Rep. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/new-temporary-house-speaker-orders-pelosi-to-vacate-capitol-hideaway-office" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Patrick McHenry</a> (R-NC), who served as <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/house-republicans-ditch-plan-to-empower-mchenry-prepare-for-third-speaker-vote" target="_blank" rel="noopener">temporary House speaker</a> during a leadership fight this fall, announced on Tuesday that he will not <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/2024-election" target="_blank" rel="noopener">seek-election in 2024</a>.
&#8220;I will be retiring from Congress at the end of my current term. This is not a decision I come to lightly, but I believe there is a season for everything and — for me — this season has come to an end,&#8221; McHenry said in a <a href="https://mchenry.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=404652" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a>.
A lawmaker with a penchant for bowties, McHenry has served in the House since 2005. He worked his way up the ranks and <a href="https://mchenry.house.gov/biography/">became</a> the chairman of the House Financial Services Committee.
Seen as a close ally to former House Speaker <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/kevin-mccarthy">Kevin McCarthy</a> (R-CA), McHenry helped <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/house/4019636-meet-mccarthys-closers-on-debt-ceiling-talks/">steer debt ceiling talks</a> earlier this year.
After the House voted to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/mccarthy-ousted-from-speakership-after-democrats-side-with-matt-gaetz" target="_blank" rel="noopener">boot McCarthy</a> from the speakership in early October, McHenry was picked to take on the role of <a href="https://apnews.com/article/house-speaker-powers-mchenry-875bebd218096a5252840cd8f52cc137#tbl-em-lnrqqihtbbq5d9n8lt">speaker pro tempore</a>.
During the few weeks it took for the chamber to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/house-elects-mike-johnson-as-speaker" target="_blank" rel="noopener">settle on Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA)</a> to replace McCarthy, members considered but ultimately <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/house-republicans-ditch-plan-to-empower-mchenry-prepare-for-third-speaker-vote" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rejected</a> empowering McHenry to do more than simply preside over debate and votes for a full-time speaker. But McHenry did <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/new-temporary-house-speaker-orders-pelosi-to-vacate-capitol-hideaway-office" target="_blank" rel="noopener">order</a> former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD) to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/04/us/politics/patrick-mchenry-interim-speaker.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">vacate</a> their hideaway U.S. Capitol offices.
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McHenry is now one of <a href="https://www.axios.com/2023/11/18/2024-senators-house-open-seats-reelection" target="_blank" rel="noopener">more than a couple dozen House members</a> who have announced that they will not seek another two-year term in new year&#8217;s elections. Another lawmaker who is considering an exit from the House <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/02/us/politics/mccarthy-house-speaker-republicans.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">is McCarthy</a>.
In his statement on Tuesday, McHenry thanked his staff, constituents, and family for their support. He also expressed pride in his work as a congressman and voiced optimism when speaking about the future of the House.
“There has been a great deal of handwringing and ink spilled about the future of this institution because some — like me — have decided to leave. Those concerns are exaggerated,&#8221; McHenry said.
&#8220;I’ve seen a lot of change over twenty years,&#8221; he added. &#8220;I truly feel this institution is on the verge of the next great turn. Whether it&#8217;s 1974, 1994, or 2010, we’ve seen the House evolve over time. Evolutions are often lumpy and disjointed, but at each stage, new leaders emerge. There are many smart and capable members who remain, and others are on their way. I’m confident the House is in good hands.&#8221;

Rep. Patrick McHenry

Patrick McHenry, Who Served As Temporary Speaker, Plans To Retire From House

2024 Election

Congress

Kevin McCarthy

North Carolina

Politics

U.S. House of Representatives

A North Carolina family is demanding answers after their loved one&#8217;s body was found dead after days of people thinking it was a Halloween decoration.
Robert Owens, of China Grove, North Carolina, was found dead in front of an abandoned home. His family soon discovered that his body had been there for days and that a lawncare worker had mowed around Owens’ nearly naked body, believing it to be a Halloween decoration.
“Don’t know how you can do that,” Owens’ sister, Haley Shue, <a href="https://www.qcnews.com/news/u-s/north-carolina/rowan-county/we-want-answers-rowan-county-mans-body-mistaken-for-halloween-prop-lawn-mowed-around-him/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> Queen City News. “Mow right beside someone and assume that they’re Halloween decorations at a house no one lives at.”
The China Grove Police Department released a statement saying officers spoke to the groundskeeper, who said he believed the body was a mannequin.
“However, the groundskeeper stated, he believed the body to be a fake dummy used for training by numerous law agencies on the property over the last few years and did not report it,&#8221; the department said in the statement, <a href="https://people.com/north-carolina-mans-body-found-at-empty-home-was-initially-mistaken-for-mannequin-police-8362897" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to People Magazine</a>.
The family had last seen Owens on October 1, but his body was discovered a week later, on October 10, lying face down in front of the abandoned home.
“My grandmother has lived off of Shue Road for 40+ years,” Shue told QC News, “and he’s never been to this house. He’s never known of this house this far off the road. He’s never been back here. He’s never been known to come here.”
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Police only told Owens’ sister, Haley, and mother, Brenda, that the 34-year-old wasn’t shot. They learned more details about the condition of his body from a construction worker on the property where it was found.
“Construction worker told us that he had cuts and scrapes on his arms like defensive wounds, his words,” Shue told QC News.
Police are investigating Owens’ death. While his family said he was a drug user, they don’t know how he ended up where he was found. Police reportedly don’t suspect foul play but are investigating. Police said an autopsy was performed in Raleigh, and preliminary findings showed no signs of assault or other trauma to Owens’ body.
Owens’ family, meanwhile, can’t believe he’s gone.
“His nieces and nephews love him, and he had just gotten my son a jacket, and he didn’t even have the chance to give it to him,” Shue told the outlet, crying. “We want answers.”
The China Grove Police Chief told QC News that the department expects more information this week and is waiting for a toxicology report to determine his cause of death.

Police Line

Dead Body Mistaken For Halloween Decoration, Worker Mowed Around It

Death

General

Halloween

Police

U.S.

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/north-carolina" target="_blank" rel="noopener">North Carolina</a> Republicans voted on Tuesday to override Democrat Governor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/roy-cooper" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Roy Cooper</a>’s vetoes of two election bills that Republicans say will increase election integrity and Cooper claims are a “threat” to democracy.
The <a href="https://www.carolinajournal.com/nc-legislature-adds-to-growing-list-of-overridden-cooper-vetoes-elections-energy-and-regulatory-reform/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">measures</a> in question, Senate Bills 747 and 749, ban <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/elections/north-carolina-republicans-override-governors-vetoes-sweeping-election-rcna119766" target="_blank" rel="noopener">drop boxes</a> for ballots, end the acceptance of absentee ballots after election day, limit the use of private money for elections, and shift authority away from the governor over the state’s board of elections.
“North Carolina voters deserve to know their elections are safe and secure. Thankfully they can have that confidence now that we have overridden the Governor’s veto of this commonsense elections bill,” North Carolina House Speaker Tim Moore <a href="http://speakermoore.com/north-carolina-house-overrides-governor-coopers-veto-sb-747-elections-law-changes/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> after the vote to bypass Cooper’s veto of SB 747.
The House <a href="https://www.carolinajournal.com/nc-legislature-adds-to-growing-list-of-overridden-cooper-vetoes-elections-energy-and-regulatory-reform/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">voted</a> 72-44 to override the veto and the Senate voted 30-19 to override the veto.
According to a press release from Moore, the bill will “Strengthens the rights of poll observers,” “Improves voter registration rolls by establishing a process for periodic removal of ineligible voters, including the deceased, convicted felons, and those who have moved,” and “closes same-day registration loophole.”
It also will ban election officials from using private money to administer elections. The use of private money to fund elections became <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/georgia-bans-counties-from-using-private-money-for-elections-after-2020-zuckerbucks-controversy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">widely debated</a> after the 2020 election when groups-backed by Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg poured millions of dollars into state elections. Some argued that the money was not distributed fairly, but mainly benefited areas that leaned Democrat.
After the original passage of SB 747, Cooper claimed that Republicans were being racist. “If you are black or brown, Republicans really don’t want you to vote,” Cooper said.
“This legislation has nothing to do with election security and everything to do with Republicans keeping and gaining power,” Cooper <a href="https://dashboard.ncleg.gov/api/Services/BillDocument/2023/7138/0/S747-BILL-NBC-11326" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in his veto message. “It encourages voter intimidation at the polls by election deniers and conspiracy believers.”
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The other bill Republicans voted to enact, SB 749, will allow the North Carolina legislature the authority to appoint the State Election Board instead of the governor. Majority and minority leaders in the legislature would each select four members to serve on the elections board.
“The legislative takeover of state and local elections boards could doom our state’s elections to gridlock and severely limit early voting,” <a href="https://governor.nc.gov/news/press-releases/2023/09/28/governor-cooper-signs-three-bills-vetoes-one-bill" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cooper said</a> in his veto message. “It also creates a grave risk that Republican legislators or courts would be empowered to change the results of an election if they don’t like the winner. That’s a serious threat to our democracy.”
The House voted 72-44 to override and the Senate voted 30-19 for the override. Republicans said that the measure will help the public trust elections in North Carolina.
“Single-party control has led to distrust and skepticism among voters. Voters should be asking themselves why Gov. Cooper is so desperate to maintain his partisan grip on the State Board of Elections,&#8221; Republican State Sen. Warren Daniel said, <a href="https://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/article280300589.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to the Charlotte News &amp; Observer.
Democrats have already moved to challenge the laws in court.

Electric carmaker Vinfast breaks ground in its $4B NC manufacturing plant.

North Carolina Republicans Override Democrat Governor Vetoes On Election Bills

2020 Election

Election Laws

Elections

Mail-In Voting

An <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/oklahoma" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Oklahoma</a> man who authorities said faked his death in a kayaking accident last month to dodge child rape charges in North Carolina was captured on Sunday after a weekend police chase and motorcycle crash in Georgia.
Melvin Emde — a 41-year-old Talihina, Oklahoma, resident — had been reported missing by his son on August 7 after authorities were told at the time that he drowned in the Mississippi River during a kayaking and fishing trip, according to a news release <a href="https://www.wdsu.com/article/missing-kayaker-arrested-in-georgia-after-faking-his-own-death/45204163#" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> by local media.
The bogus accident prompted authorities to launch a search and rescue operation that spanned two days and used divers, sonar, and a small boat &#8212; but officers never found Emde&#8217;s body.
Emde was scheduled to appear in court the day he went missing for charges of &#8220;indecent liberties with a child and statutory rape of a child&#8221; in North Carolina.
&#8220;We immediately became quite suspicious that this may have been a faked accidental drowning and death in order for Mr. Emde to escape charges in Brunswick County, North Carolina,&#8221; St Charles Parish Sheriff Greg Champagne reportedly said. &#8220;However, we could not publicly expose our suspicions for fear of tipping him off.&#8221;
&#8220;So, we just kind of left it as a missing person&#8217;s report, another person who just drowned in the river, and his body didn&#8217;t appear,&#8221; he <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12536303/kayaker-Emde-FAKING-drowning-Mississippi-child-rape.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">added</a>. &#8220;It sounds like a pretty good concoction that they came up with, but like most of those, they don&#8217;t work.&#8221;
After learning about the allegations against Emde, authorities <a href="https://www.lmtonline.com/news/article/suspect-in-north-carolina-child-rape-caught-weeks-18376436.php" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> worked with detectives in North Carolina who said he had been wearing an ankle monitor while out on bail. They discovered he had purchased two prepaid cell phones at a Walmart in Boutte, Louisiana.
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U.S. Marshals helped track the phones and learned Emde had only turned on one of the cellular devices to use it briefly.
Authorities eventually located Emde on Sunday in Georgia after a Highway Patrol officer attempted to stop a motorcycle for driving without a license plate around 3:30 a.m.
Champagne said Emde fled the scene until he eventually crashed the motorcycle and attempted to escape on foot, but authorities ultimately captured him. Champagne said Emde then gave officers a false name, but a fingerprint scan revealed his true identity.
He now faces charges in Louisiana for having wasted police time in addition to his child rape allegations in North Carolina. Prosecutors have not filed charges against Emde&#8217;s son, but authorities reportedly said the investigation is ongoing.
&#8220;Basically, filing false reports, which we refer to as injuring public record in Louisiana, which is a felony,&#8221; said Champagne. &#8220;Obviously, he&#8217;s got more serious things to deal with.&#8221;
&#8220;Now it&#8217;s time for Mr. Emde to face the music for his charges in North Carolina,&#8221; he added.

Police car

Man Accused Of Child Rape Arrested After Faking Own Death In Kayaking Accident: Police

Child Sex Abuse

Crime

Georgia

Oklahoma

On Thursday, Democrat North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper hosted a roundtable discussion to highlight what he called “the extreme Republican plans to undermine and underfund public education in North Carolina,” attacking the “unaccountable private school vouchers for the wealthy that will hurt our public schools.”
Cooper neglected to mention that he has sent at least one of his three daughters to Saint Mary&#8217;s School, an expensive private school in Raleigh, as A.P Dillon of the North State Journal has reported.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
In terms of folks being able to send their kids to the private school of their choice using an Opportunity Scholarship, it&#39;s worth remembering Cooper sent one of his daughters to St. Mary&#39;s, a private school with hefty tuition cost.<a href="https://t.co/L7Lwr6mB1p">https://t.co/L7Lwr6mB1p</a>
&mdash; A.P. Dillon (@APDillon_) <a href="https://twitter.com/APDillon_/status/1643249089742618625?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 4, 2023</a></blockquote>
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“The proposed voucher program expansion would pour billions of dollars in taxpayer money into private schools that are unaccountable to the public and can decide which students they want to admit,” Cooper stated in a <a href="https://governor.nc.gov/news/press-releases/2023/09/07/governor-cooper-hosts-education-roundtable-eastern-north-carolina-speaks-education-leaders-about" target="_blank" rel="noopener">press release</a>. “Their plan would expand private school vouchers so anyone – even a millionaire – can get taxpayer money for their children’s private school tuition.
In May, Cooper <a href="https://twitter.com/DeAngelisCorey/status/1660736473988050947?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1660742730396454934%7Ctwgr%5E3739ad8d2a46f6407979198ca71c7b2909c6a0c7%7Ctwcon%5Es3_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.foxnews.com%2Fmedia%2Fnorth-carolina-gov-roy-cooper-declares-state-emergency-school-choice-bill" target="_blank" rel="noopener">declared</a> a &#8220;state of emergency&#8221; to prevent the legislature from passing a school choice bill.
“It’s time to declare a state of emergency for public education in North Carolina. There’s no executive order like with a hurricane or the pandemic, but it’s no less important,” Cooper said. “It’s clear that the Republican legislature is aiming to choke the life out of public education. I’m declaring this state of emergency because you need to know what’s happening. If you care about public schools in North Carolina, it’s time to take immediate action and tell them to stop the damage that will set back our schools for a generation.”
In a <a href="https://www.sms.edu/about-us/school-news/~post/nc-first-lady-kristin-cooper-will-be-2017-commencement-speaker-20170223" target="_blank" rel="noopener">press release</a> from 2017, St. Mary’s noted that Cooper’s daughter Natalie graduated from the school in 2011.
Jason Williams, executive director of the NC Faith and Freedom Coalition, has slammed Cooper for his actions against private schools, <a href="//D59AAB3B-049F-430A-8D0C-405BB9FA6D89/v" target="_blank" rel="noopener">saying</a>, “Why doesn’t Roy Cooper want your child to have the same quality, private education his kid had? If he believed so much in public education, why did he spend thousands for his own kid to avoid it?”
“We do have a state of emergency with our public school system. The problem with Gov. Cooper’s state of emergency is the focus is on the wrong thing,” he continued. “The true emergency is the leftist attempts to indoctrinate our children and the failure to adequately educate them.”
School choice advocate Corey DeAngelis tweeted, &#8220;This hypocrite sent his own kid to a private school. We&#8217;re freeing families from the clutches of the teachers unions once and for all &amp; there&#8217;s nothing he can do about it.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
BREAKING: North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper declares a STATE OF EMERGENCY to fight against school choice.
This hypocrite sent his own kid to a private school.
We&#39;re freeing families from the clutches of the teachers unions once and for all &amp; there&#39;s nothing he can do about it. <a href="https://t.co/m4bbcpiEIx">pic.twitter.com/m4bbcpiEIx</a>
&mdash; Corey A. DeAngelis, school choice evangelist (@DeAngelisCorey) <a href="https://twitter.com/DeAngelisCorey/status/1660736473988050947?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 22, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Speaker Nancy Pelosi Hosts Annual Lighting Of The Capitol Christmas Tree

NC Dem Gov Attacks Private School Vouchers. He Sent His Daughter To Pricey Private School.

Democrat

Education

Private Schools

School Vouchers

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/charlotte" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Charlotte</a> Pride now says no one will be awarded the 2023 Harvey Milk award for exceptional “LGBT+” advocacy after the announced winner&#8217;s past as a convicted child sex offender came to light.
“We do not give every single award out every year. Charlotte Pride was originally going to do Harvey Milk, but upon further discussion, decided not to give out that award this year,” the leading Charlotte, North Carolina, LGBT organization <a href="https://www.wsoctv.com/news/local/charlotte-pride-removes-2023-harvey-milk-award-recipient-website/FEKOU3KJMNCKVMCWZNVM4LXVEM/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> local outlet WSOC on Friday.
The group did not detail what led to the decision not to give out the Harvey Milk Award after all.
Chad Sevearance-Turner, a former music minister who <a href="https://sexoffender.ncsbi.gov/details.aspx?SRN=008345S1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">served years</a> in prison for sexually abusing a minor boy, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/charlotte-pride-lists-child-sex-offender-as-lgbtq-award-recipient" target="_blank" rel="noopener">was originally slated</a> to receive the award this year.
Charlotte Pride had <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230805194403/https://charlottepride.org/champions/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">praised</a> him as an “influential advocate for LGBT+ issues,” Reduxx first <a href="https://reduxx.info/north-carolina-charlotte-pride-awards-child-sex-offender-with-2023-harvey-milk-award/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
Sevearance-Turner, 45, is president and chief executive officer <a href="https://www.clgbtcc.org/our-staff/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">at the</a> Carolinas LGBT+ Chamber of Commerce, a nonprofit that “supports LGBT+ and allied businesses” in North and South Carolina.
He was <a href="https://www.goupstate.com/story/news/1998/09/26/music-director-charged-fondling-teens-kidnapper-sentenced-assault-masked-gunman-li39l-food-store/29604171007/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">accused</a> by three minor boys of sexual abuse in 1998 when he was 20, all three of whom he met through his position as music director for New Harvest Church of God in Gaffney, South Carolina, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20160313221333/http://www.goupstate.com/article/20000720/NEWS/7200320?p=2&amp;tc=pg&amp;tc=ar" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to a 2000 report from GoUpstate.com.
The three boys’ accusations were tried in three separate cases.
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The first case involved a 14-year-old boy who testified that he spent the night with Sevearance-Turner at one of the other victims’ houses and awoke to Sevearance-Turner fondling his genitals. The boy also testified that Sevearance-Turner invited him to spend the night at his house, and when he did, Sevearance-Turner asked him how he would feel about a man performing oral sex on him.
“I thought he was joking,” the boy told the court at the time.
The child said Sevearance-Turner’s questions about sexual acts were upsetting because of his position in the church.
The second boy, who was 15 at the time of the alleged incident, testified that Sevearance-Turner invited him to his house and showed him a pornographic video of sex between a man and woman. The boy went to sleep in the same bed as Sevearance-Turner and awoke to Sevearance-Turner fondling him, the child said.
“He told me if I ever told the pastor, he’d make me look like a fool and a liar,” the boy said.
The third boy, who was also 15 when he said the incident happened, said Sevearance-Turner made the same advances to him when he stayed at the boy’s home for three weeks and fondled him multiple times.
Sevearance-Turner’s defense attorney Thomas Shealy accused the boys at the time of a “Salem witch hunt” against their alleged abuser.
Sevearance-Turner was eventually convicted in 2000 of performing a lewd act on a minor under 16 and <a href="https://sexoffender.ncsbi.gov/details.aspx?SRN=008345S1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sentenced</a> to ten years in prison. He served just two years before being released on parole.
He is currently <a href="https://sexoffender.ncsbi.gov/details.aspx?SRN=008345S1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">listed</a> on the North Carolina sex offender registry.
Charlotte Pride quickly scrubbed Sevearance-Turner&#8217;s name from its website page listing this year&#8217;s &#8220;Champions of Pride&#8221; award winners after his child sex offense conviction came to light.
However, an archived version of the page <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230805194403/https://charlottepride.org/champions/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shows</a> him listed.
This is not the first time Sevearance-Turner’s child sex offender status has been unearthed while in a position of influence.
In 2016, Sevearance-Turner <a href="https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/politics-government/article64943682.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">resigned</a> as president of Charlotte’s LGBT Chamber of Commerce after his child sex offender conviction became known. He <a href="https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/politics-government/article64943682.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> at the time that his past had not stopped him from being successful.
At the time, Sevearance-Turner <a href="https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/politics/charlotte-lgbt-chamber-head-steps-down/275-75015312" target="_blank" rel="noopener">was at the forefront</a> of a push for North Carolina to allow trans-identifying men to use women’s bathrooms.

UK – Culture – Gay and lesbian Pride Parade through central London

Charlotte Pride Says No One Will Win 2023 Harvey Milk Award After Convicted Pedophile Winner’s Past Unearthed

Charlotte Pride Says No One Will Win 2023 Harvey Milk Award After Convicted Pedophile Winner's Past Unearthed

Child Abuse

LGBTQ

Pride

Sex Offender

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/north-carolina" target="_blank" rel="noopener">North Carolina</a> Republican lawmakers voted on Wednesday to override Democrat Governor Roy Cooper&#8217;s effort to veto a pack of legislation that included safeguarding parental authority in child education, protecting biological women&#8217;s sports, and banning medical professionals from performing gender reassignment treatments on children.
Last month, Cooper vetoed three bills that he argued Republicans served up as a triple threat of political culture wars to harm children and damage the Tar Heel State&#8217;s reputation &#8212; but the GOP-led General Assembly fought back with an overwhelming victory of enacting legislation and other bills designed to protect kids from radical gender theory.
House and Senate lawmakers made North Carolina the 22nd state to ban medical professionals from prescribing hormone therapy, puberty-blocking drugs, and gender reassignment surgeries to anyone under 18, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-health-care-veto-override-north-carolina-536351cc360a92cdd21f298f6212e6d2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to The Associated Press</a>.
Primary sponsor of the bill, Republican Sen. Joyce Krawiec, reportedly said that the state has an interest in &#8220;protecting children from long-term harm&#8221; caused by irreversible procedures before reaching adulthood.
Although the bill takes effect immediately, minors who began undergoing so-called gender-affirming care before August 1 could continue such treatments with parental consent or if a doctor deems it &#8220;medically necessary.&#8221;
The transgender medicalization of children has exploded in popularity over the last few years, prompting red and purple states to respond with a wave of restrictions.
About 300,000 American teens between 13 to 17 identified as transgender last year, according to <a href="https://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/wp-content/uploads/Trans-Pop-Update-Jun-2022.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">data</a> from the CDC&#8217;s Behavior Risk Factor Surveillance System and Youth Risk Behavior Survey, indicating a sharp increase over the previous few years.
Although at least 31 states have proposed restrictions on the practice of child sex change treatments and procedures, only some states have approved their restrictions.
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Wednesday&#8217;s vote was part of a pack of legislation Governor Cooper attempted to veto, which also included limiting gender and sex discussion in schools and prohibiting biological males from participating in female sports at middle school, high school, and collegiate levels.
Republican Sen. Amy Galey introduced the override in the Senate for the Parents Bill of Rights, which safeguards the parents&#8217; role in their children&#8217;s education and to be involved in some school policy decisions.
&#8220;Parents have the right to direct the upbringing and moral and religious training of their children,&#8221; Galey reportedly <a href="https://myfox8.com/news/politics/north-carolina-general-assembly-overrides-7-vetoes-including-parents-bill-of-rights-transgender-athletes-ban-and-gender-treatment-for-minors/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. &#8220;Parents should be seen as children&#8217;s most important advisers.&#8221;
&#8220;The same people who don&#8217;t want school choice want to control how schools communicate with parents,&#8221; she added. &#8220;This bill will strengthen schools.&#8221;
Independent Women’s Voice, who advocated for the North Carolina legislature’s vote to override Cooper’s veto of the Fairness in Women’s Sports Act, celebrated the victory in protecting female athletes.
“No young woman, least of all those who are adversely impacted with sexual trauma as I was, should be forced to share a locker room with a biological male,” Paula Scanlan, Stand with Women spokeswoman and advisor at Independent Women’s Voice, said in a <a href="https://www.iwv.org/2023/08/override-success-independent-womens-voice-celebrates-north-carolina-legislatures-final-vote-to-overturn-veto-enact-the-fairness-in-womens-sports-act/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">news release</a>. “And because of this legislation, in North Carolina they won’t. I am proud of Independent Women’s Voice advocates who called for this bill to include collegiate athletes so women like me won’t face the same discrimination that my teammates and I did.”
Cooper aired his frustration after the General Assembly defeated the veto to override his actions.
&#8220;The legislature finally comes back to pass legislation that discriminates, makes housing less safe, blocks FEMA disaster recovery funding, hurts the freedom to vote and damages our economy,&#8221; Cooper said in a <a href="https://governor.nc.gov/news/press-releases/2023/08/16/governor-cooper-comment-veto-override-actions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">news release</a>. &#8220;Yet they still won&#8217;t pass a budget when teachers, school bus drivers and Medicaid Expansion for thousands of working people getting kicked off their health plans every week are desperately needed.&#8221;
&#8220;These are the wrong priorities, especially when they should be working nights and weekends if necessary to get a budget passed by the end of the month,&#8221; he added.
Mairead Elordi contributed to this report.

North Carolina GOP Lawmakers Override Gov. Cooper’s Veto On Culture War Legislation

North Carolina GOP Lawmakers Override Gov. Cooper's Veto On Culture War Legislation

Roy Cooper

Social Issues

Transgender Athletes

transgender surgery

A North Carolina father has been charged with second-degree murder after he allegedly fatally shot a man who he believed struck and killed his son in a car accident.
Chad Woods, 41, was driving with his family on Monday morning when their car ran out of gas, The News &amp; Observer <a href="https://www.newsobserver.com/news/state/north-carolina/article278230373.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. Three family members, including Woods’ 17-year-old son, began walking along the road. A driver was reportedly “unable to avoid” hitting the 17-year-old son. Paramedics later pronounced the teen dead at the scene.
&#8220;He was a good person. He was a real good person,&#8221; the boy&#8217;s brother <a href="https://abc11.com/nc-dad-shoots-driver-son-killed-by-truck-person-county-deadly-shooting/13647219/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> ABC11. &#8220;Wanted to be an IT technician. He was doing, he wanted to be positive in life. He wanted to help people. He was a people person.&#8221;
The Person County Sheriff’s Office and the N.C. State Highway Patrol said the driver was reporting the crash to a 911 operator when what sounded like two gunshots were heard. The line then went quiet. Sheriff Jason Wilborn told the outlet that Woods, the teen’s father, had grabbed a handgun and shot the driver, killing him.
Woods then reportedly <a href="https://abc11.com/nc-dad-shoots-driver-son-killed-by-truck-person-county-deadly-shooting/13647219/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tossed the gun</a> into a pond, stole the man’s Ram pickup truck, and drove himself home, leaving behind the driver and his dead son. The driver has been identified as 39-year-old Jeffrey Leonard McKay of Youngsville, North Carolina, who worked as a maintenance worker for North Carolina’s Department of Correction.
“This is kind of a first,” Morris told ABC11. “I’ve been to people struck by cars and I’ve been to shootings, but I haven’t ever had this happen at the same time. Sad situation all around, for all the families.”
Woods’ father, Lawrence Clayborn, told ABC11 that his son was distraught over seeing his own son die.
&#8220;He was just out of it, going off and stuff. He was going, &#8216;He just he killed my son. He killed my son,'&#8221; Clayborn said.
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Woods was tracked down at his home after authorities identified the minor. Morris told media outlets that police were looking for an additional person at the scene who could be heard in the background of McKay’s 911 call.
Woods faces a second-degree murder charge and a larceny of a motor vehicle charge for allegedly stealing McKay’s truck, NBC News <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/crime-courts/father-charged-shooting-killing-driver-allegedly-hit-killed-17-year-ol-rcna99839?cid=sm_npd_nn_fb_ma&amp;_branch_match_id=1133745504221936325&amp;utm_source=facebook&amp;utm_campaign=NBC%20News&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;_branch_referrer=H4sIAAAAAAAAA8soKSkottLXz0tKzkstL9ZLLCjQy8nMy9Y3LPTwCc4Jjkx3TgIAlkhSSyQAAAA%3D" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. If convicted, he faces a maximum punishment of life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Police Car Sirens

Father Charged With Murder After Allegedly Killing Man He Thought Killed His Son In Car Accident

Murder

Charlotte Pride, a leading LGBT pride organization in Charlotte, North Carolina, has listed a child sex offender as the recipient of its 2023 Harvey Milk Award for exceptional &#8220;LGBT+&#8221; advocacy.
Chad Sevearance-Turner, a former music minister who <a href="https://sexoffender.ncsbi.gov/details.aspx?SRN=008345S1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">served years</a> in prison for sexually abusing a minor boy, will receive the award this year, with the group <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230805194403/https://charlottepride.org/champions/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">praising</a> him as an &#8220;influential advocate for LGBT+ issues,&#8221; Reduxx <a href="https://reduxx.info/north-carolina-charlotte-pride-awards-child-sex-offender-with-2023-harvey-milk-award/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
Sevearance-Turner and several other honorees, who were dubbed &#8220;Champions of Pride&#8221; on Charlotte Pride&#8217;s website, will be honored <a href="https://charlottepride.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener">as part</a> of this year&#8217;s Charlotte Pride festival, scheduled for the weekend of August 19 and 20.
Sevearance-Turner, 45, is president and chief executive officer <a href="https://www.clgbtcc.org/our-staff/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">at the</a> Carolinas LGBT+ Chamber of Commerce, a nonprofit that &#8220;supports LGBT+ and allied businesses&#8221; in North and South Carolina.
He was <a href="https://www.goupstate.com/story/news/1998/09/26/music-director-charged-fondling-teens-kidnapper-sentenced-assault-masked-gunman-li39l-food-store/29604171007/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">accused</a> by three minor boys of sexual abuse in 1998 when he was 20, all three of whom he met through his position as music director for New Harvest Church of God in Gaffney, South Carolina, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20160313221333/http://www.goupstate.com/article/20000720/NEWS/7200320?p=2&amp;tc=pg&amp;tc=ar" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to a 2000 report from GoUpstate.com.
The three boys&#8217; accusations were tried in three separate cases.
The first case involved a 14-year-old boy who testified that he spent the night with Sevearance-Turner at one of the other victims&#8217; houses and awoke to Sevearance-Turner fondling his genitals. The boy also testified that Sevearance-Turner invited him to spend the night at his house, and when he did, Sevearance-Turner asked him how he would feel about a man performing oral sex on him.
“I thought he was joking,” the boy told the court at the time.
The child said Sevearance-Turner&#8217;s questions about sexual acts were upsetting because of his position in the church.
The second boy, who was 15 at the time of the alleged incident, testified that Sevearance-Turner invited him to his house and showed him a pornographic video of sex between a man and woman. The boy went to sleep in the same bed as Sevearance-Turner and awoke to Sevearance-Turner fondling him, the child said.
“He told me if I ever told the pastor, he’d make me look like a fool and a liar,” the boy said.
The third boy, who was also 15 when he said the incident happened, said Sevearance-Turner made the same advances to him when he stayed at the boy&#8217;s home for three weeks and fondled him multiple times.
Sevearance-Turner&#8217;s defense attorney Thomas Shealy accused the boys at the time of a &#8220;Salem witch hunt&#8221; against their alleged abuser.
Sevearance-Turner was eventually convicted in 2000 of performing a lewd act on a minor under 16 and <a href="https://sexoffender.ncsbi.gov/details.aspx?SRN=008345S1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sentenced</a> to ten years in prison. He served just two years before being released on parole.
He is currently <a href="https://sexoffender.ncsbi.gov/details.aspx?SRN=008345S1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">listed</a> on the North Carolina sex offender registry.
Charlotte Pride called the registered sex offender a &#8220;highly accomplished leader in human resources&#8221; whose career has been &#8220;driven by a deep commitment to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).&#8221;
As of Thursday, however, Sevearance-Turner&#8217;s profile has been <a href="https://charlottepride.org/champions/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">removed</a> from the website page listing this year&#8217;s honorees. An archived version of the page <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230805194403/https://charlottepride.org/champions/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shows</a> him listed.
Charlotte Pride did not respond to a request for comment about whether Sevearance-Turner&#8217;s award will be rescinded or whether the group was aware of his child sex offender status when it decided to honor him.
Last week though, Sevearance-Turner posted about his award on LinkedIn.
&#8220;I am also humbled to be listed with these amazing humans who do so much great work for our region,&#8221; Sevearance-Turner wrote.
His employer congratulated him as well.
<div id="attachment_602157" style="width: 415px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-602157" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class=" wp-image-602157" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/08/Screenshot-2023-08-08-at-6.44.01-PM-300x300.png" alt="(LinkedIn)" width="405" height="405" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/08/Screenshot-2023-08-08-at-6.44.01-PM-300x300.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/08/Screenshot-2023-08-08-at-6.44.01-PM-576x576.png 576w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/08/Screenshot-2023-08-08-at-6.44.01-PM-150x150.png 150w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/08/Screenshot-2023-08-08-at-6.44.01-PM-768x769.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/08/Screenshot-2023-08-08-at-6.44.01-PM.png 1281w" sizes="(max-width: 405px) 100vw, 405px" />(LinkedIn)</div>
Sevearance-Turner has been recognized frequently for his LGBT advocacy work. He was appointed by Charlotte&#8217;s mayor to serve on the city&#8217;s business advisory committee this year, according to Charlotte Pride. LGBT newspaper QNotes <a href="https://qnotescarolinas.com/person-of-the-year-2015/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">named</a> him their &#8220;Person of the Year&#8221; in 2015. He has also mingled with North Carolina&#8217;s political brass — Democrat Governor Roy Cooper was <a href="https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/north-carolina-governor-attends-lgbt-gala-hosted-by-registered-sex-offender/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">photographed</a> standing next to Sevearance-Turner at a gala in 2019.
The Harvey Milk Award, named for the famous gay activist in 1970s San Francisco, is presented every year &#8220;to honor exceptional leadership, service to the community, and those who champion LGBTQ causes that impact the Charlotte community and beyond,&#8221; <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230805194403/https://charlottepride.org/champions/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to Charlotte Pride.
The 2023 Charlotte Pride festival <a href="https://charlottepride.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener">has sponsorships</a> from Amazon, McDonalds, Bank of America, Bud Light, Lowe&#8217;s, NASCAR, and Krispy Kreme, among other major companies.
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This is not the first time Sevearance-Turner&#8217;s child sex offender status has been unearthed while in a position of influence.
In 2016, Sevearance-Turner <a href="https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/politics-government/article64943682.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">resigned</a> as president of Charlotte’s LGBT Chamber of Commerce after his child sex offender conviction became known. He <a href="https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/politics-government/article64943682.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> at the time that his past had not stopped him from being successful.
At the time, Sevearance-Turner <a href="https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/politics/charlotte-lgbt-chamber-head-steps-down/275-75015312" target="_blank" rel="noopener">was at the forefront</a> of a push for North Carolina to allow trans-identifying men to use women&#8217;s bathrooms.
“No one who is a convicted sex offender should be leading a campaign to allow men to be in women’s bathrooms and showers,” the leader of the NC Values Coalition, who sounded the alarm about the child sex offender, <a href="https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/politics-government/article64943682.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> at the time. “It’s just common sense.”

TOPSHOT-UKRAINE-SOCIAL-GAY-PARADE-PROTEST

Charlotte Pride Lists Child Sex Offender As ‘LGBTQ’ Award Recipient

Charlotte Pride Lists Child Sex Offender As 'LGBTQ' Award Recipient

South Carolina

Three <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/marines" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Marines</a> stationed at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina were found dead in a car at a Speedway gas station Sunday morning from what authorities say was carbon monoxide poisoning. 
The Pender County Sheriff’s Office received a call Sunday from the mother of one of the Marines who became worried when her son didn’t arrive home in Oklahoma on his scheduled flight Saturday night, <a href="https://www.jdnews.com/news/carbon-monoxide-poisoning-cause-of-death-for-camp-lejeune-marines-found-dead-in-pender-county/article_c584c07a-1f07-5bc5-893a-a7034f8ea031.html">according</a> to Jacksonville, North Carolina outlet, the Daily News. After beginning an investigation, authorities found the missing Marine, along with two other Marines, dead inside a vehicle at the Speedway station around <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2023/07/26/marine-deaths-carbon-monoxide-poisoning-north-carolina/70470390007/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">30 miles</a> south of the base. Deputies were directed to the gas station by the mother, who pinged her son’s phone to find its location. 
“I am saddened by the timeless and tragic death of these three young men who served our country honorably,&#8221; said Sheriff Alan W. Cutler in a press release, according to the Daily News. &#8220;Our thoughts and prayers remain with their families and colleagues during this time.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
The three Marine lance corporals who were found dead in a vehicle at a North Carolina gas station died of carbon monoxide poisoning, authorities say. <a href="https://t.co/ZRbo7u2hCD">https://t.co/ZRbo7u2hCD</a>
&mdash; NBC News (@NBCNews) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBCNews/status/1684424676209049601?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 27, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
After the Marines&#8217; families were notified of the deaths, autopsies were performed by the North Carolina Office of the Medical Examiner, which found that all three deaths were consistent with carbon monoxide poisoning. Authorities did not immediately say if the deaths were accidental, The New York Post <a href="https://nypost.com/2023/07/26/three-us-marines-found-dead-in-car-near-camp-lejeune-died-of-carbon-monoxide-poisoning/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. 
The Marines were identified as Lance Corporal Merax Dockery, 23, of Pottawatomie, Oklahoma; Lance Corporal Tanner Kaltenberg, 19, of Madison, Wisconsin; and Lance Corporal Ivan Garcia, 23, of Naples, Florida. All three of the men were vehicle operators in the Combat Logistics Battalion 2, Combat Logistics Regiment 2, and 2nd Marine Logistics Group at Camp Lejeune, USA Today <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2023/07/26/marine-deaths-carbon-monoxide-poisoning-north-carolina/70470390007/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. 
Dockery joined active-duty service in 2020, according to the U.S. Marine Corps. and was previously stationed at Camp Pendleton in California and at Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri. Dockery’s mother, Heather Glass, told the Associated Press, &#8220;I feel at peace because I know he was asleep when he passed.” One of Dockery’s sisters, Micah, wrote on Facebook, &#8220;My handsome kind baby brother is gone. I don’t feel like this is real, it can’t be.&#8221;
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Kaltenberg went to high school in Verona, Wisconsin, before joining the Marines in May 2021. He was first based in San Diego at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot, and like Dockery, went to Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri before ending up at Camp Lejeune.
Garcia went to high school in Naples, Florida, before entering active-duty service in 2019. He, too, started in San Diego at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot before being moved to Fort Leonard Wood and then to Camp Lejeune.

Camp Lejune

Three Marines Found Dead In Car From Carbon Monoxide Poisoning: Authorities

Marines

Military

A tornado ripped apart a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/pfizer" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pfizer</a> manufacturing facility in North Carolina Wednesday afternoon, damaging a massive storage of critical medicines used in hospitals throughout the U.S.
The tornado caused significant damage in Nash County — damaging vegetation and homes — in addition to the Pfizer Rocky Mount facility.
Nash County Sheriff Keith Stone said, “I’ve got reports of 50,000 pallets of medicine that are strewn across the facility and damaged through the rain and the wind.”
WATCH:
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Raw video of tornado destruction of Pfizer plant" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ujYfzipdlV0?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Pfizer said in a statement, &#8220;We can confirm that the Pfizer Rocky Mount facility was damaged by the tornado.&#8221;
&#8220;Pfizer colleagues at the site followed our established safety protocol and were able to evacuate. They are safe and accounted for,&#8221; the company added. &#8220;We are assessing the situation to determine the impact on production. Our thoughts are with our colleagues, our patients, and the community as we rebuild from this weather incident.&#8221;
The company&#8217;s website said that the Rocky Mount facility was &#8220;one of the largest sterile injectable facilities in the world, with more than 1.4 million square feet of manufacturing space on 250 acres in Eastern North Carolina.&#8221;
The facility is responsible for manufacturing nearly a quarter of all sterile injectables that are used in U.S. hospitals.
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&#8220;At this facility, a wide range of products are produced, including anesthesia, analgesia, therapeutics, anti-infectives and neuromuscular blockers,&#8221; the company said. &#8220;These products are available in small volume presentations, such as ampules, vials and syringes, and large volume presentations, such as IV bags and semi-rigid bottles.&#8221;
The facility produces &#8220;more than 400 million units leaving the Rocky Mount site annually help treat patients around the world.&#8221;

Pfizer

Pfizer Manufacturing Plant Leveled By Tornado; 50,000 Pallets Of Medicine Damaged: Report

Tornado

A North Carolina teenager who was flying for the first time skip-lagged on his flight — meaning his ticket was booked for connecting flights but he never boarded the second — and was detained at the initial airport, taken to a security room, and then interrogated.
Logan Parsons, 17, of Charlotte, North Carolina, was flying on an American Airlines ticket from Gainesville, Florida to New York’s JFK airport with a stop in Charlotte.  The ticket was purchased with the intent that Logan would get off in Charlotte, as it was a cheaper fare than a direct flight to Charlotte, a practice nicknamed “skip-lagging.” But his North Carolina ID caused an agent at the airport to be suspicious of his true intended destination, prompting him to be detained.
Logan’s father Hunter said his family has skiplagged before, acknowledging, “We&#8217;ve used Skip Lagged almost exclusively for the last five to eight years.”
“They kind of got out of him that he was planning to disboard (sic) in Charlotte and not going to make the connecting flight,” Hunter Parsons said of this son being detained. “Our concerns are he is a minor and was kind of left to fend for himself several states away. &#8230; I think a stern warning, ‘Hey, this is frowned upon. If you do it again there would be consequences, financial penalties,’” Hunter Parsons told <a href="https://www.qcnews.com/news/local-news/father-says-son-was-detained-at-airport-before-having-to-purchase-a-new-ticket/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Queen City News</a>.
“It’s the first time he’s flown, and he really doesn’t know what he is doing,” aviation attorney Bruce Brandon told Queen City News. “It seems to be a bit harsh to me. I just don’t understand why they would do this.”
“Was it a security issue or was it a contract issue?” Brandon wondered. “Was he held against his will in that back room?”
“Purchasing a ticket without intending to fly all flights to gain lower fares (hidden city ticketing) is a violation of American Airlines terms and conditions and is outlined in our Conditions of Carriage online,” American Airlines noted in a statement.
In 2014, United Airlines and Orbitz sued Skiplagged; a Chicago judge <a href="https://money.cnn.com/2015/05/01/investing/united-airlines-lawsuit-skiplagged/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dismissed</a> the lawsuit in 2015. In 2019 it was <a href="https://simpleflying.com/united-airlines-skiplagging/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that United Airlines sent an internal memo to airport staff to look out for skiplagging and report it to higher-ups at the company.
Last year a report <a href="https://lifehacker.com/youre-going-to-get-caught-skiplagging-and-it-s-not-goi-1849041104" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stated</a> that United Airlines would fine people who repeatedly skiplagged and that airlines could ban passengers from their airline if they skiplagged.

Airport security # 18

North Carolina Teenager Skiplags On His First Flight. He’s Caught and Interrogated.

American Airlines

Flying

Teenagers

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