The Daily Populous

Sunday September 18th, 2022 night edition

image for Gaetz sought pardon related to Justice Department sex trafficking probe

Gaetz told McEntee that he had asked White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows for a pardon.

Asked by investigators if Gaetz’s request for a pardon was in the context of the Justice Department investigation into whether Gaetz violated federal sex trafficking laws, McEntee replied, “I think that was the context, yes,” according to people familiar with the testimony who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters.

The testimony is the first indication that Gaetz was specifically seeking a pardon for his own exposure related to the Justice Department inquiry into whether he violated sex trafficking laws.

The Justice Department investigation into whether Gaetz paid for sex, paid for women to travel across state lines to have sex, and had a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old, was opened in the final months of the Trump administration with approval from Attorney General William P. Barr.

The probe stemmed from a federal investigation of Gaetz’s friend who is now a convicted sex trafficker.

Gaetz has denied paying for sex or having sex with a minor as an adult.

A spokesperson for Gaetz declined to address the testimony or whether Gaetz discussed a pardon with McEntee or Meadows and instead responded that Gaetz never directly asked Trump for a pardon. »

Criticism intensifies after big oil admits ‘gaslighting’ public over green aims

Authored by theguardian.com

Democrats, who lead the committee, called top executives from the oil companies to testify last year, in which they denied they had misled the public.

The oil giants’ “climate pledges rely on unproven technology, accounting gimmicks and misleading language to hide the reality,” he added.

“Big oil executives are laughing at the people trying to protect our planet while they knowingly work to destroy it.”. »

Man who sent bomb and mass shooting threats to Merriam-Webster over gender-inclusive entries pleads guilty

Authored by abcnews.go.com

There is no such thing as ‘gender identity.’ The imbecile who wrote this entry should be hunted down and shot,’” authorities said in the statement.

A short time later, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said Hanson sent them another message, this time via the “Contact Us” page on their website.

“Every member of our community has a right to live and exist authentically as themselves without fear. »

Casino company Hard Rock to spend $100 million to raise employee wages

Authored by nbcnews.com

Cheers and tears — that’s how thousands of Hard Rock workers reacted when they learned their paychecks are about to get a lot bigger.

As inflation surges and recession fears linger, Hard Rock International and Seminole Gaming will spend more than $100 million to raise wages significantly for half of its U.S. workforce, more than 10,000 employees.

In Florida, where the company is headquartered, some team members could get $16,000 more than the state’s minimum wage, Hard Rock said. »