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Texas deputy faces murder charge linked to fatal shooting during shoplifting confrontation

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A Houston-area deputy accused of fatally shooting a man while confronting him after a shoplifting incident has been indicted by a grand jury for murder, officials announced Thursday.

Harris County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Garrett Hardin has been charged in the July 2022 death of Roderick Brooks, 47, who was Black.

Hardin’s attorney, Justin Keiter, as well as lawyers for Brooks’ family did not immediately return emails seeking comment. Keiter had previously told KTRK that Hardin’s actions were legal and he would be exonerated.

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Hardin, who was originally placed on administrative leave, will be relieved of duty, according to the sheriff’s office. (Fox News)

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Hardin confronted Brooks when he allegedly fled a north Houston Dollar Tree store after taking several items without paying for them, authorities said.

Body camera footage released by the sheriff’s office showed Hardin telling Brooks at a nearby gas station to stop and get on the ground or he would use a stun gun on Brooks. Hardin fired the stun gun and then knocked Brooks to the ground.

“Why are you tasing me?” Brooks asked Hardin before then telling him, “Please get off me man.”

On the video, Hardin could be seen pinning Brooks to the ground. Brooks tried to get up and then grabbed the stun gun, which had fallen to the ground.

“I’m gonna shoot you. Put that down,” Hardin could be heard saying on the video, which went black before Brooks was then seen with the stun gun in his right hand. Brooks then lost his grip on it.

It was not clear from the video if Brooks had the stun gun in his hand when he was fatally shot.

Hardin can then be heard on the video saying shots were fired and calling for medical help.

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If convicted of murder, Hardin could be sentenced to up to life in prison, according to the Harris County District Attorney’s Office, which presented the case before the grand jury.

“Now that an indictment has been handed down by the grand jury, the charges against Sgt. Hardin will proceed through the criminal court process like any other case,” the district attorney’s office said in a statement.

Hardin, who had been on administrative duty since the shooting, will be relieved of duty, the sheriff’s office said in a statement. An internal committee will review the case and recommend possible disciplinary action, the sheriff’s office said.

Brooks’ family in September 2022 filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against Hardin. The lawsuit remains pending.

Riley Gaines seems less welcome at Harvard than anti-Israel contingent: OutKick attended her event there

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CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — Female rights advocate and OutKick podcast host Riley Gaines has a simple message that she wants to deliver across the United States: Women’s sports are for women. The NCAA has a big problem on its hands, especially after allowing biological male Lia Thomas — who competed against Gaines — to dominate women’s swimming. On Thursday, Gaines came to Harvard University to deliver her message.

Before even coming to campus, Gaines faced constant hurdles throughout the process. Her presence is apparently so detestable that universities like Harvard — and their students — try to prevent her from even appearing in the first place. Free speech, amirite!? No wonder Harvard ranked last in a survey of 248 United States colleges and universities for free speech.

Initially, Gaines scheduled her event for mid-September. Out-of-nowhere, Harvard reached out and canceled the event. They said they had too many other events pop up. In addition, they didn’t have ANY open space for Gaines in either September or October.

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The only reason the event got rescheduled for October 26 is because Gaines’ operation manager, Sarah Clark, looked up the Harvard events calendar and found a date that they couldn’t deny. If she hadn’t done that, who knows if the University would have offered another date.

A student organization, Network of Enlightened Women, hosted the event. However, members from the organization did not want to speak on the record. They feared that Harvard might retaliate against them if they spoke to OutKick or any other media that might agree with the crazy idea that biological men don’t belong in women’s sports or in women’s locker rooms.

Anti-Israel Harvard students more welcome than those who support Riley Gaines and her Pro-Woman message

That’s in sharp contrast to the students I encountered on the Harvard campus. They had no problem using a megaphone and holding signs, asking for donations for Palestine. These students DO actually hold a crazy belief: that Hamas, a terrorist organization that perpetrated a horrific and deadly massacre on Israel, “treats the Israeli hostages really well.”

This is the point we’ve reached on the campuses of “elite” universities like Harvard. A woman who raced against — and was forced to share a locker room with — a biological male in the Women’s NCAA Championships (and doesn’t want other women to face the same treatment) is considered more “hateful” than students who express clear antisemitic sentiments and think a murderous terrorist organization was justified perpetrating the barbaric murders of 1400 Israelis, while taking more than 200 more as hostages.

Riley Gaines hearing

Riley Gaines at a hearing on Capitol Hill. (Fox News/YouTube Screenshot)

Not only that, but these students are now rallying behind Palestine — against Israel — because Israel had the audacity to defend itself against a terrorist attack.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

University makes life as difficult as possible for speakers with an opinion that differs from the left-wing narrative

Although Harvard ultimately allowed Gaines to hold her event — they are a private university and are not bound by the First Amendment. Despite that, Harvard’s President recently said she wouldn’t punish student Hamas sympathizers because the school is devoted to the ideals of free speech. Those ideals however seem to matter less for someone like Riley Gaines. For one, they denied any media access to the event. Nothing demonstrates Harvard’s commitment to free speech quite like barring the press.

Because of that, Riley Gaines scheduled a press conference at a hotel nearly two miles from the Harvard University campus. That conference ultimately got canceled, though, because the local media didn’t want to break from covering the terrible mass shooting in Maine.

Second, there were no posters up about the Gaines event anywhere on campus. For a campus that promotes everything from “Extractive Capitalism in the Middle East” lectures to “Cultural Injustice” forums to the Harvard and Princeton glee clubs teaming up for an event — and everything in between — oddly nothing about Riley Gaines.

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Gaines was told that posters WERE put up for her appearance. However, they disappeared. I saw no fewer than 10 community cork boards and not a single Riley Gaines image. Weird that those managed to disappear but the rally to “Recognize the Genocide in Palestine” poster remained untouched.

Harvard administrators warn students about Gaines and her “anti-trans” messages

Let’s be very clear: Riley Gaines is not “anti-trans.” She wants women’s sports to be fair. That makes her “pro-woman.” Framing her as “anti-trans” is a way to attack her as a person rather than countering her arguments. Of course, there are no good counter-arguments to the claim that biological men competing against women in athletics isn’t fair.

To that end, the assistant athletic director at Harvard, Erin West, sent a message to all student-athletes at the University. The statement called Gaines an “athlete-turned-anti-trans-activist.” Also in this email was information about supporting Muslim, Arab and Palestinian students. No mention about Jewish or Israeli students, however.

In addition, campus housing advisors sent out an email to all students living in dorms about a “Trans Party” that coincidentally would occur outside the building set to host Riley Gaines. Oh, and the timing of the trans party (6pm-8pm) happened to overlap Gaines’ appearance. Purely a coincidence, surely?

When Gaines reached campus, security escorted her into the auditorium through a back entrance. Unlikes the protestors, who desire to scream and yell at people with whom they disagree, Gaines’ mission is to spread her message to those who are open-minded and want to listen to it. Thus, she didn’t seek to engage the “trans party” or anyone in it.

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Gaines speaks to a crowd of over 100 people at Harvard University’s Boylston Hall

A student reporter noted that the crowd was “massive” for an event like this. Gaines packed the auditorium. Perhaps that’s a positive sign that more people on the Harvard campus support common sense and sanity than most realize. The problem is that these people are afraid to speak out for fear of retribution.

Another positive sign: the very first person who asked a question during the Q&A started by thanking Riley Gaines for coming to Harvard.

Riley Gaines speech

Riley Gaines gives a speech at Penn State. (Riley Gaines)

“There are very few truth-tellers willing to come to Harvard these days,” he said.

How sad is that?

Harvard’s motto is “veritas,” which means “truth.”

Yet, there are very few “truth-tellers” even willing to come to the Harvard campus for fear of being attacked.

Truly sad.

How major German firms like Mercedes and Lufthansa are using NFTs

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Reporters News Wire
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For the most part, nonfungible tokens (NFTs) have two primary use cases: Buying and selling digital products (digital art, virtual fashion items) and building digital communities (exclusive memberships, access to events). 

These use cases can be easily adopted by brands and companies, such as fashion brands selling digital clothes, various companies offering NFT-based club memberships and musicians holding exclusive concerts for their fans.

Traditional German companies are also jumping on the bandwagon, recognizing the potential of NFT technology to innovate and market their products and services.

Deutsche Post combines NFTs and AI

Deutsche Post, the German postal service, will release its first limited-edition collectible stamp on Nov. 2, 2023. A classic self-adhesive stamp will come with a digital image — an NFT representing ownership of the stamp.

The first stamp features a pixellated image of the Brandenburg Gate generated by artificial intelligence (AI). Upcoming stamps in the collection will feature other iconic German landmarks.

It remains to be seen whether the NFT stamp collection will be a commercial success. However, it is a significant step for Deutsche Post, which is looking to expand its reach into the digital world.

Lufthansa takes to the skies with NFT art

NFTs can also be used for various loyalty programs, offering customers a more rewarding and engaging experience while providing businesses with a new way to connect with their customers and build brand loyalty. 

An example of such a program is Lufthansa’s NFT loyalty program on the Polygon network. In collaboration with Lufthansa Innovation Hub and Miles & More, its frequent flyer program, Lufthansa has developed the Uptrip mobile application that allows passengers to turn their travel experiences into NFTs. These NFTs can then be redeemed for rewards such as mileage bonuses and business lounge vouchers.

According to Christopher Siegloch, head of program development and services at Miles & More, the app has already generated significant interest among Lufthansa customers. Since its launch, over 20,000 users have registered, and more than 200,000 collectible cards have been issued. Siegloch highlights that gamification elements play a crucial role in introducing participants to Web3 technologies like NFTs, and the app successfully translates the enthusiasm for collecting into the digital realm.

Furthermore, in the second half of 2023, the app will introduce a digital marketplace where users can trade and sell their NFTs, with special NFT reward offers planned for the future.

Adidas and Hugo Boss reimagine fashion

NFTs are also reaching out to fashion brands. For example, German apparel company Adidas continues to refine its Web3 strategy by actively using NFTs to find new ways to engage with its community of athletes, sneakerheads and sports enthusiasts. 

Recently, Adidas introduced a series of limited-edition NFT sneakers inspired by their iconic footwear designs. These digital sneakers can be showcased in virtual environments, allowing users to express their love for the brand in the metaverse.

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Adidas is also discovering new ways to use the full potential of NFT to encourage its community. The last example is The Adidas /// Studio, or Triple Stripes Studio, which launched a Web3-based digital artist-in-residency program to showcase and support budding creators in the NFT space. According to Adidas, the goal is to support and nurture creative talents in the digital realm, providing artists with an opportunity to showcase their work and collaborate with the sportswear giant. This collaboration extends beyond digital projects and may include physical products in the future.

Another German fashion brand, Hugo Boss, has also entered the NFT arena with a focus on fashion in the metaverse. The company collaborated with renowned digital fashion designers to create a series of exclusive NFT clothing items. These digital fashion pieces can be worn by avatars in virtual worlds, allowing users to dress in style even in the digital realm.

Mercedez-Benz digitalized its history

Mercedes-Benz boasts a rich history spanning more than 130 years, attracting a dedicated following of nostalgia enthusiasts and collectors. The brand’s iconic models, vintage cars and related artifacts, whether in their original form or as miniature models and toys, continue to hold appeal. In line with its strategic direction, the German automaker is venturing into the Web3 space through the launch of Mercedes-Benz NXT to enhance its engagement with the community.

In September, Mercedes-Benz launched its third NFT collection: The Era of Luxury. These collectibles created by Mercedes-Benz NXT Icons are digital reinterpretations of the most remarkable designs from seven design eras. The collection spans from the present day to the early history of automobiles.

All three NFT collections show how Mercedes-Benz actively explores opportunities to blend the digital realm with automotive design. This endeavor is spearheaded by the brand’s chief design officer, Gorden Wagener, who guides the Mercedes-Benz design team in creating digital collectibles. The primary objective is to reinterpret the brand’s most iconic designs, presenting them in the digital format of NFT cards. 

Ritter Sport, Haribo and Katjes create sweet NFTs

Ritter Sport, a German chocolate brand, also ventured into the NFT world by launching a limited series of digital chocolate bars as NFTs in August 2023. The NFT collection is called Art of the Square and consists of 256 digital pixel art pieces, each depicting a square Ritter Sport bar.

Not only Ritter Sport uses such creative marketing strategies to engage with a tech-savvy audience. Other German food brands have also released their NFT collections. For example, confectioner Katjes released its NFT collection of three unicorn babies named Dash, Willow and Sparkles in April 2023. 

This was Katjes’ second NFT campaign after releasing a limited-edition collection of 777 unicorn NFTs in May 2022. Both campaigns were a way for Katjes to reach a younger audience, as unicorn babies are a popular character among children and teenagers.

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Haribo, a German confectionery company famous for its gummy bears, has also entered the NFT world. In April 2023, the company filed for NFT trademarks in the United States, indicating its plans to expand its brand into the digital world. The trademarks cover a wide range of digital assets, including digital avatars, multimedia files with confectionery-related artwork, cartoons and other items authenticated by NFTs.

Adidas, Haribo, Lufthansa, Deutsche Post and other traditional German brands have joined the growing list of businesses venturing into the NFT space. This expansion marks a significant shift in the perception of NFTs, as they are no longer viewed solely as a niche investment opportunity. 

Instead, NFTs are increasingly being seen as a mainstream marketing tool and a way to experiment with new concepts that bridge the virtual and physical worlds and build new communities.