Violent Political Confrontations Rising in California

A new study finds that protests in California are getting more violent.

Professor Brian Levin says that their research shows that along with a rise in hate crimes in California that is double what is being seen in the rest of country, that violent political confrontations are also increasing.

The director of the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at Cal State San Bernardino told the joint session of the state legislature last week that violent political confrontations are rising in California by nearly double.

“We are seeing more of these mega rallies of white nationalists in the last two years than in the previous ten to twenty nationally,” Levin says.

There were about 13 hostile gatherings in all of 2016. So far this year we’ve had 15. Many centered in Orange County. (Read more from “Violent Political Confrontations Rising in California” HERE)

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Menendez Co-Defendant Plays Race Card Almost Immediately

Democratic New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez’s corruption trial is an unfair attack on Hispanic Americans, the lawyer for Menendez’s co-defendant argued on the second day of the trial.

Prosecutors say Menendez sold political favors to a friend, Dr. Salamon Melgen, in exchange for more than half a million dollars worth of bribes, including helping Melgen navigate government issues while Melgen committed Medicare fraud. Menendez is facing a dozen corruption-related charges.

Melgen’s attorney, Kirk Ogrosky, attempted to frame the trial in racial terms while addressing the jury on Thursday, Politico reported. (Read more from “Menendez Co-Defendant Plays Race Card Almost Immediately” HERE)

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This Comment by the FBI Chief Will Probably Get No Media Attention

FBI Director Christopher Wray said Thursday that he has not witnessed President Trump or the White House attempting to influence the ongoing investigation into Russian meddling in the presidential campaign.

“I can say very confidently that I have not detected any whiff of interference with that investigation,” Wray said during a speech at an event hosted by the Intelligence and National Security Alliance in Washington, D.C.

Wray was confirmed as FBI director last month. He replaced James Comey, who Trump fired on May 9. Trump’s firing of Comey has generated allegations that he attempted to quash the investigation into possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russian government. (Read more from “This Comment by the FBI Chief Will Probably Get No Media Attention” HERE)

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Tips on Last-Minute Hurricane Prep From an Expert

Jeffrey Yago, a certified energy professional with more than 40 years of experience in the energy and emergency power field, told WND it’s too late at this point for Americans in Irma’s path to prepare any major backup power systems for their homes in case the power gets knocked out. However, he said there are still measures people can take to prepare.

“I would certainly be scooping up all the batteries I could find,” he advised. “That would be the No. 1 thing. They want to think about maybe some larger LED yard lights. Those are rechargeable and people can put them outside in the daytime to charge up and then use them at night. I don’t think people will be thinking about yard lights right now, so they might still be available.”

Yago goes into detail about how to charge and install LED yard lights, as well as how to replace essentially any grid-powered device with a battery-powered one, in his informative do-it-yourself manual “Lights On: The Non-Technical Guide to Battery Power When the Grid Goes Down.” . . .

Therefore, people need to assume the burden of preparation themselves, according to Yago. And their biological needs must be the top priority.

“I think people right now need to think in terms of they may not have any help, at least not for days, and drinking water is going to be the No. 1 priority,” Yago said. “I think a lot of people are going to be evacuating, so there’s all kinds of water purification bottles available, and I carry one in every car I have. It’s about a quart-sized bottle that has a water filter in it, and you can scoop the water right out of a gutter and it makes it 100 percent pure to drink.” (Read more from “Tips on Last-Minute Hurricane Prep From an Expert” HERE)

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Shoplifter Attacks Man Who Offered to Pay for Stolen Items

Offended that a man would offer to pay for the items he was attempting to shoplift from a 7-11 in West Hollywood, California, a thief crushed the skull of the Good Samaritan with an axe, police report.

The West Hollywood Sheriff’s Station described the attack, which took place early Saturday morning:

“Responding deputies have learned the suspect, (in the above picture), was stealing items from the location when the victim offered to pay for his items. The suspect became upset, refused the victim’s offer and a struggle ensued.

“As the victim left the location the suspect pulled out an axe and began to hit him in the head several times. After the assault, the suspect fled the location heading northbound on Hayworth Avenue and out of view.

“The victim was transported to a local hospital and treated for his injuries.”

(Read more from “Shoplifter Attacks Man Who Offered to Pay for Stolen Items” HERE)

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THREE Concealed-Carry Taco Bell Employees Gun Down Armed Invader in Cleveland

By Samuel Chamberlain. Armed employees at a Cleveland Taco Bell shot and killed a would-be robber early Wednesday, police said.

Police responded to the store in the city’s Edgewater neighborhood shortly before 3 a.m. and found the suspect suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. The unidentified man was taken to a local hospital and pronounced dead. . .

Investigators say five Taco Bell employees were in the store when the suspects came in wearing masks and ordered them to get on the ground. Three of the employees opened fire, striking the suspect. (Read more from “THREE Concealed-Carry Taco Bell Employees Gun Down Armed Invader in Cleveland” HERE)

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Taco Bell Employees Not Charged, Store Owner Backs Them Up

By Jennifer Smith. None of the male workers at the fast food restaurant in Cleveland, Ohio, have been named. All were armed when two masked robbers stormed the restaurant at 2.45am on Wednesday to demand cash.

The employees, two of whom are 19 and one is 23, opened fire, shooting one of them in the ribs. The other ran away.

When police arrived at the restaurant, they found the attempted robber unconscious with a loaded gun in his hand. He had been shot six times in total and was later pronounced dead at hospital. . .

So far none of the employees are facing charges. [The franchise owner] said they acted in self-defense and is cooperating with police. . .

Both McDonald’s and Dunkin Donuts take a similar approach, leaving it up to local owners to decide whether customers are able to bring their firearms into restaurants and stores.

In 2013, Starbucks CEO Howard Schulz sparked controversy when he said guns were not welcome in his stores. See more about that story HERE. (Read more from this story about the Taco Bell employees HERE).

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Prominent Conservatives Warn Media About “Discredited” Southern Poverty Law Center While Weekly Standard Reports SPLC Has Millions Overseas

By Samuel Chamberlain. Forty-seven prominent conservatives have signed an open letter warning the mainstream media against using data on hate groups compiled by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC).

The letter calls the SPLC a “discredited, left-wing political activist organization that seeks to silence its political opponents with a ‘hate group’ label of its own invention.”

Founded in 1971, the SPLC gained fame by successfully prosecuting legal cases against white supremacist organizations, including the Ku Klux Klan. It describes its mission as “fighting hate and bigotry and … seeking justice for the most vulnerable members of our society.”

Today, the SPLC is best known for tracking hate groups, which the organization defines as having “beliefs or practices that attack or malign an entire class of people, typically for their immutable characteristic.” Currently, the SPLC says 917 hate groups are operating in the United States. (Read more from “Prominent Conservatives Warn Media About “Discredited” Southern Poverty Law Center While Weekly Standard Reports SPLC Has Millions Overseas” HERE)

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The Southern Poverty Law Center Has $69 Million Parked Overseas

By Jeryl Bier. The Southern Poverty Law Center invests almost 20 percent of its nearly $320 million endowment fund in offshore equities and other investments. The 2016 annual report of the Alabama-based civil rights organization reports $69,093,576 of “non-U.S. equity funds” among the assets comprising the total endowment fund of $319,283,961, a fund the SPLC describes as a “plan for the day when nonprofits like the SPLC can no longer afford to solicit support through the mail because of rising postage and printing costs.” (Given that 2016 contributions topped $45 million, that day has not yet arrived.)

Although the details of most of the SPLC’s foreign investments are unknown, the portfolio includes at least several million dollars in the Cayman Islands, the British Virgin Islands, and Bermuda, as Joe Schoffstall reported in the Washington Free Beacon last week. The Beacon quoted two financial industry executives who expressed surprise and incredulity about the SPLC’s offshore investing.

When THE WEEKLY STANDARD inquired of the SPLC about the appropriateness of the $69 million in offshore investments for the U.S.-based civil rights group, SPLC president Richard Cohen responded: “It is common for universities, foundations and other nonprofit organizations to have a portion of their endowments invested in off-shore funds. Each such fund in which the SPLC is invested is a highly reputable one that was recommended by Cambridge Associates, one of the country’s leading investment advisory firms for nonprofit institutions.” (Read more from “The Southern Poverty Law Center Has $69 Million Parked Overseas” HERE)

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CNN Caught Creating Fake News Again: Adding Words to Syrian Witness’ Statement to Fit Western Narrative

Although the entirety of the Western corporate media machine is worthy of the name “Fake News,” CNN has become the standard bearer of the title. It seems that the organization is doing everything in its power to earn its position as the tip of the spear in the army of “fake news.” Indeed, it is scarcely possible to keep up with the lies, deceit, and half-truths CNN presents to the general public on a daily basis. Occasionally, however, one instance stands out so much that it cannot be allowed to slip by without being addressed.

Back in 2016, as Aleppo was the scene of a fierce battle between America’s terrorist forces and the Syrian military, CNN broadcasted a report from Jibrin, Syria where it purported to show the sad state of civilians fleeing the war that had come to Aleppo. The clip shows two Syrians – one young boy and an older man – who are telling the reporter about their situation.

The CNN reporter predictably attributes the horrors facing the civilians as a result of the eastern part of Aleppo “being under siege by the Syrian military,” not the fact that terrorists had seized east Aleppo and were fighting to the death to keep it. Still he quotes an older man who paints a less than typical CNN-style portrayal of the “rebels.” The man says, “I wanted to leave with my kids fifteen days ago but the rebels shot at me and said ‘Hey you bastard! Do you want to join the regime?’”

The only thing surprising about the man’s statement was that it was actually aired on CNN.

However, the most interesting aspect of the report is what was attributed to the young boy whom CNN quotes as saying, “We were afraid that we would starve to death. We were also scared because heavy bombs were falling.”

This quote makes the boy seem as if he is worried because of the Syrian military’s bombs. However, the translation is not only inaccurate, the second half is completely fabricated. The boy’s actual statement is “We were afraid that we would starve to death. We were afraid that we would starve to death.” Even to a non-Arabic speaker, one can clearly hear that the boy is merely repeating his first statement a second time. He says nothing about bombs. CNN simply added it to the translation for political and propaganda purposes.

While civilians on the ground were no doubt worried about the bombs of the Syrian military (bombs kill regardless of who drops them) they were even more afraid of living under the unimaginable tyranny of America’s terrorists. Still, CNN has gone much further than simply bending the truth to fit a narrative, it has obviously told a complete and total lie. It has put words in the mouths of its interview subjects and passed it off as the truth. At best, this is a violation of journalistic ethics. More realistic, however, it is an act of willful deceit and an attempt to mold the minds of the general public for political purposes.

At this point, CNN cannot be taken seriously as even a second rate news organization. It is clearly nothing more than a propaganda mouthpiece for State Department and other interests. Unfortunately for CNN, even operating as a propaganda organ, it is only second rate. (For more from the author of “CNN Caught Creating Fake News Again: Adding Words to Syrian Witness’ Statement to Fit Western Narrative” please click HERE)

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Stories From Kim Jong Un’s Youth Offer Insight Into Dictator’s ‘Wild Temper’

Young Kim Jong-un has been described as a hot head with a “wild temper” and now he is a dictator with a growing arsenal of ballistic missiles and nuclear weapons.

North Korea tested a possible thermonuclear weapon over the weekend, escalating the military threat. “The latest development is largely attributable to Kim’s wild character. If Kim is not eliminated, this issue will persist,” explained Nam Sung-wook, a Korea University professor and the former head the Institute for National Security Strategy under the National Intelligence Service, South Korea’s espionage agency.

“Half of the reason behind the current crisis is because of Kim Jong-un’s explosive temper,” he told lawmakers.

Nam recalled an incident in which 15-year-old Kim’s girlfriend at the time attempted to convince him to quit smoking, a habit he picked up from his father.

“As Kim was smoking at a young age, his girlfriend advised him to quit smoking,” Nam said, “Then, Kim exploded with foul language, which was quite shocking.” (Read more from “Stories From Kim Jong Un’s Youth Offer Insight Into Dictator’s ‘Wild Temper'” HERE)

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Hillary Describes Election Night Phone Call With Trump

Hillary Clinton writes in her new memoir that her election night phone call with Donald Trump was “without a doubt one of the strangest moments of my life,” CNN reports.

Clinton wrote that she was “numb” during the call.

“I congratulated Trump and offered to do anything I could to make sure the transition was smooth,” she wrote in “What Happened.”

“It was all perfectly nice and weirdly ordinary, like calling a neighbor to say you can’t make it to his barbecue. It was mercifully brief … I was numb. It was all so shocking,” she wrote, according to CNN, which obtained the book early.

CNN also reported that Clinton’s book, “oozes with contempt for Trump, the campaign he ran and the President he has become.” (Read more from “Hillary Describes Election Night Phone Call With Trump” HERE)

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