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Roger Friedman: ‘Crazy as a fruitbat’ Kirstie Alley wants to know who the whistleblower is

Woman’s Day says DWTS fans groaned at news Leah Remini will guest-judge? Really?

 
Leah has not only been a contestant on Dancing With The Stars (and we loved her Scientology-inspired interpretive dance), but she’s also guest hosted already.

Continue reading Woman’s Day says DWTS fans groaned at news Leah Remini will guest-judge? Really?

NXIVM: Keith Raniere’s prosecutor gets her reward, parachutes to private practice

[Moira Penza leaving court. Photo by Dianne Lipson]

Moira Penza, the lead government attorney on the team that convicted Nxivm leader Keith Raniere, has left the Department of Justice to re-enter private practice. She has joined the boutique law firm of Wilkinson Walsh + Eskovitz.

Continue reading NXIVM: Keith Raniere’s prosecutor gets her reward, parachutes to private practice

Lloyd Evans: Jehovah’s Witnesses still celebrating parents who let their children die

[Lloyd Evans]

One of the more surprising things we realized when we started looking into Jehovah’s Witnesses controversies is how recent the “blood rule” is. It was only 1945 that, under then-president Nathan Norr, the Watchtower adopted the idea that blood transfusions somehow violate Biblical references to Jewish dietary laws.

Continue reading Lloyd Evans: Jehovah’s Witnesses still celebrating parents who let their children die

VIDEO: Watchtower appeals to Supreme Court to keep JW child abuse under wraps


We joined Lloyd Evans, Mark O’Donnell, and Javier Ortiz on the latest episode of Watchtower In Focus. Here’s Lloyd’s description of the subject we discussed…

Continue reading VIDEO: Watchtower appeals to Supreme Court to keep JW child abuse under wraps

Leaving the NBA for Jehovah’s Witnesses and more, on the Cult Awareness Podcast

[Darren Collison]

Darren Collison ditched his NBA career right when he had a chance to cash in on free agency. Why? He says it’s because he wants to dedicate his life to his work as a Jehovah’s Witness.

Our ex-JW host, TV actor Jerry Minor, discusses that decision, as well as some key ideas about JW shunning in our new edition of the Cult Awareness Podcast.

You’ll also notice that with this second episode, we’re slipping into a regular format of about 40 minutes in length. Have a listen and then let us know what you think. We would also love to get your questions about the subjects we cover.

 

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Posted by Tony Ortega on July 17, 2019 at 21:00

E-mail tips and story ideas to tonyo94 AT gmail DOT com or follow us on Twitter. We post behind-the-scenes updates at our Facebook author page. After every new story we send out an alert to our e-mail list and our FB page.

Tony Ortega is a journalist who was formerly the editor of The Village Voice. He’s written about Scientology since 1995, and in May 2015 released a book about Scientology’s harassment of Paulette Cooper titled ‘The Unbreakable Miss Lovely,’ and more recently a compilation of his stories, ‘Battlefield Scientology.’ He continues to monitor breaking developments in the Scientology world, as well as other subjects such as Jehovah’s Witnesses. You can reach him by sending him a message at tonyo94 AT gmail.com (Drop him a line if you’d like to get an e-mail whenever a new story is posted.)

 

Nxivm judge isn’t in a mood to approve post-trial relief from convicted defendants

[Judge Garaufis and Nancy Salzman]

Judge Nicholas Garaufis has denied Nancy Salzman’s motion to have her ankle monitor removed and her curfew lifted as she awaits sentencing for her part in the Nxivm racketeering enterprise. According to the New York Post, the judge gave no explanation and simply wrote “Application Denied.”

Continue reading Nxivm judge isn’t in a mood to approve post-trial relief from convicted defendants

Nxivm judge decides not to release juror names to the media: Here’s why

[Judge Nicholas Garaufis, Nxivm leader Keith Raniere]

Citing concerns for their security, Judge Nicholas Garaufis has opted not to release the names of the jurors in the Nxivm trial. The New York Daily News had filed a request with the court that the names be released, and it was joined by other press organizations, including the New York Times.

Continue reading Nxivm judge decides not to release juror names to the media: Here’s why

Sentencing delay for some Nxivm defendants: What does it mean?

[Prosecutors roll in evidence during the Nxivm trial. Photo: Dianne Lipson]

On July 1, Judge Nicholas Garaufis adjourned the sentencing hearings for Nxivm defendants Nancy Salzman (July 10), Clare Bronfman (July 25), and Kathy Russell (July 31). He didn’t give any explanation, and didn’t set any new dates for the sentencings.

Continue reading Sentencing delay for some Nxivm defendants: What does it mean?

After the verdict, the Nxivm prosecutors — men and women — wept

 
Dianne Lipson, who kept us so well informed during the Nxivm trial, sent us these observations of the scene when the jury’s verdict was read Wednesday…

Continue reading After the verdict, the Nxivm prosecutors — men and women — wept