Judge Michael Warren Commentary: Defending Lincoln

San Francisco’s school district has cancelled Abraham Lincoln. Abraham Lincoln High School is going to be renamed. Why? “Lincoln, like the presidents before him and most after, did not show through policy or rhetoric that black lives ever mattered to them outside of human capital and as casualties or wealth building,” Jeremiah Jefferies, the chairman of the school district’s renaming committee and a first-grade teacher, virtuously pontificated to the San Francisco Chronicle. 

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San Francisco Sees Rise in Home Burglaries, Homicides

San Francisco, California, has seen increases in burglary and homicide for the first nine months of 2020 amid nationwide unrest compared to 2019, according to police data.

The city, which boasts nearly double the U.S. household median income, has seen a nearly 42% increase in burglary, around a 33% increase in homicide and 31% uptick in vehicle thefts, statistical comparisons to 2019 from the San Francisco Police Department show.

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Commentary: The Reach of Nancy Pelosi Goes Far Beyond the Halls of Congress

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi turned 80 on Thursday. In the runup to that milestone, Pelosi launched impeachment proceedings against President Trump, who was duly acquitted. By way of follow-up, she decided to block the Senate’s coronavirus response package earlier this week, and on Monday offered a 1,200-page version of her own chock full of goodies meant to keep the Ocasio-Cortez-Tlaib-Omar squad in line.

And behind the scenes, Pelosi is pulling the strings on the Golden State.

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Document Details the Eye-Popping Amount Attorneys Stand to Make From Climate Crusades

by Chris White   One of the law firms involved in a trove of California lawsuits targeting ExxonMobil and other energy companies is poised to rake in millions of dollars from their climate crusades, according to Climate Litigation Watch. Sher Edling LLP could capitalize on a big pay-day if San Francisco’s lawsuit against the oil company settles, according to documents obtained Wednesday by the watchdog. The contract between the firm, San Francisco and the county is complex and lays out a multi-tiered payment method for Sher Edling. Altshuler Berzon LLP also represents the city. The California-based firm’s pay is dependent on the amount of the settlement. If the city secures a $100 million settlement, then lawyers could take home roughly $25 million; if the settlement exceeds $100 million, then they get $32.5 million; and roughly $36.5 million for any settlement hitting $200 million, according to the document obtained by CLW. Sher Edling and Altshuler will have to come to an agreement about how the fees are split up. Oakland is also working with Sher Edling on a lawsuit against the Texas-based company, but refused to provide copies of its settlement, CLW noted in a press statement Wednesday. San Francisco and…

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San Francisco’s Wealthy Leftists Are Making Homelessness Worse

by Gregory Morin   I recently had the opportunity to visit San Francisco for the first time. Coastal towns tend to be a bit more interesting in terms of cuisine (seafood being one of the more varied palate options) as well as architecture (steep hill structures are ever a testament to human ingenuity) and San Francisco scores high in both categories. However one area where it currently scores quite low is in the aroma zone. At first I thought perhaps they had a very inefficient sewer system near the shoreline retail sector, but as we explored deeper toward the city center it became clear something was amiss. I learned shortly thereafter that San Francisco has a poop crisis. To be blunt — people are literally crapping on the sidewalks. Not the tourists, mind you, but the local homeless population. The situation has come to a head (or to the head to employ a nautical metaphor) primarily as a result of progressive conservatism primed with the power of centralized (governmental) authority. The outside leftist narrative of course is that this poop crisis is inevitable results of unmitigated capitalism, which drives the eternal boogeyman of income inequality. This inequality fuels gentrification of…

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San Francisco Is Removing Statue That Shows Founding Of California Over Racism Concerns

by Neetu Chandak   The San Francisco Board of Appeals unanimously voted Wednesday to remove a statue that showed the founding of California over racism concerns. Some American Indian activists found the “Early Days” statue degrading and racist as it showed an American Indian at the feet of a Spanish cowboy and a Catholic missionary. American Indian groups have tried to remove the statue for over 30 years, but efforts were renewed by the San Francisco Arts Commission in October 2017 following the clash in Charlottesville, Virginia over removing Confederate statues the previous August, according to the San Francisco Chronicle Wednesday. San Francisco’s Historic Preservation Commission was on board to remove the statue in February as long as a plaque was placed that explained the reason for the removal, KQED reported. The appeals board decided not to remove the statue in April. Board member Rick Swig said removing it would impede free speech, according to East Bay Times. The statue is one of five bronze statues that make up the Pioneer Monument and shows the founding of California, the Chronicle reported. The five-member board decided to look into the issue again in June. San Francisco Arts Commission spokeswoman Kate Patterson didn’t give the exact date…

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Thousands March Through The Streets To Protest ‘Climate Crisis’

by Jason Hopkins   Thousands of environmental activists participated in marches around the world Saturday, calling on their governments to end fossil fuel production and embrace renewable energy. Dubbed the “Rise for Climate” movement, thousands of environmentalists took to the streets to demand an end to the fossil fuel industry, claiming it is fueling a “climate crisis.” Around 820 demonstrations took place in 91 different counties, according to the Rise for Climate website. Led in large part by 350.0rg, the worldwide marches were orchestrated by other environmental groups, including the World Wildlife Fund, Climate Action Network and GreenFaith. Protest organizers are demanding a “swift” and “just” transition to 100 percent renewable energy, which would include solar and wind technology. “Climate change is the defining issue of our time, it is a crisis of democracy, justice and human rights,” May Boeve, the executive director of 350.org, said in a prepared statement. “The climate movement is made stronger by its sister movements: for human rights, economic justice, democracy, and much more. This weekend Rise for Climate will demonstrate the growing strength and diversity of the climate movement.” Demonstrations took place in San Francisco; Paris; Sydney; Bogota, Colombia and numerous other cities around the world. "The people gonna…

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Steinle Shooter Wants To Overturn His Gun Conviction

The illegal immigrant who was acquitted of Kate Steinle’s murder is seeking a new trial to overturn his conviction on a firearm charge in the same case. Jose Ines Garcia Zarate never technically possessed the firearm that discharged and killed Steinle, and should be given a new trial on that count, lawyers for the San Francisco public defender’s office said in a motion Thursday.

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San Francisco Creates Legal Office To Defend Illegal Immigrants From Deportation

The San Francisco public defender’s office launched a new unit Tuesday dedicated to representing illegal immigrants faced with deportation and focused on providing local tax money for cases heard in the city’s federal immigration courts. The special immigration division, one of only three such programs in the country, consists of three deputy public defenders and a…

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