Someone reportedly stole a thumb drive containing unreleased Beyoncé songs from a rental car during the singer’s recent tour stop in Atlanta.
The incident occurred on July 8 when a choreographer and dancer on the tour left their rental car in a parking garage while they were at dinner. They returned to the vehicle, a Jeep Wagoneer, to discover that the windows were broken and multiple items had been taken from it.
Missing items included two suitcases, a pair of sunglasses, Apple headphones, two Apple laptops, and five thumb drives. A thumb drive containing some of Beyoncé&#8217;s unreleased music was among the missing items, per the <a href="https://cityofatlanta.sharepoint.com/sites/APDPublicAffairs/Shared%20Documents/Forms/AllItems.aspx?id=%2Fsites%2FAPDPublicAffairs%2FShared%20Documents%2F2025%2FPredmore%2FReports%2FZ6%20%2D%2099%20Krog%20St%2E%20NE%20%2D%20Theft%20from%20Motor%20Vehicle%20%2D%20251892044%20%2D%2008JUL2025%2Epdf&amp;parent=%2Fsites%2FAPDPublicAffairs%2FShared%20Documents%2F2025%2FPredmore%2FReports&amp;p=true&amp;ga=1">police report</a>. 
“They have my computers and it’s really, really important information in there,” one of the two men told a 911 operator, as the Associated Press <a href="https://apnews.com/article/beyonce-unreleased-music-stolen-atlanta-2cb8e2f3b349c6708134c17bc5e10d1f">reported</a>. “I work with, um, someone who’s, like, of a high status, and I really need my computer and everything.”
The choreographer, Christopher Grant, told law enforcement that he had been “carrying some personal sensitive information for the musician.”
The police report stated that the missing thumb drives included “watermarked music, unreleased music, footage plans for the show, and past and future set list(s).”
The report also stated that surveillance footage of the area was available and that an arrest warrant had been issued for an unnamed suspect.
Atlanta police have warned the public that car thefts are a common occurrence in the area. 
Beyoncé has not released a statement on the thefts. The singer has been performing shows as part of her Cowboy Carter Tour since April and is scheduled to conclude the tour later this month. She made <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/beyonces-flying-car-malfunctions-during-concert?author=Amanda+Harding&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Beyonc%C3%A9%E2%80%99s+Flying+Car+Malfunctions+During+Concert">headlines</a> last month when a flying car she used as a prop tipped dramatically to the side while she was in it. 
“If ever I fall, I know y’all would catch me,” Beyoncé told the crowd once she made it safely back on the stage.

Beyonce

Unreleased Beyoncé Tracks Stolen From Rental Car In Democrat-Led City

Unreleased Beyoncé Music Stolen From Rental Car In Atlanta

Atlanta

Car Theft

Crime

Entertainment

Georgia

U.S.

Shortly after the two ABC moderators entered the presidential debate on the side of Kamala Harris, there was a brief moment when Donald Trump pushed back. It happened when David Muir finished one of his drive-by &#8220;fact-checks,&#8221; concerning the crime rate in this country. The moderator intended to immediately ask Kamala Harris a question, so that Trump couldn&#8217;t respond. But Trump did respond, and the moderator had no answer to what he said. Watch:
<iframe loading="lazy" title="001 Debate" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/cIO4SMuMS0k?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
If you&#8217;re going to debate a candidate, when you&#8217;re really supposed to be the moderator, then you should at least be able to debate. But Muir had no answer when Trump refuted his canned talking point about FBI data. He sheepishly had to pivot to Kamala, who started laughing awkwardly.
That&#8217;s because what Trump said was true.
This summer, when the FBI released its Quarterly Uniform Crime Report showing that crime was down, they didn&#8217;t <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/crime/fbi-crime-statistics-2024-b2561552.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">include</a> data from New York or Los Angeles. The NYPD and LAPD are the two biggest police forces in the entire country, but they didn&#8217;t report their data at all, apparently because they couldn&#8217;t comply with the FBI&#8217;s new data-tracking requirements in time. And that wasn&#8217;t particularly unusual. Back in 2022, roughly <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/crime/fbi-crime-statistics-2024-b2561552.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">one-third</a> of the country&#8217;s 6,000 police agencies didn&#8217;t report crime data to the FBI. This isn&#8217;t some partisan point I&#8217;m making. The FBI admitted all of this.
Yesterday, though, the FBI released its latest updated annual report. And the agency claims that this time around, the report comprehensively documents violent crimes that occurred in 2023 because the data comes from law enforcement agencies that cover more than 95% of the country&#8217;s population — including the NYPD and LAPD. According to the new data, car thefts went up by around 20% from 2022 to 2023. So that&#8217;s a massive increase. But violent crime was supposedly down overall by 3%, while &#8220;murder and non-negligent homicide&#8221; were down more than 10%. Reported rapes were down nearly 10% as well, and property crimes dropped 2.5%.
As you&#8217;d expect, Left-wing media outlets celebrated the news. They portrayed it as vindication for Kamala Harris and her debating partner, David Muir. Watch:
<iframe loading="lazy" title="002 MSNBC" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/UvC7i1pDfx4?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
A few things about this report. First of all, several large police departments — including the NOPD and LAPD — didn&#8217;t report demographic data about these crimes to the FBI. If you pull up these police departments on the FBI&#8217;s website, you won&#8217;t be able to see the race and gender of assailants or their victims, for example. On social media yesterday, a lot of people interpreted this as proof that the NOPD and LAPD didn&#8217;t report violent crimes at all, but that&#8217;s not true. They did report violent crimes, but they left out information about who&#8217;s committing them, and who the victims are.
That&#8217;s still a notable omission — especially when the Biden administration and Kamala Harris are claiming that we live in a white supremacist hellscape, where it&#8217;s not safe for black people to go about their lives. And it&#8217;s an unexplained omission, too. My producers reached out to the FBI, LAPD and NOPD to ask why this data was missing, and we didn&#8217;t hear back.
But in general, the FBI&#8217;s numbers are being accurately reported by MSNBC and other mainstream outlets. If you think the FBI&#8217;s data captures all the crime that&#8217;s occurring, then yes, the data is a sign that this country is safer than it was a year ago. And that would be a good thing. The problem is that this data doesn&#8217;t, in fact, capture all the crime that&#8217;s occurring — or anywhere close to it. As even that MSNBC report conceded, the only way for the FBI to hear about crimes is if someone reports them to a police department in the first place. And that may not be happening as much as it should be, because people don&#8217;t have any confidence that police or prosecutors will do anything if they report a crime. Unless we&#8217;re talking about homicides — which are usually reported because it&#8217;s hard to conceal a body — this is a significant problem with the data.
<h4><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/ep-1449-the-matt-walsh-show" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WATCH: The Matt Walsh Show</a></h4>
And the Biden administration itself acknowledges that. Earlier this month, the DOJ released a report <a href="https://nypost.com/2024/09/13/us-news/violent-crime-has-increased-doj-report-says-after-david-muir-disputed-trumps-claim-that-crime-is-through-the-roof/?utm_campaign=iphone_nyp&amp;utm_source=pasteboard_app" target="_blank" rel="noopener">entitled</a>, &#8220;Criminal Victimization, 2023.&#8221; The report is unique in that it doesn&#8217;t rely on police department data. Instead, it captures non-fatal crimes that weren&#8217;t reported to law enforcement, using something called the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) which is administered by the Bureau of Justice Statistics and the Census Bureau.
As the DOJ puts it:
<blockquote>The NCVS collects information on whether crimes were reported or not reported to police and on the reasons why the crime was reported or not reported. Victims may not report a crime for a variety of reasons, including fear of reprisal or getting the offender in trouble, believing that police would not or could not do anything to help, and believing the crime to be a personal issue or too trivial to report.</blockquote>
The reason the DOJ collects this data is that, as it turns out, there are a lot of crimes that aren&#8217;t reported — far more than you might think. Quoting from the report:
<blockquote>Approximately 45% of violent victimizations were reported to police in 2023, which was not significantly different from 2022. The percentage of rape or sexual assault victimizations reported to police increased significantly, from 21% in 2022 to 46% in 2023. A lower percentage of robbery victimizations were reported to police in 2023 (42%) than in 2022 (64%). During this period, the percentage of overall property crime victimizations reported to police decreased from 32% to 30%, due in part to a decline in the reporting of motor vehicle thefts to police (from 81% to 72%).</blockquote>
So when you hear that the FBI reports that property crimes were down 2% in 2023, you have to keep in mind that according to the DOJ&#8217;s crime survey, only around a third of property crimes were reported to police in the first place. And the majority of other non-fatal violent crimes aren&#8217;t reported either. 
The exception appears to be &#8220;motor vehicle thefts,&#8221; which are reported at a rate of more than 70%. And that just so happens to be the same category that, according to the FBI data, increased from 2022 to 2023. Although even 70% might seem remarkably low. How could 30% of car theft victims not even report it to the cops? Well, I actually have some personal experience here.
I had my car stolen out of a parking lot downtown a couple of years ago. I did report it to the police — and precisely nothing happened. A detective followed up a few days later, but that was it. I never heard another word about it. In fact I was told that they had eye witnesses and video of the perpetrators, but they were “a bunch of kids” and there wasn’t much that could or would be done. So if my car is ever stolen again, my incentive to report it will be much lower. I still will report it, because I need to report it in order for insurance to cover it. But that would be my only incentive. It’s also probably why car theft reports are so much higher, relative to other types of crime. In any case, the point is that a lack of enforcement has a very demoralizing effect on victims of crime.
<h4><a href="https://www.amiracist.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Am I Racist? Is In Theaters NOW — Get Your Tickets Here!</a></h4>
The takeaway from the DOJ&#8217;s survey is that, under the Biden administration, crime has increased across the board. Here&#8217;s how the Wall Street Journal <a href="https://www.wsj.com/opinion/contrary-to-media-myth-u-s-urban-crime-rates-are-up-violence-cities-9ce714f6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">summarized the survey</a> data:
<blockquote>The NCVS report for 2023 finds no statistically significant evidence that violent crime or property crime is dropping in America. Excluding simple assault—the type of violent crime least likely to be charged as a felony—the violent crime rate in 2023 was 19% higher than in 2019, the last year before the defund-the-police movement swept the country.</blockquote>
The problem is particularly severe in major cities. This is something that&#8217;s also not captured by the reporting we&#8217;re hearing about the FBI&#8217;s data, but it&#8217;s true. Major cities are completely unrecognizable from what they were just a few years ago — and there&#8217;s no sign that this trend is going to change. 
Again from <a href="https://www.wsj.com/opinion/contrary-to-media-myth-u-s-urban-crime-rates-are-up-violence-cities-9ce714f6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the Journal</a>:
<blockquote>According to the NCVS, the urban violent-crime rate increased 40% from 2019 to 2023. Excluding simple assault, the urban violent-crime rate rose 54% over that span. From 2022 to 2023, the urban violent-crime rate didn’t change to a statistically significant degree, so these higher crime rates appear to be the new norm in America’s cities.</blockquote>
Of course, there are reasons to be skeptical of survey data in general. The Bureau of Labor Statistics just admitted they overestimated job growth in this country by something like 800,000 jobs, and that was because the surveys they used — evidently — aren&#8217;t very reliable. But in this case, the DOJ&#8217;s survey has a few advantages over the FBI&#8217;s data. As I mentioned, it captures crimes that aren&#8217;t reported to the police. Additionally, the DOJ has been running this survey since the Nixon administration. But the FBI recently overhauled its data collection methods in 2022, which makes it very hard to compare year-to-year changes in crime. And that&#8217;s a major problem because it&#8217;s essentially impossible to establish a baseline for comparison with the FBI data. By contrast, with the survey data, we can get a broader look at the overall increase in crime under the Biden-Harris administration — not just looking at 2022 to 2023.
More to the point, there are plenty of other indicators that the DOJ&#8217;s survey is correct, and that America has become a more dangerous place to live under Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.
For one thing, you could go to any major city in the country and visit a C.V.S. or a Rite Aid, and see how many items are hidden behind glass. You can look at how police departments have <a href="https://www.nycpba.org/news-items/post/2023/nypd-cops-leave-force-in-alarming-rate-over-2-500-turned-in-badges-so-far-in-2023/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shrunk</a> all over the country, from New Orleans to New York. You can also look at some other indicators that no one&#8217;s talking about. For example, the &#8220;homicide victimization rate&#8221; in this country increased by 19% from 2019 to 2023. That&#8217;s a nearly 20% increase in the rate of people getting killed by other people, whether intentionally or unintentionally.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
2023&#39;s homicide victimization rate was still 19% above 2019&#39;s. <a href="https://t.co/STtbHpqkMP">pic.twitter.com/STtbHpqkMP</a>
&mdash; ~~datahazard~~ (@fentasyl) <a href="https://twitter.com/fentasyl/status/1838349612685328418?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 23, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
That seems like a significant jump, to put it mildly. But this is data that no mainstream media outlet will report. It&#8217;s only because of an account on X called DataHazard — which came up with the numbers by looking at death certificates — that we have this information at all. Think about that — we have a 20% increase in the &#8220;homicide victimization rate&#8221; in just four years. Any other country, at any other time in history, would call that a crisis.
But using that kind of language wouldn&#8217;t play well for Kamala Harris. So instead, her promoters are resorting to a familiar tactic. They&#8217;re selectively relying on data that helps their candidate, while ignoring the data that contradicts or complicates the narrative. It&#8217;s all part of an effort, once again, to convince you to ignore what&#8217;s happening right in front of you.
<h4><a href="http://www.amiracist.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WATCH THE TRAILER FOR &#8216;AM I RACIST?&#8217; — A MATT WALSH COMEDY ON DEI</a></h4>
They don&#8217;t care that more people are dying since 2019, or that most violent crimes are still going unreported. They only care about one thing, which is winning in November. So they&#8217;re disregarding all nuance in their reporting on this. But the rest of us — people who actually want to live in this country, regardless of who the president is — can&#8217;t accept that.
A government that will lie about the deaths of its own citizens will lie about anything. And after the one-sided, misleading response we saw to the FBI&#8217;s data yesterday, it&#8217;s clear that&#8217;s exactly the kind of government that Kamala Harris&#8217; supporters want.

Attorney General Merrick Garland Hosts A Meeting Of The Justice Department’s Election Threats Task Force

How The FBI Is Willing To Risk Your Safety To Get Kamala Elected

Los Angeles

Matt Walsh

Murder

New York City

Opinion

Violent Crime

You know you&#8217;re living in a state of total lawlessness when criminals start pulling off heists that, under normal circumstances, they don&#8217;t even attempt. Think of the train robberies in the Wild West with Butch Cassidy, where they&#8217;d detach the rail car and dynamite the safe and so on. Brazen crimes like this only happen when law enforcement isn&#8217;t doing its job for one reason or another. Otherwise, the risk of getting caught is just too high, so the thieves don&#8217;t even try.
Post-BLM, there&#8217;s been a lot of coverage of crime rates increasing as police retreat and criminals become emboldened. But there hasn&#8217;t been much coverage of the dramatic increase in one specific kind of crime, which used to be relatively rare. I&#8217;m talking about the theft of catalytic converters. Stealing catalytic converters doesn&#8217;t take very long, but it&#8217;s highly conspicuous. Thieves typically slide under cars and start sawing — or they lift cars for easier access. In either case, it&#8217;s a loud and noticeable process. It&#8217;s brazen — and it&#8217;s definitely not the kind of thing you&#8217;d try if you thought there might be any police officers around. But there aren&#8217;t many police officers left in major cities in this country, which is why thefts of catalytic converters have skyrocketed. 
To give just one prominent example — in the city of Los Angeles, from 2018 to 2023, the number of catalytic converter thefts per year has <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/losangeles/news/on-your-side-prius-is-biggest-target-for-catalytic-converter-thieves/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">increased</a> by more than 720%. Put another way — Los Angeles went from having 970 catalytic converters stolen every year to more than 8,000 stolen every year. And the numbers are similar in many other major cities. Nationally, catalytic converter thefts <a href="https://www.nada.org/legislative/fight-rising-catalytic-converter-theft#:~:text=The%20number%20of%20catalytic%20converter,vehicle%20owners%20averaging%20over%20%242%2C500." target="_blank" rel="noopener">jumped</a> by more than 900% from 2019 to 2023. Thieves want these converters because they have precious metals they can sell for hundreds of dollars. Now that they know the police aren&#8217;t interested in stopping them, they&#8217;re just lifting cars in the middle of the street and removing the converters.
That&#8217;s what happened in the early hours of Saturday morning to actor Johnny Wactor, who was a regular in the show &#8220;General Hospital&#8221; for two years. He also appeared in the show &#8220;Westworld.&#8221; Around 3 a.m., Wactor and a co-worker were leaving a rooftop bar in downtown Los Angeles, where Wactor served as a bartender.
That&#8217;s when Wactor noticed that three individuals had raised his Toyota Prius with a floor lift, and he initially suspected that his vehicle was being towed. (Thieves target Priuses and other hybrids because their catalytic converters have a higher concentration of precious metals than gas cars). But when Wactor confronted the group, <a href="https://x.com/LAPDPIO/status/1795470655460450740" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to police, he was shot, &#8220;without provocation.&#8221; The men fled and Wactor died shortly afterwards. Watch:
<iframe loading="lazy" title="001 Johnny Wactor" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jLFycgUB1Mo?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
The woman you just saw, Tessa Farrell, is Wactor&#8217;s ex-fiance. In a video she posted to TikTok on Monday, Farrell states that she hadn&#8217;t seen Wactor “in a few years”prior to his death. She also indicates that she hasn&#8217;t &#8220;been talking to him&#8221; lately because she&#8217;s been busy working on a movie. She then goes into some detail about their relationship and how much she cared about him.
But as the video goes on, Farrell reveals how little she understands about what happened to Wactor, and about violent crime in general. Before I show you the rest of the footage, I want to make it very clear that my intention is not to mock a woman who&#8217;s grieving. The point here is not to demean Tessa Farrell in any way. But the fact remains that the ideas she promotes in this video must be addressed because they are a cancer on society that has cost many people their lives, and will continue to cost people their lives unless these ideas are rejected. So with that in mind, here&#8217;s the rest of Tessa Farrell&#8217;s video:
<iframe loading="lazy" title="002 Reaction To Wactor" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8LDdLPf3Fqc?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
This attitude on display here is deeply sick, yet also entirely pervasive. She implores the criminals who just murdered a loved one to &#8220;stop being so mean&#8221; and to &#8220;love each other&#8221; and &#8220;not steal.&#8221; She acknowledges that the &#8220;job market is hard&#8221; but says they &#8220;don&#8217;t have to steal.&#8221; We&#8217;re all in this together, she says. We need to &#8220;support each other.&#8221; 
Violent thugs have been allowed to take over our communities precisely because of this delusional liberal approach to crime. If Tessa were just one naive woman crying out in the wilderness, then this wouldn&#8217;t be worth responding to. But she&#8217;s one of millions of people saying this. Again, this attitude is why lawlessness has claimed hold of so many communities. People with this view elect people who have the same view, or at least who express the same view, and those people usher in more chaos and criminality. The cycle repeats over and over and over again, while thousands more fall victim to these crimes. 
<h4><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/ep-1377-member-exclusive" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WATCH: The Matt Walsh Show</a></h4>
Here&#8217;s the reality these people just can&#8217;t wrap their minds around: These criminals cannot be redeemed with a lecture about the value of teamwork. They are not committing crime because they&#8217;re poor and desperate. I want to say it again. They are not committing crime because they’re poor and desperate. The job market has nothing to do with it. At all. They steal and kill because they enjoy it. They want to do it, so they do. 
Mike Cernovich put it <a href="https://x.com/Cernovich" target="_blank" rel="noopener">succinctly</a> on X/Twitter yesterday when he tweeted: “Criminals like crime.” It really is as simple as that. They act this way because they want to. You could hand them a million dollars and they&#8217;d be back out on the street committing petty — and not so petty — crimes by next week. You could give them a high paying job in a corner office downtown and they’d never show up for work. Not even for a single day. They’d rather be on the street stealing pieces from people’s cars. 
There are observable reasons for this. One of the major ones — though certainly not the only one — is pretty simple: People with high IQs <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0160289618301466" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tend</a> to be more empathetic because they have the intellectual capacity to consider what other people might be thinking or feeling. People with very low IQs often have little or no empathy. A few years ago, there was a study published in the journal &#8220;Psychological Science&#8221; that came up with a finding along these lines. As The New Haven Register reported at the time, one of the psychologists behind the story <a href="https://www.nhregister.com/news/article/FORUM-Do-less-intelligent-folks-have-empathy-11513418.php">remarked</a>, &#8220;&#8216;There may be cognitive limits in the ability to take the perspective of others.’ Into account” &#8230; In other words, the less intelligent you are, the harder it may be for you to put yourself in another&#8217;s shoes.&#8221;
With that finding in mind — guess where criminals stealing catalytic converters rank on the IQ spectrum? We can assume it&#8217;s not very high. In fact we don’t have to assume. Based on the data we have, chronic adult offenders <a href="https://criminal-justice.iresearchnet.com/correlates-of-crime/intelligence-and-crime/#:~:text=On%20average%2C%20the%20IQ%20for,deviation%20below%20the%20population%20mean." target="_blank" rel="noopener">have</a> an average IQ of around 85, which is a full standard deviation below the population&#8217;s average. In other words, the people committing much of the crime in this country are very stupid. They&#8217;re often so stupid that they don&#8217;t feel empathy, at least not to the degree that normal people do. It&#8217;s not that they&#8217;re psychopaths, although that&#8217;s certainly true in some cases. It&#8217;s that, by and large, they&#8217;re morons. There is no reasoning with them because they don&#8217;t care what you think. This is not an excuse for them. Not remotely. I’m just trying to explain that there are deep seated problems here, and poverty and desperation have not nearly as much to do with it as people think. Of course the other major factor — even more significant — is that many of these criminals were raised in homes without any parental guidance and where there was no effort put in to their moral formation. After all, even if they are low IQ, that doesn’t mean they have to become violent criminals. Being raised correctly can guard against that pretty effectively. But they were not raised correctly, or raised at all, really. 
But all of these factors together create a very disturbing situation. The lack of moral guidance, the lack of proper adult supervision growing up, the lack of spiritual formation, and the lack of intellect all together mean that no matter what Tessa Farrell says to these people, it won’t matter. She understands the concept of empathy. They don’t. Although she doesn’t have much understanding of human nature. And that&#8217;s why everything she says in that video is completely pointless. It&#8217;s also why every politician&#8217;s effort to &#8220;rehabilitate&#8221; these thugs is a waste of time. They quite literally don&#8217;t even know what rehabilitation means. That’s why the only thing you can do with them is remove them from society. Put them in prison. Lock them away. 
Is it possible for these sorts of people to be redeemed? The type who casually kills another human being after stealing from his car? As a Christian I have to believe that, as a matter of faith. But it takes a supernatural intervention to bring that about, and the simple fact of the matter is that the vast majority of violent criminals will never be functional members of society, ever, in their lives. That’s a fact whether we like it or not. Which is why our only choice is to lock them away forever, and let God be the judge at the end. 
Even Leftist politicians understand this to some extent, which is why they never blame criminals for their own actions. They find others to blame — sometimes to comical effect. A year ago, there was a <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13465005/Democrats-Nithya-Raman-blames-toyota-thieves-General-Hospital-star-johnny-Wactor-catalytic-converter.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">video</a> of a Los Angeles city councilwoman named Nithya Raman that made the rounds. She was announcing her decision to vote against a measure that would have, &#8220;made it unlawful for any person to possess a detached catalytic converter unless valid documentation or other proof of lawful possession can be produced.&#8221; The point of the measure, obviously, is to help prevent the kind of thefts that led to the death of Johnny Wactor. 
Ultimately, the measure passed. But before it did, Raman explained why she opposed it. She said that Toyota was responsible for the thefts of catalytic converters — not the thieves — because they made the catalytic converters too easy to steal. Watch:
<iframe loading="lazy" title="003 Toyota Prius" width="500" height="375" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/NvYVOAAsuS8?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
So the government requires car manufacturers to place catalytic converters on cars, with the Clean Air Act. And now the government blames car manufacturers for making these converters too easy to steal.
To be fair, it&#8217;s true that a lot of cars have their catalytic converters in the engine bay now, where they&#8217;re less accessible to thieves. But the reason these thefts have increased in the last six years has nothing to do with their placement on vehicles. If it did, these thefts would be declining, not increasing, as more manufacturers place the converters in the engine bay. The reason these thefts are skyrocketing is that the police have stopped enforcing the law, and D.A.&#8217;s have stopped prosecuting crimes. Rather than admit that, Los Angeles politicians are blaming car manufacturers.
These are the lengths that Leftists in Los Angeles will go in order to absolve criminals of responsibility for their actions. They&#8217;d rather blame Toyota than hire more police to prevent these thefts, which are brazen in pretty much every case. And the family and friends of the victim, in turn, are hopelessly confused about why their loved one is dead. And by the way, whether you think these criminals are responsible for their actions or not, it actually shouldn’t matter. You could make the argument that if most of these criminals are low IQ and were raised in dysfunctional, neglectful homes, then to some extent it isn’t their fault they turned out the way they did. I think that argument only goes so far. 
Ultimately we all have free will and we all make choices, and should be accountable for them. But it doesn’t actually matter. It’s all academic. Either way, the violent criminals must be removed from society. And in fact I would argue that if they are indeed not responsible for their actions that’s all the MORE reason to remove them, because it means all the more that they probably can’t be rehabilitated.
This is usually how it goes after a senseless murder. It&#8217;s exactly what you saw in that video. We hear from friends and family calling on the community to come together. Sometimes they advocate on behalf of the murderer, telling us to be understanding and forgiving of the scumbag who murdered their loved one. Just once I&#8217;d like to see someone calling for justice and punishment. I&#8217;d like to hear something like: &#8220;This criminal killed someone I love. I hope that he is brought to justice and that justice is swift and severe.&#8221;
That&#8217;s a much healthier response. It would actually solve the problem, too, because a very small percentage of the population is responsible for an overwhelming amount of violent crime. But you rarely hear anything like it anymore. The people committing these crimes don&#8217;t understand much. But they understand exactly what&#8217;s happening right now in cities like Los Angeles. And at the expense of innocent men like Johnny Wactor, they&#8217;re taking full advantage of the opportunity.

Los Angeles skyline by night, California, USA

The Only Solution To The Violent Crime Epidemic

actor

Readers Pass

A Georgia man has been arrested for allegedly stealing the blue Dodge Challenger used to help four inmates escape from a Bibb County jail.
Jakaylen Williams, 24, was in possession of the vehicle when police <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/4-escaped-inmates-from-georgia-remain-at-large-getaway-car-recovered" target="_blank" rel="noopener">found it</a> on Friday, the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office said in a <a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=727649716057685&amp;set=a.230242405798421" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Facebook post</a>. He has been charged with four counts of aiding or permitting another to escape lawful custody or confinement, theft by receiving stolen property, and a probation violation. He was also arrested on warrants for aggravated assault, criminal trespass, and battery family violence in an unrelated case.
Williams is currently being held without bond for the current charges. He allegedly stole the vehicle from an Enterprise rental car business, The Macon Telegraph <a href="https://www.macon.com/news/local/crime/article280933383.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
Another man, Christian Demond Williams (no relation), died Tuesday morning at a hospital in Macon, Georgia, hospital after shooting himself when U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force arrived at an apartment in Macon to question him about the four escaped inmates, the Associated Press <a href="https://apnews.com/article/georgia-jail-escapees-investigation-man-dies-c9ad785d905a4dc7ec6c1e0b0f775d0f" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>, citing Bibb County authorities.
Investigators had received a tip that Christian had information about the escapees, and when they arrived at the apartment, a bullet fired through the door of the apartment, according to law enforcement. A SWAT team was called, and a woman inside the apartment told officers that Christian had shot himself, and showed authorities where he was. Christian was wounded, but still alive, and was taken to the hospital in critical condition, where he died.
No officers fired their guns, Bibb County Sheriff David Davis told reporters. Christian’s death was ruled a suicide.
Christian turned out to be a fugitive suspected of murder, and had been missing since March 5, the night before he was supposed to be tried for murder. Christian was accused of shooting to death a man at a convenience store in 2021.
The four inmates Christian was to be questioned about broke out of the Bibb County Detention Center on the morning of October 16 through a damaged day room window and a cut fence, the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office said in <a href="https://www.facebook.com/BibbCountySheriffsOffice/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a Facebook post</a> at the time. The escape occurred around 3:00 a.m., with a blue Dodge Challenger pulling up outside the jail and transporting the inmates away.
That Dodge Challenger was recovered on Friday, the Sheriff’s office <a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=725156426307014&amp;set=pb.100064379902001.-2207520000" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. The vehicle was located in the parking lot of a Biomat USA – a facility that collects blood plasma donations. The building is less than two miles from the jail.
Sheriff Davis said in the post that he “appreciates the tips and every lead that we have received is being followed up on.”
The escaped inmates <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/4-inmates-including-a-suspected-murderer-escape-from-georgia-jail" target="_blank" rel="noopener">include</a> 52-year-old Joey Fournier, a white male with gray hair and blue eyes who was being held at the detention center for alleged murder. The other three inmates are 24-year-old Marc Kerry Anderson, a black man being held for aggravated assault; 37-year-old Johnifer Dernard Barnwell, a black man being detained for the United States Marshals; and 29-year-old Chavis Demaryo Stokes, a black man being held for possession of a firearm and drug trafficking.
The Sheriff’s Office asked anyone with information about the possible location of these inmates to call the FBI’s tip line at 1-800-CALL-FBI or the United States Marshal Service at 1-877-WANTED2. Tips may also be submitted online at <a href="https://tips.fbi.gov/home?fbclid=IwAR0K4gMFMVSnS7OmZ-nGCQAsFw17gz6JmE-dxSZItFyZxag1ITWuJhj6YBo" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tips.fbi.gov</a> or through the USMS Tips app.

Blue Dodge Challenger

Georgia Man Arrested For Allegedly Stealing Car Used To Help Four Inmates Escape

Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX) was reportedly carjacked at gunpoint in Washington, D.C., on Monday night.
White House Correspondent Laura Barrón-López reported that Cuellar was &#8220;was carjacked at gunpoint tonight outside his apartment building in DC, multiple sources confirm to me.&#8221;
The congressman, whose district is on the U.S. southern border, is reportedly safe. Cuellar&#8217;s car was reportedly recovered roughly an hour later. 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
NEWS: Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas) was carjacked at gunpoint tonight outside his apartment building in DC, multiple sources confirm to me. And Cuellar is safe they say
&mdash; Laura Barrón-López (@lbarronlopez) <a href="https://twitter.com/lbarronlopez/status/1709033713126735942?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 3, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
An alert that was sent out in the area said that the suspects were three black males.
“Alert: Armed Carjacking Investigation at the intersection of K street and New Jersey Avenue SE,” a local alert said, according to Punchbowl News. “Taken was a white Honda CHR with TX tags [redacted]. Lookout for three black males wearing all black clothing.”
An alert sent to congressional members <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/congressman-henry-cuellar-carjacked-gunpoint-washington-sources/story?id=103676681">said</a> that the men held guns to Cuellar&#8217;s head and also took his cellphone.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Here’s neighborhood alert that went out: <a href="https://t.co/99Euxaq6Q8">https://t.co/99Euxaq6Q8</a> <a href="https://t.co/32BUr2woYs">pic.twitter.com/32BUr2woYs</a>
&mdash; Heather Caygle (@heatherscope) <a href="https://twitter.com/heatherscope/status/1709033084350300346?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 3, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Rep. Angie Craig (D-MN) was assaulted in an elevator at her Washington, D.C., apartment building back in February.
The D.C. Metropolitan Police Department <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/police-release-photo-of-suspect-in-assault-of-house-democrat" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> a couple of days later that they had arrested 26-year-old Kendrick Hamlin on a charge of simple assault.
“My morning coffee really saved the day yesterday, but not exactly how I expected it to,” Craig said. “On a serious note, I will also say that I was very, very lucky that I was not more injured — and I’ll have more to say about that soon.”
“I wanted to let everyone know that the outpouring of support from friends, constituents and colleagues has been overwhelming,” she continued. “I remain deeply grateful to the law enforcement officers for their quick response and subsequent arrest of a suspect last night.”
This is a breaking news story; refresh the page for updates.

Henry Cuellar

Democrat Congressman Carjacked At Gunpoint In Washington, D.C.

carjacking

Congress

Here’s a truly dumb take, courtesy of <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/01/opinion/kia-hyundai-tiktok.html?searchResultPosition=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The New York Times</a>: “Kia and Hyundai Helped Enable a Crime Wave. They Should Pay for It.”
Wait, you ask: Are Kia and Hyundai hiring gangs of criminals to steal each other&#8217;s vehicles? Not exactly. Apparently, they just didn&#8217;t take enough precautions to prevent people from stealing their vehicles.
I&#8217;m not kidding.
According to the Council on Criminal Justice, the number of vehicle thefts during the first half of 2023 was 33.5% higher on average than during the same period in 2022. As data from Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., Chicago, New Orleans, Buffalo and Durham, North Carolina showed, motor vehicle thefts have more than doubled this year relative to last year, according to statistics.
Why are so many cars getting stolen? Apparently it’s the fault of the car. The car wanted it. It needed to be stolen. That&#8217;s the way this works. It&#8217;s not the criminal — the car was just sitting there — and the criminal was not a criminal. It was just someone like you walking down the street like a normal human, never having stolen a car in your life, and there you saw it in the pure summer sunshine, a Kia. And you say to yourself, “Let&#8217;s do this thing. The time has come. That is the easiest car to steal.”
So, drawn like a moth to the flame, you walked over to the Kia and you said, “That might not be a very nice car, I wasn&#8217;t desperate for any of Kia&#8217;s brands, but now that I see it gleaming in the summer sunshine and I know it&#8217;s super easy to steal, I — a lifelong law-abiding citizen — have decided to steal the Kia.”
<h4><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/show/the-ben-shapiro-show" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WATCH: The Ben Shapiro Show</a></h4>
This is the stupidest thing I&#8217;ve ever heard. Try this: There was a knife. It was sitting there in plain sight, and you were just drawn to it. You couldn&#8217;t stop yourself, so you stabbed your friend in the eyeball. You should probably sue the knife manufacturer.
Apparently, Hyundai and Kia did not equip some of their cars with electronic immobilizer devices that prevent cars from starting unless they detect a radio I.D. code associated with the car&#8217;s rightful key. A couple of years ago, videos showing how to hotwire the vulnerable cars began to pop-up online.
Hundreds of the stolen cars have been involved in numerous deadly crashes, armed robbery sprees, and other crimes around the country.
But the thieves are not to blame for this. It was the car’s fault. I simply can&#8217;t believe they programmed these cars to perform armed robbery. Did you know that if you create a product that when it&#8217;s stolen, it&#8217;s your fault? 
This is how dumb we&#8217;ve become. How about some basic level of personal responsibility? Ah, but that might require more police, more active policing, more throwing criminals in jail and leaving them in jail.
This is truly basic stuff, but not to those morons at The New York Times.
<a href="https://onelink.to/dwapp" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILY WIRE APP</a>

2 Ben Shapiro Editorial Series 04 copy

Thieves Steal Cars, Then Commit Armed Robberies, Yet It’s The Car’s Fault?

Automobiles

Ben Shapiro

Cars

Chicago

Hyundai

Philadelphia

The leftist mayor of Chicago, jumping on the bandwagon a little late, is blaming automakers for car theft in Chicago, filing suit against Hyundai and Kia and accusing them of fostering a &#8220;steep rise&#8221; in crime.
Last week, United States District Judge James V. Selna, ruling in a class action suit brought against Kia and Hyundai that accused them of failing to equip certain models with an engine immobilizer, denied the parties’ request for <a href="https://www.classaction.org/blog/from-talks-to-checks-the-stages-of-a-class-action-settlement" target="_blank" rel="noopener">preliminary approval</a> of a $145 million settlement reached only days before. He directed the parties to change the agreement to “fashion a matrix for reimbursement that aligns with each Class Member&#8217;s vehicle’s estimated value, rather than taking an average of all vehicles and reducing it by 40%.” He told the parties involved to demonstrate how the technology works, its pitfalls and possible solutions.
Now Democratic Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and the city are filing suit against Kia and Hyundai, claiming they did not include &#8220;industry-standard engine immobilizers&#8221; in some of their cars, prompting a &#8220;steep rise&#8221; in crime.
“The impact of car theft on Chicago residents can be deeply destabilizing, particularly for low- to middle-income workers who have fewer options for getting to work and taking care of their families,” Johnson declared. “The failure of Kia and Hyundai to install basic auto-theft prevention technology in these models is sheer negligence, and as a result, a citywide and nationwide crime spree around automobile theft has been unfolding right before our eyes.”
&#8220;Because these vehicles are entry-level models, Kia’s and Hyundai’s failure to include engine immobilizers disproportionately impacts low-income Chicago residents. Moreover, offenders have used stolen Kia and Hyundai vehicles to commit other crimes, including reckless driving, armed robbery, and murder,&#8221; Johnson’s office added.
“In 2023, thefts of Kia and Hyundai cars compromise over half of all Chicago car thefts in 2023,” Fox News <a href="https://www.foxbusiness.com/economy/chicago-mayor-brandon-johnson-sues-automakers-car-theft-crisis-gets-worse" target="_blank" rel="noopener">noted</a>.
A spokesperson for Hyundai stated, &#8220;Hyundai is committed to the comprehensive actions we are undertaking to assist customers and communities affected by the persistent theft of certain vehicles not equipped with push-button ignitions and engine immobilizers.  Our dealers across the country are maximizing the number of anti-theft software installations that can be performed on a daily basis, contributing to steadily increasing completion rates, which we report to NHTSA weekly.&#8221;

2023 Lollapalooza Festival

Leftist Chicago Mayor Blames Automakers For Rise In Car Theft, Files Lawsuit

Auto Companies

Brandon Johnson

Lawsuit

Federal and State authorities have arrested a prolific <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/car-thefts-in-america-reach-highest-level-in-over-a-decade-analysis-finds" target="_blank" rel="noopener">car theft</a> gang in Massachusetts.
The U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts announced the arrests on Wednesday. Seven individuals were arrested for allegedly stealing the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/milwaukee-has-a-car-theft-epidemic-the-city-is-suing-car-makers-claiming-their-cars-are-too-easy-to-steal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">catalytic converters</a> from some 470 cars between 2022 and 2023. According to a press release from the U.S. Attorney&#8217;s Office, the thieves were extremely skilled and were able to extract the part from the cars in less than a minute in most cases.
“The members of this criminal network arrested today, under the cloak of darkness, traveled throughout our state cutting valuable catalytic converters from vehicles owned by unsuspecting citizens and businesses,&#8221; Massachusetts State Police Interim Col. John Mawn Jr. said in a statement via the <a href="https://nypost.com/2023/04/13/massachusetts-men-with-speed-of-nascar-pit-crew-allegedly-stole-470-catalytic-converters-worth-2-million/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New York Post</a>. &#8220;Their criminal acts violated the security and rights of vehicle owners, necessitated costly repairs, and interfered with commercial operations of business owners and the daily lives of numerous victims.”
According to the <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-ma/pr/seven-arrested-stealing-catalytic-converters-over-470-vehicles-and-targeting-atms-and" target="_blank" rel="noopener">press release</a>, law enforcement officials from Massachusetts and New Hampshire identified a maroon Acura SUV which was involved in several catalytic converter thefts. Authorities also identified at least two suspects. The suspects targeted residential and commercial vehicles; the thieves were skilled, and using jacks and power tools, were able to cut away the part from the underside of a car. They then placed the parts in the back of the Acura and moved on.
The thieves were reportedly able to make off with the catalytic converters within a minute in most cases. At a <a href="https://www.boston25news.com/news/local/7-mass-men-accused-stealing-2m-catalytic-converters-vehicles-across-new-england/VSHYGKQC4ZCTHMI75AMO6XK24A/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">press conference</a> Wednesday, U.S. Attorney Rachel Rollins played surveillance video of the incidents. &#8220;Like a NASCAR pit crew, these videos depict the skill and speed with which these individuals could jack up a vehicle and cut the catalytic converter out,&#8221; Rollins said.
According to the report, the maroon Acura belonged to the crew leader, who planned and participated in each theft. It is alleged that he committed these crimes on a full-time basis, working multiple nights per week for more than eight hours per night. Altogether, the ring was responsible for the thefts of at least 471 catalytic converters across Massachusetts and New Hampshire in 2022 and 2023 alone. It is alleged that on multiple nights, they targeted more than 10 vehicles in a single night; in one night, they committed 26 thefts.
The thieves then sold them to a chop-shopper who accumulated stolen catalytic converters from multiple theft crews and in turn, sold them to scrap dealers throughout the Northeast, including several dealers who have since been charged for transportation of stolen property and money laundering. Catalytic converters reduce pollutant gases from car engines into safe emissions using chemical reactions. The catalysts for the chemical reactions include precious metals like palladium, platinum, and rhodium; they are extremely rare and more valuable per ounce than gold. Stealing a catalytic converter also renders the vehicle inoperable, both mechanically and legally.
The thieves are also alleged to have conspired to steal from ATMs of banks in Massachusetts on three separate occasions in December 2022. They are also alleged to have burglarized two New Hampshire jewelry stores in January 2023.
<a class="c-link c-link--focus-visible" href="https://onelink.to/dwapp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://onelink.to/dwapp" data-sk="tooltip_parent" aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-22625">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILY WIRE APP</a>
The thieves are charged with conspiracy to transport stolen property in interstate commerce, which carries a five-year prison term, three years supervised release and a $250,000 fine; interstate transportation of stolen property, which carries a 10-year prison term, supervised release, and another $250,000 fine; conspiracy to commit bank theft, which also carries five years in prison, supervised release, and a $250,000 fine; bank theft, which carries 10 years, supervised release, and a $250,000 fine; and conspiracy to commit money laundering, which carries a 20-year prison term and a $500,000 fine.

Stolen Catalytic Converters

‘Like A NASCAR Pit Crew’: Authorities Bust Car Theft Ring That Stole Catalytic Converters In Less Than A Minute

'Like A NASCAR Pit Crew': Authorities Bust Car Theft Ring That Stole Catalytic Converters In Less Than A Minute

Massachusetts

Organized crime

The city of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/milwaukee" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Milwaukee</a> is in the midst of a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/car-theft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">car theft</a> epidemic, but instead of criminals, the city is targeting the car makers.
The Milwaukee Common Council voted Tuesday to approve a resolution to seek outside counsel to pursue a lawsuit against Kia and Hyundai. The city will join a multi-district lawsuit being heard against the two automakers, claiming that their cars are too easy to steal. Milwaukee officials called the city &#8220;ground zero&#8221; for the car thefts.
&#8220;It is my hope that not only do we curb the thefts but that the City of Milwaukee recovers some of the damages for police, fire, [Department of Public Works] and any other costs that we&#8217;ve had to incur as a result of the negligence of Kia and Hyundai,&#8221; Milwaukee alderwoman Milele Coggs said at a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91nGgecyuQk" target="_blank" rel="noopener">press conference</a> Wednesday morning.
Milwaukee City Attorney Tearman Spencer said the city intended to be the first city to sue the automakers, but would still proceed with its case even though other cities have already filed suit. &#8220;In my estimation, all the [car theft] problems have emanated out of Milwaukee,&#8221; said Spencer. &#8220;This is ground zero, the epicenter of the cause of the problems that we&#8217;ve been experiencing throughout the country.&#8221;
According to crime data from the <a href="https://city.milwaukee.gov/police/Information-Services/Crime-Maps-and-Statistics" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Milwaukee Police Department</a>, there were 10,487 motor vehicle thefts in 2021, and 8,097 more in 2022. A report from the National Insurance Crime Bureau, cited by the Common Council in a <a href="https://city.milwaukee.gov/ImageLibrary/Groups/ccCouncil/News/2023/District-06/CouncilapprovesmeasurethatcouldleadtocitylawsuitagainstKiaandHyundai2.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a>, found that Milwaukee had the 8th highest rate of motor vehicle theft of any city in the United States in 2021, and the highest increase from 2020-2021 of any city. In the year 2023 to date, there have been 1,323 car thefts.
Thefts have <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/car-thefts-in-america-reach-highest-level-in-over-a-decade-analysis-finds" target="_blank" rel="noopener">particularly risen</a> for certain Kia and Hyundai vehicles, because they lack immobilizers, an electronic device that prevent criminals from bypassing the key-start ignition in the cars. A trend emerged on TikTok in September challenging criminals to steal a car by breaking into it, taking off the steering wheel, and hotwiring the engine with a USB cord, <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2022/09/08/tiktok-challenge-spurs-rise-in-thefts-of-kia-hyundai-cars.html">CNBC</a> reported. The hashtag &#8220;#KiaBoys&#8221; was viewed more than 33 million times at the time. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel <a href="https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/crime/2023/02/14/kia-and-hyundai-announce-software-update-said-to-deter-theft/69905025007/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">further reported</a> that the &#8220;Kia Boys&#8221; theft ring originated in Milwaukee.
According to a report from <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/01/27/business/progressive-state-farm-hyundai-kia/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CNN</a>, the problem has reportedly gotten so bad that major auto insurers Progressive and State Farm have stopped covering Kia and Hyundai models in certain cities, including Denver and St. Louis, because of the high rates of theft. Kia and Hyundai have previously stated that their cars are in compliance with federal standards; they also announced software updates intended to deter thieves by requiring the key to be in the ignition socket before the car can turn on.
<a href="https://onelink.to/dwapp" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP</a>
According to the <a href="https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/politics/2023/03/22/milwaukee-announces-lawsuit-against-kia-hyundai-over-vehicle-thefts/70035526007/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Journal Sentinel</a>, the city&#8217;s lawsuit will be part of a multi-district suit that is being adjudicated in the federal Central District of California. Earlier this month, the city of Madison voted to hire outside counsel to sue the two automakers. Other cities suing Kia and Hyundai include <a href="https://www.nbcsandiego.com/nbc-7-responds-2/san-diego-city-attorney-suing-kia-hyundai-after-social-media-theft-challenge/3189893/">San Diego</a>, <a href="https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/seattle/seattle-lawsuit-kia-hyundai/281-293d9e1b-bada-49bd-bebf-ad7f31ede361" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Seattle</a>, and <a href="https://fox8.com/news/cle-council-pushes-lawsuit-for-hyundai-kia-thefts/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cleveland</a>.
Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul signed a <a href="https://www.doj.state.wi.us/sites/default/files/news-media/AG%20Letter%20to%20Hyundia%20and%20Kia%20final.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">letter</a> along with 22 other state AGs demanding that Kia and Hyundai equip immobilizers as standard equipment.

04B38C79-6CC7-459B-98F6-DC69980EDBD4_1_201_a

Milwaukee Has A Car Theft Epidemic. The City Is Suing Car Makers, Claiming Their Cars Are Too Easy To Steal.

Amid Car Theft Epidemic, Milwaukee Sues Kia And Hyundai, Claiming Their Cars Are Too Easy To Steal

Milwaukee

Rental car company Hertz has agreed to pay almost $170 million in settlements over claims of false robbery with its customers. 
The company <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2022/12/05/hertz-settlement-false-arrests-customers/10838055002/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a press release that it had settled 364 claims, which resolves over 95% of all of the claims. It will pay around $168 million by the end of the year and said it &#8220;expects to recover a meaningful portion of the settlement amount from its insurance carriers.”
Customers of the car company have argued that they were pulled over, arrested, and put in <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/05/business/hertz-lawsuit-settlement/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">jail</a> and prosecuted for stealing vehicles. In reality, they claimed, Hertz just couldn’t find the cars after they were turned back in. Some customers have taken issue with other frustrations with their rentals.
One of the lawsuits <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/07/15/business/hertz-rental-arrests/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">involved</a> 47 customers and claimed the company didn’t keep track of rental extensions and incorrectly said customers hadn’t issued payments. The suit also said that Hertz didn’t keep track of its cars and also didn’t rectify false reports that had been made to law enforcement. 
<a class="c-link" tabindex="-1" href="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus?utm_campaign=dwplus&amp;utm_medium=editorial&amp;utm_source=dwsite&amp;cid=dwplus&amp;mid=z&amp;xid=0" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus?utm_campaign=dwplus&amp;utm_medium=editorial&amp;utm_source=dwsite&amp;cid=dwplus&amp;mid=z&amp;xid=0" data-sk="tooltip_parent" data-remove-tab-index="true">TIRED OF THE LEGACY MEDIA&#8217;S BIAS CONTROLLING THE NARRATIVE AND OBSCURING THE TRUTH? JOIN US AND SAVE 30%.</a>
Some of the people who have sued Hertz said police held them at gunpoint over the mixups. 
“We are reviewing and considering each claim brought against Hertz on its individual merits,” Hertz spokesman Jonathan Stern said at the time. “We have begun extending settlement offers to dozens of claimants and will continue to do so on a case by case basis.”
Hertz CEO Steven Scherr <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2022/12/05/hertz-settlement-false-arrests-customers/10838055002/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">arrived</a> at the company in February and promised to fix the problem. 
&#8220;As I have said since joining Hertz earlier this year, my intention is to lead a company that puts the customer first. In resolving these claims, we are holding ourselves to that objective,&#8221; Scherr said.
&#8220;While we will not always be perfect, the professionals at Hertz will continue to work every day to provide best-in-class service to the tens of millions of people we serve each year. Moving forward, it is our intention to reshape the future of our company through electrification, shared mobility and a great digital-first customer experience,” he added. 
In June, Hertz distributed its initial grouping of settlement offers. Prior to the settlements, the lawyers for the plaintiffs guessed that the total amount of money in damages would be over $960 million, but Hertz acknowledged that the company felt as if that figure was exaggerated. 
Hertz also <a href="https://www.foxbusiness.com/markets/hertz-pay-168-million-theft-arrest-problems" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> that the settlement money will probably not have a &#8220;material impact on its capital allocation plans for the balance of 2022 and 2023.&#8221;

F49B899E-E1DD-4BAC-80C9-336C84B806EF_1_201_a

Hertz To Pay $168 Million In Settlements Over Arrest, Theft Claims

Hertz Car Rental Company To Pay $168 Million In Settlements Over Arrest, Theft Claims

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection is asking the public for assistance in locating a missing portable nuclear gauge that went missing after thieves stole a vehicle that has since been recovered.
According to authorities, left untouched, the device cannot do any harm. However, if it is disturbed, the device could leak radiation to those around it.
&#8220;It is critical for anyone who has information about the lost nuclear gauge to contact local authorities or DEP,” DEP Bureau of Radiation Protection Director David Allard <a href="https://www.ahs.dep.pa.gov/NewsRoomPublic/articleviewer.aspx?id=22099&amp;typeid=1">said</a> in a press release. “As long as the device is not tampered with or damaged, it presents no hazard to public safety.”
The press release noted that the &#8220;gauge containing sealed sources of radioactive material … belongs to KAKS and Company LLC of Harleysville, PA.&#8221;
&#8220;This type of nuclear gauge is commonly used to evaluate the properties of building and road-bed materials at construction sites throughout the commonwealth,&#8221; the press release noted. &#8220;The radioactive material contained within the gauge is believed to be in a safe, shielded position.&#8221;
A photo of the missing gauge can be seen here:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Norristown, PA – DEP Urges Public to Report Missing Portable Nuclear Gauge:<a href="https://t.co/2vft9YSf9g">https://t.co/2vft9YSf9g</a> <a href="https://t.co/j17SOAL3jt">pic.twitter.com/j17SOAL3jt</a>
&mdash; PA Department of Environmental Protection (@PennsylvaniaDEP) <a href="https://twitter.com/PennsylvaniaDEP/status/1515055101290942470?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 15, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;Anyone who finds the gauge should not handle it directly, but rather maintain distance, limit time of proximity, and immediately contact local authorities or the DEP’s Southeast Regional Office at 484-250-5900,&#8221; Pennsylvania&#8217;s DEP added. &#8220;A trained individual will recover the gauge.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Anyone who finds the gauge should not handle it directly, but rather maintain distance, limit time of proximity, and immediately contact local authorities or the DEP’s Southeast Regional Office at 484-250-5900. A trained individual will recover the gauge.
&mdash; PA Department of Environmental Protection (@PennsylvaniaDEP) <a href="https://twitter.com/PennsylvaniaDEP/status/1515055102989680653?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 15, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
This is now the second time in less than a year that a nuclear gauge has gone missing in the Keystone State.
In October 2021, authorities <a href="https://fox56.com/news/local/dep-and-state-police-in-search-of-missing-nuclear-gauge">asked</a> the public for help in locating a similar device after a worker at CMT Laboratories &#8220;inadvertently departed the job site without properly securing the gauge in its case.&#8221; That device was found and returned safely.
A description of the missing nuclear gauge can be found here:
<blockquote>The nuclear density gauge is a Troxler Model 3440, serial number 31109. The gauge is yellow in color and about the size of a shoe box, with an electronic keypad and a metal rod extending from the top surface. The Troxler gauge contains approximately 8 millicuries of Cesium-137 and 40 millicuries of Americium-241. The radioactive material is in a double encapsulated source capsule within the device to protect its integrity.</blockquote>
The Environmental Protection Agency <a href="https://www.epa.gov/radtown/nuclear-gauges">provided</a> more details on what these kinds of devices actually do:
<blockquote> Nuclear gauges measure three main things: thickness, density, and fill level. Thickness gauges are used in manufacturing to make sure an entire product or material is the same thickness throughout, or to make sure the coating on a material is even. Density gauges are used in cement, petroleum, and road production to make sure that the density of a material is the same. Level gauges measure how much liquid is in a container, to make sure that each container has the same amount of product.</blockquote>
Related:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/radioactive-boar-pig-hybrids-emerge-from-fukushima-disaster-site-according-to-study">Radioactive Boar-Pig Hybrids Emerge From Fukushima Disaster Site, According To Study</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/during-nuclear-explosion-federal-government-advises-mask-wearing-and-social-distancing-in-bomb-shelter">During Nuclear Explosion, Federal Government Advises Mask Wearing And Social Distancing In Bomb Shelter</a></li>
</ul>

Nuclear Logo

Portable Nuclear Gauge Missing In Pennsylvania After Thieves Steal Vehicle

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

Nuclear

Pennsylvania

Theft

A missing Atlanta UPS package driver was found by law enforcement on Tuesday after allegedly being carjacked at gunpoint, kidnapped, and left bound in his vehicle after perpetrators robbed his packages.
The Atlanta Police Department reported that the incident occurred around 3:30 a.m. on Donald Lee Hollowell Parkway. The driver was forced to drive to a quiet area on Bankhead Court where he was bound and his packages were reportedly stolen.
UPS tracked the truck after it did not report to its destination on time. When police arrived, the driver was found tied up in the back. The driver was reportedly uninjured.
“While the truck was stopped at a traffic light, a person armed with a firearm got into the vehicle and forced the victim to drive to Bankhead Court,” a police spokesman said in the statement, according to the <a href="https://www.ajc.com/news/breaking-ups-driver-kidnapped-at-gunpoint-packages-stolen/X2IGYTDJDRDD3PJROCCMFFRRPQ/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Atlanta Journal-Constitution</a>.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BREAKING?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BREAKING</a>: UPS driver kidnapped at gunpoint, packages stolen<a href="https://t.co/ybcdfMG5eX">https://t.co/ybcdfMG5eX</a>
— Atlanta Journal-Constitution (@ajc) <a href="https://twitter.com/ajc/status/1475888499001856000?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 28, 2021</a></blockquote>
“Once there the suspect, along with others, tied the victim up and stole cargo from the tractor-trailer,” he added. Approximately 25% of the truck&#8217;s packages were taken, the report noted.
The suspects have not yet been identified in the brazen robbery.
“At least one suspect got in his truck, held him at gunpoint and gave him some directions to drive around the area,” police said, according to a report by <a href="https://www.wsbtv.com/news/local/atlanta/ups-driver-kidnapped-gunpoint-found-tied-up-tractor-trailer-police-say/BWCVKAZWXVFLFM2NK2KDBMOLMU/?fbclid=IwAR2nc4hVoyb_RmgHav5WVfkKu34n-ReerT6HSTA3rv_kyOPq7m2oVlB5jGQ" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WSB-TV</a> Altanta. “They drove to the back of the lot, where they unloaded the contents on the back of the truck and loaded it onto their own truck that had been there waiting.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
The suspect and other people tied up the driver and stole packages from the truck before they left the scene. <a href="https://t.co/tFXeqeoocO">https://t.co/tFXeqeoocO</a>
— WSB-TV (@wsbtv) <a href="https://twitter.com/wsbtv/status/1475882431462969344?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 28, 2021</a></blockquote>
&#8220;We are thankful that our driver is safe, and will defer questions to the investigating authorities,&#8221; a company representative said in a statement Wednesday, according to <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/ups-driver-kidnapped-packages-stolen-brazen-atlanta-heist-rcna10307" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NBC News</a>.
The concerning incident follows two carjackings involving political leaders in two other states.
Five suspects were <a href="https://www.fox29.com/news/congresswoman-mary-gay-scanlon-carjacked-at-fdr-park-in-south-philly-spokesperson-says?taid=61c3e8721ff9440001263808&amp;utm_campaign=trueanthem&amp;utm_medium=trueanthem" target="_blank" rel="noopener">apprehended</a> in Delaware on Wednesday last week after state police discovered them with the vehicle that was reportedly carjacked earlier in the day from Pennsylvania Democratic Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon.
Scanlon reported her SUV being carjacked at gunpoint at FDR Park in South Philadelphia along the 1900 block of Pattison Avenue, according to law enforcement. The congresswoman was unharmed in the incident.
Scanlon’s office released a statement thanking police on Wednesday:
<blockquote>Wednesday afternoon around 2:45 p.m., Congresswoman Scanlon was carjacked at gunpoint in FDR Park following a meeting at that location. The Congresswoman was physically unharmed. She thanks the Philadelphia Police Department for their swift response, and appreciates the efforts of both the Sergeant at Arms in D.C. and her local police department for coordinating with Philly PD to ensure her continued safety.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Statement from the Office of Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon on today&#8217;s incident: <a href="https://t.co/fomScnWUXo">pic.twitter.com/fomScnWUXo</a>
— Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon (@RepMGS) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepMGS/status/1473777010010951681?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 22, 2021</a></blockquote>
In addition to Scanlon’s incident, Illinois State Senator Kimberly Lightford and her husband Eric McKennie were carjacked on December 21 at gunpoint in the Chicago suburb of Broadview. Lightford is the second-highest-ranking Democrat in the state’s Senate.
“Police said three men driving a Durango took a black Mercedez Benz SUV that belonged to Lightford, police said. The state senate majority leader was dropping her hairstylist off at her home when the incident occurred,” <a href="https://abc7chicago.com/il-state-senator-kimberly-lightford-carjacked-broadview-carjacking/11372070/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ABC News 7 Chicago</a> reported.

UPS Truck

Kidnapped Atlanta UPS Driver Found By Police After Alleged Carjacking

Menu