 2021

The company's goal for 2023 is to 'deliver durable savings through improved velocity and efficiency.'

Porat detailed how Google is cutting back on everything from fitness classes for its employees to office basics from staplers and tape while also reducing the frequency of laptop replacements for its workers.

Google submitted its initial application to the San Jose planning division on October 10, 2019.

'We embrace this vision not because it's Google's, but because it encompasses the aspirations for a vibrant, dynamic downtown that our community has long held, as generations of San Joseans have sought to create a regional destination reflective of our authentic, diverse character,' San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo said back in 2021, according to Mercury News.

'Particularly amid all the challenges of this pandemic, I'm grateful for the persistent collaboration between Google and city staff to enable our community to benefit from thousands of jobs, affordable apartments, vibrant retail and restaurants, public plazas, and park space.'

The company submitted the more detailed plan in 2021 which showed its idea for the green spaces and parks in the area. At least 30 acres if the total 55 acres will be for homes and public spaces, according to the current plans



Google's detailed plan showing how the area would maintain 'core character'



The company has also planned for cultural and entertainment hubs on the development


The improved plans detailed the zoning for the development. A decision will not be made by the city until next year

'We're excited about this next step in our project, which incorporates feedback from thousands of people over the last two years and provides another opportunity for community input,' added Alexa Arena, Google's development director for San Jose, at the time of the plan unveiling nearly two years ago.

The Downtown West area in San Jose was set to cover 80 acres, 55 of which can be developed. Of this, 30 acres would be for housing and public spaces.

Within the plan, Google agreed to work with the city to ensure that 25 percent - 4,000 - of the homes in the Diridon Station area will be affordable.

'We continue to hear that housing and preserving affordability is a priority for San Jose, and our proposal offers more affordable housing, job pathways and community spaces for San Joseans,' Arena said.

Google CEO Sundar Pichai

The development was also asked to blend into the surrounding neighborhoods instead of acting as a stand-alone tech campus.

'Downtown West is designed to be a true part of the city, the opposite of a traditional corporate campus,' said Laura Crescimano, founder of SITELAB urban studio, the project's lead urban designer.

'The draft design standards and guidelines published today set out the roadmap for a resilient and connected Downtown West.'

And historical buildings and natural features in the area were also required to be incorporated into the plan.

'Our team worked with Google to draw on the uniqueness of the location to propose a place where urban life and nature can coexist,' Crescimano said.

'We've brought together new and historic buildings, opportunities for arts and culture, playful spaces, and moments of respite along the Creek.'

According to the draft environmental impact plan submitted in 2021, the project would not create any net additions in greenhouse gases.

The company said that the new buildings they develop will be nearly 100 percent electric and 65 percent of travel would involve mass transit, bicycling and walking.

The plan included the ability for Downtown West to generate 7.8 megawatts of on-site solar energy as well as feature its own local microgrid.

Google's plan was welcomed by city officials who say that the 'city-within-the-city' will be of enormous benefit to residents.

The estimated timeline for the project as of Wednesday. The final environmental impact report will be submitted by this winter and a decision could be made by summer 2021 if the review is not pushed back further because of the pandemic

'This is the next level of development for San Jose,' said Scott Knies in early 2021, executive director of the San Jose Downtown Association.

'You have the housing, the affordable housing, and certainly the offices are there. But you also have the extraordinary combination of open spaces and cultural uses that makes it really unique.

'This is like a city within the city,' Knies added. 'Downtown West will not be a forest of high buildings. It's darn impressive.'

'At a time when so much in our world is on pause due to COVID, it's heartening to know that San Jose's most significant long-term urban development project is on track and hitting a key milestone' with the filings, Deputy City Manager Kim Walesh said.

The project was not without its critics, however, as some locals fear that it will displace working families and communities of color amid the pandemic.

'The pandemic has made the biggest concerns from the community about this project — preventing displacement, adding affordable housing, and ensuring quality jobs for working families and communities of color — even more critical,' said Maria Noel Fernandez, campaign director with Silicon Valley Rising who are fighting again the plan.

Congress: Protect the Disabled by Standing Up for Airport Workers | Opinion

LOUIS JAMES , MEMBER OF SEIU 2015, 

"NEVER-RETIRED" PASTOR
ON 4/21/23 

When I married 37 years ago, I planned to travel the world with my beautiful wife Tina. What I didn't anticipate was how life's challenges would impact our adventures.

I became the primary caregiver for my wife 14 years into our marriage, when she became a quadriplegic. She relies on a motorized wheelchair, and I worry about having adequate support services when traveling through our nation's airports.

We take nonstop flights to avoid long waits for assistance and hectic rushes to the next terminal. There's not much we can do to make sure Tina's wheelchair is consistently handled properly at the airport. Wheelchair and mobility devices are often dismantled before being stowed in the cargo section of the plane. On a good trip, Tina's $30,000 wheelchair will be returned in the same condition as when it was handed to a baggage attendant. But other airport travelers may not be so lucky.

This is one of the reasons why I'm one of many SEIU members urging Congress to pass the Good Jobs for Good Airports Act (GJGA). I'm proud to support this legislation because it will help stabilize air travel and make airports more accessible for passengers like my beautiful wife.

The author with his wife

Staffing turnover and training have recently been cited by the U.S. Government Accountability Office as one of the driving forces behind inconsistencies in wait times for wheelchair assistants and other barriers for flyers with disabilities.

Good Jobs for Good Airports would help address these issues by establishing wage and benefit standards for cabin cleaners, wheelchair attendants, and other covered airport service workers.

Far too often, this service workforce isn't paid enough to support their families or pay bills. As many airlines' profits increase, many of these workers have no employer-sponsored healthcare, no paid sick days, and inadequate protections on the job. As a result, many airports are chronically understaffed and unprepared to handle skyrocketing travel demands efficiently.

A new report from the Center for American Progress found that employee turnover rates significantly improve at airports and other places of employment that adopt wage standards similar to those included in the GJGA.

I would consider passage of the GJGA to be a big win because understaffing not only hurts travelers with disabilities; it hurts airport workers like Rio Bryant. Rio works as zone lead in the wheelchair department at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, where he sometimes works 70 to 80 hours a week just to make ends meet. At a recent press conference on Capitol Hill, he told lawmakers, "I know my job is really important, but I don't feel airlines value or respect us for the work we do."

While traveling for meetings and other events, I can't help but notice workers like Rio who are often overlooked, even though they're vital to keeping things running. Much like the home care industry, the aviation service workforce is powered by largely Black, brown and immigrant workers.

The pandemic has shown us that low wages and poor working conditions are fueled by systemic racism. Sadly, wages for many airport service workers across the industry have remained stagnant for nearly 20 years.

Airlines benefit from billions of our tax dollars spent on the aviation industry every year. Under the GJGA Act, we could rest assured that more of our public resources would serve the public good and lift up working families.

This bill is a win for people with disabilities and the care providers who love them. And it's a win for workers whose professionalism and kindness help me and Tina travel with dignity.

This is a thank you to the baggage handlers who followed my carefully-written instructions for handling Tina's wheelchair in recent years and the airport workers who went above and beyond to track down an eye-glass repair kit when a screw came loose in my wire-rimmed glasses.

As someone born with Spina Bifida, Rio says he understands the frustration travelers feel when they have to access the support they need. "When you have a disability, you do not want people to feel sorry for you and you don't want to be discriminated against because of how you may look or your abilities. However I see this happening all the time."


If airlines and members of Congress really care about ensuring our nation has a safe, efficient functioning aviation system that benefits every person regardless of their race, economic status, or ability, they should prioritize getting the Good Jobs for Good Airports bill to President Biden's desk.

Louis James is a member of SEIU 2015 and a "never-retired" pastor. He lives in Los Angeles, California.

The views expressed in this article are the writer's own.

AMERIKAN PROTESTANT TALIBAN

Pastors for Trump Preacher Wants God to 'Take Over the Government'

Christian Trump supporters pray near the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. Inset, former President Donald Trump is seen. Preacher Sean Feucht said that conservative Christians who support Trump want God to control the government during remarks at a "Pastors for Trump" event in Oklahoma this week.

WIN MCNAMEE/GETTY IMAGES

BY JASON LEMON 

ON 4/22/23 

A popular right-wing preacher said this week at a "Pastors for Trump" event that the people in his movement want to establish a theocracy—saying that they believe God should "take over the government."

Former President Donald Trump has long drawn substantial support from evangelicals as well as other conservative Christian groups. "Pastors for Trump" was launched in December by Pastor Jackson Lahmeyer, with the newly formed organization saying at the time that it had chapters in every state and included Christian leaders representing some 200,000 congregants.

Speaking at Lahmeyer's Tulsa, Oklahoma, church during a Wednesday event for the pro-Trump organization, right-wing activist and speaker Sean Feucht explained that their movement is advocating for God to "control everything." He also embraced the label of Christian nationalism, as have a number of prominent pro-Trump conservatives.

"It's all part of the king coming back. That's what we're practicing for," Feucht told the crowd in attendance, according to a video clip first shared by Right Wing Watch on Friday. "That's why we get called 'Christian nationalists.'"

The pro-Trump preacher continued, adding that critics say: "You want The Kingdom to be the government." He then responded enthusiastically, "Yes!"

"You want God to come on over and take over the government?" he asked, again representing the arguments of his movement's critics. "Yes!" he responded with excitement.

"We want God to be in control of everything! We want believers to be the ones writing the laws! Yes! Guilty as charged," Feucht said. He added that, "We wouldn't be a disciple of Jesus if we didn't believe that."

Trump's Firm Support from Conservative Christians

Trump drew the support of about 80 percent of white evangelical Christians in the 2016 presidential election. This trend was repeated in 2020, with surveys and exit polls showing between 76 and 81 percent of the religious demographic backed the former Republican president, NPR reported. In addition to evangelicals, Pew Research Center data showed that a majority (63 percent) of white Catholics who regularly attend mass backed Trump in the last presidential election.

Meanwhile, prominent Republicans, such as Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, have proudly embraced the "Christian nationalist" label. Greene has sold shirts with the label as part of her political fundraising.

"There's nothing wrong with leading with your faith...If we do not live our lives and vote like we are nationalists—caring about our country, and putting our country first and wanting that to be the focus of our federal government—if we do not lead that way, then we will not be able to fix it," the GOP lawmaker said at the Turning Point USA Student Action Summit last July.

What Is Christian Nationalism?

Paul D. Miller, professor of the practice of international affairs and co-chair for global politics and security at Georgetown University, explained in a 2021 article for Christianity Today that "Christian nationalism is the belief that the American nation is defined by Christianity, and that the government should take active steps to keep it that way."

Miller continued, writing that the movement asserts "that America is and must remain a 'Christian nation'—not merely as an observation about American history, but as a prescriptive program for what America must continue to be in the future." Christian nationalists, "believe that Christianity should enjoy a privileged position in the public square."

Separation of Church and State in the Constitution

Critics of the movement view it as dangerous and antithetical to the Constitution, which outlines a separation of church and state. This concept is established in the First Amendment of the Bill of Rights.

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances," the amendment says.

The First Amendment is generally interpreted to mean that Americans—lawmakers, un-elected government officials and ordinary citizens alike—are entitled to hold any religious belief they choose. It also guarantees that one particular religion is not favored by the government over another.

Many prominent Trump supporters and other conservatives have been openly campaigning against this established constitutional concept. Meanwhile, Republican lawmakers in states across the country have been pushing forward laws that appear to challenge the separation of church and state.

Conservative Christians Impact on Politics

In Texas this week, the GOP-controlled state Senate passed a bill that would require the Ten Commandments from The Bible's Old Testament to be displayed in public schools. The law would also set aside time in the school day for prayer and religious study. Laws restricting access to abortion as well as others targeting LGBTQ+ individuals have largely been pushed forward by conservative lawmakers and Christian activists—some of whom openly embrace Christian nationalism.

"When Christians essentially say, we wouldn't be disciples of God if we didn't want political power, I am afraid they are talking about a God they have crafted in their own image, and not the God of the Gospel," Dr. Heather Thompson Day, a Christian author, speaker and associate professor of communication at Andrews University, told Newsweek on Saturday.

She said that the example of Jesus was the opposite of seeking power and control. "They tried to make him king, and he wasn't interested in earthly thrones," Thompson Day said. "There is difference between seeking 'Christian power,' and revealing the power of God through Christians."

Reverend Nathan Empsall, the executive director of Faithful America, told Newsweek on Saturday that Feucht should read the Gospel of Luke and remember that Jesus rejected earthly power when it was offered to him.

"When self-identified Christian nationalist leaders like Sean Feucht say they want a Christian nation, it doesn't just mean they want to seize power for far-right politicians like Donald Trump or Ron DeSantis by any means necessary. It also means denying religious liberty and civil rights to non-Christians, progressive Christians, the Black church tradition, LGBTQ people, women, and other targeted communities," he said.

Trump, who launched his 2024 GOP presidential bid in November, is currently the frontrunner for his party's nomination. DeSantis, the governor of Florida who has championed state legislation restricting abortion and targeting the LGBTQ+ community, has not yet announced an intention to challenge Trump, but is generally seen as his most formidable contender for the Republican nomination.

Recent polling carried out in March by Monmouth University showed that Trump remains the favorite of evangelicals, however. The former president was backed by 44 percent of evangelicals and DeSantis was supported by just 25 percent.

GOD AND COUNTRY

MAGA Pastor Says Christians Must ‘Be the Ones Writing the Laws’

"We want God to be in control of everything!" Sean Feucht declared at the Pastors for Trump leader's church

BY TIM DICKINSON
ROLLING STONE
APRIL 21, 2023

Sean Feucht preaches during a rally at the National Mall in Washington on Oct. 25, 2020. AP PHOTO/JOSE LUIS MAGANA

The MAGA preacher Sean Feucht made an unsettling guest appearance in the Tulsa, Oklahoma church of Jackson Lahmeyer, founder of Pastors for Trump, the leading group of evangelicals supporting the former president’s reelection bid.

Standing on stage at Sheridan.Church on Wednesday, Feucht made a direct call for Christian nationalism — declaring that America should be governed according to biblical law for the benefit of believers, as a way to prepare for the second coming of Christ.

“It’s all part of The King coming back,” Feucht told the audience. “That’s what we’re practicing for,” he insisted, before adding, “That’s why we get called ‘Christian nationalists.'”

Feucht then presented an imaginary dialog, in which he mockingly imitated the voice of secular critics: “You want The Kingdom to be the government,” he said, before thundering a reply in his own voice: “Yes!”

“You want God to come on over and take over the government,” he said, responding, again: “Yes!

Fuecht continued, now using his voice alone: “We want God to be in control of everything! We want believers to be the ones writing the laws! Yes! Guilty as charged.”

Presenting an extreme theology, one that is a far-outlier in Christian circles, Feucht added that Christian nationalism is required of the faithful: “We wouldn’t be a disciple of Jesus if we didn’t believe that.”

Fuecht’s remarks, first highlighted by Right Wing Watch, represent a leap for the preacher. A former candidate for Congress, who once prayed over Trump in the Oval Office, Feucht has long associated himself with far-right lawmakers like Reps. Lauren Boehbert and Marjorie Taylor Greene, who have both embraced Christian nationalism.

But Feucht has, in the past, been somewhat more circumspect. He has opted for heavenly calls of intervention and guidance in government — praying for the casting out of demons from Washington — rather than advocating for an overt takeover of politics by Christian zealots.

Feucht’s appearance at the church of Donald Trump’s top evangelical cheerleader raises questions about the ex-president’s 2024 campaign, and the role of Christian nationalists in shaping policy for a prospective second term. (Privately, as Rolling Stone has reported, Trump has been calling on religious zealots in his camp to keep a lid on the issue of abortion.)

After this story was first published, Lahmeyer sent an email to supporters titled, “The Rolling Stone Is After Me, Sheridan.Church & Sean Feucht… AGAIN!” In the body of the email, Lahmeyer characterized this article as part of “the constant attack” waged against “authentic Christianity” in America. He called on the faithful “to engage to preserve our Christian Nation” by acting to “make sure that President Trump is elected for a third time in 2024” — a reference to the baseless conspiracy theory that Trump won the 2020 election. Lahmeyer insisted that ex-“President Trump has proven to be a friend of the Church in America.”

Feucht is currently on a fifty-state worship tour to bring his now-open brand of Christian nationalism to every state capitol in the land. That tour has the backing of Turning Point USA, the far-right political shop headed by Charlie Kirk. Its initiative TPUSAFaith has partnered with Fuecht’s Let Us Worship project to stage the Kingdom to the Capitol tour. 

TPUSAFaith’s website tells visitors: “TOGETHER WE CAN RESTORE AMERICA’S BIBLICAL VALUES.”

The tour kicked off in Washington, D.C., last month, with a prayer service in the Capitol rotunda, surreptitiously organized by Boehbert.