westernjournal--2020-08-29--Portland Mayor Abandons His Residents, Brags About It for Anti-Trump Points

Portland , Oregon , Mayor Ted Wheeler hasn ’ t been able to get the riot situation in his city under control in the three months since the death of George Floyd sparked protests across the nation .
In most cities , those protests have died down or been kept under control , usually because of some combination of effective city management and diminishing interest .
Portland hasn ’ t particularly seen the latter and it definitely hasn ’ t seen the former .
Not that there isn ’ t plenty of blame to go around in the Oregonian metropolis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ head ; Wheeler is the head and the rot ’ s been happening for a a while .
Portland has been the site of far-left protests for years , including one involving an intersection being blocked by demonstrators who surrounded a car and did $ 3,000 worth of damage .
This was in 2018 , before that kind of destruction was considered A Thing , mind you ; Wheeler said he supported the police ’ s decision not to intervene .
During that time , the city also saw clashes between far-left and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one in Portland officialdom could seem to get a handle on .
That was when things were going relatively well for America as a country .
Now that things are a bit more problematic , Portland ’ s Democratic mayor clearly has little control over what ’ s happening in his city .
A federal courthouse has been under siege .
Police have declared over a dozen riot situations over 90-odd straight days of protests .
The situation in Kenosha , Wisconsin , is now being used as an excuse for more violent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to send in federal law enforcement to help quell the situation .
He ’ s also used the city as an object lesson , saying in his Republican National Convention acceptance speech that the left wants to “ make every city look like Democrat-run Portland , Oregon.
” Now , there are actually solid arguments against sending federal personnel into Portland .
Kurt Schlichter — a staunch conservative if there ever was one , and a former Army colonel to boot — has a good Twitter thread about the numerous ways this could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would be difficult to define , he says , plus housing and feeding whoever got sent to Portland would be a logistical nightmare — particularly with local contractors who might be unwilling to work with the federal forces .
None of these are bad points .
You may not be surprised that , when Wheeler sent Trump a letter declining the federal government ’ s help , he used none of them .
He did brag about his decision , though , by posting the letter to Twitter for all to see .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ offered to aid Portland by sending in federal law enforcement to our city , ” Wheeler wrote in the Friday letter .
“ On behalf of the City of Portland : No thanks .
RELATED : Democratic Senator Posts a Good Tweet for Once - Then the Lib Mob Forced Him To Delete It “ We don ’ t need your politics of division and demagoguery .
Portlanders are onto you .
We have already seen your reckless disregard for human life in your bumbling response to the COVID pandemic .
And we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that images of violence or vandalism are your only ticket to reelection , ” the letter continued .
At this point , this is just invective .
We quickly get into lying : “ There is no place for looting , arson , or vandalism in our city , ” Wheeler wrote .
“ There is no room here for racist violence or those who wish to bring their ideology of hate into our community .
Those who commit criminal acts will be apprehended and prosecuted under the law.
” It ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hasn ’ t done much about this in recent weeks — it hasn ’ t done much about this in recent years .
Again , there ’ s plenty of “ place for looting , arson , or vandalism in our city.
” City officials have allowed it to happen with minimal resistance .
When he talks about “ racist violence or those who wish to bring their ideology of hate into our community , ” he ’ s talking about the far-right groups his city hasn ’ t been able to control @ @ @ @ @ @ @ groups they ’ ve clashed with .
And yes , you read those words correctly : “ Those who commit criminal acts will be apprehended and prosecuted under the law.
” If this were a court of law and you were President Trump , you could call for summary judgment at this point and win .
Furthermore , Wheeler said that when federal forces were sent to to guard the Mark O. Hatfield United States Courthouse in Portland , “ you made the situation far worse.
” It ’ s unclear whether that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only reason they were there was that state and local law enforcement were making only the most desultory efforts to defend it .
If the federal personnel weren ’ t necessary to protect the courthouse , all that Portland police needed to do was their jobs .
This would make federal presence seem like a ridiculous stunt , which is what Wheeler claims it was .
Yet almost every media report from the site proved how necessary the federal presence was , no matter how bad it may have looked .
Oh , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Portland , we are focused on coming together as a community to solve the serious challenges we face due to systemic racism , a global pandemic and an economic recession , ” he said in closing .
Sure .
Do your job , please .
In the midst of another round of riots , Wheeler really wants to try the no-thanks-we ’ ve-got-this defense .
He claims to believe the president has “ reached the conclusion that images of violence or vandalism are your only ticket to reelection.
” It ’ s unclear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are the answer — but if Mayor Wheeler believes this is the only way President Trump gets another term , this is basically an in-kind donation .
He ’ s abandoned his residents to spike the ball on Trump .
Wheeler probably doesn ’ t believe most of this letter .
He either inexplicably thinks everything is fine or knows accepting federal help is admitting defeat .
He doesn ’ t care about the logistical challenges .
He doesn ’ t care about enforcing the law ; his protestations to the contrary are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In short , he ’ s deluded , desperate or both .
He ’ s abandoned his residents and is bragging about it on Twitter for anti-Trump points .
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

Portland, Oregon, Mayor Ted Wheeler hasn’t been able to get the riot situation in his city under control in the three months since the death of George Floyd sparked protests across the nation.
In most cities, those protests have died down or been kept under control, usually because of some combination of effective city management and diminishing interest. Portland hasn’t particularly seen the latter and it definitely hasn’t seen the former.
Not that there isn’t plenty of blame to go around in the Oregonian metropolis, but the fish rots from the head; Wheeler is the head and the rot’s been happening for a a while.
Portland has been the site of far-left protests for years, including one involving an intersection being blocked by demonstrators who surrounded a car and did $3,000 worth of damage.
This was in 2018, before that kind of destruction was considered A Thing, mind you; Wheeler said he supported the police’s decision not to intervene. During that time, the city also saw clashes between far-left and far-right groups which, again, no one in Portland officialdom could seem to get a handle on.
That was when things were going relatively well for America as a country. Now that things are a bit more problematic, Portland’s Democratic mayor clearly has little control over what’s happening in his city.
A federal courthouse has been under siege. Police have declared over a dozen riot situations over 90-odd straight days of protests. The situation in Kenosha, Wisconsin, is now being used as an excuse for more violent unrest.
President Donald Trump has offered to send in federal law enforcement to help quell the situation. He’s also used the city as an object lesson, saying in his Republican National Convention acceptance speech that the left wants to “make every city look like Democrat-run Portland, Oregon.”
Now, there are actually solid arguments against sending federal personnel into Portland. Kurt Schlichter — a staunch conservative if there ever was one, and a former Army colonel to boot — has a good Twitter thread about the numerous ways this could go wrong. The rules of engagement would be difficult to define, he says, plus housing and feeding whoever got sent to Portland would be a logistical nightmare — particularly with local contractors who might be unwilling to work with the federal forces.
None of these are bad points.
You may not be surprised that, when Wheeler sent Trump a letter declining the federal government’s help, he used none of them.
He did brag about his decision, though, by posting the letter to Twitter for all to see.
Today, I sent this letter via email to @realDonaldTrump declining his recurring offer to aid Portland by sending federal enforcement to the city. https://t.co/W85EDfriyk pic.twitter.com/CC1IWTp5k8 — Mayor Ted Wheeler (@tedwheeler) August 28, 2020
“Yet again, you said you offered to aid Portland by sending in federal law enforcement to our city,” Wheeler wrote in the Friday letter. “On behalf of the City of Portland: No thanks.
“We don’t need your politics of division and demagoguery. Portlanders are onto you. We have already seen your reckless disregard for human life in your bumbling response to the COVID pandemic. And we know you’ve reached the conclusion that images of violence or vandalism are your only ticket to reelection,” the letter continued.
At this point, this is just invective. We quickly get into lying:
Do you think federal forces should be deployed to quell the unrest in Portland? Yes No
Completing this poll entitles you to The Western Journal news updates free of charge. You may opt out at anytime. You also agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use Yes: 85% (1722 Votes) No: 15% (306 Votes)
“There is no place for looting, arson, or vandalism in our city,” Wheeler wrote.
“There is no room here for racist violence or those who wish to bring their ideology of hate into our community. Those who commit criminal acts will be apprehended and prosecuted under the law.”
It’s not just that the Portland Police Bureau hasn’t done much about this in recent weeks — it hasn’t done much about this in recent years. Again, there’s plenty of “place for looting, arson, or vandalism in our city.” City officials have allowed it to happen with minimal resistance.
When he talks about “racist violence or those who wish to bring their ideology of hate into our community,” he’s talking about the far-right groups his city hasn’t been able to control for years, along with the far-left groups they’ve clashed with.
And yes, you read those words correctly: “Those who commit criminal acts will be apprehended and prosecuted under the law.” If this were a court of law and you were President Trump, you could call for summary judgment at this point and win.
Furthermore, Wheeler said that when federal forces were sent to to guard the Mark O. Hatfield United States Courthouse in Portland, “you made the situation far worse.”
It’s unclear whether that’s the case, because the only reason they were there was that state and local law enforcement were making only the most desultory efforts to defend it.
If the federal personnel weren’t necessary to protect the courthouse, all that Portland police needed to do was their jobs. This would make federal presence seem like a ridiculous stunt, which is what Wheeler claims it was.
Yet almost every media report from the site proved how necessary the federal presence was, no matter how bad it may have looked.
Oh, and then this tell-off: “In Portland, we are focused on coming together as a community to solve the serious challenges we face due to systemic racism, a global pandemic and an economic recession,” he said in closing.
“Stay away, please.”
Sure. Do your job, please.
In the midst of another round of riots, Wheeler really wants to try the no-thanks-we’ve-got-this defense. He claims to believe the president has “reached the conclusion that images of violence or vandalism are your only ticket to reelection.”
It’s unclear whether or not federal forces in Portland are the answer — but if Mayor Wheeler believes this is the only way President Trump gets another term, this is basically an in-kind donation. He’s abandoned his residents to spike the ball on Trump.
Wheeler probably doesn’t believe most of this letter. He either inexplicably thinks everything is fine or knows accepting federal help is admitting defeat.
He doesn’t care about the logistical challenges. He doesn’t care about enforcing the law; his protestations to the contrary are belied by his city’s actions.
In short, he’s deluded, desperate or both. He’s abandoned his residents and is bragging about it on Twitter for anti-Trump points.
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westernjournal--2020-08-29--Alice Johnson Fires Back at Politico for Calling Her a Trump Prop: ‘I’m Not a Puppet’

Alice Johnson was one of the most talked-about speakers at the Republican National Convention this past week .
But , according to a tweet by Politico , she was “ propped up ” by the Trump administration .
That wouldn ’ t be unusual if it weren ’ t for the fact that Johnson had served nearly 22 years of a life sentence for a nonviolent drug offense .
And the “ propped up ” language wouldn ’ t be so offensive if it hadn ’ t been used about a black woman .
She was released as part of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reform efforts ; the president commuted her sentence in 2018 , Fox News reported .
Her case had come to national attention thanks to the efforts of Kim Kardashian West .
She was given a full pardon Friday , one day after her appearance at the convention .
“ Alice was given a life sentence … and for something that , today , a lot of people wouldn ’ t even be going to jail for , ” the president told the media during a briefing .
“ I ’ m so proud @ @ @ @ @ @ @ giving Alice a full pardon .
I just told her.
” If you want to read this a certain way , it makes it sound like Johnson was a prop .
The thing is , Johnson is a distinguished criminal justice reformer in her own right , having become a senior fellow with the Texas Public Policy Foundation ’ s Right on Crime initiative , which “ supports conservative solutions for reducing crime , restoring victims , reforming offenders , and lowering taxpayer costs.
” “ I ’ m an example of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chance in life , ” Johnson said during her RNC appearance Thursday .
“ I was once told that the only way I would ever be reunited with my family would be as a corpse .
But by the grace of God and the compassion of President Donald John Trump , I stand before you tonight , and I assure you I ’ m not a ghost .
I am alive .
I am well .
And most importantly , I am free.
” “ What I did was wrong .
I made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
“ Some say you do the crime , you do the time .
However , that time should be fair and just .
We ’ ve all made mistakes .
None of us want to be defined forever based on our worst decision .
While in prison , I became a playwright , a mentor , a certified hospice volunteer , an ordained minister , and received the Special Olympics Event Coordinator of the Year award for my work with disabled women , because the only thing worse than unjustly imprisoning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mind.
” And here ’ s how Politico defined her appearance : RELATED : What 's Up with Joe ?
Biden Stares Off-Camera , Struggles To Make It Through Softball Interview You can imagine the pushback this received : In an appearance Friday on Fox News , Johnson also blasted Politico — noting that not only was the outlet ’ s tweet insulting , it was factually inaccurate .
She said that despite Politico ’ s tweet claiming she was “ propped up as one of the most prominent beneficiaries of the terms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her release had nothing to do with the act itself .
“ That was very insulting language , ” Johnson said .
“ I was not a recipient of the FIRST STEP Act , I was granted a commutation — which is clemency — first of all by the president , and my commutation really helped him , it triggered him to want to put sentencing reform in the FIRST STEP Act.
” “ To address Politico , to think that I can ’ t think for myself is a huge insult to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I don ’ t feel as if I ’ m anyone ’ s prop .
No one can prop me up to do anything that I don ’ t want to do .
It was an honor for me to be there to speak at the RNC last night.
” “ That is my mission , is criminal justice reform , ” she added .
“ Why would I not want to go there ?
” Because she ’ d be propping up the president , of course .
But it ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for herself .
She ’ s a black woman who likes Trump , after all .
She ’ s just supporting a criminal justice initiative that helps the president cover up his racist agenda by releasing nonviolent offenders whose sentences may have been disproportionate to the crime committed .
I mean , forget the assumption liberals are making that these prisoners must be black .
Or the fact that if Trump is trying to court the racist vote , then releasing these prisoners who liberals believe are black would also be counterproductive .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ t think about this too hard , because Politico clearly didn ’ t .
She ’ s being “ propped up.
” Got it ?
Good .
In an earlier appearance on “ Fox & Friends , ” Johnson addressed the criticism she and GOP Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina — who is also black — received , noting that they were being singled out for “ exercising our choice ” to “ use our minds.
” “ Both Tim Scott and I were both born black and we ’ re going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ We are exercising our choice , and our right , and our freedom to use our minds .
“ I ’ m not a prop and I ’ m not a puppet .
I make my own choices as to what I ’ d like to do.
” That , apparently , won ’ t fly with some members of the media .
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

Alice Johnson was one of the most talked-about speakers at the Republican National Convention this past week.
But, according to a tweet by Politico, she was “propped up” by the Trump administration.
That wouldn’t be unusual if it weren’t for the fact that Johnson had served nearly 22 years of a life sentence for a nonviolent drug offense. And the “propped up” language wouldn’t be so offensive if it hadn’t been used about a black woman.
She was released as part of President Donald Trump’s criminal justice reform efforts; the president commuted her sentence in 2018, Fox News reported. Her case had come to national attention thanks to the efforts of Kim Kardashian West.
She was given a full pardon Friday, one day after her appearance at the convention.
“Alice was given a life sentence … and for something that, today, a lot of people wouldn’t even be going to jail for,” the president told the media during a briefing. “I’m so proud of you, and we’re giving Alice a full pardon. I just told her.”
If you want to read this a certain way, it makes it sound like Johnson was a prop.
The thing is, Johnson is a distinguished criminal justice reformer in her own right, having become a senior fellow with the Texas Public Policy Foundation’s Right on Crime initiative, which “supports conservative solutions for reducing crime, restoring victims, reforming offenders, and lowering taxpayer costs.”
“I’m an example of a woman who has been given a second chance in life,” Johnson said during her RNC appearance Thursday.
“I was once told that the only way I would ever be reunited with my family would be as a corpse. But by the grace of God and the compassion of President Donald John Trump, I stand before you tonight, and I assure you I’m not a ghost. I am alive. I am well. And most importantly, I am free.”
“What I did was wrong. I made decisions that I regret,” she said.
“Some say you do the crime, you do the time. However, that time should be fair and just. We’ve all made mistakes. None of us want to be defined forever based on our worst decision. While in prison, I became a playwright, a mentor, a certified hospice volunteer, an ordained minister, and received the Special Olympics Event Coordinator of the Year award for my work with disabled women, because the only thing worse than unjustly imprisoning my body is trying to imprison my mind.”
And here’s how Politico defined her appearance:
Alice Johnson, a key player in Trump’s criminal justice reform push, delivered her RNC address tonight. She’s been propped up as one of the most prominent beneficiaries of the terms of the First Step Act. Kim Kardashian played a role in her prison releasehttps://t.co/tPyezt8iQP — POLITICO (@politico) August 28, 2020
You can imagine the pushback this received:
This headline removes agency from Alice in a way that is extremely uncomfortable and bizarre. https://t.co/9uPTWNk0Zt — Erielle Davidson (@politicalelle) August 28, 2020
Tell us how you really feel about Black women, why don’t ya! https://t.co/j7eg4VBQ1r — Melik Abdul (@MelikAbdul_) August 28, 2020
“Propped up” This is a disgusting racist headline. https://t.co/KJwE6CMOGJ — Reagan Battalion (@ReaganBattalion) August 28, 2020
In an appearance Friday on Fox News, Johnson also blasted Politico — noting that not only was the outlet’s tweet insulting, it was factually inaccurate.
Watch the latest video at foxnews.com
She said that despite Politico’s tweet claiming she was “propped up as one of the most prominent beneficiaries of the terms of the FIRST STEP Act,” her release had nothing to do with the act itself.
“That was very insulting language,” Johnson said. “I was not a recipient of the FIRST STEP Act, I was granted a commutation — which is clemency — first of all by the president, and my commutation really helped him, it triggered him to want to put sentencing reform in the FIRST STEP Act.”
Was Politico's tweet racist? Yes No
Completing this poll entitles you to The Western Journal news updates free of charge. You may opt out at anytime. You also agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use Yes: 98% (312 Votes) No: 2% (8 Votes)
“To address Politico, to think that I can’t think for myself is a huge insult to me,” she continued. “I don’t feel as if I’m anyone’s prop. No one can prop me up to do anything that I don’t want to do. It was an honor for me to be there to speak at the RNC last night.”
“That is my mission, is criminal justice reform,” she added. “Why would I not want to go there?”
Because she’d be propping up the president, of course. But it’s OK, she can’t think for herself. She’s a black woman who likes Trump, after all. She’s just supporting a criminal justice initiative that helps the president cover up his racist agenda by releasing nonviolent offenders whose sentences may have been disproportionate to the crime committed.
I mean, forget the assumption liberals are making that these prisoners must be black. Or the fact that if Trump is trying to court the racist vote, then releasing these prisoners who liberals believe are black would also be counterproductive. Or that — well, don’t think about this too hard, because Politico clearly didn’t.
She’s being “propped up.” Got it? Good.
In an earlier appearance on “Fox & Friends,” Johnson addressed the criticism she and GOP Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina — who is also black — received, noting that they were being singled out for “exercising our choice” to “use our minds.”
Watch the latest video at foxnews.com
“Both Tim Scott and I were both born black and we’re going to die black,” she said. “We are exercising our choice, and our right, and our freedom to use our minds.
“I’m not a prop and I’m not a puppet. I make my own choices as to what I’d like to do.”
That, apparently, won’t fly with some members of the media.
Truth and Accuracy Submit a Correction → * Name
* Email
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westernjournal--2020-08-29--Democratic Senator Posts a Good Tweet for Once – Then the Lib Mob Forced Him To Delete It

Connecticut Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy should be a non-entity in almost every way possible .
I mean , just look at the name .
If he was Sen. John Doe , there would at least be the amusing curiosity of a senator named John Doe .
Chris Murphy is what James Patterson would name an evil legislator in one of those tossed-off airport bookstore novels that are more typing than they are writing .
He also hasn ’ t distinguished himself through the originality of thought , charisma or anything like that .
Murphy , who replaced Joe Lieberman when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democratic malarkey , is up for re-election this year but has roughly zero chance of losing .
He ’ s managed to distinguish himself , to a certain extent , as a gun control freak .
In any other year , his book about the evils of firearms , “ The Violence Inside Us , ” would take up the back end of a few news cycles .
However , things have , well , changed these past few months .
WikiLeaks documents revealed he was long-listed in the Hillary Clinton ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were Apple CEO Tim Cook and Microsoft founder Bill Gates , according to the Hartford Courant .
One thing we can be sure of : He can ’ t distinguish himself via courage .
He was given the chance to do that this past week and failed spectacularly .
As you ’ re no doubt aware , Jacob Blake was shot several times in the back by police in Kenosha , Wisconsin on Sunday .
The situation is more complex than it appeared in the original 20-second clip that was posted to social @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been made aware Blake had a warrant out for his arrest .
( He was wanted for alleged sexual assault . )
At the time he was shot , Blake was also reaching into the driver ’ s side of his car , where he allegedly had a knife .
Whatever the case , Kenosha has been engulfed with looting and rioting .
But don ’ t worry , everyone — as CNN made sure to vouchsafe to us , the whole thing was “ fiery but mostly peaceful ” : In the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Illinois , Kyle Rittenhouse , who came to Kenosha with a rifle for reasons that are still under debate , allegedly shot and killed two individuals on Tuesday .
The shooting was labeled vigilantism by the media .
So anyhow , Murphy decided to make a bit of sense for once .
He called out police ( OK , maybe not so good ) , but also the looters and vigilantes who had united around Kenosha .
“ Vigilantism is bad , ” Murphy tweeted Thursday .
“ Police officers shooting black people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Looting and property damage is bad .
You don ’ t have to choose .
You can be against it all.
” Shockingly , the post actually made some sense .
So , of course , it was quickly deleted by Murphy : “ I don ’ t normally delete tweets , but just got rid of one that mistakenly gave the impression that I thought there was an equivalency between property crime and murder , ” Murphy said in his apology tweet .
“ Of course I don ’ t think that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Blake wasn ’ t murdered , by the way , and Rittenhouse is innocent until proven guilty , something a senator should probably understand .
( Rittenhouse claims he was acting in self-defense ) .
The property crime , however , was very real and very widespread .
And by the way , there wasn ’ t any equivalence between any of those things .
Murphy was simply saying they were all wrong .
The issue , one feels , wasn ’ t that he was drawing an equivalence .
It ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how massive a scale it may occur on , simply can not be condemned by anyone on the left without them being attacked for giving quarter to the right .
It ’ s almost as if setting fire to a building , if done in the name of a political cause , is equivalent to getting busted with a joint .
What ’ s more , this deletion got almost no play in the news .
The one article in which I found it mentioned should be a warning to Murphy and his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ This Is How Biden Loses ” in The Atlantic , a publication not known for giving quarter to conservatives ( or even moderates ) .
Writer George Packer doesn ’ t think there ’ s any question regarding what happened : “ If George Floyd was crushed to death by depraved indifference , Jacob Blake is the object of an attempted execution , ” he wrote in the Friday piece .
However , he also noted “ the wishful thinking , fearful hesitation , or sheer complacency that fails to address what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ explodes in rage , the same rage that ’ s been igniting around the country all summer long , fading in Minneapolis only to flare up in Portland .
In Kenosha , as elsewhere , what starts in peaceful protest soon leads to violence : cars burned , shops smashed , local businesses destroyed , ” he wrote .
“ Police and rioters incite one another to escalate ; armed vigilantes take matters into their own hands ; and a teenager from out of state kills two local men with an AR-15-style rifle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , offering little in the way of information or protection .
Within a couple of days , much of the small city is a ruined landscape.
” And therein lies the wider problem Murphy ’ s deleted tweet represents : “ In the crude terms of a presidential campaign , voters know that the Democrat means it when he denounces police brutality , but less so when he denounces riots.
” “ Democratic leaders , from the nearly invisible mayor of Kenosha up to those on the presidential ticket , are reluctant to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attacks , or draw the wrath of their own progressive base ( Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut deleted a tweet saying that both the Blake shooting and the riots were wrong after commenters accused him of equating the two ) , ” Packer wrote .
“ So Democrats continue to mute their response to the violence and hope it will subside , even though it has persisted straight through the summer.
” Leaving aside the minefield the loaded phrase “ tarnish [ ing ] a just cause ” presents us with — this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and its demographic isn ’ t people like me — Packer ’ s right .
This is how Biden loses .
This is how Chris Murphy becomes the non-entity he so richly deserves to be .
Neither is willing to do anything in the face of riots they just hope will go away , even when logic and experience dictate they won ’ t .
This should be the face of the Democratic Party in 2020 : Sen. John Doe , a man who can ’ t even state a simple moral and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ digital mob shows up at his door .
If these are our new leaders come next January , heaven help us .
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

Connecticut Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy should be a non-entity in almost every way possible.
I mean, just look at the name. If he was Sen. John Doe, there would at least be the amusing curiosity of a senator named John Doe. Chris Murphy is what James Patterson would name an evil legislator in one of those tossed-off airport bookstore novels that are more typing than they are writing.
He also hasn’t distinguished himself through the originality of thought, charisma or anything like that. Murphy, who replaced Joe Lieberman when he finally got tired of dealing with Democratic malarkey, is up for re-election this year but has roughly zero chance of losing.
He’s managed to distinguish himself, to a certain extent, as a gun control freak.
In any other year, his book about the evils of firearms, “The Violence Inside Us,” would take up the back end of a few news cycles. However, things have, well, changed these past few months.
WikiLeaks documents revealed he was long-listed in the Hillary Clinton’s veepstakes back in 2016 — but so were Apple CEO Tim Cook and Microsoft founder Bill Gates, according to the Hartford Courant.
One thing we can be sure of: He can’t distinguish himself via courage. He was given the chance to do that this past week and failed spectacularly.
As you’re no doubt aware, Jacob Blake was shot several times in the back by police in Kenosha, Wisconsin on Sunday.
The situation is more complex than it appeared in the original 20-second clip that was posted to social media, given the fact police had been made aware Blake had a warrant out for his arrest. (He was wanted for alleged sexual assault.) At the time he was shot, Blake was also reaching into the driver’s side of his car, where he allegedly had a knife.
Whatever the case, Kenosha has been engulfed with looting and rioting. But don’t worry, everyone — as CNN made sure to vouchsafe to us, the whole thing was “fiery but mostly peaceful”:
You cannot make this up… A CNN reporter is standing in front of a building engulfed in flames and CNN’s chyron reads: “FIERY BUT MOSTLY PEACEFUL PROTESTS AFTER POLICE SHOOTING” pic.twitter.com/4OHvKnh63u — Kelb Hull (@CalebJHull) August 27, 2020
In the midst of this, a 17-year-old from Illinois, Kyle Rittenhouse, who came to Kenosha with a rifle for reasons that are still under debate, allegedly shot and killed two individuals on Tuesday. The shooting was labeled vigilantism by the media.
So anyhow, Murphy decided to make a bit of sense for once. He called out police (OK, maybe not so good), but also the looters and vigilantes who had united around Kenosha.
“Vigilantism is bad,” Murphy tweeted Thursday. “Police officers shooting black people in the back is bad.
“Looting and property damage is bad. You don’t have to choose. You can be against it all.”
Shockingly, the post actually made some sense. So, of course, it was quickly deleted by Murphy:
Chris Murphy actually had to delete this tweet because some of his far-left followers decided it was too controversial. Beyond parody. (H/t @ZaidJilani) pic.twitter.com/0dwanpo8s7 — (((AG))) (@AGHamilton29) August 27, 2020
“I don’t normally delete tweets, but just got rid of one that mistakenly gave the impression that I thought there was an equivalency between property crime and murder,” Murphy said in his apology tweet.
I don’t normally delete tweets, but just got rid of one that mistakenly gave the impression that I thought there was an equivalency between property crime and murder. Of course I don’t think that. So I just took it down. — Chris Murphy (@ChrisMurphyCT) August 27, 2020
“Of course I don’t think that. So I just took it down.”
Blake wasn’t murdered, by the way, and Rittenhouse is innocent until proven guilty, something a senator should probably understand. (Rittenhouse claims he was acting in self-defense).
The property crime, however, was very real and very widespread. And by the way, there wasn’t any equivalence between any of those things. Murphy was simply saying they were all wrong.
The issue, one feels, wasn’t that he was drawing an equivalence.
It’s that property crime, no matter how massive a scale it may occur on, simply cannot be condemned by anyone on the left without them being attacked for giving quarter to the right. It’s almost as if setting fire to a building, if done in the name of a political cause, is equivalent to getting busted with a joint.
What’s more, this deletion got almost no play in the news. The one article in which I found it mentioned should be a warning to Murphy and his compatriots, however: It was titled “This Is How Biden Loses” in The Atlantic, a publication not known for giving quarter to conservatives (or even moderates).
Writer George Packer doesn’t think there’s any question regarding what happened: “If George Floyd was crushed to death by depraved indifference, Jacob Blake is the object of an attempted execution,” he wrote in the Friday piece.
However, he also noted “the wishful thinking, fearful hesitation, or sheer complacency that fails to address what voters can plainly see.”
Should Senator Murphy have kept this tweet up? Yes No
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“Kenosha explodes in rage, the same rage that’s been igniting around the country all summer long, fading in Minneapolis only to flare up in Portland. In Kenosha, as elsewhere, what starts in peaceful protest soon leads to violence: cars burned, shops smashed, local businesses destroyed,” he wrote.
“Police and rioters incite one another to escalate; armed vigilantes take matters into their own hands; and a teenager from out of state kills two local men with an AR-15-style rifle. The authorities are overwhelmed and ineffectual, offering little in the way of information or protection. Within a couple of days, much of the small city is a ruined landscape.”
And therein lies the wider problem Murphy’s deleted tweet represents: “In the crude terms of a presidential campaign, voters know that the Democrat means it when he denounces police brutality, but less so when he denounces riots.”
“Democratic leaders, from the nearly invisible mayor of Kenosha up to those on the presidential ticket, are reluctant to tarnish a just cause, amplify Republican attacks, or draw the wrath of their own progressive base (Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut deleted a tweet saying that both the Blake shooting and the riots were wrong after commenters accused him of equating the two),” Packer wrote.
“So Democrats continue to mute their response to the violence and hope it will subside, even though it has persisted straight through the summer.”
Leaving aside the minefield the loaded phrase “tarnish[ing] a just cause” presents us with — this is The Atlantic, after all, and its demographic isn’t people like me — Packer’s right.
This is how Biden loses. This is how Chris Murphy becomes the non-entity he so richly deserves to be.
Neither is willing to do anything in the face of riots they just hope will go away, even when logic and experience dictate they won’t.
This should be the face of the Democratic Party in 2020: Sen. John Doe, a man who can’t even state a simple moral and legal truth without retracting it once the digital mob shows up at his door.
If these are our new leaders come next January, heaven help us.
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westernjournal--2020-08-29--New Study Argues COVID Herd Immunity May Have Already Been Reached in Some Regions of US

A new study that pushes back against some accepted notions of how the coronavirus is transmitted argues that herd immunity might already have been reached in some parts of the nation .
The study , “ Persistent heterogeneity not short-term overdispersion determines herd immunity to COVID-19 , ” was published Aug. 10 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences .
It pointed out that current infection models assume there are so-called “ super-spreaders , ” which are a small number of individuals who , because of their social activity , pass the virus along to large numbers of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ everyone everywhere has an equal chance of infection .
Writing at Reason , Ronald Bailey offered an interpretation of what the study thinks is happening instead .
Bailey wrote that the researchers define a concept they call heterogeneity “ as the biological and social susceptibility of individual members of the population to COVID-19 viral infection.
” The study relies on what is called “ biological heterogeneity , ” which includes “ the strength of immune responses , genetics , age , and comorbidities , ” and social heterogeneity , which measures close contacts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Taking the effects of biological and social heterogeneity on COVID-19 transmissibility , the researchers calculate that the herd immunity threshold is likely somewhere between 20 and 30 percent of the population , ” Bailey wrote .
The researchers then conducted a modeling exercise of what might happen this fall , which has been cited as a time when a feared second wave of coronavirus infections might take place .
In what the study ’ s authors called a “ worst-case scenario ” in which virtually everything has returned to pre-pandemic ways of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no second wave of COVID-19 cases in New York City which indicates that herd immunity has likely been achieved there , ” Bailey wrote .
“ By applying our theory to the COVID-19 epidemic we found evidence that the hardest hit areas such as New York City , have likely passed the heterogeneity-modified herd immunity threshold , ” the study said .
Bailey noted that the researchers “ calculate that Chicago has not passed the herd immunity threshold , ” but found that “ the effects of biological and social heterogeneity would still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ magnitude of the second wave there , even under the worst-case scenario.
” The study suggested that moderately restrictive measures — such as social distancing and wearing masks — might be enough to avoid a second wave in areas that are close to herd immunity but have not yet achieved it .
“ While the coronavirus may not just fade away , these calculations imply that the U.S. has a good chance to avoid a potentially disastrous second wave this fall if the public maintains reasonable social distancing and mask-wearing efforts , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ catch : Herd immunity to the virus may not last forever .
“ This means we need to be careful about declaring the epidemic over in a given location simply because cases have started to decline , ” Justin Lessler , an associate professor of epidemiology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health , wrote in an Op-Ed in The Washington Post on Friday .
“ What may be adequate immunity to stem the virus in summer may not be enough to stop epidemic spread in the winter — a phenomenon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ influenza pandemics , where an initial summer wave quickly receded only to be followed by a large epidemic in the fall or winter.
” Lessler said community immunity will emerge and reduce the severity of each wave of the disease .
“ The long fight against COVID-19 is far from over , and we will likely be living with the virus in some form for years to come .
But each round we fight with this virus will get easier due to the accumulating effects of community immunity , even if we never @ @ @ @ @ @ @ makes epidemics a thing of the past .
“ Hopefully , we will soon have a vaccine that accelerates this process , but even when one arrives , it will take time to distribute to large portions of the population .
As we wait , every day and every person who becomes immune makes the fight easier .
This growing protection will allow us to slowly roll back control measures and return to a more normal life , ” he wrote .
“ But we should remember that community immunity is a journey @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have to proceed carefully on our voyage back to the way things were before the virus spread around the globe.
” We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

A new study that pushes back against some accepted notions of how the coronavirus is transmitted argues that herd immunity might already have been reached in some parts of the nation.
The study, “Persistent heterogeneity not short-term overdispersion determines herd immunity to COVID-19,” was published Aug. 10 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
It pointed out that current infection models assume there are so-called “super-spreaders,” which are a small number of individuals who, because of their social activity, pass the virus along to large numbers of other people.
In this model, everyone everywhere has an equal chance of infection.
Writing at Reason, Ronald Bailey offered an interpretation of what the study thinks is happening instead.
Bailey wrote that the researchers define a concept they call heterogeneity “as the biological and social susceptibility of individual members of the population to COVID-19 viral infection.”
The study relies on what is called “biological heterogeneity,” which includes “the strength of immune responses, genetics, age, and comorbidities,” and social heterogeneity, which measures close contacts among individuals, according to Reason.
“Taking the effects of biological and social heterogeneity on COVID-19 transmissibility, the researchers calculate that the herd immunity threshold is likely somewhere between 20 and 30 percent of the population,” Bailey wrote.
The researchers then conducted a modeling exercise of what might happen this fall, which has been cited as a time when a feared second wave of coronavirus infections might take place.
Has the fear factor concerning this virus been exaggerated? Yes No
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In what the study’s authors called a “worst-case scenario” in which virtually everything has returned to pre-pandemic ways of life, the study predicted “virtually no second wave of COVID-19 cases in New York City which indicates that herd immunity has likely been achieved there,” Bailey wrote.
“By applying our theory to the COVID-19 epidemic we found evidence that the hardest hit areas such as New York City, have likely passed the heterogeneity-modified herd immunity threshold,” the study said.
Bailey noted that the researchers “calculate that Chicago has not passed the herd immunity threshold,” but found that “the effects of biological and social heterogeneity would still result in a substantial reduction of the magnitude of the second wave there, even under the worst-case scenario.”
The study suggested that moderately restrictive measures — such as social distancing and wearing masks — might be enough to avoid a second wave in areas that are close to herd immunity but have not yet achieved it.
“While the coronavirus may not just fade away, these calculations imply that the U.S. has a good chance to avoid a potentially disastrous second wave this fall if the public maintains reasonable social distancing and mask-wearing efforts,” Bailey wrote.
There is a potential catch: Herd immunity to the virus may not last forever.
“This means we need to be careful about declaring the epidemic over in a given location simply because cases have started to decline,” Justin Lessler, an associate professor of epidemiology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health, wrote in an Op-Ed in The Washington Post on Friday.
“What may be adequate immunity to stem the virus in summer may not be enough to stop epidemic spread in the winter — a phenomenon seen in each of the four modern influenza pandemics, where an initial summer wave quickly receded only to be followed by a large epidemic in the fall or winter.”
Lessler said community immunity will emerge and reduce the severity of each wave of the disease.
“The long fight against COVID-19 is far from over, and we will likely be living with the virus in some form for years to come. But each round we fight with this virus will get easier due to the accumulating effects of community immunity, even if we never reach a promised land where herd protection makes epidemics a thing of the past.
“Hopefully, we will soon have a vaccine that accelerates this process, but even when one arrives, it will take time to distribute to large portions of the population. As we wait, every day and every person who becomes immune makes the fight easier. This growing protection will allow us to slowly roll back control measures and return to a more normal life,” he wrote.
“But we should remember that community immunity is a journey, not a destination, and we have to proceed carefully on our voyage back to the way things were before the virus spread around the globe.”
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westernjournal--2020-08-29--Fox News Breaks Ratings Record with 4th Night of GOP Convention Coverage

On Thursday night , as he accepted the Republican presidential nomination , President Donald Trump vowed to reach “ stunning new heights.
” Fox News was reaching them with him .
The Republican National Convention ’ s conclusion from 10 p.m. to 11:45 p.m. Thursday , during which Trump delivered his speech , drew 9.2 million viewers to Fox News , the network said .
In reporting its results , Fox noted that no other network — including CNN , MSNBC , ABC , CBS and NBC — had more than 2.6 million viewers .
Fox far outdistanced its cable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ viewers during the 10 p.m. to 11:45 p.m time slot , while MSNBC grabbed 1.9 million viewers .
Fox had an average of 7.8 million viewers during prime time Thursday night — which the network noted was “ the highest primetime total viewership average for any political party convention in cable news history — compared to 2 million for MSNBC and 1.8 million for CNN , according to Nielsen Media Research .
“ In addition ‘ Hannity ’ averaged 7.8 million viewers and ‘ Tucker Carlson Tonight ’ averaged 6.3 million viewers on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ highest ratings in network history for their respective timeslots , ” Fox reported .
Overall , Fox News averaged 7.9 million total viewers during the four-day GOP convention .
The network also walloped the competition in the 25-54 age range coveted by advertisers .
Fox drew 2.2 million viewers in that age range during Trump ’ s speech , against 757,000 for CNN and 391,000 for MSNBC .
Americans also turned to Fox News online , with 2.6 million interactions across Facebook , Twitter and Instagram on Thursday , the network reported , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
During his speech Thursday , Trump pictured the election as a war between two starkly different cultures .
“ We must reclaim our independence from the left ’ s repressive mandates , ” he said .
“ Americans are exhausted , trying to keep up with the latest lists of approved words and phrases , and the ever more restrictive political decrees .
“ Many things have a different name now , and the rules are constantly changing .
The goal of cancel culture is to make Americans live in fear of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ humiliated and driven from society as we know it .
The far left wants to coerce you into saying what you know to be false and scare you out of saying what you know to be true , ” the president added .
Trump said Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden “ takes his marching orders from liberal hypocrites who drive their cities into the ground while fleeing from the scene of the wreckage .
“ The same liberals want to eliminate school choice while they enroll their children into the finest private schools @ @ @ @ @ @ @ open the borders while living in walled off compounds and communities and the best neighborhoods in the world .
They want to defund the police while they have armed guards for themselves , ” he added .
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

On Thursday night, as he accepted the Republican presidential nomination, President Donald Trump vowed to reach “stunning new heights.”
Fox News was reaching them with him.
The Republican National Convention’s conclusion from 10 p.m. to 11:45 p.m. Thursday, during which Trump delivered his speech, drew 9.2 million viewers to Fox News, the network said.
In reporting its results, Fox noted that no other network — including CNN, MSNBC, ABC, CBS and NBC — had more than 2.6 million viewers.
Fox far outdistanced its cable news competition. CNN averaged 2.2 million viewers during the 10 p.m. to 11:45 p.m time slot, while MSNBC grabbed 1.9 million viewers.
Fox had an average of 7.8 million viewers during prime time Thursday night — which the network noted was “the highest primetime total viewership average for any political party convention in cable news history — compared to 2 million for MSNBC and 1.8 million for CNN, according to Nielsen Media Research.
“In addition ‘Hannity’ averaged 7.8 million viewers and ‘Tucker Carlson Tonight’ averaged 6.3 million viewers on Thursday, as both programs garnered the highest ratings in network history for their respective timeslots,” Fox reported.
Overall, Fox News averaged 7.9 million total viewers during the four-day GOP convention.
Great total numbers for the Republican National Convention. Blows Democrat National Convention away. Also, much bigger fund raising numbers! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 29, 2020
The network also walloped the competition in the 25-54 age range coveted by advertisers.
Fox drew 2.2 million viewers in that age range during Trump’s speech, against 757,000 for CNN and 391,000 for MSNBC.
Americans also turned to Fox News online, with 2.6 million interactions across Facebook, Twitter and Instagram on Thursday, the network reported, citing the social media marketing company Socialbakers.
During his speech Thursday, Trump pictured the election as a war between two starkly different cultures.
“We must reclaim our independence from the left’s repressive mandates,” he said. “Americans are exhausted, trying to keep up with the latest lists of approved words and phrases, and the ever more restrictive political decrees.
Did you watch President Trump's speech on Fox News? Yes No
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“Many things have a different name now, and the rules are constantly changing. The goal of cancel culture is to make Americans live in fear of being fired, expelled, shamed, humiliated and driven from society as we know it. The far left wants to coerce you into saying what you know to be false and scare you out of saying what you know to be true,” the president added.
Trump said Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden “takes his marching orders from liberal hypocrites who drive their cities into the ground while fleeing from the scene of the wreckage.
“The same liberals want to eliminate school choice while they enroll their children into the finest private schools in the land. They want to open the borders while living in walled off compounds and communities and the best neighborhoods in the world. They want to defund the police while they have armed guards for themselves,” he added.
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westernjournal--2020-08-29--Federal Judge Allows Sarah Palin’s Lawsuit Against The NYT To Proceed

Former Alaska Republican Gov .
Sarah Palin ’ s defamation lawsuit against The New York Times is going to trial .
Palin sued The Times and then-editorial page director James Bennet for libel over a June 2017 editorial in which the newspaper referenced a map published by Palin ’ s former political action committee , SarahPAC , that showed crosshairs over several Democratic-held congressional districts , Fox News reported .
The editorial linked the map , which concerned Obamacare , to the 2011 shooting of Gabrielle Giffords — who at the time was a member of Congress representing Arizona — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ published a correction that acknowledged two factual errors in the article , Palin still sued .
“ This is — and has always been — a case about media accountability , ” Palin ’ s lawyer , Libby Locke , told Reuters last year , when the former vice presidential nominee won a round in court that kept her suit from being dismissed .
Both sides had requested that U.S. District Court Judge Jed S. Rakoff issue a summary judgment .
The judge rejected Palin ’ s claim that the standard of actual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ case .
The actual malice standard in libel law requires that individuals who are public figures prove that whoever published false information about them did so “ with knowledge that it was false or with reckless disregard of whether it was false or not , ” according to the Supreme Court ’ s 1964 ruling in New York Times v. Sullivan .
Rakoff said Supreme Court precedent requires that standard — and not just the issue of whether the information published was false — to be used .
The judge also threw out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the suit .
He wrote that Palin “ meets her burden of adducing evidence that , taken in the light most favorable to plaintiff , could enable a rational jury to conclude that Bennet either knew , or was reckless not to know , that his words would carry the defamatory meaning.
” The judge said four pieces of evidence presented to date could be used to support that interpretation of events .
The corrections published by The Times “ stand as further circumstantial evidence that Bennet was aware that the Editorial carried @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Rakoff said Palin “ has sufficiently pointed to enough triable issues of fact that would enable a jury to find by clear and convincing evidence that Bennet knew , or was reckless not to know , that his words would convey the meaning in the minds of the readers that plaintiff asserts was libelous , to wit , that she bore a direct responsibility for inciting the Loughner shooting.
” Rakoff did say he thought The Times made a powerful argument that the process of drafting the editorial to which Palin objected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ looking at the things from Palin ’ s perspective , “ the evidence shows Bennet came up with an angle for the Editorial , ignored the articles brought to his attention that were inconsistent with his angle , disregarded the results [ of ] the … research that he commissioned , and ultimately made the point he set out to make in reckless disregard of the truth .
“ Accordingly , the Court concludes that there is sufficient evidence to allow a rational finder of fact to find actual malice by clear and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The trial will begin on Feb. 1 , 2021 .
After the ruling was issued , Palin tweeted : “ Humbled and thankful.
” “ We ’ re disappointed in the ruling but are confident we will prevail at trial when a jury hears the facts , ” a Times spokeswoman said in a statement .
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

Former Alaska Republican Gov. Sarah Palin’s defamation lawsuit against The New York Times is going to trial.
Palin sued The Times and then-editorial page director James Bennet for libel over a June 2017 editorial in which the newspaper referenced a map published by Palin’s former political action committee, SarahPAC, that showed crosshairs over several Democratic-held congressional districts, Fox News reported.
The editorial linked the map, which concerned Obamacare, to the 2011 shooting of Gabrielle Giffords — who at the time was a member of Congress representing Arizona — by Jared Loughner.
Although the Times published a correction that acknowledged two factual errors in the article, Palin still sued.
“This is — and has always been — a case about media accountability,” Palin’s lawyer, Libby Locke, told Reuters last year, when the former vice presidential nominee won a round in court that kept her suit from being dismissed.
Both sides had requested that U.S. District Court Judge Jed S. Rakoff issue a summary judgment.
The judge rejected Palin’s claim that the standard of actual malice need not be used in her case.
The actual malice standard in libel law requires that individuals who are public figures prove that whoever published false information about them did so “with knowledge that it was false or with reckless disregard of whether it was false or not,” according to the Supreme Court’s 1964 ruling in New York Times v. Sullivan.
Rakoff said Supreme Court precedent requires that standard — and not just the issue of whether the information published was false — to be used.
Do you think Palin will win her lawsuit? Yes No
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The judge also threw out the request by The Times to dismiss the suit.
He wrote that Palin “meets her burden of adducing evidence that, taken in the light most favorable to plaintiff, could enable a rational jury to conclude that Bennet either knew, or was reckless not to know, that his words would carry the defamatory meaning.”
The judge said four pieces of evidence presented to date could be used to support that interpretation of events.
The corrections published by The Times “stand as further circumstantial evidence that Bennet was aware that the Editorial carried a defamatory meaning,” he wrote.
Rakoff said Palin “has sufficiently pointed to enough triable issues of fact that would enable a jury to find by clear and convincing evidence that Bennet knew, or was reckless not to know, that his words would convey the meaning in the minds of the readers that plaintiff asserts was libelous, to wit, that she bore a direct responsibility for inciting the Loughner shooting.”
Rakoff did say he thought The Times made a powerful argument that the process of drafting the editorial to which Palin objected was aboveboard.
But he added that looking at the things from Palin’s perspective, “the evidence shows Bennet came up with an angle for the Editorial, ignored the articles brought to his attention that were inconsistent with his angle, disregarded the results [of] the … research that he commissioned, and ultimately made the point he set out to make in reckless disregard of the truth.
“Accordingly, the Court concludes that there is sufficient evidence to allow a rational finder of fact to find actual malice by clear and convincing evidence,” he wrote.
The trial will begin on Feb. 1, 2021.
After the ruling was issued, Palin tweeted: “Humbled and thankful.”
“We’re disappointed in the ruling but are confident we will prevail at trial when a jury hears the facts,” a Times spokeswoman said in a statement.
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westernjournal--2020-08-29--2 Soldiers Killed, 3 Injured in Black Hawk Helicopter Training Crash

Two soldiers were killed and three were injured when their Black Hawk helicopter crashed during a training exercise off Southern California ’ s coast , the Defense Department said Saturday .
Staff Sgt .
Vincent P. Marketta , 33 , of Brick , New Jersey , and Sgt .
Tyler M. Shelton , 22 , of San Bernardino , California , died Thursday from injuries “ sustained during an aircraft mishap while conducting aviation training , ” according to a U.S. Army Special Operations Command statement .
“ The loss of Staff Sgt .
Marketta and Sgt .
Shelton has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will never completely heal , ” Col. Andrew R. Graham , commander of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment , said .
“ Our priority now is to ensure the families of our fallen warriors receive our complete support as we work through this tragedy together.
” Officials released no other information on the crash .
J. Elise Van Pool , an Army spokeswoman , confirmed in an email that three other soldiers were injured in the crash but said she did not have any other details to provide “ as the incident @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Both Marketta and Shelton were assigned to the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment headquartered at Fort Campbell , Kentucky .
Marketta enlisted in the Army in 2011 as a Black Hawk repairer .
He was assigned to the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment and spent 18 months as an aircraft repairman .
He was deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq , officials said .
Shelton enlisted in the Army in 2016 as a Black Hawk repairman .
In 2017 , he was assigned to the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment and deployed to Afghanistan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Meritorious Service Medal posthumously , officials said .
The deaths come after a U.S. Navy seafaring tank went down last month in hundreds of feet of water off San Clemente Island during a training exercise .
Seven Marines and one Navy sailor died after the 26-ton landing craft sank July 30 .
They had just completed a routine training exercise and were heading back to the Navy ship with a dozen other amphibious assault vehicles .
Troops on board two other amphibious assault vehicles responded quickly but could not stop the vehicle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 70 miles west of San Diego has an airfield , a bombing range and a training facility used by special operations units .
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

Two soldiers were killed and three were injured when their Black Hawk helicopter crashed during a training exercise off Southern California’s coast, the Defense Department said Saturday.
Staff Sgt. Vincent P. Marketta, 33, of Brick, New Jersey, and Sgt. Tyler M. Shelton, 22, of San Bernardino, California, died Thursday from injuries “sustained during an aircraft mishap while conducting aviation training,” according to a U.S. Army Special Operations Command statement.
“The loss of Staff Sgt. Marketta and Sgt. Shelton has left a scar in this Regiment that will never completely heal,” Col. Andrew R. Graham, commander of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, said.
“Our priority now is to ensure the families of our fallen warriors receive our complete support as we work through this tragedy together.”
Officials released no other information on the crash. J. Elise Van Pool, an Army spokeswoman, confirmed in an email that three other soldiers were injured in the crash but said she did not have any other details to provide “as the incident is just beginning to be investigated.”
Both Marketta and Shelton were assigned to the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment headquartered at Fort Campbell, Kentucky.
Marketta enlisted in the Army in 2011 as a Black Hawk repairer. He was assigned to the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment and spent 18 months as an aircraft repairman. He was deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq, officials said.
Shelton enlisted in the Army in 2016 as a Black Hawk repairman. In 2017, he was assigned to the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment and deployed to Afghanistan.
Both Marketta and Shelton will receive the Meritorious Service Medal posthumously, officials said.
The deaths come after a U.S. Navy seafaring tank went down last month in hundreds of feet of water off San Clemente Island during a training exercise.
Seven Marines and one Navy sailor died after the 26-ton landing craft sank July 30.
They had just completed a routine training exercise and were heading back to the Navy ship with a dozen other amphibious assault vehicles. Troops on board two other amphibious assault vehicles responded quickly but could not stop the vehicle from sinking.
The U.S. Navy-controlled island 70 miles west of San Diego has an airfield, a bombing range and a training facility used by special operations units.
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The Western Journal has reviewed this Associated Press story and may have altered it prior to publication to ensure that it meets our editorial standards.
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westernjournal--2020-08-29--NFL Head Coach Gets in War of Words with Top Players Union Exec: ‘Protesting Doesn’t Do Crap’

Ask any NFL fan why they love to watch football and you ’ re bound to get a variety of answers .
The competition , the pageantry , the athleticism , rooting for one ’ s favorite team and hating on Tom Brady are all valid reasons to watch football .
Some responses you likely won ’ t hear ?
National anthem protests .
Social justice messaging .
Criminal justice reform .
Even if you truly believe in those types of initiatives , you don ’ t tune in to the NFL to see players pushing them .
That being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ professional sports is any indication , fans who want to watch the NFL may not have a choice but to be subjected to social justice messaging and protests .
But as dangerous as it is to go against the grain , one NFL coach is doing so by questioning the effectiveness of these protests .
And to the surprise of nobody , not everyone is thrilled that he ’ s doing so .
Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians sparked a wave of controversy when he dared to suggest that tangible “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ combat perceived injustices than vapid demonstrations of protest amid turbulent social times .
“ Your responsibility is to take action .
I don ’ t know if protest is an action , ” Arians said Thursday , according to NFL Network reporter James Palmer .
To be fair , protest can be an action .
But given that multiple NFL teams have simply opted to cancel practice , that ’ s a major stretch of the definition of the word “ action.
” “ I think each guy has a personal thing .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Arians added .
“ Find a cause and either support it financially or do something to change the situation.
” But Arians really raised some eyebrows when he outright questioned the effectiveness of protests .
“ Because protesting doesn ’ t do crap , in my opinion .
I ’ ve been seeing it since 1968 , ” Arians said .
RELATED : NFL Hall of Famer Whines 'It 's Scary To Be a Black Man in America' That particular line caught the attention of NFL Players Association Executive Director DeMaurice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a reference to the recently deceased John Lewis , a Democratic congressman from Georgia .
“ Everyone is entitled to their opinion , but it ’ s clear he is woefully misinformed about the history of protest both within sports and in America , ” Smith said in response .
Arians , who clearly didn ’ t take too kindly to being called “ woefully misinformed , ” fired back at Smith .
“ Yeah , I have a history , ” Arians said Friday , according to ESPN .
“ It might @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” And as ESPN pointed out , Arians does have a long — and positive — history when it comes to racial relations .
The 67-year-old coach was actually the first white player to become roommates with a black teammate when Arians was a quarterback at Virginia Tech .
Arians roomed with James Barber , the father of NFL legends Tiki and Ronde Barber .
Arians is also the only coach in the NFL with offensive , defensive , special-teams and run game coordinators who are all black .
Given all of that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a “ bit longer ” than Smith ’ s .
But even if it ’ s not , Smith is in no place to to be calling the Bucs coach “ woefully misinformed.
” Because ultimately , Arians has a point : Canceling practice in the name of social justice is a relatively meaningless gesture .
If anything , it feels like a pandering misuse of the massive platform and resources that NFL players actually have .
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
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Ask any NFL fan why they love to watch football and you’re bound to get a variety of answers.
The competition, the pageantry, the athleticism, rooting for one’s favorite team and hating on Tom Brady are all valid reasons to watch football.
Some responses you likely won’t hear? National anthem protests. Social justice messaging. Criminal justice reform.
Even if you truly believe in those types of initiatives, you don’t tune in to the NFL to see players pushing them.
That being said, if the current state of professional sports is any indication, fans who want to watch the NFL may not have a choice but to be subjected to social justice messaging and protests.
But as dangerous as it is to go against the grain, one NFL coach is doing so by questioning the effectiveness of these protests.
And to the surprise of nobody, not everyone is thrilled that he’s doing so.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians sparked a wave of controversy when he dared to suggest that tangible “action” would do far more to combat perceived injustices than vapid demonstrations of protest amid turbulent social times.
“Your responsibility is to take action. I don’t know if protest is an action,” Arians said Thursday, according to NFL Network reporter James Palmer.
Bruce Arians full quote when asked the responsibility a team or league has during a time like this. pic.twitter.com/DXaTrtDqcT — James Palmer (@JamesPalmerTV) August 27, 2020
To be fair, protest can be an action. But given that multiple NFL teams have simply opted to cancel practice, that’s a major stretch of the definition of the word “action.”
“I think each guy has a personal thing. I would beg then to take action,” Arians added. “Find a cause and either support it financially or do something to change the situation.”
But Arians really raised some eyebrows when he outright questioned the effectiveness of protests.
“Because protesting doesn’t do crap, in my opinion. I’ve been seeing it since 1968,”Arians said.
That particular line caught the attention of NFL Players Association Executive Director DeMaurice Smith, who responded on Twitter with a reference to the recently deceased John Lewis, a Democratic congressman from Georgia.
Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but it’s clear he is woefully misinformed about the history of protest both within sports and in America. ?? for starters. https://t.co/wXN71ZkUWj pic.twitter.com/uo7d9BQbUa — DeMaurice Smith (@DeSmithNFLPA) August 27, 2020
“Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but it’s clear he is woefully misinformed about the history of protest both within sports and in America,” Smith said in response.
Arians, who clearly didn’t take too kindly to being called “woefully misinformed,” fired back at Smith.
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“Yeah, I have a history,” Arians said Friday, according to ESPN. “It might be a little bit longer than his.”
And as ESPN pointed out, Arians does have a long — and positive — history when it comes to racial relations.
The 67-year-old coach was actually the first white player to become roommates with a black teammate when Arians was a quarterback at Virginia Tech. Arians roomed with James Barber, the father of NFL legends Tiki and Ronde Barber.
Arians is also the only coach in the NFL with offensive, defensive, special-teams and run game coordinators who are all black.
Given all of that, Arians’s history might be a “bit longer” than Smith’s. But even if it’s not, Smith is in no place to to be calling the Bucs coach “woefully misinformed.”
Because ultimately, Arians has a point: Canceling practice in the name of social justice is a relatively meaningless gesture.
If anything, it feels like a pandering misuse of the massive platform and resources that NFL players actually have.
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westernjournal--2020-08-29--What’s Up with Joe? Biden Stares Off-Camera, Struggles To Make It Through Softball Interview

The general consensus was that former Vice President Joe Biden ’ s acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention cleared the bar that had been set for him .
The problem was that bar was so low that the Democratic nominee was basically hopping over the floor .
“ Words kept recurring : Dignity .
Normalcy .
Decency .
Integrity .
Stability .
Sanity .
Family .
Big-hearted .
Justice .
Respect .
Faith .
Hope .
Love , ” Washington Post columnist Dana Milbank wrote in an Aug. 20 piece .
“ There was little about policy from Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ proposals and promises .
There was no attempt to throw red meat to the political left .
This was about healing and recovery.
” No , this was about sentences on a teleprompter and a man who actually had to answer questions as to whether there was enough gray matter left under those graying hair plugs to recite those words .
I mean , not to belabor the point , but this was about a guy who could read and enunciate words like “ dignity , ” “ normalcy , ” “ decency @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conviction that Biden cheerleaders like Milbank could write empurpled prose about “ healing and recovery ” and how the nominee ’ s speech was dripping with the milk of human kindness .
Of course , once the fireworks were over , there was the smoke that hung in the air : What would happen when Biden faced a real interview ?
He ’ d already made a fool of himself in the early days of the pandemic when there were debacles like this : “ We have to take care of the cure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , no matter what .
No matter what.
” Unless he ’ s stanning on The Cure here — and I like “ Disintegration ” as much as the next former alienated teenager , but I think those might not be the priorities the moment calls for — Biden ’ s answer doesn ’ t make sense in any context .
This was “ The View , ” however .
It ’ s actually physically difficult to force my fingers to type these words out , but Joy Behar ’ s motley crew @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , even liberals .
That hurts to admit and I want to give my MacBook a shower now , but the truth hurts and Apple products are expensive .
Anyhow , if Biden wanted some placid waters to test his seaworthiness , there was no better place than Anderson Cooper ’ s CNN show .
The issue of Jacob Blake ’ s shooting at the hands of police in Kenosha , Wisconsin , was one of the items up for discussion , and Cooper was willing to play T-ball with the Democratic nominee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it , Biden either grazed the top of the ball and couldn ’ t hit it out of the infield or missed it entirely , swung the the bat around and hit himself in the face .
Here ’ s video of the Thursday exchange .
Pay close attention to Biden ’ s eyes here : RELATED : Skateboarder in Biden 's Backyard Hits Nominee 's 'You Ai n't Black ' Comment , Explains Why He 's on the Trump Train If you didn ’ t catch it , here ’ s Dickensian-named @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what he thought was wrong with this clip : Cooper , a journalist who has covered both Hurricane Katrina and famine in Niger on the ground , couldn ’ t be bothered to point out that during every answer , the Democratic candidate very clearly looked off-camera .
One assumes that he wasn ’ t checking his new messages on Slack .
This was true throughout the videos above , but particularly between about the 1-minute and 1:20 marks of the first clip , when Biden seemed to struggle to get through his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seconds .
You can almost picture the scene .
Biden : “ Hold on a second there , pony soldier .
My iPad crashed.
” Cooper : “ Take your time , Mr. Vice President.
” Cooper didn ’ t notice , but everyone else kind of did : Meanwhile , check out Cooper in the aftermath of President Donald Trump ’ s speech accepting the Republican nomination Thursday , when the CNN host was on with a “ fact-checker ” who called Trump a serial prevaricator : Yeah , there was clearly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden ’ s exchange with Cooper , during which the former vice president stated flat-out that he thought the president was “ rooting for violence ” to help his re-election chances .
Evidence : zero !
Pushback from Cooper : zero !
This wasn ’ t even “ The View ” and the best that Biden could accomplish was a dead-eyed performance which caused many people to assert — though of course it ’ s impossible to know for sure what Biden was looking at off-screen — that our beloved dog-faced pony soldier @ @ @ @ @ @ @ On Thursday , House Speaker Nancy Pelosi made it clear she didn ’ t think Biden should debate Trump .
“ I don ’ t think that there should be any debates .
I do not think that the president of the United States has comported himself in a way that has any association with truth , evidence , data and facts , ” the California Democrat said .
Yes , that ’ s exactly why Pelosi doesn ’ t want Biden to debate Trump .
< /sarcasm > This was before Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you .
She didn ’ t need to see that , though .
The “ truth , evidence , data and facts ” raise some serious questions about the Democratic presidential nominee ’ s cognitive health .
She knows that in debates , you can ’ t read off of a teleprompter .
Former President Barack Obama may have said it best when he reportedly told another Democrat : “ Don ’ t underestimate Joe ’ s ability to f— things up.
” Democrats certainly aren ’ t .
Just look at what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ T-ball interview .
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

The general consensus was that former Vice President Joe Biden’s acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention cleared the bar that had been set for him.
The problem was that bar was so low that the Democratic nominee was basically hopping over the floor.
“Words kept recurring: Dignity. Normalcy. Decency. Integrity. Stability. Sanity. Family. Big-hearted. Justice. Respect. Faith. Hope. Love,” Washington Post columnist Dana Milbank wrote in an Aug. 20 piece.
“There was little about policy from Biden, and certainly no laundry list of proposals and promises. There was no attempt to throw red meat to the political left. This was about healing and recovery.”
No, this was about sentences on a teleprompter and a man who actually had to answer questions as to whether there was enough gray matter left under those graying hair plugs to recite those words. I mean, not to belabor the point, but this was about a guy who could read and enunciate words like “dignity,” “normalcy,” “decency” and “integrity” with enough conviction that Biden cheerleaders like Milbank could write empurpled prose about “healing and recovery” and how the nominee’s speech was dripping with the milk of human kindness.
Of course, once the fireworks were over, there was the smoke that hung in the air: What would happen when Biden faced a real interview? He’d already made a fool of himself in the early days of the pandemic when there were debacles like this:
“Are you at all concerned, as President Trump said, we cannot let the cure be worse than the problem itself?” “We have to take care of the cure that will make the problem worse no matter what” Um, what? pic.twitter.com/VylTvzO3Tw — Elizabeth Harrington (@LizRNC) March 24, 2020
“We have to take care of the cure. That will make the problem worse, no matter what. No matter what.” Unless he’s stanning on The Cure here — and I like “Disintegration” as much as the next former alienated teenager, but I think those might not be the priorities the moment calls for — Biden’s answer doesn’t make sense in any context.
Do you think that former Vice President Joe Biden is experiencing cognitive decline? Yes No
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This was “The View,” however. It’s actually physically difficult to force my fingers to type these words out, but Joy Behar’s motley crew occasionally asks mildly difficult questions of politicians, even liberals. That hurts to admit and I want to give my MacBook a shower now, but the truth hurts and Apple products are expensive.
Anyhow, if Biden wanted some placid waters to test his seaworthiness, there was no better place than Anderson Cooper’s CNN show. The issue of Jacob Blake’s shooting at the hands of police in Kenosha, Wisconsin, was one of the items up for discussion, and Cooper was willing to play T-ball with the Democratic nominee.
Depending on how you looked at it, Biden either grazed the top of the ball and couldn’t hit it out of the infield or missed it entirely, swung the the bat around and hit himself in the face.
Here’s video of the Thursday exchange. Pay close attention to Biden’s eyes here:
If you didn’t catch it, here’s Dickensian-named Federalist writer Tristan Justice pointing out exactly what he thought was wrong with this clip:
Joe Biden is clearly reading from a script while struggling to get through this interview with Anderson Cooper pic.twitter.com/PsD7vBLIik — Tristan Justice (@JusticeTristan) August 27, 2020
Cooper, a journalist who has covered both Hurricane Katrina and famine in Niger on the ground, couldn’t be bothered to point out that during every answer, the Democratic candidate very clearly looked off-camera. One assumes that he wasn’t checking his new messages on Slack.
This was true throughout the videos above, but particularly between about the 1-minute and 1:20 marks of the first clip, when Biden seemed to struggle to get through his talking points without staring off-screen every few seconds.
You can almost picture the scene. Biden: “Hold on a second there, pony soldier. My iPad crashed.” Cooper: “Take your time, Mr. Vice President.”
Cooper didn’t notice, but everyone else kind of did:
Guaranteed he is getting the questions given to him prior to the interview and someone wrote the script for him to answer. If I recall they did something similar with Hillary in 16. There is no way he can handle a debate. — Mark Dych (@MarkDIU10) August 27, 2020
This is embarrassing for @AC360 – he just sits there and covers for Biden as he reads his points and struggles. https://t.co/uQLw6IoDgW — Richard Grenell (@RichardGrenell) August 27, 2020
Meanwhile, check out Cooper in the aftermath of President Donald Trump’s speech accepting the Republican nomination Thursday, when the CNN host was on with a “fact-checker” who called Trump a serial prevaricator:
Yeah, there was clearly that kind of fact-checking going on during Biden’s exchange with Cooper, during which the former vice president stated flat-out that he thought the president was “rooting for violence” to help his re-election chances.
Evidence: zero! Pushback from Cooper: zero!
This wasn’t even “The View” and the best that Biden could accomplish was a dead-eyed performance which caused many people to assert — though of course it’s impossible to know for sure what Biden was looking at off-screen — that our beloved dog-faced pony soldier was reading off of a script.
On Thursday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi made it clear she didn’t think Biden should debate Trump.
“I don’t think that there should be any debates. I do not think that the president of the United States has comported himself in a way that has any association with truth, evidence, data and facts,” the California Democrat said.
Yes, that’s exactly why Pelosi doesn’t want Biden to debate Trump.
This was before Biden’s interview with Cooper, mind you. She didn’t need to see that, though.
The “truth, evidence, data and facts” raise some serious questions about the Democratic presidential nominee’s cognitive health. She knows that in debates, you can’t read off of a teleprompter.
Former President Barack Obama may have said it best when he reportedly told another Democrat: “Don’t underestimate Joe’s ability to f— things up.”
Democrats certainly aren’t. Just look at what happens when he’s given a T-ball interview.
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westernjournal--2020-08-29--Watch: Hurricane Coverage Gets Nervy as Reporter Braves Winds, Narrowly Escapes Debris

A reporter in Lake Charles , Louisiana , was nearly blown away as she covered Hurricane Laura ’ s landfall on Thursday .
Harrowing video footage shows reporters braving the wind and dodging debris as the hurricane made its landfall .
A female reporter stood in 72 mph winds as she reported that the winds were nearing hurricane strength of 74 mph .
The next shots are of the reporter , completely soaked and clutching her hat as she braved the winds .
Then debris and glass rained down on her as she ran up the steps .
“ We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are fine , ” the reporter can be heard saying .
Hurricane Laura , which is now a tropical depression , tore across Louisiana destroying homes and businesses and killing at least six people , CBS News reported .
When it landed in Louisiana , Laura was a Category 4 storm with 150 mph winds , the strongest storm to hit the state since 1856 , according to ABC News .
The storm also produced four tornadoes .
Arkansas has also been hit with damaging winds and flooding and is under a state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Station No .
1 in Iowa , Louisiana , NPR reported .
“ It tore the brick off , it tore the roof off , it lifted the truck by its roof , ” said Scooter Lewis , chief of the volunteer fire department .
“ I mean , it tore everything .
I have a skylight in my truck right now.
” Other residents have said Laura is unlike any other hurricane they have experienced in the past .
“ This time it ’ s more , as you can see , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Lake Charles resident Patrick Bright said .
A flash flood watch has been issued for Arkansas , Mississippi , Alabama , Tennessee , Kentucky and Illinois with some areas predicting 3 to 5 inches of rain .
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

A reporter in Lake Charles, Louisiana, was nearly blown away as she covered Hurricane Laura’s landfall on Thursday.
Harrowing video footage shows reporters braving the wind and dodging debris as the hurricane made its landfall.
WATCH: Jaw-dropping footage from our live crews last night as #Laura made landfall. pic.twitter.com/psxgyM18tl — The Weather Channel (@weatherchannel) August 27, 2020
A female reporter stood in 72 mph winds as she reported that the winds were nearing hurricane strength of 74 mph.
The next shots are of the reporter, completely soaked and clutching her hat as she braved the winds.
Then debris and glass rained down on her as she ran up the steps.
“We’re fine. Everyone, we are fine,” the reporter can be heard saying.
Hurricane Laura, which is now a tropical depression, tore across Louisiana destroying homes and businesses and killing at least six people, CBS News reported.
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When it landed in Louisiana, Laura was a Category 4 storm with 150 mph winds, the strongest storm to hit the state since 1856, according to ABC News.
The storm also produced four tornadoes.
Arkansas has also been hit with damaging winds and flooding and is under a state of emergency.
Laura also smashed Fire Station No. 1 in Iowa, Louisiana, NPR reported.
“It tore the brick off, it tore the roof off, it lifted the truck by its roof,” said Scooter Lewis, chief of the volunteer fire department.
“I mean, it tore everything. I have a skylight in my truck right now.”
Other residents have said Laura is unlike any other hurricane they have experienced in the past.
“This time it’s more, as you can see, the wind just tore everything up,” Lake Charles resident Patrick Bright said.
A flash flood watch has been issued for Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky and Illinois with some areas predicting 3 to 5 inches of rain.
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westernjournal--2020-08-29--Pizza Shop Employee Peeks Out of Smashed Window and Perfectly Educates Rioters

One working man called out rioters in Kenosha , Wisconsin , this past week , letting them know that their violent actions were hurting families and might have the effect of getting President Donald Trump re-elected .
The riots were in response to the police shooting of Jacob Blake on Sunday in Kenosha .
Blake disobeyed officers ’ commands as he walked over to his car and opened the driver ’ s side door .
He was then shot in the back seven times .
Police recovered a knife from the floorboard of Blake ’ s vehicle .
After some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ local Papa John ’ s , an employee leaned out of the window and shouted out his justifiable tirade .
Dylan Brogan , a reporter for the Wisconsin news outlet Isthmus , posted a video of the incident on his Twitter account on Wednesday .
“ Are you trying to get Trump re-elected ?
” the employee yelled at demonstrators outside of the pizza shop .
“ Seriously.
” WARNING : The following video contains vulgar language that some viewers may find offensive : “ I got a family to support , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kids to feed.
” A protester yelled back at him , saying , “ These people don ’ t represent our movement.
” The frustrated employee then through his hands up and gave a cutting reply .
“ Well , I ’ m sorry , but they ’ re with you , ” he said .
That final line from the Papa John ’ s employee highlights a troubling fact that Black Lives Matter protesters need to wrestle with .
RELATED : Portland Mayor Abandons His Residents , Brags About It for Anti-Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ demonstrating for a cause you believe in , even if that ’ s based on flawed information .
That being said , after several nights of destruction , morally responsible protesters should find a way to demonstrate without giving cover to violent criminals terrorizing the streets .
If they did so , businesses , homes and even lives could be saved .
This wasn ’ t just the case in Kenosha — in the many cities that suffered from rioting over the past few months , it almost always started amid Black Lives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Floyd , the Minneapolis man who died after a police officer knelt on his neck for roughly 9 minutes .
Despite the continued mayhem , protesters will continue to give cover to rioters , and the establishment media will continue to describe the events as “ mostly peaceful protests.
” We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

One working man called out rioters in Kenosha, Wisconsin, this past week, letting them know that their violent actions were hurting families and might have the effect of getting President Donald Trump re-elected.
The riots were in response to the police shooting of Jacob Blake on Sunday in Kenosha. Blake disobeyed officers’ commands as he walked over to his car and opened the driver’s side door. He was then shot in the back seven times. Police recovered a knife from the floorboard of Blake’s vehicle.
For days afterward, violent demonstrations ravaged Kenosha.
After some rioters destroyed the glass window of a local Papa John’s, an employee leaned out of the window and shouted out his justifiable tirade.
Dylan Brogan, a reporter for the Wisconsin news outlet Isthmus, posted a video of the incident on his Twitter account on Wednesday.
“Are you trying to get Trump re-elected?” the employee yelled at demonstrators outside of the pizza shop. “Seriously.”
WARNING: The following video contains vulgar language that some viewers may find offensive:
Windows of businesses and residential buildings being smashed on University Avenue — which were not preemptively boarded up. This Papa John’s employee asks protesters, “Do you want Trump to be elected?” pic.twitter.com/IbSubGfGs6 — Dylan Brogan (@telldylan) August 26, 2020
“I got a family to support,” he said. “I got f—ing kids to feed.”
A protester yelled back at him, saying, “These people don’t represent our movement.”
The frustrated employee then threw his hands up and gave a cutting reply.
“Well, I’m sorry, but they’re with you,” he said.
That final line from the Papa John’s employee highlights a troubling fact that Black Lives Matter protesters need to wrestle with.
There is nothing wrong with peacefully demonstrating for a cause you believe in, even if that’s based on flawed information.
That being said, after several nights of destruction, morally responsible protesters should find a way to demonstrate without giving cover to violent criminals terrorizing the streets.
BLM rioters in Kenosha, Wisc. start fires. pic.twitter.com/XhLMTEZzrq — Andy Ngô (@MrAndyNgo) August 24, 2020
If they did so, businesses, homes and even lives could be saved.
All of our #Kenosha members are reported to be safe and no injuries last night after protests and civil unrest. Asking all our members to continue to be extra safe and vigilant. #kenoshawisconsin #Wisconsin pic.twitter.com/jYlzIrfLrO — Professional Fire Fighters of Wisconsin (@PFFW) August 24, 2020
Another street in Kenosha was really hard hit by looting and fires. There’s a ton of people out helping to clean up pic.twitter.com/hlepM481Oj — Shelby Talcott (@ShelbyTalcott) August 25, 2020
This wasn’t just the case in Kenosha — in the many cities that suffered from rioting over the past few months, it almost always started amid Black Lives Matter protests in the name of George Floyd, the Minneapolis man who died after a police officer knelt on his neck for roughly 9 minutes.
Despite the continued mayhem, protesters will continue to give cover to rioters, and the establishment media will continue to describe the events as “mostly peaceful protests.”
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