Help Rebuilding After Oklahoma Tornado: Support Our Family Relief Fund

Our family is struggling to recover from the damage caused by the May 19 Oklahoma tornado.

Both of our vehicles were totaled when the garage ceiling collapsed on top of them, also injuring one of our pets.

Here’s video of the tornado that hit our neck of the woods in Oklahoma City late Sunday night.

More footage of the tornado that blew through our neighborhood, taken by a storm chaser:

Southwest of the Oklahoma City Metro.
Oklahoma tornado touchdown
May 19 2024. pic.twitter.com/zAdEQnRThN

— News That Matter (@jay1stnewyorker) May 20, 2024

Nighttime tornadoes are the most dangerous; you can’t see them coming until they’re in your backyard. This one hit late in the evening — around 9:30 P.M. — with only about five minutes warning. We had just barely enough time to take cover.

We are very lucky this twister didn’t hit our house directly — but it came very, very close. Too close for comfort, and close enough to do a lot of damage.

80-90 mph winds on the western edge of the twister crumpled our garage door like a wadded-up piece of paper and caused the garage ceiling to collapse on top of our vehicles. Car windows were shattered into thousands of pieces from the hurricane-force winds. One of our cats (who was hiding under a car during the storm) suffered numerous cuts from flying glass.

The straight-line winds that accompanied this tornado outbreak were INTENSE all along the supercell storm system that covered some 400 miles from Texas to Kansas. Check out this video of the incredible damage caused by just the winds alone!

A dramatic video shows the moment a building was destroyed by powerful winds as a tornado moved through the Custer City, Oklahoma, area on Sunday. #okwx @MichaelEstimeWX pic.twitter.com/3j8oa9gRom

— FOX Weather (@foxweather) May 20, 2024

We feel blessed to have survived with only minor physical injuries. However, we are emotionally and financially devastated from this disaster.

The National Weather Service rated the tornad0 an EF2. Because it was a smaller tornado the Governor did not declare a state of emergency (usually federal disaster declarations only happen in cases of EF4 and EF5 tornadoes). Therefore we will not be eligible for assistance from FEMA.

Both of our vehicles only had collision liability coverage, so our losses are not covered.

We are suddenly faced with having to replace both of our cars, immediate home repair costs, and emergency veterinary care bills.

It’s not very often that I ask my readers and Maverick News viewers for donations, but our family really needs help rebuilding after this disaster. We have no idea how the heck we are going to pay for all this.

This is the second tornado in two years to damage our home. We are still working to pay off the debt from the last one!

I’ve always given my content away for free, with no subscription paywall, because I believe that journalism is a public service. (And I believe that good karma always comes back around.)

Donation link for our tornado relief fund is here if you’d like to help.

Thank you again, friends. Your kindness means a lot to me and my family!

RFK Murder Trial: An Open And Shut Case?

As part of my ongoing investigative series “Who Killed Bobby Kennedy?” marking the 55th anniversary of Sirhan’s murder trial, I recently spoke to #JFK/#RFK assassination historian James DiEugenio about the evidence in the case, which Jim believes points to a #conspiracy.

I disagree with my friend Jim on this case, arguing that the jury reached the correct verdict in April 1969 when they unanimously decided that Sirhan Sirhan was guilty of first degree murder for the killing of Senator Robert F. #Kennedy and the attempted murder of five other innocent bystanders at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles on June 5, 1968.

Sirhan’s lead defense attorney Grant Cooper said in his final argument at the trial that he felt #Sirhan should spend the rest of his days in the penitentiary, asserting that “American public opinion will see to it that the assassin is never released.”

Sirhan’s lawyer said the only circumstances in which he could foresee Sirhan’s release would be if the United States were to “trade” him for some American in captivity in an Arab state.

In this friendly debate between two longtime historians of the case with differing views, Jim DiEugenio brings the case for Sirhan’s defense. I argue for the prosecution.

We also discussed how the first degree murder verdict was in a bizarre way a victory for Sirhan.

The former racetrack exercise boy has denied all along that he was seriously ill mentally and told psychiatrists he wanted to be a hero in the eyes of the Arab world, a martyr for #Palestine.

The official motive for Sirhan’s killing of RFK was “anti-#Zionism.” Sirhan was angered by Kennedy’s support for #Israel, and his Senate vote to send military aid to the country.

Jim DiEugenio is editor in chief at KennedysAndKing.com, author of numerous books on the assassinations of the 1960s,and wrote the screenplay for Oliver Stone’s “JFK Revisited” documentary series.

Catch the premiere tonight at 9 PM Eastern.

The Truth Teller: RFK Jr. (Strange Bedfellows Ep. 37 w/ Author Jack Buckby)

Saturday at 9 PM Eastern on “Strange Bedfellows,” we welcome British author Jack Buckby to talk about his new book The Truth Teller: #RFKJr and the Case for a Post-Partisan Presidency.

Could #RFK Jr. overturn 230 years of American political history and become the first independent to mount a truly credible campaign for the presidency? Does the increasingly partisan and unpredictable nature of American politics provide an opportunity for the ultimate outsider to outrun the two-party system?

In The Truth Teller, Jack Buckby explores the impact that #Kennedy’s candidacy could have on the Democratic party’s slide toward authoritarianism, his ability to connect with America’s youth, the common ground between #Trump voters and Democrats, the potential to make landslide victories common again, and the healing power of a candidate who refuses to alienate half of the country.

In telling uncomfortable truths, Kennedy offers a radically moderate vision for America and a blueprint for bringing the country back from the brink of permanent decline.

The Truth Teller offers a unique look at Kennedy’s campaign, describing how Kennedy’s radically moderate vision for America, his ability to bring together the left and the right, and his unique campaign style present an opportunity for America to normalize its politics and bring this divided country back together.

GUEST BIO:

Jack Buckby hails from Britain and now lives in New York City.

His writing focuses on counter-extremism issues, current affairs, and politics. In his youth he was a member of a far-right white nationalist movement, the British National Party (BNP) but soon realized the error of his ways. He now devotes his efforts to de-radicalizing disaffected young people who are frustrated with politics, teaching them that extremism is not the way forward.

A fascinating conversation is always guaranteed on “Strange Bedfellows.”

Join us LIVE Saturday May 18 at 9 PM Eastern on the Maverick News Network.

RFK Jr.’s “Brain Worm” Documents May Have Been Obtained Illegally

The New York Times “bombshell” story published last week disclosing a parasitic brain worm that Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. had 14 years ago was certainly amusing on some level and prompted some hilarious quips from the candidate himself.

But behind the grin, sources close to the campaign say Kennedy is not amused. Here’s why.

It appears likely that the New York Times obtained the documents which disclosed his medical history illegally.

The Times found out about the worm in a deposition that Mr. Kennedy gave during divorce proceedings with his deceased ex-wife Mary Richardson Kennedy in Westchester County, NY.

Divorce records are not public in New York, per Domestic Relations Law Section 235. 

The Kennedy divorce documents should be held under lock and key in the offices of the Westchester County Clerk, Democrat Tim Idoni.

How did the deposition that Kennedy gave in that divorce deposition twelve years ago end up in the hands of the Times?

Under New York State law, divorce case records can only be released to the parties. That excludes the Times from asking a judge to give them access.

The Kennedy campaign did not provide these records to the Times, nor did Mr. Kennedy himself. That narrows the list of possible leakers to court staffers who had access to these documents, attorneys representing the parties, or perhaps relatives of Mr. Kennedy’s deceased second wife, Mary, who may have copies.

Is it illegal? No. Case law precedent protects news outlets in such circumstances. Journalists can publish articles based on source documents that came to them illegally. (Although the ethics of publishing private medical information can certainly be questioned.)

However, the person or persons who gave the documents to the Times may have run afoul of the following New York State Penal Laws, and could be prosecuted.

Here are those laws:

S 175.20 Tampering with public records in the second degree.

A person is guilty of tampering with public records in the second degree when, knowing that he does not have the authority of anyone entitled to grant it, he knowingly removes, mutilates, destroys, conceals, makes a false entry in or falsely alters any record or other written instrument filed with, deposited in, or otherwise constituting a record of a public office or public servant.

Tampering with public records in the second degree is a Class A misdemeanor.

S 175.25 Tampering with public records in the first degree.

A person is guilty of tampering with public records in the first degree when, knowing that he does not have the authority of anyone entitled to grant it, and with intent to defraud, he knowingly removes, mutilates, destroys, conceals, makes a false entry in or falsely alters any record or other written instrument filed with, deposited in, or otherwise constituting a record of a public office or public servant.

Tampering with public records in the first degree is a class D felony.

On Monday, Louis Conte, Headline Editor for The Kennedy Beacon — a Substack about the Kennedy24 campaign backed by the American Values SuperPAC — met with law enforcement officials in Westchester County who believe that Kennedy may be the victim of felony crimes.

Could the leaker actually go to jail? We will keep you posted as this story progresses.

Kennedy on Abortion: Where Does He Stand?

There seems to be a lot of confusion about where 2024 Independent presidential candidate Robert F. #Kennedy, Jr. stands on the issue of abortion.

The Washington Post recently ran an article raising questions about Kennedy’s “mixed signals” regarding a federal abortion ban and late-term abortion.

Since then, the pundits and his political opponents have gone wild with speculation as to what RFK Jr.’s position actually is — often putting words in his mouth he didn’t actually say, or misinterpreting what he meant.

I was interviewed by the Post’s writer Meryl Kornfeld for the article. My quotes are highlighted below:

The Post article is paywalled. If you’re not a subscriber here’s my quotes from the article about RFK’s abortion rights policy.

He is pro-choice. pic.twitter.com/NcJDsUf3nE

— Lori Spencer (@RealLoriSpencer) April 23, 2024

Trump-affiliated Republican news outlets and social media accounts took Kennedy’s recent comments from an interview with Sage Steele out of context, posting short clips such as this one that don’t tell the whole story.

RFK Jr. on abortion: “I believe we should leave it to the woman, we shouldn’t have the government involved … Even if it’s full term.”

pic.twitter.com/gX2yiGLGc6

— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) May 9, 2024

On May 10, Mr. Kennedy clarified his stance on abortion with a statement posted to X:

Abortion has been a notoriously divisive issue in America, but actually I see an emerging consensus — abortion should be legal up until a certain number of weeks, and restricted thereafter. Even in the reddest of red states, voters reject total abortion bans. And on the other…

— Robert F. Kennedy Jr (@RobertKennedyJr) May 11, 2024

Kennedy remains pro-choice, as he always has been.

However, he added in his statement, Kennedy has developed a policy called “More Choices, More Life,” which aims to reduce the numbers of abortions and provides more options for expectant mothers.

“We can reduce abortion across the board by supporting motherhood, supporting parents, and supporting families,” Kennedy said. “Soon we’ll unveil our plan for universally affordable child care, which will cap child care expenses at 10% for most families. And we will support women in need so that abortion isn’t their only choice.”

RFK Attacked From The Left And Right (Kennedy Americans, Ep. 31)

2024 Independent presidential candidate Robert F. #Kennedy Jr. has been under attack from every direction in recent weeks, evidencing the threat he poses to the two-party system.

Since the addition of Nicole Shanahan to the ticket as #RFK’s running mate, #Democrats are growing increasingly concerned about the electoral impact Kennedy might have on President #Biden’s re-election chances.

Biden continues to trail behind former president #Trump in the polls — but not by much; a percentage point or two, within the margin of error.

That means November is shaping up to be a very close contest, and already #RFKJr is being made the scapegoat for whichever party loses.

Democrats are calling him a spoiler for MAGA, saying that a vote for Bobby is a vote for Trump.

Republicans call him a spoiler for Biden, saying that a vote for Bobby is a vote for Biden.

Both the Biden and Trump camps are also deploying scare tactics to frighten away potential RFK voters by falsely labeling him some sort of extremist.

Donald Trump called Kennedy a “Marxist, far-left radical” this week, in what seemed a desperate attempt to bring #MAGA voters who might vote for Kennedy back into the fold. His son Donald Trump Jr. and Fox News Trump mouthpiece Sean Hannity also hit hard at RFK this week, attacking his environmental record and other “loony liberal” policies.

Democratic Party operatives like Lis Smith and Keith Olbermann, meanwhile, are labeling the Kennedy/Shanahan ticket as “far-right,” “MAGA,” and even “fascist!”

Their media lapdogs launched a series of hit pieces this week attacking Kennedy’s stances on everything from #abortion to puberty blockers, gun control, and the #Gaza war.

Then came the “brain worms” story that caused a feeding frenzy, providing late-night comedy fodder and even prompting Kennedy to crack a few jokes about it.

We will discuss all that and more on Episode 31 of the “Kennedy Americans” podcast, with our panel of #Kennedy24 campaign volunteers, social media influencers, and voters.

Join us as we respond to these media smears and distortions of his policies. We set the record straight about where Kennedy really stands on the issues that matter most to Americans.

Premieres tonight at 8 PM Eastern!

Defending RFK on Israel: A Debate With Craig “Pasta” Jardula and Matt Weinglass

I appeared on “The Homeless Left” Thursday to debate my dear friend Craig “Pasta” Jardula on 2024 Independent presidential candidate Robert F. #Kennedy, Jr.’s support for #Israel.

Pasta is a former supporter of #RFKJr’s presidential bid, but changed his mind last October after Kennedy announced his endorsement of Israel’s war against #Hamas.

In this respectful debate between friends, I try to convince Pasta that #RFK’s position on the #Gaza war is actually the correct one, and that Kennedy stands with the innocents of #Palestine who are caught in the crossfire of a war started by Hamas.

You might know Craig “Pasta” Jardula from “The Convo Couch” and “The Jimmy Dore Show,” where he is an occasional co-host. His new show is “The Homeless Left” on the Pasta2Go channel. Watch the full 5-hour super stream here.

My thanks to Pasta and Matt Weinglass for such a great debate!

DISCLOSURE: I have endorsed RFK Jr. for president and am a volunteer recruiter on the #Kennedy24 campaign. I am not a spokesperson for Mr. Kennedy. All views expressed herein are solely my own. Join Team Kennedy with me at http://Kennedy24.com/LoriSpencer.

Kennedy Now On The Ballot in California, Ohio, and Oklahoma

This week 2024 Independent presidential candidate Robert F. #Kennedy, Jr. added three more states to his quest to get on the ballot across America: California, Ohio, and my home state of Oklahoma.

Kennedy’s electors filed the paperwork Thursday at the Oklahoma State Capitol, and paid a $35,000 fee to achieve ballot access.

The Kennedy campaign has launched a robust ballot access plan to ensure the Kennedy-Shanahan ticket is on the ballot in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. 

“We have the field teams, volunteers, legal teams, paid circulators, supporters, and strategists ready to get the job done,” said Stefanie Spear, campaign press secretary. “We are exceeding all our ballot access benchmarks and will announce new states each week.”

The Kennedy-Shanahan ticket is officially on the ballot in five states — Utah, Michigan, California, Delaware, and now Oklahoma. 

The campaign has collected enough signatures for ballot access in eight other states — New Hampshire, Nevada, Hawaii, North Carolina, Idaho, Nebraska, Iowa, and Ohio. 

It was a special pleasure for me to see Mr. Kennedy get on the ballot in my state.

I started working to help get him there 17 years ago, when I participated in a Draft Kennedy campaign in 2007, asking him to seek the nation’s highest office.

With Bobby Kennedy at the University of Oklahoma, April 18, 2008

16 years ago I tried to convince @RobertKennedyJr to run for president. (This photo was taken at my alma mater, the University of #Oklahoma in April 2008.)

Today that dream come true.

We put Bobby on the ballot in my state!

Now, let's get him to the White House in November! pic.twitter.com/jO1TBVNQEC

— Lori Spencer (@RealLoriSpencer) May 9, 2024

DISCLOSURE: I have endorsed Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for president and am a volunteer recruiter on the Kennedy24 campaign. Join me at http://Kennedy24.com/LoriSpencer.

The View From Jerusalem w/ Avi Abelow (Strange Bedfellows, Ep. 36)

Episode 36 of “Strange Bedfellows” takes you to #Jerusalem, where we speak with Avi Abelow, movie producer and advocate for #Israel, the place he now calls home.

Avi served in the Israel Defense Forces and has a unique perspective on the #Gaza war that we don’t often hear in the Western media.

Tonight you’ll hear what is really going on, beyond the headlines, with Israel and the Jewish people.

Despite the demonization of Israel’s war on social media, Avi says “we are the good guys!”

This interview will challenge everything you know (or think you know) about the war.

We will discuss the #IDF’s invasion of #Rafah, the history behind the war, and why Avi says Israel has no choice but to fight until victory and smash #Hamas.

He will also share his thoughts on the pro-#Palestine protests on American college campuses — including his alma mater, #ColumbiaUniversity, as well as rising #antisemitism against #Jews around the world.

ABOUT OUR GUEST:

Avi Abelow is a proud Jew, born and raised in New York City. He is now “living the Jewish dream in the ancestral homeland of the Jewish people.” He’s the host of “The Pulse of Israel” podcast, and CEO of 12 Tribes Film Foundation.

We are pleased to have Avi with us tonight, live from Jerusalem, to give you the true pulse of Israel.

A fascinating conversation is always guaranteed on “Strange Bedfellows.”

Join us tonight from 9-11 P.M. Eastern on the Maverick News Network.

American Russell “Texas” Bentley Murdered By Russian Soldiers

On Episode 33 of “Strange Bedfellows” I reported on the mysterious disappearance of my friend Russell “Texas” Bentley, who vanished from #Donetsk on April 8th.

After 20 days of speculation as to whether Russell was dead or alive, it has now been confirmed by his wife Lyudmila that he was indeed murdered.

The 64 year-old Bentley, an American citizen, left his #Austin, #Texas home in 2014 to fight for #Russia in the #Donbass region of #Ukraine. He joined the armed forces of the Donetsk People’s Republic and served numerous combat missions. After aging out of military service, Russell worked as a reporter for #Sputnik television news.

On the day he disappeared, Russell was on his way to investigate the scene of a Ukrainian shelling in his capacity as a journalist. He never returned.

His white Niva car was later found burned and blown up at the brick factory in the Petrovsky district of Donetsk, almost at the front line. Inside were Russell’s remains.

His body was incinerated. Collected fragments were taken for DNA analysis to make a positive identification.

After days of being stonewalled by local authorities, Russell’s widow Lyudmila released a video statement in which she made a desperate appeal directly to Russian president Vladimir #Putin for help.

After Lyudmila’s video appeal to the president, “the matter was taken up at the top” by Moscow military authorities, who quickly arrested members from the 5th Tank Brigade of the Russian Federation.

The still-unnamed alleged killers were said in a statement posted April 28th by Lyudmila on Russell’s official Telegram channel to be “werewolf extortionists.” (“Werewolves” are soldiers with loyalties to Ukraine inside the Russian armed forces.)

The soldiers were apparently intending to rob Russell Bentley, thinking him a wealthy American, before killing him and attempting to dispose of his body.

A criminal investigation has been opened into Bentley’s violent and mysterious death. What we now know provides more questions than answers.

On this edition of Maverick News we have a new interview with Russell’s widow Lyudmila and her attorney with the latest details on the case.

Join us tonight at 9 Eastern.