Rep. Peter King (R-NY) called out Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) on Tuesday for celebrating the New York congressman&#8217;s retirement announcement by making misleading statements about his record.
&#8220;Peter King is an Islamophobe who held McCarthyite hearings targeting American Muslims,&#8221; Omar tweeted after King&#8217;s resignation announcement. &#8220;[He] said &#8216;there are too many mosques in this country&#8217; and blamed Eric Garner for his own death at the hands of police. Good riddance.&#8221;
Omar, however, was seemingly referring to a congressional hearing that King held as the Chairman on the House Committee on Homeland Security in 2011. The hearing was orchestrated to try and get more information on the possible radicalization of some Muslims in the United States.
&#8220;My concern was that political correctness was getting in the way of counterterrorism and solid law enforcement,&#8221; King explained to Martha MaCcallum during an appearance on &#8220;The Story.&#8221; &#8220;When we went after the mafia we went into the Italian-American community. When we went after the Westies we went into the Irish-American community. The fact is that radical Islam extremists were in the Muslim community.&#8221;
&#8220;Maybe it&#8217;s 1%, less than 1% of the population, but we had a situation where it was considered politically incorrect to carry out ordinary surveillance and police all over the country were telling me that they were not getting the cooperation from within the Muslim community that was needed,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;People talk about this being an anti-Muslim hearing &#8212; the key witnesses there testifying for me, two of them were Muslims and the third was an African American whose son had converted to Islam and had been taken over to Somalia to fight with al-Shabaab &#8230; and when he came home he ended up killing American military.&#8221;
Omar, who is the first Somali-American in Congress as well as one of the first Muslim congresswomen, has been embroiled in allegations of being sympathetic to radical islamic terrorists.
Minneapolis&#8217; Somali community is often considered to be the terrorist recruitment capital of the United States. Minnesota&#8217;s 5th Congressional District that Omar represents is the jurisdiction with the highest rate of terrorism recruitment in the country over the past 12 years, according to FBI statistics.
Forty-five Somalis residing in America left the country to join either ISIS or the Somalia-based Muslim jihadi terrorist group al-Shabaab, reported <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/how-rep-ilhan-omars-minnesota-district-became-the-terrorist-recruitment-capital-of-the-us-officials-highly-concerned">Fox News</a> in February. That number far outpaces other areas where many Muslim refugees have been resettled within the U.S.
Omar notably wrote a letter to a judge in 2016 pleading for him to show &#8220;compassion&#8221; to nine men charged with plotting to join ISIS. In her official capacity as a Minnesota state legislator, Omar urged for lighter sentences as a &#8220;restorative approach to justice.&#8221;
She also received massive criticism after a video surfaced of the Somali-born congresswoman blaming the United States for a deadly attack in Kenya that killed nearly 70 people and wounded another 200. Only weeks after al-Shabaab stormed a shopping mall in Nairobi in 2013, Omar described the act of jihadist terrorism as a &#8220;reaction to our involvement in other people&#8217;s affairs.&#8221;
During the same interview, she mocked how Americans speak about other terrorist organizations al-Qaeda and Hezbollah and questioned why they don&#8217;t speak about &#8220;America&#8221; and &#8220;the army&#8221; in the same way.
King also shot down Omar&#8217;s claim that he previously said there are too many mosques.
&#8220;I never said that. I said there were too many mosques that were not cooperating with law enforcement,&#8221; King said. &#8220;And it was in her district that was seduced to go over to Somalia and was killed, and the good Muslims in that community were warned not to cooperate with law enforcement.&#8221;

President Trump Meets With House Republicans On Capitol Hill To Discuss Tax Reform Bill

Peter King Responds To Ilhan Omar After She Attacks Him As An &#8216;Islamophobe&#8217;

Ilhan Omar

New York

Former Acting Director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Tom Homan suggested on Monday that if he decides to run for political office in New York state, he would ultimately want to take on Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY).
&#8220;Let me just say this,&#8221; Homan told host Larry O&#8217;Connor during an episode of his &#8220;Examining Politics&#8221; podcast. &#8220;When I do return to New York and if Senator Gillibrand is still around, she won&#8217;t be around because I will take her on.&#8221;
Homan&#8217;s remarks were in response to O&#8217;Connor&#8217;s inquiry as to whether Homan would be interested in replacing Rep. Pete King (R-NY), who announce that after 14 terms in Congress he would not be seeking reelection when his current term expires.
Homan, who was born in New York, noted that he was not currently a resident of the Empire state, but will likely be when he retires, similar to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who previously held the United States Senate seat.
Gillibrand has been an outspoken opponent of the ICE and one of the first Democratic lawmakers to call for abolishing the immigration enforcement agency.
&#8220;I believe we need to protect families who need help, and ICE isn&#8217;t doing that,&#8221; the New York senator <a href="https://twitter.com/SenGillibrand/status/1012525052343017472?s=20">said in June 2018</a>. &#8220;It has become a deportation force. We need to separate immigration issues from criminal justice. We need to abolish ICE, start over and build something that actually works.&#8221;
Gillibrand received widespread backlash after she continued to promote ICE&#8217;s abolishment. She subsequently walked back some of her comments that she claimed were misconstrued. Gillibrand said that despite demanding that &#8220;we need to abolish ICE,&#8221; she stated in September 2018 that she believes America still needs an agency that will fulfill the goals that ICE was created to achieve.
Claiming that the agency has strayed from its intended duties, Gillibrand argued that ICE in its current form should be eliminated, but that a new agency should replace it that will execute the same mission of enforcing U.S. immigration laws and investigating criminal activity of foreign nationals residing within the country.
Homan has been a frequent witness in Congressional hearings where he has been known to get into fiery exchanges with House Democrats. After O&#8217;Connor asked whether he would be providing testimony at Capitol Hill anytime soon, Homan responded that he was scheduled to appear next week.
&#8220;The Democrats don&#8217;t want me up there but when they have these hearings and they want to attack the administration, they have to give the minority, the Republicans in the House, one witness,&#8221; Homan told O&#8217;Connor. &#8220;They&#8217;re quick to call me because I&#8217;ve done it for 34 years, I know the game, I&#8217;ve played it &#8230; if you say something that&#8217;s not right I&#8217;m going to speak up.&#8221;
Homan got into <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-former-ice-director-slams-progressive-lawmaker-for-pathetic-and-sad-dishonesty-in-fiery-exchange">a heated exchange</a> with some Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee in September after he slammed Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) and her Democratic colleagues for holding President Donald Trump and his administration to a different standard than they had for former President Barack Obama.
&#8220;ICE are the good guys. ICE wants to protect the community. ICE wants to take the bad guy off the street,&#8221; Homan told O&#8217;Connor.

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand Joins Washington Post Live For Candidate Series

LISTEN: Former Acting ICE Director Mulls Over Running To Unseat Anti-ICE Democratic Senator

Kirsten Gillibrand

Long-serving New York Rep. Pete King announced on Facebook early Monday that he is joining a growing list of Republican members of Congress who are not running for re-election in 2020.
&#8220;I have decided not to be a candidate for re-election to Congress in 2020,&#8221; said King, who is serving his 14th term representing New York&#8217;s 2nd Congressional District. &#8220;I made this decision after much discussion with my wife Rosemary; my son Sean; and my daughter Erin. The prime reason for my decision was that after 28 years of spending 4 days a week in Washington, D.C., it is time to end the weekly commute and be home in Seaford.&#8221;
&#8220;This was not an easy decision,&#8221; King continued (full statement below). &#8220;But there is a season for everything and Rosemary and I decided that, especially since we are both in good health, it is time to have the flexibility to spend more time with our children and grandchildren. My daughter’s recent move to North Carolina certainly accelerated my thinking.&#8221;
The 75-year-old congressman made clear that he is not stepping away because he perceives any trouble winning a 15th term in 2020.
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&#8220;Politically I will miss the energy and dynamism of a re-election campaign especially since my polling numbers are as strong as they have ever been and I have more than $1 million in campaign funds,&#8221; he wrote.
In the statement, King highlighted some of his key political accomplishments and priorities over the decades. He wrote:
<blockquote>Governmentally I will miss fighting for the people of my district and America and will always be proud of my efforts for 9/11 victims and their families; protecting our citizens from terrorism and MS-13; leading the successful effort to recover from Superstorm Sandy; being consistently cited for bipartisanship; working with President Clinton to achieve the Good Friday Agreement and end centuries of warfare in Ireland and Northern Ireland; and standing with the brave men and women of law Enforcement.</blockquote>
He also underscored that he stands firmly against the Democrats&#8217; impeachment efforts, writing, &#8220;In the coming weeks and during the next year I intend to vote against President Trump&#8217;s impeachment and will support the President’s bid for re-election.&#8221;
&#8220;Most importantly I want to thank the residents of the 2nd Congressional District for giving me the opportunity to represent them in Washington, D.C. I will complete my term of office and continue to work hard for these constituents all the way to the final bell of the final round on Dec. 31, 2020,&#8221; he concludes. &#8220;It’s been a great run! Thanks.&#8221;
<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/11/us/politics/peter-king-retire.html">The New York Times</a> paints the departure of King as part of &#8220;the grim political realities&#8221; facing the Republican Party in 2020, &#8220;including an uphill slog to win back the House in next year’s election and the prospect of sharing a ticket with an unpopular president.&#8221;
King is considered one of the more moderate among Republicans in the House, frequently working alongside Democrats on bipartisan bills, but as the Times notes, he also took a hardline immigration stand, aligning him with one of Trump&#8217;s biggest priorities.
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While the left-leaning media is making much of the retirement of Republicans, some veteran Democrats have announced that they will not be seeking re-election in 2020 either, including two Democrats from New York, Rep. Jose Serrano and Rep. Nita Lowey.
King&#8217;s Facebook announcement below:
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Pete King

Long-Time NY Republican Pete King: I’m Out For 2020

Republican Party

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In a decision filed Thursday, New York State Justice Saliann Scarpulla ordered President Trump to pay $2 million to a group of non-profits as settlement for the New York state attorney general&#8217;s years-long investigation into the Trump Foundation for allegedly coordinating illegally with his 2016 campaign.
In the decision, Justice Scarpulla ruled that Trump allowed his campaign to put on a foundation fundraiser in January 2016, the money from which was used &#8220;to further Mr. Trump&#8217;s political campaign.&#8221; While Trump has been ordered to pay $2 million to charities, Scarpulla rejected the attorney general&#8217;s demand that Trump pay punitive damages or that he and his children be banned from serving on the board of any other nonprofit in the state.
Attorney General Letitia James, the third New York AG that has targeted Trump and his family&#8217;s foundation, declared the judge&#8217;s decision a &#8220;major victory.&#8221;
&#8220;The court&#8217;s decision, together with the settlements we negotiated, are a major victory in our efforts to protect charitable assets and hold accountable those who would abuse charities for personal gain,&#8221; James said in a statement Thursday reported by <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2019/11/07/politics/trump-settlement-trump-foundation-new-york/index.html">CNN</a>. &#8220;My office will continue to fight for accountability because no one is above the law — not a businessman, not a candidate for office, and not even the President of the United States.&#8221;
President Trump issued his own statement Thursday that had a far different take on the outcome of the case. The attorney general, he said, is &#8220;deliberately mischaracterizing this settlement for political purposes.&#8221;
&#8220;I am the only person I know, perhaps the only person in history, who can give major money to charity ($19M), charge no expense, and be attacked by the political hacks in New York State. No wonder why we are all leaving!&#8221; Trump said in a <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1192594646691729408">statement</a> posted on social media Thursday night.
&#8220;Every penny of the $19 million raised by the Trump Foundation went to hundreds of great charitable causes with almost no expenses,&#8221; he stressed.
&#8220;The New York Attorney General is deliberately mischaracterizing this settlement for political purposes,&#8221; the president charged. &#8220;In fact, the court rejected the Attorney General’s frivolous request for statutory penalties, interest and other damages.&#8221;
Trump then took shots at the three attorneys general that have targeted him over the years.
&#8220;It has been 4 years of politically motivated harassment — first by lightweight AG [Eric] Schneiderman, prior to his resignation for beating up women — then AG [Barbara] Underwood, who was impossible to deal with, and now AG Letitia James, who does not acknowledge that we gave 100% of the funds to great charities, but refuses to investigate the Clinton Foundation with all of its problems.&#8221;
&#8220;All they found was incredibly effective philanthropy and some small technical violations, such as not keeping board minutes,&#8221; Trump continued.
As for his agreement to settle, Trump said he&#8217;s &#8220;happy&#8221; to give $2 million more to worthy charities.
&#8220;We resolved the case with the understanding that all money previously in the foundation has gone to charity,&#8221;he concluded. &#8220;I am therefor happy to donate $2 million to the following worthy charities: Army Emergency Relief; Children’s Aid Society; City Meals on Wheels; Give an Hour; Martha’s Table; United Negro College Fund; United Way of Capital Area; and the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum.&#8221;
Trump&#8217;s comment about Schneiderman resigning &#8220;for beating up women&#8221; is a reference to the AG announcing his resignation amid multiple accusations by women of physical abuse. In a piece for <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/four-women-accuse-new-yorks-attorney-general-of-physical-abuse">The New Yorker</a> published in May 2018, Jane Mayer and Ronan Farrow wrote that while Schneiderman &#8220;has raised his profile as a voice against sexual misconduct,&#8221; including suing Harvey Weinstein, the AG &#8220;faces a #MeToo reckoning of his own&#8221; — four women came forward to accuse him of physical abuse. Three hours after the publication of the report, Schneiderman resigned.
<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2019/11/07/politics/trump-settlement-trump-foundation-new-york/index.html">CNN</a> provides some more background on the Trump Foundation case: &#8220;Filed in June 2018, the lawsuit alleged that the President and his three eldest children — Don Jr., Ivanka and Eric — violated federal and state campaign finance laws and abused the Donald J. Trump Foundation&#8217;s tax-exempt status. According to the lawsuit, the Trumps allowed the foundation to be used &#8216;as little more than a checkbook to serve Mr. Trump&#8217;s business and political interests.&#8217; The attorney general&#8217;s office had sought several outcomes, including $2.8 million in restitution, plus penalties.&#8221;
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President Trump

Trump: New York AG Mischaracterizing My $2 Million Settlement For Political Purposes; Here&#8217;s What Actually Happened

Donald Trump

Trump Foundation

Last week, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio mocked President Trump after he announced he would leave New York and make Florida the state of his permanent residence. Cuomo <a href="https://twitter.com/NYGovCuomo/status/1190059166129426432?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1190059166129426432&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dailywire.com%2Fnews%2Fandrew-cuomo-snaps-good-riddance-at-trump-leaving-ny-don-jr-levels-">tweeted,</a>&#8221; Good riddance. It’s not like <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump">@realDonaldTrump</a> paid taxes here anyway&#8230; He’s all yours, Florida.” De Blasio <a href="https://twitter.com/NYCMayor/status/1190118081181487104?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1190118081181487104&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thegatewaypundit.com%2F2019%2F11%2Fhateful-idiots-nyc-mayor-de-blasio-and-ny-governor-cuomo-">echoed</a>, “Our deepest condolences to the good people of Florida as Trump attempts to outrun his past (and near future).”
What Cuomo and de Blasio ignore are these salient facts: more people reportedly leave New York City daily than any other city in the nation, and according to the U.S. Census Bureau, between July 2017 and July 2018, New York state lost 48,560 people, the biggest plunge in the U.S. The <a href="https://nypost.com/2019/01/19/why-more-people-are-leaving-new-york-than-any-other-state/">New York Post</a> added, “In 2017, roughly 131 people left the metropolitan area each day, compared with 43 in 2014.”
<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-08-29/new-york-city-metro-area-exodus-soars-to-277-people-every-day">Bloomberg News</a> wrote in August that according to 2018 Census data, “Scores of people are leaving the New York City area behind every day. New York leads all U.S. metro areas as the largest net loser with 277 people moving every day — more than double the exodus of 132 just one year ago.” Bloomberg added, “Seven cities had on average more than 100 new arrivals every day. Dallas, Phoenix, Tampa, Orlando, Atlanta, Las Vegas and Austin.”
<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/jackkelly/2019/09/05/new-yorkers-are-leaving-the-city-in-droves-heres-why-theyre-moving-and-where-theyre-going/#455da51a41ac">Forbes</a> noted in September 2019:
<blockquote>The costly living expenses, crumbling infrastructure and high tax rates are a big problem for residents. If you live in NYC, you are forced to pay exorbitant taxes. The schools, bridges, tunnels, trains, airports and hospitals are falling apart. Casually walk the streets of NYC and you’ll notice that they are crowded and dirty … The politicians don&#8217;t seem to care. Bill de Blasio, the mayor of New York City, was out of the state—busy with his Don Quixote quest for the presidency of the United States—while New York suffered a major blackout.</blockquote>
<a href="https://www.marketwatch.com/story/3-reasons-so-many-people-are-getting-the-hell-out-of-the-northeast-2018-10-20">Marketwatch</a> reported in January 2019, “<a href="https://www.gobankingrates.com/retirement/survey-reveals-americans-biggest-money-fears-2017/">Data released by personal finance site GoBankingRates.com</a> reveals that the No. 1 financial fear of people who live in the Northeast is that they will live in debt forever; the Northeast is the only region of the country ranking this factor as No. 1.”
As Kristin Tate wrote in <a href="https://thehill.com/opinion/finance/442210-moving-from-new-york-to-florida-saves-much-more-than-just-taxes">The Hill </a>in May 2019 of a fictional character considering whether to move to Florida from New York, his “$100,000 salary would go much further outside the Empire State. After inflation and relative costs, that amount would be equivalent to only $87,000. In Florida, the same $100,000 is worth roughly $101,000. Tally up the totals and it is easy to understand why so many people flee New York for Florida, especially as they enter peak earning years and think about retirement.”
Trump wrote on Twitter, “I cherish New York, and the people of New York, and always will, but unfortunately, despite the fact that I pay millions of dollars in city, state and local taxes each year, I have been treated very badly by the political leaders of both the city and state. Few have been treated worse. I hated having to make this decision, but in the end it will be best for all concerned.”

Erin Scott/Polaris/Bloomberg via Getty Images

NY Dems Mock Trump For Leaving. Data Shows Trump Is Far From Alone.

Andrew Cuomo

Bill de Blasio

Florida

President Donald Trump slammed New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio – both Democrats – on Friday after they lashed out at him for his decision to leave New York and make Florida his permanent residence after his time in the White House is done.
&#8220;I love New York, but New York can never be great again under the current leadership of Governor Andrew Cuomo (the brother of Fredo), or Mayor Bill DeBlasio,&#8221; Trump tweeted. &#8220;Cuomo has weaponized the prosecutors to do his dirty work (and to keep him out of jams), a reason some don’t want to be in New York, and another reason they are leaving. Taxes and energy costs are way too high, Upstate is being allowed to die as other nearby states frack &amp; drill for Gold (oil) while reducing taxes &amp; creating jobs by the thousands.&#8221;
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&#8230;.in New York, and another reason they are leaving. Taxes and energy costs are way too high, Upstate is being allowed to die as other nearby states frack &amp; drill for Gold (oil) while reducing taxes &amp; creating jobs by the thousands. NYC is getting dirty &amp; unsafe again, as&#8230;.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1190375830247104513?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 1, 2019</a></blockquote>
&#8220;NYC is getting dirty &amp; unsafe again, as our great police are being disrespected, even with water dumped on them, because a Mayor and Governor just don’t ‘have their backs.’ New York’s Finest must be cherished, respected and loved,&#8221; Trump continued. &#8220;Too many prople are leaving our special New York. Great leaders would work with a President and Federal Government that wants our wonerful City and State to flourish and thrive. I Love New York!&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
&#8230;..with a President and Federal Government that wants our wonerful City and State to flourish and thrive. I Love New York!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1190375834529468423?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 1, 2019</a></blockquote>
The president&#8217;s remarks came after Cuomo and de Blasio <a href="https://www.theblaze.com/news/trump-leaves-new-york-for-florida-de-blasio-and-cuomo-mock">attacked</a> him for moving out of the state.
&#8220;Don’t let the door hit you on the way out or whatever,&#8221; de Blasio tweeted. &#8220;Our deepest condolences to the good people of Florida as Trump attempts to outrun his past (and near future).&#8221;
&#8220;Good riddance,&#8221; Cuomo tweeted. &#8220;It’s not like <a class="PrettyLink profile customisable h-card" href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump" data-mentioned-user-id="25073877" data-scribe="element:mention">@realDonaldTrump</a> paid taxes here anyway&#8230; He’s all yours, Florida.&#8221;
CNBC <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/11/01/why-president-trumps-move-from-new-york-to-florida-could-hit-a-wall.html">noted</a> the tax benefits that come with living in Florida versus living in New York:
<blockquote>The warm weather isn’t the only reason why someone would want to leave New York for the Sunshine State.
Florida doesn’t tax personal income, and it has no estate or inheritance tax.
In New York, the top state income tax rate is 8.82%. Residents of New York City also face top rate of 3.8% on income.</blockquote>
The remarks from the New York Democrats came after Trump tweeted on Thursday: &#8220;1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, the White House, is the place I have come to love and will stay for, hopefully, another 5 years as we MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN, but my family and I will be making Palm Beach, Florida, our Permanent Residence. I cherish New York, and the people of New York, and always will, but unfortunately, despite the fact that I pay millions of dollars in city, state and local taxes each year, I have been treated very badly by the political leaders of both the city and state. Few have been treated worse.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
&#8230;.New York, and always will, but unfortunately, despite the fact that I pay millions of dollars in city, state and local taxes each year, I have been treated very badly by the political leaders of both the city and state. Few have been treated worse. I hated having to make&#8230;.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1190079192358105088?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 1, 2019</a></blockquote>
Trump added, &#8220;I hated having to make this decision, but in the end it will be best for all concerned. As President, I will always be there to help New York and the great people of New York. It will always have a special place in my heart!&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none" data-lang="en">
&#8230;.this decision, but in the end it will be best for all concerned. As President, I will always be there to help New York and the great people of New York. It will always have a special place in my heart!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1190079193582899200?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 1, 2019</a></blockquote>

Trump

Trump Punches Back At ‘The Brother Of Fredo’ And De Blasio Over Leaving New York

The Sport of Kings is under renewed scrutiny due to a long list of horse deaths at famed Southern California racetrack Santa Anita. But while 32 deaths at one track is horrifying, it is not uncommon in a sport where horses die every week while competing.
The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/29/sports/horse-racing/santa-anita.html">reported</a> that Emtech, a 3-year-old colt was euthanized on Saturday after breaking both of his legs during a race at Santa Anita. Emtech was the 32nd horse to die at the racetrack since December.
Emtech had a history of physical problems, multiple outlets reported. He was purchased in 2018 for $75,000 but that sale was voided after he was inspected by state veterinarians and determined to be unsound (a condition that that could interfere with his ability to race). He was placed on a list by state veterinarians. The Los Angeles Times reported that he was placed on this list after racing successfully six times. At the end of October 2018, “he failed a workout that would have removed him from the list,” the LA Times reported.
By June 2019 he was removed from the list. Dr. Dionne Benson, chief veterinarian for the group that owns Santa Anita, told the Times the company would “open an immediate review into what factors could have contributed to Emtech’s injury.”
As the Times reported, “Santa Anita’s problems are hardly isolated”:
Nearly 10 horses a week on average died at American racetracks in 2018, according to the Jockey Club’s Equine Injury Database. That figure is anywhere from two and a half to five times greater than the fatality rate in Europe and Asia, where rules against performance-enhancing drugs are enforced more stringently.
At Belmont Park in New York, home of the Belmont Stakes, there have been seven fatalities because of injuries over the past 18 race days — four in afternoon racing and three in morning training hours. On Friday, the Keeneland fall meet, an elite and highly anticipated race meeting in Lexington, Kentucky, will open amid heightened anxiety after a troubling rash of horse fatalities in its spring meet.
Keeneland had four race-related deaths — three on dirt and one on turf — over the course of its 16 racing days, for a rate of 3.12 fatalities per 1,000 starts, or almost twice the national average.
New York attempted to put a stop to horse deaths back in 2012 after 21 horses died within six months at state racetracks. The state eventually created stricter policies on medication and safety, but it did not end the deaths.
Emtech was on the front stretch on Saturday when he fell to the ground. His jockey, Mario Gutierrez was thrown to the ground but uninjured. Track veterinarians rushed to the colt as he struggled, and made the immediate decision to euthanize him. The New York Post <a href="https://nypost.com/2019/09/30/another-horse-dies-during-race-at-santa-anita-park-marking-32-deaths-since-december/">reported</a> that track workers held up a green screen to hide the colt from view.
Emtech’s tragic death came just days after Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) called the previous deaths at the racetrack a “disgrace.”

Horse racing

32 Horses Have Died At Santa Anita Racetrack Since December – And That’s Not Uncommon In Horseracing

California

According to a former Metropolitan Correction Center (MCC) inmate, there is &#8220;no way&#8221; registered sex offender and millionaire financier Jeffrey Epstein could have pulled off killing himself in the Manhattan facility.
&#8220;There&#8217;s no way that man could have killed himself. I&#8217;ve done too much time in those units. It&#8217;s an impossibility,&#8221; the former inmate told <a href="http://nypost.com/2019/08/10/former-mcc-inmate-theres-no-way-jeffrey-epstein-killed-himself/">The New York Post</a>&#8216;s Brad Hamilton and Bruce Golding on the condition of anonymity.
Epstein was found to have apparently hanged himself on Saturday morning at the MCC facility and was transferred to a hospital in Manhattan where he arrived in cardiac arrest, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/50485/breaking-millionaire-sex-offender-jeffrey-epstein-ashe-schow">reports</a> say.
The former convict is highly skeptical of the apparent suicide due to the conditions and precautious nature of MCC. &#8220;Between the floor and the ceiling is like eight or nine feet. There&#8217;s no way for you to connect to anything. You have sheets, but they&#8217;re paper level, not strong enough. He was 200 pounds — it would never happen,&#8221; he told the Post.
The man explained that inmates on suicide watch are put in a &#8220;white smock, a straight jacket.&#8221;
&#8220;They know a person cannot be injurious to themselves,&#8221; he noted. &#8220;The clothing they give you is a jump-in uniform. Everything is a dark brown color.&#8221;
Could Epstein have had help killing himself from the bed provided in the cell? According to the former inmate, there’s not a chance of that, either. &#8220;There&#8217;s a steel frame, but you can&#8217;t move it. There&#8217;s no light fixture. There&#8217;s no bars,” he said.
&#8220;They don&#8217;t give you enough in there that could successfully create an instrument of death. You want to write a letter, they give you rubber pens and maybe once a week a piece of paper,&#8221; the man added. &#8220;Nothing hard or made of metal.&#8221;
NBC <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/50485/breaking-millionaire-sex-offender-jeffrey-epstein-ashe-schow">reported</a> on Saturday, however, that was Epstein was not on suicide watch at the time of the incident, conflicting with original reports. It&#8217;s also a curious revelation, since the registered sex offender was found with marks around his neck three weeks earlier, sparking reports of Epstein being on suicide watch. As noted by <a href="http://www.dailywire.com/news/50485/breaking-millionaire-sex-offender-jeffrey-epstein-ashe-schow">The Daily Wire</a>&#8216;s Ashe Schow, it&#8217;s unclear, however, if the injury to his neck was from a suicide attempt, an attempt to get transferred to another prison, or an attack from another inmate.
The former inmate also said that Epstein was likely alone in his cell. &#8220;There&#8217;s up to 80 people there,&#8221; he told the Post. &#8220;They could put two in cell. It&#8217;s one or two, but I&#8217;ll never believe this guy had a cellmate. He was too blown up.&#8221;
Inmates are treated like animals at MCC, he said, telling the Post he told his parents not to come there because it was so grim.
&#8220;But it&#8217;s my firm belief that Jeffrey Epstein did not commit suicide. It just didn&#8217;t happen,&#8221; the former inmate stated.
Conspiracy theories have been circulating online since Epstein&#8217;s shocking death, many pointing to the large number of powerful people implicated in his case, including high-profile politicians.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/50511/autopsy-jeffrey-epstein-has-been-completed-amanda-prestigiacomo">Autopsy On Jeffrey Epstein Has Been Completed</a>

Jeffrey Epstein

Former Inmate At MCC: Impossible For Jeffrey Epstein To Kill Himself There

Children

Crime

Suicide

The autopsy of registered sex offender and multimillionaire financier Jeffrey Epstein has been completed, though most details of the report remain undisclosed. The alleged pedophile&#8217;s cause of death, according to an announcement from the New York City medical examiner late on Sunday, &#8220;is pending further information,&#8221; a common determination.
According to a report from <a href="http://www.thedailybeast.com/jeffrey-epstein-camp-sends-pathologist-michael-baden-to-watch-over-his-autopsy">The Daily Beast</a>, Chief Medical Examiner Barbara Sampson said Epstein&#8217;s representatives hired celebrity pathologist Michael Baden &#8220;to conduct an independent autopsy and they were allowed to observe the autopsy.&#8221;
Baden is known as the &#8220;Death Correspondent&#8221; for Fox News, <a href="https://www.standard.co.uk/news/world/jeffrey-epstein-s-family-hire-celebrity-pathologist-dr-michael-baden-to-oversee-postmortem-a4211116.html">according</a> to the Evening Standard, and has been involved in the high-profile deaths of John Belushi, Anna Nicole Smith, and Michael Brown, and testified at the infamous OJ Simpson trial. Dr. Baden has also &#8220;examined more than 20,000 bodies and was host of the HBO TV show Autopsy,&#8221; the outlet noted.
Epstein was found to have allegedly hanged himself on Saturday morning in his cell at the Metropolitan Correction Center (MCC) and was transferred to a hospital in Manhattan where he arrived in cardiac arrest, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/50485/breaking-millionaire-sex-offender-jeffrey-epstein-ashe-schow">reports</a> say.
If it is determined that Epstein did indeed die &#8220;at his own hand, his estate, whose members are unknown, could press a claim for wrongful death while he was in the custody of the state,&#8221; The Daily Beast reported, noting that it remains unclear if the disgraced financier&#8217;s body has been released, or to whom.
According to a <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/11/nyregion/epstein-death-manhattan-correctional-center.html">New York Times</a> report published on Sunday, Epstein was not checked every 30 minutes, as was supposed to be the case:
<blockquote>
Mr. Epstein was supposed to have been checked by the two guards in the protective housing unit every 30 minutes, but that procedure was not followed that night, a law-enforcement official with knowledge of his detention said.
</blockquote>
Additionally, the Times noted, Epstein &#8220;was supposed to have had another inmate in his cell,&#8221; according to three officials, &#8220;[b]ut the jail had recently transferred his cellmate and allowed Mr. Epstein to be housed alone, a decision that also violated the jail&#8217;s procedures, the two officials said.&#8221;
NBC <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/50485/breaking-millionaire-sex-offender-jeffrey-epstein-ashe-schow">reported</a> on Saturday that Epstein was not on suicide watch at the time of the incident, conflicting with original reports. The Times similarly reported that Epstein was taken off suicide watch 11 days before he was reportedly found hanged in his cell. The registered sex offender was found with marks around his neck three weeks prior, apparently placing Epstein on suicide watch. As noted by <a href="http://www.dailywire.com/news/50485/breaking-millionaire-sex-offender-jeffrey-epstein-ashe-schow">The Daily Wire</a>&#8216;s Ashe Schow, it&#8217;s unclear, however, if the injury to his neck was from a suicide attempt, an attempt to get transferred to another prison, or an attack from another inmate.
According to a former MCC inmate who spoke to the <a href="http://nypost.com/2019/08/10/former-mcc-inmate-theres-no-way-jeffrey-epstein-killed-himself/">New York Post</a> on the condition of anonymity, there is &#8220;no way&#8221; Epstein could have pulled off killing himself in the Manhattan facility.
&#8220;There&#8217;s no way that man could have killed himself. I&#8217;ve done too much time in those units. It&#8217;s an impossibility,&#8221; the former inmate told the Post, noting that &#8220;between the floor and the ceiling is like eight or nine feet. There&#8217;s no way for you to connect to anything. You have sheets, but they&#8217;re paper level, not strong enough. He was 200 pounds &#8212; it would never happen.&#8221;

jeffrey_epstein_1

Autopsy On Jeffrey Epstein Has Been Completed

In the wake of two deadly mass shootings, gun-control advocate and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo asked Democrat presidential candidates to pledge that they would accept his state’s strict gun laws.
“I’m asking all Democrats, Democrats who want to run for president and coming to the State of New York: just make it a simple, clear choice for the American people — the ‘Make America Safer Pledge,’” Cuomo said in a video posted to Twitter on Wednesday. “Four elements: an assault weapon ban and high capacity magazines, universal background check, mental health database, Red Flag laws. Those four elements of gun control will change this nation.”
<div class="embed tweet">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Democrats should come together with one clear message on gun safety.
The federal gov&#8217;t must:
1) Outlaw assault weapons and high-capacity magazines 
2) Create a mental health database 
3) Pass universal background checks 
4) Pass a Red Flag Law <a href="https://t.co/0odxSpeDQT">pic.twitter.com/0odxSpeDQT</a>
— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) <a href="https://twitter.com/NYGovCuomo/status/1159174172452499458?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 7, 2019</a></blockquote>
</div>
Cuomo also appeared on local radio and news stations to discuss his pledge. In <a href="http://www.wxxinews.org/post/connections-governor-andrew-cuomo-updates-redi-commission">an interview</a> with WXXI public radio in Rochester, Cuomo slightly expanded on his proposal for a mental health database by saying it would prevent some people with mental health issues from obtaining firearms.
Cuomo’s proposals are already the law in New York. The assault-weapon ban, the mental health database, and universal background checks have been the law in The Empire State for six years, <a href="https://www.northcountrypublicradio.org/news/story/39296/20190808/cuomo-wants-presidential-candidates-to-endorse-ny-s-gun-control-laws">according to North Country Public Radio</a>. Cuomo’s fourth proposal, the Red Flag law, was made law in the state earlier this year. The laws, according to National Review’s David French when he was endorsing them, “permit a spouse, parent, sibling, or person living with a troubled individual to petition a court for an order enabling law enforcement to temporarily take that individual’s guns right away.&#8221;
The Daily Wire’s resident legal scholar, Josh Hammer, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/50404/hammer-conservatives-should-be-very-skeptical-red-josh-hammer">suggested</a> on Thursday that conservatives should be “very, very skeptical” (emphasis original) of “red flag” laws because they turn due process on its head.
“The Framers would have been positively aghast at the notion that a next-door neighbor or workplace supervisor could successfully petition a court to deprive an individual of his Second Amendment rights — let alone in ex parte, secretive fashion — for <a href="https://thefederalist.com/2019/08/06/red-flag-laws-not-good-solution-mass-shootings/">up to two weeks</a> before a gun owner may attempt to defend himself,” Hammer wrote. “To many, that may seem awfully reminiscent of the old English Star Chamber. And even more horrifyingly Orwellian is the on-the-ground reality that people have <a href="https://www.theblaze.com/news/2018/11/06/maryland-police-officer-shoots-kills-man-being-served-with-gun-grab-order-under-new-red-flag-law">already died at the hands of law enforcement</a> after they have been unwilling to turn in their GVRO-stripped firearms.”
Similar due process issues would exist for a mental health database. It’s reminiscent of another secretive government database — the “no fly” list — which <a href="https://observer.com/2015/12/democrats-want-to-take-rights-away-from-muslims/">removes due process</a> from those who are on it (who are mostly Muslims). A mental health database would act in a similar way and prevent people from exercising their Second Amendment rights without the ability to defend themselves once they have been diagnosed. If one thinks only the most extreme cases where mental health professionals have determined a person is a danger to themselves or others would be banned from purchasing firearms, consider the possibility that professionals are also human, make mistakes, and may deem someone a danger out of fear they may someday be wrong.

New York Governor Cuomo Joined By Al Gore Announces State Investment In Offshore Wind Power

NY Governor Suggests Creating A Database Of People With Mental Illness

Gun Control

On Wednesday, speaking at a rally on the steps of New York City Hall, two New York legislators said they want to implement laws that will <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7310601/New-York-lawmakers-consider-making-disrespecting-police-felony-cops-doused-water.html">punish people</a> who douse police officers with liquid. Assemblyman Mike LiPetri of Long Island and Assemblyman Michael Reilly of Staten Island are proposing a bill that would make it a class E felony to throw or spray water or other liquids against an on-duty police or peace officer. The perpetrators would serve between one and four years in prison.
Both men, unsurprisingly, are Republicans.
As <a href="https://newyork.cbslocal.com/2019/07/31/nypd-cops-doused-with-water-woodhaven-queens-assemblyman-mike-lipetri/">CBS New York</a> reported, LiPetri stated, “What we are witnessing in New York City is disgraceful. A culture of blatant disrespect for law enforcement has been fostered and encouraged simply for political gain which has resulted in such despicable acts of hate becoming acceptable in our communities. New York State must send a message that this will not be tolerated and I am confident that this bill provides law enforcement the tools they need to properly react.”
Reilly echoed, “Our police officers are being targeted for harassment and even assault while doing their job. This is the direct result of political grandstanding from politicians like Mayor de Blasio who’ve done absolutely nothing to foster police-community relations, and instead spread an inflammatory anti-cop rhetoric just to score a few points. As someone who served in uniform, I understand the immense burden our police officers carry with them each day. I take offense to the narrative created by those politicians and the truth is, Mayor de Blasio was elected to lead a city, not a movement. It is time for real leadership at City Hall.”
Michael O’Meara, president of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority Police Benevolent Association, added, “When did we lose our common sense? When did it become okay to laugh and jeer and throw things at police officers who are working and trying to protect our communities? Maybe Mayor de Blasio should sit down and address the people of New York City and say, let’s get some common sense back. Come on, it’s disgusting.”
LePetri asserted, “This time, it’s water. What’s next? Gasoline? Acid? What we are witnessing in New York City is disgraceful.”
<a href="https://nypost.com/2019/07/26/nypd-bucket-list-grows-10-more-suspects-wanted-for-dousing-cops/">The New York Post</a> noted that there have been five separate incidents in which police officers were either doused or sprayed with water. Incidents have occurred in Queens, Harlem, and the Bronx.
After one police-dousing incident was captured on video and went viral, NYPD Department Chief Terence A. Monahan <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/49794/police-officers-mocked-doused-buckets-water-amanda-prestigiacomo">reacted</a>:
<blockquote>The videos of cops being doused with water and having objects hurled at them as they made an arrest in #Harlem is reprehensible. NYC’s cops &amp; communities have made remarkable progress — together — but EVERY New Yorker MUST show respect for our cops. They deserve nothing less. To [New York]’s Finest: the work you do every day is remarkable. We trust you to do what is a very difficult job. Use your discretion — make arrests when necessary — and know that you have our support and full confidence. Thank you for what you do day in and day out. Please stay safe.</blockquote>

Two NY Legislators Want Law To Punish People Who Douse Police With Water. Guess Which Party They&#8217;re NOT From.

New York Police Department (NYPD)

President Donald Trump signed legislation on Monday ensuring that the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund remains solvent through 2092, thereby virtually ensuring permanent financial support for first responders and their families.
&#8220;We’re gathered at the White House to honor our solemn duty to America’s best, bravest, and finest,&#8221; Trump said during the signing ceremony in the White House Rose Garden.
&#8220;In the wake of the September 11th attacks, courageous Americans raced into smoke, fire, and debris in lower Manhattan, the Pentagon, and a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania,&#8221; the president said. &#8220;The whole world witnessed the might and resilience of our nation in the extraordinary men and women of the New York Fire Department and the New York Police Department — selfless patriots of unmatched character and devotion.&#8221;
<div class="embed video fluid-video"><iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></div>
The <a href="https://www.vcf.gov/genProgramInfo.html">Victim Compensation Fund</a> was initially created in the aftermath of the al-Qaeda operated terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, which killed nearly 3,000 Americans and injured more than 6,000 more.
The fund compensates individuals who suffered physical harm as a result of the attacks. It grants financial support for those who lost loved ones as a result of the attacks, as well as providing pensions for those suffering from illnesses that stem from exposure to toxic debris in the attacks&#8217; aftermath.
&#8220;The first responders from across the country rushed to New York and worked endless days and sleepless nights,&#8221; Trump said. &#8220;They fought to rescue every person trapped in the rubble, and then searched for months to find the remains of the fallen.&#8221;
&#8220;The love and loyalty of our 9/11 responders knew no bounds,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;Today, we are deeply honored to be in the presence of more than 60 of these exceptional heroes. They answered terror with the emotional strength of true American warriors.&#8221;
&#8220;You inspire all of humanity,&#8221; Trump said directly to the first responders.
He also expressed his gratitude to the families of those who perished, stating that &#8220;our nation owes each of you a profound debt that no words or deeds will ever repay.&#8221;
Congress passed <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/1327?q=%7B%22search%22%3A%5B%22compensation%22%5D%7D&amp;r=4&amp;s=2">H.R. 1327</a>, also known as &#8220;Never Forget the Heroes: James Zadroga, Ray Pfeifer, and Luis Alvarez Permanent Authorization of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund Act,&#8221; with a vote of 97 – 2 in the Senate and 402 – 12 in the House.
More than 40,000 individuals had previously applied to receive benefits from the $7.4 billion fund. It has been rapidly depleting, reported <a href="https://www.capitalgazette.com/news/nation-world/ct-nw-sept11-victim-compensation-extension-20190729-rodthenxanfkfmsaauf55q2q7u-story.html">The Capital Gazette</a>, and as a result, administrators recently cut benefit payments by up to 70%.
The legislation was named after three first responders — two members of the NYPD and one member of the FDNY — all died from illnesses related to their September 11th rescue efforts.
Alvarez, a former New York City police detective, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/29/obituaries/luis-alvarez-dead.html">passed away</a> from cancer in June after testifying in front of Congress to urge the bill’s passage. He was not able to see the fruits of his labor.
&#8220;Since September 11th, we have lost more than 2,000 first responders and survivors to 9/11-related cancers and illnesses,&#8221; Trump said. &#8220;Currently, thousands of men and women are battling cancer and other illnesses due to 9/11.&#8221;
&#8220;We pledge to stand by the families of those affected today and everyday,&#8221; he added. &#8220;We will stand with you.&#8221;

WATCH: Trump Gives Emotional Speech Before Signing The 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund

Radical Islamic Terror

Terrorism

Dante de Blasio is the son of Democratic New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, who has abandoned his crime-wracked city (but not his public office, tax-subsidized salary or perks) for a quixotic presidential bid to become America&#8217;s social justice warrior-in-chief. Calculated to promote his race card-playing dad&#8217;s campaign, Dante stoked anti-cop hysteria a few weeks ago with a widely disseminated USA Today op-ed. Dante&#8217;s screed came just days after de Blasio declared at the first Democratic debate:
&#8220;I&#8217;m different from all of the other candidates in this race in that I&#8217;m raising a black son in America.&#8221;
De Blasio reminds audiences that Dante is black as often as former GOP presidential candidate John Kasich reminded every unfortunate person within earshot that his dad was a mailman. A Google news search for &#8220;De Blasio black son&#8221; yields nearly 85,000 hits. We get it. We get it. We get it.
Because his pigment and political bloodline give him the special privilege of making blanket assertions about, well, anything, Dante was rewarded with a major media platform to ply a kinder, gentler version of the vile &#8220;Cops=pigs&#8221; narrative to an audience of millions. Police officers are menaces on the streets who pose a greater threat to &#8220;people of color&#8221; than unknown strangers, homeless people and drug addicts, Dante de Blasio argued. He had &#8220;no fear on a night walk until the police came,&#8221; the op-ed declared darkly.
&#8220;We&#8217;re taught to fear the people meant to protect us, because the absolute worst-case scenario has happened too many times. This reality cannot continue.&#8221;
But actual reality smacked NYPD officers in their heads in two viral videos this week that had non-white witnesses in the &#8216;hood laughing and jeering hysterically. In Harlem and Brooklyn, cops were attacked with buckets of water while onlookers hooted, hollered and incited chaos. A brazen young thug, not paralyzed in the least by the anxiety that de Blasio conjured up for his column, hurled a bucket that hit one of the LEOs in the back of the head. Members of the neighborhood mobs where the attacks occurred — similarly unaffected by Dante&#8217;s manufactured disquietude — whipped out their phones to share their glee and cheered like they were watching an episode of &#8220;WWE RAW.&#8221;
&#8220;Who does that in their right frame of mind? People who believe there&#8217;s no consequences,&#8221; a law enforcement source fumed to the New York Post. &#8220;There&#8217;s total anarchy out here.&#8221; Another NYPD supervisor warned: &#8220;Today it&#8217;s a bucket of water. Tomorrow it could be a bucket of cement.&#8221; In 1993, a Housing Authority cop John Williamson was murdered after a Washington Heights mob went wild because NYPD officers were towing illegally parked cars. Someone hurled a 30-pound bucket of spackling compound from a building rooftop that struck and killed Williamson.
Here&#8217;s more of the reality Dante de Blasio and his cop-hating daddy won&#8217;t acknowledge: The Big Apple&#8217;s police force has long been the target of racially driven vigilantes who are frightened of nothing and nobody.
—In the 1970s, the Black Liberation Army and Weather Underground orchestrated multiple assaults and robberies that led to the injuries and deaths of NYPD officers and area cops.
—Unrepentant career criminal Larry Davis, known as &#8220;Loco Larry&#8221; on the streets of the Bronx, shot six officers (two in the face) and led cops on a 17-day, five-city manhunt in 1986. Militant black nationalists still celebrate Davis today as an enduring &#8220;symbol of resistance.&#8221;
— Ismaaiyl Abdullah Brinsley ambushed NYPD officers Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu, shooting them at point-blank range in broad daylight in 2014 as they sat in their patrol car. He murdered the cops during the summer of Ferguson as revenge over the cop-involved deaths of Michael Brown and Eric Garner.
The de Blasios paint a grim picture of an America where racist cops lurk on every corner, lying in wait to execute innocent black men. Meanwhile, on Planet Reality, men and women in blue give their lives to protect and service on increasingly lawless streets. In the past month alone:
—Stone County, Arkansas: Sheriff&#8217;s deputy Sergeant Mike Stephen was killed when a suspect opened fire as he was responding to a call.
—Fulton County, Illinois: Sheriff&#8217;s deputy Troy Chisum was shot and killed execution-style by a suspect while responding to a battery and disturbance call.
—Racine, Wisconsin: Police officer John David Hetland lost his life after he was shot and killed trying to stop a man robbing a bar.
—Sacramento, California: Police officer Tara O&#8217;Sullivan, just six months on the job, was shot and killed while responding to a domestic violence call.
—Mission, Texas: Police Cpl. Jose Espericueta was shot and killed responding to reports of an armed man.
—North County, Missouri: Police officer Michael Langsdorf died in an execution-style killing in a confrontation with a man trying to pass a bad check at a grocery store. He was shot in the back of the neck while lying face down on the ground.
Five of these officers died in the span of nine days. Where are the de Blasios? Living in La-La-I-I-Can&#8217;t-Hear-You Land — surrounded by armed police details, of course.
Michelle Malkin&#8217;s email address is MichelleMalkinInvestigates@protonmail.com. To find out more about Michelle Malkin and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

MALKIN: NYC’s Anti-Cop Anarchy: What Say You, Dante de Blasio?

Democratic Party

New York City

Police

Race

A shocking video of two officers from the New York Police Department (NYPD) being mocked and assaulted is nearing a million views.
In the video, two male officers are sprayed with water; the woman taping the incident is laughing about the men being “violated.” The abuse gets worse, as one of the officers has a bucket of water poured directly over his heard by a young male.
The account posting the video to Twitter, &#8220;NYC Scanner,&#8221; captioned the video, “DISRESPECT: This is what <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NYPD?src=hashtag_click">#NYPD</a> Officers are faced with today. Petrified to take action.” New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio’s Twitter account is tagged.
WATCH:
<div class="embed tweet">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">DISRESPECT: This is what <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NYPD?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NYPD</a> Officers are faced with today. Petrified to take action. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BlueLivesMatter?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BlueLivesMatter</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/NYCMayor?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NYCMayor</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/BilldeBlasio?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BilldeBlasio</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/NYPDnews?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NYPDnews</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/NYPD73Pct?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NYPD73Pct</a> <a href="https://t.co/VRpVKBS5Jb">pic.twitter.com/VRpVKBS5Jb</a>
— NYC Scanner (@NYScanner) <a href="https://twitter.com/NYScanner/status/1153357145389326336?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 22, 2019</a></blockquote>
</div>
NYPD Department Chief Terence A. Monahan quickly reacted to the “reprehensible” video.
“The videos of cops being doused with water and having objects hurled at them as they made an arrest in #Harlem is reprehensible. NYC’s cops &amp; communities have made remarkable progress — together — but EVERY New Yorker MUST show respect for our cops. They deserve nothing less,” wrote Chief Monahan via Twitter.
“To [New York]’s Finest: the work you do every day is remarkable,” he added in a subsequent tweet. “We trust you to do what is a very difficult job. Use your discretion — make arrests when necessary — and know that you have our support and full confidence. Thank you for what you do day in and day out. Please stay safe.”
<div class="embed tweet">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">To NY’s Finest: the work you do every day is remarkable. We trust you to do what is a very difficult job. Use your discretion — make arrests when necessary — and know that you have our support and full confidence. Thank you for what you do day in and day out. Please stay safe. <a href="https://t.co/6Px4asur1h">pic.twitter.com/6Px4asur1h</a>
— Chief Terence Monahan (@NYPDChiefofDept) <a href="https://twitter.com/NYPDChiefofDept/status/1153422993978273793?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 22, 2019</a></blockquote>
</div>
<a href="https://www.fbi.gov/news/pressrel/press-releases/fbi-releases-2018-statistics-on-law-enforcement-officers-killed-in-the-line-of-duty">According</a> to the FBI, &#8220;Law enforcement agencies reported that 60,211 officers were assaulted while performing their duties in 2017,&#8221; which is the most recent data available. Additionally, 106 officers &#8220;were killed in line-of-duty incidents in 2018. Of these, 55 officers died as a result of felonious acts, and 51 officers died in accidents.&#8221;
Others also reacted to the shocking video.
“The DISRESPECT NYPD Officers are faced with today is DISGUSTING. They are afraid to take action due to fear of public backlash and because NYC Mayor Bill De Blowsio will throw them under the bus!” wrote congressional candidate Joey Saladino.
<div class="embed tweet">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">The DISRESPECT NYPD Officers are faced with today is DISGUSTING. 
They are afraid to take action due to fear of public backlash and because NYC Mayor Bill De Blowsio will throw them under the bus! <a href="https://t.co/zXIPmbfVwz">pic.twitter.com/zXIPmbfVwz</a>
— Saladino for Congress (@JoeySalads) <a href="https://twitter.com/JoeySalads/status/1153418608162365441?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 22, 2019</a></blockquote>
</div>
Damon Harrison, who plays for the NFL’s Detroit Lions, called the video “disheartening and disrespectful” to good officers who serve.
“This is disheartening and disrespectful to the men and women who take their jobs seriously and truly work to protect the communities they serve,” he said. “Instead of saying ‘we don’t know what happened before the recording started’ like many people do lets just say this is wrong.”
<div class="embed tweet">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">This is disheartening and disrespectful to the men and women who take their jobs seriously and truly work to protect the communities they serve. Instead of saying “we don’t know what happened before the recording started” like many people do lets just say this is wrong. <a href="https://t.co/eWdkmoo54J">https://t.co/eWdkmoo54J</a>
— Damon Harrison Sr. (@snacks) <a href="https://twitter.com/snacks/status/1153662291142946816?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 23, 2019</a></blockquote>
</div>
Andrew Pollack, who lost his daughter in the tragic Parkland school shooting, wrote: “HORRIBLE: NYPD officers repeatedly had buckets of water thrown on them as they were patrolling the streets.”
“Is this really how we want to treat the men and women who protect us?” He asked. “These fools need to learn some respect or get arrested! #FixIt.”
<div class="embed tweet">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">HORRIBLE: NYPD officers repeatedly had buckets of water thrown on them as they were patrolling the streets.
Is this really how we want to treat the men and women who protect us?
These fools need to learn some respect or get arrested! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FixIt?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FixIt</a> <a href="https://t.co/3eefF6DH6M">pic.twitter.com/3eefF6DH6M</a>
— Andrew Pollack (@AndrewPollackFL) <a href="https://twitter.com/AndrewPollackFL/status/1153665914103115779?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 23, 2019</a></blockquote>
</div>
The Twitter account for the <a href="http://nycpba.org">Police Benevolent Association of the City of New York</a> captioned the video, saying “[o]ur anti-cop lawmakers have gotten their wish: the NYPD is now frozen. It’s not the fault of these police officers. It’s the end result of the torrent of bad policies and anti-police rhetoric that has been streaming out of City Hall and Albany for years now.”
<div class="embed tweet">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Our anti-cop lawmakers have gotten their wish: the NYPD is now frozen. It’s not the fault of these police officers. It’s the end result of the torrent of bad policies and anti-police rhetoric that has been streaming out of City Hall and Albany for years now. <a href="https://t.co/2dxkz8cdyD">https://t.co/2dxkz8cdyD</a>
— NYC PBA (@NYCPBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NYCPBA/status/1153392652236312576?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 22, 2019</a></blockquote>
</div>

Police Officers Mocked, Doused With Buckets Of Water In Shocking Video. NYPD Chief Responds.

In an interview with Fox News’ Tucker Carlson that was conducted in Japan, President Trump ripped the Democratic politicians that run major cities in America for soaring homelessness that plagues their cities, asserting, “This is the liberal establishment; this is what I’m fighting.” He pointed out that many of the cities Carlson cited for becoming repositories for urine on the street and needles from junkies are sanctuary cities, adding, “They’re run by very liberal people and the states are run by very liberal people … Do they really think this is okay? Because it’s not. It’s destroying their city and it’s destroying a whole way of life.” Trump said bluntly, “We may intercede.”
The exchange began with Carlson noting, “You come to where we are now, Osaka, or Tokyo, and the cities are clean; there’s no graffiti; there’s no one going to the bathroom on the street; you don’t see junkies … ”
Trump replied, “It’s very nice, isn’t it.”
Carlson pointed out, “It’s very different from our cities.”
Trump agreed, “Yup. Some of our cities.”
Carlson repeated, “Some of our cities. But New York City, San Francisco, Los Angeles; they’ve got a major problem with filth.”
Trump said, “It’s very sad. It’s very sad.”
Carlson then prompted Trump, asking, “Why is that?”
Trump answered:
<blockquote>It&#8217;s a phenomenon that started two years ago; it’s disgraceful; I’m gonna maybe — and I’m looking at it very seriously— we’re doing some other things, as you probably notice, like some of the very important things we’re doing now; where but we’re looking at it very seriously because you can’t do that. You can’t have what’s happening, where police officers are getting sick just by walking the beat, I mean. They’re getting actually very sick, where people are getting sick; people living there are living in hell, too, although some of them have mental problems where they don’t even know they’re living that way, in fact, perhaps they like living that way. They can’ do that. They cannot ruin our cities.
And you have people who work in those cities; they work in office buildings and to get into the building they have to walk though a scene that nobody would have believed possible three years ago. This is the liberal establishment; this is what I’m fighting. I don’t know if they’re afraid of votes; I don’t know if they really believe that this should be taking place, but it’s a terrible thing that’s taking place and we may be — you know, I had a situation when I first became president, we had certain areas in Washington, D.C. where that was starting to happen. And I ended it very quickly. I said, “You can’t do that. When we have leaders of the world coming in to see the president of the United States and they’re riding down a highway, they can’t be looking at that.”
I really believe that it hurts our country. They can’t be looking at scenes like you see in Los Angeles and San Francisco. San Francisco, I own property in San Francisco so I don’t care except it was so beautiful. And now areas that you used to think as being, really something very special, you take a look at what’s going on with San Francisco and it’s terrible. So we’re looking at it very seriously. We may intercede. We may do something to get that whole thing cleaned up. It’s inappropriate. Now, we have to take the people and do something; we have to do something. And, you know, we’re really not very equipped as a government to be doing that kind of work; that’s not really the kind of work that the government probably should be doing — we’ve never had this in our lives before in our country, and it’s not only those few cities; it’s a couple of other cities</blockquote>
Carlson interjected, “No, it’s a lot.”
Trump concluded: “At the same time, most of our cities are doing great; but if you look at some of these; they’re usually sanctuary cities; they’re run by very liberal people and the states are run by very liberal people. But the thing that nobody can figure out is, are these governors or mayors, do they really think this is a positive? Do they really think this is okay? Because it’s not. It’s destroying their city and it’s destroying a whole way of life. And it’s not our country; it’s not what our country’s all about.”
Video below:
<div class="embed video fluid-video"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/mtYatlsv86k?start=188" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></div>

WATCH: Trump Rips Democrats For Cities Becoming Filthy: ‘It&#8217;s Destroying A Whole Way Of Life’

Los Angeles

San Francisco

Tucker Carlson

Erie Country Clerk Michael &#8220;Mickey&#8221; Kearns, a Democrat, and Monroe County Executive Cheryl Dinolfo, a Republican, are in the process of drafting legislation to sue New York Governor Andrew Cuomo after the Democrat signed the highly controversial Green Light bill into law, mandating that county clerks issue driver&#8217;s licenses to illegal immigrants.
Kearns sent a letter to Erie County Attorney Michael Siragusa on Tuesday, the day after Cuomo signed the Green Light bill, asking him for representation in a lawsuit over the new law in federal court, WIVB 4 <a href="https://www.wivb.com/news/local-news/erie-county-clerk-maintains-he-won-t-enforce-new-green-light-law/2084066504?fbclid=IwAR3WC2jN0h9Lc6EHFfvBuMI-TkEDd9rKFb5VYjtuEBmXGtyB-wfe2KRYoLg">reported</a>.
&#8220;I will not be granting driver&#8217;s licenses to illegal immigrants,&#8221; Kearns vowed. &#8220;As the duly elected Clerk of the County of Erie, I took an oath whereby I solemnly swore to &#8216;support&#8217; the Constitution of the United States, and the Constitution of the State of New York, and I will faithfully discharge the duties of the office of Erie County Clerk according to the best of my ability.&#8217;&#8221;
<div class="embed tweet">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Here is the letter Erie County Clerk Mickey Kearns sent to Erie County Attorney Michael Siragusa, asking for legal representation in a lawsuit over the state law that gives undocumented immigrants drivers&#8217; licenses. <a href="https://t.co/u1QmS4mymH">pic.twitter.com/u1QmS4mymH</a>
&#8212; Chris Horvatits (@ChrisHorvatits4) <a href="https://twitter.com/ChrisHorvatits4/status/1141064144449417217?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 18, 2019</a></blockquote>
</div>
Dinolfo, bypassing Monroe Country Clerk Adam Bello, announced on Wednesday that she would fight Cuomo&#8217;s Green Light law. &#8220;County Clerks on both sides of the aisle plan to sue to stop drivers&#8217; licenses from being issued to illegal immigrants. Here at home, Clerk Bello has indicated he won&#8217;t stand up to Governor Cuomo. If he won&#8217;t lead on this issue, I will. I intend to take the state to court,&#8221; the county executive said.
<div class="embed tweet">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
County Clerks on both sides of the aisle plan to sue to stop drivers&#8217; licenses from being issued to illegal immigrants. Here at home, Clerk Bello has indicated he won&#8217;t stand up to Governor Cuomo. If he won&#8217;t lead on this issue, I will. I intend to take the state to court. <a href="https://t.co/q0riSj8Fzl">pic.twitter.com/q0riSj8Fzl</a>
&#8212; Cheryl Dinolfo (@CherylDinolfo) <a href="https://twitter.com/CherylDinolfo/status/1141363861179834373?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 19, 2019</a></blockquote>
</div>
&#8220;Back in 2007, when I served as County Clerk, I did everything in my power to prevent drivers&#8217; licenses from being issued to illegal immigrants &#8211; including suing Governor Spitzer to stop the policy in its tracks,&#8221; Dinolfo said in a statement, <a href="https://13wham.com/news/local/dinolfo-drafting-legislation-to-sue-new-york-over-green-light-law">according</a> to 13WHAM News. &#8220;This year, County Clerks on both sides of the aisle have said they are prepared to do the same. Yet here at home, Clerk (Adam) Bello has indicated he is not willing to stand up to Governor Cuomo.&#8221;
&#8220;Let me be clear: because this policy puts State Law at odds with Federal Law, endangers public safety, and rewards those who have not followed the rule of law in the first place, I will not allow drivers&#8217; licenses to be issued to illegal immigrants here without a fight,&#8221; she continued. &#8220;I am preparing to introduce legislation in our County Legislature that would bring a lawsuit against the State to challenge the constitutionality of this policy, just as the Democrat County Clerk in Erie County has said he will do. If Clerk Bello will not lead on this issue, I will.&#8221;
&#8220;The basis of the lawsuit is very clear,&#8221; the county executive <a href="https://13wham.com/news/local/dinolfo-drafting-legislation-to-sue-new-york-over-green-light-law">elaborated</a> to 13WHAM News. &#8220;There certainly is a discrepancy between state and federal law on immigration, and certainly unequal protection under the law for those who are here without legal status and who have entered the country illegally, and those who are with full status as full American citizens. There is an issue of fairness at play here. There is also a significant issue of public safety that is at risk and at issue, and we&#8217;ll be addressing those issues in our lawsuit as we go forward.&#8221;
As reported by The Associated Press, clerks in Niagara, Allegany, Rensselaer, and Erie County have said they will not issue driver&#8217;s licenses to illegals.

NY County Clerks Refuse To Issue Driver&#8217;s Licenses To Illegals, Launch Lawsuit Against Cuomo

Illegal Immigration

On Tuesday&#8217;s episode of &#8220;The Andrew Klavan Show,&#8221; Klavan discusses where the Never-Trump movement has gone wrong in its criticism of President Donald Trump and why Trump is winning in the culture. Video and partial transcript below:
Sometimes I look at Never-Trumpers. The guys who were Never-Trumpers. You know, I understand this is their conscience. But sometimes I think that a lot of them were that kid in school who would get punched or something and they&#8217;d say, &#8220;Well just because you punched me doesn&#8217;t make you right.&#8221; You know, because sometimes when kids are kind of like, little weedy intellectuals they&#8217;d like to tell themselves, &#8220;Well yeah, you&#8217;re bigger than me and you get all the girls and you&#8217;re on the football team and maybe you beat me up. But you know I&#8217;m a smarter, better person than you.&#8221;
A lot of times that&#8217;s true. They are smarter, better people than the bullies and all that. I think they look at Donald Trump and they think here is that guy, that bully in the office doing more than I could ever do.
I&#8217;m not, you know, mentioning Bill Kristol or anything like that but I just say, I look at that guy and I think he&#8217;s the guy who thought like, &#8220;Oh yeah, well I&#8217;m a lot smarter than you are.&#8221; And there&#8217;s Donald Trump doing all the stuff that Bill Kristol couldn&#8217;t get done and doing it better and he hates him for it. The reason that Donald &#8230; somebody wrote in the Claremont Review the other day. &#8230; Oh, it was Nathan Podhoretz. He was giving an interview and he said &#8220;Donald Trump may not be a man for all seasons. He may not be a man for every hundred years. He is the man for this season.&#8221; The reason he is the man for this season is because all of our institutions have been eaten away inside by leftism. Our most important institutions have been eaten away by this censorious small minded pinch-hearted philosophy of leftism, this anti-freedom philosophy of leftism and they&#8217;re walking around like the guy in &#8220;Men In Black.&#8221;
They still look like the New York Times. You know, kind of misshapen version of The New York Times. Still looks like this misshapen version of Harvard, still looks like this misshapen version of Yale. But inside it is just this small, mean, anti-freedom philosophy that does nothing for anybody, that destroys our cities and would destroy our country. It has destroyed the culture of Europe. Utterly gutted Europe. I mean Europe is just a shell of its former self walking around. Europe is a good example. Europe is walking around, and people go, &#8220;Oh, it&#8217;s Europe.&#8221;
But it&#8217;s not Europe anymore. It&#8217;s not the Europe of Michelangelo or Shakespeare or Mozart. It&#8217;s the Europe of nothing. It&#8217;s the Europe of &#8220;Oh you know I don&#8217;t want to work &#8212; I&#8217;m going to riot because you made me work more than 38 hours a week.&#8221; That is the Europe that&#8217;s left. Walking around looking like the Europe of its great culture. Let&#8217;s see if they can rebuild Notre Dame and then I&#8217;ll tell you if there&#8217;s anything left of Europe.
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/y-I0VPq4uNk?start=429" width="560"></iframe>
George Will made this comment recently. I have time for George Will. He&#8217;s just like kind of an old fashion guy. Andrew Breitbart always used to say &#8220;yeah George Will is great. He&#8217;s from the time when the Republicans were in the minority and they figured they always would be, and they didn&#8217;t want to win&#8221;. But he made this comment the other day about all this anti-elite nationalism populism that&#8217;s rising up throughout the West.
<blockquote>
George Will: What Mr. Trump represents is a pandemic, indiscriminate revolt against elites ignoring the following fact. The question is never, &#8220;will elites&#8217; rule?&#8221; Of course, they will, by definition. The question is which elites. The problem of democracy is to get public consent to worthy elites. And the kind of constant harping about elites, again the crybaby conservatism, people are picking on us, people are manipulating us. We don&#8217;t have real moral agency, we&#8217;re just passive. It&#8217;s victimology, now embraced by conservatives.
</blockquote>
Nonsense. That&#8217;s nonsense. It doesn&#8217;t even make any sense, right? He just said that people are throwing out the elites. That&#8217;s not victimology. These elites deserved it. They lost this fight. They lost it on the Right by ceding the ground to these leftists by being afraid to speak out. By being afraid to be called racist. By being silenced like the people in A Quiet Place. You know, they walk around not saying anything because they&#8217;re afraid that the leftist, racist monster is going to come and eat them up. You know, you&#8217;re a racist!
&#8220;No, no please, please don&#8217;t call me racist I&#8217;ll do anything.&#8221; That&#8217;s why they&#8217;ve been rejected. They gave away the country. They gave away the culture and now they&#8217;re saying, &#8220;Why did you kick us out?&#8221; We kicked you out because you failed. Donald Trump may be a bully. He may be obstreperous. He may be a loud mouth and a bore. But at least he stands up for the country and for what it should be and what it is and what it has been all these years.
<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.dailywire.com/podcasts/show/andrew-klavan-show&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1560605948520000&amp;usg=AFQjCNE5xfts6bdjLZPmerJuGVPsE693Lg" href="https://www.dailywire.com/podcasts/show/andrew-klavan-show" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Watch more of The Andrew Klavan Show here</a>.
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KLAVAN: What The Never-Trump Crowd Gets Wrong About Trump

Andrew Klavan

Conservatism

New York Times

Trump Administration

Voting Rights

Earlier this month, it seemed President Donald Trump&#8217;s former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/48016/paul-manafort-being-moved-solitary-confinement-ashe-schow">would be sent to solitary confinement</a> at notorious Rikers Island long before what is considered normal for most prisoners in his circumstance.
Manafort was, until recently, being held in a minimum security facility in Pennsylvania, where he was sent after being sentenced to seven years in prison for fraud, including hiding income from the IRS and obtaining millions of dollars in fraudulent bank loans, and for failing to file under the rarely enforced Foreign Agents Registration Act while working as a lobbyist. None of his crimes occurred in relation to his duties for the Trump campaign.
A New York State Judge ordered Manafort moved to Rikers at the request of New York City District Attorney Cyrus Vance, Jr. before his trial over additional fraud charges. A New York grand jury previously brought 16 counts against Manafort, &#8220;including residential mortgage fraud, falsifying business records and other charges,&#8221; Fox News <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/judge-orders-paul-manafort-to-be-transferred-to-new-york-citys-notorious-rikers-island">reported</a>.
Attorney Alan Dershowitz wrote in <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/alan-dershowitz-why-is-paul-manafort-off-to-rikers-prepare-to-be-shocked-and-outraged">an op-ed</a> that Manafort was being &#8220;treated differently and more harshly because of his past connections to President Trump.&#8221; Dershowitz said inmates in Manafort&#8217;s case aren&#8217;t moved &#8220;until the eve of their state trials.&#8221;
Dershowitz theorized at the time that Manafort was being treated this way to try to get him to cough up dirt on Trump that could be used to indict the president.
The New York Times now <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/17/nyregion/manafort-rikers.html">reports</a> that Manafort is not going to Rikers yet, framing the story as an intervention from U.S. Attorney General William Barr&#8217;s top deputy Jeffrey A. Rosen. Rosen told Manhattan prosecutors he&#8217;d be watching where Manafort was held in New York. Federal prison officials reportedly stepped in on Monday to stop Manafort&#8217;s transfer to Rikers.
In attempting to make it seem like Manafort is now receiving special treatment thanks to Barr, the Times neglected to mention what Dershowitz said about an inmate not being transferred &#8220;until the eve of their state trials&#8221; and that Manafort is now getting the same treatment as other inmates in his situation.
Manafort has been moved from his federal prison in Pennsylvania to the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Lower Manhattan. He could remain at this prison or return to the prison in Pennsylvania while awaiting trial, the Times reported.
Todd Blanche, one of Manafort&#8217;s lawyers, told the Times that his client shouldn&#8217;t even be facing state charges for crimes already included in two federal convictions.
&#8220;You&#8217;ll find no example of someone like Mr. Manafort being prosecuted by the feds and then by the district attorney for exactly the same conduct,&#8221; he said.
DA Vance responded to a letter from Blanche saying state prosecutors had no position on whether Manafort was held at Rikers, but that keeping him in Pennsylvania wasn&#8217;t an option under the law.

Paul Manafort No Longer Heading To Rikers. At Least Not Yet.

Paul Manafort

In a somewhat unexpected turn, President Donald Trump has a higher favorable rating in New York than New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio.
A <a href="https://scri.siena.edu/2019/06/10/voters-on-end-of-session-agenda-yes-on-marijuana-55-40/">Sienna College poll</a> from last week found that 29% of New Yorkers polled had a favorable view of de Blasio, while 34% had a favorable view of Trump.
While these numbers seem good or at least interesting for the current president, his unfavorable rating in the state is not. De Blasio had a 53% unfavorability rating, up from 50% in April, according to the <a href="https://nypost.com/2019/06/11/trump-is-more-popular-than-de-blasio-in-new-york-poll/">New York Post</a>. Trump, meanwhile, holds a 63% unfavorability rating, up from 59% in April.
Further, the poll found that even though New Yorkers don&#8217;t like de Blasio, they would still vote for him over Trump, 48% to 36%, in a head-to-head election. The most popular of the New York politicians currently running for president (or re-election) is Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, who, despite taking three months to qualify for the first debate and not even registering on many polls, has a 44% favorability rating in the Empire State.
Gillibrand would also beat Trump in New York if the election were held today, 58% to 34%.
&#8220;New York Democrats strongly prefer the hometown senator over the hometown mayor. Gillibrand would easily best de Blasio in every region of the state, including New York City, where she beats him 56-29 percent,&#8221; Siena College pollster Steven Greenberg said in a statement about the poll. &#8220;Blue New York shows no interest in supporting the incumbent Republican President for re-election.&#8221;
And that&#8217;s the big takeaway. It&#8217;s certainly interesting that New Yorkers gave Trump a higher favorability rating than de Blasio (probably because much of New York outside of the Big Apple is actually red) even though Trump would still lose the state to whichever Democrat wins the primary. And that is never going to change.
New York is a Deep Blue state. The population centered in New York City makes it so. Trump is never going to win the state or even come close to doing so.
This poll also does nothing for de Blasio nationally. He was already polling around 0, so the fact that people in his own home state don&#8217;t like him all that much isn&#8217;t going to hurt his chances any more. A recent poll from Iowa, the first primary state, found that de Blasio was absolutely no one&#8217;s first or second choice for president from the massive list of Democrats running in the primary. De Blasio and Miramar, Florida Mayor Wayne Messam were the only two that received no first- or second-choice votes. It was a pretty stunning feat for de Blasio, since the mayor of New York City tends to have pretty decent name recognition. Few people outside of that area in Florida have heard of Messam.
It must be embarrassing for the Democratic candidates who typically get so much media coverage &#8212; such as de Blasio or Gillibrand &#8212; to be doing so poorly in the Democratic Party primary.

More New Yorkers Like Donald Trump Than NYC Mayor Bill De Blasio, Poll Finds

Poll

On Thursday, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, signed a bill into law that will immediately end religious exemptions for vaccine mandates.
Cuomo said he signed the bill in order to protect the public in the midst of one of the worst measles outbreak in decades, which he categorized as a &#8220;public health crisis,&#8221; <a href="https://newyork.cbslocal.com/2019/06/14/new-york-ends-religious-exemptions-for-measles-vaccinations/">reported</a> CBS New York.
The outbreak first sparked in October, the outlet noted, and spread in parts of New York City, particularly among Orthodox Jewish communities.
&#8220;Rockland County declared a countywide State of Emergency relating to the ongoing measles outbreak,&#8221; <a href="https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/Rockland-County-State-Emergency-Measles-507672921.html?ff">reported</a> NBC in March. &#8220;Effective at the stroke of midnight, Wednesday, anyone who is under 18 years of age and unvaccinated against the measles will be barred from public places until this declaration expires in 30 days or until they receive the MMR vaccination.&#8221;
With the passing of the law, parents will be forced to vaccinate their children before they can attend school in the state, and religious exemptions won&#8217;t get them out of it. Parents and teens have <a href="http://objection%20to%20its%20apparent%20ties%20to%20abortion">morally objected</a> to certain vaccines based upon ties to abortion. Now, the only acceptable exemptions from the mandate will be for medical reasons, such as a child&#8217;s weakened immune system.
While opponents of the legislation protested in Assembly chambers on Thursday, sponsors of the bill praised its passing as a measure of protection for children.
&#8220;If your kid is immunocompromised and going to school or a day care center, you want to know that they&#8217;re going to be safe,&#8221; said State Sen. Brad Hoylman, a sponsor of the legislation, according to CBS New York.
&#8220;It&#8217;s our obligation to act,&#8221; State Sen. David Carlucci said. &#8220;We have to do everything we can to get the number of people vaccinated up.&#8221;
&#8220;The government does not have the right to interfere with my personal religious beliefs,&#8221; said one woman protesting the law. &#8220;We will not vaccinate. What&#8217;s going to happen is we&#8217;re going to either home school or we&#8217;re going to move out of state.&#8221;
Assemblyman Simcha Eichenstein, a Democrat, noted that he is pro-vaccine but could not vote for the bill out of &#8220;constitutional duty.&#8221;
&#8220;Despite my pro-vaccination stance and despite my beliefs that there are no religious restrictions, it is my constitutional duty to vote in the negative,&#8221; he said.
California is headed the way of New York when it comes to vaccines via SB 276. Actress Jessica Biel <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/48355/jessica-biel-branded-anti-vaxxer-after-meeting-ca-amanda-prestigiacomo">sparked</a> debate over vaccines earlier this week when she met with some 15 California legislators to discuss her concerns about the bill and advocate for parental rights.
Biel said she is &#8220;not against vaccinations&#8221; but supports &#8220;families having the right to make educated medical decisions for their children alongside their physicians.&#8221;
&#8220;This week I went to Sacramento to talk to legislators in California about a proposed bill,&#8221; she wrote in an Instagram post on Thursday. &#8220;I am not against vaccinations &#8212; I support children getting vaccinations and I also support families having the right to make educated medical decisions for their children alongside their physicians.&#8221;
&#8220;My concern with #SB277 is solely regarding medical exemptions. My dearest friends have a child with a medical condition that warrants an exemption from vaccinations, and should this bill pass, it would greatly affect their family&#8217;s ability to care for their child in this state,&#8221; the post continued. &#8220;That&#8217;s why I spoke to legislators and argued against this bill. Not because I don&#8217;t believe in vaccinations, but because I believe in giving doctors and the families they treat the ability to decide what&#8217;s best for their patients and the ability to provide that treatment.&#8221;
Proponents of vaccination mandates claim SB 276 &#8220;will have minimal impact on those with valid reasons for exemption, citing medical authorities like the bill&#8217;s prominent co-sponsors: the California Medical Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics, California,&#8221; The Daily Beast <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/jessica-biel-comes-out-as-anti-vaxx-activist-joins-robert-f-kennedy-jr-to-lobby-against-ca-vaccination-bill?via=twitter_page">reported</a>.
As reported by The Daily Wire in April, a judge told a Catholic teenager from Kentucky, Jerome Kunkel, that he is not allowed back in school after morally objecting to receiving a vaccination for the chicken pox due to its apparent ties to abortion.
&#8221;It&#8217;s my understanding that the vaccine is derived from aborted fetal cells,&#8221; said Kunkel, <a href="https://lawandcrime.com/lawsuit/judge-denies-unvaccinated-teens-demand-to-return-to-school/">according</a> to WLWT. &#8220;And it is against my religion. Abortion is against my religion.&#8221;
As <a href="https://khn.org/morning-breakout/catholic-church-has-given-green-light-to-using-vaccines-derived-from-aborted-fetal-cells-but-one-family-is-still-suing-over-beliefs/">noted</a> by KHN Morning Briefing, &#8220;The Varicella vaccine, specifically, is derived from the cell lines of two fetuses that were electively aborted in the 1960s.&#8221;

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