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JK Rowling has challenged Scotland's new hate crime law in a series of social media posts - inviting police to arrest her if they believe she has committed an offence. The Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act 2021 creates a new crime of "stirring up hatred" relating to age, disability, religion, sexual orientation, transgender identity or being intersex. Ms Rowling, who has long been a critic of some trans activism, posted on X on the day the new legislation came into force. Ms Rowling said: "I'm currently out of the country, but if what I've written here qualifies as an offence under the terms of the new act, I look forward to being arrested when I return to the birthplace of the Scottish Enlightenment." Police Scotland said it had not received any complaints over the posts. The maximum penalty under the new act in Scotland is a jail sentence of seven years. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c51j64lk2l8o.amp LOCK HER UP!!

March 17 at 11:48 a.m. -- 25 year old Oliva Brand punched in the head while walking her dog at Kenmare Street and Mulberry Street in Nolita by a man who apologized. -- https://www.tiktok.com/@olivia.brand/video/7347344644507700522? March 19 at 8 p.m. – 30 year old Sarah Suzuki Harvard punched on Delancey Street at Essex Street on the Lower East Side. She did not report the incident. March 23 at 1:30 p.m. -- 25-year-old woman slapped in the forehead by an individual at West 42nd Street and Seventh Avenue in Midtown. victims tiktok account is now private -- https://www.tiktok.com/@malous228 Monday -- 36-year-old woman punched in the back by man who ran up behind her at Rivington and Chrystie streets on the Lower East Side. She refused medical attention. Monday at 10:20 a.m. -- 23 year old Halley Kate (real name Halley McGookin) reported being either punched or elbowed on West 16th Street and Seventh Avenue in Chelsea. 40 year old Skiboky Stora of 518 West 17th Street is charged with assault. -- https://www.tiktok.com/@halleykate/video/7350308300317314350 Monday at around 2 p.m. – 27 year old Mikayla Toninato was punched in the face at West 14th Street and Fifth Avenue in Greenwich Village. She reported the incident two days later. -- https://www.tiktok.com/@mikaylatoninato/video/7350742923530538282 Tuesday at 12:43 p.m. – 24 year old woman punched in the head in front of 717 Avenue of the Americas in Chelsea. She refused medical attention https://www.nydailynews.com/2024/03/28/skiboky-stora-accused-of-attacking-nyc-tiktoker-goes-on-unhinged-rant-in-court/ Skiboky Stora, accused of attacking NYC TikToker, goes on unhinged rant in court Skiboky Stora, the political gadfly arrested for assaulting a TikTok influencer, appeared in Manhattan Criminal Court Thursday and repeatedly interrupted prosecutors to go on wild rants about being wronged. Stora, 40, who has frequently run for office, including mayor and governor, as a fringe candidate, is accused of punching TikTok influencer Halley Kate McGookin as she walked near W. 16th St. and Seventh Ave. in Chelsea at 10:20 a.m. Monday. "My rights are being violated. Can I ask a question?” Stora said the moment he faced Judge Pamela Goldsmith. "I just want to speak. I have a right to ask the judge a question. Do I have that right?” "Now they bring me here and say they have video footage of me punching somebody that I never met and have never seen,” he added. "That's denying me due process, and the same officer is a white supremacist member who has arrested me.” Assistant District Attorney Liliana Shelanski shared statements Stora allegedly made to cops after being arrested. "She's a ghost, who is my accuser? You are the one who did it, I am looking at your hand,” Shelanski told police, according to prosecutors. Stora was arrested for the assault on McGookin Wednesday by the warrant squad while he was appearing in court on prior open cases. Stora allegedly struck a man in the neck and shoulder on the corner of W. 17th St. and Eighth Ave. on Sept. 20. Then on Oct. 26 he assaulted a woman on W. 17th St., hitting her on the shoulder with his elbow, authorities charge. On Nov. 18 at E. 15th St. and Fifth Ave., Stora was tearing down posters of kidnapped Israeli hostages when a woman photographed him. "The individual began shouting at her and chasing her down the street,” the criminal complaint states. "The individual followed her approximately 1.5 blocks.” The woman entered an apartment building to escape Stora but he allegedly followed her in, shouting "Die, Jew, die.” On Wednesday night, the NYPD called attention to Stora's record, branding him a "criminal recidivist.” "Your NYPD detectives were able to identify the man after he was previously arrested for similar attacks, only to be released back on our streets,” the NYPD posted on X. Shelanski requested bail "because the defendant cannot refrain from attacking strangers while he is released in public.” "Mr. Stora has never failed to make a court appearance,” countered defense lawyer Jeffrey Linehan. "Not only has he grown up here, his entire family resides in the city. Mr. Stora is a political figure, he ran for several offices just last year. "He has been targeted over the course of the last year by the arresting officer detective in a series of incidents that he describes to me as racially motivated,” added Linehan. Shelanski responded that since Stora has been arrested multiple times within the same neighborhood, the same detective has been assigned to two of his cases. Stora was ordered held on $10,000 bail. Police recovered surveillance footage of the attack on McGookin, according to prosecutors and a criminal complaint, and Stora identified himself in a still image, telling cops "Yeah, that's me walking my dog.” McGookin posted a TikTok video right after the assault, filming herself walking down a street in distress with a lump on the left side of her forehead. "I was literally just walking and a man came up and punched me in the face,” said the influencer, seemingly in shock. "Oh my God, it hurts so bad.” In what she said would be her last video about the assault, Mcgookin posted a TikTok on Wednesday showing a photo of Stora. "The man who assaulted me has been arrested,” said the influencer. "This is him.” The attack on the influencer is one of many random assaults female TikTok users in New York say they've experienced in the past few weeks. "Please make sure if this happens to you, report it to the police and try to remember as much detail as you possibly can,” said Mcgookin. On Tuesday, another woman posted a video to TikTok after being assaulted, showing a bruise under her left eye. The woman, Mikayla Toninato, posted a video Thursday afternoon saying her assailant had been arrested. "I just got a call from my detective who has been working this case, he was going to different buildings in the area to get more surveillance footage and then literally saw the man walking around the street and just arrested him,” said Toninato. Although Stora was in custody when Toninato's attacker was arrested, police are looking at several other unsolved assaults to see if Stora is responsible for those.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/retail/2024/03/25/dollar-tree-7-dollars-price-increase/73099172007/

What the hell is hapenning in Germany?

McDonald's customers can soon pair Krispy Kreme doughnuts with their morning McCafe, in a new food partnership that seeks to expand both brands but that could wind up weakening them instead. Three types of Krispy Kreme doughnuts — original glazed, chocolate iced with sprinkles and chocolate iced "kreme" filled — will go on sale at McDonald's restaurants starting later this year, the companies told CNN on Monday. The doughnut will be available to purchase individually or in a pack of six, starting at breakfast, and will continue selling until they run out. https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/26/business/krispy-kreme-mcdonalds/index.html

Several people have lost their lives after a Flixbus crashed near the German city of Leipzig. At least five people have been confirmed dead. RIP. Link: Germany: Several dead long-distance bus crash – DW – 03/27/2024

It will be fully legalised before the end of the year

UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE

You can see there are cars on that bridge too; apparently construction workers as well

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A mystery flesh-eating disease that kills around 30% of people who become infected is spreading rapidly around Japan. In the first two months of 2024, some 378 cases of streptococcal toxic shock syndrome (STSS) were detected in the country. Last year it is believed there were 941 cases, which has caused concern that this year is set to surpass that number by some distance. Infections this year have been detected in all but two of Japan's 47 prefectures, raising eyebrows about how widespread the bacteria has become. The Japan Times reports that there are usually fewer than 200 cases per year of this most severe group A streptococcal disease. What is so concerning about this particular spate, however, is that experts have admitted that they are currently none the wiser about what it is that's causing it. A National Institute of Infectious Diseases (NIID) spokesperson said: "There are still many unknown factors regarding forms of streptococcus with a severe and sudden onset. We are not at the stage where we can explain them". While it's not clear why STSS numbers are soaring in Japan, Prof Sriskandan said, told the Metro, "There's no doubt that something has happened in Japan. It's made people sit up and notice.” https://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/world-news/anus-eating-virus-kills-30-32407215

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/25/world/americas/jair-bolsonaro-hungary-video.html Mess

Prosecutors in Queens have added more alleged sex crimes to an already lengthy list of charges faced by gastroenterologist, Dr. Zhi Alan Cheng. The latest accusations, contained in a third indictment against Cheng, involve a 48-year-old woman who says, in November of 2021, she was sedated for a colonoscopy inside New York-Presbyterian Hospital Queens only to wake up and find Cheng sexually abusing her. https://www.nbcnewyork.com/investigations/queens-doctor-rape-zhi-alan-cheng-new-york-presbyterian/5225504/?amp=1 You can't trust anyone out there I hope his victims find peace and can learn to trust medical professionals again.