“This man murdered someone,” the victim's brother, Adarius Carr, said at a news conference. “He should be arrested.” Read the rest

German law allows convicted criminals to deliver a "final word" ("Schlusswort") in court after their sentencing; this right is typically waived or used to deliver a few words of apology and remorse, but when a Hamburg court sentenced 71-year-old bank robber Michael Jauernik to 12 years in jail, he used his "final word" to speak for five solid days. Read the rest

Google and the other big tech companies are some of the most lavish funders of climate denial "think tanks" and lobbying groups, something they've been at continuously for more than six years, without interruption. Read the rest

At The Washington Post, Antonia Noori Farzan reports on an alleged zoophile who demanded farmers let him at the horses while conducting a terrifying stalking campaign against those who refused. For well over a year, two mysteries consumed a peaceful New Jersey community.

The 31-year-old was arrested Oct. 3, according to the New Jersey Herald. Prosecutors said at a Wednesday detention hearing that since August 2018, he had been sending letters and emails detailing his request to farms, stables and horse boarding facilities throughout Sussex County, located in the northernmost point of the state. Unsurprisingly, many of the recipients were not thrilled to learn than an adult man was interested in having a sexual relationship with their livestock

The man used the nickname "TackyChaps". Read the rest

In New Mexico, a football coach was fired and now faces criminal charges after authorities say a student captured the coach on cellphone video taking money from a student player’s wallet. Read the rest

A judge today approved a $1 million bond in property and business for two associates of President Trump’s personal attorney Rudolph Giuliani, Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman, along with mandatory home confinement and GPS monitoring. Read the rest

Last month a Japanese entertainer named Ena Matsuoka was attacked in front of her home in Tokyo. Her alleged attacker, an obsessed fan, was able to figure out where she lived by zooming in on a high resolution photo and identifying a bus stop reflected in her pupils. According to Asia One, the alleged attacker "even approximated the storey Matsuoka lived on based on the windows and the angle of the sunlight in her eyes."

Image: Twitter/matsuokaena, screengrab/Internet, Asia One Read the rest

Institutions like the IMF like to encourage poor countries to set up "free trade zones" (AKA "freeports," "special economic zones," etc): effectively unregulated import/export zones where environmental, labor, tax, customs, financial and other rules are either nonexistent or much looser than in the rest of the country. These are billed as a means to stimulate the local economy by bringing in international corporations. Read the rest

Ronan Farrow reports in his forthcoming book Catch and Kill [Amazon] that TV host Matt Lauer is accused of raping a colleague at NBC News. Read the rest

A reptile breeder in the SF Bay Area says he'd just finished giving a talk and was packing up in the parking lot when thieves stole one of his duffel bags containing four live snakes. Read the rest

Not ashamed to admit I'm obsessed with this crime story. Read the rest

A woman in Florida is in Big Trouble after cops say she climbed up into the ceiling of a Big Lots store to avoid a shoplifting arrest last Friday. Read the rest

Some people sober up and realize they've made a giant mistake.

Smithsonian:

Outside the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts towers a totem pole by Charles Joseph, a Canadian artist from the Kwakiutl First Nation. In the early hours of September 20, the left hand of this striking artwork was stolen, prompting both the museum and Joseph to issue a plea for its return. Fortunately, their appeals seem to have worked. According to Marian Scott of the Montreal Gazette, the thieves have returned the hand, also taking it upon themselves to leave a rather contrite apology note.

In a statement, the MMFA revealed that the stolen appendage was deposited on the museum’s doorstop at some point on the night of October 1 and October 2. In the apology letter, the vandals explained that at the time of the crime, they were “not in a sober state of mind” and “had no idea what the totem pole was.”

“After we realized what this stood for and represented for so many people, we immediately felt sick to our stomach,” the note continued. “We would like to let all know that in NO WAY, SHAPE OR FORM was this done in spite.”

El Pais reports that a mother and her daughter were arrested after hiring a man to kill a swindler, then complaining to police when he failed to do the job.

To be able to start working on the operation and locate the target, the fake spy requested a kind of deposit, of €7,000. This, he claimed, was the money needed to pay his informants and locate hitmen who could carry out the operation. But time passed, and the hit did not take place.

The fake hitman was also arrested and charged. The alleged swindler was finally found—to ensure he lives—and may finally face charges of his own in what Spanish police have named "Operation Kafka."

Photo:Shutterstock Read the rest