The highly invasive species of ants commonly known as ‘crazy ants’ have been spreading rapidly throughout the US southwest in recent years, generally displacing the larger and more-venomous fire ants. The reasons for this somewhat strange changing…
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On Thursday, Popular Info reported that Tate Bennett, a controversial adviser to former President Donald Trump, was hired by Forbes Tate, a top D.C. lobbying firm — but the hire was kept as quiet as possible.
"Bennett came to Forbes Tate from the White House, where she had served as a Special Assistant to former President Trump since April," wrote Judd Legum. "While at the White House, she was in charge of the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program, which was plagued by inefficiency and mismanagement. Before that, Bennett had a controversial tenure at the EPA which resulted in three United States Senators accusing her of unethical conduct and demanding an Inspector General Investigation."
<p>As Legum noted, the hire was not advertised, an unusualy move.</p><p>"Normally, when the firm makes an important new hire, it lets the world know. When Forbes Tate hired Trevor Hanger as a Senior Vice President earlier this month, it was promoted on the Forbes Tate Twitter account, in a press release, and in Politico. When Jerri Ann Henry and Rich Lopez were hired as Senior Vice Presidents in October, they received the same treatment," said the report. "But there was no mention of [Bennett's] hire on Twitter, no press release, and no coverage in Politico. Instead, she was quietly added to a list of employees on the firm website."</p><p>As Legum noted, Forbes Tate may have hired Bennett — who also worked as an aide to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) — with the expectation that Republicans would retain control of the Senate, and that they would need someone close to Republican leadership.</p>
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New evidence details the shocking violence inflicted on Capitol police during the pro-Trump riot
January 21, 2021
As prosecutors move forward with their cases against the Capitol rioters, new evidence is emerging regarding the police officers who were attacked by the mob that day, CNN reports.
"Officers were beaten with whatever the rioters had with them, according to court documents, including an American flag and a fire extinguisher," writes CNN's Marshall Cohen.
<p>While dozens of participants in the storming of the Capitol have been slapped with a wide array of charges, the most serious charges are being leveled at those who were involved in attacks against police. According to Cohen, hundreds of pages of newly unsealed court documents tell a horrifying story -- one example being a Texas man who told fellow rioters, "If you have a weapon, you need to get your weapon," as he entered the Capitol. </p><p>Another is <a href="https://www.rawstory.com/capitol-riot-2649942449/" target="_blank">55-year-old Robert Sanford</a>, who threw a fire extinguisher at a group of police officers, striking three the head, including one who was later sent to the hospital for medical evaluation. According to Sanford's lawyer, he got "caught up in the mob mentality."</p><p>Some rioters came to the Capitol armed with bear spray and other weapons.</p><p>Court records show that Mark Leffingwell of Seattle got into a literal fistfight with police. </p><p>"Leffingwell attempted to push past me and other officers," US Capitol Police Officer Daniel Amendola wrote in a sworn affidavit. "When he was deterred from advancing further into the building, Leffingwell punched me repeatedly with a closed fist."</p><p>Read the full report over at <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/21/politics/capitol-rioters-attacking-police/index.html" target="_blank">CNN</a>.</p>
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'He's not a terrorist!' NC man offers excuses for ex-felon son who stormed Capitol to support Trump
January 21, 2021
A North Carolina man's father made excuses for his son's involvement in the U.S. Capitol violence aimed at overturning Donald Trump's election loss.
Investigators say Christopher Spence, of Pilot Mountain, posted a Facebook livestream video of himself encouraging others to kick open the doors of the U.S. House chamber and shouting obscenities at police officers trying to contain the violent mob, but his father insists he was merely swept up in the crowd, reported the Hickory Daily Record.
<p>"This has been blown out of proportion," said Winton Spencer. "When you are in a crowd and they start moving forward, you better go with the crowd or get trampled."</p><p>His 40-year-old son was charged by federal prosecutors with obstructing official proceedings, engaging in violent entry of the Capitol and disorderly conduct, along with entering and remaining unlawfully in the government building.</p><p>The elder Spencer admits his son isn't "innocent of everything," but he doesn't think he's been portrayed fairly by the media.</p><p>"He probably did run his mouth, but when do you silence someone from running their mouth?" Spencer said.<br/></p><p>"He is not a terrorist," he added. "He is not a skinhead, not a racist. He wasn't raised to be like that. He was probably in there 15 or 20 minutes [but left] when he saw things starting to go down."</p><p>The father and son share strong support for the former president, and agree with additional family members that the election was stolen from Trump, and the elder Spence believes in the QAnon conspiracy theory that baselessly alleges political and media elites are involved in in a secret pedophilia ring.</p><p>The elder Spencer says his son attended a Christian school growing up but later had trouble with the law after falling into "the wrong crowd," and court records show convictions in 2013 to 2015 for possession of stolen goods and property, breaking and entering, larceny and obtaining property by false pretenses.</p><p>He also has convictions for drug possession and paraphernalia, attempted possession of a firearm by a felon and making harassing phone calls, and court records show Christopher Spencer was charged with assault on a female and communicating threats, but those charges were later dismissed.</p><p>The younger Spencer will make a virtual court appearance Monday, and the terms of his release from jail require him to stay home except for medical treatment or other approved activities, and he cannot have a firearm or travel to Washington.</p>
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