WORLD NEWS FLASH
UNITED STATES
WASHINGTON – A jury in the District of Columbia returned guilty verdicts May 4 on multiple felonies against five members of the Proud Boys, finding four of the defendants guilty of seditious conspiracy for their actions before and during the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
According to the evidence at trial, in the months leading up to Jan. 6, the defendants plotted to oppose by force the lawful transfer of presidential power, and to prevent the Members of Congress, and the federal law enforcement officers who protect them, from discharging their duties.
Henry “Enrique” Tarrio, 39, of Miami, the former national chairman of the Proud Boys; Ethan Nordean, 32, of Auburn, Washington; Joseph Biggs, 39, of Ormond Beach, Florida; Zachary Rehl, 37, of Philadelphia, were found guilty of seditious conspiracy and conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding.
The four defendants and co-defendant Dominic Pezzola, 45, of Rochester, New York, were also found guilty of obstruction of an official proceeding, conspiracy to prevent Members of Congress and federal law enforcement officers from discharging their duties, civil disorder, and destruction of government property. Pezzola was also found guilty of assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers and robbery involving government property.
According to the evidence, the Proud Boys describe themselves as members of a “pro-Western fraternal organization for men who refuse to apologize for creating the modern world, aka Western Chauvinists.” Through at least Jan. 6, 2021, Tarrio was the national chairman of the organization. In September 2020, former President Donald J. Trump told the Proud Boys during a nationally televised debate to “stand back and stand by.”
Thereafter, membership in the group increased dramatically. Proud Boys played a significant and often violent role in Washington, D.C. rallies in November and December 2020. During a rally in Washington, D.C. on Dec. 12, 2020, Tarrio set a stolen Black Lives Matter banner on fire. During that same rally, cooperating defendant Jeremy Bertino, who has also pleaded guilty to seditious conspiracy, was stabbed.
In the aftermath, Tarrio created a special chapter of the Proud Boys known as the “Ministry of Self Defense.” Beginning after Dec. 19, 2020, Tarrio and his co-defendants, all of whom were leaders or members of the Ministry of Self Defense, conspired to prevent, hinder and delay the certification of the Electoral College vote, and to oppose by force the authority of the government of the United States.
On Jan. 6, 2021, the defendants directed, mobilized, and led a group of Proud Boys and other members of the crowd onto the Capitol grounds, leading to dismantling of metal barricades, destruction of property, breaching of the Capitol building, and assaults on law enforcement. During and after the attack, Tarrio and his co-defendants claimed credit for what had happened on social media and in an encrypted chat room.
A sixth defendant, Charles Donohoe, 34, of Kernersville, North Carolina, pleaded guilty on April 8, 2022, to conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding and assaulting, resisting, or impeding officers.
The FBI Washington Field Office investigated the case. The charges in the investigation are the result of significant cooperation between agents and staff across numerous FBI Field Offices and law enforcement agencies.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, the Justice Department’s National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section and Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section prosecuted the case.
In the 27 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,000 individuals have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 320 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement. The investigation remains ongoing. Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.
MASS SHOOTING UPDATE
Information recent as of 5-9-2023 at 12 p.m.
2023 Mass Shooting Stats: (Source: Mass Shooting Tracker – https://www.massshootingtracker.site/data/?year=2023)
Total Mass Shootings: 251 (including Newark)
Total Dead: 375
Total Wounded: 937
Shootings Per Day: 1.95
Days Reached in Year 2023 as of May 9: 129
FOUR MEN SHOT IN NEWARK, ONE FATALLY
NEWARK – Acting Essex County Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens, II and Newark Public Safety Director Fritz Fragé announced that the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office Homicide/Major Crimes Task Force is investigating a shooting in Newark that left one man dead and three men injured.
On May 7, at 2:58 a.m., Newark police responded to a report of a shooting on the 400 block of Orange Street in Newark. Police found four victims suffering from gunshot wounds. Julius K. Ferguson, 38, of Newark, was pronounced dead at the scene at 3:20 a.m., and the three other victims were taken to University Hospital and treated for nonfatal injuries.
The investigation is active and ongoing. No arrests have been made. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office tips line at 1-877-TIPS-4EC or 1-877-847-7432. Calls will be kept confidential.
Latest High Profile Incident
Location: Allen Premium Outlets Mall – Allen, TX.
Time: 3:36 p.m. local time, May 6.
Deceased: At least 8. (Names unavailable as of press time)
Injured: Seven.
Shooter(s): Mauricio Martinez Garcia, 33.
Weapon(s): AR-15 style rifle.
Motive: Unknown. Came to the mall wearing black tactical gear with “Right Wing Death Squad” – a group tied to extremist beliefs – branding and fired shots indiscriminately.
Status: Killed in shootout with authorities.
Notes: Shooting came eight days after the Cleveland, TX shooting, where five people died. So far, there is no known connection to the shootings, or another incident where a man plowed into migrants at a detention center.
WORLD
CONCERN GROWS OVER PLIGHT OF PREGNANT WOMEN
Global progress in reducing the premature deaths of pregnant women, mothers and babies, has flatlined for eight years due to decreasing investments in maternal and newborn health, according to a new UN World Health Organization (WHO) report, published on May 9.
The report, Improving Maternal And Newborn Health And Survival And Reducing Stillbirth, assesses the latest data, which have similar risk factors and causes, and tracks the provision of critical health services.
Overall, the report shows that progress in improving survival has stagnated since 2015; with around 290,000 maternal deaths each year, 1.9 million stillbirths – babies who die after 28 weeks of pregnancy – and a staggering 2.3 million newborn deaths, during in the first month of life.
The report shows that over 4.5 million women and babies die every year during pregnancy, childbirth or the first weeks after birth, equivalent to one death happening every seven seconds, mostly from preventable or treatable causes if proper care was available. The new publication was launched at a major global conference in Cape Town, South Africa.
The COVID-19 pandemic, rising poverty, and worsening humanitarian crises have intensified pressures on stretched health systems. Just one in 10 countries (of more than 100 surveyed) report having sufficient funds to implement their current plans.
According to the latest WHO survey on the pandemic’s impacts on essential health services, around 25 percent of countries still report ongoing disruptions to vital pregnancy and postnatal care and services for sick children.
“Pregnant women and newborns continue to die at unacceptably high rates worldwide, and the COVID-19 pandemic has created further setbacks to providing them with the healthcare they need,” said Dr. Anshu Banerjee, Director of Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health and Ageing at the World Health Organization (WHO).
“If we wish to see different results, we must do things differently. More and smarter investments in primary healthcare are needed now so that every woman and baby – no matter where they live – has the best chance of health and survival.”
Funding losses and underinvestment in primary healthcare can devastate survival prospects. For instance, while prematurity is now the leading cause of all under-five deaths globally, less than a third of countries report having sufficient newborn care units to treat small and sick babies.
In the worst-affected countries in Sub-Saharan Africa and Central and Southern Asia, the regions with the greatest burden of newborn and maternal deaths, fewer than 60 percent of women receive even four, of WHO’s recommended eight, antenatal checks.
“The death of any woman or young girl during pregnancy or childbirth is a serious violation of their human rights,” said Dr Julitta Onabanjo, Director of the Technical Division at the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
“It also reflects the urgent need to scale-up access to quality sexual and reproductive health services as part of universal health coverage and primary health care, especially in communities where maternal mortality rates have stagnated or even risen during recent years.
“We must take a human rights and gender transformative approach to address maternal and newborn mortality, and it is vital that we stamp out the underlying factors which give rise to poor maternal health outcomes like socio-economic inequalities, discrimination, poverty, and injustice.”
To increase survival rates, women and babies must have quality, affordable healthcare before, during and after childbirth, the agencies say, as well as access to family planning services.
More skilled and motivated health workers, especially midwives, are needed, alongside essential medicines and supplies, safe water, and reliable electricity. The report stresses that interventions should especially target the poorest women and those in vulnerable situations who are most likely to miss out on lifesaving care, including through better planning and investments.
Improving maternal and newborn health further requires addressing harmful gender norms, biases, and inequalities. Recent data show that only about 60 per cent of women aged 15-49 years make their own decisions regarding sexual and reproductive health and rights.
EUROPE
KING CHARLES III GETS CORONATION
In a celebration of British pomp and circumstance, with approving and not so approving looks from those in attendance and watching around the world, the former Prince Charles had a formal coronation to become King Charles III.
Among those celebrating was Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who gave this statement right before the ceremony:
“The Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla will be a moment of extraordinary national pride. Together with friends from across the Commonwealth and beyond, we will celebrate the enduring nature of our great monarchy: its constancy, devotion to duty, and service to others.
“No other country could put on such a dazzling display – the processions, the pageantry, the ceremonies, and street parties.
“But this is not just a spectacle. It’s a proud expression of our history, culture, and traditions. A vivid demonstration of the modern character of our country. And a cherished ritual through which a new era is born.
“In the Abbey where monarchs have been crowned for almost a thousand years, representatives of every faith will play a central role for the first time. And in a fitting tribute to the spirit of service that will define the Carolean Age, people across our country will help their communities with thousands of acts of kindness.
“So let’s celebrate this weekend with pride in who we are and what we stand for. Let’s look to the future with hope and optimism. And let’s make new memories, so we can tell our grandchildren of the day we came together to sing: God Save The King.”
