(task) How ISIS and Boko Haram Profit From Climate Change - The Daily Beast

GRS USRS

4 cover

terrorism climate change
>
> http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/11/30/how-jihadist-groups-like-boko-haram-and-isis-profit-from-global-warming.html <http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/11/30/how-jihadist-groups-like-boko-haram-and-isis-profit-from-global-warming.html>
>
> <http://www.thedailybeast.com/index.html> <http://www.thedailybeast.com/politics.html> <http://www.thedailybeast.com/entertainment.html> <http://www.thedailybeast.com/world.html> <http://www.thedailybeast.com/us-news.html> <http://www.thedailybeast.com/tech-and-health.html> <http://www.thedailybeast.com/beaststyle.html> <http://www.thedailybeast.com/books.html> <http://www.thedailybeast.com/video.html> <https://www.facebook.com/thedailybeast> <https://twitter.com/thedailybeast>
>
> Philippe Wojazer/Reuters
> <http://www.thedailybeast.com/contributors/christopher-dickey.html>
> Christopher Dickey  <http://www.thedailybeast.com/contributors/christopher-dickey.html> <https://twitter.com/intent/follow?original_referer=/contributors/christopher-dickey.html&region=follow_link&screen_name=csdickey&tw_p=followbutton&variant=2.0>
> facebook <>
> tweet <https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=http%3A%2F%2Fthebea.st%2F1Rhg1ga&via=thedailybeast&related=&text=How%20ISIS%20and%20Boko%20Haram%20Profit%20From%20Climate%20Change&counturl=http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/11/30/how-jihadist-groups-like-boko-haram-and-isis-profit-from-global-warming.html>
> email <mailto:?subject=How%20ISIS%20and%20Boko%20Haram%20Profit%20From%20Climate%20Change&body=%0D%0Ahttp%3A%2F%2Fthebea.st%2F1Rhg3EY%0D%0A%0D%0AHow%20ISIS%20and%20Boko%20Haram%20Profit%20From%20Climate%20Change%0D%0A%0D%0AThe%20Paris%20climate%20summit%20is%20also%20about%20national%20security%2C%20with%20jihadist%20groups%20snatching%20up%20land%20largely%20emptied%20by%20extreme%20weather%20and%20declaring%20%E2%80%98caliphates.%E2%80%99>
> SUBMIT <http://www.reddit.com/submit?title=How%20ISIS%20and%20Boko%20Haram%20Profit%20From%20Climate%20Change&url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/11/30/how-jihadist-groups-like-boko-haram-and-isis-profit-from-global-warming.html%3Fvia%3Ddesktop%26source%3DReddit>SUBMIT
> <http://digg.com/submit?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedailybeast.com%2Farticles%2F2015%2F11%2F30%2Fhow-jihadist-groups-like-boko-haram-and-isis-profit-from-global-warming.html%3Fvia%3Ddesktop%26social%3DDigg>
> <https://www.linkedin.com/cws/share?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedailybeast.com%2Farticles%2F2015%2F11%2F30%2Fhow-jihadist-groups-like-boko-haram-and-isis-profit-from-global-warming.html%3Fvia%3Ddesktop%26social%3DLinkedin>
> <http://www.reddit.com/submit?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedailybeast.com%2Farticles%2F2015%2F11%2F30%2Fhow-jihadist-groups-like-boko-haram-and-isis-profit-from-global-warming.html%3Fvia%3Ddesktop%26social%3DReddit>
> <https://www.stumbleupon.com/submit?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedailybeast.com%2Farticles%2F2015%2F11%2F30%2Fhow-jihadist-groups-like-boko-haram-and-isis-profit-from-global-warming.html%3Fvia%3Ddesktop%26social%3DStumbleUpon>
> <https://plus.google.com/share?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedailybeast.com%2Farticles%2F2015%2F11%2F30%2Fhow-jihadist-groups-like-boko-haram-and-isis-profit-from-global-warming.html%3Fvia%3Ddesktop%26social%3Dgoogleplus>
> INFERTILE CRESCENT11.30.152:33 PM ET
> How ISIS and Boko Haram Profit From Climate Change
> The Paris climate summit is also about national security, with jihadist groups snatching up land largely emptied by extreme weather and declaring ‘caliphates.’
> PARIS — In the dark early hours of this Monday morning, the presidents of the United States and France stood together with the mayor of Paris on a mostly empty Paris boulevard. <http://www.thedailybeast.com/cheats/2015/11/29/obama-honors-paris-victims-at-bataclan.html>
> Barack Obama, François Hollande and Mayor Anne Hidalgo each placed a single, simple white rose among the wreaths and flowers and French flags, the photos of victims and the votive candles at the makeshift shrine before the Bataclan concert hall where terrorists murdered 90 of the 130 people they slaughtered in coordinated attacks the night of Friday, Nov. 13. Then the three stood there silently for a long moment beneath the sulfurous streetlights.
>
> So began the American president’s visit to Paris for the United Nations summit on climate change. <http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/11/30/fox-news-works-hard-to-undermine-obama-ahead-of-paris-climate-meetings.html> He had come straight from the airport to pay tribute to those who fell to the terrorists’ guns and bombs. And a few hours later, in his formal speech to the opening session of the meeting attended by 150 heads of state or government, Obama drew a direct connection between the terrorism of today, and the terrible fate that awaits us all if the world does not unite to slow global warming.
>
>
> “We salute the people of Paris for insisting this crucial conference go on—an act of defiance that proves nothing will deter us from building the future we want for our children,” said Obama. “What greater rejection of those who would tear down our world, than marshaling our best efforts to save it?”
>
> Hollande, too, made the connection between the apocalypse that Paris saw and the apocalypse the world will see if climate change is not brought under control: “I’m not choosing between the fight against terrorism and the fight against global warming,” he said. “These are two major challenges we must overcome. We must leave our children more than a world free of terror, we owe them a planet protected from disasters, a viable livable planet.”
>
> Former U.S. Vice President Al Gore, now here as well, has noted the inconvenient truths about climate change as a security challenge many times. “More than a few top U.S. military leaders have already designated the climate crisis as a national security issue,” he told The Daily Beast <http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2011/09/05/al-gore-climate-change-means-worse-weather-ahead.html> back in 2011. “The stability of governance arrangements in many strategically important regions of the world is threatened by the multiple assaults of climate change, as budgets are drained, competition for resources is enhanced, and populations suffer.”
>
> Stepping back from the generalities, it could be argued, fairly, that despite the fears of the present and the anxieties about the future, on its face there is little connection between what happened in Paris on the 13th and the suffering of millions around the world who’ve been affected already by rising temperatures, droughts and sea levels.
>
> To the extent that the killers here have been identified, most grew up in European cities far from the regions in Africa, South Asia, and the Middle East that have suffered catastrophic weather in recent years.
>
> But the Paris terrorists were linked to the so-called Islamic State and its affiliates in an incipient global jihadist insurgency <http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/11/19/isis-is-just-one-of-a-full-blown-global-jihadist-insurgency.html> that has managed to seize and hold lands, declaring “caliphates” in spaces that were largely emptied by recent extreme weather and human abuse of natural resources.
>
>
> Thousands Rally Around the Globe in Climate Protests
> Inform
>
> Globally, according to UN estimates, climate change is forcing about 20 million people a year out of their homes, and by 2050 that figure could be 150 million. As reported by the Brookings Institution <http://www.brookings.edu/research/papers/2014/10/displacement-climate-change-un> and others, such migrations, whether internal or across borders, create tensions that can turn violent, and in a truly vicious circle that violence can lead to further displacement.
>
> Consider the territories carved out and threatened by the infamous African terror organization Boko Haram <http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/10/16/u-s-troops-vs-boko-haram-s-child-soldiers-in-cameroon.html>. Its fanatics operated in the vicinity of Lake Chad, which has all but disappeared <http://www.unep.org/dewa/vitalwater/article116.html> over the last 50 years, shrinking from more than 22,000 square kilometers in the 1960s to fewer than 1,500 today.
>
> As climate patterns shifted, drought set in and attempts to compensate with irrigation drained the lake’s waters. Before anyone had ever heard of Boko Haram, a 2008 report by the UN Environment Program noted, “The changes in the lake have contributed to local lack of water, crop failures, livestock deaths, collapsed fisheries, soil salinity, and increasing poverty throughout the region.”
>
> The core slogan of the Islamic State, “Remain and Expand,” speaks powerfully to people forced off their land and struggling just to survive.
> As the traditional populations moved out, Boko Haram moved in, terrorizing those who stayed behind.
>
> But the most telling case in point is in Iraq and Syria, where the mother of the other “caliphates,” the so-called Islamic State first seized land, then cities, and has used its territory to train and equip a new generation of terrorists, including, precisely, the recruits from France and Belgium who carried out the attacks in Paris.
>
> That region, long known as “the Fertile Crescent,” was laid waste by drought—the worst ever measured—from 2007 to 2010. As Colin P. Kelley and his colleagues point out in a peer-reviewed paper published this year in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS) <http://www.pnas.org/content/112/11/3241.full>, man-made climate change is “implicated in the current Syrian conflict.”
>
> Get The Daily Beast In Your Inbox
>
> <http://www.thedailybeast.com/content/dailybeast/company/terms-of-use.html> <http://www.thedailybeast.com/content/dailybeast/company/privacy-policy.html>
> SUBSCRIBE
> Follow The Daily Beast
>
> The odds for such an extreme drought are “highly unlikely” without factoring in what scientists like to call “anthropogenic” effects that include long-term warming trends in the Eastern Mediterranean and declines in soil moisture, according to this paper.
>
> “The drought exacerbated existing water and agricultural insecurity and caused massive agricultural failures and livestock mortality,” write Kelley et al. “The most significant consequence was the migration of as many as 1.5 million people from rural farming areas to the peripheries of urban centers.”
>
> It is precisely from those populations, uprooted and uncared for, that the group now known as ISIS drew its local recruits and cannon fodder as it rebuilt its ranks and spread its control over territory in the last three years. The core slogan of the Islamic State, “Remain and Expand,” speaks powerfully to people forced off their land and struggling just to survive.
>
> Ironically, among the politicians in the West who deny the impact of climate change and at the same time refuse to accept refugees from war and “economic migrants” from these benighted, blighted lands, the answer to “Remain and Expand” is “stay there and die.”
>
> Whether the summit in Paris this week can turn that kind of thinking around is doubtful, notwithstanding all the good intentions proclaimed here. And partly because of that we can expect many more roses to be laid among the candles, and many more moments of silence to come.
>
> SHARE <>TWEET <https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=http%3A%2F%2Fthebea.st%2F1Rhg1ga&via=thedailybeast&related=&text=How%20ISIS%20and%20Boko%20Haram%20Profit%20From%20Climate%20Change&counturl=http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/11/30/how-jihadist-groups-like-boko-haram-and-isis-profit-from-global-warming.html>SUBMIT <http://www.reddit.com/submit?title=How%20ISIS%20and%20Boko%20Haram%20Profit%20From%20Climate%20Change&url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/11/30/how-jihadist-groups-like-boko-haram-and-isis-profit-from-global-warming.html%3Fvia%3Ddesktop%26source%3DReddit>SUBMITEMAIL <mailto:?subject=How%20ISIS%20and%20Boko%20Haram%20Profit%20From%20Climate%20Change&body=%0D%0Ahttp%3A%2F%2Fthebea.st%2F1Rhg3EY%0D%0A%0D%0AHow%20ISIS%20and%20Boko%20Haram%20Profit%20From%20Climate%20Change%0D%0A%0D%0AThe%20Paris%20climate%20summit%20is%20also%20about%20national%20security%2C%20with%20jihadist%20groups%20snatching%20up%20land%20largely%20emptied%20by%20extreme%20weather%20and%20declaring%20%E2%80%98caliphates.%E2%80%99>
> PROMOTED STORIES
>
> THE DOD IS TURNING THEIR BACKS ON SAUDI ARABIA
> MONEY MORNING
> <http://mmptrack.com/click.track?CID=315813&AFID=355744&ADID=1511626&IRIS=436237>
> THE DOD IS TURNING THEIR BACKS ON SAUDI ARABIA
> MONEY MORNING
>
> THE MOST POWERFUL ARMIES IN THE WORLD BY RANK RIGHT NOW
> SHOCKPEDIA
> <http://www.shockpedia.com/29-most-powerful-armies-in-the-world/?utm_source=Outbrain&utm_medium=CPC&utm_campaign=MobDesk_Shockpedia_30Army_US&utm_term=5385395>
> THE MOST POWERFUL ARMIES IN THE WORLD BY RANK RIGHT NOW
> SHOCKPEDIA
>
> THE BEAUTIFUL FIAT SPIDER MAKES ITS LONG-AWAITED RETURN
> USA TODAY
> <https://ad.doubleclick.net/ddm/clk/298352865;124474328;s?http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2015/11/18/fiat-124-spider-los-angeles-auto-show/75977324/?bid=9160635&sid=1771407&pid=124474328&adid=298352865&cid=%ecid!&buytype=LF&TR=1&channel=display>
> THE BEAUTIFUL FIAT SPIDER MAKES ITS LONG-AWAITED RETURN
> USA TODAY
>
> STOP LISTENING TO URBAN LEGEND: 10 OFFICE 365 MYTHS DEBUNKED
> MICROSOFT OFFICE
> <https://ad.atdmt.com/c/go;p=11087205025615;a=11087205025805;ev.a=1>
> STOP LISTENING TO URBAN LEGEND: 10 OFFICE 365 MYTHS DEBUNKED
> MICROSOFT OFFICE
>
> 20 COUNTRIES WITH SOME OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL WOMEN
> ENTERTAIN ME
> <http://cyber-breeze.com/20-countries-with-some-of-the-most-beautiful-women/?utm_source=Outbrain&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=Ob-Countries-US&utm_content=5385395>
> 20 COUNTRIES WITH SOME OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL WOMEN
> ENTERTAIN ME
>
> A WEALTHY GOVERNOR AND HIS FRIENDS ARE REMAKING ILLINOIS
> THE NEW YORK TIMES
> <http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/30/us/politics/illinois-campaign-money-bruce-rauner.html?WT.mc_id=2015-DECEMBER-OUTBRAIN_AUD_DEV-1201-1231&WT.mc_ev=click&ad-keywords=AUDDEVREMARK>
> A WEALTHY GOVERNOR AND HIS FRIENDS ARE REMAKING ILLINOIS
> THE NEW YORK TIMES
>
> BUSTED: CHECK OUT WHAT THIS DRONE CAUGHT!
> FULL THROTTLE LEGENDS
> <http://fullthrottlelegends.com/affordable-drones-are-here/?utm_source=OutB&utm_medium=Discov&utm_campaign=OutDroneNormal1102>
> BUSTED: CHECK OUT WHAT THIS DRONE CAUGHT!
> FULL THROTTLE LEGENDS
>
> 5 REASONS YOU SHOULD STAY LONGER IN BED. YOU MIGHT BE SURPRISED
> ABBOTT
> <https://ad.doubleclick.net/ddm/clk/297115370;122407865;f>
> 5 REASONS YOU SHOULD STAY LONGER IN BED. YOU MIGHT BE SURPRISED
> ABBOTT
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Recommended by <http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/11/30/how-jihadist-groups-like-boko-haram-and-isis-profit-from-global-warming.html#>
>
>
> Photo Illustration by Dair Massey/The Daily Beast
> <http://www.thedailybeast.com/contributors/goldie-taylor.html>
> Goldie Taylor  <http://www.thedailybeast.com/contributors/goldie-taylor.html> <https://twitter.com/intent/follow?original_referer=/contributors/goldie-taylor.html&region=follow_link&screen_name=goldietaylor&tw_p=followbutton&variant=2.0>
> <>
> <https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=http%3A%2F%2Fthebea.st%2F1l47Doi&via=thedailybeast&related=&text=Black%20Pastors%20Say%20They%E2%80%99re%20Praying%20to%20God%20About%20Donald%20Trump%20Support&counturl=http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/12/01/black-pastors-say-they-re-praying-to-god-about-donald-trump-support.html>
> <mailto:?subject=Black%20Pastors%20Say%20They%E2%80%99re%20Praying%20to%20God%20About%20Donald%20Trump%20Support&body=%0D%0Ahttp%3A%2F%2Fthebea.st%2F1l47DEG%0D%0A%0D%0ABlack%20Pastors%20Say%20They%E2%80%99re%20Praying%20to%20God%20About%20Donald%20Trump%20Support%0D%0A%0D%0AA%20diminished%20number%20of%20pastors%20emerged%20from%20Monday%E2%80%99s%20meeting%2C%20and%20fewer%20still%20were%20ready%20to%20endorse.%20Now%20the%20decision%20may%20be%20up%20to%20the%20Almighty.>
> <http://www.reddit.com/submit?title=Black%20Pastors%20Say%20They%E2%80%99re%20Praying%20to%20God%20About%20Donald%20Trump%20Support&url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/12/01/black-pastors-say-they-re-praying-to-god-about-donald-trump-support.html%3Fvia%3Ddesktop%26source%3DReddit>
> <http://digg.com/submit?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedailybeast.com%2Farticles%2F2015%2F12%2F01%2Fblack-pastors-say-they-re-praying-to-god-about-donald-trump-support.html%3Fvia%3Ddesktop%26social%3DDigg>
> <https://www.linkedin.com/cws/share?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedailybeast.com%2Farticles%2F2015%2F12%2F01%2Fblack-pastors-say-they-re-praying-to-god-about-donald-trump-support.html%3Fvia%3Ddesktop%26social%3DLinkedin>
> <http://www.reddit.com/submit?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedailybeast.com%2Farticles%2F2015%2F12%2F01%2Fblack-pastors-say-they-re-praying-to-god-about-donald-trump-support.html%3Fvia%3Ddesktop%26social%3DReddit>
> <https://www.stumbleupon.com/submit?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedailybeast.com%2Farticles%2F2015%2F12%2F01%2Fblack-pastors-say-they-re-praying-to-god-about-donald-trump-support.html%3Fvia%3Ddesktop%26social%3DStumbleUpon>
> <https://plus.google.com/share?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedailybeast.com%2Farticles%2F2015%2F12%2F01%2Fblack-pastors-say-they-re-praying-to-god-about-donald-trump-support.html%3Fvia%3Ddesktop%26social%3Dgoogleplus>
> NO ANOINTING11.30.1511:45 PM ET
> Black Pastors Say They’re Praying to God About Donald Trump Support
> A significantly diminished number of pastors emerged from Monday’s meeting with the candidate, and fewer still were ready to endorse. Now, it seems, the decision may be up to the Almighty.
> It was supposed to be a match made in heaven, but in the end Donald Trump was forced to forgo 12 pearly gates and streets paved with gold in favor of his luxury office tower in Midtown Manhattan.
>
> As The Daily Beast reported <http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/11/28/black-pastors-to-trump-our-meeting-is-not-an-endorsement.html> over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, the GOP frontrunner was set to meet Monday with dozens of high profile black pastors and hold a subsequent press conference to tout an unprecedented group endorsement. As the sun set Sunday night—and several prominent preachers backed out—many questioned <http://www.thedailybeast.com/cheats/2015/11/29/trump-cancels-black-pastor-presser.html> whether the event would even happen.
>
> Pressed by their congregations and by a not-so-holy war that broke out on social media, some of the invited ministers issued flat denials, saying they agreed only to discuss key issues with the candidate and that endorsements were never a part of the bargain. Two of the biggest names on the nightclub-esque promotional flier, Los Angeles-based Bishop Clarence McClendon and Brooklyn-based Bishop Hezekiah Walker, announced Sunday they would not attend. Both issued statements on social media.
>
> “The meeting was presented not as a meeting to endorse but as a meeting to engage in dialogue,” McClendon wrote <http://[https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=1022532124435533&id=121327294556025> on Facebook. Walker, who is also a chart-topping gospel music recording artist, was called an “Uncle Tom” and a “coon dancing with the devil” before he publicly declined <https://www.instagram.com/p/-rUp64L4CI/> the invitation on Instagram.
>
> Early Monday, Trump blamed the controversy on young black activists, saying in an appearance on MSNBC’s Morning Joe, “Probably some of the Black Lives Matter folks called them up and said, ‘Oh, you shouldn’t be meeting with Trump because he believes all lives matter.’”
>
> With expectations dampened, a small but resilient group of mostly black pastors stepped into a media scrum Monday afternoon to talk about the much publicized, now private meeting with Trump. There was no promised live-stream and no radio broadcast.
>
> Ultimately, according to Trump and several pastors who attended, more than 100 faith leaders <http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/11/28/black-pastors-to-trump-our-meeting-is-not-an-endorsement.html> made the trek to tony Fifth Avenue. Members of the media could not establish the size of the larger group independently, as it presumably had been spirited out of a side entrance. Curiously, there was no traffic jam of black town cars or taxicabs outside the building. It is possible, though not confirmed, that the 100 faith leaders “attended” via webcast.
>
> Some who were there in person said they were unsure about whether to support Trump and that they would “pray” about the matter before making a decision. It appeared they were still beseeching God for an answer Monday night, as no press release laden with marquee names had been issued.
>
> I instantly recognized a tall, round woman with dramatically long curly tresses standing in the center of the marble lobby, wrapped in a mink coat and sporting a Chanel medallion around her neck. Dr. Cindy Trimm, a first-generation immigrant from Bermuda, opened the ad hoc press conference. Her words were eloquent and filled with promise, as she waxed on about the importance of an engaged citizenry. The author and motivational speaker was flanked by several ministers—one of them white and least three who were already ardent Trump supporters.
>
> Can a handful of black pastors—many of whom have no known history of political involvement, let alone delivering votes on Election Day—offer him a desperately needed anointing?
> Beside her stood Bishop Darrell Scott, a black pastor from Ohio and co-convener of the spectacle, who was wearing a smartly cut suit and an easy smile. To his right was Omarosa Manigault—yes, the one-time reality television star best known for her bombastic appearances on NBC’s The Apprentice and Celebrity Apprentice—toting a Louis Vuitton handbag. Surprisingly serene and graceful, Manigault is an ordained minister now and says she “left everything behind” to attend seminary six years ago.
>
> While her presence was expected, given her proximity to the Trump brand <http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/09/16/trump-s-playing-politics-by-reality-show-rules.html> over the years, one had to wonder: What was it all for?
>
> The Republican brand is toxic in most quarters of the black community. That said, the media avail felt more like a gambit to change the optics rather than an earnest effort to bring new hope to distressed communities. Trump, who has been busy alienating black voters with his nationalistic, almost barbaric approach to the campaign trail, is clearly in need of a healing.
>
> But can a handful of black pastors—many of whom have no known history of political involvement, let alone delivering votes on Election Day—offer him a desperately needed anointing? Black evangelicals have long sold themselves to various right-wing candidates as the prophets some have been looking for. The numbers, however, are clear. Since the late 1960s, after the passage of the civil rights acts, Republican support from black voters has wallowed in the single digits.
>
> Trump says he can change that, and he’s hoping that Scott and others will help him “part the waters.” The truth is Trump will need touch the “hem” of somebody’s garment and learn to walk on water if he truly expects to lure a critical mass of African Americans into his campaign.
>
> Citing poll numbers that say he could garner as much as 25 percent of the black vote in a general election, Trump seems unmoved by the implausibility of it all. He may know his way around a golf course or a bankruptcy proceeding, but history, it seems, isn’t his strong suit.
>
> The meeting was “spirited, but respectful,” said a church staffer who did not wish to be identified told The Daily Beast. “If somebody came looking for a monster, they didn’t find him.” Even so, this was a parade with no roses.
>
> Bishop George Bloomer said it was like being invited to a concert, though he didn’t “hear” his “song.” For his part, Bloomer said he looks forward to meeting with other candidates from both sides of the aisle. Notably, it was Bloomer— a Brooklyn native and pastor of a 700-person strong congregation in Durham, N.C.—who pressed Trump to address his previous “racial slurs” during Monday’s two-hour closed-door session. When the pastors were asked by reporters to be more specific about their differences and to detail what was meant by “slurs,” they declined to answer.
>
> Responding to an open letter from 150 faith and academic leaders published Friday by Ebony <http://www.ebony.com/news-views/message-to-black-clergy-think-of-trumps-rhetoric-before-meeting-with-him-333#axzz3szQbGK33> challenging the group to rethink endorsing Trump, Bishop Scott directly questioned the ethics of the magazine’s management.
>
> “By siding with a presidential candidate whose rhetoric pathologizes Black people, what message are you sending to the world about the Black lives in and outside of your congregations?” the letter read. “Which Black lives do you claim to be liberating?”
>
> Like Bishop Bloomer, Dr. Trimm stopped short of issuing an endorsement. Trimm said she was not surprised by the backlash but that she embraced it. “Leadership emerges out of crisis,” she told The Daily Beast. “People simply want their voice to be heard.”
>
> “[Black people] want to be able to participate in the American Dream,” Trimm told me by phone earlier in the day. “This is less about whether they agreed with me but more about being heard. Our job is to build capacity within the citizenry and build cultures of empowerment within communities.”
>
> Embracing a roomful of black pastors and persuading a few to endorse him certainly aren’t enough to erase what has been—arguably—Trump’s history of racial animus and outright bigotry. And certainly, no single black pastor (or even 100 of them) will decide how African Americans will vote. But the first real test for Trump may come in South Carolina, where African Americans comprise more than 50 percent of Democratic primary voters. Ironically, the casino magnate seems to be betting the house that—with a hand from black prosperity gospel preachers—he can win them over.
>
> But at least some of the faith leaders present Monday were already sold on the idea that Trump knows how to create jobs. During the press conference, the billionaire businessman pointed to unemployment rates that exceed 50 percent among young black men as one area where he can deliver.
>
> Despite his claims, one could argue that Trump has been in a position to create jobs in predominantly African American communities and simply has not done so in any meaningful way. His office towers, residential units, and golf resorts are built almost exclusively in wealthy white enclaves.
>
> As I sat cross-legged holding a recorder in front of the bank of microphones Monday, I wondered why Trump’s decades-long career as a real estate developer has yielded almost no investments in the black community. A review of financial records revealed that few, if any, charitable contributions have been given to programs that directly benefit African American children. Then, too, according to the company website, there is not a single black executive or key senior leader at The Trump Organization.
>
> “Black guys counting my money! I hate it,” he famously told a colleague. “The only kind of people I want counting my money are little short guys that wear yarmulkes every day.”
>
> Long before he recklessly retweeted <http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/11/22/donald-trump-is-using-false-statistics-to-make-a-racist-point.html> false statistics that painted black people as criminally pathological, Trump was sued for housing discrimination. And there are reports <http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/09/07/the-death-and-life-of-atlantic-city> that black employees at an Atlantic City property were kept out of view whenever Trump visited.
>
> As I made my way up Fifth Avenue toward the subway, I wondered if the pastors weighing an endorsement would be praying about those things. I wondered if that is the kind of president they believe African Americans need most. I wondered, with admitted suspicion, who was actually doing the anointing. Were they—or was Trump?
>
> SHARE <>TWEET <https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=http%3A%2F%2Fthebea.st%2F1l47Doi&via=thedailybeast&related=&text=Black%20Pastors%20Say%20They%E2%80%99re%20Praying%20to%20God%20About%20Donald%20Trump%20Support&counturl=http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/12/01/black-pastors-say-they-re-praying-to-god-about-donald-trump-support.html>SUBMIT <http://www.reddit.com/submit?title=Black%20Pastors%20Say%20They%E2%80%99re%20Praying%20to%20God%20About%20Donald%20Trump%20Support&url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/12/01/black-pastors-say-they-re-praying-to-god-about-donald-trump-support.html%3Fvia%3Ddesktop%26source%3DReddit>SUBMITEMAIL <mailto:?subject=Black%20Pastors%20Say%20They%E2%80%99re%20Praying%20to%20God%20About%20Donald%20Trump%20Support&body=%0D%0Ahttp%3A%2F%2Fthebea.st%2F1l47DEG%0D%0A%0D%0ABlack%20Pastors%20Say%20They%E2%80%99re%20Praying%20to%20God%20About%20Donald%20Trump%20Support%0D%0A%0D%0AA%20diminished%20number%20of%20pastors%20emerged%20from%20Monday%E2%80%99s%20meeting%2C%20and%20fewer%20still%20were%20ready%20to%20endorse.%20Now%20the%20decision%20may%20be%20up%20to%20the%20Almighty.>
>
> Wavebreak Media LTD/Corbis
> <http://www.thedailybeast.com/contributors/chris-morris.html>
> Chris Morris  <http://www.thedailybeast.com/contributors/chris-morris.html>
> <>
> <https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=http%3A%2F%2Fthebea.st%2F1SlcqMA&via=thedailybeast&related=&text=A%20Norton%20Gift%20Guide%20to%20Santa%E2%80%99s%20Security%20Secrets&counturl=http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/11/30/a-norton-gift-guide-to-santa-s-security-secrets.html>
> <mailto:?subject=A%20Norton%20Gift%20Guide%20to%20Santa%E2%80%99s%20Security%20Secrets&body=%0D%0Ahttp%3A%2F%2Fthebea.st%2F1Slcr2T%0D%0A%0D%0AA%20Norton%20Gift%20Guide%20to%20Santa%E2%80%99s%20Security%20Secrets%0D%0A%0D%0ASanta%20knows%20security%E2%80%94he%E2%80%99s%20been%20keeping%20the%20Naughty%20and%20Nice%20Lists%20safe%20from%20prying%20eyes%20for%20hundreds%20of%20years.%20But%20in%20today%E2%80%99s%20digital%20world%2C%20even%20Santa%20has%20to%20take%20precaution.%20>
> <http://www.reddit.com/submit?title=A%20Norton%20Gift%20Guide%20to%20Santa%E2%80%99s%20Security%20Secrets&url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/11/30/a-norton-gift-guide-to-santa-s-security-secrets.html%3Fvia%3Ddesktop%26source%3DReddit>
> <http://digg.com/submit?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedailybeast.com%2Farticles%2F2015%2F11%2F30%2Fa-norton-gift-guide-to-santa-s-security-secrets.html%3Fvia%3Ddesktop%26social%3DDigg>
> <https://www.linkedin.com/cws/share?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedailybeast.com%2Farticles%2F2015%2F11%2F30%2Fa-norton-gift-guide-to-santa-s-security-secrets.html%3Fvia%3Ddesktop%26social%3DLinkedin>
> <http://www.reddit.com/submit?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedailybeast.com%2Farticles%2F2015%2F11%2F30%2Fa-norton-gift-guide-to-santa-s-security-secrets.html%3Fvia%3Ddesktop%26social%3DReddit>
> <https://www.stumbleupon.com/submit?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedailybeast.com%2Farticles%2F2015%2F11%2F30%2Fa-norton-gift-guide-to-santa-s-security-secrets.html%3Fvia%3Ddesktop%26social%3DStumbleUpon>
> <https://plus.google.com/share?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedailybeast.com%2Farticles%2F2015%2F11%2F30%2Fa-norton-gift-guide-to-santa-s-security-secrets.html%3Fvia%3Ddesktop%26social%3Dgoogleplus>SPONSORED CONTENT
> SANTA GOT HACKED <http://www.thedailybeast.com/sponsored/santa-got-hacked.html>11.30.1512:00 AM ET
> A Norton Gift Guide to Santa’s Security Secrets
> Santa knows security—he’s been keeping the Naughty and Nice Lists safe from prying eyes for hundreds of years. But in today’s digital world, even the Claus family has to watch out for hackers and other cyber threats. Here’s a list of all the secrets Santa uses to keep his data—and more—safe and secure during the holidays and all year-round.
>
> We all know Santa’s Naughty List is packed with names every year—but this holiday season, some of the year’s naughtiest have hacked into Santa’s lists using backdoors in the North Pole Internet. That’s right: even after dropping the dreaded Bah Hum-Bug onto Santa’s servers, these hackers are trying to ensure they still get the tech toys they want under the tree.
>
> Santa’s not only a jolly old guy, though; he’s also happy to admit his mistakes and learn from them. (What a holiday lesson!) That’s why this year, after the hacking scandal, Santa’s giving himself a few gifts to keep himself—and his data—secure from now on. Normally, Santa’s own wish list is top-secret, but our inside source, a pointy-eared fellow named Krankle, filled us in on a few key pieces of equipment—and we couldn’t resist sharing them with you.
>
> 1. Norton Security Premium, from $69.99
>
> The problem with Santa keeping his list in digital format? Hackers. These cyber criminals regularly try to break through Santa’s defenses to move themselves to the Nice List—and beef up their own gift list come holiday time. But with Norton Security Premium, Santa can protect the whole elf crew: Norton Security Premium covers 10 PCs/Macs, as well as smartphones and tablets. And it also includes a family safety feature, an automatic backup for critical files on a Windows PC, and 25 GB of secure cloud storage.
>
> Available at Norton <http://us.norton.com/products?lg=en&ct=US>
> 2. Carhartt insulated leather gloves, $33
>
> “Some of us have pricey items on our wish lists, and they're not the sort of thing Santa wants to leave lying around the workshop.”
> Between loading the sleigh, the risk of leather-burn from the reindeer’s harnesses, and the sub-freezing wind chill as he zips from place to place, Santa needs to protect his hands. These insulated leather gloves are stylish, warm, and most importantly, functional—and can handle the chilly conditions of Santa’s Christmas Eve rounds.
>
> Available at Carhatt <http://www.carhartt.com/products/Insulated-Leather-Driver-Glove-A552>
> 3. NestCam, $199
>
> We’re not saying that Santa doesn’t trust his elves, but in this day and age, a little extra precaution never hurts. With the NestCam (formerly known as DropCam), he can monitor all workshop activity with a 130-degree field of vision, while interacting with the workers on the floor through the two-way talk feature. He can even set up alerts based on time of day, letting him check to see that cocoa breaks aren’t going on for too long.
>
> Available at Amazon <http://www.amazon.com/Dropcam-Wireless-Monitoring-Security-Camera/dp/B00F9FCW7K/ref=as_at?tag=thedailybeast-autotag-20&linkCode=as2&>
> 4. Certified Security Steel Biometric Key Safe, $1,700
>
> Some of us have pricey items on our wish lists, and they’re not the sort of thing Santa wants to leave lying around the workshop. To ensure their security, he keeps them in this high-tech safe that uses a fingerprint scanner, so it can be hidden away from any prying eyes who don’t want to wait until Christmas morning for their new tech toys.
>
> Available at Amazon <http://www.amazon.com/Certified-Security-Fireproof-Biometric-HT54/dp/B00P14GQTY/ref=as_at?tag=thedailybeast-autotag-20&linkCode=as2&>
> 5. Whistle animal tracker, $100
>
> Fun fact: Reindeer tend to wander—and not all of them have an easy-to-spot red nose. Whistle’s GPS pet tracker may be designed for dogs, but it’s a handy tool for Santa to keep track of Blitzen and the rest of the bunch, too. The small system fits onto a pet’s collar and makes it easy to locate them when they go exploring. It can also alert up to four elves when the reindeer escape. And, since wearables are hot even in the North Pole, it acts as a fitness tracker of sorts, logging animal activity and rest.
>
> Available at Whistle <http://shop.whistle.com/>
> 6. Cellbusters Zone Protector, Prices vary
>
> Protecting the secrecy of presents is of paramount importance at the North Pole, so Santa goes all-out to make sure visitors to the workshop don’t take secret photos on their phones to sell to the tabloids. The Zone Protector detects cell phones and hidden transmission devices and can either alert you to their presence or monitor their activity.
>
> Available at Cellbusters <http://www.cellbusters.com/cell_phone_detector_zone_protector/>
> 7. Torch flashlight, $200
>
> Rudolph’s handy when flying a sleigh through heavy clouds, but Santa can’t bring him in the house when he’s delivering presents. And some living rooms are especially dark. The Torch is touted as the world’s brightest flashlight, shooting out some 4,100 lumens. Compare that to the roughly 1,600 lumens a 100-watt incandescent light bulb produces, and it’s a no-brainer for a quick look under the tree at midnight.
>
> Available at Wicked Lasers <http://www.wickedlasers.com/torch>
> 8. Spy Tec Mini Portable Real Time GPS Tracker, $130
>
> Santa’s sleigh: it’s the key to the whole operation, so the Big Guy has to keep it safe. Spy Tec’s GPS tracker attaches to the bottom of your vehicle via powerful magnets, and then constantly tracks the sleigh—sending texts and email alerts when the elves take it out for a “test drive.” It carries a $25 per month charge, but the peace of mind is worth it to the Kringle family.
>
> Available at Amazon <http://www.amazon.com/Spy-Tec-STI_GL300-Portable-Tracker/dp/B00JG8KCLO/ref=as_at?tag=thedailybeast-autotag-20&linkCode=as2&>
> 9. German Shepherd, Prices vary
>
> While we weren’t able to find out the name of Santa’s canine best friend, Rudolph II, we did learn he was a German Shepherd—which the American Kennel Club notes is one of the best guard dog breeds, calling the pup “very fond of children [and elves] once a relationship is established.” You can get one at a pet store or breeder, but Santa gives extra presents to people who adopt one from their local Humane Society.
>
> Available at an Animal Shelter near you <http://www.humanesociety.org/animal_community/resources/tips/find_local_animal_shelter.html>
> SHARE <>TWEET <https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=http%3A%2F%2Fthebea.st%2F1SlcqMA&via=thedailybeast&related=&text=A%20Norton%20Gift%20Guide%20to%20Santa%E2%80%99s%20Security%20Secrets&counturl=http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/11/30/a-norton-gift-guide-to-santa-s-security-secrets.html>SUBMIT <http://www.reddit.com/submit?title=A%20Norton%20Gift%20Guide%20to%20Santa%E2%80%99s%20Security%20Secrets&url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/11/30/a-norton-gift-guide-to-santa-s-security-secrets.html%3Fvia%3Ddesktop%26source%3DReddit>SUBMITEMAIL <mailto:?subject=A%20Norton%20Gift%20Guide%20to%20Santa%E2%80%99s%20Security%20Secrets&body=%0D%0Ahttp%3A%2F%2Fthebea.st%2F1Slcr2T%0D%0A%0D%0AA%20Norton%20Gift%20Guide%20to%20Santa%E2%80%99s%20Security%20Secrets%0D%0A%0D%0ASanta%20knows%20security%E2%80%94he%E2%80%99s%20been%20keeping%20the%20Naughty%20and%20Nice%20Lists%20safe%20from%20prying%20eyes%20for%20hundreds%20of%20years.%20But%20in%20today%E2%80%99s%20digital%20world%2C%20even%20Santa%20has%20to%20take%20precaution.%20>
>
> Getty / Handout
> <http://www.thedailybeast.com/contributors/tori-lux.html>
> Tori Lux  <http://www.thedailybeast.com/contributors/tori-lux.html>
> <>
> <https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=http%3A%2F%2Fthebea.st%2F1RfR8Br&via=thedailybeast&related=&text=Tori%20Lux%3A%20James%20Deen%20Assaulted%20Me%2C%20Too%20&counturl=http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/11/30/tori-lux-james-deen-assaulted-me-too.html>
> <mailto:?subject=Tori%20Lux:%20James%20Deen%20Assaulted%20Me,%20Too%20&body=%0D%0Ahttp%3A%2F%2Fthebea.st%2F1RfR6tm%0D%0A%0D%0ATori%20Lux%3A%20James%20Deen%20Assaulted%20Me%2C%20Too%20%0D%0A%0D%0AIn%20an%20essay%2C%20Tori%20Lux%20recalls%20how%20she%20was%20violently%20assaulted%20by%20fellow%20porn%20star%20James%20Deen%20during%20a%20shoot%3A%20%E2%80%98James%20Deen%20ruthlessly%20attacked%20and%20degraded%20me%E2%80%A6%E2%80%99>
> <http://www.reddit.com/submit?title=Tori%20Lux:%20James%20Deen%20Assaulted%20Me,%20Too%20&url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/11/30/tori-lux-james-deen-assaulted-me-too.html%3Fvia%3Ddesktop%26source%3DReddit>
> <http://digg.com/submit?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedailybeast.com%2Farticles%2F2015%2F11%2F30%2Ftori-lux-james-deen-assaulted-me-too.html%3Fvia%3Ddesktop%26social%3DDigg>
> <https://www.linkedin.com/cws/share?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedailybeast.com%2Farticles%2F2015%2F11%2F30%2Ftori-lux-james-deen-assaulted-me-too.html%3Fvia%3Ddesktop%26social%3DLinkedin>
> <http://www.reddit.com/submit?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedailybeast.com%2Farticles%2F2015%2F11%2F30%2Ftori-lux-james-deen-assaulted-me-too.html%3Fvia%3Ddesktop%26social%3DReddit>
> <https://www.stumbleupon.com/submit?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedailybeast.com%2Farticles%2F2015%2F11%2F30%2Ftori-lux-james-deen-assaulted-me-too.html%3Fvia%3Ddesktop%26social%3DStumbleUpon>
> <https://plus.google.com/share?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedailybeast.com%2Farticles%2F2015%2F11%2F30%2Ftori-lux-james-deen-assaulted-me-too.html%3Fvia%3Ddesktop%26social%3Dgoogleplus>
> A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE11.30.1512:00 AM ET
> Tori Lux: James Deen Assaulted Me, Too
> In an essay, Tori Lux recalls how she was violently assaulted by fellow porn star James Deen during a shoot: ‘James Deen ruthlessly attacked and degraded me…’
> On Saturday, the adult actress, writer, and model Stoya accused her former scene partner/boyfriend James Deen, who’s been labeled porn’s “boy next door,” of rape, first tweeting <https://twitter.com/stoya/status/670685987601825792>, “That thing where you log in to the internet for a second and see people idolizing the guy who raped you as a feminist. That thing sucks.” Then she added <https://twitter.com/stoya/status/670689154498449413>, “James Deen held me down and fucked me while I said no, stop, used my safeword. I just can’t nod and smile when people bring him up anymore.”
>
> Stoya’s allegation led other current and former adult industry performers to speak out against Deen, including industry veteran Joanna Angel <https://twitter.com/JoannaAngel/status/671029860999954433>, and the Twitter hashtag #SolidarityWithStoya trended worldwide.
>
> This is Tori Lux’s story.
>
> My name is Tori Lux, and I’m a former adult performer. In June of 2011, while shooting at a major porn studio, I was assaulted by James Deen.
>
> While James wasn’t performing with me that day, he was present on set—and almost immediately after I’d finished my scene he began to antagonize me. I hadn’t even had time to dress myself when he said, with a smirk on his face, “Tori Lux, would you like to sniff my testicles?” “Nope,” I replied in a neutral tone. “I’ll repeat myself: Tori Lux, would you like to sniff my testicles?” he asked, more aggressively this time. I replied with a firm “No,” in order to establish my boundary—which James then disregarded by grabbing me by the throat and shoving me down onto a mattress on the floor.
>
> He proceeded to straddle my chest, pinning down my arms with his knees. Then, he raised his hand high above his head, swinging it down and hitting me in the face and head with an open palm. He did this five or six times—hard—before finally getting off of me.
>
> Disoriented and nursing a sore jaw, I stood up—but before I could collect myself, he grabbed me by my hair and shoved me to my knees, forcing my face into his crotch several times before shoving me to the floor. I was completely stunned, having no idea how to react. I felt pressured to maintain a professional demeanor as this was a major porn set, with other people present and failing to intervene.
>
> A few people with whom I’ve shared this story over the years have asked me why I didn’t call the police as soon as it happened, or publicly speak up about it shortly thereafter. The reason for that is because people—including the police—tend to believe that sex workers have placed themselves in harm’s way, and therefore can’t be assaulted. Of course, this claim couldn’t be further from the truth, as being involved in sex work does not equate to being harmed. Despite porn being a legal form of sex work, and it occurring in a controlled environment such as a porn set, this blame-the-victim mentality is still inherent in much of society. In turn, sex workers are silenced and our negative experiences are swept under the rug as we try to protect ourselves from the judgment of others—or worse, a variety of problems ranging from further physical attacks to professional issues such as slander and/or blacklisting.
>
> Simply put: I was afraid.
>
> We are forced to smile and pretend we’re always in control and in love with our jobs, when in reality, there’s a multitude of experiences one can have on any given day of shooting—good, bad, and neutral—just like every other job. It’s not as black-and-white as people like to assume. My goal in writing this is not to paint the industry as a whole as oppressive or dangerous, but to shed some light on one fucked up personal experience of mine, in which James Deen ruthlessly attacked and degraded me, leaving me with mental wounds that took years to heal.
>
> I hope to encourage you, the reader, to open your mind to the bigger picture regarding stigma and safety within the sex industry. Being silenced is what keeps sex workers in danger, and the stigma is what keeps sex workers silent when they’re attacked. It’s a vicious cycle, and I hope we can work together toward humanizing one another and preventing instances like this from continuing to happen.
>
> SHARE <>TWEET <https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=http%3A%2F%2Fthebea.st%2F1RfR8Br&via=thedailybeast&related=&text=Tori%20Lux%3A%20James%20Deen%20Assaulted%20Me%2C%20Too%20&counturl=http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/11/30/tori-lux-james-deen-assaulted-me-too.html>SUBMIT <http://www.reddit.com/submit?title=Tori%20Lux:%20James%20Deen%20Assaulted%20Me,%20Too%20&url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/11/30/tori-lux-james-deen-assaulted-me-too.html%3Fvia%3Ddesktop%26source%3DReddit>SUBMITEMAIL <mailto:?subject=Tori%20Lux:%20James%20Deen%20Assaulted%20Me,%20Too%20&body=%0D%0Ahttp%3A%2F%2Fthebea.st%2F1RfR6tm%0D%0A%0D%0ATori%20Lux%3A%20James%20Deen%20Assaulted%20Me%2C%20Too%20%0D%0A%0D%0AIn%20an%20essay%2C%20Tori%20Lux%20recalls%20how%20she%20was%20violently%20assaulted%20by%20fellow%20porn%20star%20James%20Deen%20during%20a%20shoot%3A%20%E2%80%98James%20Deen%20ruthlessly%20attacked%20and%20degraded%20me%E2%80%A6%E2%80%99>
>
> Wyandotte County Detention Center
> <http://www.thedailybeast.com/contributors/kate-briquelet.html>
> Kate Briquelet  <http://www.thedailybeast.com/contributors/kate-briquelet.html> <https://twitter.com/intent/follow?original_referer=/contributors/kate-briquelet.html&region=follow_link&screen_name=kbriquelet&tw_p=followbutton&variant=2.0>
> <>
> <https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=http%3A%2F%2Fthebea.st%2F1Oz3Zfv&via=thedailybeast&related=&text=Cops%3A%20Kansas%20Man%20%E2%80%98Fed%20Son%20to%20Pigs%E2%80%99&counturl=http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/11/30/cops-kansas-man-fed-son-to-pigs.html>
> <mailto:?subject=Cops:%20Kansas%20Man%20%E2%80%98Fed%20Son%20to%20Pigs%E2%80%99&body=%0D%0Ahttp%3A%2F%2Fthebea.st%2F1Oz3ZfD%0D%0A%0D%0ACops%3A%20Kansas%20Man%20%E2%80%98Fed%20Son%20to%20Pigs%E2%80%99%0D%0A%0D%0AInvestigators%20arrested%20a%20Kansas%20man%20to%20investigate%20gruesome%20claims%20that%20he%20beat%20his%207-year-old%20to%20death%20and%20fed%20the%20child%E2%80%99s%20body%20to%20livestock.>
> <http://www.reddit.com/submit?title=Cops:%20Kansas%20Man%20%E2%80%98Fed%20Son%20to%20Pigs%E2%80%99&url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/11/30/cops-kansas-man-fed-son-to-pigs.html%3Fvia%3Ddesktop%26source%3DReddit>
> <http://digg.com/submit?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedailybeast.com%2Farticles%2F2015%2F11%2F30%2Fcops-kansas-man-fed-son-to-pigs.html%3Fvia%3Ddesktop%26social%3DDigg>
> <https://www.linkedin.com/cws/share?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedailybeast.com%2Farticles%2F2015%2F11%2F30%2Fcops-kansas-man-fed-son-to-pigs.html%3Fvia%3Ddesktop%26social%3DLinkedin>
> <http://www.reddit.com/submit?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedailybeast.com%2Farticles%2F2015%2F11%2F30%2Fcops-kansas-man-fed-son-to-pigs.html%3Fvia%3Ddesktop%26social%3DReddit>
> <https://www.stumbleupon.com/submit?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedailybeast.com%2Farticles%2F2015%2F11%2F30%2Fcops-kansas-man-fed-son-to-pigs.html%3Fvia%3Ddesktop%26social%3DStumbleUpon>
> <https://plus.google.com/share?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedailybeast.com%2Farticles%2F2015%2F11%2F30%2Fcops-kansas-man-fed-son-to-pigs.html%3Fvia%3Ddesktop%26social%3Dgoogleplus>
> WTF HUMANITY11.30.151:00 AM ET
> Cops: Kansas Man ‘Fed Son to Pigs’
> Investigators arrested a Kansas man to investigate gruesome claims that he beat his 7-year-old to death and fed the child’s body to livestock.
> A Kansas man is being held on $10 million bond as police investigate claims he beat his 7-year-old son to death and fed the boy’s body to the family’s pigs.
>
> Cops arrested Michael A. Jones, 44, last Wednesday after he allegedly fired a gun at his 29-year-old wife, Heather. Not long after, investigators learned the boy was missing and acted on a tip that his decomposed body was buried on the property, KCTV reported <http://www.kctv5.com/story/30617948/kck-man-charged-with-torturing-beating-his-missing-7-year-old-son>.
>
> On Thanksgiving Day, police found human remains in a barn at Jones’s Kansas City residence. The remains have yet to be identified, but a police source told KCTV that authorities fear the remains were fed to swine.
>
> Meanwhile, Heather Jones, who is the boy’s stepmother and whom police haven’t charged, appears to have confirmed the family’s worst fears in a series of public Facebook comments, telling one friend she identified the child’s skull.
>
> Michael Jones—a bail bondsman <https://www.facebook.com/mikejones.bailbonds> and fight promoter <https://www.facebook.com/PaperChasePromotions>— faces charges of aggravated battery, aggravated assault with a firearm, and child abuse. He is expected to appear in Wyandotte County court on Monday.
>
> Authorities accuse Jones of “torturing or cruelly beating” his 7-year-old son sometime between May 1 and Sept. 28, KCTV reported.
>
> A former babysitter described a hellish situation inside the bail bonds office to The Daily Beast.
>
> “[Heather] didn’t like any of Mike’s kids,” the insider said. “She always treated [the 7-year-old] differently and was mean to him. He would stand in the corner for hours at a time. He would tell me he’s hungry… and I’d sneak him food.”
>
> The former employee said she worked in the bail bonds office and as a babysitter. She described Michael Jones as a “good boss” who trained her well but whose business began to unravel because of his on-again, off-again relationship with his wife. “I never saw him lay a hand on his kids,” the worker said.
>
> “This little boy didn’t deserve to be missing and no one reporting it.”
> “This happened at Heather’s house, as well as his,” the caretaker added. “It don’t add up to me. This has taken a huge toll on all of our hearts.”
>
> “This little boy didn’t deserve to be missing and no one reporting it. Dying and not knowing unconditional love. That hurts. He was loved and he died thinking that he wasn’t,” the sitter told The Daily Beast.
>
> Former babysitters told KCTV that several people called child welfare officials over concerns about the Jones’ kids.
>
> They said eight kids, ages 1 to 11, lived at the rural four-bedroom home, which records show is valued at $257,000.
>
> On the outside, the Jones’ property was cluttered with junk and children’s toys, and the couple reportedly added livestock to their barn in September. <http://www.kctv5.com/story/30617948/kck-man-charged-with-torturing-beating-his-missing-7-year-old-son>
> Inside, their 4-bedroom, 2.5-bath home was a “filthy” house of horrors. “Their house was horrible,” one babysitter told KCTV. “Their house was just filthy. The kids lived in filth. Trash everywhere. Dried food all over the house.”
>
> Neighbors told KCTV that the stepmother was pregnant when the Joneses moved in two years ago. At the time, Heather Jones allegedly said she had seven kids and that she was home-schooling them.
>
> The residents said they never saw the children, KCTV reported <http://www.kctv5.com/story/30612851/police-searching-for-missing-7-year-old-find-human-remains#ixzz3svvyIRNV>.
>
> Jones did not return messages left by The Daily Beast.
>
> Her brother, Michael Williams, told 41 Action News <http://www.kshb.com/news/region-kansas/kck/man-charged-after-police-report-to-home-for-disturbance-find-human-remains> that Heather suffered years of abuse by her husband.
>
> “There are bullet holes in the walls of that house. So I’m sure you can understand what terror may have been going through that household daily,” Williams said.
>
> “She’s horrified, still terrified of losing her children,” he added. “She’s still in fear for her own life and the lives of her kids.”
>
> Still, some of Heather’s friends wasted no time in speaking out against her.
>
> “I want justice to be done for this child, and I don’t think she handled things the way she should have,” one longtime friend told The Daily Beast on condition of anonymity. “Them two have done nothing but fight all these years.”
>
> “The kids were around guns and all this shooting,” the family friend added. “She’s not in jail right now. We’re wondering why.”
>
> The acquaintance said last week’s alleged shooting incident wasn’t the first: Heather and Michael Jones had previously been jailed for firing at each other, and Heather Jones temporarily lost custody of the kids, the family friend said. (That claim could not yet be confirmed by The Daily Beast.)
>
> “They were a hot mess,” the friend fumed.
>
> On social media, friends and strangers bashed Heather Jones for failing to help the little boy, now believed to be dead.
>
> “When u think u know someone for many many years!!!!” one former pal commented on a Facebook post, adding, “I've tried to help her many of times to get out of that situation, but she refused every time!!!”
>
> The friend claimed the Joneses not only had a barn full of pigs, but recently brought home giant snakes. “Fingers are just pointing one direction, but they need to be pointing another direction,” the friend said.
>
> On another friend’s Facebook post, an account belonging to Heather Jones fired back.
>
> “Go ahead on and delete me from you Facebook my dear I had nothing to do with this,” Jones apparently wrote on Nov. 27, a day after the gruesome discovery. “If I did I would have been arrested.”
>
> “Mike shot at me 17 bullet holes in my house while holding my daughter just 2 days ago I’ve got broken bones and am lucky to be alive,” she wrote.
>
> In a series of comments, Jones allegedly said, “Not a single person claiming to be family knew where I lived or has been to my house mike moved us round and round to be sure no one got close.”
>
> “My baby is not alive and mike fed him to a pig and kept his skull fuck helping shit now I don’t have my kids!!!!!” she continued.
>
> “I had to identify my babies head I need not explain my fear of him and the fact that he does have a bond now,” Jones added.
>
> A review of Heather Jones’s Facebook profile shows a happy video posted with six of the children, as well pictures of her swimming pool and renovated bathroom. Nothing indicates the 7-year-old vanished <https://www.facebook.com/AlwyzHisPrtyBaby/videos/10153283544102283/>.
>
> Indeed, Jones appeared to show more concern over her missing dog this month than the welfare of the boy.
>
> “He has never not come home!” Jones posted on Facebook regarding the dog. “He explores the fields but is ALWAYS under my feet whenever I’m outside …. Something has happened and I don’t know where to start looking for him.”
>
> Over the summer, the stepmom posted images of costume jewelry and knockoff Michael Kors watches for sale, along with a video of a motivational speech made by Sylvester Stallone’s character in Rocky Balboa. <https://www.facebook.com/AlwyzHisPrtyBaby/posts/10153037869577283?comment_id=10153039415342283&comment_tracking=%7B%22tn%22%3A%22R0%22%7D>
> “Hopefully more people listen, pay attention, soak it in & make changes accordingly,” Jones wrote on July 2. “I didn’t came from NOTHING & had a childhood that most people have nightmares about...
>
> “Now I live in a $500,000 house, have nice vehicles and I don’t need or want for nothing but it takes HARD WORK, DEDICATION, DEVOTION, a whole lot more WORK some people kill me with their excuses!!”
>
> SHARE <>TWEET <https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=http%3A%2F%2Fthebea.st%2F1Oz3Zfv&via=thedailybeast&related=&text=Cops%3A%20Kansas%20Man%20%E2%80%98Fed%20Son%20to%20Pigs%E2%80%99&counturl=http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/11/30/cops-kansas-man-fed-son-to-pigs.html>SUBMIT <http://www.reddit.com/submit?title=Cops:%20Kansas%20Man%20%E2%80%98Fed%20Son%20to%20Pigs%E2%80%99&url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/11/30/cops-kansas-man-fed-son-to-pigs.html%3Fvia%3Ddesktop%26source%3DReddit>SUBMITEMAIL <mailto:?subject=Cops:%20Kansas%20Man%20%E2%80%98Fed%20Son%20to%20Pigs%E2%80%99&body=%0D%0Ahttp%3A%2F%2Fthebea.st%2F1Oz3ZfD%0D%0A%0D%0ACops%3A%20Kansas%20Man%20%E2%80%98Fed%20Son%20to%20Pigs%E2%80%99%0D%0A%0D%0AInvestigators%20arrested%20a%20Kansas%20man%20to%20investigate%20gruesome%20claims%20that%20he%20beat%20his%207-year-old%20to%20death%20and%20fed%20the%20child%E2%80%99s%20body%20to%20livestock.>
>
> READ THIS.list
> How ISIS Profits From Climate Change
> by Christopher Dickey
> <http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/11/30/how-jihadist-groups-like-boko-haram-and-isis-profit-from-global-warming.html>Black Pastors Praying To God About Trump
> by Goldie Taylor
> <http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/12/01/black-pastors-say-they-re-praying-to-god-about-donald-trump-support.html>Santa’s Secrets To Safe Holiday Tech
> from Santa Got Hacked
> <http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/11/30/a-norton-gift-guide-to-santa-s-security-secrets.html>Tori Lux: James Deen Assaulted Me, Too 
> by Tori Lux
> <http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/11/30/tori-lux-james-deen-assaulted-me-too.html>Kansas Man ‘Fed Son To Pigs’
> by Kate Briquelet
> <http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/11/30/cops-kansas-man-fed-son-to-pigs.html>
>
> ABOUT US <http://www.thedailybeast.com/company/about-us.html>
> CONTACT US <http://www.thedailybeast.com/company/contact-us.html>
> JOBS <http://iac.com/careers/job-listings>
> ADVERTISE <mailto:Bill.mcgarry@thedailybeast.com>
> HELP <http://www.thedailybeast.com/company/help.html>
> MOBILE SITE <http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/11/30/how-jihadist-groups-like-boko-haram-and-isis-profit-from-global-warming.html#>
> Privacy <http://www.thedailybeast.com/company/privacy-policy.html>
> Community Policy <http://www.thedailybeast.com/company/community-policy.html>
> Terms & Conditions <http://www.thedailybeast.com/company/terms-of-use.html>
> Copyright & Trademark <http://www.thedailybeast.com/company/copyright-trademark.html>
> © 2014 The Daily Beast Company LLC
>
> <>