More than 30 years ago, on June 26, 1987, Joyce Watkins, who at the time was in her late 30s, went with her then-boyfriend Charlie Dunn to pick up her four-year-old great-niece Brandi.
The next morning, Brandi was unresponsive and taken to Nashville Memorial Hospital, where she was pronounced dead a day later due to head trauma. She also had injuries to her vagina.
Even though Watkins and Dunn only had Brandi in their care for nine hours, the medical examiner, Dr. Gretel Harlan, determined the injuries occurred during that time, CNN <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/01/14/us/woman-wrongfully-convicted-exonerated-trnd/index.html">reported</a>.
A year later, Watkins and Dunn were convicted of first-degree murder and aggravated rape, each spending 27 years in prison before being granted parole in 2015. Dunn, however, died before he was released.
CNN reported that Brandi had been living with her great aunt, Rose Williams, and that a social worker had been called to Williams’ home after a complaint of child abuse. Williams told the social worker that Brandi had gotten her injuries at the playground and the social worker closed the case.
“In a report filed with the Davidson County Criminal Court, Watkins said she noticed that Brandi had blood in her underwear when she and Dunn brought her home to Nashville. The report also included testimony from pediatric expert Dr. Shilpa Reddy, who called into question the medical examiner&#8217;s methodology,” Insider <a href="https://www.insider.com/tennessee-woman-exonerated-after-spending-27-years-in-prison-2022-1">reported</a>.
CNN noted that the methodology used to determine the time of Brandi’s head injury &#8220;is not a legitimate method for dating pediatric head trauma,&#8221; according to Reddy’s report.
&#8220;Joyce Watkins and Charlie Dunn are innocent,&#8221; District Attorney Glenn Funk told CNN. &#8220;We cannot give Ms. Watkins or Mr. Dunn their lost years but we can restore their dignity; we can restore their names. Their innocence demands it.&#8221;
Nearly thirty-five years after Brandi’s death, Watkins has been exonerated. Dunn was also exonerated posthumously. Dunn’s daughter Jack <a href="https://www.newschannel5.com/news/couple-to-be-cleared-of-1988-murder-rape-convictions">told</a> NewsChannel5 on the day of her father’s hearing that she wished “my daddy was here to witness this day.”
&#8220;He knew he was innocent, he knew he did not commit those crimes,&#8221; she added.
Watkins reached out to the Tennessee Innocence Project to clear her name, as well as the Davidson County District Attorney’s Office.
&#8220;We got this case because she [Joyce] came to us,&#8221; Jason Gichner, senior legal counsel with the Tennessee Innocence Project, told CNN. &#8220;She just showed up at the office and said, &#8216;Let me tell you my story. I need your help.'&#8221;
With the help of the TIP, Watkins filed a report on November 10, 2021, asking that she and Dunn be exonerated. The filing noted that Watkins had noticed blood in Brandi’s underwear when they arrived home with her just an hour and a half after she and Dunn picked her up back in 1987. Reddy’s report was also included in the filing and noted that the original medical examiner, Dr. Harlan, conceded she had made an error years after Watkins and Dunn were convicted.
&#8220;Miss Watkins, this charge against you is dismissed,&#8221; Davidson County Criminal Court Judge Angelita Blackshear Dalton reportedly said when exonerating Watkins. It is unclear whether Watkins or Dunn’s family will receive compensation for their wrongful conviction.
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Woman in cage 2

She Spent 27 Years In Prison For A Rape And Murder She Didn’t Commit. Now, At 74, She’s Exonerated.

Wrongful Conviction

A fear many close to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein had may soon be realized, as convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell has decided to stop fighting to protect the names of eight men accused of having sex with underage girls procured by the two felons.
The New York Post <a href="https://nypost.com/2022/01/15/ghislaine-maxwell-will-no-longer-fight-to-keep-names-of-8-john-does-secret/?utm_medium=SocialFlow&amp;utm_campaign=SocialFlow&amp;utm_source=NYPTwitter">reported</a> one of Maxwell’s attorneys wrote in a letter to federal Judge Loretta Preska last week that the alleged madam of Epstein would no longer fight to keep secret the names of eight “John Does” who were named in a 2015 civil lawsuit against Maxwell from Virginia Giuffre, who is accusing Prince Andrew of sexual abuse.
“After careful review of the detailed objections submitted by Non-Party Does 17, 53, 54, 55, 73, 93, and 151, counsel for Ghislaine Maxwell writes to inform the Court that she does not wish to further address those objections,” Maxwell attorney Laura Menninger wrote in a January 12 letter.
The Post noted that the letter was &#8220;written the same day a Manhattan federal judge <a href="https://nypost.com/2022/01/12/prince-andrew-sex-abuse-lawsuit-can-go-forward-judge/">refused to dismiss Giuffre’s case</a> against Prince Andrew.”
The letter also comes less than two weeks after Maxwell was found guilty on five out of six of the charges against her. As The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ghislaine-maxwell-jeffrey-epsteins-former-girlfriend-found-guilty-in-sex-abuse-trial">reported</a>:
<blockquote>The jury found Maxwell guilty on five of six counts on Wednesday, including conspiracy to entice individuals under 17 to travel in interstate commerce with intent to engage in “illegal sexual activity,” conspiracy to transport individuals under 17 to travel in interstate commerce with intent to engage in “illegal sexual activity,” transportation of an individual under 17 with intent to engage in “illegal sexual activity,” conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of individuals under 18, and sex trafficking of an individual under 18.</blockquote>
Hot Air’s Jazz Shaw <a href="https://hotair.com/jazz-shaw/2022/01/16/uh-oh-ghislaine-maxwell-will-no-longer-fight-to-keep-names-of-john-does-secret-n441939">speculated</a>, as others have, that Maxwell may have stopped protecting the names in the hopes that she would receive a lighter sentence for her crimes if she gives up other potential criminals.
“This assumes that any of the charges against the suspected Johns could still be brought to court and haven’t run afoul of the statute of limitations. Even if that’s not the case, the men on the list could still wind up in civil court where Maxwell’s testimony could be central to such cases,” Shaw wrote. “Maxwell is unlikely to get as light of a sentence out of this as she would have if she had just offered to cooperate initially, but it could still be an improvement for her.”
Hot Air’s Ed Morrissey <a href="https://hotair.com/ed-morrissey/2021/12/30/jury-convicts-ghislaine-maxwell-so-whos-next-n438351">previously questioned</a> whether Maxwell would give up the names to save herself:
<blockquote>Perhaps that’s what prosecutors had in mind with Maxwell all along. It will be another several weeks before sentencing takes place, so Maxwell has time enough to stew over the benefits of cooperation. Rumors have swirled that Epstein kept a vast video library of these sexual encounters as leverage over the “johns” or even outright extortion. If anyone knows where that evidence might be, it’s Maxwell, assuming it still exists at all or existed in the first place. Even without the video library, Maxwell certainly knows who got connected to Epstein’s Lolita Express and could assist prosecutors into building cases against the “johns.”</blockquote>
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Sunday, January 4, 2015 Ghislaine Maxwell

Ghislaine Maxwell Will No Longer Fight To Protect Names Of Eight ‘John Does’ Who Allegedly Had Sex With Underage Girls

Ghislaine Maxwell

Jeffrey Epstein

Rabbi Charlie Cytron-Walker, who was held hostage on Saturday for 10 hours along with three of his congregants, credited regular active-shooter training with saving lives.
The New York Post <a href="https://nypost.com/2022/01/17/texas-rabbi-credits-security-training-for-hostage-survival/">reported</a> that Cytron-Walker said his synagogue, Congregation Beth Israel, “participated in multiple security courses,” including some with local police and the FBI.
“We are alive today because of that education,” the rabbi said in a statement on Saturday.
“In the last hour of our hostage crisis, the gunman became increasingly belligerent and threatening,” Cytron-Walker said, referring to the suspect who took the hostages and was shot dead on Saturday.
“Without the instruction we received, we would not have been prepared to act and flee when the situation presented itself,” the rabbi added. “We are grateful for the outcome.”
Cytron-Walker further encouraged “all Jewish congregations, religious groups, schools, and others to participate in active-shooter and security courses.” He went on to thank everyone for “all the love, prayers and support,” and added that “there is no question that this was a traumatic experience.”
Cytron-Walker continued, saying “We are resilient and we will recover.”
The Post also reported that synagogue president Michael Finfer released his own statement reassuring the Jewish community that they were safe and that the Saturday attack “was a random act of violence.”
“Indeed, there was a one-in-a-million chance that the gunman picked our congregation. Further, the FBI is confirming that the attacker appeared to be working alone,” Finfer added.
As The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-british-police-make-multiple-arrests-in-connection-with-texas-synagogue-hostage-situation">reported</a>, British police have since arrested two individuals believed to be connected to the hostage situation in Texas.
“As part of the ongoing investigation into the attack that took place at a Synagogue in Texas on 15 January 2022, Officers from Counter Terror Policing North West have made two arrests in relation to the incident,” the Greater Manchester Police said in a statement. “Two teenagers were detained in South Manchester this evening. They remain in custody for questioning.”
“CTP North West and CTP International operations continues to assist the investigation being led by the US authorities, and police forces in the region are liaising with local communities to put in place any measures to provide further reassurance,” the statement concluded.
The FBI <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/fbi-slammed-for-claiming-suspect-who-held-hostages-at-synagogue-was-not-focused-on-jewish-community">initially claimed</a> the suspect who took the hostages on Saturday was not motivated by any connection to the Jewish community.
“We do believe from our engagement with this subject that he was singularly focused on one issue, and it was not specifically related to the Jewish community,” FBI Special Agent in Charge Matt DeSarno said. “But we’re continuing to work to find motive and we will continue on that path. In terms of the resolution of the incident, the hostage taker is deceased.”
The Bureau later changed its stance to say “This is a terrorism-related matter, in which the Jewish community was targeted, and is being investigated by the Joint Terrorism Task Force.”
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Police Respond To Hostage Situation At Texas Synagogue

Rabbi Held Hostage In Texas Synagogue Says Active Shooter Training Saved Lives From ‘Belligerent’ Terrorist

Anti-Semitism

Texas

University of Pennsylvania graduate student Mackenzie Fierceton won the praise and approval of her school in November 2020 when she was one of 32 scholars to win the prestigious Rhodes Scholarship to study at Oxford.
“Mackenzie is so deserving of this prestigious opportunity,” university president Amy Gutmann said of Fierceton. “As a first-generation [to go to college] low-income student and a former foster youth, Mackenzie is passionate about championing young people [and] dedicating herself to a life of public service.”
Months later, however, Fierceton would lose her scholarship after she was accused of being “blatantly dishonest” about her childhood in both her Rhodes Scholarship and University of Pennsylvania applications, the New York Post <a href="https://nypost.com/2022/01/11/rhodes-scholar-denied-honor-after-dishonesty-about-life-story/">reported</a>.
The full story of Fierceton’s alleged deception was <a href="https://www.chronicle.com/article/the-dredging">reported</a> at The Chronicle of Higher Education, which noted that she was asked to meet with UPenn’s deputy provost Beth Winkelstein over Zoom in the fall of 2020. Winkelstein reportedly asked numerous questions, including “Who were her parents? Did her mother go to college? Was she given a car? Who was Darren? Would medical records show she had broken ribs? What about injuries to her face?”
The questions were based on Fierceton’s inspiring story of being the first person in her family to go to college, of growing up in a low-income household, and even spending time in the foster-care system. Her capstone thesis was about foster kids often ending up in prison, the Chronicle reported.
At the time Fierceton won the scholarship, The Philadelphia Inquirer published an article about her, which led to an anonymous email questioning her story. From the Chronicle:
<blockquote>In reality, the email said, Fierceton had grown up in an affluent suburb of St. Louis with her mother, a radiologist, and had attended private schools. A similar email, sent to the Rhodes Trust, accused her of being “blatantly dishonest in the representation of her childhood” and included photos from her high-school yearbook of Fierceton skydiving, riding a horse, and whitewater rafting. The anonymous email led to the meeting with the deputy provost and would prompt two investigations, one by Rhodes and one by the university, that would result in further accusations of deception. Much of that scrutiny focused on an essay in Fierceton’s undergraduate application that details alleged abuse so severe that it landed her in a pediatric intensive-care unit.</blockquote>
It is no secret that stories of trauma help students win prestigious scholarships, which may lead some to at least stretch the truth about their lives in an attempt to gain favor.
UPenn started heavily investigating Fierceton’s story, including speaking to people from her hometown. Some professors, who bought Fierceton’s story without any verification, claimed the university was mistreating a young woman with trauma.
It turns out that Fierceton attended a $30,000-a-year private high school in the St. Louis suburbs in an affluent suburb with her mother, the director of breast imaging and mammography at a nearby hospital.
Fierceton also claimed that on September 22, 2014, her mother pushed her down the stairs during an argument and struck her in the face multiple times. Fierceton claimed she drove herself to school, then collapsed in front of a teacher and was taken to a hospital. Fierceton described in her scholarship essay that an event left her in a hospital bed with a feeding tube in her mouth and “facial features so distorted and swollen that I cannot tell them apart,” adding that her “blonde hair is caked with dried blood.” She claimed an “army of nurses” had to help her to the bathroom and that she had “braces stabilizing most of my body.” She didn’t identify the event, but claimed her mother was the assailant.
Fierceton’s mother claimed that she had an excellent relationship with her daughter, but that the younger girl had anxiety. Her mother claimed that Fierceton asked her for help getting gum out of her hair while they were on the stairs and that she jerked her head back and stumbled down a few steps before sitting down.
Fierceton did go to the hospital at that time, and her mother was arrested on charges of child abuse, but those charges were dropped after the assistant prosecuting attorney had serious doubts about the honesty of the allegations.
At the meeting with UPenn’s Winkelstein, Fierceton was asked about people she identified in her personal essay. Her essay began with a claim that she entered foster care and named several people she identifies as other foster kids.
“Now, Chandra is institutionalized for the seventh time,” she wrote. “Darren and Will are incarcerated. Casey is terminally ill.”
Winkelstein asked who these people were but Fierceton said she was not “comfortable” answering.
Winkelstein later informed the Rhodes committee about the allegations, including news that Fierceton was not the first person in her family to graduate from her college. Her grandfather was a college graduate.
Rhodes conducted its own investigation and determined that Fierceton &#8220;created and repeatedly shared false narratives about herself,” adding that her “misrepresentations also served her interests as an applicant for competitive programs.”
Fierceton appears to have gotten away with defining herself as a first-generation college graduate because UPenn includes those whose family members never attended “an elite institution,” a vague description that allows a student to claim they are a first-generation college graduate if a family member never attended an Ivy League institution.
The Rhodes investigation also reviewed medical records that it said did not back up the claims in her essay. The investigation report found no references in Fierceton’s medical records about “dried blood, distorted facial features, or cessation of breathing.”
Neither UPenn nor Rhodes could determine if Fierceton’s mother actually abused her.
Both investigations determined Fierceton was not entirely hones in her essay, and her Rhodes scholarship was revoked.
The Chronicle was able to confirm some portions of Fierceton’s story, including that she was in the hospital for three weeks at one point as a teenager and that she did spend time with a foster family. Her descriptions of her time in the hospital differ from what she claimed in her essay. She had no broken bones and was only in a neck brace early on in her hospitalization, but records say her neck had a “normal range of motion.” Her feeding tube was also listed as necessary for “behavioral” reasons, not medical reasons.
Fierceton has since filed a lawsuit against UPenn, claiming the school conducted a “sham investigation.” She has also insisted her essay is more poetic, than journalistic.
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female student in silhouette looking at the books from the bookshelf

She Won A Rhodes Scholarship After Claiming To Grow Up Poor And Abused. Her Story Was A Hoax.

Education

Hoax

Thieves are apparently targeting trains like in the old West, stealing anything they can get their hands on, including at-home COVID-19 tests.
Forbes <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/laurendebter/2022/01/14/at-home-covid-test-deliveries-delayed-by-la-train-robberies/?sh=2a2b06e14aba">reported</a>  that a “surge in<a href="https://twitter.com/johnschreiber/status/1481770722271760384"> </a>Wild West-style train robberies outside the busy ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach has delayed retail shipments of everything from at-home Covid-19 tests, fishing lures and parcels from Amazon, REI and UPS.”
Union Pacific said thefts from their trains are up 160% in Los Angeles County over last year and that an average of 90 containers have been broken into every day over the past three months. The company estimated that these thefts have cost them $5 million in the past year, including, damage, losses, and claims, Forbes noted.
More from Forbes:
<blockquote>Trains make for an easy target on the so-called Alameda Corridor, a 20-mile stretch of railbed that winds through Los Angeles’ lower-income neighborhoods and is easy to access. Thieves can break into stopped or slow-moving cars and pull a kind of hand brake, which slows the wheels. Sensors in the track read this as an equipment breakdown and stop or slow the train to a crawl. At that point, individuals can use bolt cutters to open up cars and grab items quickly. What they don’t want is left on the sides of the track to blow in the breeze and slowly rot in the southern California sun.</blockquote>
Forbes reported that the train thefts are the latest supply chain issue, causing delays in addition to the delays caused by a backlog at ports in Los Angeles and Long Beach, California.
Jessica Kahanek, a spokeswoman for the Association of American Railroads in Washington, told Forbes that railroad companies were concerned about the recent wave of thefts.
“Railroads are extremely concerned about this unlawful and dangerous behavior, which poses a significant safety risk to the public, rail employees and law enforcement,” she said. “Railroads and their police forces are taking action to combat the criminal activity including increasing their presence where thefts have been a persistent challenge, particularly in the Los Angeles area.”
Union Pacific also said that it has increased the number of private police officers patrolling its 275 miles of track in the wake of the thefts and that more than 100 people were arrested in the past three months.
The railroad company wrote a letter to the Los Angeles district attorney in December asking him to take action against the “spiraling crisis of organized and opportunistic criminal rail theft.” The company added that those arrested for theft often have their charges reduced to misdemeanors or petty offenses and can pay a fine and spend less than 24 hours in jail.
“Criminals boast to our officers that there is no consequence,” Union Pacific spokesperson Robynn Tysver told Forbes.
The Daily Wire has reported on numerous other issues that have come from supply chain issues created by the pandemic and not helped by Biden administration policies. Grocery stores <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/grocery-stores-continue-to-experience-low-supply-of-goods">continue</a> to experience shortages, while a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/potato-shortage-leads-to-global-shortage-of-french-fries-potato-chips">potato shortage</a> has led to a global shortage of French fries and potato chips. Supply chain issues have also caused IKEA <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/thanks-to-supply-chain-bottlenecks-ikea-to-hike-prices-by-9-this-year">to increase prices</a> by 9%.
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US-TRANSPORT-CRIME

At-Home Covid Test Deliveries Delayed After ‘Wild West-Style Train Robberies’

Supply Chain

Theft

Train

The National School Boards Association (NSBA) continues to struggle following its controversial letter to the Biden administration urging the Department of Justice to target parents who speak out at school board meetings.
According to The Washington Post, the organization is “<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2022/01/13/school-board-association-domestic-terrorism/">at risk of total collapse</a>” following the ongoing controversy.
“Nineteen mostly GOP-led states have withdrawn from the association or promised to when this year’s membership expires, and six members of what was a 19-person board have left. Several states are discussing forming an alternative association for school boards. A new executive director of the National School Boards Association (NSBA) is working to save the organization, lobbying individual states to reconsider, but so far he has not persuaded any of them to change their minds,” the outlet reported.
John Heim, the new executive director, told the Post that he hopes “they’ll give us a chance” and that his goal is to “rebuild trust” in the organization.
The news comes after it was reported that Education Secretary Miguel Cardona “solicited” the NSBA’s letter comparing parents protesting COVID-19 policies and the teaching of Critical Race Theory to domestic terrorism, The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bidens-education-secretary-solicited-nsba-letter-comparing-parents-to-domestic-terrorists-report">reported</a>. The letter suggested that “as these acts of malice, violence, and threats against public school officials have increased, the classification of these heinous actions could be the equivalent to a form of domestic terrorism and hate crimes.”
The DOJ used the letter to direct the FBI to assist local law enforcement and use federal laws like the Patriot Act to crack down on parent protests. Newly released emails show that Cardona reached out to the NSBA to write the letter.
“The email exchange indicates Cardona was more involved with the letter’s creation than previously known,” <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/education-secretary-cardona-solicited-nsba-letter-comparing-parents-domestic-terrorists-email">Fox News</a> reported. “In the Oct. 5 email, NSBA Secretary-Treasurer Kristi Swett recounted that NSBA interim CEO Chip Slaven ‘told the officers he was writing a letter to provide information to the White House, from a request by Secretary Cardona.’”
“Previous emails had revealed that the NSBA was in contact with the White House and Justice Department in the weeks before it publicly sent the letter,” Fox added.
The emails were obtained by a Freedom of Information Act request from Parents Defending Education.
The NSBA in October apologized for its letter, The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/nsba-apologizes-for-letter-describing-potential-domestic-terrorism-at-school-board-meetings">reported</a>, saying that the letter wasn’t approved by the board before it was sent.
“On behalf of NSBA, we regret and apologize for the letter,” the organization wrote in a letter to NSBA members. “To be clear, the safety of school board members, other public school officials and educators, and students is our top priority, and there remains important work to be done on this issue. However, there was no justification for some of the language included in the letter. We should have had a better process in place to allow for consultation on a communication of this significance. We apologize also for the strain and stress this situation has caused you and your organizations.”
In December, The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/school-board-association-that-wrote-letter-comparing-parents-to-domestic-terrorists-has-lost-1-million">reported</a> that the NSBA had lost more than $1 million after numerous state chapters ended their memberships and thus stopped paying dues.
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US-EDUCATION-POLITICS-RACISM-FOCUS

National School Board Association ‘At Risk Of Total Collapse’ Following Letter Comparing Parents To ‘Domestic Terrorists’

National School Boards Association

Joe Perillo’s business was targeted by smash-and-grab perpetrators, who stole millions of dollars worth of merchandise from his Gold Coast Exotic Motor Cars store. During a meeting with Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, the mayor reportedly called Perillo an “idiot,” though he didn’t hear the insult.
Days later, Perillo’s business was cited by Chicago officials for various violations, including employees and a customer not wearing face masks, for &#8220;storing, receiving, possessing, selling nineteen bottles of liquor,&#8221; and for apparently &#8220;interfering with or obstructing the commissioner’s designee in the performance of duties,&#8221; CWB Chicago <a href="https://cwbchicago.com/2022/01/days-after-1-million-smash-and-grab-lightfoot-walked-out-of-meeting-with-idiot-luxury-car-dealer-then-a-city-inspector-showed-up-with-a-ticket-book.html">reported</a>.
“t’s almost cliché. If a business owner angers Chicago City Hall, they can expect to be visited by one of the city’s enthusiastic ticket-writing ordinance enforcers. But that doesn’t really happen … Right?” the outlet opined.
Two men destroyed a display case in Perillo’s business and stole eight luxury watches worth more than $1 million. Perillo then went on local and national TV to demand the city address the wave of smash-and-grab crimes.
“It’s only a fool who keeps doing things the same way and expects different results. If the Mayor and Kim Foxx don’t do anything to get control of this, it’s not going to get better. It’s going to get worse,” Perillo told CBS2
In another interview, he said: “If they don’t do anything about this, they’re going to lose a lot of businesses. They lost Macy’s. They’re losing Neiman Marcus. They may lose this store.”
Lightfoot went to Perillo’s showroom to meet with the business owner but the conversation reportedly did not go well. One source told CWB Chicago that the mayor called Perillo an “idiot” as she left the showroom. The mayor’s office wouldn’t provide details on the conversation.
“The Mayor routinely meets with victims of crime and reached out to Mr. Perillo which resulted in a meeting. The Mayor offered to work with him to address safety and security matters at any of his dealership locations,” a spokesperson told CWB.
Perillo <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/lori-lightfoot-chicago-meeting-smash-and-grab-store-heated-meeting">told</a> Fox News that he did not hear the mayor call him an “idiot.”
&#8220;I’m not aware that she called me an idiot… at least she did not say that to me,&#8221; Perillo told the outlet. &#8220;In her heart, I believe she is trying her best. That said, we are both passionate individuals and have different views of how to deal with theft. I can report that there was nothing I said that in any way was foolish! I simply wanted to know what her future plans were going forward!&#8221;
Just a day or two after the meeting between Lightfoot and Perillo, a city inspector from the Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection cited Gold Coast for health violations. Lightfoot’s spokesperson told CWB Chicago that the citations were “unrelated to the mayor’s meeting with Mr. Perillo.” The spokesperson said the citations came from an anonymous complaint against the business received on December 15.
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Local Politicians Kick Off Pride Month In Chicago

Lori Lightfoot Reportedly Called Smash-And-Grab Victim An ‘Idiot,’ Then His Store Was Cited For Various Violations

Chicago

Crime

Lori Lightfoot

President Joe Biden has had a terrible few months, with numerous aspects of his agenda getting blocked in congress by even members of his own party. Perhaps needing to show he has accomplished something ahead of the midterm elections, it now appears Biden will sign some executive actions on police reform.
CNBC News <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2022/01/14/biden-plans-executive-action-on-police-reform-to-revive-stalled-issue.html">reported</a> that the president may be planning to sign the executive actions as early as this month, in preparation for February being Black History Month. The outlet noted that the executive actions would follow Biden and Democrats’ failed attempt to federalize voting laws, which they refer to as “voting rights.”
“The focus on police reforms is part of what appears to be a last-ditch effort by the Biden administration to take action on some of the president’s signature initiatives in the run-up to his State of the Union Address on March 1. In addition to voting rights and policing, the White House and congressional Democrats are considering ways to resurrect Biden’s Build Back Better package, either by paring back the legislation or separating it into two bills, according to three sources familiar with the discussions,” CNBC reported.
It is unclear what would be in Biden’s executive actions or how they would differ from what the Department of Justice did last year in further restricting the use of chokeholds and “no-knock” warrants based on some high-profile cases.
A chokehold was used on Eric Gardner after he refused arrest for allegedly selling loose cigarettes. Gardner said he couldn’t breathe 11 times before losing consciousness and was pronounced dead at a hospital about an hour later.
The details surrounding the DOJ’s decision to restrict “no-knock” warrants is murkier, as the state attorney general and police have <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/kentucky-ag-breonna-taylor-warrant-was-not-no-knock-officers-justified-in-use-of-force">denied</a> that they instituted a “no-knock” warrant when attempting to find Breonna Taylor’s boyfriend. Taylor was killed during that search.
Biden’s planned executive actions appear to be a cynical attempt to woo back black voters as the president’s favorability rating continues to crumble. Last year, the House passed a police reform bill named after George Floyd, who died at the hands of Minneapolis police officers in May 2020. The bill stalled in the Senate when a bipartisan group of senators could not come to an agreement.
&#8220;I still hope to sign into law a comprehensive and meaningful police reform bill that honors the name and memory of George Floyd, because we need legislation to ensure lasting and meaningful change,&#8221; Biden <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/09/22/statement-by-president-joe-biden-on-police-reform-negotiations/">said</a> at the time. &#8220;But this moment demands action, and we cannot allow those who stand in the way of progress to prevent us from answering the call.  That is why my Administration has already taken important steps, with the Justice Department announcing new policies on chokeholds, no-knock warrants, and body cameras.&#8221;
As Fox News <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/biden-planning-executive-orders-on-police-reform-report">noted</a>, Biden’s proposed executive actions also come after Republicans and some Democrats panned the president’s recent “racially-charged speech urging Senate Democrats to suspend the filibuster to push through his party’s legislation that would overhaul federal election laws.”
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President Biden Delivers Remarks On Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill

Biden Reportedly Eyeing Executive Orders On Police Reform

Executive Orders

Joe Biden

Police Reform

Two Western Carolina University (WCU) students who work as Resident Assistants (RA) for the school say they have been mocked by faculty and received death threats after they spoke out against the school’s “woke” racial and gender training.
Fox News <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/western-carolina-students-death-threats-mockery-faculty-woke-gender-unicorn">reported</a> that the RAs said they have been mocked by faculty boasting that they are “proud” to be “woke.” The students said they have also received calls to be fired.
Last week, the students <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/western-carolina-university-subjecting-ras-mandatory-woke-racial-sensitivity-training">described</a> what they experienced in the school’s racial sensitivity and gender trainings. In the racial training, the students said they were shown slides warning against “denying” the “racial experience” of anyone else by saying, “When I look at you I don’t see color.” The students were also told that calling America a “melting pot” could be considered offensive, with people assuming the person saying it is actually insisting “you should assimilate to the dominant culture.&#8221;
As Fox reported, “The RAs were also introduced to a ‘gender unicorn’ which outlined the many variations of ‘gender identities’ and ‘gender expressions’ that students might identify by while also being told that sex and gender have nothing to do with genitalia.”
After exposing the training sessions, the students were subjected to mocking from members of the Western Carolina Faculty Senate, who used their claims to raise money for a favored liberal political organization.
&#8220;Creating a fundraiser in response to the manufactured outrage and fear-mongering inherent in stories like this one that seek to make work towards diversity, equity, and inclusion scary,&#8221; Laura Wright, president of the Faculty Senate, posted on a fundraising website, according to Fox. &#8220;Thanks for some great material, though.&#8221;
The fundraising website referred to the Fox report on the training as “stupid” and allowed people to purchase a shirt that mocked the two students after they called the school “Woke Carolina University.”
&#8220;Proud to be Woke U, home of the fighting Gender Unicorns,&#8221; the shirt says.
Multiple faculty members donated to the fundraiser – a social justice-aligned legal fund. Those faculty members include associate professor Amy Murphy-Nugen, associate professor Pamela Duncan, and assistant professor Amy Rose, Fox reported.
The Faculty Senate’s official Facebook Page also publicly mocked the students, claiming their concerns were “manufactured outrage” and reiterating that they were “proud” to be “woke.
That post and a similar post on Instagram were eventually deleted after Western Carolina RA Katie Sanders and Western Carolina TPUSA Campus Coordinator Chris Stirewalt appeared on Fox &amp; Friends First, the outlet noted.
Though the school did not respond to Fox News’ requests for comment, the school’s chancellor sent out an email to WCU alumni insisting to potential donors that the “gender unicorn” training was taken “out of context.”
&#8220;The highlighted training was meant to make our RAs aware of multiple points of view; understand that our students have different backgrounds; and provide techniques to assist them with communication,&#8221; the email from WCU Chancellor Kelli R. Brown said. &#8220;Western Carolina University’s goal is to ensure that all students feel comfortable and at home in our residence halls.&#8221;
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Gender Symbols

Two University RAs Spoke Out Against School’s ‘Woke’ Racial And Gender Training. They Say They’ve Received Death Threats.

Gender

Race

Woke Culture

A female swimmer on the University of Pennsylvania’s swim team said transgender athlete Lia Thomas “compares herself to Jackie Robinson” and makes arrogant comments about being &#8220;No. 1 in the country.&#8221;
The female swimmer, who <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/transgender-penn-swimmer-breaks-team-rules-compares-self-to-jackie-robinson">spoke</a> to the Washington Examiner on the condition of anonymity, explained in the second part of an exclusive interview that Thomas “compares herself to Jackie Robinson,” saying, “She said she is like the Jackie Robinson of trans sports.”
“I try not to be around her because the whole situation makes me so mad,&#8221; the swimmer said. &#8220;I don’t think Lia is a bad person. She’s very quiet and kind of introverted &#8230; It’s just really hard for me to respect her at all because of what she’s doing to my team and what she’s doing to women in general and not caring.”
The female swimmer also told the outlet that Thomas “laughs about” and “mocks the situation.
&#8220;Instead of caring or showing that she cares about what she’s doing or what she’s doing to her teammates, she’s not sympathetic or empathetic at all. Lia never addressed our team. She never asked if it was OK. She never asked how we felt. She never tried to explain how she feels. She never has said anything to us as a group. She never addressed anything,” the swimmer said.
“All she does is make comments to people like, ‘At least I’m still No. 1 in the country,’ and those kinds of cocky things,” the swimmer added. “She doesn’t care how all this is affecting us and how this is affecting our relationship to swimming. She doesn’t care, and it makes it really hard to like her.”
The swimmer also said Thomas has flagrantly ignored rules that everyone else followed, like on a recent trip to Florida where UPenn told the swimmers not to wear school gear – like they usually do – to avoid getting harassed, but Thomas ignored the rule and wore school gear every day while no one else did. She added that Thomas attended both the male and female swim team annual dinners after announcing the gender transition, even though swimmers are only supposed to attend one.
“When she first announced she was transgender and was still on the men’s team, she went to both the men’s and women’s swimming team dinners on our training trip,&#8221; Thomas’ teammate told the Examiner. &#8220;It really rubbed me the wrong way because if you’re saying you’re a woman, then why go to the men’s team? And if you want to go to the men’s team because all your friends are there, OK, understandable. But then why are you going to the women’s team dinner? You shouldn’t get to bend the rules.”
As The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/female-penn-swimmer-forced-to-compete-against-biological-male-says-ncaa-just-does-not-care-about-us-at-all">noted</a>, the first part of the swimmer’s interview accused the NCAA of not caring about biological women “at all.”
“Yeah, it’s definitely really stressful. There’s a lot going on. And it definitely weighs on my mind a lot because it’s definitely hard to overcome the feeling of feeling completely overlooked, as if the NCAA just does not care about us at all. And nobody cares about how this is affecting us at all,” she told the Examiner.
“It just seems like if you say anything, everyone is just going to attack you and call you transphobic, and it’s not even true,” she added. “We just want to have what we were promised by joining the swim team, which is fair competition and equal opportunities. It’s been really frustrating because we all agree, and I have yet to meet anyone or talk to anyone who thinks what is going on is OK. But yet somehow, these are the rules and allowed.”
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Pennsylvania Women’s Swimming

Penn Transgender Swimmer ‘Mocks’ The Situation, ‘Compares Herself To Jackie Robinson,’ Teammate Says

Lia Thomas

Transgender

Transgender Athletes

University of Pennsylvania

A female University of Pennsylvania swimmer says the school’s athletic department knew for two years that a male competitive swimmer would transition to female and being swimming on the women’s team as Lia Thomas, yet no one spoke to the team about the upcoming change.
Further, the student accused the NCAA of not caring about female swimmers. The student made <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/exclusive-interview-with-penn-swimmer-the-ncaa-just-does-not-care-about-us-at-all">the claims</a> to the Washington Examiner, speaking anonymously.
“We did not hear a single thing from the athletic department until just a couple weeks ago. Not even for the last two years, when they knew it was going to happen. They’ve known for more than two years now,” the swimmer told the outlet. “It was September 2019 when we learned of this. The athletic department did not talk to us once. They did not ask how we feel. They did not try and say anything or do anything to help us. They never even stopped by the pool once. They did not care, and they didn’t even try to help.”
The swimmer explained that Penn administrators did offer counseling sessions where swimmers could speak out about their concerns, but added that these were more like a consolation session since the administrators couldn’t or wouldn’t do anything to address their issues.
“I know some girls went and talked about their feelings about the whole thing with one of the administrators. And she was kind … it was more of a therapy session more than anything,” the swimmer added. “They discussed how they were feeling and the frustrations. They definitely listened to the swimmers, but it was more of a ‘There’s nothing I can do’ or anything helpful. They were there just to make them feel heard. That’s it.”
The swimmer added that the school has made it clear that Thomas’ feelings are more important than those of the biologically female swimmers.
“Lia swimming was a non-negotiable,” the swimmer told the Examiner. “The school made it seem like they were trying to say, ‘Don’t even bother to come to us with your concerns or anything like that because we’re not going to help you.’ Or, they don’t really care because ‘this is going to happen one way or the other.’”
She added that she’s not the only one who feels this way, and that the NCAA is condoning the behavior.
“Yeah, it’s definitely really stressful. There’s a lot going on. And it definitely weighs on my mind a lot because it’s definitely hard to overcome the feeling of feeling completely overlooked, as if the NCAA just does not care about us at all. And nobody cares about how this is affecting us at all,” she told the Examiner.
“It just seems like if you say anything, everyone is just going to attack you and call you transphobic, and it’s not even true,” she added. “We just want to have what we were promised by joining the swim team, which is fair competition and equal opportunities. It’s been really frustrating because we all agree, and I have yet to meet anyone or talk to anyone who thinks what is going on is OK. But yet somehow, these are the rules and allowed.”
The swimmer also said that reports that the team had “set aside their differences” were not true.
“They were just taking pictures of us at a training trip. They had not talked to us at all. I think they just said that because we were all training together,” she said. “But we can train together for two years and can still have differences.”
“We have to train together. I think they’re just taking the picture of us. We had to go on the training trip,” she added. “It was mandatory, and we have to train together every day. There’s no way to get around that.”
As The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/parents-of-penn-swimmers-want-ncaa-to-review-rules-on-transgender-athletes">reported</a>, parents of swimmers are also speaking out against the inherent unfairness in letting a biological man compete against women.
Several parents <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/swimming-parents-speak-out-call-on-ncaa-to-review-rules-regarding-transgender-athletes-and-womens-sports">told</a> Fox News that they were concerned with the situation facing their daughters after transgender athlete Lia Thomas shattered two national records and competed in the school’s last home meet.
“It starts with the NCAA,” the parents of a Penn swimmer told the outlet, adding “I think the NCAA needs to change its policies, and find a way to include transgender women without trampling all over biological women.”
Sue Feldman, another parent of a swimmer, told the outlet: “I think that this is obviously an issue and they should probably just look at how they’re going to handle it and maybe handle it better in the future because right now they’re not handling it so well.”
At a Penn home meet, which included swimmers competing from Dartmouth College and Yale University, Thomas won the 200-yard freestyle and 500-yard freestyle but came in fifth in the 100-yard freestyle, behind Iszack Henig, a biological female claiming to be a man who has not undergone transgender hormone treatment. As The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trans-man-beats-trans-woman-at-ivy-league-womens-swim-meet">reported</a>, parents at the meet claimed Thomas seemed to be “coasting” and “barely trying” when winning the first race.
As The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/unwavering-commitment-ivy-league-announces-support-of-trans-swimmer-lia-thomas-ahead-of-next-meet">reported</a>, the Ivy League conference stood by Thomas, stating that it “reaffirms its unwavering commitment to providing an inclusive environment for all student-athletes while condemning transphobia and discrimination in any form.”
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Female Penn Swimmer Forced To Compete Against Biological Male Says ‘NCAA Just Does Not Care About Us At All’

NCAA

Stacey Abrams, who has made an expansion of voting her main concern after losing a run for Georgia governorship in 2018, didn’t attend President Joe Biden’s speech on the topic in Atlanta on Tuesday.
Abrams blamed a scheduling conflict for her inability to attend Biden’s speech in her own hometown, but hasn’t specifically said what was so important she couldn’t make time for the president of the United States, a member of her own party, who was in her backyard talking about the very thing she has built her legacy on.
Most media outlets don’t appear concerned or the least bit interested in what Abrams was doing instead of attending Biden’s speech, which was also snubbed by several voting rights groups in the state. They merely reported the “scheduling conflict” and moved on.
But not everyone is accepting that response.
Responding to an Atlanta Journal-Constitution <a href="https://www.ajc.com/politics/politics-blog/abrams-camp-rejects-false-rumors-about-her-no-show-at-biden-event/3N6Q4IH3UJAQVISD564VYDOXXI/">story</a> where Abrams aides denied she bypassed the event because she wasn’t given a speaking slot, Politico reporter Alex Thompson said his outlet “asked several times yesterday what her scheduling conflict was and they haven’t said.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
We asked several times yesterday what her scheduling conflict was and they haven’t said <a href="https://t.co/DmT90lBHbZ">https://t.co/DmT90lBHbZ</a>
— Alex Thompson (@AlexThomp) <a href="https://twitter.com/AlexThomp/status/1481445800832077826?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;If the president of your party goes to your state for a big event on your signature issue, it’s news that you didn’t attend and didn’t really explain why,&#8221; Thompson added.
Abrams spokesman Seth Bringman told the AJC on Wednesday that Abrams had a private “commitment she could not break,” without explaining further. Bringman reportedly added that by the times Abrams received an invitation to attend the event, her plans were set and she apparently couldn’t change them.
Abrams released a statement after Biden spoke saying: “I look forward to continuing to work with them to make progress for Georgians.”
Biden also insisted the two “have a great relationship,” when asked about Abrams’ absence.
It is entirely possible that Abrams had an important doctor’s appointment or family issue, but her silence has led at least some to question where she actually was.
As The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/stacey-abrams-to-skip-voting-rights-speech-by-biden-this-is-pretty-damning-and-a-warning-sign">reported</a>, Abrams also welcomed Biden to Georgia ahead of his speech, writing: “The fight for voting rights takes persistence. As MLK exhorted, ‘The clock of destiny is ticking out. We must act now before it is too late.&#8217;”
“Thank you, @POTUS, for refusing to relent until the work is finished,” she added. “Welcome back to Georgia where we get good done.”
Abrams wasn’t the only one to miss Biden’s speech, as several prominent voting rights groups also appeared to snub the president.
“However, some major voting rights groups have expressed opposition to Biden’s visit and are making a point of not attending the event. They are even calling for the president to remain in Washington, D.C., unless he has a plan to reform the Senate filibuster in order to pass voting rights legislation,” Newsweek <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/stacey-abrams-voting-rights-activists-skip-major-joe-biden-speech-elections-1667855">reported</a>. “Among the groups planning to skip the event are the Asian American Advocacy Fund, Black Voters Matter, GALEO Impact Fund Inc. and New Georgia Project Action Fund.”
“We don’t need even more photo ops,” Cliff Albright, co-founder of Black Voters Matter, told CNN. “We need action, and that action is in the form of the John Lewis Voting Rights [Advancement] Act as well as the Freedom to Vote Act, and we need that immediately.”
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2021 Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Ripple of Hope Award Gala

Stacey Abrams Won’t Say What The ‘Scheduling Conflict’ Was That Kept Her From Attending Biden Voting Rights Speech

Stacey Abrams

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Ashe Schow