Side Items
Egyptian Justice Update: Egypt’s commander in chief/head bozo in charge Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has pardoned the detained human rights researcher Patrick Zaki just one day after he was sentenced to three years in prison. The government-run al-Ahram newspaper said el-Sisi also granted a presidential pardon to human-rights lawyer Mohamed el-Baqer, the lawyer for Alaa Abd el-Fattah, Egypt’s most famous political prisoner. El-Baqer was detained in 2019, and in 2021 was sentenced to four years in prison on bogus charges of disseminating false news, misuse of social media, and joining a “terrorist” group. Prisoners who are pardoned in Egypt usually walk free within days, but pardons are few and far between. For every Patrick Zaki there are hundreds if not thousands of wrongfully imprisoned Egyptians
Women’s World Cup: The FIFA Women’s World Cup kicked off today in New Zealand and Australia, where the US will look to extend its dominance. Security will be heightened ahead of the opening Women’s World Cup game after a gunman killed two people at a downtown construction site in Auckland, about 12 hours ahead of the kickoff match between New Zealand and Norway. The shooting was unrelated to the sporting event, but it could be a sign of things to come when the men’s World Cup takes place in the US in 2026
G Herbo: Chicago rap legend G Herbo has agreed to plead guilty to wire fraud and lying to federal agents after being indicted by a federal grand jury in Springfield, MA back in 2020. Mr. Herbo, born Herbert Wright, was accused along with five associates of using stolen identities to rack up $1.5 million in fraudulent charges including private jet excursions, a trip to a villa in Jamaica, and “designer puppies,” according to the Chicago Tribune. This is what happens when you try to flex too hard with money you don’t have, sorry it had to be you Herbo