A small New York town of roughly 16,000 people has <a href="https://activistmommy.com/library-to-host-lgbtqia-diversity-program-after-residents-defeat-drag-queen-story-hour/">rebuffed their local library</a>, which had planned to host a Drag Queen Story Hour event on February 8.
Robin Janovich and Tom McDermott of <a href="https://ryerecord.com/drag-queen-story-hour-deferred-but-controversy-ensues/">The Rye Record</a> saw an announcement about the program at the Rye Free Reading Room (RFRR) in late January. Janovich wrote that seeing the announcement “stopped us in our editing tracks: Drag Queen Story Hour. For ages 3-8. ‘Families can celebrate difference, learn empathy, and create crafts…Kids are encouraged to celebrate diversity while building confidence in self-expression.’”
Janovich continued, “My first thought was: ‘We’re not in Kansas anymore, or in traditional library land for that matter.” But I refrained from comment because I’m an AARP member and a grandmother and maybe I’m not that edgy Manhattan sophisticate I was in my youth.’”
Some questions arose: “Are families likely to bring their young children to a program that uses drag queens to focus on inclusivity? Why are we foisting conversations on inclusivity on children that young? Are we replacing bedtime stories, which take children out of themselves and out into other, far more interesting worlds, with discussions of sexual differences when they are innocent sponges?”
Janovich continued that members of the community were also disturbed by the announcement, prompting Janovich and McDermott to attempt to contact RFRR Director Chris Shoemaker, whom she noted was out of town for the weekend.
One young grandmother in the community told Janovich that she had met with Shoemaker, then stated:
<blockquote>But I’ve had a few days to consider all the community feedback, talk with my children (who said they’d skip it), their friends, my friends, and I still believe that this program is inappropriate — and misguided. Children need to experience diversity, not have it thrown in their face. And if we’re going to present a complex issue like this, the audience members should be much older than 8 and the presenter should be an expert on sexual preference … This is not a child’s play dress-up topic to be presented to 3- to 8-year-olds and confuse their developing sense of self.</blockquote>
Later that afternoon, Janovich stated, Drag Queen Story Hour was “deferred.” She added, “Why deferred and not cancelled altogether was the resounding community response.”
Janovich said Shoemaker admitted that he had received numerous emails from Rye residents voicing their disapproval of the event, but added, “But nearly all of those emails were anonymous, so I couldn’t respond to them individually. They were form letters asking that the library be neutral in its viewpoints and not create an unwelcome environment … After looking at all the feedback and considering whether we should be using an adult performer to spread this message, I decided the library should pause and refocus on engaging different educators.”
A petition was created to get the library to reinstitute the program; the <a href="https://www.thepetitionsite.com/359/981/328/support-acceptance-and-inclusion-drag-queen-story-hour-at-rye-free-reading-room/">petition</a> cited the local residents’ &#8220;ignorance,&#8221; stating:
<blockquote>Unfortunately, DQSH has been interpreted as threatening by a small but vocal group of citizens, who, in their ignorance, have taken a children&#8217;s event about gender identity, inclusiveness, and acceptance and conflated it with sexual identity, sex work, and pedophilia. Protests have been occurring behind closed doors &#8211; through scripted statements and anonymous petitions.</blockquote>
The City of Rye’s Human Rights Commission <a href="https://www.humanrightsrye.org/news/2020/1/31/human-rights-commission-statement-on-drag-queen-story-hour-at-the-rye-free-reading-roomnbsp">stated</a>:
<blockquote>Drag Queen Story Hour is an opportunity for children to be exposed to different forms of beauty and performance. It can also help to dispel stigma and stereotypes that are so often, unfortunately and inaccurately, projected onto LGBTQ youth. The program gives children, their families and caregivers positive role models who break gender stereotypes and encourage children to be exactly who they want to be. We look forward to the Rye Free Reading Room’s reinstatement of this event.</blockquote>
&nbsp;

Cropped Hand Of Child Choosing Book Over White Background

Small Town Pushes Back Against Library’s Drag Queen Event For Young Children. Now It’s A Battle.

drag queen

New York

House Democrats, ready to begin investigating the Trump Administration anew after being thwarted in their efforts to remove the president from office, have demanded information on a Department of Homeland Security decision made late last week, ending the &#8220;trusted traveler&#8221; and &#8220;global entry&#8221; programs for New York residents.
Homeland Security Committee Chair Bennie Thompson (D-MN) and House Oversight and Reform Committee Chair Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) are demanding documents from the White House outlining when and why the Trump Administration made the decision to &#8220;retaliate&#8221; against New York for its new, permissive drivers license program.
“We write today to express our opposition to the decision by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to discriminate against residents of the State of New York by barring them from enrolling or re-enrolling in four U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Trusted Traveler Programs,” the two lawmakers wrote in a letter issued to the White House late Saturday. &#8220;We are concerned that the Department&#8217;s policy change may be an improper attempt to use official DHS policy to punish the punish the people of New York because their state government has a political disagreement with the Trump Administration over immigration policy.&#8221;
“This senseless, retaliatory decision should be immediately reversed,&#8221; they demanded, listing a host of DHS documents they&#8217;d like to see.
Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf announced the department&#8217;s new policy barring New Yorkers from using the Transportation Safety Administration&#8217;s &#8220;Trusted Traveler Program&#8221; (TTP) and &#8220;Global Entry&#8221; program last Wednesday, <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/house-dems-demand-documents-on-dhs-move-to-suspend-global-entry-for-ny-over-sanctuary-law">according to Fox News</a>, linking the decision to New York&#8217;s new &#8220;Green Light law,&#8221; which allows illegal immigrants to obtain a driver&#8217;s license, potentially giving those same individuals access to TSA programs that allow them to bypass security screenings.
The Green Light Law also cuts off Customs and Border Patrol&#8217;s access to individual driving records so that CBP and Immigration and Customs Enforcement cannot use those records to initiate deportation proceedings. DHS relies on driving records in its TTP investigations; applicants who have a DUI or other serious traffic offense on their record are not approved for the program.
The Green Light Law &#8220;compromises CBP&#8217;s ability to confirm whether an individual applying for TTP membership meets program eligibility requirements,&#8221; Wolf said in his letter to New York&#8217;s state government outlining the new ban. &#8220;This Act and the corresponding lack of security cooperation from the New York DMV requires DHS to take immediate action to ensure DHS&#8217; s efforts to protect the Homeland are not compromised.&#8221;
DHS also served several subpoenas to the New York Department of Corrections last month, seeking information on whether the NYDOC is deliberately not cooperating with immigration officials, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/02/07/politics/global-entry-new-york-chad-wolf/index.html">according to CNN</a>.
New York announced late last week that they intend to sue the Trump Administration to have the ban lifted.
House Democrats have restarted a number of investigations into the Trump White House, suspended while the House Democratic caucus pursued an impeachment inquiry stemming from allegations that President Donald Trump traded foreign aid to the Ukraine for an investigation into whether former Vice President Joe Biden abused his power, turning Ukrainian investigators off of an oil and gas company, Burisma, that employed his son, Hunter.
If Democrats pursue this investigation, it would likely mark the first new inquiry following Trump&#8217;s Senate acquittal.

U.S. Customs Allows Pre-Approved Travelers To Bypass Passport Lines

House Dems Now Investigating Trump Administration Decision To End ‘Global Entry’ In New York

Department of Homeland Security

Illegal Immigration

The Daily Wire conducted an email interview with New York City Jewish leader <a href="https://twitter.com/HikindDov">Dov Hikind</a>, a former Democratic New York state assemblyman, founder of <a href="https://twitter.com/AmericansAA">Americans Against Antisemitism</a>, and prominent public-facing activist representing large swaths of New York&#8217;s Orthodox Jewish community. Just last month, President Trump called Hikind a &#8220;highly respected Jewish leader&#8221;:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Thank you to highly respected Jewish leader Dov Hikind for his wonderful statements about me this morning on <a href="https://twitter.com/foxandfriends?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@foxandfriends</a>.
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1211655287247126535?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 30, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
What follows is a question-and-answer exchange about anti-Semitism — and how to fight it.
The Daily Wire (TDW): Anti-Semitism is, of course, the world&#8217;s oldest bigotry. But why has it been so on the rise over the past decade or so in Europe and now, it seems, in the U.S.?
Dov Hikind (DH): The answer is complex, as there are many factors involved. Though Europe and the U.S. are experiencing increased anti-Semitism, the sources aren’t exactly the same. In Europe, most physical attacks and verbal assaults are committed by Muslims — though there is also a resurgent far-Right. In America, nationally, it is primarily a white supremacy problem; but in the major cities, which happen to be areas with high concentration of Jews, it’s the far-Left and minority groups that are responsible for perpetuating anti-Semitism and justifying the violence committed in its name. But what they do have in common is that the rise happens because hatred is tolerated and anti-Semitism is back in vogue. Additionally, the cesspool of hatred that can be found on social media has no borders or political affiliations and serves to feed the growing hateful appetites on both sides of the Atlantic.
TDW: How much do you blame Governor Andrew Cuomo and Mayor Bill de Blasio for the rise in anti-Semitism in New York and New York City, specifically?
DH: I’m not in the habit of blaming any single individual for a massive problem that predates their own existence. The governor and mayor did not create anti-Semitism and certainly don’t directly contribute to its rise. They are, however, responsible for reacting appropriately and swiftly to restore the sense of security that has been robbed of the Jewish community. And here, the onus is more on the mayor than the governor since it’s New York City that is far beyond out of control in comparison with any other city in America. That’s not a great distinction for New York to hold. So I don’t blame them for the rise, but they are to be held accountable for the lack of results on the ground.
TDW: To what extent have Mayor de Blasio&#8217;s constant attacks on police undermined the safety of Jews in New York City?
DH: That goes to the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-hammer-on-tipping-point-with-liz-wheeler-new-yorks-insane-pro-criminal-bail-law">broader issue of policing and criminal justice</a> that we’re seeing unfold now. There’s no doubt that when respect for law enforcement is undermined, so is respect for the law itself. Add to that the lack of consequences for violent anti-Semitic criminals, and there’s no doubt as to why there’s a lack of deterrence and the attacks continue unabated. The police of New York City are the best; they just need to be enabled to do their jobs with the dignity and respect they deserve. Strong policing ensures safe communities; they go hand in hand. It remains to be seen if these trends will be reversed or if they continue to deteriorate.
TDW: Why do so many Jews seem to not take self-defense seriously? Why is a fear of guns and gun ownership so seemingly popular among large swaths of the Jewish community?
DH: Two reasons: First, there is a notion that G-d protects every person, not guns — so if a person’s time comes, no gun will help. Second, there is a legitimate fear that in households filled with children, bringing in a lot of guns to a community that is not especially adjusted to it will only lead to accidents and tragedies that will be painfully regretted. Also, there’s a notion that the fighter, the one to take up arms, is not for every segment of the Jewish population. Some study and pray, some fight. I do think it’s important for every person, Jewish or not, to know how to defend oneself in this crazy and unpredictable world, but that’s a decision for each individual to make.
TDW: Why do so many people politicize anti-Semitism and weaponize it as a cudgel? Why do so many on the Left, in particular, only focus on white nationalist/neo-Nazi anti-Semitism and turn a blind eye to anti-Semitism from Islamists, so-called &#8220;anti-Zionists,&#8221; and black nationalists alike?
DH: Anti-Semitism has always been used as a cudgel. Rather, more precisely, Jews have always been used as political cudgel (in previous times, known as “the Jewish question/problem”). What it signifies is a certain decay and rot within society. When a society cannot face its decisions and actions, and instead seeks a scapegoat, the most available and returned to in history, are the Jews. Easy. Convenient. And it comes with an entire repertoire of “reasons” for hating Jews. Now, at this point in time, in America, it is the Left that has a major blind spot when it comes to anti-Semites in their ranks, and that’s because anti-Semites got so good at couching hateful rhetoric in the guise of humanitarian concern that they’ve lost sight of what they’re really promoting. Think of the morning Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) woke up to find that David Duke had tweeted in her support! A white supremacist neo-Nazi tweeting support for an African-American anti-Zionist anti-Semite! That’s the level of distortion and blindness at play in the current landscape that leads to such strange political bedfellows.
TDW: Is so-called &#8220;anti-Zionism&#8221; the same as anti-Semitism, pure and simple?
DH: Yes. Pure and simple. Why? Because can you find a similar movement that is “anti-China” over its detention of over 1,000,000 Uighur Muslims? Is there any anti-Syria movement over Bashar al-Assad’s committing genocide against his own people? The list goes on. The answer is no. There is only one movement of people that are mobilized to challenge the &#8220;right to exist&#8221; and sovereignty of a single nation on Earth, and that so happens to be the lone Jewish state. Anti-Zionism is simply one variation of anti-Semitism. It’s on the menu. You can hate Jews because we’re not white (neo-Nazis), because we’re white and share in its privilege (far-Left), or because we’re baby-killing, Zionist-colonialists who have absolutely no history in the land of Israel (radical Islamism). They can take their pick from the &#8220;hate du jour.&#8221;
TDW: What can be done to make Zionism and the pro-Israel cause palatable and popular again among the American and international Left?
DH: You know, traditionally this question gets an answer like, “we have to show how valuable Israel is to the world, how the start-up nation is innovating for the betterment of the world by bringing water and irrigation technologies to rain-deprived regions in Africa and being among the first to send rescue teams and humanitarian aid when natural disasters strike any country on earth.” But I’m personally sick of those answers because it implies that we need to constantly compete in some kind of warped popularity contest. Our deserving of equal rights and treatment on the global stage should not be tied to how wonderful Israel is. No. Let’s take Israel for no better than any other state, no more amazing — it would still be no less deserving of fair treatment! So I don’t think we can magically make Zionism and Israel more palatable, but more importantly, I don’t think that’s where our energies should go.
TDW: Why is Israel so unpopular on the American university campus? What can be done to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hammer-how-pro-israel-students-campus-can-fight-josh-hammer">counter growing anti-Israel and anti-Jewish sentiment</a> on the university campus?
DH: We know for a fact that a lot of money has been pouring into the American university system from <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hammer-al-jazeeras-disgraceful-holocaust-denying-josh-hammer">terror-supporting states like Qatar</a>, which bankrolls <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hammer-israel-must-destroy-hamas-once-and-all-josh-hammer">Hamas</a> as well as the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hammer-designating-muslim-brotherhood-terrorist-josh-hammer">Muslim Brotherhood</a> and its American subsidiary, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/firester-cairs-fight-to-undermine-u-s-border-security-continues">CAIR</a>. These benefactors are behind groups such as Students for Justice in Palestine, which is single handedly responsible for creating a terribly toxic environment for Jewish students and faculty. Frankly, I don’t believe Jewish groups will ever invest the same resources in combating those efforts as the enemies of Israel do, but it goes back to high school education. When you peel that layer back and see what kind of Jewish education students have received prior to arriving on campus, it becomes clear that too many lack the basic and adequate knowledge to defend themselves against the malicious lies and libels that anti-Semitic student groups spread. If we can better educate our high school students, they’ll have a better chance at fighting back against anti-Semitism on university campuses.
TDW: What role does education play, exactly, in countering anti-Semitism? How can education about the Holocaust and Jewish history, in general, help counter the trend?
DH: Crucial. Central. It’s all about education. Hate is borne of ignorance. But the task is doubly as hard because it’s not only a matter of getting the right information to students, but working to counter all the lies and falsehoods that are perpetuated at astounding speed and frequency. The Holocaust is the central case study of anti-Semitism because it encapsulates from beginning to end what the dangers of unchecked anti-Semitism look like. What starts with hateful rhetoric can easily end in a genocide perpetrated by the most &#8220;cultured&#8221; and &#8220;civilized&#8221; of European societies, with a majority of its citizens partaking in the apparatus that annihilated six million Jews. No society is immune to the plague of anti-Semitism. However, those who choose ignorance and denial of the Holocaust rather than wrestling with its wrenching paradoxes are those most likely to repeat its darkest chapters.
TDW: What advice would you give to those who are trying to make a difference in their own lives, in terms of countering anti-Semitism?
DH: Action! Get involved with an organization, like Americans Against Antisemitism, that takes concrete steps to combat this hatred. Taking part gives the individual a sense of control, that we are not victims or pawns, that we will not be pushed around, but will stand up for our G-d-given rights. But individuals can do anything that works for them. For some, it’s being loud on social media; for others it&#8217;s hosting events and attending rallies. The point is for every individual to do his or her part, no matter how small or big, because our force is increased with unity. And to be clear, one need not be Jewish to take up the fight against anti-Semitism; the fight to eradicate this special and oldest of hatreds is quintessentially an American struggle for the right to live in freedom and pursue happiness.

Assemblyman Dov Hikind &#8211; Jewish organizations held a protest

Fighting Anti-Semitism: An Interview With Jewish Leader Dov Hikind

Andrew Cuomo

Anti-Semitism

Bill de Blasio

CAIR

Crime

Hamas

Hate Crime

Holocaust

Israel

Judaism

Despite documented and totally foreseen failures in New York’s bail reform law – including the death of an innocent person due to the actions of one of the released criminals – Democrat politicians in the state don’t appear ready to make changes that would fix the law.
The New York Post <a href="https://nypost.com/2020/01/17/state-democrats-stay-the-course-on-bail-reform-law-despite-outrage/">reported</a> that “Department of Correction statistics show there were a total of 5,569 people in city jails on Thursday, a 19% drop from the 6,877 counted on Nov. 21.”
The drop comes after city judges started releasing defendants without bail ahead of the bail reform law taking effect on January 1.
As The Daily Wire has previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/another-bail-reform-fail-gang-member-released-from-prison-sent-back-same-day-for-committing-same-crime">documented</a>, numerous defendants who were released without bail went on to commit crimes similar to the ones they were arrested for in the first place. In one case, a man with a criminal history and numerous drunk driving offenses was released under the new bail reform law and went on to cause a crash that resulted in the death of a 27-year-old. The man responsible for the crash was charged with a DWI.
The Post also reported examples of defendants released only to commit the same crimes that got them arrested, including an accused bank robber and a woman accused of an anti-Semitic attack.
As the Post reported, Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D-NY) failed to mention any of the issues with the bill during his annual State of the State Address, nor did he tout the bill. Cuomo has in the past <a href="https://nypost.com/2020/01/13/cuomo-again-supports-change-to-new-bail-law-but-gives-no-specifics/">suggested</a> he would support changes to the law but has offered no specifics.
Democrats in the state legislature also appear to be stalling on any changes.
“Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie (D-Bronx) has said he’s ‘ready to let the law continue the way it is’ and Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins (D-Yonkers) said, ‘I want to be able to sort out the fact from fear­mongering,’” the Post reported.
Assembly Minority Leader Will Barclay criticized Democrats for failing to act.
“New York liberals’ pro-criminal platform now allows people to sucker-punch a police officer, rob five banks or kill someone with a car and just walk away with an appearance ticket,” Barclay said. “It’s no wonder jail populations are going down.”
Last week, Eusebio Jax-Mejia, 21, was released after being arrested for stealing a vehicle. Within hours of his release, he stole another vehicle – from outside the Delaware County Public Safety building.
Earlier in January, a man who had been charged with second-degree manslaughter in connection with the murder of a 29-year-old woman from Albany was released due to the bail reform law. The man allegedly admitted to causing the woman’s death, but that is apparently no longer enough to keep him in jail under the new law.
The Post also <a href="https://nypost.com/2020/01/17/brick-man-is-nycs-newest-bail-reform-poster-boy/">reported</a> on “Brick Man,” who got the name because he would use a brick to smash the windows of businesses he would then burglarize. He had been arrested three times in connection with burglaries but was released thanks to Cuomo’s bail reform law. After his release, he allegedly committed two more smash-and-grabs.

New York Democrats Don’t Appear Concerned About Bail Reform Failures

bail reform

A man who claims to be a member of the dangerous MS-13 gang was released from prison thanks to New York’s bail reform law, only to be arrested the same day for committing the same crime that landed him in jail in the first place.
Eusebio Jax-Mejia, 21, was jailed on January 1 after stealing a vehicle from Dutchess County and then giving Walton police a fake name. At the time, he was imprisoned on charges of “criminal possession of stolen property in the 3rd degree, a class D felony and false impersonation, a class B misdemeanor,” WBNG <a href="https://wbng.com/2020/01/15/sheriff-suspect-released-sent-back-to-jail-same-day-in-delaware-county/">reported</a>.
Jax-Mejia was released Tuesday thanks to New York’s bail reform law, which has allowed numerous criminals to go free after their arrest rather than sit in jail for their crimes. The law was intended to ensure that the jail system wasn’t allowing wealthy individuals more freedom than low-income criminals who couldn’t “buy” their way out of prison. But large bail amounts would be set to prohibit dangerous people from returning to the streets, but now some of those people are being let loose to commit the same crimes that landed them in prison in the first place.
Just hours after Jax-Mejia was released, he was arrested again for stealing a vehicle – this time a vehicle from outside the Delaware County Public Safety building, WBNG reported. This time Jax-Mejia was charged with “grand larceny in the 3rd degree, a class D felony,” the outlet reported.
In <a href="https://www.facebook.com/DelawareCountySheriff/photos/a.612392405599642/1392267927612082/?type=3&amp;theater">a statement</a> posted on Facebook, the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office addressed Jax-Mejia’s arrest and took a shot at the bail reform law.
“This is just one of many examples of the failed so-called bail reform legislation that was enacted on January 1st. Dangerous criminals throughout New York State are being released after committing violent, felony-level acts only to re-offend and continue to commit dangerous felony-level acts, creating victims and wreaking havoc in their wake,” said Sheriff Craig DuMond. “Does Governor Cuomo and our State Legislature really believe that dangerous criminals who are immediately released will not re-offend and instead show up for court? Real victims are being created by the hour and real lives are being lost. When will they come to their senses and fix the problems they created? The people of New York State are crying out and their voices are falling on deaf ears. The first duty of any public official is to provide for the safety of the people they represent and, currently, they are failing miserably. I call upon the Governor and State Legislature to put politics aside and immediately address the dangerous pieces of bail and discovery reform.”
The Daily Wire has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-democrats-bail-reform-has-already-cost-a-life-seething-family-speaks-out">reported</a> previously that one person has already died due to the bail reform law. Jonathan Armand Flores-Maldonado, 27, was killed after Jordan Randolph – a man with a lengthy criminal history that includes numerous drunk driving offenses – was released from prison. Randolph had been arrested for failing to obtain the court-ordered ignition interlock device for his car. He was released on January 1 and 11 days later was involved in a crash that killed Flores-Maldonado. Randolph was charged with a DWI in connection with the crash.

Facepalm

Another Bail Reform Fail: Gang Member Released From Prison, Sent Back Same Day For Committing Same Crime

MS-13 Gang

Last night, Daily Wire Editor-at-Large Josh Hammer, an attorney and former federal judicial law clerk, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cup29nPmOgo">joined</a> “Tipping Point With Liz Wheeler” on One America News Network to discuss New York state&#8217;s extraordinarily controversial new &#8220;bail reform&#8221; legislation. The law, which the New York Post editorial board <a href="https://nypost.com/2020/01/07/with-lives-at-stake-albany-must-bail-reform-failure-now/">decries</a> today as a flat-out &#8220;bad law,&#8221; eliminates the possibility of judge-imposed cash bail for the overwhelming majority of crimes committed in the Empire State.
Here is how the Post <a href="https://nypost.com/2020/01/07/with-lives-at-stake-albany-must-bail-reform-failure-now/">describes</a> some of the problems with the law:
<blockquote>One huge problem: The new law prevents judges from ordering most criminal suspects jailed, or even requiring them to post bail, no matter how clear a threat to public safety they pose. Judges retain discretion only if the charges include a handful of very violent crimes and they deem the suspect a clear flight risk.
This guarantees a revolving door for serious perps: Caught for a minor holdup, you’ll be charged and released — and can do it again, get caught again and be released again, time after time after time.</blockquote>
The Daily Wire has also <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/democrat-bail-reform-woman-involved-in-anti-semitic-attack-arrested-released-for-3-crimes-in-5-days">previously reported</a> on the law&#8217;s noxiousness. The Daily Wire&#8217;s Amanda Prestigiacomo recently <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/democrat-bail-reform-woman-involved-in-anti-semitic-attack-arrested-released-for-3-crimes-in-5-days">reported</a> on a serial anti-Semitic assaulter who astoundingly committed three separate crimes in a span of five days due to the law&#8217;s inordinate leniency. As also reported by Prestigiacomo, all five borough district attorneys in New York City have gone on the record stating that the law goes too far in favoring defendants.
Hammer has consistently been very critical of this type of pro-criminal, &#8220;jailbreak&#8221;-style legislation. Last weekend, Giancarlo Sopo of TheBlaze <a href="https://www.theblaze.com/news/virginia_weak_on_crime_democrats">quoted</a> him in the context of a similar partisan Democratic initiative in Virginia:
<blockquote>Reached by telephone, constitutional law attorney and Daily Wire editor-at-large Josh Hammer told TheBlaze that [the proposed Virginia] bill is part of a pattern among Democrats and like-minded &#8220;weak-on-crime&#8221; Republicans.
&#8220;Across the country, we see so many leftist Democrats — joined by no small share of libertarian-leaning Republicans — subscribing to the same weak-on-crime agenda,&#8221; Hammer, who has been critical of similar so-called &#8220;criminal justice reform&#8221; efforts, said.
&#8220;New York&#8217;s harrowing recent &#8216;bail reform&#8217; proposal is a shining example, and this Democratic proposal in Virginia fits in neatly, as well. Americans have historically cherished law and order, and it is devastating to see these kind of jailbreak, pro-criminal policies take hold as we descend further into mass lawlessness,&#8221; he added.</blockquote>
Wheeler began the segment by asking Hammer about the New York lawmakers&#8217; purported aim — to reduce inequality and promote justice — and why the law&#8217;s authors do not seem to care about equality and justice for the actual victims of crime. Hammer launched into a rant about how the Left is able to effectively wield seemingly anodyne language, such as &#8220;bail reform,&#8221; as a cudgel to advance their lawless agenda:
<blockquote>The problem with the Left is the Left speaks about justice and compassion and all these fancy words. They never focus on the people who actually suffer &#8230; from their policies. So in the case of border security and amnesty, there is no one who suffers worse from an open border and the human trafficking by drug cartels than the aliens themselves who are trafficked. In the case of &#8220;criminal justice reform,&#8221; &#8220;bail reform,&#8221; no one suffers more than victims of crime.
Where is anyone speaking for the victims of crime? But you know what the Left also does, Liz? The Left is amazing at getting the right version of language for their policies. &#8220;Bail reform,&#8221; it sounds so innocuous, right? What they&#8217;re doing is they&#8217;re throwing out a system of bail that has existed since at least 13th century England! That is how far back bail goes — cash bail, monetary bail. This is literally a centuries-old phenomenon that they are just throwing out.</blockquote>
WATCH:
<iframe title="New York&#039;s No Bail Law Disaster" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Cup29nPmOgo?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Hammer OANN 1.07.20

WATCH: Hammer On ‘Tipping Point With Liz Wheeler’: New York’s Insane Pro-Criminal Bail Law

Jail

Leftism

New York City

Prison

Progressivism

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After an onslaught of bad press over the disastrous first week of Democrat-implemented &#8220;bail reform&#8221; in New York, Democrats are considering changes to the legislation.
&#8220;Democrats are opening the door to changes on New York&#8217;s bail reform law as the legislative session begins this week,&#8221; a <a href="https://www.whec.com/news/democrats-consider-altering-bail-reform-law/5600135/?cat=565">News 10 NBC</a> report outlined on Tuesday. Democratic Governor Andrew Cuomo &#8220;says he will consider adding hate crimes to the list of offenses for which judges can set bail.&#8221;
The blue state&#8217;s criminal justice reform package has come under fire from even liberals, as noted by <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/democrat-bail-reform-woman-involved-in-anti-semitic-attack-arrested-released-for-3-crimes-in-5-days">The Daily Wire</a>.
Bail reform, which was reportedly implemented early in New York City by Mayor Bill de Blasio, led to a woman charged with an anti-Semitic attack to be arrested and released three times in five days.
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Harris “was <a href="https://nypost.com/2019/12/27/jewish-mom-son-assaulted-in-latest-anti-semitic-attack-in-brooklyn/">nabbed for allegedly slugging three Jewish women</a> and yelling ‘F-U, Jews!’ but let go Saturday with no bail, despite an open assault case. Last month, she got no jail for a felony in another incident,” <a href="https://nypost.com/2019/12/30/revolving-door-injustice-serial-slugger-gets-sprung-again/">The New York Post</a> reported. “Nabbed again Sunday in a new attack, she was once more freed, on no bail, Monday.
In another case, a man charged with second degree manslaughter in connection to the murder of a 29-year-old Albany woman was released from jail after the judge overseeing the case reportedly claimed Democrats’ new “bail reform” legislation no longer allows her to keep the charged party in custody, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-man-charged-with-second-degree-manslaughter-released-from-prison-under-democrats-bail-reform">The Daily Wire</a> reported Thursday.
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“Happening now: Paul Barbaritano is being released on his own recognizance,” Spectrum News Albany&#8217;s Jaclyn Cangro reported. “He is charged with 2nd degree manslaughter in connection to the death of Nicole Jennings.”
“Barbaritano was being held at the Albany County Jail. The DA’s Office argued he made admissions that he ’caused’ Jennings’ death,” Cangro noted.
The judge “repeatedly said that’s no longer the burden for bail,&#8221; the reporter added.
“A city man charged with second-degree manslaughter in the strangulation-and-stabbing death of a woman was released from jail Thursday under the new bail reforms that eliminated bail for that charge and most other felonies,&#8221; the <a href="https://www.timesunion.com/news/article/Albany-man-accuse-of-woman-s-death-set-free-under-14944854.php">Times-Union</a> echoed.
Last Tuesday, a man with a conviction for shooting an upstate New York police officer under his belt was released without bail for new drug offenses, <a href="https://www.rochesterfirst.com/crime/tyquan-rivera-man-who-shot-rpd-officer-in-2009-released-from-custody/">Rochester First</a> reported:
<blockquote>Tyquan Rivera, the <a href="https://www.rochesterfirst.com/news/local-news/tyquan-rivera-released-from-prison-a-day-early/">man convicted of shooting Rochester Police officer Anthony DiPonzio in 2009</a>, was released from custody without bail Thursday.
Rivera is <a href="https://www.rochesterfirst.com/crime/tyquan-rivera-man-who-shot-officer-in-2009-pleaded-not-guilty-to-drug-charges/">facing two new counts of criminal sale of a controlled substance in the third degree</a> after being arrested in December. According to court paperwork, Rivera sold Fentanyl in 60 envelopes to two undercover officers in two separate sales.
Assistant District Attorney Matt Schwartz said Rivera’s release is the result of the <a href="https://www.rochesterfirst.com/news/local-news/as-bail-reform-laws-approach-some-leaders-express-concerns/">newly-enacted bail reform laws in New York state</a></blockquote>
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<div class="col-xs-12">&#8220;Law enforcement officials and Republicans have spent months raising red flags on the changes, but their criticism caught more fervor in the last week as courts across the state have released people who would have remained behind bars under the old rules,&#8221; News 10 NBC highlighted.</div>
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&#8220;We are done laying down and taking it,&#8221; warned New York Republican Chairman Nick Langworthy. &#8220;We are going to fight back and fight back with authority as Republicans.&#8221;
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-man-charged-with-second-degree-manslaughter-released-from-prison-under-democrats-bail-reform">Man Charged With Second Degree Manslaughter RELEASED From Prison Under Democrats’ ‘Bail Reform’</a>
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NYC Mayor De Blasio And Governor Cuomo Discuss Amazon 2nd Headquarters Decision

DISASTER: Dems Consider Changes To NY ‘Bail Reform’ Just One Week After Implementation

As has <a href="https://nypost.com/2019/12/29/how-liberals-are-allowing-anti-semitism-to-flourish/">finally </a>been noticed by the mainstream media, anti-Semitism in America has harrowingly <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-hammer-tipping-point-liz-wheeler-why-no-one-daily-wire">been on the rise</a> over the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/new-york-times-just-made-stunning-admission-about-ben-shapiro">past couple</a> of years. While the first two lethal incidents occurred in synagogues in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/why-we-cling-tree-life-ben-shapiro">Pittsburgh</a> and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hammer-jews-simply-must-arm-themselves-now-josh-hammer">Southern California</a>, the recent upsurge of violent Jew-hatred has been disproportionately centered around the broader <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/phillips-a-year-of-rampant-anti-semitism-in-new-york-city">New York area</a>. The epidemic reached its bloody December apogee first in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/jersey-city-shootout-assailants-kill-police-officer-3-orthodox-jews">Jersey City, New Jersey</a>, and later in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-mass-stabbing-attack-reported-at-new-york-synagogue">Monsey, New York</a>.
Monsey is not terribly far from where I grew up, and has long been home to a sizable Orthodox Jewish community. The town is part of Rockland County, New York, which has the <a href="https://www.ny.gov/counties/rockland">largest Jewish population per capita</a> of any county in the United States.
Alas, despite this, Monsey and some of its surrounding towns in Rockland have <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/08/29/county-gop-ad-saying-jewish-candidate-is-plotting-takeover-is-slammed-anti-semitic/">long been victimized</a> by noxious anti-Semitism. I would know, because <a href="https://firstliberty.org/about-us/">First Liberty Institute</a>, the nation’s largest nonprofit law firm solely dedicated to the protection of religious liberty of all and where I serve in an <a href="https://firstliberty.org/team/josh-hammer/">of counsel</a> capacity, has long been on the frontlines of this particular battle.
Specifically, in Airmont, New York, which directly neighbors Monsey, village officials have deployed discriminatory zoning tactics to prevent an Orthodox Jewish day school — Central UTA of Monsey — from peaceably operating. First Liberty helped <a href="https://firstliberty.org/cases/central-uta/">file a federal lawsuit</a> on behalf of Central UTA; for that matter, we have also helped file a <a href="https://firstliberty.org/cases/airmont/">similar lawsuit</a> on behalf of several individual Orthodox Jewish residents of Airmont. Overall, for decades now, the village of Airmont has systemically discriminated against the Orthodox community living there. Local officials in the Airmont/Monsey area of Rockland County have brazenly and shamelessly attempted to prevent their Orthodox Jewish population from actually practicing Judaism.
But the connection hits even closer to home. In our capacity representing the Central UTA Jewish day school, we at First Liberty directly represent school administrator Rabbi Moshe Rottenberg, who is the cousin of Rabbi Chaim Rottenberg — the very <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/28/nyregion/monsey-synagogue-stabbing-anti-semitic.html">owner of the home</a> that was infamously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-mass-stabbing-attack-reported-at-new-york-synagogue">machete-attacked</a> last month toward the end of Chanukah.
Small world indeed.
To date, the Department of Justice (DOJ) has not officially taken action in the Central UTA case besides collect relevant information. To DOJ&#8217;s great credit, however, it did file an official &#8220;Statement of Interest&#8221; in our other Airmont case, regarding oppressive and discriminatory zoning laws. The United States &#8220;wishes to refute any suggestion &#8230; that the United States has previously provided its imprimatur to or otherwise endorsed the legality of&#8221; Airmont&#8217;s discriminatory zoning ordinances, DOJ wrote in a filing from this past September. The United States &#8220;believes that it is important &#8230; for the [district court] to have a full understanding of the troubled history of Airmont’s zoning code, its impact on Hasidic residents, and the numerous legal actions against [Airmont] that have been necessary in the past,&#8221; the DOJ filing continued.
Good for Attorney General <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hammer-america-is-better-off-for-having-bill-barr">Bill Barr</a> and for DOJ. In <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/phillips-a-year-of-rampant-anti-semitism-in-new-york-city">sharp contrast</a> to the blithe aloofness of both New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, Barr has taken official action to convey his interest in the rampant anti-Semitism occurring in Rockland County, New York.
For the Central UTA litigation, we are currently awaiting the trial judge to rule on a handful of motions. But as someone serving in an of counsel capacity at a law firm representing the cousin of the homeowner of the house that was brutally machete-attacked barely over a week ago, I can personally attest to one thing: Jew-hatred in heavily Jewish Rockland County, New York is hardly new. The only thing that is new is the mainstream media attention such anti-Semitism has suddenly been receiving — and, perhaps, whether local and statewide politicians might decisively act to stop this bigotry.

Police Jews Monsey

HAMMER: Anti-Semitism Around Monsey, New York Is Not New. Here’s How I Know.

Department of Justice

Discrimination

Lawsuit

Media Bias

William Barr

As reported earlier in the week by <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-nyc-woman-accused-of-anti-semitic-attack-let-loose-again-after-second-arrest">The Daily Wire</a>, a woman named Tiffany Harris was arrested and released for two different alleged attacks within three days due to early-implemented &#8220;bail reform&#8221; in New York. On New Year&#8217;s Eve, Harris was arrested yet again.
Harris &#8220;was <a href="https://nypost.com/2019/12/27/jewish-mom-son-assaulted-in-latest-anti-semitic-attack-in-brooklyn/">nabbed for allegedly slugging three Jewish women</a> and yelling &#8216;F-U, Jews!&#8217; but let go Saturday with no bail, despite an open assault case. Last month, she got no jail for a felony in another incident,&#8221; <a href="https://nypost.com/2019/12/30/revolving-door-injustice-serial-slugger-gets-sprung-again/">The New York Post</a> reported. &#8220;Nabbed again Sunday in a new attack, she was once more freed, on no bail, Monday.&#8221;
Harris was then most recently picked up on Tuesday at a Brooklyn area hotel &#8220;on an arrest warrant issued earlier Tuesday after she allegedly failed to comply with court-ordered monitoring,&#8221; the Post reports, citing officials.
&#8220;They issued a bench warrant around 5 p.m. this evening,&#8221; said New York City Sheriff Joseph Fucito, according to the outlet.
&#8220;At 6:18, I was notified that she was a fugitive. We put together teams of deputy sheriffs that did basic background investigation, and started conducting interviews and canvassing known locations,&#8221; Fucito added.
&#8220;She went to the office as instructed, gave the information she needed, clearly she wanted to leave,&#8221; Lisa Schreibersdorf, Harris’s lawyer, said of her client. &#8220;Anyone would want to leave in that circumstance, no one felt she did anything wrong.&#8221;
On Wednesday, Jaclyn Cangro, a reporter for Spectrum News Albany, outlined a list of crimes New York judges are no longer allowed to set bail for, as of January 1. Although, it appeared New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, a Democrat, implemented the reform earlier, hence Harris&#8217;s releases.
&#8220;Confused about bail and discovery reform? This is the list of crimes New York judges are no longer able to set bail for. That means pending conviction, those charged with these crimes will stay out of jail (unless for certain circumstances),&#8221; explained Cangro.
The list includes charges related to burglary, robbery, stalking, possession of a controlled substance, and criminal possession of a weapon.
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Confused about bail and discovery reform? This is the list of crimes New York judges are no longer able to set bail for. That means pending conviction, those charged with these crimes will stay out of jail (unless for certain circumstances). <a href="https://t.co/IJ4jcweaOl">pic.twitter.com/IJ4jcweaOl</a>
&mdash; Jaclyn Cangro (@JaclynCangro) <a href="https://twitter.com/JaclynCangro/status/1212382726915051532?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 1, 2020</a></blockquote>
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New York, as of January 1, has implemented controversial discovery reform as part of criminal justice reformation in the state.
As detailed in an op-ed published in the left-leaning <a href="https://www.nydailynews.com/opinion/ny-oped-discovering-huge-holes-in-discovery-reform-20190603-7dczo26lu5fc7e46wvny4chfyy-story.html">New York Daily News</a> this summer, all five borough district attorneys have said the reform goes too far in favoring defendants.
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&#8220;One of the primary reasons why witnesses are hesitant to cooperate with an investigation is confidentiality,&#8221; said the authors, Seth Barron and Ralf Mangual. &#8220;Prosecutors will no longer be able to assure witnesses that their identity will be protected, even in the case of grand jury testimony, which the new law will now require be disclosed. (While there’s a provision to ask a judge for a protective order to shield a name, that would come after cops and prosecutors talk to witnesses to make an arrest and build a case.)&#8221;
&#8220;If you talk to any assistant district attorney, they will tell you that one of the first questions they are asked by victims and witnesses is: ‘Will the defendant know who I am?’ ‘Will they know where I live?’&#8221; explained Brooklyn DA Eric Gonzalez.
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Gov. Andrew Cuomo and NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio

Democrat ‘Bail Reform’: Woman Involved In Anti-Semitic Attack Arrested, Released For 3 Crimes In 5 Days

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) may have anticipated a long and prosperous career in Congress, but if the Democrats in New York&#8217;s state legislature have their way, the freshman Member may be out of a job as soon as 2022.
<a href="https://twitter.com/FrankLuntz/status/1212077688837394432">According to pollster Frank Luntz</a>, New York is likely to lose a seat in Congress after the 2020 census and Democrats in the state legislature will have to redraw the state&#8217;s Congressional districts as a result. Although there are plenty of places to cut, New York Dems are reportedly eyeing Ocasio-Cortez&#8217;s Bronx district for elimination because she&#8217;s been out of sync with state-level Democrats who control the process.
&#8220;New York is expected to lose a House seat after the 2020 Census, and state Democrats are looking to draw out <a class="PrettyLink profile customisable h-card" dir="ltr" href="https://twitter.com/AOC" data-mentioned-user-id="138203134" data-scribe="element:mention">@AOC</a>’s district,&#8221; Luntz wrote on Twitter. He included a link to an article from a local New York City magazine, The City, that suggested the Ocasio-Cortez is doubling down on her efforts to encourage her constituents to fill out the 2020 census so that she can stay in office.
Ocasio-Cortez&#8217;s main problem is that many of her constituents happen to be &#8220;undocumented&#8221; &#8212; &#8220;non-citzens,&#8221; as The City puts it. The Trump Administration pushed to add a citizenship question to the 2020 census so that they could quantify where illegal immigrants and other undocumented workers were moving to after entering the country. The Administration ultimately dropped that bid when it was clear the change would be tied up in litigation beyond the deadline for the 2020 census questions, but The City points out that illegal immigrants may still be nervous about filling out official government documentation, even if it is an anonymous survey.
&#8220;For Ocasio-Cortez, a full Census count is more than a matter of making sure her district gets all the funds and services it’s due. In a sense, her own political fortunes could hang in the balance,&#8221; the outlet reported in August. &#8220;A review by THE CITY, building on data and analysis by The Texas Tribune, suggests Ocasio-Cortez’ district could be particularly vulnerable to undercount because a little over a quarter of those living there are non-citizens&#8230;That’s a higher percentage than any other congressional district in the state.&#8221;
&#8220;A Census undercount in Ocasio-Cortez’ district and elsewhere in the state could lead to the elimination of congressional districts — potentially setting off politically charged redistricting battles,&#8221; the outlet added.
<a href="https://theintercept.com/2019/02/09/ocasio-cortez-district-redistricting-2020/">The Intercept pointed out back in February</a>, when rumors began to surface that Ocasio-Cortez could be out of a job as soon as the 10-member districts commission met after the 2020 census, that Ocasio-Cortez isn&#8217;t a typical politician and she doesn&#8217;t play well with her own state party, which ultimately controls which member of the New York delegation to Congress won&#8217;t be returning to work.
&#8220;New York politics are famously insular,&#8221; the Intercept reported, &#8220;with a tight circle controlling major decision-making for years. That began to shift in 2018, not just with Ocasio-Cortez’s victory, but also wins from a number of insurgent candidates against Democrats who had caucused with Republicans in the state Senate.&#8221;
To punish the progressives, New York&#8217;s Democratic establishment might boot the upstart, in other words.
Ocasio-Cortez does have an insurance policy: she won&#8217;t be leaving politics anytime soon, and if she&#8217;s yanked out of the House, she could easily run for Senate, challenging Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY), or move to a new district and run there. Her ties to the Bronx are questionable, anyway, and her name recognition is high &#8212; even if her own constituents say she rarely shows up in her own district to listen to their concerns.

Ocasio-Cortez

New York Dems Are Redrawing Congressional Districts And It Could Put Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Out Of A Job

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

After a months-long investigation, a top official for the New York City Department of Education — which oversees the largest school district in the country — was arrested at an airport in Wisconsin on Sunday for allegedly attempting to meet with an underage boy for sex.
&#8220;Department of Education deputy chief of staff David Hay was arrested at General Mitchell International Airport in Milwaukee on Sunday on a charge of using a computer &#8216;to facilitate a child sex crime,&#8217; according to cops in Neenah, Wisconsin,&#8221; <a href="https://nypost.com/2019/12/30/top-doe-official-busted-for-allegedly-trying-to-set-up-sex-with-underage-boy/">the New York Post</a> reports. According to police sources, Hay intended to meet with a minor for sex.
While details about the allegations have not been released, Wisconsin defines the charge brought against Hay, &#8220;<a href="https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/statutes/statutes/948/075">use of a computer to facilitate a sex crime</a>,&#8221; as using &#8220;a computerized communication system to communicate with an individual who the actor believes or has reason to believe has not attained the age of 16 years with intent to have sexual contact or sexual intercourse with the individual.&#8221;
Sources say Hay was under investigation for several months leading up to his arrest. The joint investigation was headed up by the Neenah Police Department in cooperation with the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Department.
In a press statement issued Monday, DOE spokeswoman Miranda Barbot announced that Hay has been fired as a result of the &#8220;incredibly disturbing and absolutely unacceptable&#8221; allegations and that the case has been referred to the Special Commissioner of Investigation.
&#8220;These allegations are incredibly disturbing and absolutely unacceptable,&#8221; Barbot said in the statement. &#8220;We took immediate action removing Mr. Hay from payroll and are terminating him. We referred this to the Special Commissioner of Investigation and we will fully comply with any investigation.&#8221;
While Hay &#8220;did not regularly interact with students&#8221; in his role with the department, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/30/nyregion/David-hay-arrested-child-sex-crime.html">The New York Times</a> reports, he was previously a school principal in two different Wisconsin school districts.
The Department of Education revealed Tuesday that Hay&#8217;s background check was never finalized after he joined the department in 2016, though he was fingerprinted twice, in 2016 and 2018, the Times notes.
&#8220;It is not clear whether a completed background investigation would have revealed information relevant to the current charge against Mr. Hay,&#8221; said Department of Investigation Commissioner Margaret Garnett.
&#8220;The risks presented by this example are exactly why I took immediate steps to assess and then reorganize the Background Investigation Unit,&#8221; said Garnett.
Garnett told the Times that when she took control of the department in January 2019, she &#8220;inherited a massive backlog of 6,000 unfinished background checks,&#8221; some of which dated as far back as 2015.
For his role as deputy chief of staff under Chancellor Richard Carranza, to which he was elevated in 2018, Hay was paid $168,000 annually, the Post notes.
&#8220;Mr. Hay has served under both of Mr. de Blasio’s schools chancellors: Mr. Carranza, who was appointed in the spring of 2018, and former chancellor Carmen Fariña,&#8221; the Times reports.
Hay will likely remain in custody until his primary hearing with a judge on Thursday.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/federal-prosecutors-charge-nyc-knife-attack-suspect-with-hate-crime-reveal-contents-of-his-journals-cell-phone">Prosecutors Charge NYC Knife Attack Suspect With Hate Crime, Reveal Contents Of His Journals, Cell Phone</a>

Laptop

Top NYC Education Official Arrested For Trying To Set Up Sex With Underage Boy; Background Check Never Finalized

Education

On Monday, federal prosecutors filed five hate crime charges against the man who wounded five Orthodox Jews during a Hanukkah celebration at the home of a rabbi Saturday night.
In a <a href="https://int.nyt.com/data/documenthelper/6628-grafton-thomas/44d55e7c8e2bdb5ccaaf/optimized/full.pdf#page=1">criminal complaint</a> filed Monday with the Southern District of New York, Special Agent Julie S. Brown accuses the suspect — a 38-year-old African American man who family members say suffers from mental illness, specifically schizophrenia (his name is here redacted in accordance with Daily Wire policy on mass killers) — of &#8220;obstruction of free exercise of religious beliefs involving an attempt to kill and use of a dangerous weapon, and resulting in bodily injury.&#8221;
In the complaint, Brown provides previously unrevealed details about the contents of the suspect&#8217;s journals and cell phone indicating that he was potentially motivated by &#8220;anti-Semitic sentiments.&#8221;
&#8220;On or about December 28 , 2019, in the Southern District of New York and elsewhere, [the suspect], the defendant, intentionally obstructed, by force and threat of force, each victim listed below in the enjoyment of that victim’s free exercise of religious beliefs, and attempted to do which conduct was in and affected interstate commerce,&#8221; the complaint reads. &#8220;[The defendant’s] acts included an attempt to kill, and resulted in bodily injury to, each victim in Counts One through Five; the acts also included the use, attempted use, and threatened use of a dangerous weapon, to wit, a machete.&#8221;
After detailing the actions of the suspect the night of the attack — from entering the home of Rabbi Chaim Rottenberg in Monsey, New York at around 9:52 p.m. to being pulled over by police at 11:59 p.m. and found with &#8220;what appeared to blood on [his] jacket, clothing, and hands&#8221; (excerpt of the report below) — Brown provides some key details concerning the possible motives of the suspect uncovered during the investigation.
In his handwritten journals, Brown found evidence of anti-Semitic views (formatting adjusted):
<blockquote>Based on my training and experience, it appears that several of the pages in the journals express ant-Semitic sentiments, such as:
<ul>
<li>Stating that the “Hebrew Israelites” took from the “powerful ppl (ebinoid Israelites [a reference to the ‘Black Hebrew Israelite’ movement).”</li>
<li>Questioning “why ppl mourned for anti-Semitism when there is Semitic genocide.&#8221;</li>
<li>Referring to “Adolf Hitler” and “Nazi Culture” on the same page as drawings of a Star of David and a Swastika.</li>
</ul>
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A footnote on the first item explains:&#8221;The term ‘ebinoid Israelites’ appears to be a reference to the ‘Black Hebrew Israelite’ movement, in which groups of Africa-Americans assert that they are the descendants of the ancient Israelites. Both the Anti-Defamation League and the Southern Poverty Law Center have stated that some Black Hebrew Israelites espouse anti-Semitic beliefs.&#8221;
The Black Hebrew Israelites is the same group that made national headlines after members taunted the Covington Catholic High School students ahead of their encounter with a Native American demonstrator.
The complaint also lists a few of the red flag searches conducted on the suspect&#8217;s cell phone between Nov. 9 and Dec. 27, including:
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<li>“Why did Hitler hate the Jews”</li>
<li>“German Jewish Temples near me”</li>
<li>“Zionist Temples in Elizabeth NJ”</li>
<li>“Zionist Temples of Staten Island”</li>
<li>“Prominent companies founded by Jews in America”</li>
</ul>
The suspect’s cell phone was also used on the day of the attack to access an article titled “New York City Increases Police Presence in Jewish Neighborhoods After Possible Anti-Semitic Attacks. Here’s What to Know,&#8221; the complaint reveals.
Below is an excerpt of the complaint&#8217;s summary of the alleged actions of the suspect from the start of the attack to his arrest (formatting adjusted):
<blockquote>On or about December 28, 2019, at approximately 9:52 p.m., an individual later identified as [redacted], the defendant, entered the home of a rabbi in the vicinity of Monsey, New York (the “Rabbi’s Home”), which is located next door to the rabbi’s synagogue (the “Synagogue”). Members of the local Hasidic community consider both the Rabbi’s Home and the Synagogue as places of worship. Dozens of congregants from the Synagogue were inside the Rabbi’s Home at the time, celebrating the end of Shabbat and the seventh night of Hanukkah by, among other things, lighting candles and reciting prayers. These congregants, including the victims listed above, were members of the Hasidic community and were, thus, easily identifiable as adherents to the Jewish faith.
When [Defendant] entered the Rabbi’s Home, he had his face covered with what appeared to be a scarf and said, in substance and in part, “no one is leaving.” [Defendant] then took out a machete and started stabbing and slashing people in the Rabbi’s Home. Five victims of [Defendant’s] attack […] were later hospitalized with serious bodily injuries, to include a severed finger, slash wounds, and deep lacerations. At least one victim is in critical condition with a skull fracture.
After the attack, [Defendant] fled. A witness followed [Defendant] and observed him enter the driver’s side of a gray car with New York State license plates (the “Car”) and drive away. Based on a review of a law enforcement database containing license plate reader data, the Car crossed the George Washington Bridge from Fort Lee, New Jersey, to Manhattan, New York about one hour later, at approximately 11:02 p.m.
At approximately 11:49 p.m., officers from the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”) found and stopped the Car in Manhattan. [Defendant] was the Car’s driver and sole occupant. The NYPD officers detected a strong smell of bleach coming from the Car, and observed what appeared to be blood on [Defendant’s] jacket, clothing, and hands. The NYPD officers placed [Defendant] under arrest.</blockquote>
<a href="https://int.nyt.com/data/documenthelper/6628-grafton-thomas/44d55e7c8e2bdb5ccaaf/optimized/full.pdf#page=1">Read the full legal complaint here</a>.

NYC Attack

Prosecutors Charge NYC Knife Attack Suspect With Hate Crime, Reveal Contents Of His Journals, Cell Phone

President Trump&#8217;s war of words with Democrats over the homelessness crises plaguing progressive strongholds, particularly California and New York, continued over the weekend. The president took to Twitter Saturday to offer some federal help with the escalating problem of homelessness in the Democrat-controlled states, but on one condition: they&#8217;ve got to learn some manners.
Trump&#8217;s feud with Democratic leaders over the growing number of homeless people in the two highest population Democrat-run states — which has reached a critical point in California over the last year, with some <a href="https://bigthink.com/politics-current-affairs/los-angeles-homeless-crisis">60,000 homeless people</a> now living in Los Angeles County alone — ratcheted up in recent days after California Gov. Gavin Newsom attempted to shift some of the blame for the growing crisis to the Trump administration.
Trump’s Department of Housing and Urban Development, Newsom suggested, bears some of the blame for the problem. The department is “not serious” about the issue because they are not prioritizing &#8220;housing first,&#8221; as he believes they should.
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In spin room at <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DemDebate?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DemDebate</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/GavinNewsom?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GavinNewsom</a> slams Trump Administration and HUD for doing “nothing” on “housing first,” the priority to solve homelessness. <a href="https://t.co/AQXRHUwZys">pic.twitter.com/AQXRHUwZys</a>
&mdash; Carla Marinucci (@cmarinucci) <a href="https://twitter.com/cmarinucci/status/1207882406612455424?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 20, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Trump did not appreciate the attempt to put the crisis, which has been many years in the making in California, on his administration.
&#8220;Governor Gavin [Newsom] has done a really bad job on taking care of the homeless population in California,&#8221; Trump said in a Christmas Day response to a tweet highlighting Newsom&#8217;s comments (tweet below). &#8220;If he can’t fix the problem, the Federal Govt. will get involved!&#8221;
Trump addressed the issue again on Saturday, this time offering the government&#8217;s help in a slightly different tone.
&#8220;California and New York must do something about their TREMENDOUS Homeless problems,&#8221; he tweeted. &#8220;They are setting records! If their Governors can’t handle the situation, which they should be able to do very easily, they must call and &#8216;politely&#8217; ask for help. Would be so easy with competence!&#8221;
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Governor Gavin N has done a really bad job on taking care of the homeless population in California. If he can’t fix the problem, the Federal Govt. will get involved! <a href="https://t.co/2z8zM37PUA">https://t.co/2z8zM37PUA</a>
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1209964406324510720?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 25, 2019</a></blockquote>
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California and New York must do something about their TREMENDOUS Homeless problems. They are setting records! If their Governors can’t handle the situation, which they should be able to do very easily, they must call and “politely” ask for help. Would be so easy with competence!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1210916803800707072?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 28, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Trump&#8217;s Christmas Day tweet was posted in response to Fox Nation host Tomi Lahren calling out Newsom for the blame-shifting. &#8220;Take accountability, Gavin,&#8221; she <a href="https://twitter.com/TomiLahren/status/1208077788323831809?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1209964406324510720&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dailywire.com%2Fnews%2Ftrump-urges-strong-response-to-horrific-attack-on-nyc-jewish-community">wrote</a>. &#8220;This is your state and you and your democratic cohorts created this mess. You can’t blame [President Trump] forever. Step away from the hair gel and get to work!!!&#8221;
As highlighted by <a href="https://bigthink.com/politics-current-affairs/los-angeles-homeless-crisis?rebelltitem=1#rebelltitem1">Big Think</a>, research reported by the <a href="https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-homeless-count-encampment-affordable-housing-2019-results-20190604-story.html">Los Angeles Times</a>, paints a grim picture of the state of California, where some of its biggest cities have seen a massive spike in homelessness over the last year. In the city of Los Angeles, the homeless population has topped 36,000 and is nearing 60,000 in the county:
<blockquote>Los Angeles County now boasts nearly 59,000 homeless, a 12 percent increase from last year. In the city itself, there are over 36,000 homeless, representing a 16 percent increase. The city estimates that 75 percent of this number, roughly 44,000 citizens, live outdoors.
It&#8217;s not only Los Angeles. Orange County has noted a <a href="https://www.ocregister.com/2019/04/24/homeless-count-in-orange-county-shows-increase-but-with-more-accurate-picture-of-whos-out-there/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">42 percent uptick</a> in homeless residents, mostly due to new, more comprehensive <a href="https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-homeless-orange-county-increase-study-20190425-story.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">counting measures</a>. In nearby Alameda County, the number of homeless is up <a href="https://www.mercurynews.com/2019/05/16/its-definitely-not-getting-better-homelessness-up-43-percent-in-alameda-county/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">43 percent</a>; in Kern County, a whopping <a href="https://www.bakersfield.com/news/percent-increase-found-in-county-s-homeless-population-over-last/article_b358e6c8-4a8c-11e9-80da-b3062e64dc0f.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">50 percent</a>. Further upstate, San Francisco&#8217;s homeless population has seen a <a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/SF-homeless-population-swells-by-17-in-latest-13851897.php" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">17 percent</a> increase.</blockquote>
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/california-governor-under-fire-after-paroled-immigrant-murder-convict-immediately-taken-into-ice-custody">California Governor Under Fire After Paroled Immigrant Murder Convict Immediately Taken Into ICE Custody</a>

Donald Trump Gavin Newsom

Trump Offers To Help California, New York Democrats With Their Homeless Problem, On One Condition

California

Donald Trump

Gavin Newsom

CNN&#8217;s Jake Tapper noted on Sunday during an interview with Oren Segal, Vice President of the Anti-Defamation League&#8217;s (ADL) Center on Extremism, that the anti-Semitic attacks carried out in New York City are largely not being committed by white supremacists, but by &#8220;people of color.&#8221;
The segment on CNN&#8217;s &#8220;State of the Union&#8221; came after a mass stabbing attack happened at a rabbi&#8217;s home on Saturday night, which was approximately the 10th anti-Semitic attack to strike the New York City area over the past week or so.
Segal told CNN on Sunday that the anti-Semitic attacks in New York represent &#8220;an epidemic&#8221; for the Jewish community.
&#8220;And so we know that the NYPD&#8217;s Hate Crime Task Force is taking this seriously,&#8221; Segal told CNN&#8217;s Jake Tapper. &#8220;But we expect that the Jewish community, the places where they worship, places where Jews gather, will be more protected by law enforcement and others. We still have a long way to go, seeing the spate of anti-Semitism in the city.&#8221;
&#8220;So, this horrific attack last night, it&#8217;s the ninth apparent anti-Semitic attack in New York in just the last week,&#8221; Tapper said. &#8220;Obviously, there has been an increase in hate crimes against Jews in New York and nationally. Why do you think this is happening, specifically the attacks in New York?&#8221;
&#8220;Yes, I mean, for New York City, we have seen a 17 percent increase in anti-Semitic incidents from January through November of this year compared to last year,&#8221; Segal said. &#8220;So, we are indeed seeing a rise. And the answer of why is difficult. The mainstreaming of anti-Semitism in our public discussion, on our phones, I think, plays a part to it.&#8221;
&#8220;So, it appears that many, if not most of these attacks were allegedly carried out not by white supremacists, not by the alt-right, but by people of color,&#8221; Tapper continued. &#8220;What&#8217;s your response when members of the orthodox community say — and I have heard them say this, and I&#8217;m sure you have too — that there would be more of an outrage if the attackers were white supremacists and thus fell more easily into a political narrative?&#8221;
&#8220;I mean, I think, again, this is where investigations, not only to bring those perpetrators to justice who are carrying out these incidents, but to identify their motivations, right?&#8221; Segal responded. &#8220;In Jersey City, it was something beyond merely an African-American, right? It wasn&#8217;t representative of that community. It was somebody who subscribed to real anti-Semitic ideology.&#8221;
&#8220;And so, when we&#8217;re thinking about the communities, we have to come together,&#8221; Segal continued. That&#8217;s why, at ADL, we&#8217;re bringing our No Place for Hate educational programs to Brooklyn, doubling the amount of students that we&#8217;re reaching out to, because it starts at an early age for people to have an understanding, and then to be allies for each other. And so I don&#8217;t think we need to overstep and try to overanalyze what this means, but we have to get the data, and we have to understand the motivations before we jump to conclusions.&#8221;
WATCH:
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“At this point, we are in an epidemic in New York City, of all places, for the Jewish community” Oren Segal, VP of the Anti-Defamation League, tells <a href="https://twitter.com/jaketapper?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@jaketapper</a> in response to the Hanukkah celebration stabbings in New York. <a href="https://t.co/Bw7w7JFxgv">https://t.co/Bw7w7JFxgv</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CNNSOTU?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CNNSOTU</a> <a href="https://t.co/irTSUrIoTs">pic.twitter.com/irTSUrIoTs</a>
&mdash; State of the Union (@CNNSotu) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSotu/status/1211325976447266816?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 29, 2019</a></blockquote>
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In November 2018, The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/31/nyregion/jewish-bias-safety-nyc.html?auth=login-email&amp;login=email">noted</a> this problem in a report that highlighted the explosion of anti-Semitic hate crimes in New York City:
<blockquote>In fact, it is the varied backgrounds of people who commit hate crimes in the city that make combating and talking about anti-Semitism in New York much harder….bias stemming from longstanding ethnic tensions in the city presents complexities that many liberals have chosen simply to ignore….When a Hasidic man or woman is attacked by anyone in New York City, mainstream progressive advocacy groups do not typically send out emails calling for concern and fellowship and candlelight vigils in Union Square, as they often do when individuals are harmed in New York because of their race or ethnicity or how they identify in terms of gender or sexual orientation.</blockquote>
Daily Wire Editor-in-Chief Ben Shapiro commented on The Times report at the time, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/new-york-times-just-made-stunning-admission-about-ben-shapiro">writing</a>, &#8220;In other words, Jews don’t fit the intersectional classification necessary in order to receive narrative attention from either the mainstream media or from progressive groups. Orthodox Jews, who are often the targets of anti-Semitic attacks, aren’t seen as victims; their victimizers, who aren’t conservatives and who can’t be linked with conservatives, aren’t seen as victimizers. There’s a reason Al Sharpton, who helped initiate a riot against Orthodox Jews in Crown Heights in 1991, has a show on MSNBC where he opines about President Trump’s linkages to white supremacist anti-Semitism. Certain types of anti-Semitism are worthy of note. Others aren’t. And those on the Left often decide which is which with simple reference to a preferred narrative in which Jews are part of the white privileged class, unless they are victimized by white supremacists.&#8221;
Shapiro added, &#8220;But anti-Semitism runs the gamut, and certainly isn’t restricted to white supremacists — nor is anti-Semitism relegated to convenient narratives about President Trump’s rhetorical foibles. In fact, anti-Semitism can spring from racial hatred from minorities, from progressives who hate Israel, from radical Muslims. But those stories simply don’t interest the media, as even the Times now admits.&#8221;

Jake Tapper

CNN’s Tapper On NYC Anti-Semitic Attacks: Identity Of Attackers Doesn’t Fit ‘Political Narrative’

Four Jewish elected officials in New York have requested that New York Democrat Governor Andrew Cuomo deploy the National Guard to help stop the surge of anti-Semitic attacks in New York.
The letter was penned by four Democrats: New York State Senator Simcha Felder, New York State Assemblyman Simcha Eichenstein, New York City Councilman Chaim Deutsch, and New York City Councilman Kalman Yeger.
&#8220;As you know, anti-Semitic hate crimes have grown to frighteningly high numbers of the past several months. During the past several days in particular, identifiably Orthodox Jews in and around areas we represent have been targeted with a rash of violence unseen in modern history,&#8221; the officials write. &#8220;Orthodox Jews are being regularly assaulted, menaced, stabbed and murdered in increasing numbers. This has been appropriately described as a &#8216;slow-rolling pogrom.'&#8221;
&#8220;We are writing to ask that you declare a state of emergency and that you deploy the New York State Police and the New York National Guard to visibly patrol and protect Orthodox Jewish neighborhoods throughout our state,&#8221; the letter continues. &#8220;In addition, we are asking that you appoint a special prosecutor for purposes of investigating and prosecuting perpetrators of anti-Semitic violence, and that the special prosecutor immediately assume control of cases already under the jurisdiction of local district attorneys.&#8221;
&#8220;Simply stated, it is no longer safe to be identifiably Orthodox in the State of New York. We cannot shop, walk down a street, send our children to school, or even worship in peace,&#8221; the letter concludes. &#8220;We implore you to take the immediate action as you are empowered to do, and send a clear message that the State of New York will protect its people.&#8221;
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This morning <a href="https://twitter.com/NYSenatorFelder?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NYSenatorFelder</a>, Assemblyman <a href="https://twitter.com/SEichenstein?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SEichenstein</a>, Councilman <a href="https://twitter.com/ChaimDeutsch?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ChaimDeutsch</a> and I sent this letter to <a href="https://twitter.com/NYGovCuomo?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NYGovCuomo</a>. We&#39;re asking for the State Police and NY National Guard to be deployed to our neighborhoods, and for a special prosecutor to prosecute antisemitic violence. <a href="https://t.co/EVh8BjwpjT">pic.twitter.com/EVh8BjwpjT</a>
&mdash; Kalman Yeger (@KalmanYeger) <a href="https://twitter.com/KalmanYeger/status/1211349896218984449?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 29, 2019</a></blockquote>
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The letter comes after <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2019/12/26/us/anti-semitic-investigations-new-york-trnd/index.html">approximately</a> 10 anti-Semitic attacks were carried out in New York, mostly in and around New York City, over the past several days. Many anti-Semitic attacks that have occurred in the city have not received significant media coverage, some political commentators <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/cnns-tapper-on-nyc-anti-semitic-attacks-identity-of-attackers-dont-fit-political-narrative">suggesting</a> that the lack of coverage is a result of the perpetrators often not fitting the left-wing media narrative.
CNN lists a few of the recent attacks:
<ul>
<li>A 65-year-old man was punched and kicked near Manhattan by an assailant yelling, &#8220;F**k you, Jew.&#8221;</li>
<li>A group of teens attacked two young Jewish boys, striking them from behind.</li>
<li>A group of people yelled anti-Semitic slurs and threw a drink at a 25-year-old Jewish man in Brooklyn.</li>
<li>A group of people punched a 56-year-old Jewish man.</li>
<li>A Jewish man, who was dressed in religious clothing, was punched in the face.</li>
<li>A woman attacked a Jewish woman in front of her child.</li>
<li>A woman, Tiffany Harris, allegedly attacked multiple Jewish women on Friday and was arrested. Harris was later released on bond and was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-suspect-in-nyc-anti-semitic-attack-released-on-bail-arrested-again-in-another-attack">arrested again</a> over the weekend for allegedly committing another attack on Sunday.</li>
<li>A man walked into the Chabad Lubavitch World Headquarters and allegedly threatened to murder people in the facility.</li>
</ul>
The most significant anti-Semitic attack from over the last week happened on Saturday night when a man armed with a machete stabbed at least five people at a rabbi&#8217;s home in the New York City suburb of Monsey.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/cnns-tapper-on-nyc-anti-semitic-attacks-identity-of-attackers-dont-fit-political-narrative">CNN’s Tapper On NYC Anti-Semitic Attacks: Identity Of Attackers Don’t Fit ‘Political Narrative’</a>

New York National Guard

New York Democrats Call On Governor Cuomo To Take War Against Anti-Semitism To Next Level

The man accused of using a machete in a mass stabbing attack on Saturday night that targeted Jews may be connected to another anti-Semitic attack in the area.
&#8220;Authorities, including the FBI, are now investigating whether [the attacker] is tied to a recent stabbing near a Monsey synagogue,&#8221; the New York Post reported, citing a top law enforcement official.
The Journal News <a href="https://www.lohud.com/story/news/local/rockland/monsey/2019/12/05/monsey-stabbing-victim-speaks-cops-fbi-assists-probe/2618774001/">reported</a> details of the attack earlier this month:
<blockquote>A rabbi stabbed multiple times while walking to synagogue has spoken to Ramapo police from his Westchester hospital bed as the FBI assists detectives searching for whoever committed the brutal attack.
The 30-year-old married father of four apparently has been removed from the critical list after several surgeries and is considered stable, police said.
Investigators continue to work on surveillance video that captured the stabbing just after 5:30 a.m. on Nov. 20 yards from the driveway of Mosdos Meharam Brisk Tashnad, a religious center with a synagogue, study center and ritual bath at 2 Howard Drive.</blockquote>
The suspect that was arrested on Saturday in the attack is a black male who has reportedly &#8220;struggled with mental illness for two decades and had repeatedly sought help over the years,&#8221; The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/29/nyregion/monsey-new-york-stabbing.html">reported</a>, adding that the attacker&#8217;s pastor, Rev. Wendy Paige, claimed that he was diagnosed with schizophrenia. 
“There hasn’t been anyone who has given a real solution to deal with a grown man who is dealing with schizophrenia, other than ‘Go home and call us if something happens,’” Paige claimed. “He is a man who has mental illness in America, and the systems that be have not served him well.”
President Donald Trump responded to the attack by writing on Twitter: &#8220;The anti-Semitic attack in Monsey, New York, on the 7th night of Hanukkah last night is horrific. We must all come together to fight, confront, and eradicate the evil scourge of anti-Semitism. Melania and I wish the victims a quick and full recovery.&#8221;
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The anti-Semitic attack in Monsey, New York, on the 7th night of Hanukkah last night is horrific. We must all come together to fight, confront, and eradicate the evil scourge of anti-Semitism. Melania and I wish the victims a quick and full recovery.
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1211363928837632002?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 29, 2019</a></blockquote>
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New York Democrat Governor Andrew Cuomo <a href="https://nypost.com/2019/12/29/rockland-county-synagogue-stabbings-cuomo-calls-attack-an-act-of-domestic-terrorism/">said</a> in response to the attack, “Let’s call it what it is. These people are domestic terrorists and the law should reflect that and they should be punished as if it was an act of terrorism.”
“It is intolerant it is ignorant but it is also illegal. At the end of the day, it is not just about words but actions. It is violence spurred by hate. It is mass violence and I consider this an act of domestic terrorism,” Cuomo continued. “This is an intolerant time in this country. We see anger, we see hatred exploded. It is an American cancer… it literally turns one cell in the body against others.”
“We are going to take the lead here in the state of New York,” Cuomo added. “I’m going to propose that in the beginning of January when I lay out my State of the State address.”
Democrat New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio responded to the attack by saying during a Fox News interview on Sunday that &#8220;the NYPD has established a new unit to focus on racially and ethnically motivated extremism, to find where these groups are and stop them before they can act.&#8221;

Rabbi Home

Man Accused Of Anti-Semitic Mass Stabbing Attack May Be Connected To Another Anti-Semitic Attack, Report Says

Stabbing

The New York Police Department has apprehended a suspect believed to have stabbed half a dozen people in an anti-Semitic attack at a private Hanukkah party at a Rabbi&#8217;s home in Monsey, a suburb of New York City, Saturday evening.
The 37-year-old man is a resident of Greenwood Lake in Orange County, New York, and was captured after crossing the George Washington Bridge on his way into Manhattan. A license plate reader on the bridge snagged a photo of his vehicle, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2019/12/29/us/new-york-stabbing-rabbi-home/index.html">CNN reports</a>, and law enforcement were able to follow the car through downtown New York City and into the Harlem neighborhood and arrest the man just after midnight. He was &#8220;covered&#8221; in the blood of his victims.
The attacker, who will not be named per Daily Wire policy, &#8220;is being held at police headquarters and will be arraigned Sunday on five counts of attempted murder and one count of first-degree burglary, Ramapo Police Chief Brad Weidel told reporters.&#8221; Photos of the suspect were <a href="https://twitter.com/EmilyRoseFinn/status/1211312921508139009">released</a> Sunday morning.
&#8220;The attack took place in the house of Hasidic Rabbi Chaim L. Rottenberg during a Hanukkah celebration, Michael Specht, supervisor of the town of Ramapo that also services Monsey,&#8221; <a href="https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/mass-stabbing-at-jewish-synagogue-in-rockland-county-ny-reports/2251668/">according to a local NBC affiliate</a>. &#8220;Ramapo Police Chief Brad Weidel said the suspected attacker entered the residence around 10 p.m. armed with a knife. Saturday was the seventh night of Hanukkah and was being widely observed in Monsey, a hamlet that is home to thousands of Orthodox Jews. There were as many as 70 people in the rabbi&#8217;s home at the time of the attack.&#8221;
One of the partygoers managed to get behind a table and throw it at the suspect, who then fled the residence. According to witness accounts, the suspect then tried to gain access to the synagogue next door, &#8220;but the occupants barricaded themselves inside. The assailant then fled the scene in a silver sedan.&#8221;
&#8220;An intruder came into Rabbi Rottenberg’s shul with a machete,&#8221; Forward Editor Avital Chizhik-Goldschmidt tweeted late Saturday. &#8220;There are no words to describe the anxiety of this moment. Someone on the scene: The perpetrator came into the rabbi’s house, started stabbing people. Someone took a small table, threw it at him &amp; chased him out. He ran next door to the synagogue, but they blocked the door &amp; he couldn’t get in. He turned around &amp; ran, jumped into a car.”
At least five people were stabbed, including the Rabbi&#8217;s son. Two partygoers are believed to be critically injured. At least one of those critically injured sustained serious wounds to his face and neck.
The suspect is expected to be charged with at least five counts of attempted murder and one count of burglary.
Saturday night&#8217;s mass stabbing is just the latest in a string of anti-Semitic attacks that have taken place across the greater New York City area over the past several days, and also the latest in a years-long spate of anti-Semitic violence perpetrated against Jews living in the city. In just the last week, there have been at least nine separate incidents of anti-Semitic violence. In November, six people were killed after two anti-Semites <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/10/nyregion/jersey-city-shooter.html">opened fire in a Kosher market in New Jersey</a>, and that attack could have been even worse: before they targeted the grocery store, the shooters tried to get into a Jewish elementary school.
New York governor Andrew Cuomo made a statement in response to Saturday&#8217;s attack, telling reporters that &#8220;[i]t&#8217;s important for me to express to the rabbi and to all the people of the state of New York that this is intolerance, meets, ignorance, meets illegality. This is violence spurred by hate, it is mass violence, and I consider this an act of domestic terrorism. These people are domestic terrorists, and the law should reflect that, and they should be punished as if it was an act of terrorism.&#8221;
The words seemed cold comfort to those most likely to be affected by the attacks.

US-CRIME-STABBING

Suspect In Brutal Hanukkah Mass Stabbing Arrested In New York City ‘Covered In Blood’

A mass stabbing attack was reported at a synagogue in New York late on Saturday night as multiple videos on social media showed a large response from law enforcement and emergency services.
Orthodox website Vos Iz Neias <a href="https://vosizneias.com/2019/12/28/monsey-stabbing-multiple-people-stabbed-in-synagogue-saturday-night/">reported</a> that &#8220;a black male entered Rabbi Rottenburg’s Shul, located in the Forshay neighborhood in Monsey, and pulled out a machete. He pulled off the cover and stabbed at least 3 people. One of the victims was stabbed in the chest,&#8221; adding that the &#8220;perpetrator then ran out and escaped in a vehicle. His plates were spotted before he left, and the police are currently searching for him.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Stabbing In Monsey now A few victims on Forshey Rd By a shul <a href="https://t.co/YuYBb5iPUG">pic.twitter.com/YuYBb5iPUG</a>
&mdash; Rockland Buff (@Rockland_Buff) <a href="https://twitter.com/Rockland_Buff/status/1211122240680595456?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 29, 2019</a></blockquote>
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The Orthodox Public Affairs Council for the Hudson Valley region <a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/multiple-injuries-reported-in-stabbing-at-synagogue-in-monsey-new-york/">tweeted</a>: &#8220;At 9:50 this eve, a call came in about a mass stabbing at 47 Forshay Road in Monsey (Rockland County; 30 miles North of NYC). It’s the house of a Hasidic Rabbi. 5 patients with stab wounds, all Hasidic, were transported to local hospitals.&#8221;
Motti Seligson, Media Director for Chabad.org, <a href="https://www.jpost.com/Breaking-News/Multiple-victims-reported-after-stabbing-reported-in-synagogue-in-Monsey-NY-612415">told</a> The Jerusalem Post that the congregants who were attacked, Hassidim, were gathered for a Hanukkah party.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Video from the scene of the stabbings at a synagogue in Monsey where Chassidim were gathered for a Hanukkah celebration. <a href="https://t.co/wQhWp9SrdA">pic.twitter.com/wQhWp9SrdA</a>
&mdash; Motti Seligson (@mottiseligson) <a href="https://twitter.com/mottiseligson/status/1211124789781381122?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 29, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Steve Lieberman, a reporter with The Journal News, <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/new-york-synagogue-stabbing-attack-results-in-several-injuries-reports">reported</a> that Police were &#8220;requesting county aviation to launch for lights and search and requesting all K9s in county available to respond.&#8221;
Forward Editor Avital Chizhik-Goldschmidt wrote on Twitter: &#8220;An intruder came into Rabbi Rottenberg&#8217;s shul with a machete. There are no words to describe the anxiety of this moment.Someone on the scene: The perpetrator came into the rabbi’s house, started stabbing people. Someone took a small table, threw it at him &amp; chased him out. He ran next door to the synagogue, but they blocked the door &amp; he couldn’t get in. He turned around &amp; ran, jumped into a car.&#8221;
The NYPD Counterterrorism unit tweeted: &#8220;We are closely monitoring the reports of multiple people stabbed at a synagogue in Monsey, NY (Rockland County)&#8221;
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We are closely monitoring the reports of multiple people stabbed at a synagogue in Monsey, NY (Rockland County) <a href="https://t.co/cHoQnbneKO">pic.twitter.com/cHoQnbneKO</a>
&mdash; NYPDCounterterrorism (@NYPDCT) <a href="https://twitter.com/NYPDCT/status/1211137167621271552?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 29, 2019</a></blockquote>
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This is a breaking news story, refresh the page for updates.

NYPD

Mass Stabbing Attack Reported At New York Synagogue 

synagogue

In a bizarre interview on Sunday, David Remnick, author of “The Bridge: The Life And Rise Of Barack Obama” and editor for The New Yorker magazine, expressed his frustration with Trump voters to CNN’s “Reliable Sources” host Brian Stelter. 
Responding to a question about whether anything will change following President Trump’s impeachment by House Democrats, Remnick stated that, “We’ve seen the Republicans stuck where they are. Their illusions about Trump remain,” adding that “the stakes here are immense.”
The Media Research Center <a href="https://www.newsbusters.org/blogs/nb/nicholas-fondacaro/2019/12/22/new-yorker-editor-future-earth-hangs-trumps-impeachment" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">reports</a> that Remnick began to connect the impeachment hearing to the “future” of the planet, thereby linking it to one of the Left’s biggest political issues: Global warming.   
“It’s not just about the political future of one man, Donald Trump — it’s about the future of democracy and democratic process. And this is a trend throughout the world. It’s about the future of the Earth. We have a party that has decided to be disbelieving about climate change. It’s about issues as essential as that,” he said. 
Of course, Stelter did not bother to ask how global warming is somehow connected to the House Democrats’ move to impeach President Trump. Instead, allowing The New Yorker editor to continue to pontificate, Remnick went to discuss how the mainstream media are at a loss as to why President Trump remains popular in certain sectors of the country. 
“Right now, you have a country that is split, and to the great frustration of people like you and people like me, we don’t somehow understand,” he opined. “We don’t understand why the evidence of things, why facts don’t penetrate so many of our brothers and sisters in the United States of America. And it’s a source of great frustration for the press and for anybody who is thinking about these issues that are so important.”
He emphasized, “And this is a source of great frustration for the press. And for anyone who is thinking about these issues that are so important.”
Stelter echoed the sentiments, repeating, “for the press.” He then asked about the “eclipse of reason” of the Republican Party.
“Let’s not be deluded here. It&#8217;s not as if reason and fact and truth-telling were pervasive in any political party, much less the Republican Party. But things have gotten markedly worse,” Remnick answered. “So much of the Republican Party, their candidates, their leadership know the score. Everybody in the Senate and the House knows this is a man of low character, of ethical, of ethics run amuck. &#8230; Nobody in the Republican Party thinks this is a good and decent man. These are people who are looking to their political advantages. They think if they act against him somehow or speak against him, they&#8217;ll lose their seats. So, the only people speaking against him are people set to retire.”
This interview highlights a lack of self-awareness that is prevalent across large swaths of the news industry. As they try to connect global warming to the vote to impeach Trump, many Americans grow weary of such showboating by the press and congressional Democrats. 
The Daily Wire’s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/klavan-cnn-accidentally-reveals-that-its-a-cult" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Andrew Klavan</a> has previously commented on the direction of the media and of Brian Stelter’s program, in particular. 
“I mean, it is comical that they can’t see themselves,” he said. “So it drives the Right crazy, it drives me crazy. This is the news. You turn on the news, CNN, the most trusted name in news, but that’s what you see on the news, and it drives you crazy.” 
<a href="https://www.foxnews.com/media/new-yorker-editor-david-remnick-says-trumps-impeachment-is-about-the-future-of-the-earth" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Fox News</a>’ Brian Flood noted how the Remnick interview was mocked on social media, with Brit Hume pointing out, “Fortunately for the country and the planet, people seem to have sense enough not to believe this sort of claptrap.”
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Fortunately for the country and the planet, people seem to have sense enough not to believe this sort of claptrap. <a href="https://t.co/X9KyPyhiFy">https://t.co/X9KyPyhiFy</a>
&mdash; Brit Hume (@brithume) <a href="https://twitter.com/brithume/status/1208931836161904641?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 23, 2019</a></blockquote>
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The 2019 New Yorker Festival &#8211; Terry Gross Talks With David Remnick

New Yorker Editor David Remnick To Nodding Stelter: ‘It’s A Great Frustration’ Why People Vote For Trump

2019 in Washington

Andrew Klavan

Brian Stelter

Brit Hume

Climate Change

David Remnick

Global Warming

Media

Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D-NY) proposed legislation on Tuesday that would close what he called a “loophole” in rape law.
Cuomo claimed that prosecutors cannot bring rape charges against an accused person if an accuser voluntarily consumes alcohol. Cuomo’s proposal would change the state’s definition of those who cannot legally consent to sexual activity to include someone who is conscious but allegedly too drunk to consent. Keen observers will notice how vague the idea of being “too drunk to consent” may be.
“While New York has some of the most aggressive laws in the nation when it comes to combating this insidious disease, a loophole in current law allows rapists to walk free and vacate their heinous crimes based on a legal technicality,” Cuomo told The Associated Press in <a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/new-york/articles/2019-12-17/governor-wants-to-close-intoxication-loophole-in-ny-rape-law">a statement</a>. “Our laws must protect the people of this state — not condone rape as a punishment for consuming alcohol.”
This new law does what college campuses around the country already do – treat alcohol consumption as a negating effect on consent. It essentially turns all drunk sex into rape, and allows anyone who consumed any amount of alcohol to claim they couldn’t consent.
It also only punishes one side of the equation – whoever the accusation is made again. Often, both parties are drunk, making a law like this pretty meaningless if properly followed, because if both parties are drunk, both parties are both victims and rapists.
Of course, that is never how such a policy is upheld. Never forget Duke University dean Sue Wasiolek, who years ago <a href="http://www.indyweek.com/indyweek/a-duke-senior-sues-the-university-after-being-expelled-over-allegations-of-sexual-misconduct/Content?oid=4171302">infamously testified</a> that when both parties are drunk, “assuming it is a male and female, it is the responsibility in the case of the male to gain consent before proceeding with sex.&#8221;
Given the #MeToo movement and “believe all women” supporters, it is clear this law from Cuomo will be used against any man for any reason a woman chooses. It will not be used only by true victims, it will be used for vindictive purposes and by women who have been led to believe that making bad choices after consuming alcohol is akin to rape.
This law only applies to sex. Women who consume alcohol and make the bad choice of getting behind the wheel of a car can’t claim they shouldn’t be punished because they can’t be held accountable for their actions while drinking alcohol.
Criminal defense attorney Scott Greenfield reacted to Cuomo’s proposed law in <a href="http://blog.simplejustice.us/">a blog post</a>, saying: “One can be incapacitated by being drunk, or being drugged, but the key to the law is being incapacitated. Drunk, alone, doesn’t do it.”
Greenfield went on to explain that the new law indicating that merely being “drunk” gets someone out of responsibility for their actions doesn’t end at sex or drunk driving:
<blockquote>But it doesn’t stop there. Rob a store? Get drunk first, and it’s not your fault. Before, it you were capable of performing the criminal act, then you weren’t too incapacitated to do so, as proven by the fact that you did so. But now, if ordinary drunkenness vitiates the capacity to consent, precludes a woman from having the adult agency to make a decision to engage in sex, then it similarly precludes the formulation of intent to do anything. Either drunk matters or it doesn’t.
In the context of drunk driving, courts have dealt with the problem of people being so severely intoxicated as to be incapable of formulating the requisite mens rea by holding that they made their choice when the drank alcohol to excess. They started out sober and chose to become less so, and less so, until they were intoxicated.
They had a volitional decision to make, to drink alcohol to a state of drunkenness where they compromised their judgment. There is no rational way to distinguish culpability for criminal conduct while drunk from the capacity to consent while drunk. This was done “for the children,” using the same rhetoric about letting drunken criminals walk free and do harm that’s now turned around to abrogate consent to sex after the fact.</blockquote>

Drinking alcohol

New York Governor Cuomo Proposes New Law That Allows Women To Claim They Were Raped After Consuming Alcohol

Alcohol

Rape

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