Inside the Koch Brothers' Toxic Empire | Rolling Stone

Inside the Koch Brothers' Toxic Empire | Rolling Stone

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Together,
Charles and David Koch control one of the world's largest fortunes,
which they are using to buy up our political system. But what they don't
want you to know is how they made all that money

JohnButts@JBMedia - Reports:

The enormity of the Koch fortune is no mystery. Brothers Charles and
David are each worth more than $40 billion. The electoral influence of
the Koch brothers is similarly well-chronicled. The Kochs are our
homegrown oligarchs; they've cornered the market on Republican politics
and are nakedly attempting to buy Congress and the White House. Their
political network helped finance the Tea Party and powers today's GOP.
Koch-affiliated organizations raised some $400 million during the 2012
election, and aim to spend another $290 million to elect Republicans in
this year's midterms. So far in this cycle, Koch-backed entities have
bought 44,000 political ads to boost Republican efforts to take back the
Senate.

 

Related

Three New Ways the Koch Brothers Are Screwing America

What is less clear is where all that money comes from. Koch
Industries is headquartered in a squat, smoked-glass building that rises
above the prairie on the outskirts of Wichita, Kansas. The building,
like the brothers' fiercely private firm, is literally and figuratively a
black box. Koch touts only one top-line financial figure: $115 billion
in annual revenue, as estimated by Forbes. By that metric, it
is larger than IBM, Honda or Hewlett-Packard and is America's
second-largest private company after agribusiness colossus Cargill. The
company's stock response to inquiries from reporters: "We are privately
held and don't disclose this information."


But Koch Industries is not entirely opaque. The company's troubled
legal history – including a trail of congressional investigations,
Department of Justice consent decrees, civil lawsuits and felony
convictions – augmented by internal company documents, leaked State
Department cables, Freedom of Information disclosures and company
whistle­-blowers, combine to cast an unwelcome spotlight on the toxic
empire whose profits finance the modern GOP.

Read more: http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/inside-the-koch-brothers-toxic-empire-20140924#ixzz3EGCiZWWK

Beyoncé Shows No Sign of Pregnancy in Latest Bikini Shots | Yahoo Celebrity - Yahoo Celebrity

Beyoncé Shows No Sign of Pregnancy in Latest Bikini Shots | Yahoo Celebrity - Yahoo Celebrity

Beyonce posts bikini photos amid pregnancy rumors (Beyonce.com)

We guess the answer is no?

JohnButts@JBMedia - Reports:
Beyoncé was hit with another round of pregnancy rumors after unconfirmed online reports recently claimed that Jay Z revealed the happy news during their "On the Run" tour stop in Paris. The rapper allegedly changed a "Beach Is Better" lyric over the weekend to say, "cause she's pregnant with another one."

The couple has yet to speak out about the reports; however, in true Bey fashion, the "Drunk in Love" singer decided to shut down the gossip mill the best way she knows how.

On Tuesday, Knowles posted a series of photos to her website from her birthday celebration earlier this month. In honor of the big 3-3, Beyoncé and Jay Z, 44, chartered a yacht around Europe along with their 2-year-old daughter, Blue Ivy.

View gallery

.Beyonce and Jay Z take in the view on vacation (Beyonce.com)

In the envy worthy snapshots, Beyoncé shared a few bikini photos. As you can see, there doesn't appear to be any baby on board — just abs.

In another picture, there is a view of a table setting with a bread basket and two empty wine glasses, and in a different shot, a glass is filled up. Granted, we have no way of knowing whether Beyoncé was or was not drinking… but she always posts with a purpose. It also wouldn't be the first time she was photographed with alcohol amid the latest round of rumors.

View gallery

.Beyonce celebrates her birthday (Beyonce.com)

View gallery

.Beyonce posts birthday photos (Beyonce.com)

The Grammy winner was pictured holding champagne alongside her husband after they wrapped their tour this weekend. The photo was posted on Jay's website.

If you want to continue playing the Beyoncé picture assumption game, it's probably also safe to say that she and Jay are as solid as ever.

View gallery

.Beyonce cuddles up to Jay Z (Beyonce.com)

After a summer filled with breakup allegations, the duo appears to be quite happy and in love in the new set of pics.

We understand why Janay Rice would stay with Ray, say wives of ex-NFL players - TODAY.com

We understand why Janay Rice would stay with Ray, say wives of ex-NFL players - TODAY.com

 JohnButts@JBMedia - Reports:
The wives of four former NFL players, including a personal friend of Ray Rice and his wife, believe there is a misunderstanding about the lives of NFL families among the public, and say they understand why Janay Rice decided to stay with her husband after the assault that resulted in his indefinite suspension from the league.

"I don't think it's too hard for me to understand why Janay would stay with Ray after everything we've seen,'' Dawn Neufeld, wife of former NFL tight end Ryan Neufeld, told TODAY's Jenna Wolfe. "My mother stayed with someone who was abusive for over 10 years, and I think women stay with abusers for many, many reasons."



"Thank goodness I was not in a situation to make that choice, but I think I would probably end up being one to stay, because you assume that role,'' explained Michelle Rivera, wife of former NFL offensive lineman Marco Rivera. "You're there to support, and you uphold the image that you feel is necessary for your family."

Janay Rice defended her husband in an Instagram post on Tuesday, calling the situation "a horrible nightmare" and writing, "If your intentions were to hurt us, embarrass us, make us feel alone, take all happiness away, you've succeeded on so many levels."

TODAY

From left to right: Melani Ismail, Michelle Rivera, Mioshi Johnson and Dawn Neufled.

More from the four women:

• Mioshi Johnson, wife of Rice's former Ravens teammate, Chris Johnson, on how the Rices are faring: "I do know Ray and Janay very well. They are good friends of mine and my husband, Chris. They're just feeling very ostracized. Like, you're not helping. Everybody is continually making us relive this when we're trying to heal and grow from this. So where's the help? Where's the support?"
• Johnson, on the shock of the assault: "I would definitely say it was out of character for both of them. They are not violent people. They are very loving, doting over each other, over their daughter."
• Melani Ismail, wife of former NFL wide receiver Raghib Ismail, on how NFL wives are often viewed: "I think the first word that comes to mind is that we're gold diggers, and that we don't have a true love for our husbands, and we're just in it for the money or in it for the fame or whatever. The money comes and goes, and there is no amount of money that could even touch the injuries and the heartache and all the things that go with the NFL. It's a very, very difficult business. It's not just the man. It's his wife, his children and everybody associated with him."
• Ismail, on Ray Rice's future: "He doesn't have to remain a bad guy. He needs some help. You know, it was wrong what happened."
• Neufeld, on the NFL: "I do believe the NFL mishandled this situation tremendously. The NFL can
  figure out who draft picks or potential draft picks are dating, what their grades are in school, but they couldn't find this video. I think that's troubling."

High School Girl Taunted, Beaten At Bus Stop For Acting ‘Too Much Like A White Person’ - Yahoo News

High School Girl Taunted, Beaten At Bus Stop For Acting ‘Too Much Like A White Person’ - Yahoo News

 

JohnButts@JBMedia - Reports:
A 16-year-old high school girl in Rock Hill, S.C. told police that another high school girl taunted her on a school bus and then beat her up after she got off the bus. The assailant allegedly was angry at the victim because she was behaving “too much like a white person.”

Both the alleged attacker and the victim are black, reports The State, a Columbia, S.C. newspaper.

The incident occurred on Thursday afternoon on a bus carrying students who attend Northwestern High School.

The unidentified assault victim, 16, told investigators she exited the bus on McDow Drive, a winding street dotted with small ranch-style houses. Shortly after she got off the bus, she said, her attacker violently punched her a bunch of times, then fled the scene.

A Rock Hill police report notes that witnesses told the same basic story.

The police report also indicates that the student who got beat up suffered numerous injuries including a serious cut above her right eye.

An ambulance transported the girl to a local hospital for treatment.

One witness, Shelly Hemphill, is the mother of one of the victim’s friends. The victim went to Hemphill’s house after she was allegedly assaulted. Hemphill was responsible for calling the ambulance.

Hemphill told police that the attacker tripped the victim and the punched her again and again while she was on the ground, according to The Island Packet, a Hilton Head newspaper.

In an interview with police, the victim claimed that there has been an ongoing feud between the two girls for over a year. The victim described herself as a “light-skinned black female,” according to The State. She said the other student, who has darker skin, had made fun of her and challenged her to a fight on prior occasions, but she had refused.

The victim said she had again refused to fight her alleged bully on Thursday but then got beat up, anyway. Hemphill noted that the school bus bully taunted the girl all last year as well.

“It was so bad last year they had to have a police car here when the bus let out,” she said, according to the Packet.

Police have described the altercation as assault, battery and disorderly conduct in a school setting. However, they have not yet been able to find the alleged attacker.

A spokeswoman for the Rock Hill school district told the Packet that district officials had reviewed videotape of the Thursday school bus ride and had seen no fight inside the bus.

The age of the alleged attacker is unknown.

‘X Factor’ Singer Simone Battle Found Dead - Yahoo TV

‘X Factor’ Singer Simone Battle Found Dead - Yahoo TV

 

JohnButts@JBMedia - Reports:
Simone Battle, a U.S. ‘X Factor’ finalist and member of pop group G.R.L., was found dead in her West

Hollywood home on Friday. The singer was 25.

TMZ reports Battle was found hanging on a rod in the closet of her bedroom around 8:30 a.m. on Friday.

A spokeswoman for the LAPD could not confirm the details of Battle's death when TheWrap reached out for comment. Battle's record company, however, confirmed her passing and released a statement to the media.

See photos: Hollywood's Notable Deaths of 2014

“We are deeply saddened by the tragic news of the loss of Simone Battle of G.R.L. Simone was an exceptional young talent and human being, and we are all devastated to learn of her passing,” a joint statement from Reign Deer Entertainment, Kemosabe Records and RCA reads. ”Our thoughts and prayers are with her family and loved ones at this time.”

Also read: Rob Schneider Blames Robin Williams’ Suicide on Drugs for Parkinson's Disease

The Los Angeles Coroner's Office has not yet responded to TheWrap's request for comment, either.

TMZ reports that while her death appears to be a suicide, the autopsy has not been completed yet, so a cause of death has not been officially determined.

Also read: Joan Rivers, Legendary Comedienne and ‘Fashion Police’ Host, Dead at 81

Battle competed on the first season of the U.S. version of Simon Cowell‘s “X Factor,” which ran on Fox for three seasons. The Los Angeles native made it to the top 17 in the girls category before being eliminated after the first live performance.

She joined Pussycat Dolls founder Robin Antin's latest musical project, G.R.L., in August 2012.

 The group released their latest single, “Ugly Heart,” (below) of their debut self-titled EP in June.

Also read: David Chase Won't ‘Befriend Any Journalist’ After Tony Soprano ‘Isn't Dead’ Report

Previously, the girl group was featured in Pitbull's “Wild Wild Love,” and had their first single, “Vacation,” included on the soundtrack for “The Smurfs 2.”

Chris Brown pleads guilty to assault in Washington - Yahoo Music

Chris Brown pleads guilty to assault in Washington - Yahoo Music

 

JohnButts@JBMedia - Reports:
Chris Brown pleaded guilty on Tuesday to punching a man in the face outside a Washington hotel, an assault that occurred while the singer was on probation for attacking his then-girlfriend Rihanna.

Brown pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault and was sentenced to time served. He spent two days in a District of Columbia jail in the case, one that further tarnished the image of the Grammy-winning singer.

Brown, 25, admitted that he hit a man who tried to get in a picture the singer was taking with two women outside the W hotel a few blocks from the White House last October. The victim, Parker Adams, suffered a broken nose.

At the time of the arrest, Brown was on probation in a felony assault case for attacking pop star Rihanna hours before the 2009 Grammy awards. The arrest led a judge in California to revoke his probation, and he was ordered in May to serve an additional 131 days in jail. He was released in June.

Brown's attorney, Danny Onorato, argued that Brown had already suffered extensive consequences from the Washington case, noting the additional jail time in California and the four months he spent receiving inpatient counseling. He said that Brown's career has been on hold for nearly a year and that he wanted to take responsibility for his actions so he could go back to work, including a tour in support of a new album.

"To say that he's been punished severely in this matter is an understatement," Onorato said.

Brown spoke only briefly, saying: "I would like to say to the court that I'm sorry." He did not comment as he left court, swarmed by photographers and a handful of fans.

Brown had previously pleaded not guilty in the case. A trial scheduled for April was delayed, and two previous attempts to reach a plea deal fell through. Oronato said there were "nuances" of difference in the potential deals.

"As Chris Brown himself has now finally acknowledged, he punched a man in the face without provocation," U.S. Attorney Ronald Machen said in a statement. "No matter your status or celebrity, you will be held accountable for such conduct in our city."

Brown had a squeaky-clean image before his attack on Rihanna, but since then he has had several flare-ups that have been reported to authorities and noted by Los Angeles prosecutors. Brown broke a window after a 2011 "Good Morning America" interview in New York and was accused of snatching a woman's cellphone in Miami after she tried to snap pictures of the singer. He was also slightly injured in a New York nightclub brawl and, earlier this year, was accused of being involved in a fistfight with Frank Ocean's entourage over a parking spot at a West Hollywood recording studio.

He was not charged in any of the incidents, but they have hurt his public standing. Nonetheless, legions of fans, including many of his more than 13 million Twitter followers, continue to support him. Following the hearing, he tweeted "#XTheAlbum," a reference to his new recording, due out Sept. 16.

Oronato said his client has learned to "be more judicious" in his dealings with the public.

"He's an incredibly talented and charismatic kid," Oronato said. "I think he's misperceived a lot. He's a wonderful person, and I'm glad this is behind him."

Brown's bodyguard, Christopher Hollosy, was convicted of misdemeanor assault in April for his role in the same scuffle. He has not yet been sentenced. The victim, Adams, has also filed a $1.5 million lawsuit against Brown and Hollosy.

Michael Brown highway protest postponed, but at least one brief blockade forms anyway : News

Michael Brown highway protest postponed, but at least one brief blockade forms anyway : News


JohnButts@JBMedia - Reports:
Leaders of the Michael Brown protests gathered Monday afternoon to cancel plans for blocking highways, but a few impromptu closings took place about three hours later.

A group of protesters entered the westbound lanes of Interstate 270 near West Florissant Avenue and blocked traffic. The Missouri Highway Patrol said the protesters left the roadway a short time later.

St. Louis police received numerous telephone reports of attempts to block traffic at three places on Interstate 70 in the city and three others at traffic-light intersections. But responding officers couldn’t find anything when they arrived, a spokeswoman said.

All of the reports took place about 4:30 p.m., which had been part of the original plan to close stretches of highway in the continuing protests over the fatal shooting of Brown, 18, by a Ferguson police officer on Aug. 9.

Shortly after 1 p.m. Monday, protest leaders gathered in front of the Ferguson police station and announced they were canceling plans for an action at the request of Brown’s father, Michael Brown Sr.

“This is a postponement,” said Zaki Baruti, one of the protest coordinators. “Until our demands are met, it’s still on the table — some kind of highway action. When we’re ready, we’ll tell everyone about it.”

With Baruti were Brown Sr.; family lawyer Anthony Gray; and activist Anthony Shahid. Highway Patrol Capt. Ronald S. Johnson also attended and thanked Brown Sr. for persuading the protest leaders to call off the highway action.

Brown Sr. suggested that protesters honor his son instead with 4½ minutes of silence.

The original closing plan was for motorists to turn on their flashing lights, stop and block traffic for 4½ minutes. The duration was to symbolize the hours that some say Brown’s body lay in the street after he was fatally shot.

But authorities said protesters gathered along the shoulder of westbound I-270 with their hands up — a symbolic pose in protesting the death of Brown — then walked into the lanes, stopping traffic.

Baruti could not be reached after the brief shutdown.

The group’s demands include dismissing Ferguson police Officer Darren Wilson, who fatally shot Brown, and removing St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Robert McCulloch from the investigation.

Fox News contributor called a 'moron' who needs to 'shut up' by guest - Orlando liberal | Examiner.com

Fox News contributor called a 'moron' who needs to 'shut up' by guest - Orlando liberal | Examiner.com

 

JohnButts@JBMedia - Reports:
Usually when things get out of hand during a heated debate on live TV, the host is the one who has control and shuts down the conversation. On Fox News this past weekend, the roles were reversed.

During Saturday's episode of "Cashin' In" on Fox News, host Eric Bolling was a witness to a debate that got a bit out of hand. Frequent Fox News contributor Michelle Fields joined actor Wayne Rogers, of M*A*S*H fame, for a discussion with Bolling in regards to the recent kidnappings by ISIS of American journalists. When asked if he supported paying a ransom for the release of hostages, Rogers opposed, stating, “All you do when you do that is encourage them to do more kidnappings.” The conversation moved along nicely, as Fields agreed with Rogers and noted that, "We need to show these terrorists that when they kidnap an American it does not result in a monetary compensation, it results in swift retaliation.”

That's when the conversation took a turn for the worse, as Mediaite reports. Host Eric Bolling brought up President Obama's recent swap of five Gitmo detainees for POW .Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl. Bolling asked both Rogers and Fields what the difference was between exchanging prisoners from Guantanamo Bay, and paying a financial ransom. Fields said he didn't believe that swapping detainees for a POW should be considered negotiating, but Fields disagreed. The two got into a shouting match until Rogers had enough, threw papers at the camera and stated, “Let me finish, for God’s sake! Will you shut up? What is the matter with you? Why do you have to talk all the time?”

“It is not negotiating," Rodgers doubled down to Fields. The former cast member of M*A*S*H ripped out his ear piece before finally stating, "You’re a moron because you talk to much and you don’t think through it."