Kate Steinle"s killer used federal agent"s gun

Juan Francisco Lopez-Sanchez is arraigned in San Francisco on July 7, 2015.

Investigators say the killer of Kate Steinle the 32-year-old woman who was walking on a San Francisco pier with her father when an illegal immigrant allegedly shot her in broad daylight used a gun that belonged to a federal agent.

Fox News reported the gun had been stolen from a law enforcement officer in June.

It may mean that somebody else is going to be on the hook, and soon, said CNNs legal analyst Danny Cevallos.

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Juan Francisco Lopez-Sanchez, an illegal immigrant with a felony record who had been deported to Mexico five times and who told police he was in San Francisco because it was a sanctuary city and he knew he wouldnt be deported confessed to killing Steinle, various media reported.

He also said he found the gun wrapped in a T-shirt on the ground, CNN reported.

So I picked it up and it started to fire on its own, Sanchez said, adding that he heard three shots go off.

Sanchez pleaded not guilty during a Tuesday court hearing to murder and weapons charges. The court set his bail at $5 million.

Lopez-Sanchez, who has served more than 17 years in prison for entering the country illegally and has four felony drug convictions, was set free from jail in April despite a federal request to detain him, according to the New York Daily News.

The citys sanctuary ordinance does not prohibit local law enforcement from informing ICE that theyve arrested someone in the country illegally for a felony offense or who has prior felony convictions.

Most of the blame should fall squarely on the shoulders of the San Francisco sheriff, because his department had custody of him and made the choice to let him go without notifying ICE, said Jessica Vaughan, director of policy studies at the Washington-based Center for Immigration Studies, which wants tougher immigration enforcement, reported the Associated Press.

Rep. Bob Goodlatte, the Virginia Republican who chairs the House Judiciary Committee, blamed sanctuary practices and the Obama administration, saying: The tragic murder of Kate Steinle once again underscores the need to end these reckless policies.

Hillary Clinton, the early Democrat front-runner in the presidential race, said San Francisco should have listened to federal agents.

The city made a mistake, not to deport someone that the federal government strongly felt should be deported, Clinton said. So I have absolutely no support for a city that ignores the strong evidence that should be acted on.

Donald Trump, whos running for president in 2016, has been speaking about the problems of illegal immigration since he announced his campaign to the fury of Mexico, the mainstream media and several businesses that have severed ties with him, as reported by WND. Still, Trump stands by his initial comments about Mexico sending criminals across the border into America.

Another illegal immigrant, Manuel Perez-Vasquez, 29, was just arrested for a car wreck that injured children in which he was allegedly found to have been under the influence of marijuana, as reported by WND. Authorities said Vasquez had been deported from America on six prior occasions.

Meanwhile, Fox News reported a total of 30,558 convicted criminal aliens, including those found guilty of homicide and rape, have been released by federal authorities.

Source: http://www.wnd.com/2015/07/kate-steinles-killer-used-federal-agents-gun/

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New Harper Lee novel makes Atticus Finch a racist?

NEW YORK --

Harper Lee"s unexpected new novel offers an unexpected and startling take on an American literary saint, Atticus Finch.

"Go Set a Watchman" is set in the 1950s, 20 years after Lee"s celebrated "To Kill a Mockingbird," and finds Atticus hostile to the growing civil rights movement. In one particularly dramatic encounter with his now-adult daughter, Scout, the upright Alabama lawyer who famously defended a black man in "Mockingbird" condemns the NAACP as opportunists and troublemakers and labels blacks as too "backward" to "share fully in the responsibilities of citizenship."

"Would you want your state governments run by people who don"t know how to run "em"? argues the man portrayed by Oscar-winner Gregory Peck in the 1962 film adaptation of "Mockingbird."

"They"ve made terrific progress in adapting themselves to white ways, but they"re far from it yet."

"Watchman" was written before "Mockingbird" and is only Lee"s second book, one that Lee"s attorney, Tonja Carter, has said she stumbled upon last year. It will be published Tuesday. The Associated Press purchased an early copy.

Publisher HarperCollins, anticipating concerns that Atticus" harsh talk will disillusion millions of fans, issued a statement late Friday saying, "The question of Atticus"s racism is one of the most important and critical elements in this novel, and it should be considered in the context of the book"s broader moral themes."

""Go Set a Watchman" explores racism and changing attitudes in the South during the 1950s in a bold and unflinching way," the statement reads. "At its heart, it is the coming-of-age story of a young woman who struggles to reconcile the saintly figure of her beloved father with her own more enlightened views. In "Go Set a Watchman," Scout takes center stage as we witness her anger toward and stand against prejudice and social injustice."

Rarely has news of a novel been so celebrated and so dreaded since HarperCollins shocked the world in February by announcing that a second Harper Lee novel was coming, an event her fans had long given up on and Lee had often said wouldn"t happen.

HarperCollins has reported that pre-orders for "Watchman" are the highest in company history, and Amazon.com has announced that the novel"s pre-orders are the strongest since the last "Harry Potter" story, which came out in 2007.

But questions have been raised all along about the quality of the book, completed when Lee was a young and unpublished writer and received coolly by publishers, and whether the 89-year-old Lee was fully aware of the planned release.

Alabama officials, responding to at least one complaint of possible elder abuse, even visited with Lee at her nursing home in Monroeville and concluded she was indeed capable of making decisions about the book.

The portrait of Atticus, a supposed liberal revealing crude prejudices, will likely re-energize an old debate about "Mockingbird," which has long been admired more by whites than by blacks. Winner of the Pulitzer Prize in 1961, and widely praised as a sensitive portrait of racial tension as seen through the eyes of a child in 1930s Alabama, it also has been criticized as sentimental and paternalistic.

In an interview with The Associated Press earlier this year, Nobel laureate Toni Morrison called it a "white savior" narrative, "one of those" that reduced blacks to onlookers in their own struggles for equal rights.

(Copyright 2015 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

Source: http://abc7.com/news/new-harper-lee-novel-makes-atticus-finch-a-racist/842032/

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Breaking: Ed Hardy Founder, Christian Audigier, Dies At Age 57

Christian Audigier, the founder of popular clothing brands Ed Hardy and Von Dutch, has reportedly lost his battle with cancer. According to Gawker, the 57-year-old slipped into a coma this week and died on Thursday.

The fashion mogul was diagnosed with Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS) in January and had been treating the disease through chemotherapy, reports TMZ. Audigier also underwent a bone marrow transplant on March 19.

TMZ spotted Audigier leaving Cedars-Sinai hospital in April, where he confirmed he was cancer-free at the time.

French rocker Johnny Hallyday expressed his love for the entrepreneur on Twitter early Friday morning. RIP #ChristianAudigier my friend always. I will miss you terribly. I love you. Johnny, he tweeted.

Good Morning America anchor Robin Roberts was diagnosed with MDS back in 2012, and luckily, was able to make a complete recovery.

Source: http://www.etcanada.com/blogs/etc_147972/breaking-ed-hardy-founder-christian-audigier-dies-at-age-57/fashion/

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"The Gallows" hangs hopes on horror guru"s record

Getty Images/AFP/File Frederick M. BrownHollywood producer Jason Blum has a reputation to keep up: he is famous for micro-budget horror films which make megabucks at the box officeLos Angeles (AFP) - Hollywood producer Jason Blum has a reputation to keep up: he is famous for micro-budget horror films which make megabucks at the box office.

It remains to be seen if his latest spine-tingler, "The Gallows," will hit the same mark. But it could well do.

The movie, out Friday in the United States, begins with the story of a 1993 student theater production which turns to terror when one of its actors, Charlie, is accidentally hanged onstage.

Twenty years later, a group of teenagers decide to revive the play in honor of Charlie -- but it"s not always a good idea to resurrect the dead.

"The Gallows," which recalls 1999"s "The Blair Witch Project" for its hand-held camera technique, gives young actors Reese Mishler, Pfeifer Brown, Ryan Shoos and Cassidy Gifford their first substantial roles.

Directed by Travis Cluff and Chris Lofing, the movie will thrill horror fans, although it may also annoy those who dislike juddery filming and other amateur-video stylistic foibles.

But the Jason Blum brand should attract those who are already fans of the talented filmmaker, whose past credits include the "Paranormal Activity" and "Insidious" movies.

His method consists of making films with tiny budgets, paying actors peanuts, but working with studios that ensure that his films are distributed around the world, often going on to be major hits.

- No star treatment -

The actors certainly don"t get the star treatment, even those who are already well known: for the first "The Purge" movie, Ethan Hawke recalls having slept on Blum"s couch every night of the film shoot.

"Jason Blum makes films the way studio executives can only dream about: on time and under budget," said analyst Jeff Bock of box officer tracker Exhibitor Relations.

"In fact, I refer to him as the micro-maestro of horror as his budgets are routinely under $10 million, and most of them around $5 million."

The Blum "model" started with "Paranormal Activity" in 2009, produced for $15,000 before grossing nearly $200 million worldwide, making it the most profitable film in Hollywood history.

It has already had four sequels, and a fifth is due out this fall.

In addition to "Insidious" and the first and second "The Purge" movies that were big summer hits in 2013 and 2014, the 46-year-old also produced "Sinister" and "Ouija."

"It"s no wonder seemingly every studio in town has a deal with him right now," said Bock.

"Even when his films aren"t massive hits, he still comes out in the black every time, because of his penchant for budget mastery and edgy thrillers and chill pills with contemporary twists."

Blum"s filmography, which runs to 80 credits, also includes more serious fare including 2014"s "Whiplash," which won three Oscars and a Golden Globe, and TV film "The Normal Heart," which won a Globe and two Emmys.

He also co-produced "The Reader," which won Kate Winslet an Oscar, and the hit documentary "The Jinx," which caused a sensation earlier this year when it was aired by HBO.

But his horror flicks are his bread and butter -- and keep him in non-stop work.

"Keeping tight budgets in Hollywood is definitely an art form in itself," said Bock.

"In the end, people go to where the work is... and he steadily employees many folks, considering he has at least a dozen films in production at any given time," he added.

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/afp-the-gallows-hangs-hopes-on-horror-gurus-record-2015-7

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Caitlyn Jenner Celebrates Pride Week With Candis Cayne, and More!

Credit: Twitter

Its hard not to be excited about Fridays SCOTUS ruling that made same-s*x marriage legal in all 50 states, but theres one person whos especially pumped about Pride Week: Caitlyn Jenner! Shes celebrating the occasion in style and with plenty of other women who know exactly what the trans lifestyle means.

On June 29, Caitlyn tweeted a photo of herself out with friends in New York City, and not only does she look beautiful in a black dress and curled hair, but she definitely seems to be surrounded by the support of women who understand what shes going through.

Such a fun dinner in NYC w/ this powerful group of trans women, Caitlyn wrote. They are all so beautiful.

Credit: Twitter

Among the group was actress Candis Cayne and model Geena Rocero, who both shared photos from their night out on Instagram. In each picture, Caitlyn looks so happy something shes waited wanted for a long time.

Pride

A photo posted by @candiscayne on Jun 29, 2015 at 10:16am PDT

Amazing NYC dinner w fabulous @Caitlyn_Jenner @candiscayne [and] many power Trans Ladies, Geena captioned her snapshot.

Were so glad to see that Caitlyn has found a group of friends who understand her and accept her for who she is. Its awesome to see her living the life the way she wants. Is there any better way to celebrate Pride Week than that?

Sources: Caitlyn Jenner on Twitter, Candis Cayne on Instagram

Source: http://www.wetpaint.com/2015-06-30-caitlyn-jenner-pride-week-dinner-photos/

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"The Gallows" swings between scary and sketchy horror film

Had the creators of the "The Gallows" ditched its overdone found-footage concept and opted for more traditional shooting, they might have wrung a more immersive and stylish piece from the film"s juicy high-school theater setting.

Still, writers and directors Travis Cluff and Chris Lofing reportedly made this horror-thriller for about $100,000 (plus completion funds from producers Entertainment 360 and Blumhouse), and their scrappy resourcefulness counters the often choppy, tiresome visuals.

The film takes place in a small Nebraska town (it was shot mainly in and around Fresno) where, in 1993, a "prop malfunction" occurred during a high school production titled "The Gallows." The result: the accidental hanging death of young thespian Charlie Grimille (Jesse Cross).

Twenty years later, the same school is remounting the play and it doesn"t take a psychic to know this will be a bad idea.

The night before the play"s revival, four students earnest "Gallows" cast members Reese (Reese Mishler) and Pfeifer (Pfeifer Brown), Reese"s jerky best bud, Ryan (Ryan Shoos), and Ryan"s hot girlfriend, Cassidy (Cassidy Gifford) end up locked inside the school as, it seems, Charlie"s spirit is seeking revenge for his untimely death. Why exactly he"s wreaking havoc on these particular kids is just one of many narrative curiosities and contrivances.

Plot holes aside, the filmmakers provide enough well-timed jumps and energetic moments to keep the highly contained picture afloat. Yet, as so often happens watching these "Blair Witch"-like projects, excess time can be spent wondering who"s supposedly shooting the bits of the "unearthed" video and why.

-------------------

"The Gallows."

MPAA rating: R for disturbing violent content, terror.

Running time: 1 hour, 21 minutes.

Playing: In general release.

Copyright 2015, Los Angeles Times

Source: http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-the-gallows-review-20150710-story.html

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Aziz Ansari has a bone to pick with TV networks

Oh how we miss Tom Haverford.

But dont cry too much my friends, we will all get a chance to see more of Aziz Ansari when his new sitcom comes to Netflix.

By now you have probably seen the actor/comedians stand-up specials Aziz Ansari: Live at Madison Square Garden and Buried Alive on everyones favorite streaming giant, but what you may not know is in April Netflix also picked up the the former Parks & Recreation star new untitled sitcom.

Netflix ordered 10 episodes of the half-hour long comedy and Ansari says hes not only a big fan of streaming services he sort of refused to pitch the show to anyone else. He told Deadline:

Its great. We didnt even pitch this to any traditional networks. I kind of refused to do it. I dont want to work in that environment. So many friends of mine have done that stuff and it just seems like a process thats not fun. And I think people are able to do it and some people make good shows. But Im so used to working from a mode of stand-up where its like, I write something. I work on it. Audiences think its funny. I film it. And then I give it to Netflix, and they put it on. Thats why I was excited to partner with Netflix because they seemed like they were creative and friendly.

There are little things you dont even think abouttheres no commercials. You dont have to get an episode to exactly 30 minutes. In editing its so much help. When youre editing aParksepisode, it will be like, Well, we have a commercial break here so weve got to find 40 seconds to cut. Weird, little tasks like that are just kind of gone. And so this feels like 10 little movies that have different lengths, theres a through line, there is a serialization, and theres a payoff.

In the interview Ansari wouldnt give too much away about the new show, just that the title is still a work in progress and it focuses on his character but has a 1970s comedy feel to it that covers real things but is still funny. He also said in one episode his real dad plays his characters father, which sounds amazing to me!

You can watch more of Ansaris stand-up right here and of course on Netflix:

Source: http://national.suntimes.com/national-entertainment/7/72/1427974/aziz-ansari-bone-pick-tv-networks/

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