CBD-infused products are being sold everywhere in California — but are they legal?
By Laura Newberry
Los Angeles Times
November 4, 2018
Greg and Gary Avetisyan make no secret of it: They proudly sell all manner of products infused with CBD, from essential oils to bath bombs to fruity tea-like beverages that promise calming relief in a frantic world.
CBD, short for cannabidiol, is a molecule derived from cannabis. But unlike its chemical cousin THC, it won’t get you high. What it might do, according to some research, is alleviate anxiety, seizures, chronic pain and dozens of other ailments.
The Avetisyan brothers’ belief in the alleged benefits of the extract is so steadfast that they opened California’s first CBD-only store, Topikal, in Tarzana last year and opened a second along the Venice Beach boardwalk in April.
In the eyes of California, however, the Avetisyans’ products are being sold illegally, even though they are non-psychoactive.
The state’s Department of Public Health declared this summer that CBD-infused food, drink and dietary supplements cannot be sold by non-licensed retailers, further complicating an already confounding regulatory landscape. According to the California Bureau of Cannabis Control, CBD products made from marijuana may be sold at licensed cannabis dispensaries, but CBD pulled from pot’s non-intoxicating relative, hemp, is barred from being peddled at pot shops.
The prohibition comes at a time when CBD’s reputation as an alternative cure-all has captured the public’s imagination and spawned a half-billion-dollar industry. With weed-friendly California putting the brakes on CBD sales, however, the future of that exploding market has been cast into doubt. It has also raised questions over just how well officials can enforce the ban, and whether — as CBD supporters insist — the state is actually increasing the risk of consumers purchasing fraudulent or adulterated products.
California’s stance is part of a larger, quickly evolving universe of state and national regulations targeting cannabis. And CBD, in particular, is having a moment, albeit an embattled one.
In states where recreational and medical marijuana is legal, such as California, CBD derived from the cannabis plant is taxed and regulated, but can be sold only at dispensaries. But as far as the federal government is concerned, CBD pulled from industrial hemp is unregulated, untaxed and illegal.
The confusion is largely attributable to the fact that the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration considers CBD a Schedule 1 substance, along with drugs such as heroin and LSD. This classification makes it very difficult, although not impossible, for researchers to legally study CBD’s safety and efficacy as a medical treatment.
In the absence of scientific testing, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has launched a crackdown on CBD products that make unproven medical claims, such as curing cancer. “The promotion and use of these unapproved products may keep some patients from accessing appropriate, recognized therapies to treat serious and even fatal diseases,” FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb has said.
Colorado is choosing to ignore the federal government’s position and is allowing growers to extract CBD from hemp. California, on the other hand, has decided to follow the FDA’s lead — condemning the extract but doing very little in the way of keeping it out of the hands of consumers.
When asked why the state has gone this route, a spokesman from the California Department of Public Health said that state law requires the agency to adopt federal laws and regulations around food, drugs, cosmetics and medical devices.
Los Angeles cannabis attorney Hilary Bricken noted that this approach — to wait for the legality of hemp-derived CBD to shake out on the federal level — is easier and less expensive for the state. But this strategy also invites risk for consumers, she said.
“The only modicum of regulation here is prohibition — ‘buyer beware,’” Bricken said. “You really don’t know what you’re getting.”
As of late October, the state’s Bureau of Cannabis Control had not taken any action against businesses selling foods or supplements containing CBD.
Products infused with hemp-derived CBD are still being peddled throughout the Golden State. They’re sold in corner stores and health food markets such as Lassens and Erewhon and in coffee shops that sling $8 lattes fortified with CBD oil. Although some stores stopped hawking ingestible CBD products after the state released its guidelines, others, like Topikal, say they will keep selling CBD goods until they are stopped.
“We know that we’re doing good in the world. It’s not like we’re selling an actual drug,” said 24-year-old Gary Avetisyan, who also noted that his CBD oil is purchased by some parents who believe it can treat seizures. “Our lawyer told us not to worry about it.”
Local environmental health agencies are responsible for enforcing the state guidelines, but few counties are doing much in the way of actual enforcement. The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, for example, had yet to issue any CBD-related citations as of late October. San Diego County has found one facility in violation. On the more heavy-handed side is Orange County, recording 10 violations during routine inspections.
Retail stores like Topikal, which are not inspected by health agencies, are unlikely to be cited.
So if hemp-derived CBD is still readily available, why does the state’s posture on the stuff matter?
CBD advocates contend that the state is instituting a largely toothless decree when instead it should be exploring ways to regulate all products infused with the extract — not just those sold at dispensaries, and regardless of whether they come from marijuana or hemp.
“People are using it and people should continue to have access to it,” said Geoff Whaling, chairman of the National Hemp Assn. “But wouldn’t we all like to know what we’re taking is what is claimed on the label?”
Consumers who purchase a CBD product from a non-licensed retailer in California are, in a sense, blindly trusting that its purity and THC levels are sound. But research shows that’s often not the case. A 2017 University of Pennsylvania study found that up to 70% of CBD products sold online may actually be mislabeled. Out of 84 items surveyed, 18 had THC levels high enough to potentially cause impairment.
Greg and Gary Avetisyan of Topikal sell products they make themselves, such as CBD pain cream and emu oil salve (popular among those suffering from eczema and psoriasis, they say) as well as items from other companies. All of their products are tested by a third party to ensure they’re pesticide- and metal-free and contain less than 0.3% THC, the legal limit for hemp-derived CBD.
One of these products is Vybes, a tea-like juice drink infused with 15 milligrams of hemp-derived CBD. Its blush pink label, stylistically spare in a way that signals it’s being marketed to millennials, asserts that “Hemp CBD, a nutrient made by Mother Nature, can help heal your mind, body and spirit.” L.A.-based Vybes launched in January and in a matter of months was being sold at many of California’s natural foods stores.
The fledgling company took a big hit when the California Department of Public Health released its guidelines in July deeming hemp-derived CBD illegal, according to Vybes Chief Executive Jonathan Eppers. One of the product’s distributors, fearing that the state would shut down its operations, dropped Vybes drinks shortly thereafter.
“We lost 60 stores that were buying tens of thousands of dollars of product from us, literally overnight,” Eppers said.
Vybes is now focused on expanding in states that are friendlier toward CBD sales, such as Colorado. But even selling there is tricky. The city and county of Denver, for example, prohibit the sale of edible CBD products manufactured outside of Colorado.
Eppers said that despite these bureaucratic challenges, the company is still doing well and will not stop making the CBD drink. His lawyers contend that he is within his legal rights to do so. They point to Proposition 64, which not only legalized the recreational use of marijuana but also contained provisions authorizing the commercial production of industrial hemp in California.
They also cite the 2014 U.S. Farm Bill. In its current form, the bill allows industrial hemp to be grown for academic research and agricultural purpose only. Some states have chosen to interpret the law broadly and consider commercial activity as market research, opening the door for cultivators to begin stripping CBD from hemp.
Federal law may soon work in more explicit favor of hemp-derived CBD. This summer, U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) added language to the 2018 Farm Bill that would remove hemp as a controlled substance. Lawmakers failed to vote on the bill before the Sept. 30 deadline, but CBD advocates hope that it could still pass in the lame-duck session after the midterm elections.
Regardless of the law, CBD continues to develop a reputation as a remedy to dozens of ailments, even though just one purported use for the extract — to treat epilepsy — has scientific evidence supporting it.
The hemp-derived CBD market is expected to top $591 million this year, according to Brightfield Group, a market research firm, and could grow to $22 billion by 2022 if the Farm Bill passes.
The Avetisyan brothers are riding that wave, but say they would welcome regulation on any level — state or federal.
“Whenever you’re in a business of helping people and want to do it the right way,” said Greg Avetisyan, “the regulations won’t stop you.”
Tuesday, November 06, 2018
Monday, November 05, 2018
NO ENTIENDO INGLES PERO VOTO DEMOCRATA
Harris County and Houston are not facing a blue wave, they are facing a blue tsunami on Tuesday
Last week I was talking politics with a lady that I have known for many years. She has worked in the campaigns of several Republican candidates. I am absolutely confident that when she tells me something, she is being truthful. She is thoroughly disgusted with today’s politics.
This lady has a cleaning woman that cleans her home once a week. The woman is a Mexican who cannot speak or understand English but she’s going to vote Democrat.
Let’s assume the cleaning woman is a US citizen which is possible event though she does not speak or understand English. If she actually goes out and stands in a long line to vote, she will not have any idea who or what she will be voting for. She will vote straight Democratic because she has been told that Trump and the Republicans hate Mexicans.
According to the US Census Bureau, as of July 1, 2017, the population of Harris County, which includes Houston, was 43 percent Hispanic or Latino, 29.7 percent non-Hispanic white and 19.7 percent black.
Oh oh, 43Percent Hispanic. How many of those mostly Mexicans are here legally? That’s the big question. And of those that are US citizens, how many will actually bother to vote? Traditionally Hispanics have failed to vote in large numbers, but Tuesday may be different.
The Hispanic turnout for Tuesday’s election appears to be heavy. They are voting because they have been told by Democratic community organizers that Trump and the Republicans hate Mexicans. And when they vote, many of them will have no idea of who or what they are voting for. They are going to vote straight Democratic.
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out how Tuesday’s vote in Harris County is going to turnout. We know that Hispanics will vote Democratic. And we know that blacks will vote Democratic too. If only half of the nearly 63 percent of Harris County’s Hispanics and blacks vote, that will be a significant number.
In 2016, Harris County and Houston were swept under by a blue wave for Hillary Clinton and other Democrats. The only Republicans that survived were those running in Republican populated districts. Tuesday do not look for a blue wave, watch out for a blue tsunami.
Last week I was talking politics with a lady that I have known for many years. She has worked in the campaigns of several Republican candidates. I am absolutely confident that when she tells me something, she is being truthful. She is thoroughly disgusted with today’s politics.
This lady has a cleaning woman that cleans her home once a week. The woman is a Mexican who cannot speak or understand English but she’s going to vote Democrat.
Let’s assume the cleaning woman is a US citizen which is possible event though she does not speak or understand English. If she actually goes out and stands in a long line to vote, she will not have any idea who or what she will be voting for. She will vote straight Democratic because she has been told that Trump and the Republicans hate Mexicans.
According to the US Census Bureau, as of July 1, 2017, the population of Harris County, which includes Houston, was 43 percent Hispanic or Latino, 29.7 percent non-Hispanic white and 19.7 percent black.
Oh oh, 43Percent Hispanic. How many of those mostly Mexicans are here legally? That’s the big question. And of those that are US citizens, how many will actually bother to vote? Traditionally Hispanics have failed to vote in large numbers, but Tuesday may be different.
The Hispanic turnout for Tuesday’s election appears to be heavy. They are voting because they have been told by Democratic community organizers that Trump and the Republicans hate Mexicans. And when they vote, many of them will have no idea of who or what they are voting for. They are going to vote straight Democratic.
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out how Tuesday’s vote in Harris County is going to turnout. We know that Hispanics will vote Democratic. And we know that blacks will vote Democratic too. If only half of the nearly 63 percent of Harris County’s Hispanics and blacks vote, that will be a significant number.
In 2016, Harris County and Houston were swept under by a blue wave for Hillary Clinton and other Democrats. The only Republicans that survived were those running in Republican populated districts. Tuesday do not look for a blue wave, watch out for a blue tsunami.
TEXAS MOTHER AND BOYFRIEND BOTH FROM HELL
Mother, 21, 'kept her two-year-old daughter's body in her car for three days' after her boyfriend, 32, 'sexually assaulted the child, beat her with a belt until she was unconscious and then tried to use a hairdryer to warm her up'
By Mary Kekatos
Daily Mail
November 4, 2018
Court documents have revealed the chilling details of a two-year-old Texas girl that was allegedly sexually assaulted before being beaten to death.
Hazana Anderson, from College Station, was reportedly struck with a belt multiple times by her mother, 21-year-old Tiaundra Christon, and her mother's boyfriend, 32-year-old Kenny Hewett on October 19.
After realizing that she was unconscious, they tried to put in her in a cold bath to revive her.
When they recognized that she was dead, Christon proceeded to drive around with her daughter's body in her car for three days before dumping the body in a bayou and reporting her missing.
Christon told the Department of Public Safety in a statement that the three were staying at the Downtowner Inns and Suites hotel in Houston from October 17 to October 20.
According to the affidavit, viewed by DailyMail.com, Hewett took the toddler to get food on October 19.
When the two returned about 30 minutes later, Hazana was crying, which is when Hewett began beating her with a belt.
He allegedly ordered Christon to hit her daughter with the belt. When she wasn't 'hitting her hard enough', Hewett began beating her again, the affidavit says.
Christon said Hazana began going in and out of consciousness, so the couple put her in the bathtub in an attempt to revive her.
Allegedly, Christon said that she notice signs of sexual assault on the child when she was removing her clothes.
When the couple realized the child was dead and cold to the touch, they tried to use a hair dryer to raise her body temperature, but it ended up burning her skin.
Christon told police she kept the toddler's body, wrapped in a plastic bag, under the back passenger floorboard of her car for three days.
On October 23, she and Hewett tied a heavy rock to the body with rape and tossed it into a body of water.
Police recovered the body on Halloween near Moses Bayou and State Highway 146 in Galveston County, according to the affidavit.
However, on October 28, Christon had told police she has last seen her daughter at 8am at Gabbard Park in College Station.
She claimed she had gone back to her vehicle to get a bottle for Hazana and, when she returned, the girl was missing.
After authorities found Hazana's clothes in a dumpster the morning she went missing, Christon was arrested and charged with tampering with a corpse, child endangerment, and giving a false report to police.
She is currently in the Brazos County Jail with bail sent at $750,000.
On October 31, Hewett was arrested and charged with tampering with a corpse. he is being held in Galveston County Jail with bail set at $500,000.
By Mary Kekatos
Daily Mail
November 4, 2018
Court documents have revealed the chilling details of a two-year-old Texas girl that was allegedly sexually assaulted before being beaten to death.
Hazana Anderson, from College Station, was reportedly struck with a belt multiple times by her mother, 21-year-old Tiaundra Christon, and her mother's boyfriend, 32-year-old Kenny Hewett on October 19.
After realizing that she was unconscious, they tried to put in her in a cold bath to revive her.
When they recognized that she was dead, Christon proceeded to drive around with her daughter's body in her car for three days before dumping the body in a bayou and reporting her missing.
Christon told the Department of Public Safety in a statement that the three were staying at the Downtowner Inns and Suites hotel in Houston from October 17 to October 20.
According to the affidavit, viewed by DailyMail.com, Hewett took the toddler to get food on October 19.
When the two returned about 30 minutes later, Hazana was crying, which is when Hewett began beating her with a belt.
He allegedly ordered Christon to hit her daughter with the belt. When she wasn't 'hitting her hard enough', Hewett began beating her again, the affidavit says.
Christon said Hazana began going in and out of consciousness, so the couple put her in the bathtub in an attempt to revive her.
Allegedly, Christon said that she notice signs of sexual assault on the child when she was removing her clothes.
When the couple realized the child was dead and cold to the touch, they tried to use a hair dryer to raise her body temperature, but it ended up burning her skin.
Christon told police she kept the toddler's body, wrapped in a plastic bag, under the back passenger floorboard of her car for three days.
On October 23, she and Hewett tied a heavy rock to the body with rape and tossed it into a body of water.
Police recovered the body on Halloween near Moses Bayou and State Highway 146 in Galveston County, according to the affidavit.
However, on October 28, Christon had told police she has last seen her daughter at 8am at Gabbard Park in College Station.
She claimed she had gone back to her vehicle to get a bottle for Hazana and, when she returned, the girl was missing.
After authorities found Hazana's clothes in a dumpster the morning she went missing, Christon was arrested and charged with tampering with a corpse, child endangerment, and giving a false report to police.
She is currently in the Brazos County Jail with bail sent at $750,000.
On October 31, Hewett was arrested and charged with tampering with a corpse. he is being held in Galveston County Jail with bail set at $500,000.
WITH CELLPHONE CANERAS ALL AROUND BUSTING AN ANTAGONISTIC FEMALE CAN GET A COP INTO DEEP SHIT
Texas officer seen punching girl in video is indicted on charge of official oppression
By Tom Steele
The Dallas Morning News
October 24, 2018
A San Antonio police officer has been indicted on a charge of official oppression nearly a year and a half after a viral video showed him repeatedly punching a teenage girl.
A Bexar County grand jury indicted Officer Gary Shawlee Tuli Jr., 34, on the charge Tuesday, as well as a count of making a false report. He was booked into jail Wednesday and posted $1,600 bond a short time later, courtrecords show.
Officers were called to an event center in northeast San Antonio the night of May 20, 2017, to break up a brawl outside a quinceañera.
Police said that several people were fighting and that tensions rose after officers arrived.
In blurry, shaky footage shot by a bystander, an officer takes several swings at a girl wearing a purple dress before several other officers restrain her. The girl's mother can be heard screaming.
The girl, whose name was not released, was arrested on a charge of assaulting a public servant.
According to the indictment, Tuli knowingly made an unlawful arrest and made a false statement to another officer. He told police that the girl "took a bladed stance, balled her fist up and struck me in the face with a closed fist and called me a white [expletive]."
Police officials later determined that Tuli's use of force was justified and that he attempted to de-escalate the situation first, the San Antonio Express-News reported.
The girl was not injured in the incident. Her lawyers have denied that she punched Tuli, and attorney Karen Crosby told the Express-News that the charge against her "never went anywhere."
San Antonio police Chief William McManus said Tuli will be placed on administrative duty. The complaint of excessive force by the officer "was deemed to be inconclusive," McManus said.
According to the Express-News, Tuli has been suspended twice: in 2014 for making unwanted advances toward a woman while intoxicated at a hotel, and in 2017 for hitting a man in the face twice during a domestic violence investigation.
EDITOR’S NOTE: No quality is more indispensable to a policeman than a perfect command of temper; a quiet, determined manner has more effect than violent action. One of Sir Robert Peel’s principles of policing.
By Tom Steele
The Dallas Morning News
October 24, 2018
A San Antonio police officer has been indicted on a charge of official oppression nearly a year and a half after a viral video showed him repeatedly punching a teenage girl.
A Bexar County grand jury indicted Officer Gary Shawlee Tuli Jr., 34, on the charge Tuesday, as well as a count of making a false report. He was booked into jail Wednesday and posted $1,600 bond a short time later, courtrecords show.
Officers were called to an event center in northeast San Antonio the night of May 20, 2017, to break up a brawl outside a quinceañera.
Police said that several people were fighting and that tensions rose after officers arrived.
In blurry, shaky footage shot by a bystander, an officer takes several swings at a girl wearing a purple dress before several other officers restrain her. The girl's mother can be heard screaming.
The girl, whose name was not released, was arrested on a charge of assaulting a public servant.
According to the indictment, Tuli knowingly made an unlawful arrest and made a false statement to another officer. He told police that the girl "took a bladed stance, balled her fist up and struck me in the face with a closed fist and called me a white [expletive]."
Police officials later determined that Tuli's use of force was justified and that he attempted to de-escalate the situation first, the San Antonio Express-News reported.
The girl was not injured in the incident. Her lawyers have denied that she punched Tuli, and attorney Karen Crosby told the Express-News that the charge against her "never went anywhere."
San Antonio police Chief William McManus said Tuli will be placed on administrative duty. The complaint of excessive force by the officer "was deemed to be inconclusive," McManus said.
According to the Express-News, Tuli has been suspended twice: in 2014 for making unwanted advances toward a woman while intoxicated at a hotel, and in 2017 for hitting a man in the face twice during a domestic violence investigation.
EDITOR’S NOTE: No quality is more indispensable to a policeman than a perfect command of temper; a quiet, determined manner has more effect than violent action. One of Sir Robert Peel’s principles of policing.
THE JEWISH LEFT HAS USED THE PITTSBURGH DEAD TO ATTACK THE PRESIDENT
The Jewish left botched its response to the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting
By Jonathan Neumann
New York Post
November 3, 2018
The aftermath of Pittsburgh has been a disgrace.
In ordinary times it would have been unseemly to comment on the atrocity at the Tree of Life Synagogue so soon after it unfolded. It was the most deadly anti-Semitic attack this country has ever seen. It should have given us pause and brought us together.
But these are not ordinary times. Donald Trump is president.
Before the bodies of the dead had gone cold, let alone been buried and mourned, the Jewish left sacrificed an opportunity to cry in unity and chose instead to call for division.
Bend the Arc, reputedly the largest Jewish social-justice organization in the nation, published a letter blaming the president for the attack. Other groups, such as The Jewish Vote and If Not Now, also saw the attack as a chance to castigate the president.
Apparently these liberal groups need reminding that the shooting at a Jewish community center in Kansas occurred during the Obama administration.
Instead of trying to score political points, would not a more appropriate response have been to urge calm upon the hyper-partisanship that has seen both sides court incivility?
Yet more egregious, however, was the excoriation by Jewish liberals of their fellow Jews who support President Trump. Another three Jewish social justice groups — Torah Trumps Hate, Hitoreri and Uri L’Tzedek — penned an open letter to the National Council of Young Israel (NCYI), blasting the Orthodox synagogue umbrella group for its statement condemning the attack.
NCYI’s sin?
Concluding its heartfelt statement by expressing appreciation for “the strong words of support from President Trump and the administration in urging everyone to work together to combat anti-Semitism.”
Meanwhile, Franklin Foer, the former editor of The New Republic, wrote: “Any strategy for enhancing the security of American Jewry should involve shunning Trump’s Jewish enablers. Their money should be refused, their presence in synagogues not welcome. They have placed their community in danger.”
This brazen attempt to blame Jewish backers of the president for the attack and excommunicate them from their community is scandalous. It is also a dog whistle for animosity toward more traditionalist Jews, who constitute one of the most pro-Trump demographics in the country (indeed several serve as high-ranking officials in the administration).
Such sentiments reveal what underlies the entire liberal Jewish response to Pittsburgh: For them, Judaism is synonymous with liberalism. Donald Trump is cast as an enemy of the Jews not because he has shown any hostility to the Jewish people or the Jewish State (quite the contrary) but because he is an enemy of liberalism. The same goes for his “Jewish enablers,” who have allegedly betrayed their community by backing him.
As it happens, Trump has done more than any other president to prevent attacks on Jews, including by cutting funds to the Palestinian Authority. This courageous decision thwarts its pay-to-slay policy of issuing financial reward to terrorist murderers of Jews. But no matter. The Jewish social-justice chorale serves at the altar of liberalism and Trump is their Antichrist (just as, lest we forget, George W. Bush was before him).
Degrading Judaism to advance their petty politics, as the Jewish social justice movement has always done, is insulting enough. Using Pittsburgh’s dead to do so is altogether grotesque.
But if these critics really want to talk about betrayal of the Jewish people, consider who supported the nuclear deal with Iran, which enriched the world’s most heinous terror state and which legitimized the pursuit of the bomb by an Islamo-fascist regime bent on annihilating over 6 million Jews.
And consider who for decades paid lip service to the justice of recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of the Jewish State and moving the American embassy but then, when it actually happened, opposed it or gave it only half-hearted support — solely because it was implemented by a president whom they detest.
Following the shooting, a number of American Jewish newspaper editors came together and authored a joint editorial sounding the alarm on rising anti-Semitism in the US, and declaring #WeAreAllJews. This is a fitting retort to those who have tried to claim that some of their co-religionists are not.
Such expressions of solidarity within the Jewish community are welcome and must be encouraged. That, and not partisanship, is what will make the memory of those who lost their lives in Pittsburgh a blessing.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Fuck the Jewish left! I’m beginning to believe their religion is liberalism, not Judaism.
By Jonathan Neumann
New York Post
November 3, 2018
The aftermath of Pittsburgh has been a disgrace.
In ordinary times it would have been unseemly to comment on the atrocity at the Tree of Life Synagogue so soon after it unfolded. It was the most deadly anti-Semitic attack this country has ever seen. It should have given us pause and brought us together.
But these are not ordinary times. Donald Trump is president.
Before the bodies of the dead had gone cold, let alone been buried and mourned, the Jewish left sacrificed an opportunity to cry in unity and chose instead to call for division.
Bend the Arc, reputedly the largest Jewish social-justice organization in the nation, published a letter blaming the president for the attack. Other groups, such as The Jewish Vote and If Not Now, also saw the attack as a chance to castigate the president.
Apparently these liberal groups need reminding that the shooting at a Jewish community center in Kansas occurred during the Obama administration.
Instead of trying to score political points, would not a more appropriate response have been to urge calm upon the hyper-partisanship that has seen both sides court incivility?
Yet more egregious, however, was the excoriation by Jewish liberals of their fellow Jews who support President Trump. Another three Jewish social justice groups — Torah Trumps Hate, Hitoreri and Uri L’Tzedek — penned an open letter to the National Council of Young Israel (NCYI), blasting the Orthodox synagogue umbrella group for its statement condemning the attack.
NCYI’s sin?
Concluding its heartfelt statement by expressing appreciation for “the strong words of support from President Trump and the administration in urging everyone to work together to combat anti-Semitism.”
Meanwhile, Franklin Foer, the former editor of The New Republic, wrote: “Any strategy for enhancing the security of American Jewry should involve shunning Trump’s Jewish enablers. Their money should be refused, their presence in synagogues not welcome. They have placed their community in danger.”
This brazen attempt to blame Jewish backers of the president for the attack and excommunicate them from their community is scandalous. It is also a dog whistle for animosity toward more traditionalist Jews, who constitute one of the most pro-Trump demographics in the country (indeed several serve as high-ranking officials in the administration).
Such sentiments reveal what underlies the entire liberal Jewish response to Pittsburgh: For them, Judaism is synonymous with liberalism. Donald Trump is cast as an enemy of the Jews not because he has shown any hostility to the Jewish people or the Jewish State (quite the contrary) but because he is an enemy of liberalism. The same goes for his “Jewish enablers,” who have allegedly betrayed their community by backing him.
As it happens, Trump has done more than any other president to prevent attacks on Jews, including by cutting funds to the Palestinian Authority. This courageous decision thwarts its pay-to-slay policy of issuing financial reward to terrorist murderers of Jews. But no matter. The Jewish social-justice chorale serves at the altar of liberalism and Trump is their Antichrist (just as, lest we forget, George W. Bush was before him).
Degrading Judaism to advance their petty politics, as the Jewish social justice movement has always done, is insulting enough. Using Pittsburgh’s dead to do so is altogether grotesque.
But if these critics really want to talk about betrayal of the Jewish people, consider who supported the nuclear deal with Iran, which enriched the world’s most heinous terror state and which legitimized the pursuit of the bomb by an Islamo-fascist regime bent on annihilating over 6 million Jews.
And consider who for decades paid lip service to the justice of recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of the Jewish State and moving the American embassy but then, when it actually happened, opposed it or gave it only half-hearted support — solely because it was implemented by a president whom they detest.
Following the shooting, a number of American Jewish newspaper editors came together and authored a joint editorial sounding the alarm on rising anti-Semitism in the US, and declaring #WeAreAllJews. This is a fitting retort to those who have tried to claim that some of their co-religionists are not.
Such expressions of solidarity within the Jewish community are welcome and must be encouraged. That, and not partisanship, is what will make the memory of those who lost their lives in Pittsburgh a blessing.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Fuck the Jewish left! I’m beginning to believe their religion is liberalism, not Judaism.
COPS ON STATEN ISLAND DEMONSTRATE THEIR DAILY HEROISM OFFICERS EXPERIENCE
NYPD honors cops who saved woman from fire, made gang bust
By Paul Liotta
Staten Island Advance
November 4, 2018
STATEN ISLAND, NY — Recovering a loaded gun amid a gang feud in West Brighton, and pulling a woman from a burning building in Stapleton were just some of the NYPD’s stand-out Staten Island stories in the past three months.
Sgt. Thomas Ulitto, and Police Officers Joseph Bruno, Frank Desiderato, Frank Vega Jr., Matthew Panik, and Michael Devito were honored at the Advance’s Grasmere office Monday for their service at a “Cop of the Month” ceremony hosted by the Advance, and NYPD Patrol Borough Staten Island (PBSI).
“This is just some of the tremendous work our officers do every day,” Assistant Chief Kenneth Corey, the borough commander, said.
“Police work is often under-appreciated but (the award ceremony) does really mean a lot to them and their families to see their work recognized.”
Ulitto, Bruno, and Desiderato were honored for their work on July 10, when they helped lead the charge against two rival gang factions involved in a bloody North Shore dispute.
The three men assigned to the 120th Precinct tracked down one of the alleged gunman, who fired the shot that killed 67-year-old Frances "Ms. Frannie” Williams as she waited for a bus in New Brighton.
Bruno said he noticed the accused shooter and alleged gang member Sean Oliveras, 23, standing in front of the West Brighton Houses grabbing his waistband. After apprehending the suspect, they recovered a loaded .38 revolver, according to police.
Bruno’s fiancee, Nicole Clark, said her upbringing in a cop family prepared her for what the loved ones of police officers deal with.
“I do understand why people get nervous,” Clark said. “I also know he was trained right, and that helps keep him safe.”
Vega and Panik were assigned to a patrol in the 120th Precinct on Aug. 25, when a call for a residential fire came over their radios around 9:30 a.m.
Both officers responded to an apartment building on the 100 block of Broad Street, where neighbors informed them that an immobile female senior citizen lived on the building’s second floor.
Before firefighters arrived on scene, the two men carefully made their way to the woman’s apartment, gained entry, and safely removed her.
“We didn’t know where we were going. We couldn’t see more than five feet in front of us,” Vega said because of the smoke that engulfed the apartment building.
Both officers needed treatment at Richmond University Medical Center in West Brighton for smoke inhalation.
Commanding officer of the 120th Precinct Deputy Inspector Isa Abbassi said their heroism was “a true demonstration of what 120 cops do every day for the people of Staten Island."
“If not for their bravery, that woman would not be alive today,” he said.
Devito, assigned to PBSI’s auto larceny unit, showed great initiative as part of an ongoing investigation into car break-ins in the 120th Precinct, his commanding officer Lt. Greg Bardash said.
After being part of a pursuit on July 16 that led to the arrest of four of six teens allegedly involved in a Silver Lake break-in spree, Devito returned to the scene in the following weeks canvassing the area, working with civilians to obtain video footage, and helped to build a case that has led to 17 arrests for a crime that has plagued Staten Island.
“It shows his dedication to the job," Bardash said of Devito. “He really went above and beyond.”
EDITOR’S NOTE: Would any of those police-hating assholes on social media ever rush into a burning building to save a woman? You know the answer to that question.
By Paul Liotta
Staten Island Advance
November 4, 2018
STATEN ISLAND, NY — Recovering a loaded gun amid a gang feud in West Brighton, and pulling a woman from a burning building in Stapleton were just some of the NYPD’s stand-out Staten Island stories in the past three months.
Sgt. Thomas Ulitto, and Police Officers Joseph Bruno, Frank Desiderato, Frank Vega Jr., Matthew Panik, and Michael Devito were honored at the Advance’s Grasmere office Monday for their service at a “Cop of the Month” ceremony hosted by the Advance, and NYPD Patrol Borough Staten Island (PBSI).
“This is just some of the tremendous work our officers do every day,” Assistant Chief Kenneth Corey, the borough commander, said.
“Police work is often under-appreciated but (the award ceremony) does really mean a lot to them and their families to see their work recognized.”
Ulitto, Bruno, and Desiderato were honored for their work on July 10, when they helped lead the charge against two rival gang factions involved in a bloody North Shore dispute.
The three men assigned to the 120th Precinct tracked down one of the alleged gunman, who fired the shot that killed 67-year-old Frances "Ms. Frannie” Williams as she waited for a bus in New Brighton.
Bruno said he noticed the accused shooter and alleged gang member Sean Oliveras, 23, standing in front of the West Brighton Houses grabbing his waistband. After apprehending the suspect, they recovered a loaded .38 revolver, according to police.
Bruno’s fiancee, Nicole Clark, said her upbringing in a cop family prepared her for what the loved ones of police officers deal with.
“I do understand why people get nervous,” Clark said. “I also know he was trained right, and that helps keep him safe.”
Vega and Panik were assigned to a patrol in the 120th Precinct on Aug. 25, when a call for a residential fire came over their radios around 9:30 a.m.
Both officers responded to an apartment building on the 100 block of Broad Street, where neighbors informed them that an immobile female senior citizen lived on the building’s second floor.
Before firefighters arrived on scene, the two men carefully made their way to the woman’s apartment, gained entry, and safely removed her.
“We didn’t know where we were going. We couldn’t see more than five feet in front of us,” Vega said because of the smoke that engulfed the apartment building.
Both officers needed treatment at Richmond University Medical Center in West Brighton for smoke inhalation.
Commanding officer of the 120th Precinct Deputy Inspector Isa Abbassi said their heroism was “a true demonstration of what 120 cops do every day for the people of Staten Island."
“If not for their bravery, that woman would not be alive today,” he said.
Devito, assigned to PBSI’s auto larceny unit, showed great initiative as part of an ongoing investigation into car break-ins in the 120th Precinct, his commanding officer Lt. Greg Bardash said.
After being part of a pursuit on July 16 that led to the arrest of four of six teens allegedly involved in a Silver Lake break-in spree, Devito returned to the scene in the following weeks canvassing the area, working with civilians to obtain video footage, and helped to build a case that has led to 17 arrests for a crime that has plagued Staten Island.
“It shows his dedication to the job," Bardash said of Devito. “He really went above and beyond.”
EDITOR’S NOTE: Would any of those police-hating assholes on social media ever rush into a burning building to save a woman? You know the answer to that question.
DOES THE MEDIA HAVE THE RIGHT TO DEMAND ACCESS TO POLICE RADIO CHANNELS FOR NEWS?
BY Trey Rusk
Running Code 3
November 4, 2018
More and more law enforcement agencies have turned to encryption of police radio channels. Encryption of first responder radio traffic is expensive but does the press and public have a right to listen to it?
Civilians can buy radio scanners to listen to police calls. In fact, the internet now has free applications that will allow the public to listen to local first responder radio calls on their smart phones and computers. Most people find a scanner quite entertaining and informative.
Before encryption there was the 10 code. This was a code of numbers that was originally developed to shorten broadcasts on the police radios. Air time was precious because many large departments only used one major channel. It also blocked the public from knowing the true nature of the call but it couldn't block the location. The 10 code was soon known to all listeners through repetition of certain calls and lists being leaked.
During my career most departments stopped using the 10 codes because they changed occasionally and speaking the nature of the call was easier and less confusing.
Encrypted channels have been used for decades by specialized law enforcement units. When encryption was first introduced the radio quality was poor. Most of the time the encrypted channel would be used executing search and arrest warrants. The unit supervisor would usually order detectives to switch over to encryption.
Criminals use police scanners to listen to cop locations before plying their trade. I remember executing a search warrant and as my partner and I approached the rear door of the building, I could hear the front door officers announce their intentions of entering to dispatch. It was coming from a scanner on the premises. Our radio volume was muted so as not to announce our presence. Two shit heads clamored out the back door and were quickly arrested.
The media has announced that the encryption of police radio calls hinders their access to reporting the news in a timely matter. I say bullshit. Most departments now use social media and public information officers to quickly announce police activities. Some departments have their own applications available for subscribers to be advised of emergency broadcasts and timely information about traffic, weather and area lockdowns due to crime.
The media believes the police control the release of information with radio encryption. The media is correct. That isn't going to change because the first line of defense is smart phones used by street officers that not only prevent the media and criminals from hearing but also seeing what is happening. Certain applications allow the street officers to broadcast the crime scene or on going pursuit in real time to dispatch and shift commanders. The applications are controlled by the cops and are not even connected to the police radio frequencies.
Most calls are now dispatched by computer and each unit has GPS locators for dispatch to observe in real time. The radio in general is almost obsolete. So the media has already lost the fight for broadcast information due to new technology.
That's the way I see it.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Shit! It looks like I just wasted some money on a new scanner.
Running Code 3
November 4, 2018
More and more law enforcement agencies have turned to encryption of police radio channels. Encryption of first responder radio traffic is expensive but does the press and public have a right to listen to it?
Civilians can buy radio scanners to listen to police calls. In fact, the internet now has free applications that will allow the public to listen to local first responder radio calls on their smart phones and computers. Most people find a scanner quite entertaining and informative.
Before encryption there was the 10 code. This was a code of numbers that was originally developed to shorten broadcasts on the police radios. Air time was precious because many large departments only used one major channel. It also blocked the public from knowing the true nature of the call but it couldn't block the location. The 10 code was soon known to all listeners through repetition of certain calls and lists being leaked.
During my career most departments stopped using the 10 codes because they changed occasionally and speaking the nature of the call was easier and less confusing.
Encrypted channels have been used for decades by specialized law enforcement units. When encryption was first introduced the radio quality was poor. Most of the time the encrypted channel would be used executing search and arrest warrants. The unit supervisor would usually order detectives to switch over to encryption.
Criminals use police scanners to listen to cop locations before plying their trade. I remember executing a search warrant and as my partner and I approached the rear door of the building, I could hear the front door officers announce their intentions of entering to dispatch. It was coming from a scanner on the premises. Our radio volume was muted so as not to announce our presence. Two shit heads clamored out the back door and were quickly arrested.
The media has announced that the encryption of police radio calls hinders their access to reporting the news in a timely matter. I say bullshit. Most departments now use social media and public information officers to quickly announce police activities. Some departments have their own applications available for subscribers to be advised of emergency broadcasts and timely information about traffic, weather and area lockdowns due to crime.
The media believes the police control the release of information with radio encryption. The media is correct. That isn't going to change because the first line of defense is smart phones used by street officers that not only prevent the media and criminals from hearing but also seeing what is happening. Certain applications allow the street officers to broadcast the crime scene or on going pursuit in real time to dispatch and shift commanders. The applications are controlled by the cops and are not even connected to the police radio frequencies.
Most calls are now dispatched by computer and each unit has GPS locators for dispatch to observe in real time. The radio in general is almost obsolete. So the media has already lost the fight for broadcast information due to new technology.
That's the way I see it.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Shit! It looks like I just wasted some money on a new scanner.
Sunday, November 04, 2018
FEDERAL JUDGE SUPPORTS U.S. OVER MOONBEAM
by Bob Walsh
The legislature of the formerly great state of California passed SB50 last year. This law, had it been allowed to stand, would have given the state the power to veto the sale of federal land located within the state of California.
Federal Judge William Shubb ruled a couple of days ago that the state had no power to interfere with such decisions by the federal government.
The state wanted to give CA the first right of refusal on any such purchases, and the power to direct that such sales be made to specific individuals if the state chose to not buy. The court told Moonbeam to go fuck himself. Appropriately.
The legislature of the formerly great state of California passed SB50 last year. This law, had it been allowed to stand, would have given the state the power to veto the sale of federal land located within the state of California.
Federal Judge William Shubb ruled a couple of days ago that the state had no power to interfere with such decisions by the federal government.
The state wanted to give CA the first right of refusal on any such purchases, and the power to direct that such sales be made to specific individuals if the state chose to not buy. The court told Moonbeam to go fuck himself. Appropriately.
CLINTON AND OBAMA-LOVING STREISAND WOULD FEEL MUCH BETTER IF SHE JUMPED OFF OF YOSEMITE’S TAFT POINT
'I get very little sleep!' Barbra Streisand reveals that 'lying' Donald Trump is making her feel 'depressed' as she stays up until the early hours eating chocolate and ice cream
By Andrew Court
Daily Mail
November 3, 2018
Barbra Streisand recently claimed that Donald Trump was making her 'gain weight' as she resorted to comfort eating in order to deal with the current state of politics.
And the legendary entertainer has now hit out at the Commander-In-Chief in another interview.
Speaking with Australia's Stellar magazine on Sunday, the 76-year-old revealed that the 'lying' President was making her feel 'kind of depressed' as stayed up until the wee hours after eating chocolate and ice-cream.
'Trump lied from the beginning, and I just honour the truth - in my work, in my life, I love the truth. I think it's so powerful,' Barbra stated.
'The truth, to me, is the essence of living in a democracy and I guess what offends me so much is Trump seems to care so very little about it, because he continues to lie day after day and make up things, you know?'
The Yentl star has previously revealed that she had to eat 'pancakes covered in maple syrup' after watching Trump on the morning news, and, now, she claims she is also eating sweet treats into the evening.
'I tell you, when the news gets really bad, like it did the other night listening to (the President) I had to have two coffee ice-cream cones... I had to have two. I was thinking about three. Sometimes when I do that and eat chocolate before I go to bed, I can't sleep until five, six in the morning. I get very little sleep.'
Barbra has just released a new album titled Walls, which ends with a new recording of her hit track Happy Days Are Here Again.
She told Stellar that, while she currently feels 'kind of depressed', the upbeat song indicates that she still 'has a bit of hope'.
Elsewhere, Barbra has also blasted Donald Trump during promotional duties for her new record.
Speaking with The Guardian she described the 45th President as a 'conman'.
She ranted: 'I can't bear the man! He's a man with no manners! He doesn't see his own flaws; he doesn't know what he doesn't know. You know? He has no humility.'
By Andrew Court
Daily Mail
November 3, 2018
Barbra Streisand recently claimed that Donald Trump was making her 'gain weight' as she resorted to comfort eating in order to deal with the current state of politics.
And the legendary entertainer has now hit out at the Commander-In-Chief in another interview.
Speaking with Australia's Stellar magazine on Sunday, the 76-year-old revealed that the 'lying' President was making her feel 'kind of depressed' as stayed up until the wee hours after eating chocolate and ice-cream.
'Trump lied from the beginning, and I just honour the truth - in my work, in my life, I love the truth. I think it's so powerful,' Barbra stated.
'The truth, to me, is the essence of living in a democracy and I guess what offends me so much is Trump seems to care so very little about it, because he continues to lie day after day and make up things, you know?'
The Yentl star has previously revealed that she had to eat 'pancakes covered in maple syrup' after watching Trump on the morning news, and, now, she claims she is also eating sweet treats into the evening.
'I tell you, when the news gets really bad, like it did the other night listening to (the President) I had to have two coffee ice-cream cones... I had to have two. I was thinking about three. Sometimes when I do that and eat chocolate before I go to bed, I can't sleep until five, six in the morning. I get very little sleep.'
Barbra has just released a new album titled Walls, which ends with a new recording of her hit track Happy Days Are Here Again.
She told Stellar that, while she currently feels 'kind of depressed', the upbeat song indicates that she still 'has a bit of hope'.
Elsewhere, Barbra has also blasted Donald Trump during promotional duties for her new record.
Speaking with The Guardian she described the 45th President as a 'conman'.
She ranted: 'I can't bear the man! He's a man with no manners! He doesn't see his own flaws; he doesn't know what he doesn't know. You know? He has no humility.'
INTRIGUING CASE OF MURDERED SAUDI SISTERS
NYPD Detectives Using Credit Card Info in Investigation of Sisters' Deaths
By Rocco Parascandola and John Annese
New York Daily News
November 2, 2018
NEW YORK -- The Saudi sisters found duct-taped together on the banks of the Hudson River arrived in Manhattan in early September, and investigators are reviewing credit card history to track their last day before their deaths, police said Thursday.
Tala Farea, 16, and her older sister Rotana Farea, 22, were last seen in Fairfax, Va., where they lived, on Aug. 24. They then traveled through D.C. and Philadelphia before arriving in Midtown Manhattan around Sept. 1, Deputy Commissioner Phillip Walzak, the NYPD’s top spokesman said Monday.
“Detectives are in New York City in the area of Manhattan, going to hotels, restaurants, boutiques, etc., trying to find additional electronic movements of their actions, video, eyewitness accounts and so forth,” Walzak said. Investigators are looking at credit card activity after Sept. 1 as well, he said.
The sisters’ mom reported them missing on Sept. 12, and their bodies surfaced near the river off W. 68th St. in Riverside Park Oct. 24, one duct-taped on top of the other in a cross-like configuration.
Detectives do not believe their bodies were deliberately positioned that way. The sisters also had their sandals duct-taped to their feet, police sources said.
“We continue to view all possibilities, homicide, accident or suicide as outcomes, but we don’t have trauma to the body,” Walzak said Monday.
Walzak didn’t say how they traveled, what they bought, or whose credit cards they used, though he said some of their purchases were transportation-related.
“We believe they have been together throughout this journey,” he said.
The sisters moved to the U.S. from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, in mid-2015, sources said.
They first ran away from home in December, and when police found them, Tala had been placed in an apartment building, described as a shelter, away from their mother, according to Arabnews.com.
Family members said the sisters were seeking asylum in the U.S, and the Saudi government had ordered the entire family home, police said. Detectives haven’t found any connection between the Saudi government and their deaths, he said.
Despite earlier reports, Walzak said the two sisters had social media accounts, but hadn’t updated them for some time.
By Rocco Parascandola and John Annese
New York Daily News
November 2, 2018
NEW YORK -- The Saudi sisters found duct-taped together on the banks of the Hudson River arrived in Manhattan in early September, and investigators are reviewing credit card history to track their last day before their deaths, police said Thursday.
Tala Farea, 16, and her older sister Rotana Farea, 22, were last seen in Fairfax, Va., where they lived, on Aug. 24. They then traveled through D.C. and Philadelphia before arriving in Midtown Manhattan around Sept. 1, Deputy Commissioner Phillip Walzak, the NYPD’s top spokesman said Monday.
“Detectives are in New York City in the area of Manhattan, going to hotels, restaurants, boutiques, etc., trying to find additional electronic movements of their actions, video, eyewitness accounts and so forth,” Walzak said. Investigators are looking at credit card activity after Sept. 1 as well, he said.
The sisters’ mom reported them missing on Sept. 12, and their bodies surfaced near the river off W. 68th St. in Riverside Park Oct. 24, one duct-taped on top of the other in a cross-like configuration.
Detectives do not believe their bodies were deliberately positioned that way. The sisters also had their sandals duct-taped to their feet, police sources said.
“We continue to view all possibilities, homicide, accident or suicide as outcomes, but we don’t have trauma to the body,” Walzak said Monday.
Walzak didn’t say how they traveled, what they bought, or whose credit cards they used, though he said some of their purchases were transportation-related.
“We believe they have been together throughout this journey,” he said.
The sisters moved to the U.S. from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, in mid-2015, sources said.
They first ran away from home in December, and when police found them, Tala had been placed in an apartment building, described as a shelter, away from their mother, according to Arabnews.com.
Family members said the sisters were seeking asylum in the U.S, and the Saudi government had ordered the entire family home, police said. Detectives haven’t found any connection between the Saudi government and their deaths, he said.
Despite earlier reports, Walzak said the two sisters had social media accounts, but hadn’t updated them for some time.
COP HONORED BUT INDICTED
Virginia Police Officer Indicted in Shooting He Was Honored For
By Scott Daugherty
The Virginian-Pilot
November 2, 2018
PORTSMOUTH, Virginia — A Portsmouth, Va., police officer was honored with a medal of valor and named officer of the month for a call last year on which he shot an armed burglary suspect in the back running from a home.
The October 2017 shooting led prosecutors to secure an indictment Thursday against Officer Jeremy Durocher, charging him with aggravated malicious wounding and a related firearms crime.
But in the months that followed the incident, department commanders repeatedly indicated they saw nothing wrong with what happened. In December and again in June, they praised Durocher for shooting 18-year-old Deontrace Ward.
The commendation Officer Jeremy Durocher received from the Portsmouth Police Department when he was given a medal of valor after shooting a fleeing armed suspect – an act for which he has now been indicted.
“In recognition for your heroic response,” Police Chief Tonya Chapman wrote in the medal of valor commendation. “You took necessary steps to stop the threat that this suspect posed to the public and to your fellow officers at great personal risk.”
Earlier, Capt. Rich Springer wrote an email to the department’s sworn officers congratulating Durocher on being named the officer of the month for October 2017.
“His efforts have been recognized by his chain of command, as well as executive command staff,” Springer wrote Dec. 1. The email does not explain why Durocher – who was sworn in as a police officer less than six months before the shooting – was selected over 11 other nominees.
But when The Virginian-Pilot asked for information this week, a department spokesman declined to provide a copy of the nomination letter because it contained details of the shooting. Lt. B.K. Hall, the spokesman, declined to comment on the awards, as did Deputy Commonwealth’s Attorney Brandon Wrobleski.
An attorney for Ward said Friday he was not aware of the two honors bestowed on Durocher. “If I was a citizen of the city of Portsmouth, this information would make me fearful for my life,” S.W. Dawson said. “It encourages officers to shoot first and ask questions later.”
The president of the Portsmouth Fraternal Order of Police and Durocher’s attorney, however, said the awards showed prosecutors were wrong to seek charges against the officer. The medal of valor Officer Jeremy Durocher was awarded by the Portsmouth Police Department after shooting a fleeing armed suspect – an act for which he has now been indicted.
“The ones that know what is happening on the front lines recognized him for valor,” defense attorney Nicholas Renninger said, adding that Commonwealth’s Attorney Stephanie Morales was second-guessing a split-second decision made by an officer doing his job.
“He absolutely deserved that award,” said Sgt. Matt Crutcher of the FOP. “The totality of the circumstances required he do what he did.” On Oct. 29, 2017, Durocher shot Ward as he ran from a burglary in the 1100 block of Tatem Ave.
In a video recorded by Durocher’s department-issued body camera, the officer yells, “He has a gun!” when he first sees Ward running from the home and later tells fellow officers the teen “waved” the gun at him. Police found a gun, but it was inside the bottom of Ward’s right pant leg.
Ward pleaded guilty in June to breaking into the home, stealing some jewelry and illegally possessing a firearm. He was sentenced to six years in prison. In exchange for his plea, the special prosecutor agreed to drop charges that Ward brandished his firearm or assaulted Durocher.
By Scott Daugherty
The Virginian-Pilot
November 2, 2018
PORTSMOUTH, Virginia — A Portsmouth, Va., police officer was honored with a medal of valor and named officer of the month for a call last year on which he shot an armed burglary suspect in the back running from a home.
The October 2017 shooting led prosecutors to secure an indictment Thursday against Officer Jeremy Durocher, charging him with aggravated malicious wounding and a related firearms crime.
But in the months that followed the incident, department commanders repeatedly indicated they saw nothing wrong with what happened. In December and again in June, they praised Durocher for shooting 18-year-old Deontrace Ward.
The commendation Officer Jeremy Durocher received from the Portsmouth Police Department when he was given a medal of valor after shooting a fleeing armed suspect – an act for which he has now been indicted.
“In recognition for your heroic response,” Police Chief Tonya Chapman wrote in the medal of valor commendation. “You took necessary steps to stop the threat that this suspect posed to the public and to your fellow officers at great personal risk.”
Earlier, Capt. Rich Springer wrote an email to the department’s sworn officers congratulating Durocher on being named the officer of the month for October 2017.
“His efforts have been recognized by his chain of command, as well as executive command staff,” Springer wrote Dec. 1. The email does not explain why Durocher – who was sworn in as a police officer less than six months before the shooting – was selected over 11 other nominees.
But when The Virginian-Pilot asked for information this week, a department spokesman declined to provide a copy of the nomination letter because it contained details of the shooting. Lt. B.K. Hall, the spokesman, declined to comment on the awards, as did Deputy Commonwealth’s Attorney Brandon Wrobleski.
An attorney for Ward said Friday he was not aware of the two honors bestowed on Durocher. “If I was a citizen of the city of Portsmouth, this information would make me fearful for my life,” S.W. Dawson said. “It encourages officers to shoot first and ask questions later.”
The president of the Portsmouth Fraternal Order of Police and Durocher’s attorney, however, said the awards showed prosecutors were wrong to seek charges against the officer. The medal of valor Officer Jeremy Durocher was awarded by the Portsmouth Police Department after shooting a fleeing armed suspect – an act for which he has now been indicted.
“The ones that know what is happening on the front lines recognized him for valor,” defense attorney Nicholas Renninger said, adding that Commonwealth’s Attorney Stephanie Morales was second-guessing a split-second decision made by an officer doing his job.
“He absolutely deserved that award,” said Sgt. Matt Crutcher of the FOP. “The totality of the circumstances required he do what he did.” On Oct. 29, 2017, Durocher shot Ward as he ran from a burglary in the 1100 block of Tatem Ave.
In a video recorded by Durocher’s department-issued body camera, the officer yells, “He has a gun!” when he first sees Ward running from the home and later tells fellow officers the teen “waved” the gun at him. Police found a gun, but it was inside the bottom of Ward’s right pant leg.
Ward pleaded guilty in June to breaking into the home, stealing some jewelry and illegally possessing a firearm. He was sentenced to six years in prison. In exchange for his plea, the special prosecutor agreed to drop charges that Ward brandished his firearm or assaulted Durocher.
SPARKY GETS WORKOUT IN TENNESSEE
Tennessee killer says, 'Let's rock' before state executes him with electric chair
By Steve Almasy, Nicole Chavez and Tina Burnside
CNN
November 2, 2018
A Tennessee man who murdered two people in 1984 was executed Thursday, becoming the first inmate in the United States in five years to die in an electric chair.
Edmund Zagorski, 63, had two last words: "Let's rock."
Reporter Adam Tamburin, with the Tennessean newspaper, described Zagorski as having a grin on his face at one time, until a sponge and helmet were put over his face. He said Zagorski then grimaced.
Jason Lamb, a reporter with CNN affiliate WTVF, said that Zagorski wore white prison trousers and a yellow shirt. He seemed to wave or raise his left hand as he was prepared for electrocution, including after a black cloth shroud was put over his face, Lamb said.
Relatives of the two men Zagorski killed attended the execution. They chose not to speak to the media.
Zagorski was pronounced dead at 8:26 p.m. ET. His last-day appeal to the US Supreme Court was denied.
Why is the electric chair an option?
Nine states have death by electric chair as an alternative to lethal injection. In 2014, Tennessee became the first state to make use of the electric chair mandatory when lethal injection drugs are unavailable.
By Tennessee law, any person convicted of a capital offense before January 1, 1999 may choose electrocution.
Zagorski began his sentence in March 1984 and the state's prosecutors had argued "the statute also gives the Tennessee Department of Correction the authority to promulgate rules to carry out the election (of electrocution instead of lethal injection)."
Daryl Holton, who killed his three young sons and his ex-wife's daughter, chose the electric chair in 2007.
Before Holton's execution, Tennessee had not used the electric chair in 47 years.
The electrocution protocol is practiced monthly by the execution team, and public records indicate the chair was tested in February, the Tennessean newspaper reported.
After Zagorski chose the electric chair, Gov. Bill Haslam issued a reprieve of 10 days to prepare for the execution.
"[T]his brief reprieve will give all involved the time necessary to carry out the sentence in an orderly and careful manner," the governor said in a statement.
Zagorski's electrocution was the first in the US since 2013, when Virginia killed a man who murdered two people.
__________
The execution as described by the Tennesseean
He sat in the wired chair as prison staff placed a wet sponge that had been soaked in saline solution, and metal helmet on his freshly shaved head. He continued smiling, but grimaced each time drops ran down his face.
Then his head was covered with a black shroud so the witnesses couldn't see his face as electricity jolted through his body.
The warden gave the signal to proceed. Zagorski lifted his right hand several times in what looked like attempts at a wave, before he clenched his hands into fists as the first charge of 1,750 volts of electricity was sent through his body for 20 seconds.
Both pinkies appear to either be dislocated or broken due to the force with which he pulled against the straps. She also said there were signs that Zagorski was breathing during a short pause before the second jolt was administered for 15 seconds
EDITOR’S NOTE: Light ’em up! Come to think of it though, I’d prefer that we execute murderers by guillotine. Let their heads roll!
By Steve Almasy, Nicole Chavez and Tina Burnside
CNN
November 2, 2018
A Tennessee man who murdered two people in 1984 was executed Thursday, becoming the first inmate in the United States in five years to die in an electric chair.
Edmund Zagorski, 63, had two last words: "Let's rock."
Reporter Adam Tamburin, with the Tennessean newspaper, described Zagorski as having a grin on his face at one time, until a sponge and helmet were put over his face. He said Zagorski then grimaced.
Jason Lamb, a reporter with CNN affiliate WTVF, said that Zagorski wore white prison trousers and a yellow shirt. He seemed to wave or raise his left hand as he was prepared for electrocution, including after a black cloth shroud was put over his face, Lamb said.
Relatives of the two men Zagorski killed attended the execution. They chose not to speak to the media.
Zagorski was pronounced dead at 8:26 p.m. ET. His last-day appeal to the US Supreme Court was denied.
Why is the electric chair an option?
Nine states have death by electric chair as an alternative to lethal injection. In 2014, Tennessee became the first state to make use of the electric chair mandatory when lethal injection drugs are unavailable.
By Tennessee law, any person convicted of a capital offense before January 1, 1999 may choose electrocution.
Zagorski began his sentence in March 1984 and the state's prosecutors had argued "the statute also gives the Tennessee Department of Correction the authority to promulgate rules to carry out the election (of electrocution instead of lethal injection)."
Daryl Holton, who killed his three young sons and his ex-wife's daughter, chose the electric chair in 2007.
Before Holton's execution, Tennessee had not used the electric chair in 47 years.
The electrocution protocol is practiced monthly by the execution team, and public records indicate the chair was tested in February, the Tennessean newspaper reported.
After Zagorski chose the electric chair, Gov. Bill Haslam issued a reprieve of 10 days to prepare for the execution.
"[T]his brief reprieve will give all involved the time necessary to carry out the sentence in an orderly and careful manner," the governor said in a statement.
Zagorski's electrocution was the first in the US since 2013, when Virginia killed a man who murdered two people.
__________
The execution as described by the Tennesseean
He sat in the wired chair as prison staff placed a wet sponge that had been soaked in saline solution, and metal helmet on his freshly shaved head. He continued smiling, but grimaced each time drops ran down his face.
Then his head was covered with a black shroud so the witnesses couldn't see his face as electricity jolted through his body.
The warden gave the signal to proceed. Zagorski lifted his right hand several times in what looked like attempts at a wave, before he clenched his hands into fists as the first charge of 1,750 volts of electricity was sent through his body for 20 seconds.
Both pinkies appear to either be dislocated or broken due to the force with which he pulled against the straps. She also said there were signs that Zagorski was breathing during a short pause before the second jolt was administered for 15 seconds
EDITOR’S NOTE: Light ’em up! Come to think of it though, I’d prefer that we execute murderers by guillotine. Let their heads roll!
Saturday, November 03, 2018
THE PRESIDENT WANTS TO ALTER THE CONSTITUTION AND IGNORE INTERNATIONAL LAW
Trump wants to abolish the birth right of US citizenship for children born by illegal immigrants and he wants to stop granting asylum to illegal immigrants
By Howie Katz
Big Jolly imes
November 2, 2018
The 14th Amendment says:
“All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States.”
President Trump says he will issue an executive order abolishing the birth right of US citizenship for children born by illegal immigrants. That would be altering the 14th Amendment which makes no exception for the children that were born by illegal immigrants in this country.
Trump also says he will stop granting asylum to illegal immigrants.
Article 31 of the UN Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, also known as the 1951 Refugee Convention, prohibits signatory nations from imposing penalties on refugees who entered illegally in search of asylum if they present themselves without delay.
Although the U.S. did not sign the original act, it did become a signatory to a 1967 Protocol.
If Trump issues his executive order on the birth right of children, expect immediate court challenges with the granting of temporary injunctions until the cases are finally settled by the Supreme Court.
Most legal scholars believe such an executive order violates the 14th Amendment. It would take an act of Congress or an amendment to the 14th Amendment for the denial of birth rights to children born by illegal immigrants.
It is doubtful that Congress would alter the 14th Amendment, but if it did, that too would be challenged in court. And an amendment to the 14th Amendment is not about to happen.
When Trump’s childbirth order hits the Supreme Court expect it to be struck down. I predict that Trump’s court appointees Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh will vote against his executive order.
Reports say Trump’s lawyers have advised him that he is within his right to issue an executive order abolishing the birth right of children born of illegal immigrants. That must be Rudy Giuliani who told Meet the Press on August 19 that “truth isn’t truth.”
While it sounds somewhat farfetched, if Trump’s executive order is upheld, what would prevent him or a future president from altering the 1st Amendment by restricting free speech or controlling the press.
If Trump issues an order to stop granting asylum to illegal immigrants, that to will be quickly challenged in court. While that order may amount to violating international law, it is not altering our Constitution. The courts may nevertheless rule that the US is obligated to abide by the UN refugee convention.
What we have here is simply political posturing before the mid-term elections. When the dust settles several months from now, we may well find that it’s all much ado about nothing. Children born to illegal immigrants in this country will still be US citizens and asylum will still be granted to some illegal immigrants.
I’m with Trump on both counts, but my opinion does not count.
By Howie Katz
Big Jolly imes
November 2, 2018
The 14th Amendment says:
“All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States.”
President Trump says he will issue an executive order abolishing the birth right of US citizenship for children born by illegal immigrants. That would be altering the 14th Amendment which makes no exception for the children that were born by illegal immigrants in this country.
Trump also says he will stop granting asylum to illegal immigrants.
Article 31 of the UN Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, also known as the 1951 Refugee Convention, prohibits signatory nations from imposing penalties on refugees who entered illegally in search of asylum if they present themselves without delay.
Although the U.S. did not sign the original act, it did become a signatory to a 1967 Protocol.
If Trump issues his executive order on the birth right of children, expect immediate court challenges with the granting of temporary injunctions until the cases are finally settled by the Supreme Court.
Most legal scholars believe such an executive order violates the 14th Amendment. It would take an act of Congress or an amendment to the 14th Amendment for the denial of birth rights to children born by illegal immigrants.
It is doubtful that Congress would alter the 14th Amendment, but if it did, that too would be challenged in court. And an amendment to the 14th Amendment is not about to happen.
When Trump’s childbirth order hits the Supreme Court expect it to be struck down. I predict that Trump’s court appointees Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh will vote against his executive order.
Reports say Trump’s lawyers have advised him that he is within his right to issue an executive order abolishing the birth right of children born of illegal immigrants. That must be Rudy Giuliani who told Meet the Press on August 19 that “truth isn’t truth.”
While it sounds somewhat farfetched, if Trump’s executive order is upheld, what would prevent him or a future president from altering the 1st Amendment by restricting free speech or controlling the press.
If Trump issues an order to stop granting asylum to illegal immigrants, that to will be quickly challenged in court. While that order may amount to violating international law, it is not altering our Constitution. The courts may nevertheless rule that the US is obligated to abide by the UN refugee convention.
What we have here is simply political posturing before the mid-term elections. When the dust settles several months from now, we may well find that it’s all much ado about nothing. Children born to illegal immigrants in this country will still be US citizens and asylum will still be granted to some illegal immigrants.
I’m with Trump on both counts, but my opinion does not count.
ALEC BALDWIN ARRESTED FOR BEING AN ASSHOLE
by Bob Walsh
Alec Baldwin was arrested by New York's finest Friday afternoon in the West Village of Manhattan. He punched out a guy in a beef over a parking space.
The only thing I find surprising about that is that Alec Baldwin doesn't have a driver.
EDITOR'S NOTE: The asshole would be in jail all the time if you could bust him for being an asshole.
Alec Baldwin was arrested by New York's finest Friday afternoon in the West Village of Manhattan. He punched out a guy in a beef over a parking space.
The only thing I find surprising about that is that Alec Baldwin doesn't have a driver.
EDITOR'S NOTE: The asshole would be in jail all the time if you could bust him for being an asshole.
CARAVAN PARTICIPANTS SUING TRUMP
by Bob Walsh
A lawsuit was just filed by twelve Honduran nationals, including six minor children, against Donald Trump. The plaintiffs are not now and have never been inside the U.S. The lawsuit has actually been filed on their behalf by Nexus Derechos Humanos Attorneys Inc., and is being funded by Nexus Services.
The lawsuit contends a couple of things. One of them is that the U. S. can not legally send troops into Mexico to cut off the caravan. As far as I know no one has proposed actually doing that.
They also assert that once an immigrant has stated an intention to apply for asylum, no matter where that immigrant physically is, the asylum application process has begun for legal purposes.
The Trump administration has announced plans to alter the current asylum application process to require that asylum applicants present themselves LEGALLY at a legitimate border entry point to begin the process. Asylum claims made after a person has crossed illegally would not be accepted.
There is a Supreme Court ruling from 1993 that says that aliens are entitled to a due process hearing before deportation.
Our immigration laws and rules are so fucked up I would not care to bet which way this will go.
A lawsuit was just filed by twelve Honduran nationals, including six minor children, against Donald Trump. The plaintiffs are not now and have never been inside the U.S. The lawsuit has actually been filed on their behalf by Nexus Derechos Humanos Attorneys Inc., and is being funded by Nexus Services.
The lawsuit contends a couple of things. One of them is that the U. S. can not legally send troops into Mexico to cut off the caravan. As far as I know no one has proposed actually doing that.
They also assert that once an immigrant has stated an intention to apply for asylum, no matter where that immigrant physically is, the asylum application process has begun for legal purposes.
The Trump administration has announced plans to alter the current asylum application process to require that asylum applicants present themselves LEGALLY at a legitimate border entry point to begin the process. Asylum claims made after a person has crossed illegally would not be accepted.
There is a Supreme Court ruling from 1993 that says that aliens are entitled to a due process hearing before deportation.
Our immigration laws and rules are so fucked up I would not care to bet which way this will go.
ANNUAL HALLOWEEN PAROLEE SWEEP IN CALAIFORNIA
110 California Sex Offenders Arrested In Statewide Sweep On Halloween
LAPPL News Watch
November 2, 2018
California corrections officials say they arrested 110 sex offender parolees during an annual Halloween sweep designed to keep the offenders from contacting children or engaging in other Halloween activities. That’s about 9 percent of the 1,252 parolees contacted statewide Wednesday.
Officials said Thursday that eight parolees face new charges while the rest allegedly violated conditions of their parole.
Thirty offenders were found with pornography, including two with child porn. Thirty-one had narcotics, drug paraphernalia or violated other parole conditions. Thirteen were found with weapons.
LAPPL News Watch
November 2, 2018
California corrections officials say they arrested 110 sex offender parolees during an annual Halloween sweep designed to keep the offenders from contacting children or engaging in other Halloween activities. That’s about 9 percent of the 1,252 parolees contacted statewide Wednesday.
Officials said Thursday that eight parolees face new charges while the rest allegedly violated conditions of their parole.
Thirty offenders were found with pornography, including two with child porn. Thirty-one had narcotics, drug paraphernalia or violated other parole conditions. Thirteen were found with weapons.
DON’T FIGHT WITH THE DRIVER WHEN YOUR BUS IS CROSSING A BRIDGE
Bus in China plunges off bridge killing 15 after woman attacks driver
By Steven Jiang
CNN
November 2, 2018
BEIJING -- A woman who attacked a bus driver after she missed her stop was partially responsible for a dramatic crash in southwestern China that killed all 15 people on board, an investigation by Chinese authorities revealed Friday.
A 10-second clip from the on-board camera released by Chongqing police showed a female passenger yelling at the male driver while he was steering, shortly after 10 a.m. on Sunday.
The 48-year-old woman then attacked the driver with her cell phone, while he fought back with his right arm.
When she struck him again, he abruptly turned the steering wheel left, swerving into oncoming traffic before crashing into the railings on the side of a bridge -- screaming can be heard as the video stops.
The release of the clip brings an end to the mystery surrounding the cause of the deadly crash, which has come to captivate China amid extensive television coverage of a massive search-and-recovery effort.
For days after the accident, the No. 22 bus lay at the bottom of the Yangtze River -- in waters more than 70 meters (230 feet) deep.
Dashboard camera footage from another car nearby, released earlier, had shown the bus charge onto the wrong side of the road without warning before hitting the railings of the Wanzhou Yangtze No. 2 Bridge and plunging into the river.
Police said they pieced together what happened based on footage from the on-board recorder, which was recovered by divers, as well as 2,300 hours of surveillance videos along the bus route and numerous witness accounts.
In their findings, the authorities blamed the 42-year-old driver for not following proper safety procedures, but ruled out any anomalies in his mental state. The bus was also found to have no mechanical issues.
The statement concluded that both the passenger and the driver had broken laws for seriously endangering public safety.
The bus was pulled out of the river on Wednesday, and divers have so far recovered 13 bodies with two still missing.
By Steven Jiang
CNN
November 2, 2018
BEIJING -- A woman who attacked a bus driver after she missed her stop was partially responsible for a dramatic crash in southwestern China that killed all 15 people on board, an investigation by Chinese authorities revealed Friday.
A 10-second clip from the on-board camera released by Chongqing police showed a female passenger yelling at the male driver while he was steering, shortly after 10 a.m. on Sunday.
The 48-year-old woman then attacked the driver with her cell phone, while he fought back with his right arm.
When she struck him again, he abruptly turned the steering wheel left, swerving into oncoming traffic before crashing into the railings on the side of a bridge -- screaming can be heard as the video stops.
The release of the clip brings an end to the mystery surrounding the cause of the deadly crash, which has come to captivate China amid extensive television coverage of a massive search-and-recovery effort.
For days after the accident, the No. 22 bus lay at the bottom of the Yangtze River -- in waters more than 70 meters (230 feet) deep.
Dashboard camera footage from another car nearby, released earlier, had shown the bus charge onto the wrong side of the road without warning before hitting the railings of the Wanzhou Yangtze No. 2 Bridge and plunging into the river.
Police said they pieced together what happened based on footage from the on-board recorder, which was recovered by divers, as well as 2,300 hours of surveillance videos along the bus route and numerous witness accounts.
In their findings, the authorities blamed the 42-year-old driver for not following proper safety procedures, but ruled out any anomalies in his mental state. The bus was also found to have no mechanical issues.
The statement concluded that both the passenger and the driver had broken laws for seriously endangering public safety.
The bus was pulled out of the river on Wednesday, and divers have so far recovered 13 bodies with two still missing.
125-POUND WOAN SLAPPED ON BUTT BY FRIEND, ATTACKS BOUNCER SHE THOUGHT DID IT
Video shows woman knocking out bouncer over mistaken butt grab
By Joshua Rhett Miller
New York Post
November 1, 1028
He never stood a chance.
A bouncer who was mistakenly attacked from behind by a woman from upstate New York who thought he grabbed her butt was knocked unconscious almost immediately, video obtained by The Post shows.
Surveillance video from inside Five1Eight nightclub in Plattsburgh shows Kierah LaGrave, 22, putting the bouncer in a chokehold and forcefully yanking his neck from behind. The man’s arms then remain at his side until he’s taken to the ground by the 125-pound pugilist who is now facing a felony charge of second-degree strangulation.
LaGrave coolly gets up after taking down the bouncer, who appears to regain consciousness seconds later before someone comes over to check him out, video shows.
Other footage from inside the club — where LaGrave also works — shows her talking with a friend near the bar before she turns around to dance with her backside facing toward the woman, who is clearly seen playfully slapping LaGrave’s rear. But LaGrave immediately turns around and has her sights set on the bouncer who was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.
LaGrave, of Plattsburgh, later admitted to police that she choked the bouncer, telling investigators she did so because he had grabbed her. Surveillance footage, however, proved otherwise.
LaGrave has been released on her own recognizance and is expected back in court on Nov. 20.
By Joshua Rhett Miller
New York Post
November 1, 1028
He never stood a chance.
A bouncer who was mistakenly attacked from behind by a woman from upstate New York who thought he grabbed her butt was knocked unconscious almost immediately, video obtained by The Post shows.
Surveillance video from inside Five1Eight nightclub in Plattsburgh shows Kierah LaGrave, 22, putting the bouncer in a chokehold and forcefully yanking his neck from behind. The man’s arms then remain at his side until he’s taken to the ground by the 125-pound pugilist who is now facing a felony charge of second-degree strangulation.
LaGrave coolly gets up after taking down the bouncer, who appears to regain consciousness seconds later before someone comes over to check him out, video shows.
Other footage from inside the club — where LaGrave also works — shows her talking with a friend near the bar before she turns around to dance with her backside facing toward the woman, who is clearly seen playfully slapping LaGrave’s rear. But LaGrave immediately turns around and has her sights set on the bouncer who was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.
LaGrave, of Plattsburgh, later admitted to police that she choked the bouncer, telling investigators she did so because he had grabbed her. Surveillance footage, however, proved otherwise.
LaGrave has been released on her own recognizance and is expected back in court on Nov. 20.
THE ROOTS OF POLITICAL POLARIZATION
Our politics seem to be degenerating because we no longer understand each other’s priorities.
By Bobby Jindal
The Wall Street Journal
November 1, 2018
Political debates today seem more intense because conservatives and liberals are more often starting from different first principles. It is harder to compromise when each side is promoting values that seem mutually exclusive. This modern-day culture war has polarized disputes over legislation, judicial nominations and speech on college campuses. Taking a step back and understanding each other’s priorities is key to making progress.
• Truth vs. social justice. In a reversal of traditional liberal values, the left now prioritizes social justice over free speech, respect for facts, and the marketplace of ideas. The Obama Justice Department found in 2014 that the shooting of Michael Brown by a police officer in Ferguson, Mo., had been justified, and that Brown hadn’t had his hands up—but that didn’t slow the left’s “hands up, don’t shoot” narrative. Many opponents of Brett Kavanaugh made clear that his originalist judicial philosophy made them more likely to believe the uncorroborated accusations of personal misconduct against him.
Preventing a conservative majority on the Supreme Court was seemingly more important than what actually happened years ago. Social psychologist Jonathan Haidt has documented how the triumph of social justice over truth has resulted in speech codes, safe spaces, bans on microaggressions, and the censoring of conservative voices on many college campuses—the places that should be most dedicated to the uncensored pursuit of truth.
• Individual vs. group identity. The left sees people primarily as members of groups defined by race, class, sex and sexual orientation. They are therefore confident that demographics are destiny. Individual agency is de-emphasized on the left and pure merit-based systems are dismissed as self-contradictory, as President Obama alluded to in his infamous “you didn’t build that” remark. The left assumes that the presence of disparate outcomes proves inherent bias requiring state remediation, even where proof of intent or even deliberate action is absent.
They are confident a more diverse America will be a more liberal America. When minorities adopt views different from the liberal orthodoxy, such as Asian-American students suing Harvard for discrimination, liberals denounce them as “whitening.” Asian-Americans who reject liberal views are disparaged as “Twinkies,” and African-Americans who do so are called “Oreos.”
• Growth vs. redistribution. The left adopts economic policies that explicitly prioritize equality over growth in the apparent belief that the poor suffer more from relative deprivation than absolute poverty. The left emphasizes the ratio between the pay of executives and average employees, and they minimize the importance of gains in median-employee compensation. They oppose policies like marginal income-tax rate cuts and regulatory reduction, which generate stronger growth, in favor of minimum-wage increases, higher taxes and larger government subsidies. Throughout his presidency Mr. Obama seemed resigned to the idea that lower growth rates were a worthy price for reduced inequality, though he was more successful at accomplishing the former than the latter.
• Religious vs. secular. Whereas the left previously included Social Gospel adherents as a core part of its coalition, the modern left is increasingly secular and hostile to public expressions of faith. Bill Clinton said abortion should be “safe, legal and rare,” but comedian Michelle Wolf and others now famously celebrate abortions and no longer view them as regrettable. The Missouri Democratic Party recently reversed itself under pressure from progressive activists and deleted an amendment to its platform welcoming pro-life candidates. Not content with winning a decision from the Supreme Court overturning state bans on same-sex marriage, the left is now suing small-business owners to force them to participate in gay weddings.
The left celebrates victimhood over resilience and self-sufficiency. If not for the harm done to our nation, it would be amusing to observe the privileged children attending elite universities seeking new ways to describe themselves as disadvantaged. The left promotes immediate gratification over delayed gratification, thus opposing pension and entitlement reform. The left regards history as a repository of racism and sexism, thus tainting the value of long-held traditions in favor of modern-day progress. The left’s most sacred value, diversity, trumps notions of unity, assimilation and order , ultimately leaving society to devolve into a modern-day Tower of Babel.
The left’s values are often valid corrective reactions to society’s excesses. There is a need to be vigilant for the rights of minorities excluded by the traditions of the majority, and the economic interests of those left behind. Both conservatives and liberals should celebrate the economic and legal progress of women and minorities, while still recognizing the work to be done. Yet liberals often go too far, ignoring the need to preserve the geese that lay the golden eggs. There will be little left to redistribute if they succeed in implementing their ruinous policies.
It’s insufficient for Republicans to argue that cutting taxes and regulations will result in higher wages and profits. They must return to first principles, and start by reminding voters why growth matters. Conservatives must make the case for individual autonomy. Before arguing about the rights of evangelical bakers, conservatives need to show why all Americans, regardless of faith, should fight to protect each other’s religious liberties. If not, the left and right will continue talking past each other, wondering why the other side doesn’t understand its self-evident virtues.
By Bobby Jindal
The Wall Street Journal
November 1, 2018
Political debates today seem more intense because conservatives and liberals are more often starting from different first principles. It is harder to compromise when each side is promoting values that seem mutually exclusive. This modern-day culture war has polarized disputes over legislation, judicial nominations and speech on college campuses. Taking a step back and understanding each other’s priorities is key to making progress.
• Truth vs. social justice. In a reversal of traditional liberal values, the left now prioritizes social justice over free speech, respect for facts, and the marketplace of ideas. The Obama Justice Department found in 2014 that the shooting of Michael Brown by a police officer in Ferguson, Mo., had been justified, and that Brown hadn’t had his hands up—but that didn’t slow the left’s “hands up, don’t shoot” narrative. Many opponents of Brett Kavanaugh made clear that his originalist judicial philosophy made them more likely to believe the uncorroborated accusations of personal misconduct against him.
Preventing a conservative majority on the Supreme Court was seemingly more important than what actually happened years ago. Social psychologist Jonathan Haidt has documented how the triumph of social justice over truth has resulted in speech codes, safe spaces, bans on microaggressions, and the censoring of conservative voices on many college campuses—the places that should be most dedicated to the uncensored pursuit of truth.
• Individual vs. group identity. The left sees people primarily as members of groups defined by race, class, sex and sexual orientation. They are therefore confident that demographics are destiny. Individual agency is de-emphasized on the left and pure merit-based systems are dismissed as self-contradictory, as President Obama alluded to in his infamous “you didn’t build that” remark. The left assumes that the presence of disparate outcomes proves inherent bias requiring state remediation, even where proof of intent or even deliberate action is absent.
They are confident a more diverse America will be a more liberal America. When minorities adopt views different from the liberal orthodoxy, such as Asian-American students suing Harvard for discrimination, liberals denounce them as “whitening.” Asian-Americans who reject liberal views are disparaged as “Twinkies,” and African-Americans who do so are called “Oreos.”
• Growth vs. redistribution. The left adopts economic policies that explicitly prioritize equality over growth in the apparent belief that the poor suffer more from relative deprivation than absolute poverty. The left emphasizes the ratio between the pay of executives and average employees, and they minimize the importance of gains in median-employee compensation. They oppose policies like marginal income-tax rate cuts and regulatory reduction, which generate stronger growth, in favor of minimum-wage increases, higher taxes and larger government subsidies. Throughout his presidency Mr. Obama seemed resigned to the idea that lower growth rates were a worthy price for reduced inequality, though he was more successful at accomplishing the former than the latter.
• Religious vs. secular. Whereas the left previously included Social Gospel adherents as a core part of its coalition, the modern left is increasingly secular and hostile to public expressions of faith. Bill Clinton said abortion should be “safe, legal and rare,” but comedian Michelle Wolf and others now famously celebrate abortions and no longer view them as regrettable. The Missouri Democratic Party recently reversed itself under pressure from progressive activists and deleted an amendment to its platform welcoming pro-life candidates. Not content with winning a decision from the Supreme Court overturning state bans on same-sex marriage, the left is now suing small-business owners to force them to participate in gay weddings.
The left celebrates victimhood over resilience and self-sufficiency. If not for the harm done to our nation, it would be amusing to observe the privileged children attending elite universities seeking new ways to describe themselves as disadvantaged. The left promotes immediate gratification over delayed gratification, thus opposing pension and entitlement reform. The left regards history as a repository of racism and sexism, thus tainting the value of long-held traditions in favor of modern-day progress. The left’s most sacred value, diversity, trumps notions of unity, assimilation and order , ultimately leaving society to devolve into a modern-day Tower of Babel.
The left’s values are often valid corrective reactions to society’s excesses. There is a need to be vigilant for the rights of minorities excluded by the traditions of the majority, and the economic interests of those left behind. Both conservatives and liberals should celebrate the economic and legal progress of women and minorities, while still recognizing the work to be done. Yet liberals often go too far, ignoring the need to preserve the geese that lay the golden eggs. There will be little left to redistribute if they succeed in implementing their ruinous policies.
It’s insufficient for Republicans to argue that cutting taxes and regulations will result in higher wages and profits. They must return to first principles, and start by reminding voters why growth matters. Conservatives must make the case for individual autonomy. Before arguing about the rights of evangelical bakers, conservatives need to show why all Americans, regardless of faith, should fight to protect each other’s religious liberties. If not, the left and right will continue talking past each other, wondering why the other side doesn’t understand its self-evident virtues.
Friday, November 02, 2018
SO MUCH NEPOTISM IT IS NOW OFFICIALLY O.K.
by Bob Walsh
The California Dept. of Tax and Free Administration is a middling-size state agency. It has 484 managerial personnel. Of that number 141 have a family or close personal relationship with one or more employees of that department. There are a total of 4,200 employees. More than 800 of them were found to be family or at least shacking up with managerial employees of that department. '
The S P B (State Personnel Board) determined in an audit that there were numerous instances in which these relationships appeared to result in favorable job treatment. A lot of these people were hired just before the end of 2012, when retirement rules changed.
It should be noted that a serious nepotism problem is what led to the downfall of the Board of Equalization, which was gutted and replaced by...wait for it...the Dept of Tax and Fee Administration.
Last year the A.G. investigated this tax agency. The media has attempted to get a copy of the report under the FOIA. The state has refused. They have stated that the report is not yet complete. They also assert the report is an attorney-client privilege document. The attorney is the A.G., the client is the Governor.
Must be nice to be able to bury the bodies and then keep people from looking for them.
The California Dept. of Tax and Free Administration is a middling-size state agency. It has 484 managerial personnel. Of that number 141 have a family or close personal relationship with one or more employees of that department. There are a total of 4,200 employees. More than 800 of them were found to be family or at least shacking up with managerial employees of that department. '
The S P B (State Personnel Board) determined in an audit that there were numerous instances in which these relationships appeared to result in favorable job treatment. A lot of these people were hired just before the end of 2012, when retirement rules changed.
It should be noted that a serious nepotism problem is what led to the downfall of the Board of Equalization, which was gutted and replaced by...wait for it...the Dept of Tax and Fee Administration.
Last year the A.G. investigated this tax agency. The media has attempted to get a copy of the report under the FOIA. The state has refused. They have stated that the report is not yet complete. They also assert the report is an attorney-client privilege document. The attorney is the A.G., the client is the Governor.
Must be nice to be able to bury the bodies and then keep people from looking for them.
WOMAN SENTENCED TO TEN YEARS FOR KILLING RAPIST
Not As Unreasonable As It Might Seem
by Bob Walsh
This is one of those convenient cases where the actual facts of the situation are not in much dispute.
Roxanne Eka Peters is a 35-year old mother in Australia. Days after he initially raped her three years ago he returned and threatened to kill her daughter if she did not cooperate in further sexual activity. She did not feel so inclined. She stabbed her attacker, Grant Jason Casar, 51, 61 times with a kitchen knife in her home on December 4, 2015. Several of the knife wounds were in his groin and penis. She then tied a rope around his neck and dragged him behind her car for a bit more than half a mile, where she dumped him in a ditch. His body was found the next day.
She copped to manslaughter and interfering with a corpse. Had she called the cops after stabbing him instead of dumping the body she would have had a fair chance of getting by with the killing.
Personally I think they should have given her a freebie, but that's just me. Things are funny in Australia.
by Bob Walsh
This is one of those convenient cases where the actual facts of the situation are not in much dispute.
Roxanne Eka Peters is a 35-year old mother in Australia. Days after he initially raped her three years ago he returned and threatened to kill her daughter if she did not cooperate in further sexual activity. She did not feel so inclined. She stabbed her attacker, Grant Jason Casar, 51, 61 times with a kitchen knife in her home on December 4, 2015. Several of the knife wounds were in his groin and penis. She then tied a rope around his neck and dragged him behind her car for a bit more than half a mile, where she dumped him in a ditch. His body was found the next day.
She copped to manslaughter and interfering with a corpse. Had she called the cops after stabbing him instead of dumping the body she would have had a fair chance of getting by with the killing.
Personally I think they should have given her a freebie, but that's just me. Things are funny in Australia.
STATE BAR KICKS PROSECUTOR IN THE ASS....PROBABLY
by Bob Walsh
Andrew Ganz is a top homicide prosecutor in the People's Republic of San Francisco. Back in 20121 he was working in Solano County as a prosecutor when he (allegedly) stepped on his dick big time.
A state bar trial has found Ganz guilty of gross negligence, suppression of evidence, misrepresentation and violation of a defendants constitutional rights. HE was found not guilt of deliberately concealed exculpatory evidence.
The trial, which lasted one week, recommended that Ganz be suspended from the bar for 90 days and placed on two years probation. The sentence must be approved by the State Supreme Court to be final.
Andrew Ganz is a top homicide prosecutor in the People's Republic of San Francisco. Back in 20121 he was working in Solano County as a prosecutor when he (allegedly) stepped on his dick big time.
A state bar trial has found Ganz guilty of gross negligence, suppression of evidence, misrepresentation and violation of a defendants constitutional rights. HE was found not guilt of deliberately concealed exculpatory evidence.
The trial, which lasted one week, recommended that Ganz be suspended from the bar for 90 days and placed on two years probation. The sentence must be approved by the State Supreme Court to be final.
JERRY'S TOY TRAIN GETS ANOTHER WIN....MAYBE-PROBABLY
by Bob Walsh
It appears that yet another lawsuit against Governor Jerry Moonbeam Brown's toy train (the woefully mislabeled High-Speed Rail Authority) is likely to go Jerry's way, though the final decision is a few days off.
The lawsuit asserted that tweaks made to the bond requirements by AB 1889 changed the basic meaning of the funding for the project, which was written into the voter-passed initiative that created the HSRA. The judge appears to be ready to rule that the bill only "clarifies" the language and does not meaningfully change it.
Apparently the whole thing hinges on the meaning of the word "ready."
Judge Richard K. Sueyoshi of the Sacramento County Superior Court will likely make a final ruling on the suit soon.
It appears that yet another lawsuit against Governor Jerry Moonbeam Brown's toy train (the woefully mislabeled High-Speed Rail Authority) is likely to go Jerry's way, though the final decision is a few days off.
The lawsuit asserted that tweaks made to the bond requirements by AB 1889 changed the basic meaning of the funding for the project, which was written into the voter-passed initiative that created the HSRA. The judge appears to be ready to rule that the bill only "clarifies" the language and does not meaningfully change it.
Apparently the whole thing hinges on the meaning of the word "ready."
Judge Richard K. Sueyoshi of the Sacramento County Superior Court will likely make a final ruling on the suit soon.
SECRET CALIFORNIA PRISON REPORT
Pssst ... Don't Tell Anybody
by Bob Walsh
A couple days ago a federal judge released a report on the psych care of prisoners in the CA DOC and the report says that the state is doing a piss-poor state of providing psych care despite years of federal court mandates. (How can it be secret if the judge released it?)
Dr. Michael Golding, head shrink for the system, asserts that the department has deliberately been fudging its reports to the court. Assuming the news article go it right (not always a safe assumption) it APPEARS that the shrink made the report up thru channels within the DOC and then leaked a copy to Judge Kimberly Mueller, who made it public.
At the moment it seems that Judge Mueller believes that the DOC committed a deliberate fraud on the court and is setting up hearings, at which Dr. Golding will testify.
One of the chief incidents related is a psychotic female prisoner, who allegedly went on screaming jags every 15 minutes or so for about four hours. Nobody contacted the on-call psychiatrist and she received no medication. During this cluster-fuck the prisoner popped out her own eyeball and swallowed it. Gross.
by Bob Walsh
A couple days ago a federal judge released a report on the psych care of prisoners in the CA DOC and the report says that the state is doing a piss-poor state of providing psych care despite years of federal court mandates. (How can it be secret if the judge released it?)
Dr. Michael Golding, head shrink for the system, asserts that the department has deliberately been fudging its reports to the court. Assuming the news article go it right (not always a safe assumption) it APPEARS that the shrink made the report up thru channels within the DOC and then leaked a copy to Judge Kimberly Mueller, who made it public.
At the moment it seems that Judge Mueller believes that the DOC committed a deliberate fraud on the court and is setting up hearings, at which Dr. Golding will testify.
One of the chief incidents related is a psychotic female prisoner, who allegedly went on screaming jags every 15 minutes or so for about four hours. Nobody contacted the on-call psychiatrist and she received no medication. During this cluster-fuck the prisoner popped out her own eyeball and swallowed it. Gross.
SINCE DEMOCRATS LIKE OBAMACARE, THEY MUST LIKE THIS DOUBLE WHAMMY
Health insurance premiums and deductibles have been rising every year
The mid-term elections have seen the Republicans campaigning on stopping illegal immigration and the Democrats campaigning on preserving Obamacare and expanding it to universal healthcare.
Health insurance premiums have risen every year. That was to be expected, but not how high the rates have gone up. And because employers want to reduce the amount of insurance they pay for their employee coverage, the deductibles have skyrocketed as well.
So, since the Democrats like Obamacare, they must like getting hit with the double whammy of rising premiums and deductibles.
Of course, if Obamacare were ever to be replaced by the Republicans, which appears rather doubtful, the new type of private health insurance would also see rising premiums, while deductibles could rise as well.
Either way, we are fucked!
The mid-term elections have seen the Republicans campaigning on stopping illegal immigration and the Democrats campaigning on preserving Obamacare and expanding it to universal healthcare.
Health insurance premiums have risen every year. That was to be expected, but not how high the rates have gone up. And because employers want to reduce the amount of insurance they pay for their employee coverage, the deductibles have skyrocketed as well.
So, since the Democrats like Obamacare, they must like getting hit with the double whammy of rising premiums and deductibles.
Of course, if Obamacare were ever to be replaced by the Republicans, which appears rather doubtful, the new type of private health insurance would also see rising premiums, while deductibles could rise as well.
Either way, we are fucked!
VICTIM OF COLLATERAL DAMAGE
A 6-year-old got shot in an apparent gang fight. Here's what her mother wants you to know
By Sonali Kohli
Los Angeles Times
October 31, 2018
LOS ANGELES - There's a bullet inside Emely Ramirez, but it only hurts when the 6-year-old bends down.
On a rainy Friday night this month, she was strapped into her car seat at a South Los Angeles gas station - her mother and 13-year-old sister were trading jokes outside the car. A nearby Pontiac was making Emely's mother, Brenda Ramirez, nervous. Then a BMW pulled up and people from both cars began shooting at one another.
In the ensuing gunfight, the shooters didn't hit one another. But a bullet struck Emely in the back.
Emely's mother was screaming to her two older daughters to get on the ground as she scrambled to get Emely out of the car seat. Brenda said the unstrapping took longer than usual - as she felt bullets hitting metal, shattering glass. Finally she got Emely out and felt wet blood.
She said her daughter told her, "Mommy I'm tired, I want to go to sleep."
Brenda tried to keep Emely awake - asked what her teacher did in school that day, how her test had gone. Nearby, the 13-year-old was having her first seizure in two years. Her aunt, Nina Ramirez, would later say this was the only seizure she was glad to hear of, because her niece doesn't remember the shooting.
It happened about 8 p.m. Oct. 12. After the shooters' cars pulled out, only one person offered help, Brenda said. He told her to wrap a sweater around Emely and hold it tight to stanch the bleeding. Emely soon was taken to a hospital, where she would spend nine days.
Within a day, Emely was watching cartoons and charming the police officers who visited, said Los Angeles Police Det. Ryan Bellows of the 77th Street Division.
Now, 2 1/2 weeks later, Emely is mostly herself. She's a bold kid with a huge smile and a laugh that seems to fill her whole face. She loves unicorns, the color pink and watching YouTube crafting videos. Though the bullet isn't impeding Emely, she has an appointment this week to check on it.
On Monday, toting a pink backpack, she returned to school - to her friends and to her favorite subject, math. After school, she spent time as usual at her family's party decoration shop.
Her mother says she plans to get counseling for her through her elementary school. She says Emely is throwing more fits than usual, occasionally demanding - to no avail - that her mother buy her something.
The 13-year-old and 17-year-old, both in high school, are resisting help, their mother said. "They say, 'I'm OK,' but I know they're not."
The older one wants to stay in bed with her mom, and the 13-year-old has trouble sleeping. They don't want their mom to reclaim her car from police.
The shooting in Vermont-Slauson neighborhood has forced Brenda to confront the reality of danger in the neighborhood where she lives and works. Police believe the suspects were rival gang members.
"I never feel fear. I always say, 'Well, everything's gonna be good, and we're gonna fix it and everything's gonna be right,'" Brenda said. "At that moment, I feel like nothing was good and nothing was right. And I don't know why it was happening to me."
It's not fair that people who had a problem with each other disregarded her children and shot through them, she said. It's not fair that her daughter has a bullet lodged in her body. "They saw there were kids ... and they didn't care," Brenda said of the shooters. "They just care about their anger or whatever it was in their heads, the evil things."
Authorities have arrested and charged the two men they say were in the Pontiac - Corey Lee Ware, 30, and Larry Hawkins, 32 - with 10 felony counts each, including premeditated attempted murder, assault with a semiautomatic firearm and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, authorities said. If convicted, they could face multiple sentences of 25 years to life in state prison, a spokesman for the Los Angeles County district attorney's office said.
Police are still searching for the suspects who were in the BMW, Bellows said. Anyone with information can contact him at (323) 786-5414, or call LAPD's tip line at (800) 222-8477.
About two weeks before the shooting, Brenda said there were gunshots near the shop. Her brother told her to get on the ground. Otherwise, she said, she wouldn't have known what to do. Now she wants to see more preparation for children and adults in schools.
"If there's an earthquake I have my gallons of water here, in my car," she said. "Wherever I go, I have alcohol, bandages. ... I always prepare for everything. I wasn't prepared for this. Nobody told me how to act."
By Sonali Kohli
Los Angeles Times
October 31, 2018
LOS ANGELES - There's a bullet inside Emely Ramirez, but it only hurts when the 6-year-old bends down.
On a rainy Friday night this month, she was strapped into her car seat at a South Los Angeles gas station - her mother and 13-year-old sister were trading jokes outside the car. A nearby Pontiac was making Emely's mother, Brenda Ramirez, nervous. Then a BMW pulled up and people from both cars began shooting at one another.
In the ensuing gunfight, the shooters didn't hit one another. But a bullet struck Emely in the back.
Emely's mother was screaming to her two older daughters to get on the ground as she scrambled to get Emely out of the car seat. Brenda said the unstrapping took longer than usual - as she felt bullets hitting metal, shattering glass. Finally she got Emely out and felt wet blood.
She said her daughter told her, "Mommy I'm tired, I want to go to sleep."
Brenda tried to keep Emely awake - asked what her teacher did in school that day, how her test had gone. Nearby, the 13-year-old was having her first seizure in two years. Her aunt, Nina Ramirez, would later say this was the only seizure she was glad to hear of, because her niece doesn't remember the shooting.
It happened about 8 p.m. Oct. 12. After the shooters' cars pulled out, only one person offered help, Brenda said. He told her to wrap a sweater around Emely and hold it tight to stanch the bleeding. Emely soon was taken to a hospital, where she would spend nine days.
Within a day, Emely was watching cartoons and charming the police officers who visited, said Los Angeles Police Det. Ryan Bellows of the 77th Street Division.
Now, 2 1/2 weeks later, Emely is mostly herself. She's a bold kid with a huge smile and a laugh that seems to fill her whole face. She loves unicorns, the color pink and watching YouTube crafting videos. Though the bullet isn't impeding Emely, she has an appointment this week to check on it.
On Monday, toting a pink backpack, she returned to school - to her friends and to her favorite subject, math. After school, she spent time as usual at her family's party decoration shop.
Her mother says she plans to get counseling for her through her elementary school. She says Emely is throwing more fits than usual, occasionally demanding - to no avail - that her mother buy her something.
The 13-year-old and 17-year-old, both in high school, are resisting help, their mother said. "They say, 'I'm OK,' but I know they're not."
The older one wants to stay in bed with her mom, and the 13-year-old has trouble sleeping. They don't want their mom to reclaim her car from police.
The shooting in Vermont-Slauson neighborhood has forced Brenda to confront the reality of danger in the neighborhood where she lives and works. Police believe the suspects were rival gang members.
"I never feel fear. I always say, 'Well, everything's gonna be good, and we're gonna fix it and everything's gonna be right,'" Brenda said. "At that moment, I feel like nothing was good and nothing was right. And I don't know why it was happening to me."
It's not fair that people who had a problem with each other disregarded her children and shot through them, she said. It's not fair that her daughter has a bullet lodged in her body. "They saw there were kids ... and they didn't care," Brenda said of the shooters. "They just care about their anger or whatever it was in their heads, the evil things."
Authorities have arrested and charged the two men they say were in the Pontiac - Corey Lee Ware, 30, and Larry Hawkins, 32 - with 10 felony counts each, including premeditated attempted murder, assault with a semiautomatic firearm and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, authorities said. If convicted, they could face multiple sentences of 25 years to life in state prison, a spokesman for the Los Angeles County district attorney's office said.
Police are still searching for the suspects who were in the BMW, Bellows said. Anyone with information can contact him at (323) 786-5414, or call LAPD's tip line at (800) 222-8477.
About two weeks before the shooting, Brenda said there were gunshots near the shop. Her brother told her to get on the ground. Otherwise, she said, she wouldn't have known what to do. Now she wants to see more preparation for children and adults in schools.
"If there's an earthquake I have my gallons of water here, in my car," she said. "Wherever I go, I have alcohol, bandages. ... I always prepare for everything. I wasn't prepared for this. Nobody told me how to act."
NO ONE IS SCREAMING ABOUT HILLARY’S RACIST JOKE
Hillary Clinton jokes 'they all look alike' about blacks after interviewer confuses Cory Booker, Eric Holder
By Jessica Chasmar
The Washington Times
October 30, 2018
Hillary Clinton drew laughs during a discussion over the weekend when she joked that “they all look alike” after the interviewer confused black Democrats Eric Holder and Cory Booker.
Mrs. Clinton was talking about civility in politics during a discussion with Recode co-founder Kara Swisher when Ms. Swisher asked what the former presidential candidate thought about “Cory Booker … saying, ‘Kick them in the shins?’”
She was actually referring to Mr. Holder, the former attorney general who faced criticism earlier this month for telling a crowd of Democrats: “When they go low, we kick them.”
“Well, that was Eric Holder,” Mrs. Clinton corrected Ms. Swisher.
“I know they all look alike,” she joked, prompting a round of shocked laughter.
“No, they don’t,” Ms. Swisher retorted, adding, “Oh, well done.”
Before the joke, Mrs. Clinton, who has faced her own criticism for her comments on civility, lamented that politeness is often mistaken for political correctness.
“It’s respecting the diversity that we have in our society,” she said. “The Democratic Party is a much more diverse political party, attracting people who are African-American, Latino, LGBT.
“I don’t think it’s politically correct to say we value that,” she continued. “And I don’t want to go around insulting people, painting people with a broad brush — every immigrant is this, every African-American is that, every other person with different religious beliefs or whatever — that’s childish.”
EDITOR’S NOTE: Holder and Booker may not look alike, but when it comes to Trump they sure as hell think alike, with Holder expressing his views in a civil manner while Booker screams like a pissed off chimpanzee.
Other than Fox News and The Washington Times, Hillary’s joke received no coverage in the mainstream media. Had Trump made such a joke, the media would have erupted like a volcano and belched smoke for days on end.
By Jessica Chasmar
The Washington Times
October 30, 2018
Hillary Clinton drew laughs during a discussion over the weekend when she joked that “they all look alike” after the interviewer confused black Democrats Eric Holder and Cory Booker.
Mrs. Clinton was talking about civility in politics during a discussion with Recode co-founder Kara Swisher when Ms. Swisher asked what the former presidential candidate thought about “Cory Booker … saying, ‘Kick them in the shins?’”
She was actually referring to Mr. Holder, the former attorney general who faced criticism earlier this month for telling a crowd of Democrats: “When they go low, we kick them.”
“Well, that was Eric Holder,” Mrs. Clinton corrected Ms. Swisher.
“I know they all look alike,” she joked, prompting a round of shocked laughter.
“No, they don’t,” Ms. Swisher retorted, adding, “Oh, well done.”
Before the joke, Mrs. Clinton, who has faced her own criticism for her comments on civility, lamented that politeness is often mistaken for political correctness.
“It’s respecting the diversity that we have in our society,” she said. “The Democratic Party is a much more diverse political party, attracting people who are African-American, Latino, LGBT.
“I don’t think it’s politically correct to say we value that,” she continued. “And I don’t want to go around insulting people, painting people with a broad brush — every immigrant is this, every African-American is that, every other person with different religious beliefs or whatever — that’s childish.”
EDITOR’S NOTE: Holder and Booker may not look alike, but when it comes to Trump they sure as hell think alike, with Holder expressing his views in a civil manner while Booker screams like a pissed off chimpanzee.
Other than Fox News and The Washington Times, Hillary’s joke received no coverage in the mainstream media. Had Trump made such a joke, the media would have erupted like a volcano and belched smoke for days on end.
JAIR BOLSONARO: THE MILITARY SHAPES YOUR VALUES AND PRINCIPLES - GIVES YOU RESPONSIBILITY, PATRIOTISM, SACRIFICE AND MEANING
President-elect of Brazil promises to move embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem because, as a sovereign state, Israel is the only one that can decide its capital
By Boaz Bismuth
Israel Hayom
November 1, 2018
Until a few weeks ago, Jair Bolsonaro, now the president-elect of Brazil, was a little-known legislator. No one thought he would go on to become the leader of the country. But on Wednesday, a week after he astonished everyone by winning the presidential election in Brazil – the largest democracy in Latin America – Bolsonaro chose Israel Hayom for what appears to be his first interview with the foreign media, and made it clear that his support for Israel and promises about Jerusalem were not just an election gimmick.
This is part of Bolsonaro's desire to lead Brazil on a new path and free his country of the policies that he believes to be outdated – policies instated by the Left, which has been in control almost continuously since the early 2000s.
Bolsonaro is under attack for his blunt, politically incorrect style, but that's exactly what prompted the Brazilian masses to put their trust in him as their new leader. They wanted a leader that would make them proud of their country, which is currently plagued with violence and economic distress.
Many believe, incorrectly, that Bolsonaro is an extreme right-wing nationalist. But he isn't bothered by the misperceptions and says that the claims that he will end democracy say more about his opponents than they do about him.
Israel Hayom Editor-in-Chief Boaz Bismuth spoke to Bolsonaro by telephone, with the help of an interpreter.
Q: Did you know that your name, Jair, means ''bringing light" in Hebrew?
"Yes, I was informed not long ago. I have the moral compass of a man who intends to do his best for his country and intends to tighten relations with other countries that think the same way we do and champion democratic elections, liberty and respect for others.
"I was in Israel two years ago and I intend to return. The Israeli ambassador to Brazil [Yossi Shelly] visited me twice this week, and I've always had excellent relations with him. I'm very happy that I'm treated so warmly and that the official envoy of the State of Israel treats me this way, and it is truly mutual. I love the Israeli people and Israel. You can depend on the fact that I will promote closeness and fruitful cooperation between us starting in 2019."
Q: You've said several times that you intend to relocate the Brazilian Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Will you? And do you intend to change the status of the Palestinian Embassy in Brasília?
"Israel is a sovereign state. If you decide on your capital city, we will act in accordance. When I was asked during the campaign if I'll do it [relocate the embassy] when I was president, I said yes, and that you're the ones who decide on the capital of Israel, not other people.
"As for the Palestinian Embassy, it was built too close to the presidential palace. … No embassy can be so close to the presidential palace, so we intend to move it. There's no other way, in my opinion. Other than that, Palestine first needs to be a state to have the right to an embassy."
Q: Can Israel expect fairer, more supportive votes from Brazil in international forums, such as the U.N., on matters involving Israel?
"You can count on having our vote in the U.N. I know that often the vote is almost symbolic, but it helps to define the position a country intends to take. Rest assured that you can depend on our vote in the U.N. on almost all the issues having to do with Israel."
Q: To what do you attribute your electoral victory, and what is your administration's general plan?
"The victory is down to a number of things – the weariness of politicians who made politics a profession here in Brazil; corruption; contempt for family values; and the previous governments' very close ties to socialism and communism, and of course, to the fact that we flew the flag of truth."
Q: Were you surprised by the popular support, the results, and your [party's] increased representation in the National Congress?
"Our party had one member in parliament and now we have 52, despite the fact that we don't get any television coverage or [government] funds. The campaign relied heavily on social media and now we're 10% of the parliament and we've managed to get the support of other parties as well as independent lawmakers, so governing isn't a problem.
"I wasn't surprised, because I started crisscrossing Brazil four years ago. Brazil is very large. Israel is smaller than our smallest state [Sergipe], so imagine if you were 26 times bigger. Over the course of four years, we managed to get to every part of Brazil. By speaking the truth, we gained the sympathy and trust of the Brazilian electorate, and even though I was in the hospital for 23 days and at home for another 20 and couldn't go out [following an attempt on his life], we won by a large margin of votes."
Q: Are you proud of the long political road you've traversed, and will the assassination attempt affect your presidency?
"For 28 years I've been part of a parliament that receives no support from the public. It is a parliament that has turned its back on the people long ago. But the fact is that I'm a survivor of that parliament. Before I entered politics, I was in the Brazilian army for 17 years, and as far as I know in Israel almost everyone has military experience. … [In the military,] one experiences nationalism. It shapes your values and principles – gives you responsibility, patriotism, sacrifice and meaning. All of this molds your personality."
Q: Why do you think people are saying that you pose a threat to democracy?
"They can't go after me for being corrupt. Meanwhile, their government [the previous left-wing government] operated in a number of ways – controlling the public with the media; rewriting the constitution; nationalizing assets, which lowered the value of private property; submitting to dictatorships all over the world. That's what the Left does, as it walks around carrying Lenin's works on communism under its arm. The Left always blames others for the very things it does itself. But the Brazilian population, which has been liberated from the traditional media, trusted my word and my past."
EDITOR’S NOTE: Viva Jair Bolsonaro!
By Boaz Bismuth
Israel Hayom
November 1, 2018
Until a few weeks ago, Jair Bolsonaro, now the president-elect of Brazil, was a little-known legislator. No one thought he would go on to become the leader of the country. But on Wednesday, a week after he astonished everyone by winning the presidential election in Brazil – the largest democracy in Latin America – Bolsonaro chose Israel Hayom for what appears to be his first interview with the foreign media, and made it clear that his support for Israel and promises about Jerusalem were not just an election gimmick.
This is part of Bolsonaro's desire to lead Brazil on a new path and free his country of the policies that he believes to be outdated – policies instated by the Left, which has been in control almost continuously since the early 2000s.
Bolsonaro is under attack for his blunt, politically incorrect style, but that's exactly what prompted the Brazilian masses to put their trust in him as their new leader. They wanted a leader that would make them proud of their country, which is currently plagued with violence and economic distress.
Many believe, incorrectly, that Bolsonaro is an extreme right-wing nationalist. But he isn't bothered by the misperceptions and says that the claims that he will end democracy say more about his opponents than they do about him.
Israel Hayom Editor-in-Chief Boaz Bismuth spoke to Bolsonaro by telephone, with the help of an interpreter.
Q: Did you know that your name, Jair, means ''bringing light" in Hebrew?
"Yes, I was informed not long ago. I have the moral compass of a man who intends to do his best for his country and intends to tighten relations with other countries that think the same way we do and champion democratic elections, liberty and respect for others.
"I was in Israel two years ago and I intend to return. The Israeli ambassador to Brazil [Yossi Shelly] visited me twice this week, and I've always had excellent relations with him. I'm very happy that I'm treated so warmly and that the official envoy of the State of Israel treats me this way, and it is truly mutual. I love the Israeli people and Israel. You can depend on the fact that I will promote closeness and fruitful cooperation between us starting in 2019."
Q: You've said several times that you intend to relocate the Brazilian Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Will you? And do you intend to change the status of the Palestinian Embassy in Brasília?
"Israel is a sovereign state. If you decide on your capital city, we will act in accordance. When I was asked during the campaign if I'll do it [relocate the embassy] when I was president, I said yes, and that you're the ones who decide on the capital of Israel, not other people.
"As for the Palestinian Embassy, it was built too close to the presidential palace. … No embassy can be so close to the presidential palace, so we intend to move it. There's no other way, in my opinion. Other than that, Palestine first needs to be a state to have the right to an embassy."
Q: Can Israel expect fairer, more supportive votes from Brazil in international forums, such as the U.N., on matters involving Israel?
"You can count on having our vote in the U.N. I know that often the vote is almost symbolic, but it helps to define the position a country intends to take. Rest assured that you can depend on our vote in the U.N. on almost all the issues having to do with Israel."
Q: To what do you attribute your electoral victory, and what is your administration's general plan?
"The victory is down to a number of things – the weariness of politicians who made politics a profession here in Brazil; corruption; contempt for family values; and the previous governments' very close ties to socialism and communism, and of course, to the fact that we flew the flag of truth."
Q: Were you surprised by the popular support, the results, and your [party's] increased representation in the National Congress?
"Our party had one member in parliament and now we have 52, despite the fact that we don't get any television coverage or [government] funds. The campaign relied heavily on social media and now we're 10% of the parliament and we've managed to get the support of other parties as well as independent lawmakers, so governing isn't a problem.
"I wasn't surprised, because I started crisscrossing Brazil four years ago. Brazil is very large. Israel is smaller than our smallest state [Sergipe], so imagine if you were 26 times bigger. Over the course of four years, we managed to get to every part of Brazil. By speaking the truth, we gained the sympathy and trust of the Brazilian electorate, and even though I was in the hospital for 23 days and at home for another 20 and couldn't go out [following an attempt on his life], we won by a large margin of votes."
Q: Are you proud of the long political road you've traversed, and will the assassination attempt affect your presidency?
"For 28 years I've been part of a parliament that receives no support from the public. It is a parliament that has turned its back on the people long ago. But the fact is that I'm a survivor of that parliament. Before I entered politics, I was in the Brazilian army for 17 years, and as far as I know in Israel almost everyone has military experience. … [In the military,] one experiences nationalism. It shapes your values and principles – gives you responsibility, patriotism, sacrifice and meaning. All of this molds your personality."
Q: Why do you think people are saying that you pose a threat to democracy?
"They can't go after me for being corrupt. Meanwhile, their government [the previous left-wing government] operated in a number of ways – controlling the public with the media; rewriting the constitution; nationalizing assets, which lowered the value of private property; submitting to dictatorships all over the world. That's what the Left does, as it walks around carrying Lenin's works on communism under its arm. The Left always blames others for the very things it does itself. But the Brazilian population, which has been liberated from the traditional media, trusted my word and my past."
EDITOR’S NOTE: Viva Jair Bolsonaro!
Thursday, November 01, 2018
A WIRELESS PENILE IMPLANT COMING YOUR WAY
Dr. Kevin Kovach, a research professor at the Hudson Institute of Penileology, announced that men with erectile dysfunction will soon have available a revolutionary wireless penile implant
Canada Medical News
October 31, 2018
TORONTO -- Dr. Kevin Kovach, a research professor at Canada’s Hudson Institute of Penileology, announced that his team of researchers has developed a wireless penile implant that will be available soon for men suffering from erectile dysfunction.
The Kovach I-Implant will revolutionize penile implant surgery. Currently there are three main types of penile implants:
Three-piece inflatable pump
The three-piece inflatable pump involves placing two cylinders in the penis, an inflatable pump in the scrotum, and a fluid-filled container in the abdomen. All of these components are connected by special tubing. Squeezing the pump in the scrotum causes fluid to moves from the container into the cylinders, creating an erection. When the release valve is squeezed, fluid moves out of the cylinder and back into the container, making the penis flaccid. When inflated, a three-piece inflatable pump implant acts and feels like a natural erection. The implant also feels natural and comfortable when flaccid.
Two-piece inflatable
This type of implant is similar to the three-piece inflatable device and works in the same way. However, instead of a separate fluid-filled container, the fluid is kept within the pump in the scrotum. However, the two-piece inflatable device is not as rigid as the three-piece implant.
Semi-rigid or malleable rods
This type of penile implant involves a surgeon implanting two flexible rods into the penis. The implants never change in size or stiffness and maintain a semi-rigid state. They can, however, be set in different positions easily. The implants are usually bent downward but can be straightened into an upward position when needed for sexual intercourse.
The cost of these implants ranges from $9,400 to $23,000 and is covered by many insurance plans.
The I-Implant will replace the three types of implants currently in use. It is a flexible rod-like device that contains a rechargeable lithium ion battery. It operates from a small remote control.
The length and girth of the implant can be adjusted by pressing the designated buttons on the remote control. No more annoying pumps, no more one size fits all.
The implant battery is recharged simply by placing the special battery recharger on the penis for about one hour. Dr. Kovach avoided the possibility of a penis exploding by making sure the lithium ion batteries were not made in China. The I-Implant batteries his team used were all made in Canada.
The I-Implant is expected to cost around $25,000 for the device, the surgery and the use of hospital facilities. Hospital stay is not expected to exceed two days.
Dr. Kovach’s team has been developing the I-Implant for the past seven years. After two years of successful trials on chimpanzees that could not otherwise get an erection, Dr. Kovach is ready to start trials on men.
If you are interested in participating in the I-Implant trials, call the Hudson Institute of Penileology at 1-613- 992-4211
In order to get a large pool of I-Implant trial volunteers to choose from, Dr. Kovach urges that all persons who read this article pass it on to all those on their mailing list.
Canada Medical News
October 31, 2018
TORONTO -- Dr. Kevin Kovach, a research professor at Canada’s Hudson Institute of Penileology, announced that his team of researchers has developed a wireless penile implant that will be available soon for men suffering from erectile dysfunction.
The Kovach I-Implant will revolutionize penile implant surgery. Currently there are three main types of penile implants:
Three-piece inflatable pump
The three-piece inflatable pump involves placing two cylinders in the penis, an inflatable pump in the scrotum, and a fluid-filled container in the abdomen. All of these components are connected by special tubing. Squeezing the pump in the scrotum causes fluid to moves from the container into the cylinders, creating an erection. When the release valve is squeezed, fluid moves out of the cylinder and back into the container, making the penis flaccid. When inflated, a three-piece inflatable pump implant acts and feels like a natural erection. The implant also feels natural and comfortable when flaccid.
Two-piece inflatable
This type of implant is similar to the three-piece inflatable device and works in the same way. However, instead of a separate fluid-filled container, the fluid is kept within the pump in the scrotum. However, the two-piece inflatable device is not as rigid as the three-piece implant.
Semi-rigid or malleable rods
This type of penile implant involves a surgeon implanting two flexible rods into the penis. The implants never change in size or stiffness and maintain a semi-rigid state. They can, however, be set in different positions easily. The implants are usually bent downward but can be straightened into an upward position when needed for sexual intercourse.
The cost of these implants ranges from $9,400 to $23,000 and is covered by many insurance plans.
The I-Implant will replace the three types of implants currently in use. It is a flexible rod-like device that contains a rechargeable lithium ion battery. It operates from a small remote control.
The length and girth of the implant can be adjusted by pressing the designated buttons on the remote control. No more annoying pumps, no more one size fits all.
The implant battery is recharged simply by placing the special battery recharger on the penis for about one hour. Dr. Kovach avoided the possibility of a penis exploding by making sure the lithium ion batteries were not made in China. The I-Implant batteries his team used were all made in Canada.
The I-Implant is expected to cost around $25,000 for the device, the surgery and the use of hospital facilities. Hospital stay is not expected to exceed two days.
Dr. Kovach’s team has been developing the I-Implant for the past seven years. After two years of successful trials on chimpanzees that could not otherwise get an erection, Dr. Kovach is ready to start trials on men.
If you are interested in participating in the I-Implant trials, call the Hudson Institute of Penileology at 1-613- 992-4211
In order to get a large pool of I-Implant trial volunteers to choose from, Dr. Kovach urges that all persons who read this article pass it on to all those on their mailing list.
SNITCHES GET STITCHES
by Bob Walsh
Whitey Bulger, one-time most wanted fugitive, big-time mobster from South Boston and FBI snitch was beaten to death in a federal prison in West Virginia less than two days after his transfer there. Allegedly his murderer was a mob enforcer doing life.
The FBI is investigating. Supposedly they are suspicious of the circumstances surrounding his transfer in the first place. I would like to think the Boston Mob does not have tentacles into the federal prison system, at least not high enough up to transfer a high-profile prisoner, but...…..
Whitey Bulger, one-time most wanted fugitive, big-time mobster from South Boston and FBI snitch was beaten to death in a federal prison in West Virginia less than two days after his transfer there. Allegedly his murderer was a mob enforcer doing life.
The FBI is investigating. Supposedly they are suspicious of the circumstances surrounding his transfer in the first place. I would like to think the Boston Mob does not have tentacles into the federal prison system, at least not high enough up to transfer a high-profile prisoner, but...…..
STAND YOUR GROIND ABOUT TO BE TOSSED INTO THE ASH HEAP OF HISTORY?
Florida's Prosecutors: Stand Your Ground Law Unconstitutional
By David Ovalle
Miami Herald
October 31, 2018
MIAMI — A South Florida organization of prosecutors that includes Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle is telling the Florida Supreme Court that the latest version of the state’s controversial “Stand Your Ground” self-defense law is unconstitutional.
The League of Prosecutors, in newly filed court documents, asked justices to strike down the law because it unlawfully forces state attorneys to try cases involving self-defense claims before a judge, not a jury. “There is nothing specialized or unique about this defense that the common juror cannot understand,” according to the brief filed late Friday.
Fernandez Rundle, the longtime elected top prosecutor in Miami-Dade, also filed a brief joining in the effort — the first state attorney to break with Attorney General Pam Bondi, whose office is defending the broadened “Stand Your Ground” law passed by the Florida Legislature last year.
The Florida Supreme Court is set to review issues surrounding the law, which was first passed in 2005 amid much controversy. The law, passed with high-profile backing of the powerful National Rifle Association, eliminated a citizen’s duty to retreat before using deadly force to counter a threat.
Critics have long said that the law creates a culture of vigilante gun violence and allows criminals to skate on claims of self-defense. The law is opposed by many in law enforcement
The law has repeatedly become a social and political flash point. In 2012, police cited the law in initially not arresting a neighborhood watchman in the shooting death of Miami Gardens teenager Trayvon Martin, a case that sparked racial tensions and scrutiny on the state’s self-defense law. The gunman, George Zimmerman, was later charged but acquitted by a Seminole County jury.
Most recently, controversy erupted over the killing of Markeis McGlockton in Clearwater. Though not armed with a weapon, he was gunned down after pushing a man during a fight that started over a parking space. Pinellas County’s sheriff cited the law in not initially arresting the killer, Michael Drejka, although prosecutors later charged him with second-degree murder.
Also, Florida’s self-defense law will likely play a central role in the case of former Lakeland city commissioner Michael Dunn, who was indicted this month in the fatal shooting of a shoplifter who was trying to escape his store.
Most vexing for prosecutors, the law allowed for judges an easier path to grant “immunity” for someone they deem to be acting in self-defense. Over the years, judges in Miami have thrown out murder cases in a number of high-profile cases, including a man who shot another man as both cowered from the sound of gunfire outside a barbershop.
For years, it was the burden of the defendant to prove to a judge that he or she acted in self-defense.
But last year, Florida lawmakers changed the law, forcing prosecutors to shoulder the burden of disproving a defendant’s claim of self-defense in a hearing before any jury trial takes place. Prosecutors must prove by “clear and convincing” evidence that someone was not acting in self-defense.
At the time, prosecutors and many police departments opposed the measure. It passed anyway.
Since then, a slew of cases in court have challenged the new law, and whether it applies to incidents that happened before it went into effect. Two Miami judges ruled that Florida lawmakers overstepped their authority in crafting the law. One of those cases has now made its way to the Florida Supreme Court.
The accused: Tashara Love, who is charged with attempted murder in the shooting of a man outside a Miami strip club in 2015. In May, Miami-Dade’s Third District Court of Appeal ruled that the broadened self-defense law is constitutional but that it does not apply to cases that happened before the law went into effect.
Love’s case before the Florida Supreme Court is being closely watched.
The NRA has chimed into the court fight, saying the law is constitutional and was passed for the “protection of innocent lives and the fundamental right of self-defense.” Two prominent gun-control groups, Everytown for Gun Safety and The Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence, say the law “makes it harder to prosecute those who perpetrate gun violence, and ultimately encourages the unlawful and reckless use of firearms.”
Enter the League of Prosecutors, a Miami organization of current and former local prosecutors formed to educate the public about criminal justice issues, mentor assistant state attorneys and promote “judicial excellence.”
The group is distinct from the Florida Prosecuting Attorneys Association, a lobbying group that represents state attorneys. The FPAA opposed the change in the law before it was passed, but has not weighed in on Love’s case.
The passing of the law violated the separation of powers between the Legislature and elected prosecutors, wrote Penny Brill, the now-retired head of the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s legal bureau who is representing the league pro bono.
“The Legislature cannot waive the state’s right to a jury trial in a criminal case,” Brill wrote.
The Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office on Friday filed paperwork asking the Florida Supreme Court for permission to appear before the court to adopt the league’s position. Bondi’s office is objecting to Fernandez Rundle’s move, according to court documents.
So far, no other state attorneys have sought to enter the legal fray.
Responding to the Miami Herald, the office of Broward State Attorney Michael Satz said it is “reviewing the matter.” A spokesman for Palm Beach State Attorney Dave Aronberg said he “agrees with State Attorney Rundle and LOP on the recent changes to the Stand Your Ground law” and suggested he may join in.
Monroe State Attorney Dennis Ward declined to comment, referring comment to the FPAA, which did not return comment Monday.
Andrew Warren, the state attorney in Tampa, said he is still reviewing the league’s filings. He said he remains against the change in the law.
“I opposed changing Stand Your Ground because it would significantly disrupt the operation of our criminal justice system and undermine public safety, while doing nothing to protect law-abiding gun owners,” he said in a statement. “Last year’s amendment was an ill-conceived solution in search of a problem that predictably created confusion and gridlock in our courts, which is now wasting taxpayer resources and delaying justice for victims.”
By David Ovalle
Miami Herald
October 31, 2018
MIAMI — A South Florida organization of prosecutors that includes Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle is telling the Florida Supreme Court that the latest version of the state’s controversial “Stand Your Ground” self-defense law is unconstitutional.
The League of Prosecutors, in newly filed court documents, asked justices to strike down the law because it unlawfully forces state attorneys to try cases involving self-defense claims before a judge, not a jury. “There is nothing specialized or unique about this defense that the common juror cannot understand,” according to the brief filed late Friday.
Fernandez Rundle, the longtime elected top prosecutor in Miami-Dade, also filed a brief joining in the effort — the first state attorney to break with Attorney General Pam Bondi, whose office is defending the broadened “Stand Your Ground” law passed by the Florida Legislature last year.
The Florida Supreme Court is set to review issues surrounding the law, which was first passed in 2005 amid much controversy. The law, passed with high-profile backing of the powerful National Rifle Association, eliminated a citizen’s duty to retreat before using deadly force to counter a threat.
Critics have long said that the law creates a culture of vigilante gun violence and allows criminals to skate on claims of self-defense. The law is opposed by many in law enforcement
The law has repeatedly become a social and political flash point. In 2012, police cited the law in initially not arresting a neighborhood watchman in the shooting death of Miami Gardens teenager Trayvon Martin, a case that sparked racial tensions and scrutiny on the state’s self-defense law. The gunman, George Zimmerman, was later charged but acquitted by a Seminole County jury.
Most recently, controversy erupted over the killing of Markeis McGlockton in Clearwater. Though not armed with a weapon, he was gunned down after pushing a man during a fight that started over a parking space. Pinellas County’s sheriff cited the law in not initially arresting the killer, Michael Drejka, although prosecutors later charged him with second-degree murder.
Also, Florida’s self-defense law will likely play a central role in the case of former Lakeland city commissioner Michael Dunn, who was indicted this month in the fatal shooting of a shoplifter who was trying to escape his store.
Most vexing for prosecutors, the law allowed for judges an easier path to grant “immunity” for someone they deem to be acting in self-defense. Over the years, judges in Miami have thrown out murder cases in a number of high-profile cases, including a man who shot another man as both cowered from the sound of gunfire outside a barbershop.
For years, it was the burden of the defendant to prove to a judge that he or she acted in self-defense.
But last year, Florida lawmakers changed the law, forcing prosecutors to shoulder the burden of disproving a defendant’s claim of self-defense in a hearing before any jury trial takes place. Prosecutors must prove by “clear and convincing” evidence that someone was not acting in self-defense.
At the time, prosecutors and many police departments opposed the measure. It passed anyway.
Since then, a slew of cases in court have challenged the new law, and whether it applies to incidents that happened before it went into effect. Two Miami judges ruled that Florida lawmakers overstepped their authority in crafting the law. One of those cases has now made its way to the Florida Supreme Court.
The accused: Tashara Love, who is charged with attempted murder in the shooting of a man outside a Miami strip club in 2015. In May, Miami-Dade’s Third District Court of Appeal ruled that the broadened self-defense law is constitutional but that it does not apply to cases that happened before the law went into effect.
Love’s case before the Florida Supreme Court is being closely watched.
The NRA has chimed into the court fight, saying the law is constitutional and was passed for the “protection of innocent lives and the fundamental right of self-defense.” Two prominent gun-control groups, Everytown for Gun Safety and The Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence, say the law “makes it harder to prosecute those who perpetrate gun violence, and ultimately encourages the unlawful and reckless use of firearms.”
Enter the League of Prosecutors, a Miami organization of current and former local prosecutors formed to educate the public about criminal justice issues, mentor assistant state attorneys and promote “judicial excellence.”
The group is distinct from the Florida Prosecuting Attorneys Association, a lobbying group that represents state attorneys. The FPAA opposed the change in the law before it was passed, but has not weighed in on Love’s case.
The passing of the law violated the separation of powers between the Legislature and elected prosecutors, wrote Penny Brill, the now-retired head of the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s legal bureau who is representing the league pro bono.
“The Legislature cannot waive the state’s right to a jury trial in a criminal case,” Brill wrote.
The Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office on Friday filed paperwork asking the Florida Supreme Court for permission to appear before the court to adopt the league’s position. Bondi’s office is objecting to Fernandez Rundle’s move, according to court documents.
So far, no other state attorneys have sought to enter the legal fray.
Responding to the Miami Herald, the office of Broward State Attorney Michael Satz said it is “reviewing the matter.” A spokesman for Palm Beach State Attorney Dave Aronberg said he “agrees with State Attorney Rundle and LOP on the recent changes to the Stand Your Ground law” and suggested he may join in.
Monroe State Attorney Dennis Ward declined to comment, referring comment to the FPAA, which did not return comment Monday.
Andrew Warren, the state attorney in Tampa, said he is still reviewing the league’s filings. He said he remains against the change in the law.
“I opposed changing Stand Your Ground because it would significantly disrupt the operation of our criminal justice system and undermine public safety, while doing nothing to protect law-abiding gun owners,” he said in a statement. “Last year’s amendment was an ill-conceived solution in search of a problem that predictably created confusion and gridlock in our courts, which is now wasting taxpayer resources and delaying justice for victims.”
NO PROPOSAL IS GOING TO END THE ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN CONFLICT
Palestinians Say Israel Killed Children Catching Birds, So They Want to Bomb Tel Aviv
By Ryan Jones
Israel Today
October 29, 2018
This is why the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is unlikely to come to an end, regardless of how lucrative US President Donald Trump's "Deal of the Century" turns out to be.
All it takes is one little rumor, no matter how ludicrous or easily debunked, to set off another major round of violence.
That's what is currently happening in the Gaza Strip, where the news of the day is that Israeli soldiers callously shot and killed three Palestinian Arab children who were innocently setting traps to catch birds to feed their starving families.
That sounds absolutely horrible. No doubt any one of us would demand justice, if not vengeance, following such an atrocity. A mass demonstration in Gaza City called for as much when it urged Hamas and the other terror groups operating out of the coastal enclave to "bomb Tel Aviv." And, as the recent GRAD missile strike on Beersheva demonstrated, Hamas has the weaponry to fulfill the people's wish.
The only problem is that the story fueling this fire is about as reliable as the tale of a young girl named Goldilocks and her unfortunate encounter with a family of bears.
The reality is that the three Palestinian "children" were in fact young men, no doubt doing the bidding of older men, and while they were setting traps, they weren't for birds. Unless "birds" is some hip new slang for "Israeli soldiers." In that case, yes, they were setting traps for birds.
For those of us who appreciate a more direct form of expression, the three Palestinians in question were shot after Israeli soldier discovered them planting explosives along the Gaza security fence. The reason for doing so? To kill Israeli soldiers. So, yeah, basically this was an act of self defense.
And that's how we got to a mob chanting "The people want to bomb Tel Aviv!"
So long as such willful ignorance rules the emotions of those involved in this conflict, no deal, regardless of its prominence of name, is going to bring genuine peace.
By Ryan Jones
Israel Today
October 29, 2018
This is why the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is unlikely to come to an end, regardless of how lucrative US President Donald Trump's "Deal of the Century" turns out to be.
All it takes is one little rumor, no matter how ludicrous or easily debunked, to set off another major round of violence.
That's what is currently happening in the Gaza Strip, where the news of the day is that Israeli soldiers callously shot and killed three Palestinian Arab children who were innocently setting traps to catch birds to feed their starving families.
That sounds absolutely horrible. No doubt any one of us would demand justice, if not vengeance, following such an atrocity. A mass demonstration in Gaza City called for as much when it urged Hamas and the other terror groups operating out of the coastal enclave to "bomb Tel Aviv." And, as the recent GRAD missile strike on Beersheva demonstrated, Hamas has the weaponry to fulfill the people's wish.
The only problem is that the story fueling this fire is about as reliable as the tale of a young girl named Goldilocks and her unfortunate encounter with a family of bears.
The reality is that the three Palestinian "children" were in fact young men, no doubt doing the bidding of older men, and while they were setting traps, they weren't for birds. Unless "birds" is some hip new slang for "Israeli soldiers." In that case, yes, they were setting traps for birds.
For those of us who appreciate a more direct form of expression, the three Palestinians in question were shot after Israeli soldier discovered them planting explosives along the Gaza security fence. The reason for doing so? To kill Israeli soldiers. So, yeah, basically this was an act of self defense.
And that's how we got to a mob chanting "The people want to bomb Tel Aviv!"
So long as such willful ignorance rules the emotions of those involved in this conflict, no deal, regardless of its prominence of name, is going to bring genuine peace.
DESTINED TO LEAVE PRISON IN A PINE BOX
Woman Sentenced to 350 Years for Shooting Rampage in Southeast L.A. County That Left 1 Dead
By Marissa Wenzke
KTLA 5
October 30, 2018
A 27-year-old woman was sentenced to more than 350 years in prison for a 2017 shooting rampage across Whittier, Pico Rivera and La Mirada that left one person dead and three injured, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office said Tuesday.
Reyna Gomez allegedly committed the attacks alongside an accomplice, Alejandro Lazo, in April 2017. Spanning across multiple cities, the crime spree lasted more than three hours and targeted innocent bystanders.
She has been sentenced to the maximum term of 83 years and four months in state prison, plus 270 years to life, prosecutors said. She was convicted of one count of murder, 14 counts of attempted murder and one count of carjacking on Sept. 13.
Meanwhile, Lazo, 22, is facing the same charges and is scheduled to appear for a pretrial hearing on Dec. 11.
The pair launched the deadly attacks on April 29, 2017, when they were driving a stolen Kia Rio in an unincorporated area near Whittier and shot at a pedestrian, sheriff’s investigators have said.
The man was wounded but survived.
The pair then went on to allegedly carjack a driver at gunpoint in Pico Rivera. The vehicle, a green Nissan Pathfinder, was later found abandoned in Whittier.
From there, Gomez and Lazo drove to Whittier and shot a man in an alleyway, according to prosecutors.
The victim was wounded but survived.
They later shot at two vehicles, injuring another person before going to La Mirada while still driving the stolen vehicle, prosecutors said.
Once they got to La Mirada, the two stopped at an intersection and started opening fire on several vehicles, according to prosecutors.
One of those drivers was killed.
He was identified by authorities as Jose Ricardo Sahagun, 44.
Authorities eventually tracked down Gomez and Lazo inside another vehicle near the scene, prosecutors said in a news release.
They were arrested shortly after.
The case was investigated by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and Whittier Police Department.
By Marissa Wenzke
KTLA 5
October 30, 2018
A 27-year-old woman was sentenced to more than 350 years in prison for a 2017 shooting rampage across Whittier, Pico Rivera and La Mirada that left one person dead and three injured, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office said Tuesday.
Reyna Gomez allegedly committed the attacks alongside an accomplice, Alejandro Lazo, in April 2017. Spanning across multiple cities, the crime spree lasted more than three hours and targeted innocent bystanders.
She has been sentenced to the maximum term of 83 years and four months in state prison, plus 270 years to life, prosecutors said. She was convicted of one count of murder, 14 counts of attempted murder and one count of carjacking on Sept. 13.
Meanwhile, Lazo, 22, is facing the same charges and is scheduled to appear for a pretrial hearing on Dec. 11.
The pair launched the deadly attacks on April 29, 2017, when they were driving a stolen Kia Rio in an unincorporated area near Whittier and shot at a pedestrian, sheriff’s investigators have said.
The man was wounded but survived.
The pair then went on to allegedly carjack a driver at gunpoint in Pico Rivera. The vehicle, a green Nissan Pathfinder, was later found abandoned in Whittier.
From there, Gomez and Lazo drove to Whittier and shot a man in an alleyway, according to prosecutors.
The victim was wounded but survived.
They later shot at two vehicles, injuring another person before going to La Mirada while still driving the stolen vehicle, prosecutors said.
Once they got to La Mirada, the two stopped at an intersection and started opening fire on several vehicles, according to prosecutors.
One of those drivers was killed.
He was identified by authorities as Jose Ricardo Sahagun, 44.
Authorities eventually tracked down Gomez and Lazo inside another vehicle near the scene, prosecutors said in a news release.
They were arrested shortly after.
The case was investigated by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and Whittier Police Department.
ILLEGAL POT SHOPS IN LEGAL POT LA
LA council votes to fight illegal marijuana shops by cutting power, fining employees and locking the doors
By City News Service
Los Angeles Daily News
October 30, 2018
LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles City Council moved forward Tuesday with developing new tactics aimed at closing down illegal marijuana businesses, including having them barricaded or padlocked, imposing escalating fines on their employees and shutting off utilities.
Although marijuana has been legal for recreational sales in California since Jan. 1, a license from both the state and city of Los Angeles is required to legally operate a dispensary in L.A., and hundreds of illegal businesses are believed to be operating in breach of the regulations.
City Attorney Mike Feuer announced last month that since January, his office, in coordination with the Los Angeles Police Department, has filed 120 criminal cases against 515 defendants associated with 105 illegal commercial cannabis locations across the city.
Closing down illegal pot shops has proven to be a challenge for the city; it often involves an undercover police operation and the use of other significant law enforcement resources.
There are 169 cannabis-related business currently operating legally in the city, according to the Department of Cannabis Regulation, but Los Angeles police Chief Michel Moore said last month that there are hundreds believed to be operating illegally.
Councilman Marqueece Harris-Dawson, who introduced two of the motions that were approved, noted in one of them that a significant number of the people charged by Feuer’s office are employees of the businesses, not the owners.
The motion says that property and business owners should bear most of the responsibility for illegal cannabis operations and “not the people who work for them.” Harris-Dawson has frequently talked about the negative impact the war on drugs has had on minority communities and has advocated a special cannabis sales tax to support neighborhoods affected by it.
Harris-Dawson’s motion says the ability to criminally charge employees should still be an option, but it also proposes using the city’s Administrative Citation Enforcement Program to discourage repeat offenses by creating escalating fines based on the number of times an individual has been cited.
The ACE program was approved by the City Council in 2014. It’s meant to give police and Department of Animal Service officers a middle option for nuisance infractions and other quality-of-life concerns between issuing a warning and criminally citing an offender, as officers are often hesitant to take action that could trigger a misdemeanor citation for certain low-level offenses such as a loud party, having a dog off a leash or drinking in public. ACE citations are not handled through the criminal courts but administratively through the city’s ACE program. Fines can escalate up to $1,000 for a third offense under the ACE program.
During a meeting of the Rules, Elections and Intergovernmental Relations Committee earlier this month, Harris-Dawson pointed out that Measure M, which was approved by Los Angeles voters last year and outlines the city’s regulations for the recreational sales industry, has a provision providing for landowners with unlicensed cannabis businesses on their property can be fined up to $20,000 per day. But he appeared frustrated on being informed by a representative of the City Attorney’s Office that no one has yet been fined under that provision.
“That was a very, very important provision and one way to cause, at least voters in my district, to believe that a lot of these rogue shops would be dealt with,” Harris-Dawson said.
He added, “I’m afraid that going forward, going into dispensaries and arresting people and catching them doing other things, that’s not too much different than what we did in the war on drugs. We found people who were dealing drugs and we arrested them. And so that’s an important component, but it’s got to be joined with all of the things that the voters put forward in Measure M.”
The second Harris-Dawson motion calls for the Department of Building and Safety to secure properties that fail to comply with administrative nuisance abatement decisions made by the Planning Commission and have them vacated. It adds that the city should establish a similar procedure for securing and closing illegal cannabis businesses that have been ordered to shut down, including barricading, padlocking, or fencing them.
Both of Harris-Dawson’s unanimously approved motions direct the City Attorney’s Office to draft ordinances that would implement the new policies.
A third unanimously approved motion introduced by Councilwomen Nury Martinez and Monica Rodriguez directs city staff to report on the viability of implementing an ordinance that allows the city to disconnect or shut off utility service to unlicensed businesses.
Capt. Stephen Carmona, commanding officer of the LAPD’s Gang and Narcotics Division, told the Rules, Elections and Intergovernmental Relations Committee that the department currently is focused on targeting shops where significant criminal activity is taking place and that the decision on what constitutes significant activity is up to the area commander.
Carmona added that only a handful of those arrested at illegal shops have had criminal felony charges filed against them and that those charged with misdemeanors appeared undeterred from working at or operating the business.
Council President Herb Wesson said at that meeting the city should consider forming a special task force dedicated to closing rogue shops and that a future committee meeting will likely focus on that topic.
“On enforcement, do we need to put together a special task force or something that really goes out, identifies these areas and tries to protect the businesses that are playing by the rules?” Wesson said.
A fourth motion that was also unanimously approved directs city staff to report on the feasibility of creating a special unit within the Department of Building and Safety that is responsible for inspecting cannabis businesses and verifying overall compliance with the city’s rules and regulations for commercial cannabis activity.
By City News Service
Los Angeles Daily News
October 30, 2018
LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles City Council moved forward Tuesday with developing new tactics aimed at closing down illegal marijuana businesses, including having them barricaded or padlocked, imposing escalating fines on their employees and shutting off utilities.
Although marijuana has been legal for recreational sales in California since Jan. 1, a license from both the state and city of Los Angeles is required to legally operate a dispensary in L.A., and hundreds of illegal businesses are believed to be operating in breach of the regulations.
City Attorney Mike Feuer announced last month that since January, his office, in coordination with the Los Angeles Police Department, has filed 120 criminal cases against 515 defendants associated with 105 illegal commercial cannabis locations across the city.
Closing down illegal pot shops has proven to be a challenge for the city; it often involves an undercover police operation and the use of other significant law enforcement resources.
There are 169 cannabis-related business currently operating legally in the city, according to the Department of Cannabis Regulation, but Los Angeles police Chief Michel Moore said last month that there are hundreds believed to be operating illegally.
Councilman Marqueece Harris-Dawson, who introduced two of the motions that were approved, noted in one of them that a significant number of the people charged by Feuer’s office are employees of the businesses, not the owners.
The motion says that property and business owners should bear most of the responsibility for illegal cannabis operations and “not the people who work for them.” Harris-Dawson has frequently talked about the negative impact the war on drugs has had on minority communities and has advocated a special cannabis sales tax to support neighborhoods affected by it.
Harris-Dawson’s motion says the ability to criminally charge employees should still be an option, but it also proposes using the city’s Administrative Citation Enforcement Program to discourage repeat offenses by creating escalating fines based on the number of times an individual has been cited.
The ACE program was approved by the City Council in 2014. It’s meant to give police and Department of Animal Service officers a middle option for nuisance infractions and other quality-of-life concerns between issuing a warning and criminally citing an offender, as officers are often hesitant to take action that could trigger a misdemeanor citation for certain low-level offenses such as a loud party, having a dog off a leash or drinking in public. ACE citations are not handled through the criminal courts but administratively through the city’s ACE program. Fines can escalate up to $1,000 for a third offense under the ACE program.
During a meeting of the Rules, Elections and Intergovernmental Relations Committee earlier this month, Harris-Dawson pointed out that Measure M, which was approved by Los Angeles voters last year and outlines the city’s regulations for the recreational sales industry, has a provision providing for landowners with unlicensed cannabis businesses on their property can be fined up to $20,000 per day. But he appeared frustrated on being informed by a representative of the City Attorney’s Office that no one has yet been fined under that provision.
“That was a very, very important provision and one way to cause, at least voters in my district, to believe that a lot of these rogue shops would be dealt with,” Harris-Dawson said.
He added, “I’m afraid that going forward, going into dispensaries and arresting people and catching them doing other things, that’s not too much different than what we did in the war on drugs. We found people who were dealing drugs and we arrested them. And so that’s an important component, but it’s got to be joined with all of the things that the voters put forward in Measure M.”
The second Harris-Dawson motion calls for the Department of Building and Safety to secure properties that fail to comply with administrative nuisance abatement decisions made by the Planning Commission and have them vacated. It adds that the city should establish a similar procedure for securing and closing illegal cannabis businesses that have been ordered to shut down, including barricading, padlocking, or fencing them.
Both of Harris-Dawson’s unanimously approved motions direct the City Attorney’s Office to draft ordinances that would implement the new policies.
A third unanimously approved motion introduced by Councilwomen Nury Martinez and Monica Rodriguez directs city staff to report on the viability of implementing an ordinance that allows the city to disconnect or shut off utility service to unlicensed businesses.
Capt. Stephen Carmona, commanding officer of the LAPD’s Gang and Narcotics Division, told the Rules, Elections and Intergovernmental Relations Committee that the department currently is focused on targeting shops where significant criminal activity is taking place and that the decision on what constitutes significant activity is up to the area commander.
Carmona added that only a handful of those arrested at illegal shops have had criminal felony charges filed against them and that those charged with misdemeanors appeared undeterred from working at or operating the business.
Council President Herb Wesson said at that meeting the city should consider forming a special task force dedicated to closing rogue shops and that a future committee meeting will likely focus on that topic.
“On enforcement, do we need to put together a special task force or something that really goes out, identifies these areas and tries to protect the businesses that are playing by the rules?” Wesson said.
A fourth motion that was also unanimously approved directs city staff to report on the feasibility of creating a special unit within the Department of Building and Safety that is responsible for inspecting cannabis businesses and verifying overall compliance with the city’s rules and regulations for commercial cannabis activity.
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