Politics and Current
Texas adoption attorney arrested on charges of trying to buy babies from two pregnant inmates He was previously barred from international adoption due to questionable practices
After being banned from brokering international adoptions, an accused fraudster turned to an unexpected goal: pregnant prisoners.
A Texas adoption attorney allegedly made brazen attempts to buy two children from incarcerated women, depositing money into their prison accounts to pay for groceries and entertainment. Jody Hall, 68, was charged with sale or purchase of a toddler and unethical adoption practices, according to an arrest affidavit obtained by KXAS in Dallas. The third-degree felony carries a penalty of up to 10 years in Texas prison.
But this is not Hall’s first brush with infamy. She’s been the topic of investigative series by Honolulu Civil Beat into an adoption pipeline from the Marshall Islands to Honolulu in violation of international law. It is unclear whether Texas police will investigate those activities in reference to the newest investigation.
The latest adoption scheme was uncovered after Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office detectives discovered messages on jail electronic tablets purportedly from Hall to at the very least two inmates, each 20 years old. The messages to one inmate began on March 13, with Hall initially adopting a cordial tone. But they quickly turned to insults and threats when the expectant mother modified her mind and decided to keep the kid.
In her first message, Hall identified herself as “the Director of the Adoption Agency I had signed a contract with” and said she had paid $20 for the inmate’s tablet in order that they could discuss an “adoption plan.” She offered to send photos of the possible adoptive parents, and in a single email, inquired concerning the mother’s health and asked if she was getting enough food in prison. Over the following two months, the messages took on an urgent tone as Hall pressured the inmate to persuade her boyfriend to sign a waiver of her rights to the unborn child.
“Have you heard from your boyfriend? I need to get him to sign a document stating he may be the father, but if he is, he waives his rights and doesn’t want to go to court. Please let me know how to contact him. He can sign the document before the baby is born,” Hall allegedly wrote. according to the local newspaper. When things didn’t go according to plan, the messages became increasingly aggressive.
“I don’t need birth mothers lying to me just to get financial support. And I can’t give you more if he doesn’t want to sign the papers. That means he wants the child if he’s the father.”
By May, it was clear from the news that the arrangement was falling apart—and so was Hall. She slammed the inmate, calling her a “fraud” and threatening to smear her character to “the prosecutor in your case.”
“Amber, you’re in prison and you’re a drug addict. YOU! You did NOT stop him. You’re a fraud and I’m going to tell the prosecutor in your case all about how this family has been supporting you since November and you scammed them WITH THE HELP OF YOUR BOYFRIEND,” she allegedly shouted in all caps, adding, “She has pictures all over FB of her holding a baby. You’re such a liar.”
According to police, Hall deposited $846 into the commissary account of at the very least one inmate. Under normal circumstances, it’s common practice for prospective adoptive parents to fund the medical and housing costs of the possible mother. But since the mother was incarcerated, those costs had already been covered by Tarrant County, making the funding illegal under Texas law.
In 2019, Hall got here under scrutiny for brokering adoptions of children from the Marshall Islands, one other population vulnerable to exploitation. Honolulu Civil Beat reported how moms within the Marshall Islands were easily duped because the kids often live in one other household, and lots of are unaware of the true consequences of adoption.
In one text, Hall told a client that it was “easier to monitor” birth moms flying in from the Marshall Islands, compared to women from the Marshall Islands already in Arkansas, “because we buy the tickets. That way they can’t change them. We’ve filed 3 in the last 3 weeks,” Honolulu Civil Beat reported.
Within days of the revelation, the accrediting agency suspended Hall from international adoptions, and shortly thereafter, the Intercountry Adoption Accreditation and Maintenance Entity revoked her accreditation altogether for failing to meet standards.
In the newest case, Hall was arrested on July 23 but was released from the Hays County Jail the identical day after posting $50,000 bail.
Politics and Current
Here’s why you should vote for Kamala Harris
As Vice President Kamala Harris explained in a Tuesday speech outside the White House attended by tens of 1000’s of supporters, including me, the private stakes for each of us within the 2024 election are extremely high.
We all have lots to realize by electing Harris as president. If former President Donald Trump wins, we have now all the pieces to lose. This is particularly true for black people.
What’s at stake?
Preserving our democracy and freedom. Maintaining prices of food and other goods. Protection of reproductive and voting rights. Increasing educational opportunities and residential ownership. Increasing the affordability of healthcare. On these and other issues, Harris would make our lives higher while Trump made them worse.
When it involves Black people specifically, Harris — who, if elected, would develop into our second Black and first female president — understands from first-hand experience the devastating impact that systemic racism has on us. He desires to open the door to the American dream for everyone.
Harris he promised to not raise taxes on people making lower than $400,000 a yr. But it could require the rich and enormous corporations to pay their fair proportion of taxes to fund programs that profit thousands and thousands of us, creating a chance economy that may enable people not only to survive, but to progress.
Lifestyle
Trump advocates policies that may make life worse not only for Black Americans, but for most Americans. He would do it cut taxes on corporations and millionaires and billionaires like him, forcing cuts to programs that profit thousands and thousands of Americans and increasing the national debt. His other proposed tax cuts would depart the Social Security trust fund without enough money to pay full advantages to seniors and others, forcing a 33% reduction in advantages. in 2031
Harris would do it maintain the inflation rate by eliminating food price gouging, protecting our trade relationships with other countries, and taking other actions. It would lower taxes for the overwhelming majority of Americans.
Harris said she would sign the bipartisan compromise laws fix our broken immigration system, improve border security and create a path to citizenship for some immigrants. Trump ordered GOP lawmakers to reject bipartisan laws because he wanted to make use of illegal immigration as a campaign issue quite than solve the issue. They listened.
Harris said she would work with Congress to pass the laws protection of reproductive rights nationwide. But Trump boasts that he appointed three Supreme Court justices who joined conservatives already on the court to overturn a 1973 decision that legalized abortion nationwide. And now, 25 million women live under Trump’s abortion bans and restrictions.
The vp does proposed policies Down maintain the kid AND health care cheaper, including increased tax relief for parents of minor children. Trump has senselessly said his tariffs would make childcare cheaper and he claims “plan concepts” replace the Affordable Care Act, also often called Obamacare.
Harris pledged to guard and develop voting rights. Trump desires to make it harder to vote by imposing latest restrictions. If he lost, he didn’t agree to simply accept the election results.
The vp would do it take motion spurring the development of three million latest homes and apartments and would give first-time homebuyers a $25,000 tax credit to assist them with their down payments. It would create a $40 billion fund to assist local governments construct reasonably priced housing. claims Trump deportation of thousands and thousands of illegal immigrants will release their homes for latest tenants, but economists disagree that this may solve the reasonably priced housing shortage because as many as a 3rd of employees constructing reasonably priced homes are illegal immigrants. Without their work, there will likely be no latest homes.
Harris wants to cut back a part of the $1.6 trillion in federal student debt owed by greater than 40 million Americans. Trump doesn’t. Harris wants to extend aid for K-12 education. Trump he said desires to eliminate the U.S. Department of Education, which provides much of this aid.
Harris would help Americans start small businesses increasing the deduction for startup expenses from the present $5,000 to $50,000. Trump is concentrated on helping large corporations.
Harris wants to guard us from getting worse hurricanes, tornadoes AND droughts attributable to climate change, which is accelerating attributable to fossil fuel emissions. She wants reduce fossil fuel emissions and increase clean energy production. Trump wants to extend fossil fuel emissions by increasing production of oil, natural gas and coal.
Black Americans, like everyone else, want an America that’s fair and equitable and provides us all a likelihood to succeed. Harris will give this to all Americans because he cares about us and loves our country. Donald Trump won’t do this because he only cares about himself, making as much money as possible, staying out of jail, and arming the federal government to punish anyone who dares to criticize him.
For all these reasons, we want Kamala Harris to be our next president. She desires to spend the subsequent 4 years working to enhance our lives, but she will only do this if we take a short while to vote to place her within the Oval Office and make her our chief public servant.
Politics and Current
Sexy Red endorses Kamala Harris, leaving Trump in the dust
Sexyy Red announced that she voted for Kamala Harris, switching her support to the Democratic candidate after previously supporting Donald Trump.
The “Pound Town” rapper went to X to share her latest political sentiments. She revealed that she voted for Harris, claiming that nobody should tell her and others what to do with their “coochies”.
I just voted!!! Don’t tell us what to do with our pussies!! #Kamala4President pic.twitter.com/5rvpa6HzJ8
— Sexy red (@SexyyRed314_) November 1, 2024
“I’m just voting,” Sexy Red exclaimed. “Don’t tell us what to do with our pussies!! #Kamala4President.”
This differs from Red’s previous thoughts on who should lead the country. Promoting false claims about how Trump provided stimulus checks to Americans during the Covid-19 pandemic, she initially endorsed the GOP candidate for re-election.
Her original endorsement of the conservative and controversial politician sparked a backlash. Many said she was spreading misinformation to voters about “free money.”
“They support him in the hood. At first, I do not think people would fuck with him. They thought he was racist and talking nonsense about women. But when he began getting black people out of jail and giving people free money. Oh baby, we love Trump. We need him back in office,” she added he said further 2023 episode of Theo Von’s podcast, reproduced by The Independent.
However, a resident of St. Louis clearly modified his mind. With the abortion ban remaining a significant issue, the sex-positive artist decided to forged her vote for Harris.
Before this latest admission, Red used Trump’s “Make America Great Again” slogans and imagery during her “Sexy Red 4 President” tour. Headlining July’s Governor’s Ball music festival, the hip-hop singer sported a big inflatable MAGA hat in the background while acting on the New York Stage.
However, Red quickly stated that she isn’t endorsing anyone but herself this election season. Additionally, she denied rumors that she would seem at any Trump rallies.
“This is the President of Sexy Red 4.” I’m my very own candidate and I don’t support anyone, period,” she once stated.
Trump has yet to comment on Sexy Red’s switch. Still, it would not be unusual for him.
Politics and Current
‘Keep Calm-ala’: Kamala Harris Makes a Surprise Appearance on ‘SNL’ alongside Maya Rudolph Ahead of Election Day – Essence
Photo: Jeenah Moon/Getty Images
Vice President Kamala Harris surprisingly joined Saturday Night Live on November 2, just three days before the 2024 presidential election, for a hilarious appearance alongside co-star Maya Rudolph, who plays her throughout the season.
The evening kicked off with a series of incarnations featuring James Austin Johnson as Donald Trump, Dana Carvey as President Biden and Andy Samberg as Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff. But the true spark got here when Maya, as Harris, stopped for a moment in front of the mirror and asked loudly for some sensible advice.
“I would like to talk to someone who was in my position… a black South Asian woman running for president, preferably from the Bay Area,” Rudolph said.
Kamala Harris herself enters the stage, wearing a matching suit and greeted with thunderous applause from the audience. Sitting across from her SNL doppelgänger, Harris smiled and said, “It’s both you and me, sister. Nice to see you, Kamala. I’m here to remind you: you got this. Because you can do something your opponent can’t do. You can open the door.”
The line made a cheeky reference to Donald Trump’s recent fight with a garbage truck door, and the audience laughed as Harris giggled throughout the sketch and Rudolph imitated the vp. – I’m really not laughing like that, am I? he asked Harris. “A little,” Rudolph replied, adding a dramatic touch.
The two Kamalas then argued over Harris’ name, as did her opponent, Trump has repeatedly mispronounced.
“Kamala, take my palm,” Rudolph said, grabbing Harris’ hand. “Americans wish to stop the chaos and end the drama-ala by having a cool recent stepmother. Sit back in your pajamas and watch a romantic comedy.
Harris suggested including “Legally Blonde-ala.”
“Because what do we always say?” Harris said. Then she and Rudolf said in unison, “Keep calm and don’t be fooled.”
Together they chanted, “Keep Calm-ala and Carry On-ala,” after which finished their sentence: “We know each other so well that we’re ending even… faith in the promise of America.”
They ended it with a call for votes. “I will vote for us,” Rudolph said, and Harris jokingly replied, “Great! Any chance you are registered in Pennsylvania? Wasting no time, Rudolph replied, “No, I’m not.” Harris shrugged. “Well, it was worth a try!”
The duo then delivered the classic SNL farewell gesture: “Live from New York, it’s Saturday night!”
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