Latest news with #ProudBoys'
Hamilton Spectator
a day ago
- Politics
- Hamilton Spectator
New crime novels feature a locked-room mystery, a Scarborough stabbing and a Jan. 6 insurrectionist
It's a weird time in American politics, which means it's a perfect time for Florida novelist Carl Hiaasen to plumb the satirical depths of corruption and malfeasance in his home state. His last novel, 2020's 'Squeeze Me,' suffered from a subplot that attempted to satirize the once-and-current occupant of the White House, a Falstaffian spray-tanned figure so outrageous as to be almost impervious to satire. For 'Fever Beach,' Hiaasen wisely steers clear of POTUS and his inept administration, preferring instead to focus on wanton corruption at a lower level. 'Fever Beach,' by Carl Hiaasen, Alfred A. Knopf, $34.99. The new novel begins with a meet-cute on an airplane between Twilly Spree and Viva Morales. Twilly is a stock Hiaasen character: an independently wealthy Florida do-gooder who spends his time making life miserable for folks who litter, antagonize the local wildlife or otherwise cause environmental or social havoc. Viva's job is administering the foundation of a couple of rich right-wing octogenarians whose fundraising operates as a money-laundering front to finance the campaign of far-right (and profoundly stupid) congressman Clure Boyette, in hot water with his obstreperous father over a scandal involving an underage prostitute named Galaxy. Add in Viva's landlord — a Jan. 6 insurrectionist named Dale Figgo who heads the Strokers for Freedom (a white nationalist militia whose name is a rebuke to the Proud Boys' insistence on refraining from masturbation) — and his cohort, the violent and reckless Jonas Onus, and you have all the ingredients for a classic Hiaasen caper. Twenty years ago, German-born author Leonie Swann debuted one of the most delightful detective teams in genre history: a flock of sheep on the trail of the person responsible for killing their shepherd with a spade through the chest. After a two-decade absence, Miss Maple, Othello, Mopple the Whale, and the other woolly sleuths are back on the case, this time on behalf of their new herder, Rebecca, the daughter of the early book's victim. 'Big Bad Wool,' by Leonie Swann, Soho Crime, $38.95. Rebecca, her intrusive Mum, and the sheep are overwintering in the lee of a French chateau where there are rumours of a marauding Garou — a werewolf — that is responsible for mutilating deer in the nearby woods. Among other strange occurrences, Rebecca's red clothing is found torn to pieces and some sheep go missing — and soon enough there's a dead human for the flock, in the uncomfortable company of a group of local goats, to deal with. 'Big Bad Wool' is a charming romp, whose pleasure comes largely from the ironic distance between the sheep's understanding of the world and that of the people who surround them. ('The humans in the stories did plenty of ridiculous things. Spring cleaning, revenge and diets.') Their enthusiasm and excitement results in prose that is a bit too reliant on exclamation points, and some of the more heavy-handed puns (like the sheep's insistence on 'woolpower') seem forced, but this is nevertheless a fun variation on the traditional country cosy. Romance novelist Uzma Jalaluddin takes a turn into mystery with this new book about amateur sleuth Kausar Khan. A widow in her late 50s, Kausar returns to Toronto from North Bay to help her daughter, Sana, who has been accused of stabbing her landlord to death in her Scarborough mall boutique. The police — including Sana's old flame, Ilyas — are convinced Sana is the prime suspect, but Kausar is determined to prove her daughter innocent. 'Detective Aunty,' by Uzma Jalaluddin, HarperCollins, $25.99. Her investigation involves a couple of competing developers, both of whom want to purchase the land on which the mall stands, along with members of the dead man's family and fellow shopkeepers. On the domestic front, Kausar finds herself concerned with Sana's deteriorating marriage to her husband, Hamza, and her teenage granddaughter's sullenness and mysterious nighttime disappearances. Jalaluddin does a good job integrating the various elements of her plot, and the familial relationships are nicely calibrated. The momentum is impeded, however, by a preponderance of clichés ('Playing devil's advocate, Kausar asked …'; 'Kausar's blood ran cold') and a tendency to hold the reader's hand by defining every easily Googleable Urdu word or greeting too programmatically. More attention to the writing on the line level would have helped move this one along. Yukito Ayatsuji's clever postmodern locked-room mystery was first published in Japanese in 2009; it appears for the first time in English translation, which is good news for genre fans. 'The Labyrinth House Murders,' by Yukito Ayatsuji, Pushkin Vertigo, $24.95. Ayatsuji's narrative is framed by Shimada, a mystery aficionado, who is presented with a novelization about murders that took place at the home of famed mystery writer Miyagaki Yotaro, found dead by his own hand soon after the manuscript opens. Miyagaki has left a bizarre challenge for the writers gathered at his Byzantine Labyrinth House: each must write a story featuring a murder, and the victim must be the writer him- or herself. The winning author, as adjudicated by a group of critics also convened at Labyrinth House, will inherit Miyagaki's sizable fortune. As the writers compete for the reward, bodies start falling in real life and Ayatsuji has a grand time playing metafictional games with his readers, challenging them to figure out who the culprit is in the context of a story that owes more than a small debt to Agatha Christie's 'And Then There Were None.' But Ayatsuji does Christie one better; it is only once the afterword, which closes the framed narrative, has unfolded that the reader fully understands how cleverly the author has conceived his multi-layered fictional trap.
Yahoo
21-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
I went to CPAC as an anthropologist to see how Trump supporters are feeling − for them, a ‘golden age' has begun
At the start of his inaugural address on Jan. 20, 2025, President Donald Trump declared, 'The golden age of America begins right now!' A month later, Trump's supporters gathered at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference, or CPAC, in Oxon Hill, Maryland, from Feb. 19-22 to celebrate the advent of this golden age. Gold glitter jackets, emblazoned with phrases like 'Trump the Golden Era,' are for sale in the CPAC exhibition hall. There, attendees decked out in other MAGA-themed clothing and accessories network and mingle. They visit booths with politically charged signs that say 'Defund Planned Parenthood' and collect brochures on topics like 'The Gender Industrial Complex.' Another booth with a yellow and black striped backdrop resembling a prison cell's bars was called a 'Deportation Center.' Attendees photographed themselves at this booth, posing beside full-size cutouts of Trump and his border czar, Tom Homan. Former Jan. 6 prisoners, including Proud Boys' former leader Enrique Tarrio, have also been a visible – and controversial – presence at CPAC. The conference's proceedings kicked off on Feb. 20 with an Arizona pastor, Joshua Navarrete, saying, to loud applause, 'We are living in the greatest time of our era – the golden age!' Many subsequent speakers repeated this phrase, celebrating the country's 'golden age.' For many outside observers, claims of a golden age might seem odd. Just months ago during the 2024 presidential campaign, Trump said that an American apocalypse was underway, driven by a U.S. economy in shambles and major cities overrun by an 'invasion' of 'illegal alien' 'terrorists,' 'rapists' and 'murderers.' Now, Trump's critics argue, the U.S. is led by a convicted felon who is implementing policies that are reckless, stupid and harmful. Further, these critics contend, Trump's illegal power grabs are leading to a constitutional crisis that could cause democracy to crumble in the U.S. How, they wonder, could anyone believe the country is in a golden age? As an anthropologist of U.S. political culture, I have been studying the Make America Great Again, or MAGA, movement for years. I wrote a related 2021 book, 'It Can Happen Here.' And I continue to do MAGA research at places like this year's CPAC, where the mood has been giddy. Here are three reasons why the MAGA faithful believe a golden age has begun. The list begins, and ends, with Trump. Trump supporters contend that after the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attacks, which they consider a 'peaceful protest,' Trump became a political pariah and victim. Like many a mythic hero, Trump's response was 'never surrender.' In 2023, he repeatedly told his MAGA faithful, 'I am your warrior, I am your justice.' Trump's heroism, his supporters believe, was illustrated after a bullet grazed his ear during an assassination attempt in Pennsylvania in July 2024. Trump quickly rose to his feet, pumped his fist in the air and yelled, 'Fight, fight, fight.' The phrase became a MAGA rally cry and, in February 2025, it has been stamped on CPAC attendees' shirts and jackets. After Trump's 2024 election victory, many Trump supporters dubbed it 'the greatest comeback in political history.' MAGA populist Steven Bannon invoked this phrase at a pre-CPAC event on Feb. 19. When Bannon spoke on the CPAC main stage on Feb. 20, he led the crowd in a raucous 'fight, fight, fight' chant. He compared Trump with Abraham Lincoln and George Washington and called for him to run again for president in 2028. This is despite the fact that Trump running for a third term would violate the Constitution. The MAGA faithful believe that Trump is like a human 'wrecking ball,' as evangelical leader Lance Wallnau said in 2015. This metaphor speaks to how Trump supporters believe the president is tearing down an entrenched, corrupt system. The day Trump took office, MAGA stalwarts underscore, he began to 'drain the swamp' with a slew of executive orders. One established the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, which is devoted to eliminating government waste. DOGE, led by billionaire Elon Musk, has dismantled USAID and fired thousands of government workers whom MAGA views as part of an anti-Trump 'deep state.' Musk stole the show at CPAC on Feb. 20. Speaking to a cheering crowd, Musk held up a large red chain saw and yelled, 'This is the chain saw for bureaucracy.' Speaker after speaker at this year's CPAC have celebrated this and other wrecking-ball achievements on panels with titles like 'Red Tape Reckoning,' 'Crushing Woke Board Rooms' and 'The Takedown of Left Tech.' A golden age requires a builder. Who better, the MAGA faithful believe, than a billionaire businessman with a self-proclaimed 'Midas touch.' This refers to King Midas, a figure in Greek mythology who turns everything he touches into pure gold. 'Trump Will Fix It' signs filled his 2024 campaign rallies. And MAGA supporters note that Trump began fixing the country on Day 1 by 'flooding the zone' with executive orders aimed at implementing his four-pronged 'America First' promise. In addition to draining the swamp, this plan pledges to 'make America safe again,' 'make America affordable and energy dominant again' and 'bring back American values.' These themes run through the remarks of almost every CPAC speaker, who offer nonstop praise about how Trump is securing the country's borders, increasing energy independence, repatriating who they call illegal aliens, restoring free speech and reducing government regulation and waste. CPAC speakers said that Trump has already racked up a slew of successes just a month into his presidency. This includes Trump using the threat of tariffs to bring other countries to the negotiating table. Meanwhile, Trump supporters are pleased that he has been working to cut deals to end the conflict in Gaza and the war between Russia and Ukraine, while reorienting U.S. foreign policy to focus on China. House Speaker Mike Johnson expressed the prevailing MAGA sentiment when he stated at CPAC that Trump 'wrote the art of the deal. He knows what he's doing.' The golden-age celebration at CPAC centered on Trump and his mission to 'make America great again.' Speaker after speaker, including foreign conservative leaders from around the world, paid homage to Trump and this message. During her CPAC speech, Liz Truss, the former prime minister of the U.K., stated, 'This is truly the golden age of America.' Truss, who does not have a current political position, told the CPAC audience that she wanted to copy the MAGA playbook in order to 'make Britain great again.' The MAGA faithful believe that Trump is restoring an era of American exceptionalism in which the U.S. is an economic powerhouse, common sense is the rule, and traditional values centered on God, family and freedom are celebrated. And they believe in a future where the U.S. is, as Trump said in his inaugural address, 'the envy of every nation.' This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit, independent news organization bringing you facts and trustworthy analysis to help you make sense of our complex world. It was written by: Alex Hinton, Rutgers University - Newark Read more: Why so many people voted for Trump − 5 things to understand about MAGA supporters' thinking 'MAGA BLACK' hats, clear swag bags, the first Trump/Vance signs: Highlights of what the Smithsonian is archiving from the Republican convention I went to CPAC as an anthropologist to understand Trump's base − they believe, more than ever, he is a savior Alex Hinton receives funding from Alex Hinton receives funding from the Rutgers-Newark Sheila Y. Oliver Center for Politics and Race in America, Rutgers Research Council, and Henry Frank Guggenheim Foundation.
Yahoo
12-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Newly-Released Proud Boy Enrique Tarrio Weighs Run at Matt Gaetz's Old Seat
The ex-Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio, who is just two weeks removed from a Donald Trump pardon, says he is weighing a run at Matt Gaetz's old seat in Congress. Tarrio, 42, suggested to the Miami New Times that Congress would be the only place he wants to seek office. 'If I do run, I want to be in that building that they accused me of trying to storm,' he told the alt-weekly. To run in Gaetz's deep-red district, which was the most-Republican in Florida as of 2022, Tarrio would have to move nearly 10 hours away—about 650 miles by car, jumping timezones—from Miami to Florida's 1st congressional district in the state's panhandle. Being able to run for office at all likely did not seem possible to Tarrio a year-and-a-half ago. That's when he was sentenced to 22 years in federal prison for seditious conspiracy tied to Proud Boys' actions at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021—charges he was slapped with despite not being in D.C. himself that day. He told the New Times he spent Election Night in November with his ear pressed to the crack of his cell door, listening to the results of the election being broadcast outside, hoping for a Trump win.
USA Today
07-02-2025
- Politics
- USA Today
Black church vandalized by Proud Boys hopes to use to attention to support social justice
WASHINGTON − A historic Black church in Washington, D.C., whose Black Lives Matter sign was vandalized by members of the Proud Boys, plans to launch a project Monday to further support its social justice work and those of national groups. 'It will be a place for people to think about what we do next, how we move forward,' William Lamar, pastor of the Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church told USA TODAY in an exclusive interview. 'We will be considering questions like what do we all do next? How do we go forward and how can we be victorious in the space in which we find ourselves, politically and spiritually and emotionally?'' The project, which will be posted on the church website, will provide a space for discussions about social justice concerns and ways to address them, Lamar said. The move comes on the heels of a ruling Monday by a Washington D.C. judge that barred the Proud Boys from selling merchandise using its name or symbols without permission from the church. The ruling allows the church to seize money that the group makes through 'any sale, transfer, disposition, or license of the Proud Boys Trademark.' 'We own the trademark to a violent white supremacist organization and we intend to take that evil and use it for good,'' Lamar said. The church sought action after the Proud Boys failed to pay on a $2.8 million judgment. Enrique Tarrio, one of the Proud Boys' leaders charged with vandalizing the sign in December 2020 following a rally supporting President Donald Trump, told USA TODAY Wednesday he doesn't plan to sell any Proud Boys merchandise online or in a store. 'We don't care because let somebody else have it,'' he said. 'If they try to enforce it, excuse my language, but we'll wipe our a-- with it.'' Details:Proud Boys' Enrique Tarrio tells all: Wants accusers to 'feel the heat', weighs sheriff run Tarrio, who describes his heritage as afro-Cuban and has said his organization is not a white supremacist group, said he plans to appeal the court decision. He said he will make other shirts that won't be for sale. 'We turn lemons into lemonade,'' said Tarrio, who was among nearly 1,600 people Trump pardoned last month for their role in the Jan. 6, 2021 riot at the U.S. Capitol. 'So I'll be making personal shirts that call us the African Methodist boys, since they want to take our trademark.'' ''As soon as I get my printer up and running, I will be making some shirts, and I'm sure that you're going to see the guys wearing them all over the place,'' said Tarrio, who said he's Baptist. Lamar didn't respond to Tarrio's comments. Metropolitan hopes to capitalize on the attention and support the work not only of the church, but others trying to address issues including environmental justice, health disparities and food insecurity, Lamar said. 'Our strategy is to deepen the work that already exist,'' said Lamar. More:Civil rights activists call for action as King holiday and inauguration fall on same day The church has since replaced the Black Lives Matter sign that was vandalized. Another which Lamar called ''bigger and blacker'' is outside the historic red brick church. The church located in downtown Washington is one of the oldest Black churches in the city. It has a long history with the Civil Rights Movement and recently hosted a rally on Martin Luther King, Jr., Day. Speakers at the rally sponsored by the National Action Network urged people to fight to protect civil rights under the Trump administration. Contributing: Fernando Cervantes Jr., Will Carless
Yahoo
06-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Proud Boys looking to sell merch will now have to tell it to the church
Far-right extremist group the Proud Boys shot to infamy when President Donald Trump told them to 'stand back and stand by' during a 2020 presidential debate. Now they may need to stand by for a new name. Less than a month before the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, a crowd of hundreds of Trump supporters, including some members of the Proud Boys, gave Washington, D.C., a preview of what Trump's 'big lie' would unleash. During a violent demonstration on Dec. 12, 2020, members of the Proud Boys vandalized a 'Black Lives Matter' flag belonging to Metropolitan AME Church, a historically Black church. Members of the group stole the flag and stomped on it while chanting, 'Whose streets? Our streets.' The group will have a harder time explaining exactly whose streets they are, because the church now owns the rights to the Proud Boys' name. In 2023, Metropolitan AME won a $2.8 million default judgment against the group for its destruction of its sign. After the Proud Boys failed to pay, the church pivoted its focus to the group's trademark. Per a ruling this week from Superior Court Judge Tanya M. Jones Bosier, if the Proud Boys want to sell anything bearing the group's name or symbols, they need to get approval from the church. The Proud Boys' involvement in the Jan. 6 attack resulted in former Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio's getting sentenced to 22 years for seditious conspiracy. Tarrio was among those to whom Trump issued sweeping pardons upon taking office. Tarrio, 42, called for the judge to be impeached and urged an investigation into the judge's decision. 'I wipe my a-- with the judge's decision,' he said of the ruling, according to The Washington Post. Ideally, he won't try getting that on a shirt. This article was originally published on
