Chicago&#8217;s mayor, Lori Lightfoot, had an odd explanation for the gun violence gripping the city Sunday, suggesting that lax gun laws and coronavirus-related lockdowns were largely to blame for the spike in shootings, which has left at least four children dead and dozens of Chicago residents wounded.
Speaking to a press conference, Lightfoot said the violence problem is “complicated,&#8221; according to the <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/with-murders-up-nearly-80-in-chicago-last-month-lori-lightfoot-blames-guns">Washington Examiner</a>.
&#8220;That’s a complicated question,” Lightfoot told media. “We have way too many guns on the streets.”
&#8220;Lightfoot also suggested that the coronavirus shutdowns that kept people inside for months played a role in creating a &#8216;perfect storm&#8217; while also pointing out the death of George Floyd as an event that sparked anger in the community,&#8221; the Examiner reported.
That &#8220;perfect storm&#8221; is responsible for a nearly record-breaking streak of violence in the city. As of late June, &#8220;329 people have been killed in Chicago, an increase of about 34% from the 246 homicides during the same period last year, according to police. Shootings in that period rose by about 42%, from 978 in 2019 to 1,384 in 2020,&#8221; NBC <a href="https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/chicago-murders-and-shootings-up-overall-crime-down-halfway-through-2020-police-say/2298155/">Chicago reports</a>. Crime, overall, is down by 9%.
There have been only five days in July, but already this month 84 people have been shot and wounded in the city, and 18 have been shot and killed. In just the last three weeks, several children have been murdered by gun violence, one as young as a year old.
Although the Chicago city government pledged to put 1,200 additional officers on the streets through the Fourth of July holiday, at least 16 people were killed – including a 7-year-old girl who was celebrating the holiday at her grandmother&#8217;s house on the city&#8217;s south side – and 63 were wounded. Two incidents of gun violence had more than eight victims, making them &#8220;mass shootings.&#8221;
Lightfoot responded to the weekend&#8217;s violence on social media.
“Tonight, a 7-year-old girl in Austin joined a list of teenagers and children whose hopes and dreams were ended by the barrel of a gun,” she tweeted Sunday. “We cannot grow numb to this. We are making progress in slowing shootings, but we have to do better, every single one of us.”
Chicago residents are not strictly prohibited from owning guns, but Illinois requires each gun owner to submit to an intensive background check and obtain a Firearm Owners Identification (or FOID) card before purchasing their first gun. The state prohibits open carry (and concealed carry, in many circumstances), and there are tight restrictions on gun sales in the city.
Neighboring states, like Indiana and Wisconsin, have looser gun laws, and authorities are typically quick to blame a lack of federal oversight in weapons trafficking for the continued gun violence problem inside the city of Chicago. Part of the issue may also lie with the Cook County States Attorney, Kim Foxx, whose &#8220;bail reform&#8221; program has seen violent offenders returned to the streets quickly, often in as little as 24 hours after being arrested, according to the <a href="https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/breaking/ct-chicago-guns-cook-county-bonds-20170127-story.html">Chicago Tribune</a>.
The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers with the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

Lori Lightfoot

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot Blames Guns, Coronavirus For City’s Spike In Violence

Chicago

Guns

Two children &#8212; a 7-year-old girl and a 14-year-old boy &#8212; were among the more a dozen killed in Chicago this weekend, as the city suffers through its worst streak of gun violence in years.
Of the nearly 70 wounded in the city between Friday night and Sunday morning, nine were minors. Several were shot in two eight-plus victim mass shootings, both on the city&#8217;s south side, <a href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/crime/2020/7/5/21313171/fourth-july-weekend-chicago-gun-violence-homicide-shooting">according to the Chicago Sun-Times</a>, which has been tracking the city&#8217;s dramatic uptick in gun crime since late May, when Chicago began to release its coronavirus-related lockdown measures.
&#8220;A 14-year-old boy was among four people killed in a shooting that wounded four others Saturday night in Englewood on the South Side,&#8221; the outlet reported Sunday morning. &#8220;They were at a large gathering in the street about 11:35 p.m. in the 6100 block of South Carpenter Street when four males walked up and started shooting, according to Chicago police. The 14-year-old boy was hit in the back and pronounced dead at Comer Children’s Hospital.&#8221;
An 11-year-old and a 15-year-old were also wounded in that shooting, and three men were killed.
The 7-year-old girl, Natalie Wallace, was celebrating the Fourth of July with her family at her grandmother&#8217;s home when, in a similar fashion, &#8220;a vehicle pulled up and three men got out and started shooting indiscriminately,&#8221; according <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/chicago-erupts-in-july-4-gunfire-with-girl-7-and-boy-14-among-those-killed">to Fox News</a>.
&#8220;Three men got out of a white car and shot more than 20 rounds in the direction of the people holding the party,&#8221; the Sun-Times added, noting that a 32-year-old man was also injured in the fray.
&#8220;It was a family gathering so there was many kids. There were kids riding on bicycles enjoin the Fourth of July as they have should have been and now this child is gone,&#8221; a Chicago Police Department spokesperson told the local ABC News affiliate, <a href="https://abc7chicago.com/chicago-shooting-4th-of-july-fourth-shootings/6299274/">ABC7 Chicago</a>.
In just five days, the month of July has seen 18 people shot and killed and more than 80 shot and wounded. Four children under the age of 10 have been killed in as many weeks, one, Sincere Gaston, a 20-month-old boy, was riding home with his mother from the laundromat when their car was ambushed by a gunman and he was killed.
Chicago Police detailed their plan to contain the violence, adding 1,200 officer shifts to the calendar across the Fourth of July holiday weekend, and announced a violence prevention board charged with identifying gun violence &#8220;hotspots&#8221; across the city and to &#8220;coordinate efforts between police and violence prevention group,&#8221; according to ABC7.
&#8220;The best way to reduce violence is to prevent it from happening,&#8221; Chicago police superintendent David Brown said Friday. &#8220;We will be targeting criminal networks that are the pipeline to violence in this city over this 4th of July weekend.&#8221;
&#8220;I will also have officers on foot patrols across our neighborhoods including the walking beat to get to know their neighborhood and residents and protecting them so they can celebrate safely,&#8221; Brown added.
It does not appear the efforts were enough to curb the shooting.
Chicago&#8217;s mayor, Lori Lightfoot, seemed at a loss for words Sunday.
“Tonight, a 7-year-old girl in Austin joined a list of teenagers and children whose hopes and dreams were ended by the barrel of a gun,” Lightfoot said on social media. “We cannot grow numb to this. We are making progress in slowing shootings, but we have to do better, every single one of us.”
The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers with the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe"> member</a>.

2020 Chicago Auto Show Media Preview &#8211; Day 1

Two More Childen Killed In Chicago Violence Spike, City Sees Two Mass Shootings In Under 24 Hours

Chicago&#8217;s police chief announced late Monday that the city will deploy 1,200 additional police officers to &#8220;hot zones&#8221; experiencing an increase in violence, in hopes of containing a wave of shootings that has left dozens dead &#8212; including at least 10 children &#8212; and hundreds wounded.
Chicago Police Supt. David Brown announced that officers will work additional shifts from Thursday until Sunday and focus on controlling violence on the city&#8217;s south and west sides over the holiday weekend. The department will also be working proactively to control crowds gathering in violent areas before shooting breaks out.
“We’ll be deployed throughout our hotspots, we’ll be working with city services, we’re engaging our violence interrupters, and so it’s a full-court press,” Brown said. “Our endgame is arrests for the precursors to violence, so every day we’re going to be clearing corners.”
Brown blamed the city&#8217;s spike in violence on &#8220;open-air drug markets&#8221; and gangs taking advantage of ongoing anti-racism protests to increase activity, recruiting younger members, and increasing street-level drug operations.
“It’s an evil methodology. It’s why they’re on the corners because it protects the masterminds,” Brown said. “They are there because there’s no opportunity in their neighborhood. They are there because of the failures, and many other social service opportunities are just not available to them, but that’s why they’re there; to feed their families. It’s a bad choice.”
The increase in police presence will require officers to work overtime hours, Brown said. It&#8217;s something that the city has avoided over the last several weekends after forcing cops to work overtime to handle protests and rioting in the wake of George Floyd&#8217;s death on Memorial Day.
Chicago, though, has experienced a shocking increase in gun violence since the city lifted its coronavirus-related lockdown. Beginning in May, when the city set a record for the most people shot in a single weekend since 2016, hundreds of individuals have been shot and dozens have died. Over the course of the last week, six children have been shot and two killed, including a 20-month-old boy and a 10-year-old girl.
The week before, a 3-year-old boy was shot and killed.
Last weekend alone, <a href="https://fox6now.com/2020/06/29/4-children-shot-18-people-dead-47-wounded-in-weekend-violence-in-chicago/">Chicago&#8217;s Fox affiliate reports</a>, 65 people were shot and 18 people were killed. Overall, since January of 2020, 300 people have been killed by gun violence in the city &#8212; a grim milestone that, in 2019, took until August to reach.
Chicago&#8217;s mayor Lori Lightfoot addressed the violence in a press conference Monday afternoon.
“The last two Mondays, I’ve woken up with an incredible sense of dread, incredible feeling of despair, because of the weekend violence,” she said. “This can’t be who we are, as a city.&#8221;
So far, Lightfoot has resisted President Donald Trump&#8217;s offers to allow Federal agencies to assist in Chicago&#8217;s violence control, but that resistance seems to be thawing.
The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers with the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe"> member</a>.

Chicago Police Will Deploy 1,200 Extra Officers To Control Violence Over July 4th Weekend

Violence

A 1-year-old boy and his mother were among the dozens shot and at least 7 killed in Chicago on Saturday as the city suffers from another weekend of violence &#8212; the latest in a string of deadly weekends.
The pair, <a href="https://chicago.cbslocal.com/2020/06/27/20-month-old-boy-shot-englewood-60th-halsted/">CBS News Chicago reports</a>, were shot while driving home from a local laundromat in the Englewood neighborhood on Chicago&#8217;s south side. The boy&#8217;s mother was grazed by a bullet, but the child was shot in the chest and died at a local hospital.
Three other children were among the 46 people shot so far this weekend, <a href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/crime/2020/6/28/21305237/chicago-weekend-shootings-gun-violence-june-26-29-2020">according to the Chicago-Sun Times</a>. In addition to the 1-year-old, a 10-year-old girl was killed Friday night when a bullet entered her home on Chicago&#8217;s northwest side, a 17-year-old teen was killed after an altercation on the city&#8217;s west side, and an 8-year-old girl was &#8220;grazed by a bullet&#8221; in her home in Englewood.
The 1-year-old boy is the youngest victim of Chicago&#8217;s early summer violence, but at least two other toddlers, both around 3 years old, were shot in the last week. One of the 3-year-olds was killed. Police have offered a substantial reward for information leading to that boy&#8217;s killer, but so far the Chicago Police Department has not received any credible tips, they say.
A 9-year-old and a 5-year-old are also among the week&#8217;s shooting victims.
Chicago&#8217;s Police Chief of Operations Fred Waller announced the young boy&#8217;s death at a press conference on Saturday.
&#8220;It seems like just yesterday, it was actually last Saturday, I was in front of you all talking about a 3-year-old that was killed in the Austin community, and now, here in Englewood, a 20-month-old was killed,” he said. “This is happening far too often. Too many times children are killed by senseless violence, and not only just children but grown-ups also. When is this going to stop? When are we going to say enough is enough?”
&#8220;This baby, and all of our residents, deserve better,&#8221; Chicago&#8217;s police superintendent, David Brown, added Saturday night.  &#8220;For the sake of Chicago’s children, please come forward to help bring the trigger pullers to justice.&#8221;
Chicago mayor Lori Lightfoot issued her pleas in a Twitter stream.
&#8220;It&#8217;s on all of us to double down on our all-hands-on-deck public safety efforts with police officers, street outreach teams, trauma support workers, community and faith-based partners. We must ask ourselves: &#8220;What are we each doing to make this a season of bounty, not tragedy?&#8221; she said on social media. &#8220;We all have a role in this fight for the safety of our communities. I ask that anyone with information on these incidents please come forward or submit a tip anonymously at <a class="css-4rbku5 css-18t94o4 css-901oao css-16my406 r-1n1174f r-1loqt21 r-1qd0xha r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0" dir="ltr" title="http://cpdtip.com" role="link" href="https://t.co/Tt6O9g49ZD?amp=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-focusable="true">http://cpdtip.com</a>.&#8221;
Crime is down overall in the city of Chicago, largely the result of coronavirus-related lockdowns that kept many residents inside from March until May, but shootings are up. The last weekend in May, Chicago saw its bloodiest weekend in years &#8212; the worst since the city hit a crime peak in 2016 &#8212; and just last weekend, more than 100 people were shot. At least 15 people were killed.
Late last week, President Donald Trump warned Chicago&#8217;s city government that he could be forced to intervene if the city cannot quell its streak of gun violence. Lightfoot fired back at the president on Twitter, but that was before the weekend&#8217;s shooting numbers began to materialize.
The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

Three Children, Including 1 Year Old, Killed In Chicago As Violence Spikes In City

Shooting

President Donald Trump slammed Chicago Democratic Mayor Lori Lightfoot in a letter on Friday over the city&#8217;s recent drastic surge, saying that the city deserves better leadership.
Trump&#8217;s letter to Lightfoot centered around a <a href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/crime/2020/6/8/21281998/chicago-deadliest-day-violence-murder-history-police-crime">report</a> from the Chicago Sun Times on a staggering number of people who were shot and killed in a record breaking streak of violence.
&#8220;From 7 p.m. Friday, May 29, through 5 a.m. Monday, June 1, 25 people were killed in the city, with another 85 wounded by gunfire,&#8221; the Chicago Sun-Times reported. &#8220;In a city with an international reputation for crime — where 900 murders per year were common in the early 1990s — it was the most violent weekend in Chicago’s modern history, stretching police resources that were already thin because of protests and looting.&#8221;
Trump responded to the report by writing to Lightfoot in a letter:
<blockquote>&#8230; Your lack of leadership on this important issue continues to fail the people you have sworn to protect.  I am concerned it is another example of your lack of commitment to the vulnerable citizens who are victims of this violence and a lack of respect for the men and women in law enforcement.
&#8230;
Violence and death, which are disproportionately harming young African Americans, are tragic and unacceptable, particularly on such a shocking scale. According to the Chicago Sun Times, “shootings across the City increased by 71 percent last month,” and just this past weekend 102 people were shot in the city’s most violent weekend of the year.  A 3-year old toddler was killed.  More Americans have been killed in Chicago than in combat zones of Afghanistan and Iraq combined since September 11, 2001, a deadly trend that has continued under your tenure.
The American people (hardworking taxpayers) send you millions of dollars in Federal funding each year to support public safety in Chicago.  In 2018 and 2019, the City of Chicago benefited from $136 million in funding from the Urban Area Security Initiative Grant Program, and another $68 million was recently announced for Chicago from this important program.  The Department of Justice awarded and is in the process of awarding nearly $20 million to support law enforcement and law-enforcement related entities in the City of Chicago and Cook County across 2019 and 2020, including resources for combating opioid abuse and recidivism reduction.  The Department of Labor has also awarded funding to programs targeting prisoner re-entry and recidivism reduction in the Chicago area.  My Administration allocated $898.6 million to the City of Chicago and Cook County from the Coronavirus Relief Fund, which helps support your first responders on the front lines.  In the absence of any modicum of leadership, however, these substantial sums of taxpayer money are not being turned into results, and the safety of your most vulnerable communities continues to deteriorate.  These funds are in addition to those collected through your combined insatiable appetite to tax the people of Illinois and Chicago.
I will continue to lead the way to support historically disadvantaged communities and would welcome your help in these endeavors.  In December 2018, I signed into law the First Step Act, marking the first major reforms to our criminal justice system in over a decade.  This brings historic reforms to make our justice system fairer and to help inmates successfully transition back into society by providing prisoners with a second chance through rehabilitative programs and fair sentencing.  Additionally, when I signed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, we created Opportunity Zones.  Nationwide, nearly 9,000 communities have designated Opportunity Zones, including over 130 in Chicago, which are incentivizing investments in areas that have been forgotten for far too long.  My Administration has also provided robust, unprecedented support to Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
Recently, on June 16, I signed an Executive Order advancing important reforms to elevate a noble profession and strengthen the essential bond of trust between police officers and the communities in which they serve.  My Administration continues to work closely with Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina and others across the political spectrum to advance further policy improvements and meaningful reforms.
Unlike previous Administrations of both parties, I am willing to tackle unsolved challenges.  If you are willing to put partisanship aside, we can revitalize distressed neighborhoods in Chicago, together.  But to succeed, you must establish law and order.  The combination of crime, high State and local taxes, and onerous State and local government regulations have caused thousands of Illinoisans to flee to other States.  Between 2010 and 2019, Illinois lost more of its population than any other state in the Nation.  If you are interested, I am willing to ask members of my Cabinet to meet with you and help devise a plan to make Chicago safe, since a successful formula has escaped both you and your predecessors.  My Administration would also welcome the opportunity to engage with you and your colleagues as you develop bipartisan policy recommendations to improve policing and make our great cities safer for all.
Unfortunately, you continue to put your own political interests ahead of the lives, safety, and fortunes of your own citizens.  The people of Chicago deserve better.</blockquote>
Lightfoot responded on Twitter, writing: &#8220;I don’t need leadership lessons from Donald Trump.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
I don’t need leadership lessons from Donald Trump.
&mdash; Mayor Lori Lightfoot (@chicagosmayor) <a href="https://twitter.com/chicagosmayor/status/1276689268233113601?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 27, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;As our police officers, street outreach workers and residents continue to work tirelessly to keep our communities safe, he&#8217;s using the victims of gun violence in our city to score cheap political points, spew racist rhetoric, and ignore the impact of COVID across this country,&#8221; Lightfoot continued. &#8220;It is despicable, disgusting and all too typical. Same old tired playbook. How about some leadership not steeped in the divide and conquer tactics?&#8221;
Lightfoot did not identify a single example of the alleged &#8220;racist rhetoric&#8221; that she accused Trump of spew[ing] in the letter. In fact, the president specifically expressed his concern for minorities in low-income communities.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
It is despicable, disgusting and all too typical. Same old tired playbook. How about some leadership not steeped in the divide and conquer tactics?
&mdash; Mayor Lori Lightfoot (@chicagosmayor) <a href="https://twitter.com/chicagosmayor/status/1276689270410002432?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 27, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

Trump

Trump Shreds Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot In Letter Over Chicago Violence. Lightfoot Snaps On Twitter.

Crime

Donald Trump

Abel and Ola Osundairo briefly shook up the City of Chicago&#8217;s case against Jussie Smollett this week after announcing Wednesday that they were no longer willing to cooperate with investigators working on the high-profile &#8220;hoax hate crime&#8221; case. But in a statement released by their attorney the next day, the brothers, who say that Smollett paid them to stage the attack on the former &#8220;Empire&#8221; star, said they are now back on board with the investigation after the &#8220;intervention&#8221; of the special prosecutor.
Wednesday, the Osundairo brothers gave law enforcement an ultimatum: stop treating them as if they are still suspects in the case rather than witnesses by giving them back their confiscated private property, including a legally owned handgun. If police fail to do so, they will no longer testify against Smollett for &#8220;orchestrating&#8221; a staged attack last year, as officials concluded after a widely reported investigation.
&#8220;It’s been over a year and they need to give us our stuff back,&#8221; Abel told <a href="https://chicago.cbslocal.com/2020/06/24/osundairo-brothers-who-say-they-were-paid-to-stage-attack-now-say-they-wont-willingly-testify-against-jussie-smollett/">CBS Chicago</a> Wednesday in reference to the police confiscating some of their private property in the course of the investigation. &#8220;I would understand if we were defendants in the case, which we are not.&#8221;
&#8220;Police raided the Osundairos’ home on Valentine’s Day last year while the brothers were in Nigeria,&#8221; <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/brothers-say-they-wont-testify-against-smollett-unless-police-meet-certain-demands">The Daily Wire</a> reported. &#8220;At the time, the brothers were suspected of launching a racist and homophobic attack on Smollett. Police later dropped charges against the brothers and now say that the actor paid each brother $3,500 to stage the incident.&#8221;
The items obtained in the raid, including a legally obtained 9mm gun and ammunition, have continued to be held by police as evidence for the ongoing case, but police recently indicated that the gun was missing. &#8220;Legally, it belongs to me, and I want to know its whereabouts,&#8221; Abel told CBS.
A day after the brothers&#8217; threatened to stop cooperating with the investigation, their attorney released a <a href="https://pagesix.com/2020/06/25/abel-and-ola-osundairo-will-testify-against-jussie-smollett/?utm_medium=SocialFlow&amp;utm_source=P6Twitter&amp;utm_campaign=SocialFlow&amp;__twitter_impression=true">statement</a> announcing that they are back on board, citing the &#8220;intervention&#8221; of the special prosecutor.
“Due to the intervention of Special Prosecutor Dan Webb and his team, earlier today we were informed that a properly registered 9mm handgun that was missing from a locked safe seized by the Chicago Police Department on February 14, 2019, has been located,” their lawyer, Gloria Schmidt Rodriguez, said in the statement.
“The missing gun was a reason for Abel and Ola’s decision to cease voluntary cooperation, in addition to the unnecessary complication brought to this situation by CPD’s Corporate Counsel in treating them like suspects,&#8221; said the lawyer. &#8220;Abel and Ola will recommence their cooperation in the Smollett case now that the handgun has been produced by the Special Prosecutor’s office.&#8221;
In January 2019, Smollett reported an alleged hate crime to police, claiming two white men attacked him in downtown Chicago at around 2 a.m., doused him in an unknown liquid, and hung a &#8220;noose &#8220;around his neck. Police quickly zeroed in on two suspects, who turned out to be the Osundairo brothers, and brought them in for questioning. A couple of days later, Chicago Police Department Communications Chief Anthony Guglielmi <a href="https://twitter.com/AJGuglielmi/status/1096610157973434373">announced</a> that the brothers were no longer suspects.
“Due to new evidence as a result of today’s interrogations, the individuals questioned by police in the Empire case have now been released without charging and detectives have additional investigative work to complete,” said Guglielmi. The brothers told the police that Smollett paid them to stage the attack and police say evidence overwhelmingly confirms their account.
The initial 16 charges for filing false police reports against Smollett were infamously dropped by the Cook County prosecutor’s office last year, with Smollett simply agreeing to forfeit his $10,000 bond and perform some community service, and without Smollett being required to admit any guilt. In response, the city sued Smollett in April 2019 for $130,000 in wasted resources for the investigation into what officials maintain was a hoax.
The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

Jussie Smollett

Key Witnesses In Jussie Smollett Case Reverse, Will Now Cooperate After ‘Intervention’ Of Prosecutor

Abel and Ola Osundairo are walking back promises made by their attorney that they would testify against actor Jussie Smollett for allegedly faking a hate crime last year.
The Osundairo brothers now say they will not willingly cooperate with police until officials stop treating them like suspects in a crime even though the brothers are not facing any charges. The Osundairos say that police have yet to return items taken during a February 2019 raid on the brothers&#8217; home, according to <a href="https://chicago.cbslocal.com/2020/06/24/osundairo-brothers-who-say-they-were-paid-to-stage-attack-now-say-they-wont-willingly-testify-against-jussie-smollett/">CBS Chicago</a>.
“It’s been over a year and they need to give us our stuff back,” Abel Osundairo told CBS. “I would understand if we were defendants in the case, which we are not.”
Police raided the Osundairos’ home on Valentine’s Day last year while the brothers were in Nigeria. At the time, the brothers were suspected of launching a racist and homophobic attack on Smollett. Police later dropped charges against the brothers and now say that the actor paid each brother $3,500 to stage the incident.
Police are holding the Osundairos’ items seized in the raid as evidence in Smollett’s upcoming trial, though the police have said they will return the items if ordered to by a judge. The items include a 9mm gun and ammunition legally owned by Abel Osundairo. The brothers filed a police report on Wednesday and, with their attorney, are in talks with the police to get the items returned, specifically the gun and ammo.
“Legally, it belongs to me, and I want to know its whereabouts,” Abel said.
Smollett is <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/jussie-smolletts-malicious-prosecution-lawsuit-tossed-out-of-court">facing</a> charges on six counts of disturbing the peace and filing false police reports. His court hearing has been postponed due to coronavirus-related shutdowns of the court system. The former “Empire” actor was originally charged with 16 counts, though the Cook County prosecutor’s officer abruptly dropped the charges after working out an unofficial plea deal in which Smollett agreed to forfeit his $10,000 bond and perform about 16 hours of community service.
The deal sparked backlash among Chicago’s law enforcement community, and the city sued Smollett in April for $130,000 in wasted time and effort by the police and other city employees investigating the alleged hoax. Smollett has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/jussie-smollett-the-truth-will-be-my-defense-in-new-trial">continued</a> to assert he is innocent of the charges.
Smollett reported a hate crime against him in January 2019, alleging two men had ambushed him in downtown Chicago at 2 a.m. The Chicago police nabbed the Osundairo brothers at Chicago O&#8217;Hare International Airport on Feb. 13, announcing that they had caught two men suspected of attacking Smollett.
Two days later, Chicago Police Department communications chief Anthony Guglielmi <a href="https://twitter.com/AJGuglielmi/status/1096610157973434373">announced</a> that, “Due to new evidence as a result of today&#8217;s interrogations, the individuals questioned by police in the Empire case have now been released without charging and detectives have additional investigative work to complete,” referring to the Osundairo brothers. The brothers had agreed to work with police in and testify against Smollett until recently.
The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

Brothers Say They Won’t Testify Against Smollett Unless Police Meet Their Demands

Hoax

Race

Chicago&#8217;s Improv Olympic, or iO theater, will not reopen despite its storied history and position within the Chicago comedy community, in part because of losses incurred during the coronavirus lockdown, and in part, it seems, because of demands made by diversity activists looking to force iO to expand its offerings and fire its owner.
The theater announced late last week that it would not reopen its doors, with the owner, Charna Halpern, <a href="https://wbbm780.radio.com/articles/covid-claims-chicagos-improvolympic">telling local media</a> that the building owes a huge property tax bill to the city that it will not be able to pay, given that it has been out of operation for several months during a coronavirus-related lockdown.
Halpern, who did get a Paycheck Protection Program loan to help defray some of her operations costs, says the burden is just too much for the theater, which runs at a narrow profit margin normally.
“I was hoping that maybe the county would say we didn’t have to pay property taxes in the next couple of months. They haven’t. They just moved it a couple months,” she said. &#8220;I don’t know when theater is going to come back, so I think selling the building would be the best thing for me to do right now.&#8221;
She added that the decision has been &#8220;heartbreaking.&#8221;
One opinion writer for the Chicago Tribune, though, suggests that there&#8217;s more to Improve Olympic&#8217;s decision to close than just money troubles. <a href="https://www.chicagotribune.com/opinion/commentary/ct-opinion-cancel-culture-i0-charna-halpern-20200622-mo34gvlupbaz7cb5jsu2jcsrbe-story.html">Writing Tuesday</a>, Shaun Cammack says the theater has the been the target of a woke mob who demanded it &#8212; and owner Halpern &#8212; pay for its sins against diversity. Literally.
&#8220;A few weeks ago, five members of the iO improv theater started a petition<a href="https://www.change.org/p/io-chicago-i-will-not-perform-at-io-until-until-the-following-demands-are-met?recruiter=868178146&amp;utm_source=share_petition&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=share_email_responsive&amp;utm_term=G%3ESearch%3ESAP%3EUS%3ENonBrand%3EExact&amp;recruited_by_id=c29dd250-39ef-11e8-851a-35db61e11d78" rel="noreferrer nofollow"> </a>titled, &#8216;I Will Not Perform at iO Until the Following Demands Are Met.&#8217; The petition, in addition to the demands, accused owner and co-founder Charna Halpern of having a history of racism and called on her to step down,&#8221; Cammack reported.
&#8220;The petition, with more than 2,500 signatures, demanded the hiring of a diversity and inclusion coordinator, a rewriting of the entire improv curriculum, and increased funding of the theater’s current diversity program. These, at a time when the theater hasn’t been open for more than three months, are insurmountable demands,&#8221; he added.
The petition, on Change.org, demands the theater hire diversity coordinators, employ an advisory board of &#8220;BIPOC LGBTQIA+ performers and students,&#8221; and commit to a board-approved &#8220;fully revised and decolonized curriculum in order to create a learning environment where Black students can thrive.&#8221;
In addition, the group wants changes and expansions to the theater&#8217;s diversity scholarship program, a campaign to hire &#8220;diverse&#8221; teachers from the minority community, and for Halpern to step down and, presumably, atone for her sins.
The petition&#8217;s authors are reportedly recipients of the theater&#8217;s existing diversity program, &#8220;receiving free classes from the theater.&#8221;
Halpern says she agrees with the protesters, in theory, but that the theater&#8217;s budget simply can&#8217;t sustain such a major change.
“Right now,” she said, “there’s an important movement and they have a lot to fight for.”
“If there was no pandemic,” Halpern told local media, “I would be working with them and I would certainly not be closing.&#8221;
She also told both Cammack and other members of the media that she feels personally insulted by the petition.
“The petition hurt me a little personally because people who didn’t know&#8221;ow me claimed that ‘Halpern also has a personal history of racism.’ So, that was upsetting,&#8221; she said.
Improv Olympic is not alone in facing allegations of racism. The comedy world is rife with such accusations, and Chicago&#8217;s other landmark improv training ground, Second City, has faced allegations of its own in recent years. Cammack said on Twitter that he has yet to receive any concrete evidence, though, of racism from iO&#8217;s owner.
He has received a considerable amount of criticism for suggesting that diversity activists were the &#8220;straw that broke the camel&#8217;s back,&#8221; forcing iO to shut its doors completely.
&#8220;As expected, the piece received a lot of blowback,&#8221; Cammack told the Daily Wire in a statement. &#8220;Some accused me of actively oppressing minorities by writing this opinion, and there were plenty of personal insults&#8211;although one, which said I bore a resemblance to Ned Flanders, definitely made me laugh.&#8221;
&#8220;Fortunately, after some healthy criticism regarding the details of the theater’s financial situation, Charna confirmed with me that iO received support as part of the PPP program to cover payroll expenses,&#8221; he added. &#8220;Still, the theater was in a precarious financial situation, and the petition and the accusations were undoubtedly the straw the broke the camel’s back. Investors and corporate clients are fleeing from anything remotely controversial right now, and so the unfounded accusation of racism has sunk the last lifeboat for iO.&#8221;
The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

io theater

Chicago’s Famed iO Improv School Will Shutter After Diversity Activsts Demand Costly Changes

Comedy

Coronavirus

Diversity

Chicago saw a very violent Father&#8217;s Day weekend, with more than 100 people shot and at least 14 killed, including five children, the <a href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/crime/2020/6/20/21297470/chicago-fathers-day-weekend-shootings-homicide-gun-violence-june-19-22-104-shot">Chicago Sun-Times reports</a>.
The number of shootings makes last weekend the most violent weekend of 2020 for the midwestern metropolis, but hardly its deadliest. The last weekend of May saw more than 20 people killed but only 85 people were shot.
The youngest victim of the weekend&#8217;s violence was just three years old.
&#8220;A 3-year-old boy was fatally wounded when someone opened fire at his father while they were driving in [Chicago&#8217;s Austin neighborhood],&#8221; the Sun-Times says. &#8220;The toddler, identified as Mekay James, was struck in the back about 6:25 p.m. when someone in a blue Honda pulled behind the black SUV the boy’s 27-year-old father was driving in the 600 block of North Central Avenue and fired several rounds, authorities said.&#8221;
The police believe Mekay&#8217;s father was the intended target of the shooting.
Four other minors were killed, including two teenage boys, who were shot in an alley on the city&#8217;s south side, and a teenage girl, who was shot in the neck while sitting in the front room of her home.
In total, 12 minors were among the 104 people shot.
Chicago has seen a marked uptick in violence since allowing coronavirus-related lockdowns to expire and moving into &#8220;Phase 1&#8221; of reopening the city. Parts of the city, though, are seeing some of the worst gun violence in years, with dozens being shot each weekend &#8212; often more than in any year since 2012 when the city reached a peak.
The city&#8217;s police superintendent, David Brown, did his best to address the issue Sunday, promising to quell the rising tide of gun violence &#8212; and particularly gang-related gun violence &#8212; on the city&#8217;s south and west sides.
“Tears are a natural reaction to these tragic stories of violence. But we need to do more than just cry,” Brown said at a press conference, according to <a href="https://chicago.cbslocal.com/2020/06/22/on-violent-weekend-that-saw-3-year-old-3-teens-killed-in-chicago-supt-brown-says-violent-offenders-are-not-being-monitored-and-methods-must-change/">CBS Chicago</a>. “Let’s keep violent offenders in jail longer, and let’s revamp the home monitoring system. It’s not working.”
Meanwhile, though, Chicago has become a target city for the &#8220;Defund the Police&#8221; movement and a number of demonstrations are demanding Chicago&#8217;s mayor Lori Lightfoot shift funding away from the city&#8217;s law enforcement agencies and better finance social services, anti-poverty, and mental health programs. At least two aldermen, members of the Chicago City Council, have proposed near-complete defunding of Chicago&#8217;s cops, <a href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/city-hall/2020/6/16/21293344/chicago-city-council-defund-police-department-covid-stimulus-funds">per the Sun-Times</a>.
Chicago is not alone in being both a target of anti-police agitators and a hotbed of violence. Minneapolis had a mass shooting over the weekend, which left 1 dead and at least 11 injured. Seattle, home to the &#8220;Capitol Hill Organized Protest,&#8221; or CHOP, also saw a deadly incident of gun violence late last week, followed by two more shootings over the weekend.
The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

Chicago Police

104 Shot, 14 Killed In Chicago Weekend Violence; Other ‘Defund The Police’ Target Cities See Major Gun Crime Incidents

In an effort to replicate the &#8220;Seattle Autonomous Zone&#8221; in cities nationwide, protesters took to the streets of Asheville, North Carolina, Portland, Oregon, Nashville, Tennessee, and Chicago, Illinois, over the weekend. Warned by what&#8217;s happening in the &#8220;CHAZ,&#8221; though, police departments were quick to shut down those efforts.
In Nashville, the effort was over before it even began.
&#8220;Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee issued a warning hours before protesters are planning to take over an area outside the Capitol,&#8221; l<a href="https://fox17.com/news/local/free-capitol-hill-friday-rally-planned-to-reclaim-the-plaza">ocal news in Nashville</a> reported Saturday. &#8220;Nashville autonomous zone &#8216;will not be tolerated,&#8217; Lee said in a statement, citing that camping on state property is prohibited by law and it will be enforced.&#8221;
Occupying state property is a misdemeanor in Tennessee and despite organizers encouraging protesters to show up with &#8220;tents,&#8221; &#8220;food,&#8221; and other necessities, an autonomous zone never materialized.
In Asheville, members of law enforcement were on hand as demonstrators built their temporary lodgings on Livingston street in the center of the city and dismantled the autonomous zone just hours after protesters declared themselves immune from the laws of the United States.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Police dismantle an Antifa “autonomous zone” in Asheville, NC. Not today, stalin. <a href="https://t.co/xWeepUDxkp">pic.twitter.com/xWeepUDxkp</a>
&mdash; Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) <a href="https://twitter.com/stillgray/status/1271863809137717248?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 13, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Protesters were shocked that, unlike in Seattle, the Asheville city government was unwilling to tolerate their continued presence.
&#8220;Update on <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Asheville?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Asheville</a> autonomous zone. Every cop in Asheville showed up, proving they have nothing better to do on a Friday night. Tore down barricade. As of 11pm est, &lt;100 demonstrators remaining. Need more people &amp; support. Many will be back tmrw. This is only the beginning,&#8221; one would-be autonomous zone citizen wrote on Twitter.
Police responded to continued threats of occupation with a statement about blocking public streets. &#8220;Blocking a roadway is not only illegal,&#8221; they noted, &#8220;but dangerous for both vehicular and pedestrian traffic.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Blocking a roadway is not only illegal, but dangerous for both vehicular and pedestrian traffic. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Asheville?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Asheville</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AVL?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AVL</a> <a href="https://t.co/trUhMnnomx">pic.twitter.com/trUhMnnomx</a>
&mdash; Asheville Police (@AshevillePolice) <a href="https://twitter.com/AshevillePolice/status/1271855366192717825?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 13, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Portland protesters received the same treatment. Cops dismantled the &#8220;autonomous zone&#8221; almost as quickly as it was erected.
&#8220;Portland protesters attempting to establish an &#8216;autonomous zone&#8217; similar to the one in Seattle abandoned it shortly after erecting it,&#8221; the Washington Examiner wrote late last week.
&#8220;Footage from Wednesday night shows hundreds of rioters in the city erecting a makeshift fence to cordon off an area,&#8221; the outlet reported. After a clash with law enforcement, though, protesters gave up. &#8220;By early Thursday morning, protesters had dispersed, according to police.&#8221;
Chicago&#8217;s tiny &#8220;autonomous zone&#8221; is hanging on, but probably not for long. The &#8220;occupation&#8221; is of a single building on the University of Chicago&#8217;s campus &#8212; the headquarters of UChicago&#8217;s campus police department &#8212; and it is quickly running out of resources after law enforcement officials, who are still in charge of their own offices, refused to allow the interlopers to use their bathrooms or have outside food delivered.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
University of Chicago police are blocking the doors, preventing us from getting access to food, water, &amp; bathroom breaks during our peaceful sit in. Folk bought pizza and we can&#39;t get it. Call 773-702-8181 and DEMAND that they stop blocking the doors. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeKeepUsSafe?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeKeepUsSafe</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HydePark?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HydePark</a> <a href="https://t.co/h8Mxkg8BjR">pic.twitter.com/h8Mxkg8BjR</a>
&mdash; Abolition is a Presence Asha AE 🌊 (@Asha_2A) <a href="https://twitter.com/Asha_2A/status/1271583198426906625?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 12, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
To be clear, the graduate students are occupying the police department&#8217;s building &#8212; they are not outside &#8212; and did not come prepared for a long-term engagement. Forced to tangle with cops who weren&#8217;t willing to allow the protesters to use their facilities, they resorted to defecating in a designated location within the building.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Protesters inside and around a new “autonomous zone” at the University of Chicago Police Department are urinating and defecating inside a tent in the room. <a href="https://t.co/QzZICTiKlA">pic.twitter.com/QzZICTiKlA</a>
&mdash; Andy Ngô (@MrAndyNgo) <a href="https://twitter.com/MrAndyNgo/status/1271717586523131904?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 13, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
In Seattle, the &#8220;autonomous zone&#8221; experiment goes on, supported by city officials who deemed the protest a &#8220;summer of love.&#8221;
The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

seattle CHAZ

Protesters In Asheville, Portland, Nashville, And Chicago Try To Create Autonomous Zones. Police Aren’t Having It.

CHAZ

Portland

Seattle

A Cook County judge ruled Friday that former “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett’s disorderly conduct charges would not be dropped as they did not violate his constitutional protection against double jeopardy, arguing the charges dropped against him last year were invalid due to misconduct by the Cook County State’s Attorney office.
Smollett was indicted earlier this year on new charges stemming from his claims in January 2019 that he had been attacked by two racist white men in Chicago on a frigid night who yelled homophobic and racial epithets at him. He claimed they poured a bleach-like substance on him and tied a noose around his neck, which he continued to wear until he was interviewed by police about the incident later. After a national outcry despite the obvious issues with his story, a police investigation discovered that Smollett made up the claim and allegedly hired two brothers from Nigeria to attack him while wearing red hats he later claimed were “Make America Great Again” hats from President Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign.
Smollett was arrested and Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx recused herself after it came to light that she had agreed to help Smollett. She then appointed one of her deputies to run the case, but this was determined by a different judge to be invalid. Judge Michael Toomin <a href="https://chicago.cbslocal.com/2019/08/23/jussie-smollett-dan-webb-special-prosecutor-judge-michael-toomin/">ruled</a> in 2019 that Foxx could not appoint someone to take over the case for her and therefore every decision made after the deputy’s appointment was invalid, including the charges, indictment, and dismissal of the case.
Foxx’s office dropped the charges against Smollett and said he had been punished by forfeiting his $10,000 bond and performing 16 hours of community service.
CBS Chicago <a href="https://chicago.cbslocal.com/2020/06/12/judge-denies-jussie-smollets-request-to-toss-new-disorderly-conduct-charges/">reported</a> that Judge James Lin ruled that since “Smollett’s original case never went to trial, and was dismissed without a guilty plea, the fine and community service do not count as punishment.” Lin also ruled “the original case against Smollett was void,” the outlet reported.
“Special Prosecutor Dan Webb, whom Toomin appointed to re-investigate the entire case, later sought an indictment against Smollett, and a grand jury approved six counts of disorderly conduct against Smollett,” CBS Chicago reported.
Smollett has pleaded not guilty and still claims he was actually attacked by racists in the overwhelmingly liberal city of Chicago around 2 a.m. during a polar vortex. These supposed racists just happened to be roaming the streets at that time with rope and bleach and also apparently knew who Smollett was.
As The Daily Wire’s James Barrett recently <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/jussie-smollett-cites-george-floyd-protests-in-legal-battle-with-chicago">reported</a>, Smollett has now tried to use the police-involved death of Minneapolis man George Floyd in his defense.
“As we see millions across the country rise up to protest and expose police misconduct, the City, by its refusal to produce the requested documents, is choosing to actively resist a citizen’s lawful efforts to reveal dishonesty, directly relating to the charges against him, throughout the department, including the police superintendent who oversaw and publicly commented on the investigation of Mr. Smollett’s report of a vicious hate crime and assault,” Smollett’s attorneys wrote in a court filing. “Indeed, the city’s opposition to the motion to compel puts the cart before the horse and largely fails to appreciate that this case remains in the discovery phase. Allegations are not proven facts, but the City improperly assumes that it has already proven that Mr. Smollett made false statements to the CPD.”
The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

Jussie Smollett Loses Bid To Have Disorderly Conduct Charges Dropped

Chicago mayor Lori Lightfoot blasted an unnamed city council member for &#8220;illegally&#8221; recording a phone call between the mayor and a number of the city&#8217;s aldermen over ongoing riots and unrest that destroyed hundreds of Chicago businesses and left some of the city&#8217;s wards helpless.
The mayor and Alderman Raymond Lopez, who represents areas on the city&#8217;s south and near west sides, got into a profane exchange of words on the call, with Lopez accusing Lightfoot of using police resources to protect downtown stores from looting while leaving poorer and residential neighborhoods to fend for themselves, <a href="https://chicago.cbslocal.com/2020/06/10/mayor-lori-lightfoot-lashes-out-at-alderman-for-illegally-recording-call-leaking-profane-argument-over-looting/">according to local media</a>.
<blockquote>“It’s not something you ignore. This is a question that I have,” Lopez said.
That’s when the call turned profane.
“I think you’re 100% full of s***, is what I think,” Lightfoot said.
Lopez was infuriated.
“F*** you, then. Who are you to tell me I’m full of s***?” he said. “Maybe you should come out and see what’s going on.”</blockquote>
The whole call was emotional, with some south and west side aldermen begging Lightfoot for increased help. Some of the aldermen were openly weeping on the call, telling the mayor that the situation was now beyond control.
Lightfoot was similarly concerned, telling the city council members that she&#8217;d never seen a situation this dire in the city of Chicago.
The mayor has been defending her exchange of words with Lopez, but late Wednesday tried a different tactic: calling the recording, and its subsequent leak to media, illegal according to <a href="https://chicago.cbslocal.com/2020/06/10/mayor-lori-lightfoot-lashes-out-at-alderman-for-illegally-recording-call-leaking-profane-argument-over-looting/">Chicago&#8217;s CBS affiliate</a>.
“There were a lot of incredible emotions that were shared in that call by fellow aldermen, now all of whom don’t feel secure or safe coming together with their colleagues, because of one individual who decided to illegally tape a conversation that was intended to be a private conversation among all of us,” Lightfoot said at a press conference.
She also implied that Lopez, with whom Lightfoot has an ongoing, often acrimonious rivalry, was responsible for leaking the call.
“One of the aldermen, and I think we know who it is, illegally taped and then shared only that portion of the conversation that served his purposes,” she said.  “Shame on him. Shame on him. That’s what I say.”
Lopez addressed the allegation in an email to Chicago media but stopped short of denying that he leaked the call: &#8220;The Zoom meetings invite 51 elected officials and nearly a dozen staff, yet Lightfoot’s anger is once again directed solely at me because I refuse to accept her failures. Furthermore, I do not believe her anger and outrage over these leaks has nothing to do with my colleagues. It has to do with her inability to spin the narrative in a way that benefits her,”
Lightfoot is under siege from all sides as the city digests the aftermath of mass protests, inspired by the death of George Floyd, and subsequent, organized riots and looting that used the protests as cover for violent behavior. In addition to accusations that she did little to help Chicago residents affected by the riots, Chicago&#8217;s anti-racism protesters are demanding Lightfoot &#8220;defund&#8221; the Chicago Police Department &#8212; an impossibility given public sector employee protections outlined in Illinois&#8217; constitution.
The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.
&nbsp;

chicago pd

Chicago Mayor Blasts City Council For Illegally Recording Profane Phone Call About Riots

George Floyd

protests

Riots

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot and her longtime political rival, Ald. Raymond Lopez, squared off on a profanity-laced phone call Sunday, over the city&#8217;s lack of a strong response to rioting and looting happening on Chicago&#8217;s south and west sides.
Chicago is still recovering from more than a week of anti-racism protests, many of which turned into riots and gave way to looting, particularly in low-income areas of the city. The south and west sides were hit hardest, and many of Chicago&#8217;s residents taking it upon themselves to join with the limited number of police assigned to patrol those areas to repel an invasion of looters.
Ald. Raymond Lopez of the city&#8217;s 15th ward, which encompasses areas of the city&#8217;s south and west sides, took it upon himself to voice the area&#8217;s concerns with Lightfoot in a conference call between the mayor and city council on Sunday, leading to an intense confrontation, according to a recording of the call <a href="https://chicago.cbslocal.com/2020/06/08/mayor-lori-lightfoot-and-ald-raymond-lopez-have-foul-mouthed-argument-over-looting-youre-100-full-of-s-mayor-says/">sent to Chicago&#8217;s CBS2 News</a>.
&#8220;During a conference call with all 50 aldermen on May 31 to discuss the city’s response to the looting, Lopez accused the mayor of being unprepared when looting spread from downtown to the neighborhoods that weekend,&#8221; CBS2 reported.
“When downtown is in lockdown, our neighborhoods are next, and our failure to fully get ready for what’s going on in the neighborhoods, we’re seeing this destruction, and we’re thinking that it’s going to somehow end tonight,&#8221; Lopez railed at the mayor. &#8220;We have seen where, in other cities, this has gone on for days; and we need to come up with a better plan for days, at least for the next five days, to try and stabilize our communities.&#8221;
Lopez added that parts of the city had become “a virtual warzone.”
Chicago was handling multiple issues on several fronts, not simply ongoing looting, but a burgeoning conflict between communities in some of its neighborhoods, with residents joining with police to protect local businesses. As noted by <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/six-days-after-floyds-death-chicago-suffers-most-violent-day-since-1961">The Daily Wire earlier Tuesday</a>, with most police officers deployed to keep the peace at thousand-person marches, the city suffered its most violent day in 60 years on Sunday, with 18 people killed in less than 24 hours.
“We can’t expect our police, and I don’t fault them at all, to be able to control this,” Lopez told the mayor on the phone call. “Half our neighborhoods are already obliterated. It’s too late.”
“Once they’re done looting and rioting and whatever’s going to happen tonight, God help us, what happens when they start going after residents? Going into the neighborhoods? Once they start trying to break down people’s doors, if they think they’ve got something,” he added.
Lopez then specifically referenced the problem of gangs running wild as police handled matters downtown.
“We know that people are here to antagonize and incite, and you’ve got them all pumped tonight, today,&#8221; he said. &#8220;They’re not going to go to bed at 8 o’clock. They’re going to turn their focus on the neighborhoods. I’ve got gang-bangers with AK-47s walking around right now, just waiting to settle some scores. What are we going to do, and what do we tell residents, other than good faith people stand up? It’s not going to be enough.&#8221;
Lightfoot, who was one of the first mayors in the country to request assistance from the state&#8217;s National Guard, was having none of it. After trying to move on to another alderman, Lightfoot shot back at Lopez.
“I think you’re 100% full of s***, is what I think,” she said.
That started a waterfall of profanity.
“Well, f&#8211;k you then,” Lopez replied. “Mayor you need to check your f&#8212;&#8211;g attitude.&#8221;
Lopez and Lightfoot have a feud going back nearly a year, explaining the confrontational moment. The <a href="https://www.chicagotribune.com/politics/ct-chicago-alderman-raymond-lopez-profile-20200102-ofsirjdq2vbhhctja2hxwpy3uq-story.html">Chicago Tribune</a> has been cataloging the pair&#8217;s rivalry for months, as the city struggled through first the coronavirus pandemic and now widespread violence.
But although Lopez commanded much of the call, he was not alone in thinking that the city could do more to help quell the violence in areas outside of downtown and major tourist attractions, like the &#8220;Magnificent Mile,&#8221; the city&#8217;s high-end shopping district.
“My ward is a s&#8211;t show,” said one city council member, adding that cop cars were being burned in her ward, per <a href="https://news.wttw.com/2020/06/05/what-are-we-going-have-left-our-community-aldermen-react-panic-sorrow-unrest">WTTW Chicago</a>. “They are shooting at the police. I have never seen the likes of this. I’m scared.”
“I’ve worked really hard over the last seven years and now I feel like I am five feet back,” said another.
“I feel like I am at ground zero,” added yet another. “My major business district is shattered. Why would Walmart or CVS come back to our communities?”
“We’ve been working our a&#8211; off,” Lightfoot responded. “It is all over the city.” She went on to note that she believed the unrest was instigated by &#8220;anarchists&#8221; and that the National Guard was necessary to protect the city&#8217;s business districts, as was shutting down public transportation &#8212; a move Lightfoot said she made after rioters tried to commandeer city busses.
“I don’t know about you, but I haven’t seen s&#8211;t like this before, not in Chicago,” she said.
The call, which was supposed to place the mayor and city council on the same page, ended with the mayor pleading with her alderman to “pray for us all.”
The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

Chicago Mayor, Aldermen Square Off In Shocking, Profanity-Laced Phone Call Over Looting

In a new legal filing, former &#8220;Empire&#8221; star Jussie Smollett&#8217;s attorneys attempted to connect his ongoing legal battle with the City of Chicago to the protests sweeping the nation after the death of George Floyd.
In the filing, first reported by <a href="https://www.tmz.com/2020/06/08/jussie-smollett-protests-city-of-chicago-case-police-misconduct/">TMZ</a> and since published <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8400205/Jussie-Smollett-invokes-George-Floyd-protests-ongoing-legal-battle-Chicago.html">online</a>, Smollett&#8217;s lawyers try to use the protests against police, which have increasingly taken the form of the radical &#8220;Defund The Police&#8221; movement, to the embattled actor&#8217;s advantage. The city is suing Smollett for $130,000 for resources officials say were wasted on investigating Smollett&#8217;s claim that he was the victim of a violent attack by two white racists and homophobes, which investigators determined was allegedly a hate crime hoax &#8220;coordinated&#8221; by Smollett himself.
Smollett is attempting to obtain documents about the firing of Chicago Police Department Superintendent Eddie Johnson, who was superintendent during Smollett&#8217;s explosive investigation. Johnson&#8217;s subsequent firing, Smollett&#8217;s legal team insists, is relevant to his case. The city says Johnson&#8217;s termination has nothing to do with whether or not Smollett lied to police about the supposed hate crime against him.
In the filing submitted on June 6, Smollett&#8217;s attorneys specifically invoke the Floyd protests in making their case that Smollett should be given access to police documents.
&#8220;As we see millions across the country rise up to protest and expose police misconduct, the City, by its refusal to produce the requested documents, is choosing to actively resist a citizen’s lawful efforts to reveal dishonesty, directly relating to the charges against him, throughout the department, including the police superintendent who oversaw and publicly commented on the investigation of Mr. Smollett’s report of a vicious hate crime and assault,&#8221; the filing&#8217;s introduction reads. &#8220;Indeed, the city&#8217;s opposition to the motion to compel puts the cart before the horse and largely fails to appreciate that this case remains in the discovery phase. Allegations are not proven facts, but the City improperly assumes that it has already proven that Mr. Smollett made false statements to the CPD.&#8221;
Johnson was fired by Mayor Lori Lightfoot in December 2019 after allegedly lying to her about an incident involving him being found &#8220;<a class=" vilynx_listened" href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/chicago-police-superintendent-had-been-drinking-he-was-found-asleep-n1068986" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">asleep behind the wheel of his car</a>&#8221; on October 17. &#8220;Eddie Johnson intentionally lied to me several times even when I challenged him about the narrative that he shared with me,&#8221; <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/chicago-police-chief-eddie-johnson-fired-after-series-ethical-lapses-n1094301">said</a> Mayor Lightfoot. &#8220;He maintained that he was telling the truth. I now know definitively that he was not.&#8221;
Despite Johnson&#8217;s firing having nothing to do with the Smollett case, the disgraced star&#8217;s legal team argues in the filing that the &#8220;[d]ocuments from Johnson’s termination may lead to evidence of Johnson’s lack of truthfulness during the early 2019 investigation of Mr. Smollett’s report of being assaulted and subsequent decision by the City to pursue a civil claim against Mr. Smollett knowing Mr. Smollett’s innocence.&#8221;
After Smollett&#8217;s initial multi-count indictment was infamously dropped by Cook County State&#8217;s Attorney Kim Foxx with little explanation, a special prosecutor was appointed, and, in February, a grand jury slapped Smollett with a new 6-count charge for making false reports to police.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/six-days-after-floyds-death-chicago-suffers-most-violent-day-since-1961">Six Days After Floyd’s Death, Chicago Suffers Most Violent Day Since 1961</a>
The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

Actor Jussie Smollett Returns To Court After New Grand Jury Indictment

Jussie Smollett Finds Way To Work George Floyd Protests Into Legal Battle With Chicago

As the far-left &#8220;Defund The Police&#8221; movement gains momentum across the country sparked by the death of George Floyd, a new report details a grim record set in Chicago six days after Floyd&#8217;s racially charged death. On Sunday May 31, the Windy City suffered its most violent day in nearly six decades in what was, as one crime lab researcher put it, &#8220;beyond anything that we’ve ever seen before.&#8221;
In a report published Monday, the <a href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/crime/2020/6/8/21281998/chicago-violence-murder-history-homicide-police-crime">Chicago Sun-Times</a> provides a heart-wrenching look &#8220;inside the most violent day in 60 years in Chicago,&#8221; in which 18 people were killed in the city within 24 hours. That devastating number is nearly 50% higher than the previous high: 13 people killed on August 4, 1991.
&#8220;While Chicago was roiled by another day of protests and looting in the wake of George Floyd’s murder, 18 people were killed Sunday, May 31, making it the single most violent day in Chicago in six decades, according to the University of Chicago Crime Lab,&#8221; the paper reports, noting that the crime lab’s data &#8220;doesn’t go back further than 1961.&#8221;
Over that weekend, as protests and riots drained police resources, a total of 25 people were killed in the city and another 85 wounded by gunfire, the Sun-Times reports. &#8220;In a city with an international reputation for crime — where 900 murders per year were common in the early 1990s — it was the most violent weekend in Chicago’s modern history, stretching police resources that were already thin because of protests and looting.&#8221;
Among those killed on Sunday were a &#8220;hardworking father,&#8221; a &#8220;West Side high school student,&#8221; a &#8220;man killed amid South Side looting at a cellphone store,&#8221; and a &#8220;college freshman who hoped to become a correctional officer,&#8221; the Sun-Times reveals.
&#8220;I don’t even know how to put it into context,&#8221; said University of Chicago Crime Lab Senior Research Director Max Kapustin. &#8220;It’s beyond anything that we’ve ever seen before.&#8221;
The Sun-Times cites prominent Chicago gun violence activist Rev. Michael Pfleger, who made a point of noting the role the lack of police presence played over that deadly weekend.
&#8220;On Saturday and particularly Sunday, I heard people saying all over, ‘Hey, there’s no police anywhere, police ain’t doing nothing,’” he said. “I sat and watched a store looted for over an hour. No police came. I got in my car and drove around to some other places getting looted [and] didn’t see police anywhere.&#8221; (<a href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/crime/2020/6/8/21281998/chicago-violence-murder-history-homicide-police-crime">Read the full report here</a>.)
The report comes as the radical &#8220;Defund The Police&#8221; movement gains momentum among activists and progressive officials. In a move that has made national headlines, the Minneapolis City Council voted last week in a &#8220;<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/minneapolis-mayor-jacob-frey-rejects-push-to-defund-police-despite-city-council-vote">veto-proof</a>&#8221; majority to &#8220;dismantle&#8221; the police department and replace it with a &#8220;transformative new model of public safety.&#8221;
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/top-l-a-democrat-pushed-to-cut-lapd-funding-while-having-private-lapd-detail-at-her-home-since-april">Top L.A. Democrat Pushed To Cut LAPD Funding While Having Private LAPD Detail At Her Home Since April</a>
The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

Chicago Protest

Six Days After Floyd’s Death, Chicago Suffers Most Violent Day Since 1961

Defund The Police

Law Enforcement

Chicago’s South Side already struggled with food deserts, but looters and rioters just made the problem worse for its low-income residents.
Food deserts are urban areas where it is difficult for residents to find affordable or fresh, quality foods. Violence in the area over the weekend has exacerbated the problem, as looters cleaned out grocery stores, CBS 2 <a href="https://chicago.cbslocal.com/2020/06/03/chicagos-south-side-left-with-few-food-options-after-weekend-violence/">reported</a>.
One of the stores that was looted over the weekend was the Jewel-Osco on 75th. William Wright, a resident of the area, showed frustration over the damage done to the store.
“It’s kind of a sad thing to think about,” he said. “I take my grandma here every Sunday.”
“It’s not what you do. It’s how do you do it,” Wright added. “What did we accomplish, aside from take our property value down and embarrass ourselves?”
The store was “ravaged by looters,” CBS reported, according to video that captured the aftermath of the riots.
Now residents like Wright will have to find somewhere else to get groceries, though it will be difficult since many don’t know what stores haven’t been looted already.
More from CBS:
<blockquote>Chicago now has food deserts in places that weren’t food deserts before.
“Bronzeville Mariano’s was looted, the Walmart on 47th was looted. Jewel,” said activist William Calloway.
And the food deserts that were there before are worse now.
“Now you have to go out of your way to get this stuff,” said activist Emir Lions. “People that don’t have a car. People that do not have family and friends.”
“Some seniors can’t travel,” added Calloway.
Instead, CBS 2 saw seniors taking buses, walking miles with only what their hands could carry. Calloway said neighborhoods without access to pharmacies or grocery stores could get worse if the city doesn’t find solutions soon.</blockquote>
Calloway also told the outlet that having “people that are hungry, that are quite angry already, that could escalate to something more disastrous.”
Lions added that the “looting and the rioting has nothing to do with the protest, but the rage and despair is what we need to start paying attention to,” because “if you don’t it’s going to continue.”
CBS reported that some fear these stores won’t be able to reopen after the looting and riots.
The violence comes as cities across the country descend into chaos following the police-involved death of George Floyd on May 25. Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin held his knee on Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes. Floyd was taken to a hospital and pronounced dead. Chauvin was arrested and charged with murder and manslaughter within days of Floyd’s death, but riots still broke out as thousands claim mass systemic justice in America. While there are some legitimate protesters, the demonstrations quickly devolved into violence and looting, with shops in major cities getting their windows smashed and buildings and cars getting set on fire.
The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

George Floyd Protests

Looters Clear Out Groceries In Chicago’s South Side, Leaving Residents With Little Food

Federal officials say they&#8217;ve arrested a Galesburg, Illinois, man whom they say traveled from his home to both Minneapolis, Minnesota, and Chicago, Illinois, to hand out explosives and incite riots.
Matthew Rupert was arrested by the Chicago Police Department on Sunday after breaking the city&#8217;s curfew. and when police searched his car, they found evidence of explosives and other incendiary devices. An eventual search of his Facebook page yielded a number of videos, which Rupert had set to &#8220;public,&#8221; showing Rupert encouraging rioters to burn buildings and attack police officers, <a href="https://chicago.cbslocal.com/2020/06/01/matthew-lee-rupert-charged-with-rioting/">according to CBS News Chicago</a>.
Rupert was charged &#8220;with civil disorder, carrying on a riot and possession of unregistered destructive devices, according to a federal complaint filed Monday in the U.S. District Court in Minnesota,&#8221; <a href="https://news.wttw.com/2020/06/01/illinois-man-charged-taking-explosives-chicago-minneapolis-protests">WTTW Chicago reported</a> Monday. The complaint says that Rupert &#8220;posted a message on Facebook last week saying that he was intending to travel to the Twin Cities to take part in the protests following the police killing of George Floyd. He indicated he was looking for &#8216;goons&#8217; to join him and was booking hotel rooms.&#8221;
On Friday, the complaint says, Rupert posted a &#8220;two-hour Facebook live&#8221; video in which he showed himself handing out explosive devices to other protesters in Minneapolis and directing them to throw the devices at cops trying to keep the peace.
“They got SWAT trucks up there. I’ve got some bombs if some of you all want to throw them back&#8230;bomb them back,” Rupert says on the video, per the complaint. “Light that b***h and throw it at them.”
He then congratulates another rioter for a direct hit: “He’s throwing my bombs,&#8221; Rupert allegedly says. “Good shot my boy.”
Officials say Rupert is responsible for firebombing at least one Sprint store and looting an Office Depot.
After he was finished in Minneapolis, Rupert allegedly hit Chicago on his way back to his Galesburg home.
&#8220;On Saturday, Rupert posted on Facebook that he was traveling to Chicago to &#8216;loot until 2:30,&#8217; according to the complaint. Early Sunday morning, he posted more videos showing him in Chicago, saying, &#8216;Let’s start a riot&#8217; and &#8216;I am going to do some damage,&#8217;” per CBS.
The complaint then alleges that Rupert was &#8220;seen on video&#8221; in downtown Chicago around midnight looting a local convenience store. He was eventually arrested around 2 am &#8220;for violating Chicago’s emergency curfew order. Law enforcement officers searched Rupert’s vehicle and recovered several destructive devices, a hammer, a heavy-duty flashlight, and cash.&#8221;
Rupert was arraigned on Monday in Chicago and ordered back to Minneapolis.
Several city officials in both Chicago and Minneapolis have alleged that out-of-state rabble-rousers are undermining peaceful protests calling attention to the death of George Floyd by encouraging looting and rioting.
On Sunday, Minneapolis officials admitted that outside groups had likely been supplying rioters in the city with explosives and other incendiary devices. Chicago&#8217;s mayor, Lori Lightfoot, said, over the weekend, that Chicago had alerted Federal agencies, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, of problem groups operating within the city.
The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

Minneapolis

Federal Officials Arrest Illinois Man Accused Of Distributing Explosives, Inciting Riots In Chicago And Minneapolis

Chicago, Illinois, had its deadliest weekend of violence of 2020, with dozens shot and nearly 20 individuals killed, as police tangled with rioters and looters near downtown.
According to <a href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/2020/6/1/21275944/chicago-weekend-shootings-most-violent-weekend-2020-may-29-june-1">the Chicago Sun-Times</a>, &#8220;nineteen people were killed and at least 63 others were wounded by gun violence,&#8221; most on Sunday, following more than 24 hours of protests, riots, and looting concentrated mostly in the city&#8217;s central business district, the tony neighborhoods and tourist areas located immediately north of downtown.
Of the 19 homicides, the Sun-Times says, 17 occurred on Sunday, as police officers were deployed into other areas, leaving many of the city&#8217;s most dangerous neighborhoods with little oversight or law enforcement control.
Saturday, the shootings were clustered in and around downtown, some just off the city&#8217;s famed high-end retail district, the &#8220;Magnificent Mile,&#8221; amid the protests and looting.
&#8220;Six people were shot downtown, one of them fatally, amid protests Saturday in the wake of the Minneapolis police killing of George Floyd,&#8221; the Sun-Times reported separately, over the weekend.
Chicago, of course, saw some of the most violent and destructive protests to take place all weekend, even as cities across the country erupted in unrest following days of protests demanding justice for George Floyd, who died at the hands of Minneapolis, Minnesota, police officers last week and whose death was captured on a viral video. All four officers involved in that incident have been fired and one, the officer who appeared to cause Floyd&#8217;s death by kneeling on his neck for more than eight minutes, has been arrested and charged with third-degree murder.
&#8220;Chicago Police Superintendent David Brown said 699 people were arrested Sunday, primarily for looting. Superintendent Brown also said 132 Chicago police officers were injured,&#8221; Chicago&#8217;s local ABC News affiliate reported Monday. &#8220;On Sunday, Mayor Lori Lightfoot said the city&#8217;s 911 center processed more than 65,000 calls over a 24 hour period, about 50,000 more calls than on a typical day.&#8221;
Hundreds of stores and businesses were looted over the weekend, as well. On Saturday, thieves focused on the downtown area, but on Sunday, with downtown largely closed off to travel and public transportation rerouted around Chicago&#8217;s central business district, looters focused on the city&#8217;s south and west sides and, in rare cases, hit shops and malls in the Chicago suburbs, <a href="https://wgntv.com/news/george-floyd/looting-moves-into-chicagos-wicker-park-targeting-businesses/">per WGN</a>.
Several stores on the city&#8217;s south side were looted several times over the course of the weekend.
In a press conference on Sunday, Chicago mayor Lori Lightfoot said that she&#8217;d requested assistance from at least three federal agencies, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, in helping to investigate reports of &#8220;organized&#8221; criminal behavior and individuals traveling to Chicago from out of state to participate in riots.
On Monday, the <a href="https://twitter.com/jmetr22b/status/1267540133806575616">Chicago Police Department and federal prosecutors announced</a> that they&#8217;d arrested at least one individual on charges of crossing state lines to incite violence. Matthew Rupert, officials say, took part in riots and looting in both Minneapolis and Chicago and allegedly documented his work in public videos posted to his social media profiles.
The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

Chicago Has Deadliest Weekend Of The Year Amid Riots, Looting

At least one big-city mayor is now calling on the federal government to investigate what appears to be an &#8220;organized&#8221; effort to foment unrest and engage in rioting, as security experts in other cities discover evidence that many of the weekend&#8217;s violent incidents may have been pre-planned and coordinated.
In Chicago, mayor Lori Lightfoot told media Sunday that she believes there is &#8220;strong evidence&#8221; of an organized effort to use the weekend&#8217;s anti-police brutality protests as a cover for violence, <a href="https://www.chicagobusiness.com/greg-hinz-politics/there-no-doubt-was-organized-effort">Crain&#8217;s Chicago Business reports</a>, and said the city is speaking with at least three Federal agencies about a possible joint investigation.
&#8220;Speaking at an afternoon news conference today with other officials, Lightfoot didn’t say whether the groups are out-of-state left-wing anti-fascist organizations generally known as Antifa, right-wing agitators, local street gangs or something else. She said she’s asked three federal agencies—the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms &amp; Explosives, and the U.S. Attorney’s office—for help, with a focus on AFT’s bomb and arson unit,&#8221; the outlet reported late Sunday.
“There is no doubt. This was an organized effort last night,” Lightfoot said in a weekend press conference, referring to Friday&#8217;s unrest. “There were clearly efforts to subvert the peaceful process and make it into something violent.”
“There’s no question that both the people who were fighting and brought the weapons, that was absolutely organized and choreographed,” Lightfoot went on. “It seems also clear that the fires that were set, both of the vehicles and buildings, that that was organized and that was opportunistic, as well as the looting.”
Lightfoot, Crain&#8217;s says, did not mention any specific incidents but appeared to refer to at least one instance where looters drove a U-Haul vehicle into high-end stores located adjacent to the city&#8217;s &#8220;Magnificent Mile&#8221; shopping district and to what appeared to be the fire-bombing of a camera shop on the city&#8217;s near north side.
In New York, terrorism task force officials told an NBC affiliate that there were &#8220;strong indicators&#8221; that rioters &#8220;planned for violence in advance using at times encrypted communications.&#8221;
&#8220;Deputy Commissioner for Intelligence and Counterterrorism John Miller said there is a high level of confidence within the NYPD that these unnamed groups had organized scouts, medics, and supply routes of rocks, bottles, and accelerants for breakaway groups to commit vandalism and violence,&#8221; <a href="https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/nypds-terrorism-chief-says-unnamed-groups-planned-protest-violence-in-advance/2440722/?_osource=SocialFlowTwt_NYBrand">NBC News New York reported Sunday</a>.
Although NYC officials have not named any particular groups they believe are associated with violence, Miller referred to &#8220;anarchists&#8221; in his briefing.
&#8220;Before the protests began, organizers of certain anarchists groups set out to raise bail money and people who would be responsible to be raising bail money, they set out to recruit medics and medical teams with gear to deploy in anticipation of violent interactions with police,&#8221; Miller said, per NBC New York. &#8220;They prepared to commit property damage and directed people who were following them that this should be done selectively and only in wealthier areas or at high-end stores run by corporate entities.&#8221;
Rioters &#8220;developed a complex network of bicycle scouts to move ahead of demonstrators in different directions of where police were and where police were not for purposes of being able to direct groups from the larger group to places where they could commit acts of vandalism including the torching of police vehicles and Molotov cocktails where they thought officers would not be,&#8221; according to Miller.
At least four people were arrested for throwing Molotov cocktails into police vehicles over the weekend in NYC. Officials, including Mayor Bill de Blasio, have promised to make information about the weekend&#8217;s violence available Monday.
In Minnesota, officials, speaking at a press conference Sunday, said that they&#8217;d intercepted several vehicles carrying &#8220;flammable materials&#8221; as well as &#8220;looted goods and weapons,&#8221; according to the <a href="https://www.startribune.com/police-arrest-150-driver-who-barreled-into-crowd-held/570908442/?refresh=true">Minneapolis Star-Tribune</a>. Officials also reported that law enforcement found &#8220;caches&#8221; of materials that appear to have been left for rioters to use.
&#8220;Earlier Sunday, state officials said several caches of flammable materials were found both in neighborhoods where there have already been fires and &#8216;in cars we’ve stopped as recently as this morning,&#8217;” according to a public safety commissioner. &#8220;Some of the caches look like they may have been planted days ago and some only in the last 24 hours or so, he said.&#8221;
President Donald Trump said, on Sunday, that he plans to declare the loosely affiliated anarchist group, Antifa, as a &#8220;domestic terrorist&#8221; organization, but details of that declaration are not yet clear.
The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

NYC protests

Minnesota, New York Officials Say Evidence Shows Weekend Riots Were Planned, Chicago Demands Fed Investigation Into ‘Organized’ Violence

Antifa

New York

The pastor of a Chicago church said multiple police cars and a government representative showed up at his church on Sunday demanding services end.
Pastor Courtney Lewis of Cornerstone Baptist Church <a href="https://www.toddstarnes.com/faith/chicago-mayor-sends-armed-police-to-shut-down-black-baptist-church/?utm_source=facebook&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_campaign=social-pug&amp;fbclid=IwAR3iEYuSY9Uo3arY99IufsGy2c95RjPzXFyxX0NfOm2fFFzL_7zFNkAn7bw">told</a> Todd Starnes on his eponymous radio show that he was in the middle of church services when someone began to bang loudly on the front doors. Outside, he said, were three police cars, two unmarked cars, and a representative from Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s office. Lewis told Starnes it was “like the Soviet-style KGB.”
“The only thing she hasn’t done yet is beat the doors down and arrest our members,” Lewis added.
The pastor went on to say that church members were told it was protocol not to open the doors and that police were denied entry. “Thankfully our doors were locked as a normal safety precaution we take each service to protect our members from the escalating gun violence in Chicago,” Lewis told Starnes.
An usher outside the church reportedly saw the mayor’s representative try to force their way into the building. They didn’t get in but began taking pictures outside. Someone in one of the unmarked cars allegedly began filming and taking pictures of attendees arriving for services.
“The mayor wants to educate everyone into compliance – which means intimidate,” Lewis said.
After the incident, Lewis wrote <a href="https://www.toddstarnes.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Letter-of-Grievance.pdf">a letter</a> to U.S. Attorney John Lausch to complain about what happened and ask for assistance, saying Lightfoot “is defiant of the U.S. Constitution and our freedom to worship” and “has a history of defying the law.”
“She is one of few former US Prosecutors in the US to be censured by the 7th Circuit Judge Rovner and the entire 7th Circuit Court of Appeals for defying their order,” he noted.
Lewis then outlined how his church “has gone out of its way to follow CDC Guidelines,” including “having online services, outdoor services, and practicing all social distancing requirements.”
“We are even taking members temperatures on the way in our church doors,” he added. “We are not allowing our elderly to attend services.”
He continued:
<blockquote>We are trying to follow the laws of man as much as reasonably possible but when the laws of man conflict with the laws of God I as a Pastor have a duty to follow the laws of God. We will not be intimidated by this overhanded government bully but we are requesting the assistance of our President and our justice department in correcting the grave miscarriage of the law. If it were not for a Chicago church practicing and reaching others I personally would be one of the people perpetuating the violence on the streets of Chicago as I grew up on the streets of Chicago until I was reached for Christ through a church meeting together not an online service.</blockquote>
The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

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Chicago

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot Blames Guns, Coronavirus For City’s Spike In Violence

Two More Childen Killed In Chicago Violence Spike, City Sees Two Mass Shootings In Under 24 Hours

Chicago Police Will Deploy 1,200 Extra Officers To Control Violence Over July 4th Weekend

Three Children, Including 1 Year Old, Killed In Chicago As Violence Spikes In City

Trump Shreds Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot In Letter Over Chicago Violence. Lightfoot Snaps On Twitter.

Key Witnesses In Jussie Smollett Case Reverse, Will Now Cooperate After ‘Intervention’ Of Prosecutor

Brothers Say They Won’t Testify Against Smollett Unless Police Meet Their Demands

Chicago’s Famed iO Improv School Will Shutter After Diversity Activsts Demand Costly Changes

104 Shot, 14 Killed In Chicago Weekend Violence; Other ‘Defund The Police’ Target Cities See Major Gun Crime Incidents

Protesters In Asheville, Portland, Nashville, And Chicago Try To Create Autonomous Zones. Police Aren’t Having It.

Jussie Smollett Loses Bid To Have Disorderly Conduct Charges Dropped

Chicago Mayor Blasts City Council For Illegally Recording Profane Phone Call About Riots

Chicago Mayor, Aldermen Square Off In Shocking, Profanity-Laced Phone Call Over Looting

Jussie Smollett Finds Way To Work George Floyd Protests Into Legal Battle With Chicago

Six Days After Floyd’s Death, Chicago Suffers Most Violent Day Since 1961

Looters Clear Out Groceries In Chicago’s South Side, Leaving Residents With Little Food

Federal Officials Arrest Illinois Man Accused Of Distributing Explosives, Inciting Riots In Chicago And Minneapolis

Chicago Has Deadliest Weekend Of The Year Amid Riots, Looting

Minnesota, New York Officials Say Evidence Shows Weekend Riots Were Planned, Chicago Demands Fed Investigation Into ‘Organized’ Violence

Chicago Police Bang On Church Doors To Stop Services, Film Everyone Who Arrived

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Chicago

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot Blames Guns, Coronavirus For City’s Spike In Violence

Two More Childen Killed In Chicago Violence Spike, City Sees Two Mass Shootings In Under 24 Hours

Chicago Police Will Deploy 1,200 Extra Officers To Control Violence Over July 4th Weekend

Three Children, Including 1 Year Old, Killed In Chicago As Violence Spikes In City

Trump Shreds Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot In Letter Over Chicago Violence. Lightfoot Snaps On Twitter.

Key Witnesses In Jussie Smollett Case Reverse, Will Now Cooperate After ‘Intervention’ Of Prosecutor

Brothers Say They Won’t Testify Against Smollett Unless Police Meet Their Demands

Chicago’s Famed iO Improv School Will Shutter After Diversity Activsts Demand Costly Changes

104 Shot, 14 Killed In Chicago Weekend Violence; Other ‘Defund The Police’ Target Cities See Major Gun Crime Incidents

Protesters In Asheville, Portland, Nashville, And Chicago Try To Create Autonomous Zones. Police Aren’t Having It.

Jussie Smollett Loses Bid To Have Disorderly Conduct Charges Dropped

Chicago Mayor Blasts City Council For Illegally Recording Profane Phone Call About Riots

Chicago Mayor, Aldermen Square Off In Shocking, Profanity-Laced Phone Call Over Looting

Jussie Smollett Finds Way To Work George Floyd Protests Into Legal Battle With Chicago

Six Days After Floyd’s Death, Chicago Suffers Most Violent Day Since 1961

Looters Clear Out Groceries In Chicago’s South Side, Leaving Residents With Little Food

Federal Officials Arrest Illinois Man Accused Of Distributing Explosives, Inciting Riots In Chicago And Minneapolis

Chicago Has Deadliest Weekend Of The Year Amid Riots, Looting

Minnesota, New York Officials Say Evidence Shows Weekend Riots Were Planned, Chicago Demands Fed Investigation Into ‘Organized’ Violence

Chicago Police Bang On Church Doors To Stop Services, Film Everyone Who Arrived

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