News and Headlines: In The News, Politics, World News, Commentary/Opinion.

In The News:

Protesters set up guillotine in front of Jeff Bezos’ DC home: reports

Several videos circulated on social media showing what resembled the apparatus known for beheading executions during the French Revolution in a residential area of the nation’s capital.

A sign read: “Support our poor communities. Not our wealthy men.”

It was not immediately clear if Bezos was in D.C. this weekend.

Parler CEO John Matze: ‘Mass Migration’ of ‘Almost a Million Users’ in Weeks Due to Twitter’s Censorship

Parler was the “number one [app] for news” across mobile platforms in recent days, Matze said. “We’ve seen an influx of probably almost a million users in week and a half to two weeks.”

Parler added “a couple hundred thousand people overnight” after Twitter’s recent banning of British conservative commentator Katie Hopkins, said Matze. Twitter banned Hopkins for “hateful conduct.” The company also banned Carpe Donktum,” a meme maker who mocks the left.

Matze considered, “It looks like a lot of people are using their Twitter handles and Twitter accounts to drive people to Parler because of their frustration with the censorship on that platform.”

No prison time for son of Pennsylvania judge who pleaded guilty to child porn

John Paul Doerr III, 34, was sentenced to five years probation, six months house arrest and 15 years on the Megan’s Law registry after pleading guilty to 35 counts of child pornography — which could have landed him a maximum sentence of more than 250 years in prison.

Butler County officials told Channel 11 there was no wrongdoing in the case.

The district attorney said he immediately handed Doerr’s case over to the attorney general’s office and that no local judge heard the case.

Detroit police officers caught on video plowing through group of protesters ‘believed they could be shot at’: chief

Video of the incident, which has been posted to Facebook and has gone viral, begins with a crowd surrounding the vehicle while chanting, “No justice, no peace!”

As one demonstrator leans on the hood of the SUV – which has its sirens blaring – other protesters move in.

The police cruiser then inches forward before its driver accelerates rapidly, sending some of those on the hood tumbling to the ground.

1,200 extra Chicago cops to be deployed over July 4 weekend

“We didn’t do it last weekend and the Memorial Day weekend,” Superintendent David Brown said of the two weekends that ended with a combined total of 111 people being shot, 24 fatally.

“This weekend … we’ll have an additional 1,200 cops every day from Thursday through Sunday.”

There is no doubt that the July 4 weekend stands as the biggest test for Brown since he become superintendent two months ago, largely because the bloodshed over the long Memorial Day weekend — when 49 people were shot, including 10 who died — was widely viewed as a failure in his first major test on the job.

Amazon’s Twitch Platform Temporarily Bans Trump for ‘Hateful Conduct’

According to CNBC, Twitch cited two remarks from Trump in its decision; a recently rebroadcast 2016 campaign rally in which then-candidate Trump accused Mexico of sending criminals and other bad actors to the U.S., and remarks from the President’s last rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he used the word “tough hombre” in a fictional story about a house break-in.

According to the Amazon-owned streaming platform, the president’s channel has been temporarily suspended.

“Hateful conduct is not allowed on Twitch. In line with our policies, President Trump’s channel has been issued a temporary suspension from Twitch for comments made on stream, and the offending content has been removed,” said a Twitch spokesperson in a comment to CNBC.

Florida Sees Dip in Coronavirus Cases After Record-Breaking Weekend

At the time, DeSantis noted the median age of those testing positive had decreased to 37.

“So, particularly in the younger cohort… you’re finding infections with minimal or zero symptoms. That’s a little bit different than what we did at the beginning of the pandemic,” the governor explained.

“A new case is just a positive test. It doesn’t mean somebody’s sick,” he added. “The number of cases is not necessarily something that’s going to tell you what the burden of the disease is.”

Chinese Criminal Groups Continue Controlling Marijuana Farms on U.S. Soil

A leaked law enforcement-sensitive bulletin obtained by Breitbart Texas states that Chinese nationals on overstayed visas continue to be found working on marijuana grow farms. Some are operated by Chinese drug rings.

On May 4, 2020, CBP agents working at the Colville Border Patrol Station and assigned to the Stevens County Sheriff’s Narcotics Task Force executed search warrants in at least seven locations.

At all seven, authorities encountered Chinese nationals. Eight individuals were apprehended, including seven Chinese and one American.

Agents seized 8,841 marijuana plants, $87,000 cash, three firearms, and six mortgage-free properties valued at $950,000 total.

Smuggling Attempt with 18 Migrants Halted Off California Coast, Say Feds

A search of the vessel revealed 18 people onboard — 16 men and two women. The agents transported all 18 to the docks and turned them over to awaiting Border Patrol agents.

The Border Patrol agents conducted an immigration interview and medical screening.

The agents identified the 16 men and two women as Mexican nationals with no legal status to be in the United States, officials reported. They transported the party to the station for processing and a criminal background investigation.

California taqueria closes after customers harass, throw ‘objects and liquids’ at employees over mask rules

Hugo’s Tacos, which has two outposts in Los Angeles – Atwater Village and Studio City – posted a notice on its business Facebook page announcing it was closing both locations temporarily because of the alleged continued harassment and violence its employees faced from patrons who refused to follow coronavirus regulations.

“Our Taco Stands are exhausted by the constant conflicts over guests refusing to wear masks.

Staff have been harassed, called named, and had objects and liquids thrown at them,” the statement reads.

“A mask isn’t symbolic of anything other than our desire to keep our staff healthy.”

Off-duty Dallas police officer beaten to ground after trying to disperse crowd, police say

The officer, who was in plainclothes, identified himself as a Dallas police officer and tried to disperse the crowd, police said.

As he walked away, police said multiple people attacked him from behind and he fell to the ground.

The officer lost consciousness during the attack, police told WFAA-TV.

When he woke up, he called 911 and told responding officers that a group of three or four men had struck him in the back and kicked him several times, police said.

Oklahoma man accused of shooting 2 officers during traffic stop is in custody, police say

David Ware, whom Tulsa Police had described as “armed and dangerous” after firing “multiple times” at the officers, was arrested without incident.

“After following several leads, we were able to track the suspect down to a house,” the department said in a Facebook post.

“When officers surrounded the house, the suspect surrendered.”

Investigators earlier warned residents that if Ware “is willing to shoot at us, he is likely willing to shoot at anyone.”

Portland police arrest 8 during weekend protest, find anti-police ‘Kill All Cops’ graffiti on buildings

A woman on a loudspeaker could be heard calling for violent resistance from the crowd, police said.

Authorities warned demonstrators several times not to block the streets, which were open to traffic, but the crowd remained on the roadways.

“During this engagement, officers had rocks, glass bottles, and paint thrown at them,” police said. “Lasers and lights were directed at the officer’s eyes. Crowd control munitions were used during this interaction, but not CS gas.”

Seattle business owner: ‘No end in sight’ to dispute over ‘CHOP’ zone

Rodolfo, the co-founder of Buki clothing, made the comments as authorities in Seattle are planning to retake CHOP, after several shootings and a number of other crimes have been reported in what protestors have declared a “cop-free zone.”

“The City Council said that they were going to take the CHOP zone down on Friday and the agitators won that one,” Rodolfo said. “Then they said it was going to happen Sunday, agitators won again. Now they’re saying it’s Monday.”

“So you know what happens when you keep moving the goalpost, right? The goalposts keep moving,” he continued.

Latest Seattle CHOP shooting sees one dead, another in critical condition

Seattle Police Chief Carmen Best said the death marked the second African American man to die in the area that claims to believe Black Lives Matter. The first fatality associated with the CHOP came June 20 when 19-year-old Horace Lorenzo Anderson was shot and killed.

Monday marked the fourth shooting linked to the CHOP zone.

Best said multiple 911 callers reported that two males had been shot in a vehicle on 12th Avenue between Pike and Pine early Monday morning, but by the time officers arrived at the scene both were gone.

Actor crashes pro-Second Amendment rally in Olympia

Hundreds of Washington residents attended an annual gun rights rally in the state’s capital, but received an unexpected guest.

One America’s Grayce Rust reports.

St. Louis couple draw weapons on protesters headed to mayor’s house: report

The male homeowner stood barefoot on his Renaissance-style porch in the Central West End neighborhood while carrying a semi-automatic weapon at around 6 p.m. local time, while his wife pointed a pistol at the gathering.

The couple confronted the group of about 300 protesters after they breached a gate in the neighborhood, according to a local NBC affiliate.

A video on Twitter showed the woman point the firearm at passing protesters while shouting.

U.S. Supreme Court gives president more power over consumer financial agency

The court, in a 5-4 decision, stopped short of the much more drastic solution of invalidating the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, an agency set up in 2011 under Democratic President Barack Obama that long has been criticized by Trump and his fellow Republicans.

The justices ruled in favor of California-based law firm Seila Law LLC, which challenged the agency’s structure after being investigated by it.

“The agency may therefore continue to operate, but its Director, in light of our decision, must be removable by the President at will,” Chief Justice John Roberts wrote on behalf of the majority.

Abortion foes vent disappointment after Supreme Court ruling

The ruling delivered a defeat to anti-abortion activists but could intensify interest in the November election among religious conservatives who are a key part of Trump’s base.

Some top religious conservative backers of President Donald Trump noted pointedly that both justices he named to the high court dissented from Monday’s decision, portraying it as an argument to ensure Trump has another term in office to potentially tap more conservative nominees.

“Once again this ruling underscores the importance of elections,” Pavone said in a statement.

“We need a solid pro-life majority on the Supreme Court to uphold the rights of women and the unborn.”

Supreme Court turns away border wall challenge from environmentalists

The coalition claimed that the Trump administration did not conduct sufficient environmental impact studies for the construction and that endangered species like the jaguar and Mexican wolf would be adversely affected by the barrier.

“This Court finds that precedent persuasive, and it compels the conclusion that Plaintiffs’ complaint fails to state plausible constitutional claims as a matter of law,” the Circuit Court’s ruling said.

Politics:

Senate Democrats in Talks to Scrap Filibuster if Joe Biden Wins

Generally, progressives have favored scrapping the rule in order to advance their position on controversial causes, such as gun control or abortion.

Moderates, on the other hand, have defended the filibuster, with some such as Manchin previously claiming the limitation it imposed on majority rule was the “entire premise of the Senate” in the first place.

Now, though, the calculus among Senate Democrats seems to be changing.

With polls showing Biden beating President Donald Trump in a landslide, and his coattails potentially carrying Democrats into the Senate majority, some worry the 60-vote threshold required to pass legislation could stymie the new administration’s political agenda.

De Blasio announces proposal to cut NYPD budget by $1B

The Democratic mayor revealed details of his proposal during a Monday morning press conference at City Hall. His announcement falls in line with city council leaders’ calls for the billion-dollar cut to the police department’s budget.

“My office presented to City Council a plan that would achieve the billion in savings for the NYPD and shift resources to young people, to communities in a way that would help address a lot of the underlying issues that we know are the cause of so many problems in our society,” he said.

De Blasio prefaced his announcement by detailing what he described as “the toughest budget that we’ve had to do as an administration here at City Hall.”

World News:

Facing crisis, Cuba calls on citizens to grow more of their own food

Food security has lately risen to the top of the national agenda in Cuba, with countless news headlines and televised roundtable discussions dedicated to the topic.

The Caribbean island imports roughly two-thirds of the food it consumes at a cost of around $2 billion annually, in addition to key farming supplies like fertilizer, machinery and animal feed.

But imports have nosedived in recent years as aid from ally Venezuela shrank following its economic implosion and U.S. President Donald Trump tightened the half century-old U.S. trade embargo.

Mysterious radiation spike reported over parts of Northern Europe

“The combination of radionuclides may be explained by an anomaly in the fuel elements of a nuclear power plant,” said the Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) in a statement.

RIVM performed calculations to find out the source of the radionuclides.

“The calculations indicate that the nuclides come from the direction of western Russia. Determining a more specific source location is not possible with the limited data available.”

“No specific country of origin can be pointed out at this moment,” it added.

Iran issues arrest warrant for Trump over Soleimani killing, US calls it ‘propaganda stunt’

The announcement was made Monday by Tehran prosecutor Ali Alqasimehr, who told the state-run IRNA news agency that Trump and 35 others are facing “murder and terrorism charges” in connection to the Jan. 3 attack in Baghdad that killed the leader of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard’s Quds Force.

Alqasimehr was quoted as saying that Iran has asked Interpol to put out a “red notice” for Trump and the others – the highest-level arrest request issued by the international organization.

Interpol later issued a statement saying its guidelines for notices forbids it from “any intervention or activities of a political” nature and that it “would not consider requests” of this kind.

Israel shuts down Christian TV channel in rare move

The Hebrew-speaking “Shelanu” channel, which began airing at the end of April on GOD TV as part of a seven-year deal, will stop broadcasting this week, according to an announcement by Asher Biton, chairman of Israel’s Cable and Satellite Broadcasting Council.

“The channel appeals to Jews with Christian content,” he wrote. “Its original request,” he added, was a “station targeting the Christian population.”

Shelanu, part of one of the largest Christian broadcasting networks in the world, with presence in at least 200 countries, said it was “disappointed” by the council’s “unprofessional decision” and plans to reapply for a license.

Commentary/Opinion:

Exclusive from Gen. Flynn: If We Don’t Act, 2% of the People Are About To Control the Other 98%

The more I’ve thought about this phrase, the more I believe it. There is now a small group of passionate people working hard to destroy our American way of life.

Treason and treachery are rampant and our rule of law and those law enforcement professionals who uphold our laws are under the gun more than at any time in our nation’s history.

These passionate 2 percent appear to be winning.

Despite there being countless good people trying to come to grips with everything else on their plates, our silent majority (the indifferent) can no longer be silent.

If the United States wants to survive the onslaught of socialism, if we are to continue to enjoy self-government and the liberty of our hard-fought freedoms, we have to understand there are two opposing forces: One is the “children of light” and the other is the “children of darkness.”

Why I Love America

Dennis Prager has traveled all over the world. But at the end of every trip, he returns home with a new appreciation for America. Why?

Because no country is more open, more generous, and has done more for the cause of freedom than America has.

And America has given more liberty and opportunity to more people from more nations than any country in world history.

Yes, America allowed slavery in half of its states. But every society in the world practiced slavery……

Full Measure: June 28, 2020

This week on Full Measure, we begin with a very American debate that’s underway in Europe where a quickly-expanding Muslim population is testing tolerance on all sides.

Also, illegal immigration continues to be among the top list of concerns for many Americans, we hear from the head of our immigration system, Ken Cuccinelli, about where we stand.

And, Lisa Fletcher talks with the Attorney General for the District of Columbia, Karl Racine about the growing investigation into big tech companies and if he thinks it’s time to break them up.