Latest news with #Krampus
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Satanic Temple, ACLU file discrimination complaint over canceled Iowa Capitol event
Iowa satanists are accusing state officials of discrimination and retaliation after they were blocked from hosting a holiday celebration last year at the Iowa Capitol. The claim, filed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa, asserts that the Iowa Department of Administrative Services and Gov. Kim Reynolds' office violated the Iowa Civil Rights Act. The ACLU filed the claim Tuesday, June 10, with the Iowa Office of Civil Rights, a necessary prerequisite to a potential lawsuit. The filing centers on the 2024 holiday season, in which the temple sought to host a "Holiday Display Day" on Dec. 14 in the Capitol. Plans for the event included "family-friendly" activities: a procession and invocation, a Krampus costume contest, holiday caroling and crafts such as ornament decorating and coloring pages. The complaint notes that other religious groups have been allowed to offer similar events. The group applied for permission in October but says it was not until Dec. 9, days before the event, that the Department of Administrative Services denied it a permit, citing a policy against "actions that are harmful to minors including, but not limited to, obscene materials and gratuitous violence or gore." The temple says it was told that officials feared sticks, traditionally a part of the costume for Krampus — a half-goat, half-man mythical creature who accompanies St. Nicholas and punishes misbehaving youngsters — would be used to hit children. The temple denies its event would have included striking children, or any other violence, obscenity or gore. It says it tried to make changes to its plan to address concerns, but got no response. Since then the group, which is separately suing Reynolds' office in an open records dispute, says it has learned the governor's office was directly involved in the rejection of their event, ACLU Legal Director Rita Bettis Austen said in a media call Tuesday. "Based on responses to open record requests, which are not complete and the subject of separate litigation, we can actually see a pretty clear picture that IDAS and the governor's office staff were meeting during that time to come up with a justification for this predetermined denial, really regardless of what the actual content of the event were," she said. The complaint also notes past incidents of alleged discrimination against the Satanic Temple, including the high-profile vandalism of its display at the Capitol during the holidays in 2023 and the denial of a proposed multi-day reading of John Milton's "Paradise Lost" in 2024 under rules that allegedly have not been applied to other religious groups. Austen said the temple believes the 2024 holiday event denial is partly in retaliation for complaints over these prior incidents. Previously: Iowa Capitol satanic idol vandal sentenced to probation in plea deal that drops hate crime "Members of the Satanic Temple of Iowa have the same right to express their beliefs as all other religious groups do, and Iowa officials treated the Iowa congregation worse than other groups because they don't approve of their religion," she said. "It's wrong, its illegal under the Iowa Civil Rights Act." Mortimer Adramelech, a minister with the Iowa congregation, said in a statement that his church believes in principles including compassion, empathy and respect for others' freedoms. "It's frustrating because displays and celebrations like the one we would like to have at the Capitol help educate people more about The Satanic Temple members and the values we embrace," he said. "Instead, state officials have tried to silence us while promoting other more popular religions." While Tuesday's filing is a necessary legal prerequisite to a lawsuit, Austen declined to comment on their potential timing and strategy for future litigation. William Morris covers courts for the Des Moines Register. He can be contacted at wrmorris2@ or 715-573-8166. This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Satanic Temple, ACLU say Iowa officials violated Civil Rights Act
Yahoo
31-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Buc-ee's sues Winter Park shop over its beaver t-shirts
WINTER PARK, Fla. - It's beaver vs. beaver. Buc-ee's has filed a lawsuit against a Florida oddities shop over its Krampus-inspired Buc-ee's beaver t-shirt. In the 14-page lawsuit, Buc-ee's argues that Prometheus Esoterica, a self-described Gothic boutique in Winter Park that sells "morbid antiquities," like taxidermy and animal skeletons, used Buc-ee's' beaver logo on t-shirts and other items without permission – and in violation of its trademark. According to the lawsuit, Prometheus Esoterica promoted the sale of its t-shirt designs, including a "Krampus Buccee,' on its Instagram page, as well as similar stickers. Among the allegations against the Florida shop: Federal trademark infringement Federal unfair competition Common law trademark infringement Common law unjust enrichment Violation of Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act Lawyers for Buc-ee's are seeking damages for the alleged infringement, an injunction preventing the shop from making more merchandise featuring its logo, and to destroy all items featuring its logo, according to the lawsuit. They're asking for a jury trial. "Defendant's unauthorized use of the BUC-EE'S Marks is likely to cause confusion among consumers. Consumers are likely to perceive a connection or association as to the source, sponsorship, or affiliation of the parties' products and services, when in fact none exists," the lawsuit states. FOX 35 reached out to the Winter Park shop for comment on Friday. We have not received a response. Earlier this year, Texas-based Buc-ee's filed a lawsuit against Super Fuels, claiming that its logo – a cartoon smiling pup with a red cape standing in front of a blue circle – was too similar to its logo, a cartoon beaver in a red hat standing with a yellow circle behind it. The Source The lawsuit was filed on May 29, 2025, in United States District Court Middle District of Florida - Orlando Division.
Business Insider
20-05-2025
- Business Insider
'Flamethrower' robots are now officially a part of Ukraine's war
Ukraine's defense ministry has officially approved what it described as a flamethrower robot for its military units. The Krampus, a locally invented uncrewed ground vehicle, now joins more than 80 other supported ground drone designs that Kyiv's forces can use, the ministry said in a statement Monday. The ministry said the remotely piloted vehicle is equipped with RPV-16 rounds, which are rocket-propelled thermobaric rounds originally designed by Ukraine for infantry to fire from a portable launcher. Thermobaric rounds disperse a cloud of fuel into the air that is then ignited, creating a powerful blast. Built to "perform assault and defensive missions" against infantry and light armor, the Krampus is a tracked UGV that runs on two silent motors and can fit in the back of a pickup truck, the ministry added. The statement said its controls were jam-resistant and designed to withstand cold, heat, snow, and rain. It's also supposed to effectively cross off-road terrain such as thick forest, sand, swamps, and steep inclines. "The platform's battery capacity allows for several hours of continuous movement," the statement said. "Thanks to this, it can remain in position for extended periods in standby mode." The ministry didn't specify the drone's operational range or ammo capacity. Photos of the Krampus appear to show a tracked platform with a video camera that could fit four RPV-16 launchers. These launchers are typically single-use, so it's likely the Krampus can fire four times before having to be resupplied. Authorization by the defense ministry can be important for how widely a drone is used, since Ukrainian weapons manufacturing and innovation are dispersed across the country. As the war rages, various firms and military units work simultaneously on their own battlefield tech and often share them with one another. Official approval means Ukrainian forces can use their budgets to purchase the Krampus UGV. Their heavier frames offer more deployment options than a typical flying drone, such as carrying larger explosive payloads for attack missions, evacuating the wounded as a last resort, or clearing mines. "These drones allow us to replace infantry soldiers on the battlefield," Oleksandr Chernyavskiy, an enlisted soldier who helps with fundraising in the 241st Territorial Defense Brigade's drone prototyping team, told Business Insider of UGVs like the Krampus. His own brigade has created a similar tracked UGV with mounted belt-fed machine guns that he says runs on an operational range of 20 kilometers, or about 12 ½ miles. Typically, such assault UGVs fly in tandem with aerial drones that can help them scout for mines, traps, and targets, Chernyavskiy said. "It appeared to be quite effective in some kind of operations, like against well-equipped positions and traps," Chernyavskiy said of his brigade's weapons-mounted UGVs. "Usually, it's been used remotely without our infantry nearby." Ukraine has set a goal of fielding 15,000 UGVs on the battlefield by the end of the year.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Yahoo
Flamethrower robots are now officially a part of Ukraine's war
Ukraine has approved a new ground-based drone, which fires thermobaric rounds, for combat use. It's now one of 80 uncrewed ground vehicles codified by the military to fight in the war. The Krampus is a tracked UGV meant to carry multiple RPV-16 launchers on rough terrain. Ukraine's defense ministry has officially approved what it described as a flamethrower robot for its military units. The Krampus, a locally invented uncrewed ground vehicle, now joins more than 80 other supported ground drone designs that Kyiv's forces can use, the ministry said in a statement on Monday. The ministry said the remotely piloted vehicle is equipped with RPV-16 rounds, which are rocket-propelled thermobaric rounds originally designed by Ukraine to be fired from a portable launcher by infantry. Built to "perform assault and defensive missions" against infantry and light armor, the Krampus is a tracked UGV that runs on two silent motors and can fit in the back of a pickup truck, the ministry added. According to the statement, its controls are jam-resistant and designed to withstand cold, heat, snow, and rain. It's also supposed to effectively cross off-road terrain such as thick forest, sand, swamps, and steep inclines. "The platform's battery capacity allows for several hours of continuous movement. Thanks to this, it can remain in position for extended periods in standby mode," the statement said. The ministry didn't specify the drone's operational range or ammo capacity. Photos of the Krampus appear to show a tracked platform with a video camera that can fit four RPV-16 launchers. These launchers are typically single-use, so it's likely the Krampus can fire four times before having to be resupplied. Authorization by the defense ministry can be important for how widely a drone is used, since Ukrainian weapons manufacturing and innovation are dispersed across the country. As the war rages, various firms and military units work simultaneously on their own battlefield tech and often share them with each other. Official approval means Ukrainian forces can use their budgets to purchase the Krampus UGV. Their heavier frames offer more deployment options than a typical flying drone, such as carrying larger explosive payloads for attack missions, evacuating the wounded as a last resort, or clearing mines. "These drones allow us to replace infantry soldiers on the battlefield," Oleksandr Chernyavskiy, an enlisted soldier who helps with fundraising in the 241st Territorial Defense Brigade's drone prototyping team, told Business Insider of UGVs like the Krampus. His own brigade has created a similar tracked UGV with mounted belt-fed machine guns that he says runs on an operational range of 20 km. Typically, such assault UGVs fly in tandem with aerial drones that can help them scout for mines, traps, and targets, Chernayavskiy said. "It appeared to be quite effective in some kind of operations, like against well-equipped positions and traps," Chernayavskiy said of his brigade's weapons-mounted UGVs. "Usually, it's been used remotely without our infantry nearby." Ukraine has set a goal of fielding 15,000 UGVs on the battlefield by the end of the year. Read the original article on Business Insider
Business Insider
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Business Insider
Flamethrower robots are now officially a part of Ukraine's war
Ukraine's defense ministry has officially approved what it described as a flamethrower robot for its military units. The Krampus, a locally invented uncrewed ground vehicle, now joins more than 80 other supported ground drone designs that Kyiv's forces can use, the ministry said in a statement on Monday. The ministry said the remotely piloted vehicle is equipped with RPV-16 rounds, which are rocket-propelled thermobaric rounds originally designed by Ukraine to be fired from a portable launcher by infantry. Built to "perform assault and defensive missions" against infantry and light armor, the Krampus is a tracked UGV that runs on two silent motors and can fit in the back of a pickup truck, the ministry added. According to the statement, its controls are jam-resistant and designed to withstand cold, heat, snow, and rain. It's also supposed to effectively cross off-road terrain such as thick forest, sand, swamps, and steep inclines. "The platform's battery capacity allows for several hours of continuous movement. Thanks to this, it can remain in position for extended periods in standby mode," the statement said. The ministry didn't specify the drone's operational range or ammo capacity. Photos of the Krampus appear to show a tracked platform with a video camera that can fit four RPV-16 launchers. These launchers are typically single-use, so it's likely the Krampus can fire four times before having to be resupplied. Authorization by the defense ministry can be important for how widely a drone is used, since Ukrainian weapons manufacturing and innovation are dispersed across the country. As the war rages, various firms and military units work simultaneously on their own battlefield tech and often share them with each other. Official approval means Ukrainian forces can use their budgets to purchase the Krampus UGV. Their heavier frames offer more deployment options than a typical flying drone, such as carrying larger explosive payloads for attack missions, evacuating the wounded as a last resort, or clearing mines. "These drones allow us to replace infantry soldiers on the battlefield," Oleksandr Chernyavskiy, an enlisted soldier who helps with fundraising in the 241st Territorial Defense Brigade's drone prototyping team, told Business Insider of UGVs like the Krampus. His own brigade has created a similar tracked UGV with mounted belt-fed machine guns that he says runs on an operational range of 20 km. Typically, such assault UGVs fly in tandem with aerial drones that can help them scout for mines, traps, and targets, Chernayavskiy said. "It appeared to be quite effective in some kind of operations, like against well-equipped positions and traps," Chernayavskiy said of his brigade's weapons-mounted UGVs. "Usually, it's been used remotely without our infantry nearby." Ukraine has set a goal of fielding 15,000 UGVs on the battlefield by the end of the year.
