Tag: George Floyd Riots

Commentary: America’s ‘Social Justice’ Nightmares Have Only Intensified

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Pills

Seattle is in King County, Washington, where Joe Biden got 75 percent of the vote in the 2020 election. King County had more than 1,000 drug overdoses involving fentanyl in 2023. These two facts are almost certainly related, but which is the cause and which the effect? Or could it be that both (a) the tendency to vote for Democrats and (b) the addiction to dangerous drugs are caused by some unknown factor? Without a careful analysis of the available data to identify that unknown background factor, is it wrong to hazard a guess that the overdosing dopeheads and Democratic voters in King County are just plain stupid?

Beyond sarcastic put-downs, it behooves those interested in public policy to take a look at what’s going on in places like Seattle, where Democrats dominate and “progressive” ideas therefore advance unhindered by any effective opposition. In the case of King County’s skyrocketing drug overdoses — which increased nearly 50 percent in just the past year — local officials have declared the problem “a public health crisis.” However, fentanyl is illegal, which means that the overdoses are also indicative of a crime problem, and progressives are against putting criminals in prison.

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Bishop E.W. Jackson: ‘Al Sharpton Preaching Tyre Nichols Funeral Makes Mockery of the Tragedy’

Susan Berry, PhD

Bishop E.W. Jackson said in a statement released Monday that Al Sharpton, whom Jackson referred to as “one of the most divisive figures in America,” should not be allowed to preach the eulogy for Tyre Nichols who, police charge, was beaten to death by five, now former, Memphis police officers.

“If the facts as we now know them are proved in a court of law, the former police officers deserve life in prison for their callousness and depraved indifference to human life,” Jackson said in a press statement, adding the current situation does not concern a racial issue, but one of “humanity,” which should be a source of unity rather than division.

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Court Orders Philadelphia Columbus Statue be Uncovered

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A Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania ruled that Philadelphia must uncover a statute of Christopher Columbus that the city has been attempting to remove from a park due to racial injustice demonstrations.

Senior Judge Mary Hannah Leavitt ruled Friday that the City of Philadelphia’s plywood box covering the statue must be removed after the Friends of Marconi Plaza filed a request for the cover to be removed, NBC Philadelphia reported.

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Minneapolis City Report Describes Leadership Failures During George Floyd Riots

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George Floyd protest in Minneapolis with "I can't breathe" cardboard sign

The Minneapolis City Council received an 86-page report Tuesday from independent auditors that offers the most in-depth look yet at the city’s failure to respond effectively to the George Floyd riots.

The highly-anticipated report, conducted by an outside firm called Hillard Heintze at the city’s request, devotes an entire section to “Leadership Issues.”

The report’s authors state that “minimal direction” came from Mayor Jacob Frey’s office and other city departments.

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Commentary: Republicans Will Defend Their Corporate Friends but Not Their Voters

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Senator Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) has so many problems to solve right now. A crime wave leaves hundreds of Americans dead and has turned our cities into war zones. A border crisis allows hundreds of thousands of illegals to enter our country. A domestic war on terror threatens basic civil liberties. 

But none of these crises have persuaded Graham to go to war. No, the civilizational question that demands his full zeal has to do with . . .  a fast-food chain. 

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Oregon Senator Ron Wyden Delays Confirming Biden’s CBP Head

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Democratic Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden will delay President Joe Biden’s Customs and Border Protection (CBP) head confirmation until the federal government answers about how officials responded to civil unrest in Portland, Oregon, last year, CNN Politics reported Thursday.

Wyden said he would not advance Tucson, Arizona, Police Chief Chris Magnus‘ confirmation to CBP commissioner, according to CNN. Wyden won’t move forward with Magnus’ nomination “until DHS and DOJ give Oregonians some straight answers about what they were up to in Portland last year, and who was responsible,” the senator said in a statement.

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Nashville Composer Canceled for Condemning BLM Riots Offers Insight to The Tennessee Star on Reversing Cancel Culture, Roadmap to Unity

Corinne Murdock

A Nashville composer canceled for condemning last year’s riots shared with The Tennessee Star his thoughts on reversing cancel culture and restoring unity. Following an outcry from the public, Daniel Elder was dropped from his publishing company and effectively blacklisted after decrying the riots following George Floyd’s death.

“Enjoy burning it all down, you well-intentioned, blind people. I’m done,” wrote Elder on Instagram. Shortly after his post went viral, he deleted all of his social media pages.

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Minnesota Man Sentenced to Prison After Police Station Arson During Floyd Riots

Peter D'Abrosca
Dylan Shakespeare Robinson

A Minnesota man will spend four years in prison after pleading guilty to crime related to the arson of a police station in Minneapolis during the riots over George Floyd’s death last summer.

“Dylan Shakespeare Robinson, 23, pleaded guilty in December to one count of conspiracy to commit arson. He was accused of lighting a Molotov cocktail that another person threw at the Third Precinct headquarters in Minneapolis,” Fox News reported. 

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Bill Seeks to Grant Immunity to Drivers Who Hit Protestors from Charges and Heighten Charges for Protestors Blocking Roadways, Throwing Objects

Corinne Murdock

Drivers who unintentionally hit protestors blocking roads illegally may receive immunity, and protestors may face more severe charges for violent and obstructive behavior. State Representative Ron Gant (R-Rossville) discussed this “anti-riot” legislation on Wednesday in a press release. 

The bill would raise the penalty level for obstructing roads to a Class E felony, with a mandatory fine of $3,000 and the loss of voting powers. Those that unintentionally kill or injure protestors or rioters blocking roads would be immune from criminal charges. Additionally, those who throw objects at others or intentionally intimidates or harasses others may receive nearly a year in jail and a $2,500 fine. If someone throws an object and injures another, they may receive up to six years’ prison time. 

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Minnesota Taxpayers to Foot $11.7 Million Bill to Rebuild Hennepin County After May Riots

The Center Square

At least one Republican is irked at how Gov. Tim Walz will spend a majority of the state’s disaster relief fund on what she contends isn’t a natural emergency.

Sen. Julie Rosen, R- Fairmont, disagreed with the decision to spend $11.7 million to rebuild Hennepin County after May riots and noted Republicans have blamed Walz for the $500 million damage done in the Twin Cities for not activating the National Guard sooner in the wake of George Floyd’s death at the hands of Minneapolis police.

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Bombshell Report Blames Walz’s ‘Slow Decision Making’ for Extensive Riot Damage

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A shocking report released this week provides an inside look at how state and local leaders responded to May’s Minneapolis riots, the second-most destructive period of local unrest in U.S. history.

The 55-page report is the product of four joint hearings convened by the Minnesota Senate and is based on testimony from witnesses, data practice requests, written testimony, press conferences and news articles.

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Minnesota Freedom Fund Bailed Out 37-Year-Old Man Accused of Raping 8-Year-Old Girl

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The Minnesota Freedom Fund (MFF), a charity promoted by Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris, helped free a 37-year-old man accused of raping an 8-year-old girl from jail.

The fund also bailed out a man who allegedly broke into the home of a 71-year-old woman and tortured her, and a man accused of curb stomping and robbing another man who walked with a cane the same day that George Floyd died. Records of the fund assisting these individuals and others were obtained by Alpha News in collaboration with the Daily Caller News Foundation (DCNF).

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Dozens Arrested as Portland Riots Continue

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by Andrew Selsky   PORTLAND, Oregon (AP) — Hundreds of people gathered for rallies and marches against police violence and racial injustice Saturday night in Portland, Oregon, as often violent nightly protests that have happened for 100 days since George Floyd was killed showed no signs of ceasing. Molotov cocktails thrown in the street during a march sparked a large fire and prompted police to declare a riot. Video posted online appeared to show tear gas being deployed to clear protesters from what police said was an unpermitted demonstration. Police confirmed that tear gas was deployed to defend themselves and said 59 people were arrested, ranging in age from 15 to 50. At least one community member was injured, authorities said. A person’s shoes caught fire after flames broke out in the street, video showed. People were “engaging in tumultuous and violent conduct thereby intentionally or recklessly creating a grave risk of causing public alarm,” the department tweeted. “Fire bombs were thrown at officers.” A sergeant was struck by a commercial grade firework, which burned through his glove and injured his hand, and several officers and state troopers were hit by rocks, police said. Protesters, most wearing black, had gathered…

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Commentary: Can Trump Win Minnesota?

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How bad do things look for Joe Biden’s campaign right now? Consider this: Democrats are worried about Minnesota, a state no Republican presidential candidate has carried since Richard Nixon’s 1972 landslide. Yet polls show President Trump gaining ground in Minnesota, and Democrats are worried because they haven’t seen any appearances by Biden or his running mate Kamala Harris. “Why aren’t they here?” one Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) Party official told Minnesota Public Radio last week. “We need to hear from them. We need to see their presence on the ground.”

Biden’s peril in Minnesota is in many ways emblematic of everything that’s gone wrong for Democrats in this campaign. While the Real Clear Politics average of Minnesota polls still shows Biden leading Trump by more than five points, a poll by Emerson College earlier this month had Trump within three points, and a poll by the GOP-affiliated Trafalgar Group two weeks ago showed a tie in Minnesota. How could a state that twice gave majorities to Barack Obama, a state that not even Ronald Reagan could win in his 1984 landslide, be in play for Trump this year? Well, in a word, riots.

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Commentary: Meet the Democrats’ Newest Strategist

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Her name is Vicky Osterweil. It’s a pity that she is only emerging on the scene now. Had her ideas enjoyed broad circulation even a month ago, she could have made a major and clarifying contribution to the Democratic Party’s platform.

Many commentators, from the Left as well as the Right, grumbled that the Democrats’ convention lacked a clear policy agenda. Sure, we all knew in general outline what they were about – they were “against racism,” “against white supremacism,” above all, they were “against Trump.” 

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Trump Meets with Riot Victims, Campaigns in Minnesota

Ben Kolodny

President Trump visited Minnesota today as part of a push to counter Joe Biden’s campaign efforts in the state. 

The president spoke to victims of the riots that rocked the state after the death of George Floyd, Breitbart reports. John Wolf, owner of a liquor store in Minneapolis told the story of how his business was targetted multiple times over the period of unrest, resulting in a million dollars in damages and lost merchandise.  Wolf stated that he called police 10 times as rioters vandalized and looted his building, but no one came. “The feeling of helplessness that I had knowing that no one was coming was indescribable,” Wolf told the president. Wolf went on to say that “there’s nothing more important for elected officials than providing safety to residents and businesses. Without that, nothing works… I held up to my end. The city of Minneapolis didn’t.”

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More Than 100 NYPD Officers Injured in Protests Since June 10

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Approximately 111 New York City Police Department (NYPD) officers have been injured in demonstrations across NYC’s five boroughs since June 10, a law enforcement spokesperson told the Daily Caller News Foundation.

A total of 461 NYPD officers have been injured since the start of violent demonstrations on May 26 that followed the death of George Floyd, who died after a police officer knelt on his neck for over eight minutes, NYPD spokesperson Sgt. Mary Frances O’Donnell told the DCNF in an email.

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NYPD Reports Demonstrators Damaged 303 Cruisers, Costing $1 Million in Repair

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The New York City Police Department said 303 law enforcement vehicles were damaged since George Floyd’s death on May 25, costing nearly $1 million.

A total of 14 cruisers were set ablaze and totaled with another seven still being repaired, according to the Associated Press. The remainder of the damaged cars have since been re-deployed on NYC’s streets that continue to be roiled by protests and riots following the death of Floyd, who died after a former Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for over eight minutes, the AP reported.

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George Floyd Riots Caused Over $6 Million in Damages to Downtown Cleveland Businesses and Property Owners

Zachery Schmidt

  The wave of unrest in Cleveland that followed the controversial death of George Floyd caused an estimated $6.38 million in damages to downtown businesses and property owners, according to Downtown Cleveland Alliance (DCA) President and CEO Joe Marinucci. DCA is a non-profit organization that works with downtown Cleveland entities to “make it the most compelling place to live, work and play.” Marinucci made these comments at a Cuyahoga County Board meeting on Monday, cleveland.com reports. The DCA president estimated the damages came from $3.38 million in physical property destruction and another $3 million in lost business from the May 30 riots. DCA’s numbers reflect the 103 applications, 88 from businesses and 15 from property owners, that it received as a result of the vandalism done to downtown Cleveland, according to News5Cleveland. The three top businesses that applied for the DCA’s fund for help were restaurants, retailers and fitness installations. Paul Herdeg, the deputy chief economic development officer for Cuyahoga County, told the board that these downtown Cleveland businesses accrued around $2.07 million in losses not covered by insurance, News5Cleveland reports. To help businesses damaged during the George Floyd riots, the board approved $300,000 to the DCA fund, according to…

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Marsha Blackburn Says Recent Protests Spread COVID-19

Chris Butler

U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn said this week that protestors caused an uptick in COVID-19 cases, and she even seemed to suggest that the media conceals that information.

Blackburn said this on her Facebook page. She said this while sharing a Washington Post article about how the United States has responded to COVID-19. The article criticized how U.S. President Donald Trump has handled the outbreak and suggested that not enough Americans are wearing masks to guard themselves against the virus.

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Commentary: Remember, the Left Will Do Anything to Distract Us from a Choice in 2020

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In Washington, D.C.’s Lafayette Square during the Left’s latest attempt to create “Year Zero” by erasing American history, the less-than-peaceful protestors endeavored to create a “Black House Autonomous Zone” (BHAZ). As is their destructive wont, they defaced St. John’s Episcopal Church and a statue of President Andrew Jackson. Before they could topple the statue of Jackson, however, D.C. police intervened and, using pepper spray and other tactics, pushed the crowd back.

The statue is safe for now; and some protestors should become quickly acquainted with the Veterans Memorial Preservation and Recognition Act which, as Senator Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) was kind enough to remind these “criminal masterminds,” carries a 10-year sentence for destroying a statue of a veteran on federal property. In his own tweet, President Donald Trump also cited this federal law and urged the vandals to “Beware!”

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While Confederate Statues Come Down, Other Symbols Targeted

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Spectators in North Carolina’s capital cheered Sunday morning as work crews finished the job started by protesters Friday night and removed a Confederate statue from the top of a 75-foot (232 meter) monument.

Across the country, a peaceful protest in Portland, Oregon, against racial injustice turned violent early Sunday after baton-wielding police used flash-bang grenades to disperse demonstrators throwing bottles, cans and rocks at sheriff’s deputies near downtown’s Justice Center.

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These Are the Police Officers Shot During the Riots

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At least twelve police officers have been shot in the line of duty as riots and protests raged throughout the country following the death of George Floyd.

Floyd was a black man who died May 25 after a Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for several minutes, video of the incident showed. Derek Chauvin, the officer who knelt on Floyd’s neck, has been fired and arrested on second-degree murder and manslaughter charges.

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Court Docs Show Man Charged with Killing David Dorn Didn’t Serve Any Time for a Previously Convicted Felony

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The man charged with killing former St. Louis Police Capt. David Dorn was convicted of a felony, but he never served a single day behind bars, court records show.

Stephan Cannon, 24, was supposed to be locked up for seven years following a 2014 robbery conviction, but he received a suspended execution of sentence and was let loose. He also violated his parole after his release on two separate occasions and was still not sent to jail, according to a Fox 2 report, which cited court records.

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Commentary: Stop Using the Boston Tea Party to Justify Violence in Modern America

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Lawful protest in the American political process isn’t the same as the lawless rioting, looting, and destruction of lives and property that became a threat to the public in the past week.

The death of a black man, George Floyd, at the hands of a white police officer May 25 in Minneapolis sparked widespread protests there and across America. Many of the demonstrations, despite the general lockdown and stay-at-home orders still in place during the coronavirus pandemic, have been peaceful.

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