US Army charges Wisconsin man who defected to North Korea with desertion and soliciting child pornography: Report



The U.S. Army has charged the soldier who defected to North Korea in July with desertion, solicitation of child pornography, and various other crimes, according to documents obtained by Reuters.

Pvt. Travis King, 23, joined the Army in January 2021 and served as a cavalry scout with the Korean Rotational Force in South Korea.

Reuters reported that he was accused on more than one occasion of assault. He ultimately pleaded guilty to one charge of assault and to damaging a police car during a profanity-laced rant against South Koreans.

After he did a one-month stint in a South Korean jail, the U.S. Army sent him packing to the airport on July 18 so that he could face disciplinary measures stateside. King apparently had no intention of facing accountability back at Fort Bliss, Texas.

He reportedly left the customs checkpoint, fled the airport, then joined a civilian tour of the Joint Security Area on the border between the two Koreas. King then ran across the Demilitarized Zone into North Korea.

The Army officially declared King AWOL but had not gone so far as to label him a deserter. Possible penalties for going AWOL include military jail time, a dishonorable discharge, and/or a forfeiture of pay.

The communist regime used the defection as a propaganda opportunity, claiming the 23-year-old was seeking refuge because of "inhuman maltreatment and racial discrimination" in America, adding that "he also expressed his willingness to seek refugee in the DPRK or a third country, saying that he was disillusioned at the unequal American society."

After a two-month stay, King was returned to the U.S. on Sept. 27. Sweden had acted as the primary interlocutor between the U.S. and North Korea in securing the defector's release.

King has since undergone medical exams, psychological assessments, and debriefings, reported NPR.

The private now reportedly faces at least eight distinct charges under the Uniform Code of Military Justice. The private has been accused of:

  • desertion;
  • possessing child pornography and attempting to get a Snapchat user in July 2023 to "knowingly and willingly produce child pornography";
  • insubordination for leaving his base after curfew and flouting Army regulations concerning the consumption of alcohol;
  • attempting to escape from U.S. military custody in October 2022; and
  • various other improprieties, including kicking and punching other officers last year.

According to the 2023 Manual for Courts-Martial United States, any member of the armed forces who "without authority goes or remains absent from his unit, organization, or place of duty with intent to remain away therefrom permanently" is guilty of desertion.

"Desertion with intent to remain away permanently is complete when the person absents himself or herself without authority from his or her unit, organization, or place of duty, with the intent to remain away therefrom permanently," says the manual. "A prompt repentance and return, while material in extenuation, is no defense."

If found guilty of desertion, then King could face a dishonorable discharge, forfeiture of all pay and allowances, and jail time.

Possible penalties for desertion during wartime include death. As the Korean War is technically not over — as the 1953 armistice between the United Nations Command and both China and North Korea was never formally signed by the South Korean government — it is unclear precisely how high the stakes are in the forthcoming court-martial.

King's mother, Claudine Gates, said that she loves her son "unconditionally" and asks that her "son be afforded the presumption of innocence," reported ABC News.

"The man I raised, the man I dropped off at boot camp, the man who spent the holidays with me before deploying did not drink," Gates said in a statement. "A mother knows her son, and I believe something happened to mine while he was deployed. The Army promised to investigate what happened at Camp Humphreys, and I await the results."

Travis King charges youtu.be

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Amber Heard DRAGGED for 'playing the victim' in Savannah Guthrie interview



Amber Heard may be regretting her decision to "speak out" after a video clip from her interview with NBC's Savannah Guthrie was shared on social media Tuesday.

Heard sat down with Guthrie in her first interview since her defamation trial against ex-husband Johnny Depp. The interview is scheduled to air on the "TODAY" show in two parts this week and in its entirety on "Dateline" this Friday.

A preview clip from the interview posted on Twitter has garnered more than 2 million views and thousands of comments — but the "Aquaman" actress isn't going to be pleased with her latest notoriety.

“Even somebody who is sure I am deserving of all this hate and vitriol — even if you think that I’m lying, you still couldn’t look me in the eye and tell me that you think on social media there’s been a fair representation. You cannot tell me that you think this has been fair,” Heard says in the clip.

\u201c.@savannahguthrie sat down for an exclusive conversation with #AmberHeard. "You cannot tell me that you think that this has been fair,\u201d Heard shared, in reference to social media representation.\u201d
— TODAY (@TODAY) 1655120298
\u201cThe jurors didn\u2019t read any of the social media stuff, they listened to the evidence & concluded she was lying. I suggest it\u2019s time for Ms Heard to stop playing the victim.\u201d
— Piers Morgan (@Piers Morgan) 1655121250
\u201cAmber Heard pre-verdict: \u201cI just want to move on. And for Johnny to move on.\u201d\n\nAmber Heard on National TV this week: \u201cYou Cannot Look Me in the Eye & Tell Me My Trial Was Fair.\u201d\n\nThe narcissist craves attention.\nThe victimology tour continues.\u201d
— Greg Ellis \ud83c\udff4\u200d\u2620\ufe0f (@Greg Ellis \ud83c\udff4\u200d\u2620\ufe0f) 1655123698
\u201c@9inelivez @TODAYshow @SavannahGuthrie @NBCNews @DatelineNBC I wasn't a fan and if she'd have been telling the truth I'd be calling him out. She's a lying, manipulative abuser who still needs to use his name and victims for attention. She represents the worst kind of women!https://t.co/a9ZEjvoJyS\u201d
— TODAY (@TODAY) 1655120298
\u201c@TODAYshow @SavannahGuthrie @NBCNews @DatelineNBC What she doesn't get or doesn't want to admit is that social media opinion was created based on what ppl saw in court: evidence presented, her behavior, her testimony, etc. It wasn't based on some hearsay. Same evidence the jury saw and based its verdict on. Don't blame it on ppl\u201d
— TODAY (@TODAY) 1655120298
\u201c@DonnaBa32121840 @ABrandNewName_ @TODAYshow @SavannahGuthrie @NBCNews @DatelineNBC This was exactly me. I don\u2019t keep up with the lifestyles of the Rich and famous. Trust me I don\u2019t envy them whatsoever lol. I didn\u2019t know either one of them had never watched either one of them play in movies. Of course I\u2019ve heard of Johnny Depp who hasn\u2019t. Drugs, alcohol, etc.\u201d
— TODAY (@TODAY) 1655120298
\u201c@DiosaBEL7 I thought she said she wanted to be left alone and in peace. Why the heck is she out there doing interviews for ?She very much wants to be in the limelight and continue to stay relevant. One more proof that this was for attention and out of spite.\u201d
— King Kokina (@King Kokina) 1655223559
\u201c@hottmessNHGQ @TODAYshow @SavannahGuthrie @NBCNews @DatelineNBC Insulting the intelligence of the jury. Really? That won't get her an appeal. They found she acted with MALICE.\u201d
— TODAY (@TODAY) 1655120298
\u201c@TODAYshow @SavannahGuthrie AH has not proven that social media played any role in the trial. The trial is not the TV coverage, duh. It is a legal thing. She must show the jury knew or a witness or judge was affected. Nada. Fix this bias.\u201d
— TODAY (@TODAY) 1655120298
\u201c@simpi_lovemyway @TODAYshow @SavannahGuthrie @NBCNews @DatelineNBC Unreal! I can\u2019t believe this woman would go on TV in an attempt to tell everyone that watched the trial that we were influenced by social media. We were influenced by the lies told by Amber herself!\u201d
— TODAY (@TODAY) 1655120298

A second video clip from the Guthrie interview has also been making the rounds on Twitter, with similar results for Heard's (lack of) public appeal.

\u201c@KateHydeNY Today I learned that Amber Heard was only faking being able to breathe water in "Aquaman". https://t.co/9EhTiMg0JS\u201d
— Kate Hyde (@Kate Hyde) 1655225864
\u201cAmber Heard is a liar. Change my mind.\u201d
— Steven Crowder (@Steven Crowder) 1655294828

On a recent episode of "Relatable," BlazeTV host Allie Beth Stuckey and POPlitics' Alex Clark discussed whether Amber Heard really got a fair trial in the age of social media.


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Saudi Arabia hosts real-life 'Squid Game Experience' for tourists



In Riyadh, the capital city of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, people can now participate in the Squid Game Experience.

The Squid Game Experience is an immersive in person simulation of the popular Netflix series of the same name. The Saudi General Authority for Entertainment (GEA) organized this event so that attendees may experience six different games inspired by the series.

“Squid Game” is a Netflix original series set in the criminal underworld of South Korea. Men and women who are down on their luck agree to participate in a series of increasingly elaborate children’s games where if they lose the game they also lose their lives.

Beating out pandemic era favorites like “Tiger King” and “Bridgerton,” “Squid Game” is currently the most watched show in Netflix’s history with more than 100 million subscriber households watching the series in its first month, according to Forbes.

The experience is roughly identical to the events of the show with participants meeting enforcers clad in masks and red jumpsuits, participating in childhood games that test their skill and agility, and ends with the announcement of a winner.

The GEA provided a special location with an area of 9,582 square meters in Riyadh for the event to be housed. In just over a month, this space was filled with different zones for each one of the games available for the public to participate in.

That said, individuals participating in the Squid Game Experience need not worry about losing their lives should they misstep or lose a game.

There are no automated guns slaughtering people who lose at Red Light Green Light and if a team loses at Tug-of-War its members won’t plummet to their deaths.

Organizers of the Squid Game Experience were sure to prioritize the safety of each participant.

Most of the time, the event is sold out as it frequently attracts hundreds of Saudi residents and tourists each day.

“Squid Game” is extremely popular in Saudi Arabia. Restaurants in the capital city of Riyadh have even incorporated the show into the dining experience as family’s bring their children to revel in the novelty of being shot with a toy gun over dessert.

The Squid Game Experience runs until the end of March 2022 and participants must be at least 18-years-old.

Saudi Arabia has experienced immense growth in tourism in recent years. In 2021 there was $19.85 billion spent by tourists in Saudi Arabia. This is more than double the $9.32 billion spent in 2011. The capital city of Riyadh is now a hub for the international entertainment and food industries as more and more people seek luxury in Saudi Arabia.

Washington state library accused of racial segregation after bizarre photo of race-sensitive training goes viral online



A library in Washington state denied allegations of racial segregation after a bizarre photograph of its race-sensitive training went viral on social media.

"KCLS has recently been accused of holding a 'racially segregated training program.' KCLS denies these allegations," the statement read.

Christopher Rufo, director at the Center on Wealth & Poverty at Discovery Institute, noted the controversial training session on his social media account. The photograph showed signs segregating participants by race.

One sign read, "DEI Session People Who are White," and the other read, "DEI Session People of Color."

King County Library System said that the "listening sessions" were mandatory but were not racial segregation.

KCLS has recently been accused of holding a “raciallysegregated training program.” KCLS denies these allegations.… https://t.co/9Jm5iJogbE
— King County Library (@King County Library)1603499611.0

"In 2019, under the guidance of our consultants, Racial Equity Consultants (REC), we provided caucused listening sessions for staff to help inform REC's institutional racial equity assessment work. These listening sessions were voluntary for staff and designed to gather information to help us better understand institutional racial equity concerns, particularly those voiced by BIPOC staff members at KCLS, so that our consultants could develop a report and recommendations," they continued.

"Attendance by managers was mandatory for the purpose of preparing them for providing leadership around potential conversations or questions that their staff members might have following the sessions," they added.

President Donald Trump ordered the defunding of critical race theory sessions being taught at federal agencies, calling them "divisive, un-American propaganda training sessions."

Critics of the president complained that defunding the training was tantamount to supporting white supremacy and racism in federal agencies.

"KCLS is deeply committed to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) as part of our service to the public. We understand that race is a complex and sensitive topic, and that discussions around race and racism are sometimes difficult, though necessary," the statement concluded.

Here's more about Trump canceling federal racial training:

Pres. Trump cancels race-related training sessions in federal agencieswww.youtube.com