DULUTH — Myrissa Overfors ran barefoot from a Lakeside neighborhood home in 2007, hiding in some bushes while frantically calling her mother for a ride. Recalling the “horror movie” scene 17 years later, Overfors told a judge she “would’ve ran to the end of the world to get away” from the man who sexually assaulted her that day. ADVERTISEMENT “I’m 33 years old and I’m just now starting to heal,” she said to a packed courtroom at the St. Louis County Courthouse. For the numerous victims of Jackson Michael Gatlin, Monday marked a significant milestone in their long-awaited quest for justice — a day they were not sure would ever come. Gatlin, 36, a former youth pastor at Duluth Vineyard Church, was sentenced to 13 years in prison for a series of sexual assaults perpetrated against minors who were under his supervision. Earlier this month, he pleaded guilty to five counts of criminal sexual conduct, ranging from first- to fourth-degree. The charges date back more than a decade, and while just five cases could be charged, authorities said there were at least 10 identified victims. “We wonder how many others there were,” said Jeanne Filkins, whose daughter, Kacey, died by suicide in 2022 after years of struggling with the trauma of her abuse. “How many girls did he really get to?” Gatlin served as a volunteer and paid pastoral assistant at the Kenwood neighborhood church from 2007-23. His parents, Michael and Brenda Gatlin, were then senior pastors at the church and were also involved in its national leadership. Several investigations were initiated, with court filings indicating the Gatlins allowed their son to use the church's youth group as a "hunting ground" to "(prey) on underage girls with no consequences for years" before police eventually became involved in 2022. ADVERTISEMENT Authorities said the known victims ranged in age from approximately 11 to 16. Overfors, then 16, said she was in a particularly vulnerable position when she joined the church after losing her father. She spoke of a “snowball effect” after the assault that included becoming addicted to heroin and methamphetamine. “I was served that monster on a silver platter under the guise of God,” said Overfors, who said she has been sober for 10 years. Vanessa Josephson listed some of the struggles she has faced over the past 16 years: anxiety, depression, panic attacks, eating disorder, self-isolation, anger, loss of faith, difficulty sleeping, loss of trust and struggles in school. “At 15 years old, I should’ve been worried about hanging out with friends, what dress to wear to the school dance and where to go to college,” Josephson said, “not whether my crippling depression would ultimately take my life.” Josephson said she wants to use the tragedy to advocate for others, and as a mother of two boys she added: “We often talk about how ‘no’ means ‘no’ — something I wish Jackson’s parents had taught him.” The News Tribune generally does not name victims of sexual assault, but the women in this story agreed to be publicly identified. ADVERTISEMENT St. Louis County prosecutor Mike Ryan called Gatlin’s actions “an exploitation of innocence and faith” and said he “robbed (the victims) of their youth and treated them like they were disposable.” “He is lucky to enjoy a sentence that is defined by law,” Ryan said, “not by the moral code of his religion, which would prescribe something much harsher.” Gatlin declined to address the court, but defense attorney Chris Stocke noted the crimes occurred 15-17 years ago when his client was about 20 years old. He said Gatlin struggled to recall many of the details of the cases and has since remained law-abiding. “He’s coming to terms with what he has done,” Stocke said, adding that Gatlin is in therapy. “Knowing what he did was wrong, he has spent 15 years trying to be a better man.” Judge Dale Harris credited the victims with showing “remarkable courage” in sharing their stories and said he likely would not have accepted the plea agreement if they had not signed off on it. Harris said police reports suggested some in the church community spoke out about Gatlin over the years, while some tried to conceal his actions, and others simply had suspicions. “Ultimately, all of you must look in the mirror and decide if what you did was enough,” the judge said, noting that is a matter to be decided another day. ADVERTISEMENT Gatlin was sentenced Monday on two of the five convictions. Additional victims are expected to be heard Tuesday when he is sentenced in the remaining three cases. All sentences will run concurrently, and after prison, he will be subject to lifetime conditional release and sex offender registration. But as the criminal proceedings conclude, a new phase of litigation is beginning. Nine lawsuits were filed this month against Gatlin, his parents, and the local and national Vineyard Church. “Thirteen years is a good start,” Filkins said, “but it will never be enough for what this community has lost because of Jackson’s actions.” If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, call 911. National Sexual Assault Hotline: 24/7 hotline: 800-656-4673 Center Against Sexual and Domestic Abuse (CASDA): serves Duluth, Superior and Ashland, Bayfield and Douglas counties; 24/7 hotline 800-649-2921; submit a help request at casda.org/get-help Program for Aid to Victims of Sexual Assault (PAVSA): serves southern St. Louis County; 24/7 hotline 218-726-1931 Sexual Assault Program of Northern St. Louis County: serves northern St. Louis County; 218-749-4725; leave a message and an advocate will be contacted 24/7 Family Pathways: serves Carlton and Pine counties; 24/7 hotline 800-338-7233 Support Within Reach: serves Aitkin and Itasca counties; hotline 866-747-5008 North Shore Horizons: serves Lake County; 24/7 hotline 218-834-5924 Violence Prevention Center: serves Cook County; 24/7 hotline 218-387-1237 Friends Against Abuse: serves Koochiching County; 24/7 hotline 888-344-3264 Fond du Lac Reservation: 24/7 hotline 218-348-1817 Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa: Grand Portage Human Services 218-475-2453 Bois Forte Tribal Government–Victim Services Program: emergency cell 218-248-0067
Women will for the first time make up a majority of state legislators in Colorado and New Mexico next year, but at least 13 states saw losses in female representation after the November election, according to a count released Thursday by the Rutgers Center for American Women and Politics. While women will fill a record number of state legislative seats in 2025, the overall uptick will be slight, filling just over third of legislative seats. Races in some states are still being called. "We certainly would like to see a faster rate of change and more significant increases in each election cycle to get us to a place where parity in state legislatures is less novel and more normal," said Kelly Dittmar, director of research at the CAWP, which is a unit of the Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers University. As of Wednesday, at least 2,450 women will serve in state legislatures, representing 33.2% of the seats nationwide. The previous record was set in 2024 with 2,431 women, according to the CAWP. The number of Republican women, at least 851, will break the previous record of 815 state lawmakers set in 2024. "But still, Republican women are very underrepresented compared to Democratic women," Debbie Walsh, director of the CAWP, said. From left, House Maj. Whip Reena Szczepanski, D-Santa Fe, Rep. D. Wonda Johnson, D-Church Rock and Rep. Cristina Parajon, D-Albuquerque, talk July 18 before the start of a special session, in Santa Fe, N.M. By the most recent count, 19 states will have increased the number of women in their state legislatures, according to the CAWP. The most notable increases were in New Mexico and Colorado, where women will for the first time make up a majority of lawmakers. In New Mexico, voters sent an 11 additional women to the chambers. Colorado previously attained gender parity in 2023 and is set to tip over to a slight female majority in the upcoming year. The states follow Nevada, which was the first in the country to see a female majority in the legislature following elections in 2018. Next year, women will make up almost 62% of state lawmakers in Nevada, far exceeding parity. Women in California's Senate will make up the chamber's majority for the first time in 2025 as well. Women also made notable gains in South Dakota, increasing its number by at least nine. Four of South Carolina's Sister Senators, from left, Sen. Margie Bright Matthews, D-Walterboro, Sen. Mia McLeod, I-Columbia, Sen. Katrina Shealy, R-Lexington, and Sen. Penry Gustafson, R-Camden, stand in front of the Senate on June 26 with their John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage award in Columbia, S.C. At least thirteen states emerged from the election with fewer female lawmakers than before, with the most significant loss occurring in South Carolina. This year, the only three Republican women in the South Carolina Senate lost their primaries after they stopped a total abortion ban from passing. Next year, only two women, who are Democrats, will be in the 46-member Senate. No other state in the country will have fewer women in its upper chamber, according to the CAWP. Women make up 55% of the state's registered voters. Half the members in the GOP dominated state were elected in 2012 or before, so it will likely be the 2040s before any Republican woman elected in the future can rise to leadership or a committee chairmanship in the chamber, which doles out leadership positions based on seniority. A net loss of five women in the legislature means they will make up only about 13% of South Carolina's lawmakers, making the state the second lowest in the country for female representation. Only West Virginia has a smaller proportion of women in the legislature. West Virginia stands to lose one more women from its legislative ranks, furthering its representation problem in the legislature where women will make up just 11% of lawmakers. Many women, lawmakers and experts say that women's voices are needed in discussions on policy, especially at a time when state government is at its most powerful in decades. Walsh, director of the CAWP, said the new changes expected from the Trump administration will turn even more policy and regulation to the states. The experiences and perspectives women offer will be increasingly needed, she said, especially on topics related to reproductive rights, healthcare, education and childcare. "The states may have to pick up where the federal government may, in fact, be walking away," Walsh said. "And so who serves in those institutions is more important now than ever." November 7, 2024: Trump Victory Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.
Authored by Tim Donner via Liberty Nation news, Ever since Election Day, much talk has focused on President-elect Donald Trump’s appointments – in record time – of his Cabinet, advisors, and agency directors. This new administration is a diverse mix, but they all have one thing in common: The returning president sees them as loyal to him and his outsized agenda. But what about all the other, more entrenched denizens of DC? Enter Schedule F – Trump’s bold plan to “drain the Swamp.” Washington is abuzz with the extraordinary diversity of beliefs among the new designees. This is far from typical for incoming presidents, who ordinarily populate their administrations with political veterans in lockstep with their ideology. But after assembling a largely forgettable team upon his arrival in DC as a novice in 2017, the road-tested 47th president has broken the mold, as is his wont, by selecting Republicans and Democrats, hawks and doves, neoconservatives and populists, corporatists and unionists, insiders and outsiders. Trump’s most famously ambitious objective, however, is to drain and ultimately empty the DC swamp of its unelected, unaccountable, and obstructionist bureaucrats who can thwart the will of the president, as they did so often during his first administration. The arrogance of these supercilious apparatchiks is due to the iron-clad protections they enjoy as civil servants. They cannot be fired no matter their behavior, except in the rarest of circumstances. Presidents come and go, they tell themselves, but we will outlast them all and can act accordingly. You may recall the so-called “all-of-government” approach to the DEI agenda during the current administration, where the goal of equity must be embraced and adopted not only in social planning and policies but across all agencies and cabinet departments. Well, the incoming president will employ that same broad, sweeping approach to weeding out the most unproductive and recalcitrant employees among the federal government’s 2.2 million-strong civilian workforce. And while DOGE – the newly formed non-governmental Department of Government Efficiency to be headed by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy – has been the talk of Washington, it faces severe limits in its attempts to affect systemic reform. No less than 60% of the government’s $6.8 trillion budget is “non-discretionary” and largely untouchable because it is devoted to Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and interest on the exploding national debt, now more than $36 trillion. Another 13% is devoted to defense, which Trump has pledged to increase. Thus, Musk’s stated goal of cutting $2 trillion in unnecessary federal spending will be extremely difficult, if not impossible, to achieve. However, taking an axe to the bloated budget ultimately figures to have less permanent impact than Trump’s audacious plans to alter the federal government’s modus operandi and its entrenched culture. The linchpin for his game-changing reforms is reinstating the innocuous-sounding Schedule F, instituted by Trump in the waning days of his first term but immediately reversed by Joe Biden upon taking office. It will empower massive changes in the bureaucracy, re-classifying thousands of careerists as political appointees. It refers to a section of the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978, exempting some federal employees from civil service protections, specifically those “whose position has been determined to be of a confidential, policy-determining, policy-making or policy-advocating character.” Under Trump’s plan, the number of such employees would jump from roughly 4,000 to about 50,000, signaling a sea change in the way Washington does business. The outgoing Biden administration, deeply fearful of Trump’s bold plans to upend the DC establishment, is working overtime to “Trump-proof” (as much as possible) the federal government, hoping to minimize the damage to its familiar and comfortable way of life. The danger inherent in Schedule F is the likelihood that the next Democratic president could use the same expanded executive control over the bureaucracy to reverse course from Trump and bring in committed progressives who could do even more damage than the present embedded bureaucrats. So, to make these plans stick beyond Trump’s next term, his administration might attempt to move one or more executive agencies out of Washington. This would wrench thousands of civil servants out of their comfort zone, likely leading to a significant number of resignations by those accustomed to life inside the DC beltway. Despite setting a risky precedent that could backfire on Republicans in the years ahead, Trump is focused on the here and now, believing the addition of Schedule F will force permanent structural change on what has effectively become a fourth branch of government, namely, the administrative state. Everyday Americans have complained about federal bureaucratic hegemony for as long as we can remember, but now they will finally have a president in place with specific plans to do something about it.
As the leaves fall, the heat goes on, the temperatures drop and the sweaters and jackets are pulled from storage, it’s also a great time to think about making a pot of soup. Soup is one of the best comfort foods, perfect for those New England fall and winter days. Whether you fancy clam or corn chowder, a roasted butternut squash soup, a classic Italian sausage orzo or something unique like lasagna soup, there’s a special place in everyone’s heart for that big pot on the stove. We have found five recipes that are sure to make your mouth water. No matter what soup preference you may have, you’ll find something to cook for the whole family. Simple Roasted Butternut Squash Soup This recipe is by Allrecipes.com . Ingredients Directions Clam Chowder This recipe is by Allrecipes.com . Ingredients Directions Real Lasagna Soup This recipe is by Allrecipes.com . Ingredients Noodles: Soup Base: Cheese Mixture: Garnish: Directions Italian Sausage Orzo Soup This recipe is by juliasalbum.com . Ingredients Directions Cheesy Potato Soup This recipe is by Allrecipes.com . Ingredients DirectionsNew Sonic 3 trailer gives Shadow the Hedgehog his gunPakistan won’t accept Trump admin pressure to release Imran: Sana Rana Sana says that negotiations should be held bilaterally between treasury and opposition parties ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister’s Adviser on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah said on Tuesday the government “would not accept any pressure” from the new US administration led by President-elect Donald Trump to negotiate with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) or release its party founder Imran Khan. When questioned about potential pressure from the Trump administration in view of its loyalist Richard Grenell’s tweet demanding Imran’s release, Sanaullah replied: “We would not work under pressure of Donald Trump [...] if any intervention is made then we would consider it as interference in our sovereignty.” The premier’s aide, who is also one of the members of the government’s negotiation committee, further said that they did not commence dialogue with the major opposition party due to Trump. He stressed that negotiations should be held bilaterally between the treasury and the opposition. He also said that Pakistan had witnessed ups and downs in its bilateral ties with the US, however, Islamabad would not accept anything against its national interests. To another question, the ruling PMLN leader replied that the federal government would not create obstacles if the Imran Khan-founded party seeks “conclusive and time-bound” talks. He, however, said that it won’t be possible if both sides agreed on all demands during the talks, adding that the government was not in haste to summon meetings immediately. He was pointing towards the recent statement of the embattled PTI Chairman Gohar Ali Khan in which he sought government’s “timeframe” in connection with progress on their demands after the latter met Imran at Adiala Jail today.
Colts Notebook: Richardson again delivers in clutchRepresentative Image Elon Musk is taking steps to establish a first-of-its-kind town for its rocket company SpaceX and its employees in in Texas, US. Employees of SpaceX have formally filed a petition to incorporate a new municipality called Starbase in coastal South Texas, where the company’s rocket launch facilities are located. The proposed city’s first mayor would be a SpaceX security manager. Over the years, Musk has shifted his operations from California to Texas, developing facilities across several counties. Musk has been envisioning the Starbase town for years, but recently progress accelerated as SpaceX employees started moving into nearby homes and temporary housing near the launch site. According to a report by the New York Times, residents working for SpaceX filed an official petition with Cameron County to hold an election on incorporation this month. The document (seen by NYT) reveals initial plans for the city. If this city comes into existence, Musk will create history by doing something that no other company or business leader has ever done. What happens when Starbase comes into existence The Starbase plan remained stalled for years, partly due to Texas laws requiring a minimum number of residents and majority voter support to establish a new municipality. However, SpaceX employees have started settling into refurbished homes and temporary housing near the company's rocket launch site, the report claims. This month, these residents took a step toward creating a new city by filing a petition with Cameron County to hold an election, revealing initial details about Elon Musk's vision for the proposed municipality. If approved, the election would allow voters to select three city officials, including Gunnar Milburn, SpaceX's security manager, as the proposed first mayor. The petition outlines a community of roughly 500 residents, including 219 primary residents and over 100 children, located near Boca Chica Beach at the end of State Highway 4. Covering about 1.5 square miles, the proposed town is small by Texas standards. Most residents are renters and work for SpaceX. However, the petition does not mention why Musk and SpaceX employees are pursuing the creation of Starbase or what benefits they aim to achieve. The proposed town could establish its own police or fire departments or enact its ordinances. Apart from this, Musk may also be looking into the possibility of housing employees in a development outside the town of Bastrop, near Austin. The area is home to a growing campus for Musk companies, including a manufacturing plant for SpaceX; the headquarters of the Boring Company, which is creating tunnelling technology; and, soon, offices for the social media platform X (earlier Twitter).
NEW YORK, Dec. 13, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- “It’s just what I’ve always wanted!” How often have you heard this delighted cry when a loved one opened a gift from you? Not as often as you’d hoped? This year, there’s help. This season, Mike Bako’s Holiday Gift Guide is here to prove one thing: it’s not about planning ahead—it’s about choosing right. Here’s The Holiday Gift Guide That Makes You Look Like You Had It All Planned. Tech at the holidays from LG Electronics USA The holidays are here and it’s the time of year when people are looking to upgrade their tech and home entertainment systems. There’s no better time to upgrade your TV than during the season of holiday movies, sports, and kids’ cartoon specials. Whether you’re planning a “Home Alone” marathon or watching the NFL and college football playoffs, enjoying it all on a brand-new TV is a festive way to ring in the season. LG’s B4 OLED TV is going to transform your living room into a theater with cutting-edge technologies like Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos that put you right in the action with amazing visuals and immersive sound. If you are wondering why OLED is superior to miniLED TVs, it’s because OLED displays excel at delivering a cinematic experience. They offer perfect blacks and infinite contrast, making them ideal for watching dark scenes or enjoying content in dimly lit rooms. Plus, with webOS, LG Smart TVs provide an intuitive and seamless streaming experience. So, you can easily access all your favorite apps and even explore over 300 free LG Channels, that provides instant access to sports, movies, TV shows and more! All you need is a wifi connection! With up to five years of software updates through LG's webOS Re:New program, your TV will stay current for years to come. This TV is a gamers dream! It's equipped with NVIDIA G-Sync and a 120Hz refresh rate so players will experience ultra-smooth gameplay and unmatched responsiveness come to life on a stunning display. Facebook Twitter (formerly X) Instagram Using tech to make your gift giving and shopping easier this season This holiday season, people will be spending more than they have in prior years. The numbers don’t lie. The National Retail Federation predicts that 2024 holiday sales will grow between about 3 to 4% and that equates to over $980 billion in total holiday spending in November and December. That means everyone will be looking for ways to manage and save their money, discover deals, and most importantly, shop smart. This holiday season, Affirm is putting people back in the driver’s seat of their finances. As a flexible, transparent payment option, Affirm allows eligible consumers to pay over time with no late or hidden fees. Whether it's a gaming console, headphones, or a laptop, Affirm can help approved consumers shop responsibly for the tech gifts on their holiday lists. Select Affirm at checkout or download the Affirm app to shop at hundreds of thousands of participating retailers. LinkedIn Instagram Facebook X For more information, visit LG.com and Affirm.com About YourUpdateTV: YourUpdateTV is a property of D S Simon Media. The video included and release was part of a media tour that was produced by D S Simon Media on behalf of LG Electronics USA and Affirm. Dante Muccigrosso Director of Media Integration & Client Reporting E: dantem@dssimon.com C: 973.524.0104 A video accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/4a2822a1-0bcb-41e6-b64d-a29c3d9b46d2
Buffalo Bills linebacker Matt Milano is expected to see NFL action on Sunday for the first time since October 2023. The Bills have activated Milano from injured reserve on Saturday in anticipation that he will play in Week 13 against the San Francisco 49ers, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported. He has been listed as a full participant in practice leading up to the contest. Milano has been sidelined since August, when he underwent surgery on a torn bicep suffered during practice. The linebacker last played on Oct. 8 of last year, when he suffered a season-ending leg fracture in Week 5 of the 2023 campaign. This article will be updated soon to provide more information and analysis. For more from Bleacher Report on this topic and from around the sports world, check out our B/R app , homepage and social feeds—including Twitter , Instagram , Facebook and TikTok .Cam Carter put LSU ahead for good with a jumper 1:08 into the third overtime and the Tigers came away with a wild 109-102 win over UCF on Sunday in the third-place game of the Greenbrier Tip-Off in White Sulphur Springs, W.Va. Carter's make sparked a 5-0 spurt for LSU (5-1), which mounted a ferocious second-half rally that began after Darius Johnson drilled a 3-pointer to put the Knights up 52-34 with 12:57 to play in regulation. UCF (4-2) got back within two in the third overtime, but it never found a way to draw even. Vyctorius Miller and Jordan Sears sealed the victory, combining for three buckets down low that gave the Tigers a 106-99 cushion with 17 seconds remaining. Carter was the late-game hero for LSU, scoring the final four points of regulation to forge a 70-70 tie. He also knocked down a go-ahead 3-pointer with 3:19 left in the first extra session to give the Tigers a 76-75 advantage. Sears gave LSU a four-point edge with a triple of his own with 2:10 to go, but the Tigers failed to stay in front, and UCF's Keyshawn Hall kept the game going by sinking two free throws with six seconds remaining to make it 82-82. Neither team led by more than three in the second overtime, with Hall again coming to the Knights' rescue. He made two layups in the final 52 seconds of the frame to knot things at 93 and send the teams to a third OT. Few could have predicted 15 minutes of extra basketball after UCF put together a 25-3 first-half run that lifted it to a 38-18 advantage with 2:12 left until the break. LSU responded with seven unanswered points, but the Knights still led comfortably, 40-25, at intermission. Sears finished with a game-high-tying 25 points to go along with nine boards, while Jalen Reed recorded a 21-point, 13-rebound double-double for the Tigers. Carter netted 20 points, Miller had 16 and Dji Bailey chipped in 14. Johnson collected 25 points, six rebounds, eight assists and five steals for UCF. Hall totaled 21 points and 10 boards, and Jordan Ivy-Curry supplied 20 points. LSU outshot UCF 43.2 percent to 40.7 percent and had narrow advantages from behind the arc (12 made shots to 10) and the free-throw line (21-18). --Field Level Media