Latest news with #Schneck
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Power substation damaged; Milwaukee man accused of trying to cut live wire
The Brief A Milwaukee man is accused of breaking into a We Energies substation in St. Francis. James Schneck faces two criminal counts for property damage at the substation on March 14. The criminal complaint indicates Schneck was seriously hurt when he tried to cut a live wire. ST. FRANCIS, Wis. - A 45-year-old Milwaukee man who is a self-proclaimed "scrapper" is accused of breaking into a We Energies substation in St. Francis. The accused is James Schneck – and he faces the following criminal counts: Criminal trespass to energy provider property Intentional damage to energy provider property What we know According to the criminal complaint, St. Francis police were dispatched on the morning of Friday, March 14 to the We Energies substation on S. Kinnickinnic Avenue just south of Howard Avenue for a property damage complaint. When officers arrived on the scene, they spoke with a We Energies employee who said "someone had forcefully gained entry to the substation through the secure fenced-in area to steal copper. (The employee) said the suspect tried to cut a live wire and was likely electrocuted by an extremely large amount of volts. (The employee) further stated that if the suspect wasn't already dead, he believed it was only a matter of time," the complaint says. The suspect also left tools and clothing behind, the employee noted. FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX LOCAL Mobile app for iOS or Android The criminal complaint says the We Energies employee estimated the amount of damage caused by the suspect to be around $100,000. Officers contacted detectives, a K-9 officer and drone officers to try to locate the suspect who was likely injured. A detective on the scene found a cellphone in a bag left behind by the suspect. That detective took a photo of the lock screen photo and uploaded it to automated facial recognition software. That software provided a close match to James Schneck, the defendant. The detective also called 911 from the cellphone to identify the phone number, which was also paired with Schneck. An officer also contacted an employee at Complete Recycling, near the substation. Surveillance "video depicted an explosion at the We Energies substation and depicted an individual on a bicycle riding away from the substation approximately 20 minutes after the explosion," the complaint says. Investigators were able to identify Schneck was in a relationship with someone who lived about two miles from the We Energies substation. When they went to the residence, they found a bicycle leaning up against a garage. But there was no response at the door. Investigators then spoke with the landlord who said the woman "contacted him that morning via text saying (the woman) was taking her 'man' to St. Mary's hospital after being in a 'freak accident at work' and has '2nd degree burns all over his face,'" the complaint says. Detectives then reached out to the St. Mary's Burn Unit and spoke to the woman. She indicated she had been sleeping when Schneck arrived at her apartment needing her help. She told detectives "Schneck told her something blew up in his face and he couldn't see, so (the woman) called 911," the complaint says. A nurse told detectives they did not find any evidence Schneck was electrocuted, but they suspected he was likely an opiate addict based on his reaction to ketamine. On May 28, a detective went to the woman's apartment to talk about Schneck's whereabouts. She said she did not know where he was. But the complaint says the detective noticed men's shoes in the kitchen area. During the conversation, the woman motioned over her shoulder to the detective. The detective and an officer later located Schneck in a bedroom closet. He was taken into custody. SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News Detectives conducted an in-custody interview with Schneck. He said he was released from the hospital about four days after the We Energies incident, even though he couldn't open his eye all the way. When asked about what happened, Schneck said, "You guys know. You guys know what happened. I thought I died because when I opened my eyes, all I saw was a bright light," the complaint says. When asked what the pain was like, Schneck said, "I can't even describe it. It felt like my face was being burned with a blow torch," the complaint says. Schneck also told investigators "he was doing this to make ends meet and that he has been scrapping for years," the complaint says. What's next Schneck was scheduled to make his initial appearance in Milwaukee County court on Friday, May 30. The Source The information in this post was provided by Wisconsin Circuit Court Access as well as the criminal complaint associated with this case.
Rudaw Net
09-03-2025
- Politics
- Rudaw Net
Violence in west Syria ‘deeply worrying': German envoy
Also in Syria Damascus forms committee to probe violence against minorities amid international scrutiny EU condemns attacks on western Syria with over 1,000 claimed dead Hundreds of Kurdish families return to Afrin as settlers leave Syria's Christian leaders call for 'immediate end' to violence A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Germany's envoy to Syria, Stefan Schneck, on Sunday described as 'deeply worrying' the deadly clashes in west Syria between loyalists of ousted Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad and security forces aligned with the new Damascus leadership. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported on Sunday that some 1,018 people - mostly civilians - were killed in the violence over the past four days, including '745 civilians killed in cold blood in sectarian massacres.' The casualties also included 125 government-affiliated forces and 148 Assad loyalists, according to the UK-based Observatory. "We are here to support the Syrians, the new and free Syria, towards a better future following the [downfall of the Assad's] horrific dictatorship,' Schneck told Rudaw on Sunday. He emphasized the importance of inclusivity in the country's transitional phase, stressing the importance of national unity and 'a politically inclusive process' to break the cycle of 'vengeance' that has plagued Syria for years. Schneck's remarks followed a statement by Germany's foreign ministry, which condemned the violence, stressing that 'the transitional government [in Syria] is responsible for preventing further attacks, investigating the [unfortunate] incidents, and holding those responsible to account." France's foreign minister, Jean-Noel Barrot, condemned via X 'the atrocities committed against civilians in Syria' as 'unacceptable.' He underscored the need to guarantee the protection of communities and stressed that 'impunity must not be granted to those implicated in these crimes.' On Sunday as well, the British Foreign Secretary also posted a statement on X, urging Damascus to 'ensure the protection of all Syrians and set out a clear path to transitional justice.' David Lammy described the reports of the civilian casualties in western Syria as 'horrific.' Earlier in the day, the European Union's diplomatic service strongly condemned 'the recent attacks - reportedly by pro-Assad elements - against interim government forces in the coastal areas of Syria and all violence against civilians.' The EU stressed that 'civilians have to be protected in all circumstances in full respect of international humanitarian law.' For his part, the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio condemned the "radical Islamist terrorists" responsible for massacres against minorities in Syria and urged the new leadership in Damascus to hold the perpetrators accountable. He asserted that Washington 'stands with Syria's religious and ethnic minorities, including its Christian, Druze, Alawite, and Kurdish communities."
Yahoo
09-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
‘A Very Christian Concept'
Donald Trump campaigned, in part, on returning political power to American Christians. 'If I get in, you're going to be using that power at a level that you've never used before,' Trump promised a room full of religious news broadcasters in February 2024. 'With your help and God's grace, the great revival of America begins on November 5.' At different campaign events, he vowed both that Christian leaders would have a line 'directly into the Oval Office—and me' and that he would create a federal task force to 'stop the weaponization of our government against Christians.' Now, not even three weeks into his new term, he has begun down quite the opposite path. Among the Trump administration's first efforts were orders that delivered a stunning blow to humanitarian organizations, including the suspension of foreign aid pending review, the halting of refugee-resettlement programs, the dismantling of USAID, and the freezing of all federal grants that normally flow to nonprofit organizations such as Catholic Charities USA, the official domestic relief agency of the Catholic Church. Catholic Charities represents a network of 168 local groups nationwide offering disaster assistance, meals, and housing for people in need, and refugee services and programs for migrants. According to White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, the freeze was part of a broader effort to root out 'wokeness,' though it's difficult to match that descriptor to this particular organization. And although the freeze on federal grants and loans was paused two days after Trump signed the order, many organizations are still unable to access funds. [Read: You can't just unpause USAID] Late last month, hundreds of leaders from Catholic relief and aid organizations met for the annual Catholic Social Ministry Gathering in Washington, D.C. What ensued was 'a scene of real panic,' Stephen Schneck, the chair of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom, told me. 'They were in shock, and they were disturbed, and they were feeling really panicky about the situation and wondering what to do.' Schneck recalled speaking with an attendee from El Paso, Texas, who was suddenly unable to buy diapers for babies in his charity's care. 'And this happened with no warning, no extensions,' Schneck said. 'It just happened overnight.' Catholic agencies providing relief overseas were also affected by the freeze on foreign aid, which came with a stop-work order that suspended operations. Along with the shutdown of federal funding for so many Catholic charitable organizations, Trump also revoked a Joe Biden–era policy that prevented Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents from apprehending people in or near 'sensitive locations' such as churches and schools. The change elicited a statement from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, which registered its dismay at the transformation of places for 'care, healing, and solace into places of fear and uncertainty for those in need,' and called for 'a better path forward that protects the dignity of all those we serve, upholds the sacred duty of our providers, and ensures our borders and immigration system are governed with mercy and justice.' The statement set off a back-and-forth between the bishops and Vice President J. D. Vance, who responded to the bishops on Face the Nation late last month, saying that 'the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops needs to actually look in the mirror a little bit and recognize that when they receive over $100 million to help resettle illegal immigrants, are they worried about humanitarian concerns? Or are they actually worried about their bottom line?' The USCCB followed up with another statement, saying that 'faithful to the teaching of Jesus Christ, the Catholic Church has a long history of serving refugees … In our agreements with the government, the USCCB receives funds to do this work; however, these funds are not sufficient to cover the entire cost of these programs. Nonetheless, this remains a work of mercy and ministry of the Church.' [Read: Bishop Budde delivered a truly Christian message] Vance, speaking with the Fox News host Sean Hannity, provided further Catholic reasoning for his administration's approach to migrants and refugees, arguing that he thinks it's 'a very Christian concept that you love your family, and then you love your neighbor, and then you love your community, and then you love your fellow citizens in your own country, and then after that you can focus and prioritize the rest of the world'—a statement to which the bishops have not responded. If they did, however, I imagine they would point out that Jesus addresses this matter in his Sermon on the Mount, saying, 'If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.' The Christian mandate is more arduous than Vance's account seems to allow. Catholic politicians disputing the bishops' witness to the faith is nothing new, though the allegations of avarice and corruption are somewhat surprising, and presage bitter conflict ahead. Perhaps that could be helpful, insofar as it would sharply distinguish the teaching of the Church from certain politicized versions of Catholicism tailored to the ideological preferences of their confessors. The Church is called to be a sign of contradiction—a bulwark of Christian priorities against the demands of the political and cultural eras that the faithful pass through. Comporting with political and cultural demands is what politicians do; the degree to which Catholic politicians do the same is the degree to which they ought to suspect themselves spiritually compromised. Perhaps they all are, and perhaps so are we. In fact, the tendency of humankind to be self-serving and deceitful is part of what makes me believe that Christianity is at its purest and most beautiful when it is counterintuitive and unwieldy—that is, when it is least amenable to human convenience. The command to love even those who aren't your kith and kin is an excellent example of just that. The command to serve the weakest and most outcast members of society is another. Thus, the decision to love and serve the stranger, the refugee, and the foreigner with charity is a hallmark of the Christian faith, such that a government crackdown on this work seems to be a threat to Christian practice itself, or an attempt to reshape it into something else altogether. Article originally published at The Atlantic
Atlantic
09-02-2025
- Politics
- Atlantic
‘A Very Christian Concept'
Donald Trump campaigned, in part, on returning political power to American Christians. 'If I get in, you're going to be using that power at a level that you've never used before,' Trump promised a room full of religious news broadcasters in February 2024. 'With your help and God's grace, the great revival of America begins on November 5.' At different campaign events, he vowed both that Christian leaders would have a line 'directly into the Oval Office—and me' and that he would create a federal task force to 'stop the weaponization of our government against Christians.' Now, not even three weeks into his new term, he has begun down quite the opposite path. Among the Trump administration's first efforts were orders that delivered a stunning blow to humanitarian organizations, including the suspension of foreign aid pending review, the halting of refugee-resettlement programs, the dismantling of USAID, and the freezing of all federal grants that normally flow to nonprofit organizations such as Catholic Charities USA, the official domestic relief agency of the Catholic Church. Catholic Charities represents a network of 168 local groups nationwide offering disaster assistance, meals, and housing for people in need, and refugee services and programs for migrants. According to White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, the freeze was part of a broader effort to root out ' wokeness,' though it's difficult to match that descriptor to this particular organization. And although the freeze on federal grants and loans was paused two days after Trump signed the order, many organizations are still unable to access funds. Late last month, hundreds of leaders from Catholic relief and aid organizations met for the annual Catholic Social Ministry Gathering in Washington, D.C. What ensued was 'a scene of real panic,' Stephen Schneck, the chair of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom, told me. 'They were in shock, and they were disturbed, and they were feeling really panicky about the situation and wondering what to do.' Schneck recalled speaking with an attendee from El Paso, Texas, who was suddenly unable to buy diapers for babies in his charity's care. 'And this happened with no warning, no extensions,' Schneck said. 'It just happened overnight.' Catholic agencies providing relief overseas were also affected by the freeze on foreign aid, which came with a stop-work order that suspended operations. Along with the shutdown of federal funding for so many Catholic charitable organizations, Trump also revoked a Joe Biden–era policy that prevented Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents from apprehending people in or near 'sensitive locations' such as churches and schools. The change elicited a statement from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, which registered its dismay at the transformation of places for 'care, healing, and solace into places of fear and uncertainty for those in need,' and called for 'a better path forward that protects the dignity of all those we serve, upholds the sacred duty of our providers, and ensures our borders and immigration system are governed with mercy and justice.' The statement set off a back-and-forth between the bishops and Vice President J. D. Vance, who responded to the bishops on Face the Nation late last month, saying that 'the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops needs to actually look in the mirror a little bit and recognize that when they receive over $100 million to help resettle illegal immigrants, are they worried about humanitarian concerns? Or are they actually worried about their bottom line?' The USCCB followed up with another statement, saying that 'faithful to the teaching of Jesus Christ, the Catholic Church has a long history of serving refugees … In our agreements with the government, the USCCB receives funds to do this work; however, these funds are not sufficient to cover the entire cost of these programs. Nonetheless, this remains a work of mercy and ministry of the Church.' Vance, speaking with the Fox News host Sean Hannity, provided further Catholic reasoning for his administration's approach to migrants and refugees, arguing that he thinks it's 'a very Christian concept that you love your family, and then you love your neighbor, and then you love your community, and then you love your fellow citizens in your own country, and then after that you can focus and prioritize the rest of the world'—a statement to which the bishops have not responded. If they did, however, I imagine they would point out that Jesus addresses this matter in his Sermon on the Mount, saying, 'If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.' The Christian mandate is more arduous than Vance's account seems to allow. Catholic politicians disputing the bishops' witness to the faith is nothing new, though the allegations of avarice and corruption are somewhat surprising, and presage bitter conflict ahead. Perhaps that could be helpful, insofar as it would sharply distinguish the teaching of the Church from certain politicized versions of Catholicism tailored to the ideological preferences of their confessors. The Church is called to be a sign of contradiction—a bulwark of Christian priorities against the demands of the political and cultural eras that the faithful pass through. Comporting with political and cultural demands is what politicians do; the degree to which Catholic politicians do the same is the degree to which they ought to suspect themselves spiritually compromised. Perhaps they all are, and perhaps so are we. In fact, the tendency of humankind to be self-serving and deceitful is part of what makes me believe that Christianity is at its purest and most beautiful when it is counterintuitive and unwieldy—that is, when it is least amenable to human convenience. The command to love even those who aren't your kith and kin is an excellent example of just that. The command to serve the weakest and most outcast members of society is another. Thus, the decision to love and serve the stranger, the refugee, and the foreigner with charity is a hallmark of the Christian faith, such that a government crackdown on this work seems to be a threat to Christian practice itself, or an attempt to reshape it into something else altogether.
