A classified document shared by Massachusetts Air Force National Guardsman Jack Teixeira with his gamer friends indicated that the Ukrainian military was contemplating the destruction of the Nord Stream pipeline three months before an explosion ruptured the natural gas line under the Baltic Sea on Sept. 26.
Although the document does not prove who sabotaged the pipeline, which carries natural gas from Russia to Germany, parts of what the document said outlined a Ukrainian plan similar to what authorities believe took place, according to The Washington Post.
The report is based on information shared by an individual in Ukraine and various European intelligence agencies. In June, the CIA shared the information with Germany and other European nations, the Post reported, citing sources it did not name.
The Post noted that the details in the report could not be verified and that Ukraine has officially denied blowing up the line.
The report said European intelligence agencies said a small team of plotters who developed a plan for an attack reported to Gen. Valery Zaluzhny, the top military officer in Ukraine. The report said President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was kept out of the loop to give him plausible deniability.
The plot and the attack have some commonalities, the report said. The attack was carried out by six people who rented a boat and planted the explosives. Because the pipeline was 240 feet below the sea, officials said the attack was carried out by experienced divers.
The report noted that the Ukrainian plan focused on the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, but in the actual sabotage, Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 were both damaged.
The Post report spurred new speculation on Twitter.
After further analysis, the narrative of Ukraine destroying the Nordstream pipeline may actually be a story planted by the CIA to divert blame from the Biden regime coordinating the entire attack.
If the CIA knew about the attack 3 months in advance, why didn’t they stop it?… https://t.co/0Xjzchyerg
— DC_Draino (@DC_Draino) June 6, 2023
Interesting timing for this WaPo story pinning the blame for Nordstream on Ukraine, the day of another massive sabotage. https://t.co/jTpdUiYaqr
— Arnaud Bertrand (@RnaudBertrand) June 6, 2023
Who can we trust on this? #Nordstream #Ukraine #Russia https://t.co/C6Kb6eNmbx
— kwilliam (@kwilliam111) June 6, 2023
The report shared by Teixeira, who was arrested for divulging classified information, said the Ukrainian plan was put on hold in June 2022 with no clear explanation for the reason.
The report also said that in that same month, multiple European governments were briefed on the possible Ukrainian plot to blow up the line.
The Post report said questions over Ukraine’s involvement have since been hushed in order to maintain a united European front as Ukraine fights off a Russian invasion.
A March report in The New York Times suggested the Nord Stream attack could have been linked to Ukraine.
[firefly_poll]
At that point, officials publicly said they suspected a pro-Ukraine group could have been involved, or enemies of Russian leader Vladimir Putin, also suggesting the explosion could have been part of an operation the Ukrainian government would not officially acknowledge.
At that time, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius stopped well short of blaming Ukraine, according to the Associated Press.
“We need to clearly differentiate whether it was a Ukrainian group that acted on the orders of Ukraine or ... without the government’s knowledge,” he said then, noting that some experts were suggesting the sabotage could have been a false flag operation trying to pin the blame on Ukraine.
As noted by the Post, at the time of the explosion, the Biden administration initially suggested Russia might be to blame, an accusation that has since faded away. The Defense Department has said the investigation into the sabotage is still underway.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
Bucking the trend of giving June the LGBT-inspired label of “Pride Month,” Princeton University professor Robert George is calling for it to be celebrated as "Fidelity Month."
George posted about the idea on his Facebook page in May and wrote about it on a new Fidelity Month website.
He said he was worried about the "precipitous decline in our fellow Americans’ belief in the importance of such values as patriotism, religion, family, and community — the values that used to unite Americans despite our many differences."
"There are a million things we can and should do to restore the faith of our people, and begin to heal the dreadful division in our county, but I would like you to join in one small one," the professor wrote.
George issued a call for officials and faith leaders to support Fidelity Month, “a month dedicated to the importance of fidelity to God, spouses and families, our country, and our communities.”
1/ If polls are to be believed, there has been a precipitous decline in Americans’ belief in the importance of patriotism, religion, marriage and family, and community—values that, broadly speaking, have throughout our history united Americans despite our many differences. pic.twitter.com/04pa8bOhzP
— Robert P. George🇻🇦🇺🇸🪕 (@McCormickProf) May 27, 2023
3/ I’d be grateful if you and any organizations which you're involved in, or in which have influence, to recognize and celebrate Fidelity Month. Put out a statement. Hold an event. Use our logo on your social media pages. Make and fly a Fidelity Month flag. Think of other things. pic.twitter.com/n5r7bcSdLm
— Robert P. George🇻🇦🇺🇸🪕 (@McCormickProf) May 27, 2023
5/ If you are a religious leader, please make sure your denomination, diocese, church, synagogue, mosque or other congregation recognizes--and does something for--Fidelity Month. Let people of all faiths join together for this observance, as we do, for example, for Thanksgiving.
— Robert P. George🇻🇦🇺🇸🪕 (@McCormickProf) May 27, 2023
The concept received the support of Tyler O’Neil, managing editor of The Daily Signal, in a commentary whose headline called the idea a “brilliant move.”
“I have often joked that June should be considered ‘humility’ month because in the Western Christian worldview, pride constitutes the great sin of rejection of God in favor of yourself, while humility represents a great virtue," O’Neil wrote.
"Humility entails surrendering yourself to God and reenacting in a small way the humbling of Jesus, who gave up the presence of the Father to take on human form and become a servant among us, even becoming obedient to the point of death,” he said.
“Yet humility carries a negative connotation," O'Neil said. "'Pride' has succeeded because the LGBTQ+ movement associates it with the message that human beings have inherent worth, and no matter your sexual orientation or gender identity, you can take ownership of yourself.
"The proper response isn’t just to negate what the LGBTQ+ movement promises, but to take the positive view of humanity and ground it in something more noble."
🔥🔥Major props to @McCormickProf Robert P. George on flipping "Pride Month" on its head. "Fidelity Month" is the perfect response—not just because it celebrates a virtue, rather than a cardinal sin, but because it drives us to a higher calling. https://t.co/FTJPz5Vucc
— Tyler O'Neil (@Tyler2ONeil) June 1, 2023
“Of course, the pinnacle of ‘Pride’ is the claim that God holds no authority over us—that we can choose our own lifestyles and even rewrite biology to tell the One who made us male and female that he placed transgender people in the wrong body,” O'Neil wrote.
[firefly_poll]
He said celebrating “pride” is “all about infidelity, breaking vows and duties to spouses, to children, and to God. Sexual liberation rests on the idea that marriage only lasts as long as feelings of love do, and family courts will decide who takes care of the children.”
On the other hand, O'Neil wrote, Fidelity Month “merely represents a response to the endless barrage of rainbow flags as June approaches.”
Happy Fidelity Month!
First observation of Fidelity Month: Pride is a Sin— G J Czar (@GJCzar1) June 5, 2023
“It offers representation for those who are tired of seeing a constant reminder that America’s institutions are in lockstep with the sexual revolution, for those who are tired of having their faith demonized as 'anti-LGBTQ+,' for those who truly do want to live and let live, but who see any dissent from rainbow orthodoxy quashed in the public square,” he said.
According to his website, George is the sixth McCormick Professor of Jurisprudence and director of the James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions at Princeton.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
For June, perhaps one should refer to it as “Six Drags over Texas.”
Six Flags over Texas announced Friday that on every Friday and Saturday in June, it will have drag shows as its way of marking the LGBT event known as “pride month.”
The attraction’s website said the show “is considered to be family-friendly and inclusive for all ages,” adding, “Anyone under 17 should consult with a parent or guardian if there is concern.”
Many voiced their objections on Twitter.
Six Flags Over Texas wants to groom your kids. There’s a Drag Show every weekend this month that’s “rated PG.” Boycott Six Flags and let them know you do not approve of this insanity! WTH!
Number: +1 (817) 576-6226 pic.twitter.com/CCwks7Ziri— Carlos Turcios (@Carlos__Turcios) June 3, 2023
Why do businesses continue to force sexual behaviors on others? Amusement parks are for family fun, not to try to educate my child on sexual preferences. We won’t be attending - ever again!
Goodbye Six Flags it was great knowing you. 👋 https://t.co/Q7qMEkCurN
— Dr. Pepper Texan (@DrPepperTexan) June 3, 2023
😤Six Flags is flying Pride Flags and exposing children to Drag Shows while park-goers are immersed in Rainbow Decor, etc…throughout the month of June‼️🤬
This is NOT okay & if you think it is… you’re a part of the problem 🙅🏻♀️🛑
‼️Leave Our Kids Alone‼️ pic.twitter.com/wI0pBPLzzl
— Elle Jacobs (@truedream416) June 3, 2023
The Texas park is not alone,
The Bay Area Six Flags location also features a drag show, promising on its website, this will be a “show unlike any other.” Six Flags St. Louis offered the “Dives of the Grove” as its drag act on Friday’s “pride” performance.
As noted by ABC, Texas lawmakers who have been trying to limit attendance by children at drag queen shows have passed a law to limit public performances of sexual conduct. The bill is expected to be signed by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott.
Republican state Sen. Bryan Hughes celebrated the victory in a May 29 Twitter post.
🚨 Great News: Our bill protecting children from sexually explicit drag shows (S.B. 12) is officially headed to the Governor’s desk.
These shows are indisputably inappropriate for minors, and we will not allow children to be sexualized nor preyed upon in Texas. #LetKidsBeKids…
— Senator Bryan Hughes (@SenBryanHughes) May 29, 2023
“Our bill protecting children from sexually explicit drag shows (S.B. 12) is officially headed to the Governor’s desk. These shows are indisputably inappropriate for minors, and we will not allow children to be sexualized nor preyed upon in Texas,” he wrote.
In speaking of an earlier version of the bill that more narrowly focused on drag shows, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said action was necessary, according to CBS.
"It is shocking to me that any parent would allow their young child to be sexualized by drag shows. Children, who cannot make decisions on their own, must be protected from these sexually-oriented drag shows now occurring more and more in front of them," he said in a news release.
Patrick said “someone must fight back against the radical Left's degradation of our society and values. I will not allow Texas children to be sexualized and scarred for life by harmful drag performances."
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed a bill that cracks down on the attendance of children at drag shows by giving the state the right to revoke the food and beverage licenses of establishments that let kids in to see drag shows, according to ABC.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
What's the first thing that comes to mind when you think of pop star Taylor Swift?
Writing music about all of her exes? Perhaps it's the iconic red scarf? Maybe it's the whole Ticketmaster fiasco that plagued her current Eras tour -- which has led some to pay almost the price of a new car to see the star.
Well, before all of that, there is something that she really should be known for but has seemingly skirted by with over the years. Not only does she have the "long list of ex-lovers," as she sings in the song "Blank Space," but she has a long history of aligning herself with the LGBT agenda.
And she showed this again Friday in Chicago.
As June is "pride month," Swift decided to stop her sold-out show and give a message to all of her fans regarding it.
happy pride month @taylorswift13 🫶🏻
i love you SO much! thank you always standing up for your lgbtqia fans and for being on the right side of history ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜#ChicagoTSTheErasTour pic.twitter.com/AckXJRF05m
— Marissa (SEEING TAYLOR TODAY) 🌃🌌🌠 (@bestwornapology) June 3, 2023
Swift began, "I'm looking out tonight, and I'm seeing so many incredible, just individuals who are living authentically and beautifully, and this is a safe space for you."
"And one of the things that makes me feel so prideful," the singer continued. "Being with you during 'pride month,' getting to sing the words to 'You Need to Calm Down.'
"Where there are lyrics like 'can't you just not step on his gown' or 'shade never made anybody less gay' and you guys are screaming those lyrics."
Swift is referring to this 2019 song:
At one point in the music video, transgender actor Laverne Cox -- a man who claims to be a woman -- walks out of a trailer to water a plastic flamingo, causing another man, smitten by Cox's presence, to faint ... and all while holding the transgender flag.
Yes, you read that correctly, and years before the current LGBT push.
Swift also included numerous drag queens in the video, impersonating celebrities such as Adele, Lady Gaga, and Beyonce.
Even this year, the singer's love interest for the music video "Lavender Haze" was played by transgender model Laith Ashley De La Cruz, a woman who claims to be a man.
Regarding the role, De La Cruz wrote, "Thank you for being an ally and for continuously using your platform for good. Representation matters."
Swift added during her Chicago stop, "I wish that every place was safe and beautiful for people in the LGBTQ community.
"I really wish that."
But oh no, Swift wasn't finished yet.
"Because you know we can't talk about 'pride month' without talking about pain -- there right now, and recently, in the recent years, there have been so many harmful pieces of legislation that have put people in the LGBTQ and queer community at risk.
"It's painful for everyone -- every ally, every loved one, every person in these communities," the singer added.
"That's why I'm always posting, 'This is when the midterms are.'"
And that's where Swift crosses a line the Christian parents of her fan base won't like. Christianity calls upon its followers to love their neighbors, but also to recognize the truths of the Bible.
When Swift moves from entertainment into politics, she endorses the left's current political obsessions, which are growing increasingly hostile to traditional Christian beliefs -- essentially pitting her fans from Christian households against the parents who raised them.
She has also publicly espoused the right of women to abort their children, under the guise of being able "to choose what happens to their bodies."
In 2020, the singer endorsed now-President Joe Biden. She told the fashion publication V Magazine, "The change we need most is to elect a president who recognizes that people of color deserve to feel safe and represented, that women deserve the right to choose what happens to their bodies, and that the LGBTQIA+ community deserves to be acknowledged and included."
Ah yes, Biden. The man who has the most pristine image, with a record that includes going toe to toe with Corn Pop, telling African-Americans "You ain't black" if they don't vote for him, and talking about how you can only go to a 7-Eleven if you have an Indian accent.
[firefly_poll]
Swift has clearly aligned herself with a leftist ideology and has done so for many years now.
As Swift sings, "I have this thing where I get older but just never wiser."
Yes, Taylor, you really do. But as consumers, we shouldn't make the same mistake. We should really continue to look at where we spend our money and make decisions that align with our beliefs.
Now, I'm just waiting for Swift's new boyfriend to be revealed as Dylan Mulvaney.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
First, Chase online banking customers saw double. Then, they saw red.
On Friday, the ugly downside to technology reared its head and, for reasons ascribed to a glitch, many customers had errors in their accounts, according to Fox Business.
Initial reports were that the major errors were double payments, duplicate transactions and fees created by the glitch.
Went to buy my @CampFlogGnaw tickets and my card declined. Turns out chase bank double charged my rent payment. What a way to start the day 🙂#chase #chasebank
— ya boi noah (@noah_allred) June 2, 2023
Not only was technology failing, efforts to connect to a human were rewarded with wait times that came close to an hour, Fox reported.
According to the U.K. Daily Mail, the website Downdetector indicated the Chicago, New York City, Los Angeles and Dallas regions had the worst of it.
"We’re sorry that some customers are seeing duplicate transactions and fees on their checking account. We’re working to automatically reverse any duplicates and adjust any related fees,” a Chase representative said.
Chase bank is the dumb establishment ever created
— august10♌️🥂 (@igobykiya) June 2, 2023
Transactions through Zelle, a peer-to-peer payment service operated by Chase, were also affected, according to Fox Business.
Chase said it had "resolved the underlying issue" late Friday.
The ban then began the process of giving out refunds or reversing transactions for the customers who were affected.
So, I wake up this morning and go to send my daughter some money from my bank account. I open my CHASE account and my account is in a negative. That should t be the case. So I call CHASE and they said not to worry their is a glitch in the system. Point being this happens to even
— SaitaRealty Blessed🔥🔥🔥 (@FREE_ME_718) June 2, 2023
Consumers are not liable for errors made in their accounts due to the Electronic Fund Transfer Act, according to Forbes.
In March, customers of Wells Fargo Bank suffered an unpleasant surprise when they found out that had incorrect balances — often due to direct deposits that were not recorded — and missing transactions.
Wells Fargo spokesman Josh Dunn said customers’ money was still there, even though it does not appear to be, according to the Charlotte Observer.
Wells Fargo alerted customers with a message greeting them as they logged in to check their accounts.
“If you see incorrect balances or missing transactions, this may be due to a technical issue and we apologize. Your accounts continue to be secure and we’re working quickly on a resolution,” the message said.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
A train carrying flammable hazardous materials derailed Wednesday afternoon in Lancaster, Minnesota, roughly 10 miles south of the U.S. border with Canada.
According WCCO-TV, a CBS affiliate in Minneapolis, it was the second train derailment involving hazardous materials in as many months.
The outlet reported that 24 cars from the Canadian Pacific train were derailed, but none of them had apparently leaked and there were no nearby waterways that might have been contaminated if a leak had occurred.
No one was injured in the accident, WCCO reported.
The Lancaster Fire Department responded to the accident, and later posted details about road closures and clean-up efforts to its Facebook page.
"At around [4:00] tonight, LFD responded to a train derailment along Highway 59," the department posted. "Approximately 27 cars have derailed, some of which were carrying flammable Liquid NOS. The Liquid NOS stayed confined within the cars. No injures have been reported, and we are all home safe for the evening.
"HIGHWAY 59 IS CLOSED from Lancaster to Highway 175, and will remain closed while the professionals get this cleaned up. Please follow detour routes and give these crews their space to work.
[firefly_poll]
"Special thanks to Lake Bronson and Hallock Fire for their assistance!" the post added.
Minnesotan politicians were quick to issue statements about the derailment, WCCO reported.
"Thank you to the local and state emergency management personnel who responded to the train derailment outside Lancaster," Sen. Amy Klobuchar said in a statement.
"While I'm relieved to hear that there were no injuries and there's no danger to residents at this time, families shouldn't have to worry that a possible derailment could put them and their community in harm's way. It's past time to put in place stronger rail safety standards and more accountability for violations. That's why I am a cosponsor of the bipartisan Railway Safety Act and I'm working with my colleagues to make sure it becomes law."
Gov. Tim Walz also weighed in Wednesday evening.
"State officials are working with local emergency managers after a train derailed near Lancaster," he wrote on Twitter. "Glad to hear that no injuries are reported and the site is contained. Experts are on the way to survey the site and make sure the community has everything they need."
State officials are working with local emergency managers after a train derailed near Lancaster. Glad to hear that no injuries are reported and the site is contained. Experts are on the way to survey the site and make sure the community has everything they need.
— Governor Tim Walz (@GovTimWalz) June 1, 2023
On March 30, 10 BNSF Railway cars carrying ethanol derailed in Raymond, Minnesota, about 325 miles south of Lancaster.
"The derailed tank cars contained 28,900 gallons of denatured ethanol, some of which was released and contributed to a fire," KMSP reported last month, citing the results of a preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board.
No injuries were reported in that incident, either, though roughly 800 residents were evacuated from their homes as a precautionary measure.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
CORRECTION, May 31, 2023: The Modelo brand is owned by the Belgian conglomerate Anheuser-Busch InBev. In the U.S., however, the beer is controlled by Constellation Brands under a 2013 antitrust settlement. An earlier version of this article inaccurately described the brand's corporate structure.
Bud Light may stand to lose its first-place position among beers amid a conservative boycott of the brand.
Data obtained by the New York Post shows that a Mexican lager may be zeroing in on its place as the most popular beer in the world.
Modelo Especial is nearing Bud Light's place in sales, according to data from the marketing research firms Bump Williams Consulting and NielsonIQ, the Post reported.
Like Bud Light, the Modelo brand is owned by the Belgian conglomerate Anheuser-Busch InBev.
However, New York-based Constellation Brands controls Modelo sales in the United States under a 2013 antitrust settlement.
Bud Light suffered a 25.7 percent drop in sales the week of May 20, the Post reported.
In contrast, Modelo Especial sales increased 9.2 percent.
JUST IN: Modelo is on pace to surpass Bud Light as the world's number 1 beer brand after Bud Light saw a 25.7% decrease in sales last week.
While Bud Light is down, Modelo saw an increase in sales by 9.2% for the week ending on May 20.
According to Bump Williams Consulting and… pic.twitter.com/LeS3LkliAF
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) May 30, 2023
“While Bud Light loses week after week, Modelo Especial gains week after week and now Modelo outsells Bud Light on a national basis across all trade channels combined," marketing consultant Bump Williams told the Post.
“If this continues Modelo will surpass Bud Light for the year."
Bud Light's misery began with a disastrous business partnership with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney.
The beer's sales have declined for six straight weeks after Mulvaney promoted himself in an image with a personalized Bud Light can.
The fall from grace has accelerated existing market struggles for the brand, which has struggled to compete in a market being changed by the growth of microbreweries and artisanal beers.
[firefly_poll]
The phenomenon has extended to other Anheuser-Busch beers, according to one analyst.
"There continues to be contagion to the wider [Anheuser-Busch] brand portfolio, with Budweiser, Busch and Michelob all weak again," analyst Simon Hales said of Bud Light's prospects in a statement provided to Yahoo Finance.
"The latest data shows little sign that consumers are moving on from the Bud Light controversy, and we expect these issues will continue to weigh on investor sentiment."
[ic_related]
Other competitors to Bud Light -- such as Yuengling, Pabst Blue Ribbon and Coors Light -- have seen their share of the beer market grow amid Bud Light's decline, according to the Post.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
Two months after his young daughter tragically became one of six people killed by the deranged Covenant School shooter, Tennessee pastor Chad Scruggs returned to the pulpit.
Scruggs is senior pastor at Nashville's Covenant Presbyterian Church, which runs Covenant Christian School -- a name that made worldwide headlines when former student Audrey Hale went on a shooting rampage there on March 27.
Three of the shooting victims were 9-year-old students at the school, including Scruggs' daughter Hallie, Evelyn Dieckhaus and William Kinney.
Staff members Mike Hill, Katherine Koonce and Cynthia Peak, also died in the gunfire.
Speaking to his congregation on Mother's Day, May 14, Scruggs said many have asked him how his family is doing, but it's nearly impossible to answer a question like that.
"The answer you'll typically get for us from us is, 'we don't know,'" Scruggs said.
"It's not a bad question, [we] just don't know how to answer it yet -- don't know how to judge what doing well is or doing not well.
"We're kind of searching for a new baseline in life right now,” he said.
The grieving father expressed gratitude to the congregation for their support during the past two months.
"First of all, we love you," he said at the start of the sermon.
"We loved you before March 27th and we love you more now because of how you've loved us, so ... we love you."
Scruggs said he has found a helpful resource in a book by C.S. Lewis, "A Grief Observed," which Lewis wrote after the death of his wife, Joy.
"Lewis talked about that loss like an amputation, which has been helpful for me for this reason," Scruggs said.
"'How are you doing?' Well, we're learning to live with a part of us missing -- like losing an arm, perhaps -- knowing that the phantom pain of that lost arm will always be there with us.
"Just know that, from our perspective now, it feels impossible to ever pretend the arm will regenerate or that it will ever feel whole this side of heaven.
"So I'd say we're learning to live with sadness and I would tell you that that's okay -- you can do that -- learning to live with sadness."
He compared their situation to that of Isaiah 40:38 -- "[T]hey who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint."
"At this point," he said, "[we're] not yet soaring on wings like eagles, not running without weariness, but that third category, somewhere, trying to walk without fainting."
He made reference to a remark someone made to him: "There really is something worse than being sad: It's being sad and being alone."
"And we were very grateful that we have never felt alone."
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
A New York lawyer is facing possible court sanctions for presenting fictitious case law in a court filing.
Veteran attorney Steven Schwartz included a series of case law citations in a brief for an injury suit against Avianca Airlines earlier this year, according to WLS-TV.
The fake case law originated from the artificial intelligence program ChatGPT.
The program generated a series of fake court decisions that ultimately were included in Schwartz's legal arguments.
Judge Kevin Castel of the Southern District of New York eventually realized neither the cases themselves or the internal citations were real, stating that they "appear to be bogus judicial decisions with bogus quotes and bogus internal citations."
"The court is presented with an unprecedented circumstance," the judge said of the situation in a May 4 court order.
The fake cases?
Varghese v. China South Airlines, Martinez v. Delta Airlines, Shaboon v. EgyptAir, Petersen v. Iran Air, Miller v. United Airlines and Estate of Durden v. KLM Royal Dutch Airlines.
Judge Castel proved unable to find legal documents associated with any of the case law, spurring skepticism over their existence.
Schwartz is facing a sanctions hearing on June 8 -- and he's taking responsibility for the legal goof.
The lawyer admitted he was a novice to ChatGPT in a subsequent affidavit -- explaining that he "was unaware of the possibility that its content could be false."
Schwartz "greatly regrets having utilized generative artificial intelligence to supplement the legal research performed herein and will never do so in the future without absolute verification of its authenticity," according to a pre-sanctions hearing filing.
A lawyer used ChatGPT to do "legal research" and cited a number of nonexistent cases in a filing, and is now in a lot of trouble with the judge 🤣 pic.twitter.com/AJSE7Ts7W7
— Daniel Feldman (@d_feldman) May 27, 2023
The lawyer's affidavit included screenshots of him asking ChatGPT whether the bogus cases were real -- a question to which the program responded in the affirmative.
The judge has ordered Schwartz to show cause why he shouldn't be punished "for the use of a false and fraudulent notarization" in the sanctions hearing.
The faulty use of the program could suggest that predictions of ChatGPT replacing human lawyers may be premature, according to The New York Times.
The program has been criticized for political bias, as well as an imperfect record in providing its users with accurate information.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett was so busy doing a radio interview at a local car dealership last week, he never noticed what wasn’t there any longer.
Until he went to look for his vehicle. The one with the Steelers playbook inside.
The 2023 Genesis SUV was taken from Bowser Chevrolet in Monroeville, Pennsylvania, at about 4 p.m. on Wednesday, according to WPXI-TV in Pittsburgh.
After police were called, they reviewed surveillance footage until they spotted a man who arrived at about 1 p.m. and left at about 3:30 p.m. in Pickett’s SUV.
The suspect left his own car on the lot, making it easy for police to look up the registration and compare a photo of the suspect with the face seen on the video.
This whole experience on Wednesday was surreal. I still can’t believe it happened. https://t.co/9PgYMcP31s
— Andrew Fillipponi (@ThePoniExpress) May 27, 2023
Christopher Carter, 60, was charged with theft by unlawful taking, receiving stolen property and unauthorized use of an automobile.
Gary Legler, who lives near the suspect, told WTAE-TV the dealership sent someone to recover Pickett's SUV -- and something very important with it.
Legler quoted the representative as saying to the police, "'Oh, the car was just sitting there, and he [the suspect] took it. And the owner has a book in the back, just personal information.' And come to find out, it's Kenny Pickett’s car. It’s the Steelers playbook on the backseat."
WPXI reported that the playbook was recovered.
PICKETT’S PLAYBOOK PURLOINED (and his SUV):
This man, Christopher Carter, is facing charges tonight after police say he stole Steelers QB Kenny Pickett’s car from Bowser Chevy in Monroeville.
The car and playbook have both been recovered.
More at 11 on @WPXI pic.twitter.com/AhEkLkeD48
— Rich Pierce (@RichPierceWPXI) May 27, 2023
Ashely Antonucci, who lives next to Carter, told WPXI the incident was “very, very bizarre.”
“I didn’t think that episode was going to turn into what it did,” she said, noting that she saw her neighbor in a vehicle she did not recognize.
“Definitely wasn’t acting like himself," she said.
"He’s a standup guy, wonderful neighbor. I bring him dinner."
Pickett, who played college ball for the University of Pittsburgh, was the No. 20 overall pick in the NFL draft, according to Fox News.
As a rookie, he passed for 2,404 yards and seven touchdowns, appearing in 13 games.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
