Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, leader of Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), called on followers to keep fighting in his first purported message in a year.
In an audio recording released by ISIL’s media outlet al-Furqan Foundation on Wednesday, Baghdadi referred to events that took place this month in the Middle East and elsewhere, including Turkey’s dispute with the United States over its detention of American pastor Andrew Brunson.
The audio was titled Give Glad Tidings to the Patient.
“You have no choice. If you want to live in dignity, then you return to your religion and fighting your enemy,” the Iraqi said, addressing followers in Syria.
“It is not only about carrying weapons, but also … do not accept anything but sharia law and die in order to achieve this,” he added in a 55-minute long message.
“Supporters of the caliphate everywhere, in the media or in the field, we tell you the state is fine,” Baghdadi said, telling supporters not to worry about losing the cities they controlled in Syria and Iraq.
“America is going through the worst time in its entire existence,” he said, adding Russia is competing with the US over regional influence and clout.
Al Jazeera could not independently verify the authenticity of the message.
He also criticised the surrenders of rebels in southern Syria to President Bashar al-Assad’s forces, calling them traitors.
Baghdadi’s last speech was released in September 2017.
In 2014, he proclaimed a “caliphate” in Syria and neighbouring Iraq after his fighters rapidly routed government forces.
‘Absolutely eradicated’
In recent months, ISIL has suffered military setbacks and lost most of its territory in Syria and Iraq, though fighters continue to control pockets in both countries.
Baghdadi’s whereabouts and actual fate remain unknown, with occasional reports suggesting he had been killed. He is believed to be hiding somewhere in the desert that stretches across the Syrian-Iraqi border region.
His son was reportedly killed while fighting Syrian and Russian troops in central Homs province in July.
US President Donald Trump recently said ISIL had been “absolutely eradicated”, but several reports suggest otherwise.
“Despite the damage to bureaucratic structures of the so-called ‘caliphate’, the collective discipline of ISIL is intact,” said a July 27 report commissioned by the UN Security Council. “The general security and finance bureaus of ISIL are intact.”
The Pentagon said in a recent report as many as 17,100 ISIL fighters remain in Iraq and 14,000 in Syria.
The UN estimated of 20,000 to 30,000 ISIL cadres are still in both countries.
20-year-old Kylie Jenner is on a magazine cover, which is normally nothing new, except she’s on Forbes! Veuer’s Nathan Rousseau Smith explains why. Buzz60
George Clooney may be taking a hiatus from the big screen, but he’s still cashing in.
Clooney took in $239 million in pretax earnings, thanks to a lucrative business venture, endorsements and older movies. The extra money should come in handy taking care of his one-year-old twins, Ella and Alexander, with wife Amal Alamuddin Clooney.
The new dad claimed the top spot despite not starring in a hit movie during the 12-month period (June 1, 2017 to June 1, 2018) covered in the Forbes study. The annual ranking tallies on-screen and off-screen earnings.
Clooney sold his Casamigos Tequila company to British liquor giant Diageo last June for $700 million upfront with a potential to earn $300 million in the next decade, Forbes reported. Clooney, who founded the company in 2013 with Rande Gerber and Mike Meldman, took home $233 million during the sale.
Trailing closely behind at No. 2 is Dwayne Johnson. The 46-year-old raked in $124 million pretax, “the largest ever acting take-home from front-of-camera roles in Celebrity 100 history,” Forbes said.
During that time, Johnson played a soldier turned primatologist in “Rampage” and an archaeologist explorer in “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle,” which proved to be his biggest salary bump.
“Social media has become the most critical element of marketing a movie for me,” Johnson told Forbes.“I have established a social media equity with an audience around the world that there’s a value in what I’m delivering to them.”
After the top two, the other highest earning actors are:
3. Robert Downey Jr., 53, scored $81 million from his portrayal of snarky Iron Man in “Spider-Man: Homecoming” and “Avengers: Infinity War.”
4. Chris Hemsworth, 36, pocketed $64.5 million as Thor in Marvel movies, including “Thor: Ragnarok” and “Avengers: Infinity War.”
5. Jackie Chan, 64, earned $45.5 million after starring in six movies in 2017, including “The Lego Ninjago Movie.” His earnings also included money from endorsements and his own chain of movie theaters in China.
The top-ten highest paid actors made $748.5 million combined last year.
Despite equal pay becoming a pressing issue in Hollywood, Forbes’ 10 top-paid actresses only made $186 million in the same period, a whopping $562.5 million gap from their male counterparts.
There’s no doubt we all love a good binge session.
But with all this amazing content floating around, how do we sift between shows that might illicit a slight chuckle or an intrigued raised eyebrow, from the series we simply can’t tear ourselves away from?
Well, we’ve done the hard research for you (someone’s gotta do it) and it’s safe to say you’ll be back to living on the lounge with corn chip dust in your hair in no time.
All you need to do is sit back, relax, and grab the remote.
1. Bosch
Based on the best-selling books by Michael Connelly – Bosch follows Los Angeles police detective, Harry Bosch (played by Titus Welliver), as he cracks the toughest homicide cases within the department’s ‘Hollywood’ division.
Tackling the seedy underbelly of L.A. isn’t new to Bosch – the poor guy is used to the darker side of life. His mother (a former prostitute) was murdered when he was just a kid, leaving Bosch to spend most of his childhood alone in an orphanage… Annie this ain’t.
Highly bingeable and now well and truly into its fourth season (with a fifth already commissioned and on its way), this is one book-to-screen series that has struck a chord with audiences and crime-lovers throughout the world.
2. Goliath
Created by famed writers and producers David E. Kelley (Ally McBeal and The Practice) and Jonathan Shapiro (Boston Legal), this court-room drama series follows the life of Billy McBridge (Billy Bob Thornton).
A former high-flying professional who was once known as the best trial lawyer in America, a forlorn Billy spends his time chasing ambulances to find work. Oh, how the mighty have fallen.
After Billy agrees to follow up and investigate a wrongful death suit by the majorly powerful firm he used to work for (and basically created), things take a turn for the serious. Billy is suddenly faced with the option of exacting revenge or seeking redemption from those who have the power to bring him back up, or slam him back down.
It’s pretty much the biggest on-screen David and Goliath battle since Erin Brockovich.
3. Jack Ryan
Feel like an adrenaline-pumping thriller that will leave you clinging to the edge of your seat during each episode? Well, the universe has provided small-screen action and drama junkies with the ultimate hit.
Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan will shake you awake with twists and turns, intrigue and a fast-paced narrative that never seems to slow down.
Ryan (played by the one and only John Krasinski) is living life as your average CIA analyst – that is until he’s recruited for a life-or-death field assignment. You see, Ryan has uncovered a pattern in terrorist communications that could take down America and it’s up to him to find the bad guy and save the world. What follows is Jack’s attempt to capture the extremely dangerous lone figure.
While the show won’t be released until Aug. 31, it gives us just enough time to wrap our head around the fact that Jim Halpert from The Office is now a butt-kicking, action hero spy. The show has already been renewed for a second season, and what’s more, it stars Australian actress, Abbie Cornish, as the female lead.
Feel like you’ve heard the name Jack Ryan before? That’s because you have. Created by famed author Tom Clancy back in 1984, Jack Ryan has since popped up in 20 books and five different movies. Guys, there’s a reason it’s so popular.
4. The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
If you haven’t caught an episode of this Golden Globe and Emmy-nominated comedy series yet it’s about time someone slapped you across the arm with their purse.
Set in New York during the 1950s, Midge (Rachel Brosnahan) is your quintessential stay-at-home wife – a lively spirit trapped behind the apron springs of a repressed society that still believes it’s a woman’s duty to stay at home and a man’s responsibility to go out and earn a living.
Midge is a strong Jewish woman with a fondness for voicing her opinions – and unfortunately for her (or fortunately depending on how you look at it), Midge’s failing stand-up comic husband decides he’s ditching her for another dame. Incensed by his decision, a frustrated Midge decides to give the mic a try and whaddya know – she’s a laugh riot!
This is the tale of a complicated and hilarious women, and her stand-up routines couldn’t be more reflective of what many women still feel today. Now in its second season, this show is both entertaining and on-point.
5. The Man in the High Castle
This jaw-dropping series based on the award-winning novel by Philip K. Dick is a terrifyingly compelling look at what the world would have been like had America lost World War II to the Germans and Japanese.
In this instance, the US is ruled by both countries – and times are dire. When Juliana Crain (Alexa Davalos) is handed a movie cannister containing film footage that appears to depict a world where America did in fact win the war, she starts believing the recording is actually linked to an alternate reality.
Executive produced by Ridley Scott, this nail-biting series will premiere its third season on Oct. 5 this year, and you’d better believe it’s taking the hypothetical and truly running with it.
To catch up on these shows, you’ll need to grab an subscription. This service, as part of your Amazon Prime membership, will get you the whole package. It includes action, drama, comedy and more – available to stream now.
prayer service in honor of Mollie Tibbetts at St. Patrick Church in Brooklyn Zachary Boyden-Holmes, DesMoines
BROOKLYN, Ia. — As soon as Mary Jo Seaton got word, she knew her church had to come together and pray.
“That’s how I grew up,” she said. “When something like this happens, you pray.”
Her priest informed her Tuesday that authorities had found a body they believed to be that of Mollie Tibbetts, who had been missing since July. Tibbetts was confirmed into the Catholic Church in 2015 and was public about the influence of faith in her life. By Wednesday evening, Seaton and others at St. Patrick Catholic Church had rallied together and organized a prayer vigil.
Mainly, people didn’t know what else to do, she said.
For weeks, locals hung posters and banners in efforts to locate Tibbetts. They talked about a hopeful return of the 20-year-old University of Iowa student. Now, the young woman appears to have been found, but not returned.
“We think it’s important for people to come together,” Seaton said. “People want answers.”
More than 250 people packed into the sanctuary of the church Wednesday evening, as the setting sun cast a deep shadow over the shiny gold crosses and imposing stained glass windows that decorate the red brick building.
“My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” a small choir sung from high up in the balcony to the overpowering tune of an organ .
Rev. Corey Close, the pastor of the church, told the assembly he barely had words for the occasion.
“I’m sure many of us would give in a heartbeat our life for Mollie’s,” he said.
He said we constantly see stories of tragedy in the news.
“But then we move on because it didn’t affect us. And we always think that it never will,” Close continued.
But evil is in this world, he said. And the people of Brooklyn have experienced it firsthand.
“We can sit here and wonder what was the point of it, a person who had so much purpose,” he said. But “evil is irrational. So we can’t really wrap our minds around it fully.”
The pastor went on to call for a spirit of reconciliation. It may not come easily or quickly, he said, but the faithful must find a way to forgive.
Authorities charged Cristhian Bahena Rivera, 24, an immigrant living in rural Poweshiek County, with first-degree murder Tuesday after he took investigators to the corn field where the body was found.
“We need to pray for a spirit of forgiveness for the one who did this,” the priest said. “Faith teaches us that Christ came to forgive us. We’re all in need of forgiveness. We’re all sinners. None of us are exempt.”
‘At least there’s an end’
Few in Brooklyn seemed ready to think about forgiveness on Wednesday.
“I’m just really angry,” said Dan Brady, who has known Tibbetts for years. His son ran cross country with her in high school. He remembers buying her lunch at a meet not that long ago.
“She didn’t have any money,” he said with a smile.
He was among several to wear a purple T-shirt in her honor. On the front, it had Tibbetts’ favorite Bible verse, Matthew 17:20. It’s the one that tells how faith as small as a mustard seed is strong enough to move a mountain. On the back of the shirt, it reads: “Keep the faith. Keep Mollie’s faith.”
Brady said the alleged murder of Tibbetts has made him doubt this small community.
“I understand things happen,” he said. “But it ain’t supposed to happen in small-town, rural Iowa.”
People carried hope for weeks, he said. But many feared this outcome in the back of their minds.
“At least there’s an end,” he said. “You wish it wasn’t, but it is an end.”
‘Make sure you tell your people you love them’
Outside the church, a swarm of TV trucks and crews descended upon the heart of the town of about 1,500 people. National correspondents asked locals whether the tragedy had shaken their faith in their small community.
It has, of course.
But the discovery of the body on Tuesday did put an end to much of the search and speculation.
After the short prayer service, a few friends of Tibbetts met at the front of the sanctuary to tell stories — stories of how talented she was at singing and running, and funny stories of how bad she was at dancing and driving.
Adults in the back hugged each other on the way out. Some held hands as they fought back tears.
“Now, we can grieve,” said Charity Kenyon, who works with Tibbetts’ mother in Grinnell. “That’s not just for the family, but for the whole community.”
Kenyon said many were trying to respect the family’s privacy in their grief. But she said the whole community was deeply affected by the loss.
“Make sure you tell your people you love them,” she said.
‘Our Lord is not unfamiliar with tragedy’
Earlier in the day, life went on at the Catholic parish: Volunteers handed out nonperishable food items in the food pantry in the back alley. And church members filed into the church basement to have family portraits taken by LifeTouch photographers.
A sign on the church door still advertised Tibbetts as missing, even as another sign next to it announced the time of the prayer vigil.
In an interview with the Des Moines Register, the priest said Tibbetts was well known in this church community. She regularly attended Mass at St. Patrick with her grandmother and was active in the local youth group before leaving Brooklyn for college.
“She was a good Catholic,” he said.
Tibbetts’ disappearance captured national headlines in the weeks she was missing. And the revelation that her suspected killer is believed to be an undocumented immigrant has already thrown fuel on the nation’s debate over immigration.
But Close cautioned against making sweeping generalizations about all migrants based on one act.
“You can’t judge a whole group by the actions of one individual,” he told the Register.
At the service, the pastor urged the crowd to lean on faith. He mentioned heaven and the redemptive power of Jesus’ death and the promise of the resurrection.
“This is what we have to cling to, that our lord is not unfamiliar with suffering,” Close said. “Our Lord is not unfamiliar with tragedy.”
During the service, Close read from the Bible’s gospel according to Luke.
It was the story of Jesus’ crucifixion.
The account in Luke says it was about noon, and darkness had come over the land from an eclipse. A crucified Jesus cried out: “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.”
“And when he had said this,” the priest said, “he breathed his last.”
After resisting for years, Nikon’s finally launching its own full-frame mirrorless cameras, the Z 6 and Z 7, to compete with Sony’s ever popular Alpha cameras.
The new Nikon Z cameras are a big step forward for the established camera company. Though its DSLRs will no doubt continue to be its bread and butter for years, as Sony has proven, mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras that are smaller, lighter and better for shooting video are the future.
One look at the pricing for the cameras and it’s clear they’re not for amateur photographers. The Z 6 (body-only) will cost $2,000 when it’s released in November and the Z 7 (body-only) will cost $4,000 when it launches on Sept. 27.
The Z 6 packs 24.5 megapixels and has an ISO 100-51200 range. Pony up for the Z 7 and you get an even more ridiculous 45.7 megapixels and ISO 64-25600.
If you’re scratching your head at these specs, here’s a dummy’s translation: The cameras shoot really large, really high-resolution photos.
You’re gonna need to buy all new Z-mount lenses for the Z 6 and Z 7.
Both cameras also record 4K-resolution video (3,180 x 2,160 resolution) at 30p, 25p, and 24p, making them pretty competitive with Sony’s A7 series full-frame mirrorless cameras.
Picture and video quality are two reasons to consider the Nikon Z cameras. Another is performance. Both cameras are powered by Nikon’s EXPEED 6 image-processing engine and can lock onto a crazy number of focus points: 273 for the Z 6 and 493 for the Z 7. Furthermore, the Z 6 is capable of shooting continuously with 12 fps and the Z 7 with 9 fps.
Yesss, a touchscreen that tilts!
Around back, both cameras have an electronic viewfinder with a high-res 3690k-dot OLED display inside as well as a 3.2-inch LCD touchscreen with 2100k-dot resolution that tilts.
Nikon’s new cameras also have built-in Wi-Fi to easily transfer content to smartphones and tablets.
The specs look great, but can the Z 6 and Z 7 actually compete with Sony’s established full-frame cameras? Hard to say until we get the cameras in our hands, but everything suggests they will.`
SportsPulse: Urban Meyer’s suspension can be debated, one thing cannot: Ohio State and Meyer botched their reaction and explanation of the decision. USA TODAY Sports
The formula came from a consultant, but it has become a ubiquitous part of Ohio State football’s brand under Urban Meyer: E+R=O.
It’s short for “event plus response equals outcome.” The Buckeyes wear it on wristbands and swear by its effectiveness. The idea is pretty simple: It’s not so much events in life, but how you respond, that most often determines the outcome.
Ponder that as we observe the mushroom cloud over Columbus, Ohio.
Meyer has been suspended without pay for the first three games of the season, part of the fallout stemming from the scandal involving domestic violence allegations against one of his assistant coaches. Whatever Meyer knew or didn’t know, and whatever he did or didn’t do with that knowledge, the optics for Ohio State – for the football program, its head coach, the athletics department and the university – were unfathomably damaging.
And that’s even before the day-long deliberations Wednesday, which finally culminated in a late-night news conference filled with long faces and regrets.
“I should have done more,” Meyer said, “and I am sorry about that.”
Which is fine, as far as it goes. But it might be time for an addition to the formula: Let’s go with E+AR=O.
The “A” is for arrogance, which is ultimately why Meyer’s legacy is irrevocably tarnished.
Yes, Meyer is still Ohio State’s coach. Upon his return, he will undoubtedly pile up more wins and more championships. But don’t let the outcome cloud the reality.
We can debate what Meyer should have done in 2009, when as Florida’s head coach he first learned of Zach Smith’s alleged abusive behavior toward his wife. We can argue about how Meyer should have handled the revelation last month of allegations from 2015, when police investigated but didn’t charge Smith.
The investigators concluded Meyer “did not, in our view, deliberately lie” in interviews at Big Ten media days.
“I did a poor job … but there was no intent to mislead,” he insisted Wednesday night.
That’s debatable. This isn’t: Meyer’s response in July to questions about the 2015 allegations will be viewed as the initial tipping point for how we consider the legacy and accomplishments of a wildly successful head coach today, tomorrow and far into the future.
So will this: Lead investigator Mary Jo White said the panel was impressed with the commitment shown by Meyer and Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith — who was suspended from Aug. 31-Sept. 16 — to the “core value” of “respect for women.” Yet in all of the regrets expressed Wednesday night, no one mentioned the alleged victim by name.
Meyer apologized to “Buckeye Nation.” But asked directly what he would say to Courtney Smith, he said:
“I have a message for everyone involved in this: I’m sorry we’re in this situation. I’m just sorry we’re in this situation.”
It was a sorry answer, but it might have been the most instructive moment of the entire event.
Meyer also said he’s grown into a different person than he was in 2009 — you know, the answer that might have headed off the controversy if he’d given it back in July. But asked twice if he agreed with or believed he deserved the suspension, Meyer acknowledged he was “ultimately responsible” for behavior of football staff members. But the suspension?
“I trust and support our president,” he said — and the real answer was in what he didn’t say, and perhaps in the 10-12 hours of wrangling it took to come up with a decision Wednesday.
But consider this alternate reality: If at Big Ten media days Meyer had admitted to mishandling Smith’s issues? If in those interview sessions Meyer had sounded chastened, had said he knew about those allegations in 2015, had followed the protocol in reporting it – as he told us all a couple of weeks later – but there’d never been an arrest? If he had showed remorse and said he had learned a lot since then?
The facts would remain the same. But for Meyer? The situation might be more a footnote than a primary aspect of his legacy.
We’ll never know.
Instead, a guy who is 73-8 in six seasons at Ohio State, with two Big Ten titles and a national championship (to go with two he won at Florida), a coach who is widely considered second only to Nick Saban among college football’s best active coaches, is now in significant part defined by the allegations and revelations of the last few weeks, and his action and inaction of the last few years, when he allowed this situation to develop and mismanaged its outcome.
And make no mistake: Pride led to this fall.
Meyer said he felt a connection to Zach Smith as the grandson of the late Earle Bruce, the former Ohio State coach who was a mentor. There are plenty of very talented coaches who could have filled the very minor role Smith held at Florida in 2009, when the first allegations emerged. But Meyer kept Smith, and then hired him again when he got to Ohio State, and then didn’t fire him until July 23, after more allegations had become public – even though there are plenty of very talented coaches who could have filled the role of receivers coach, too.
“I followed my heart and not my head,” he said. “At each juncture I gave Zach the benefit of the doubt.”
If nothing else, it’s hard to fathom how Meyer apparently never saw this position coach as a liability to the organization.
Like many of his peers, Meyer’s public philosophy has always been he’s building men at least as much as he’s developing football players. Along with treating women with respect, the core values for his program’s culture are: Decisions. Honesty. No Drugs, stealing, weapons.
Those are literally inscribed on a wall at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center, but in Meyer’s football programs, they have never been set in stone. In retrospect, it seems Meyer did more talking about the high road than taking it. But along with the cult of the coach comes the theory that he can do more than develop football players; he can take a sketchy situation and build a solid character.
And at some point during a reign of almost unquestioned authority, a coach believes his own platitudes. Or he’s so caught up in himself, he might not even recognize that protecting a coach’s wife isn’t only the right thing to do – it’s also the shrewd thing, if only to protect the program.
Apologizing to the alleged victim (and hey, perhaps even using her name) isn’t only the right thing to do – it’s also the smart thing, if only to advance the idea that the remorse is real.
Event plus response equals – for Ohio State, after a two-week investigation, it was an embarrassing circus of a day, followed by a news conference that featured those cringe-worthy moments. For Meyer, it equaled a moment that permanently alters his legacy.
Evenas the coach prepares for his return to the sidelines, where he’ll retake his position at the forefront of a team with realistic designs on a national championship, it’s worth highlighting a phrase that goes along with that ubiquitous formula:
Chinese tech giants Huawei and ZTE have effectively been banned from providing equipment to Australia’s 5G mobile network, due to national security concerns.
Last year, Australia’s government brought in rules requiring telecommunications companies to ensure they protect networks from unauthorised interference or access that might threaten national security.
On Thursday, Australia’s Home Affairs office sought to enforce those rules, citing the increased complexity of 5G’s network architecture compared to current technologies.
The government said that 5G’s network architecture “provides a way to circumvent traditional security controls,” and that it hadn’t found a method which could sufficiently protect users from those risks.
It singled out companies who might be subject to government meddling as a national security concern, but didn’t name ZTE or Huawei explicitly — although Huawei confirmed their inclusion in the ban on Twitter.
“The Government considers that the involvement of vendors who are likely to be subject to extrajudicial directions from a foreign government that conflict with Australian law, may risk failure by the carrier to adequately protect a 5G network from unauthorised access or interference,” the statement reads.
The U.S. government last week officially banned agencies from purchasing or using certain telecommunications and surveillance products from Chinese tech companies, like Huawei and ZTE.
It followed warnings from heads of the FBI and CIA, who expressed concern about the threat of espionage from its phones earlier this year.
In a statement via Twitter, Huawei said it was “an extremely disappointing result for consumers.” The chairman of Huawei’s Australian arm, John Lord, responded to claims the company was a risk to national security.
“We believe that companies like Huawei are privately owned, not owned by any committee or any government, and should be looked at and put into a competitive tendering,” he told ABC News.
“We’re happy to have our equipment tested, we’re happy to have it analysed.”
We have been informed by the Govt that Huawei & ZTE have been banned from providing 5G technology to Australia. This is a extremely disappointing result for consumers. Huawei is a world leader in 5G. Has safely & securely delivered wireless technology in Aust for close to 15 yrs
Telecommunications company Vodafone Australia said in a statement via email that while it agrees national security “is paramount,” the sudden decision is of concern.
“This decision, which has been dropped on the eve of the 5G auction, creates uncertainty for carriers’ investment plans,” the statement added.
“This decision is a significant change which fundamentally undermines Australia’s 5G future, and we will consider what it means for our business.”
Dane and Craig Lang say they received threats after revealing they employed Cristhian Bahena Rivera, the man charged in the murder of Mollie Tibbetts. Rodney White, rodwhite@dmreg.com
When the Lang family watched the news about Mollie Tibbetts unfold on Tuesday, a familiar face flashed on the screen.
They were shocked. The face of the suspect was familiar to them as one of their employees at Yarrabee Farms, but the name that went with the picture was completely different.
“What we learned within the last 24 hours is that our employee was not who he said he was,” said Dane Lang, manager of Yarrabee Farms.
Cristhian Bahena Rivera, the 24-year-old immigrant accused of abducting and killing Tibbetts, allegedly used a different name and provided false identification when he applied for employment at the farm just outside of Brooklyn, his employer said Wednesday.
Rivera worked at Yarrabee Farms in rural Poweshiek County for four years, Lang said. Yarrabee Farms is owned by multiple generations of the Lang family, including Craig Lang, former Farm Bureau President and prominent Iowa Republican.
Rivera was charged with first-degree murder Tuesday in the July 18 disappearance of Tibbetts, whose remains were found in a cornfield in rural Poweshiek County. A criminal complaint released Tuesday said Rivera directed law enforcement to Tibbetts’ body.
Rivera worked on day-to-day operations with the cows. He was introduced to the Lang family and gained employment there through a former girlfriend.
He also lived on the property in a mobile home, said Mitch Mortvedt, assistant director of the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation.
“We continue to cooperate with the investigation, and we have provided information about our former employee, including his hiring records, to authorities,” Craig Lang said during a press conference on the farm on Wednesday. “There will be plenty of time later to discuss immigration. However, now is not that time.”
Dane Lang is Craig’s son. He said Rivera provided a state-issued government ID and social security number when applying for employment. The information is required to file a Form I-9, which verifies the identity and employment eligibility of a person in the U.S.
As a voluntary second verification step, the business put Rivera’s information through the Social Security Administration’s number verification service, but Dane Lang said he and others assumed it was E-Verify.gov.
E-verify.gov allows employers to check if the information on a Form I-9 matches Social Security Administration and Department of Homeland Security records.
Employment verification officials consider E-Verify a more robust backgrounding system, because it includes immigration status and eligibility to work in the United States. A check of only a social security number verifies that the number, name and birth date an employee provided match information that exists in the federal Social Security database.
Dane Lang said Rivera provided a different name when he applied for employment, but he would not share it on Wednesday, citing the investigation.
“This employee was considered in good standing,” Dane Lang said. Rivera showed up to work on time, cooperated with the other employees and showed up every day, he said.
Over the last month, the younger Lang said he didn’t notice any changes in Rivera’s behavior. He said he always worked well with his colleagues.
“I wish I had seen a difference, but I didn’t,” Dane Lang said.
About 10 full-time and part-time employees work on the farm. He said the family was consulting with their immigration attorney on whether they can use E-Verify to check existing employees’ background.
Dane Lang would not confirm whether there were any non-U.S. citizens employed at the farm.
He said the farm’s employees are a part of the community and some of their kids have gone on to become homecoming king or a valedictorian.
At least 100 threatening voicemail messages have been sent to Dane Lang since Tuesday, he said. People have threatened to burn down buildings and even kill his dog after learning Rivera was employed at the farm.
“This is a really scary situation,” he said. “And the unfortunate thing is, people are paying attention to me and we’re forgetting about the heartbroken family in Brooklyn and the heartbroken community.”
The Register’s Donnelle Eller contributed to this report.
With Snapchat, you can nail pranking from the comfort of your own phone.
The app, aside from being a great way to transform yourself into a cartoon dog, is a veritable prank playground — and after you pull off the perfect Snapchat prank, the evidence will be gone forever.
Snap away, pranking millennials.
1. Snap a picture of a beach stock photo, then pretend you’re on vacation.
Ohio State has announced that Urban Meyer will be suspended for the first three games of the season. Here’s how that will affect the Buckeye’s season. USA TODAY Sports
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio State suspended its national championship football coach Urban Meyer for three games after the school investigated his handling of allegations of domestic abuse involving one of his former assistant coaches.
The announcement comes after the school’s Board of Trustees appointed an independent panel to oversee a two-week investigation of Meyer and what he knew about domestic abuse allegations against former wide receivers coach Zach Smith. The board reviewed the report and discussed its actions for nearly 11 hours on Wednesday.
Meyer, who will miss games against Oregon State, Rutgers and TCU, is suspended without pay. He has been on paid leave since Aug. 1.
He cannot work with the team at all through the Oregon State game. After that, he can coach practices but cannot be at the next two games.
“I appreciate the opportunity to learn from a mistake,” Meyer said at a press conference. “There were red flags (with Zach Smith). I wish I did a better job knowing things and finding out things. I wish people told me more things. . . . I wish I had known more.
““I want to apologize to the Buckeye Nation. I followed my heart and not my head. … At each juncture I gave Zach the benefit of the doubt.”
Athletic director Gene Smith also was suspended from Aug. 31 to Sept. 16. “I have ultimate authority and oversight and I’m accountable for the athletic department, and in particular, the football program,” Gene Smith said. “I could have done a better job in this particular instance.”
According to the report: “Although neither Urban Meyer nor Gene Smith condoned or covered up the alleged domestic abuse by Zach Smith, they failed to take sufficient management action relating to Zach Smith’s misconduct and retained an Assistant Coach who was not performing as an appropriate role model for OSU student-athletes. Permitting such misconduct to continue is not consistent with the values of the University and reflects poorly on Coach Meyer, Athletic Director Smith, and the University. Their handling of this matter did not exhibit the kind of leadership and high standards that we expect of our Athletic Director, Head Coach, Assistant Coaches and all on the football staff.”
During his administrative leave, Meyer was barred from coming on campus. But he was seen entering the building early in the trustees’ session. His wife, Shelley, arrived around 2:30.
Zach Smith was accused of abuse by his ex-wife on several occasions, most recently in 2015. Meyer initially denied knowledge of the alleged 2015 incident during an appearance at Big Ten Conference media days in July. He later he admitted to previously knowing about the matter and said he followed proper reporting protocols and procedures.
In an interview for the web site Stadium, Smith’s ex-wife, Courtney Smith, said she had told Meyer’s wife, Shelley, and Lindsey Voltolini, the wife of Ohio State’s director of football operations, about her ex-husband’s abusive behavior.
Among the correspondences between Smith and Shelley Meyer were photos showing bruises stemming from the 2015 incident.
Following the interview of Smith, the school’s Board of Trustees appointed an independent panel to oversee the investigation of Meyer.
Ryan Day, offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach,is serving as interim head coach.
Across multiple stops, each more successful than the last, Meyer’s coaching career has been a contradiction of near-unparalleled success marred by bouts of controversy.
At Florida, where Meyer led the Gators to national championships in 2006 and 2008, his program dominated the Southeastern Conference yet too often found itself in the headlines for player misconduct. Off the field, a program that seemed invincible was anything but.
Thirty-one players were arrested during Meyer’s tenure, which spanned from 2005-10. A report by Sporting News detailed an altercation between Florida assistant coach Billy Gonzales and star receiver Percy Harvin, which saw Harvin grab Gonzales by the throat and tackle him to the ground before being separated by two assistants.
Another one of Meyer’s stars at Florida, tight end Aaron Hernandez, was involved in two incidents during his time with the Gators, both in 2007. In one, Hernandez punched a restaurant employee in the side of the head, rupturing the individual’s eardrum. In the other, Hernandez was viewed as a person of interest in a shooting that occurred after a night at a local nightclub.
In 2013, Hernandez was arrested and charged in the murder of an acquaintance in North Attleborough, Mass. Hernandez was found guilty of first-degree murder in 2015.
On the field, on the other hand, Meyer led Florida back to prominence after a brief dip following the retirement of former head coach Steve Spurrier.
Led by quarterback Tim Tebow, the Gators won the national championship in both 2006 and 2008, finished No. 3 in the Amway Coaches Poll in 2009 and finished lower than 16th nationally just once, in Meyer’s final season in 2010.
Meyer nearly retired in the winter of 2009, after a health scare involving chest pains following the recent conference championship game and a desire to spend more time with his family. He officially stepped down on Dec. 9, 2010 with a 65-15 record at the school, and spent the 2011 season as an analyst for ESPN.
“At the end of the day, I’m very convinced that you’re going to be judged on how you are as a husband and as a father and not on how many bowl games we won,” Meyer said at the time.
But it wasn’t long before he returned to coaching. A native of Ashtabula, Ohio, Meyer was hired by Ohio State in late November of 2011, and immediately moved the Buckeyes into elite company: OSU went 12-0 in his debut season, in 2012, though the Buckeyes were ineligible for the postseason due to sanctions stemming from the Jim Tressel era.
Of Meyer’s six teams, just one, in 2013, finished outside the top 10 of the Coaches Poll. The 2014 team claimed the inaugural College Football Playoff national championship. Each of the five Meyer-coached teams eligible for the postseason reached a New Year’s Six bowl; all six combined for just three losses in regular-season Big Ten play.
He always had a reputation for being difficult, addicted to the details, micromanaging every detail of his program, however small. At Ohio State, for instance, the desk in Meyer’s office was angled toward the door leading into the Buckeyes’ main football facility — allowing him to see who was going in and out, and when.
Yet you could never argue with the results. Meyer holds a career record of 177-31, which includes earlier, two-year stints at Bowling Green and Utah. His final team at Utah, in 2004, went 12-0 and won the Fiesta Bowl. In the history of the FBS, just three coaches have done better than Meyer’s 85.1 winning percentage.
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