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

In The News:

Man originally called a ‘victim’ in Phoenix triple stabbing now faces murder charges

Responding to a report of a stabbing the morning of June 28, officers found a 7-year-old boy, Meadn Meles-Hebtom, 9-year-old girl, Arsema Kidane, and 19-year-old woman, Abraha Danait dead at an apartment near 17th and Glendale avenues.

Merach was there, as well, and was taken to the hospital. Police originally referred to him as a “victim.”

While Thompson did not say what led detectives to believe Merach was their suspect, he did say Merach was booked on suspicion of first-degree murder. He’s being held on a secured appearance bond of $3 million. He is scheduled for an arraignment hearing on July 16.

‘Legally armed Good Samaritan’ saves woman from being strangled, Tennessee cops say

Police learned a man and woman started arguing as they walked near the restaurant’s drive-thru.

That’s when the suspect, identified as James Michael Shelton, slammed the woman to the ground when she tried to flee, the report states.

Shelton proceeded to strangle the woman and drag her away — until a witness in the drive-thru lane jumped into action, police said.

“A bystander in the drive-thru noticed the assault and immediately exited his vehicle and trained his pistol toward the male suspect and ordered him to stop,”

Santa Ana man charged with stealing retirement funds from Boeing employees

Hoa Vo, 30, is facing three counts of bank fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft related to a series of fraudulent money transfers adding up to hundreds of thousands of dollars, according to U.S. Attorney’s office statement.

Prosecutors allege that Vo – who is also known as Hoa Thanh Tran Vo and Andy Vo – was able to obtain the personal identifying information of an unspecified number of Boeing employees and information about their retirement accounts.

Using that information, prosecutors allege, Vo submitted withdrawal requests for checks and electronic money transfers.

The money was deposited into bank accounts Vo opened using Boeing employee’s name and forged signature, prosecutors added.

Seven Antifa Terrorists Arrested On Federal Charges After Weekend Of Carnage In Portland

Seven antifa rioters were charged with a variety of federal crimes after the multiple attacks on Hatfield Federal Courthouse over the weekend.

Unlike Multnomah county district attorneys, who have a penchant for dropping charges on violent protesters, these “suspects” will be facing federal prosecutors.

The official DOJ press release reads:

LAPD investigates ‘blue flu’ claims after officers call in sick over July 4 holiday

It came on a weekend with an unusually high number of homicides and shootings and as residents complained of illegal fireworks exploding all across the city.

In certain anti-gang units, everyone or nearly everyone called in sick at once, sources said.

LAPD Chief Michel Moore said there could be several reasons why officers called in sick, particularly given rising COVID-19 cases within the force and throughout Los Angeles County.

But he also acknowledged signs that certain officers and units called in as part of a concerted action.

Portland Demonstrators Engage in ‘Night of Rage’ to Protest Death of BLM Protester

The event coincided with the “night of rage” protest over the death of Summer Taylor, who died Saturday after being struck by a driver who drove his vehicle onto a closed freeway, where a protest was taking place. A judge set bail for the accused driver, Dawit Kelete, at $1.2 million.

“Individuals have thrown and launched projectiles at police, including improvised explosives, bricks, rocks, commercial fireworks, and metal ball bearings,” the sheriff’s office said. “This is a life safety issue for our first responders and protesters themselves.”

“Multiple deputies and officers have been injured. We have witnessed an increase in fires being set at the Justice Center and at nearby businesses. People have blocked or barricaded entrances, putting hundreds of lives in grave danger,” it continued:

Facebook takes down accounts and pages of Trump ally Roger Stone

Facebook officials said they took down Stone’s personal Facebook and Instagram pages and his Stone Cold Truth Facebook page, which had 141,000 followers.

A total of 54 Facebook accounts and 50 pages were removed for misbehavior, including the creation of fake accounts. The accounts spent more than $300,000 on advertisements over the past few years, Facebook said.

Facebook is under pressure from civil rights advocates and allied groups as well, and hundreds of advertisers have joined a boycott demanding the company crack down on hateful and divisive messages.

United will warn 36,000 workers they could be laid off

The outlook for a recovery in air travel has dimmed in just the past two weeks, as infection rates rise in much of the U.S. and some states impose new quarantine requirements on travelers.

United officials said Wednesday that they still hope to limit the number of layoffs by offering early retirement benefits, and that 36,000 is a worst-case scenario.

The notices going to employees this month are meant to comply with a 60-day warning ahead of mass job cuts.

From ‘Made in China’ to ‘Owned by China’: 20 deals show how China is gobbling up U.S. assets

Between 2002 and 2016, Chinese state-owned or state-linked companies acquired more than $120 billion worth of assets in 40 states across the U.S.

Just 15 Chinese entities (sovereign wealth funds, state-owned corporations, or state-linked private sector firms) accounted for 60% of this activity.

In 2016 alone, more than 50 of these Chinese acquisitions exceeded $50 million. Several Chinese takeover deals exceeded $1 billion.

Here are 20 Chinese investments and buyouts that have consequences for American consumers (and potentially 2020 election voters):

AP Exclusive: ‘Strike for Black Lives’ to highlight racism

Dubbed the “Strike for Black Lives,” tens of thousands of fast food, ride-share, nursing home and airport workers in more than 25 cities are expected to walk off the job July 20 for about eight minutes —

The national strike will also include a handful of worker-led marches through participating cities, organizers said Wednesday.

The service workers union has partnered with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, the American Federation of Teachers, United Farm Workers and the Fight for $15 and a Union, which was launched in 2012 by American fast food workers to push for a higher minimum wage.

Social and racial justice groups taking part include March On, the Center for Popular Democracy, the National Domestic Workers Alliance and the Movement for Black Lives, a coalition of over 150 organizations that make up the Black Lives Matter movement.

Oregon politician confesses to penning ‘anonymous’ racist letter to himself

Jonathan Lopez, who is Latino and was a recent commissioner candidate in Umatilla County, claimed he discovered the hate-filled missive in his mailbox on June 23, the East Oregonian reported.

On his now-deleted Facebook account, he shared a photo of the letter, which said that Lopez and other “Mexicans” were “not welcome here,” according to local news station KEPR-TV.

“This investigation is particularly frustrating as we are in the midst of multiple major investigations while battling a resource shortage due to the current pandemic,” Edmiston told the outlet.

“The time spent on this fictitious claim means time lost on other matters, not to mention it needlessly adds to the incredible tension that exists in our nation today.”

Seattle held ‘segregated’ training session on ‘undoing whiteness,’ encouraged staffers to forfeit ‘guaranteed physical safety’

The City of Seattle held a racially segregated employee training session aimed at White staffers and instructing them on “undoing your own whiteness” in order to be held accountable by people of color, according to documents obtained by a public records request.

The session took place on June 12, as protesters took part in the so-called “Capitol Hill Organized Protest” in the Capitol Hill district.

One handout distributed in the session reportedly declared how “racism is not our fault but we are responsible.” Another said White staffers must give up “the land” and their “guaranteed physical safety” in order to be an “accomplice” for racial justice.

Dramatic video shows children being thrown to safety from balcony of apartment on fire

The fire broke out on the third floor of the building on July 3, and a 30-year-old mother of two threw her 3-year-old son off the balcony in a last-ditch attempt to save his life.

The child was caught in the nick of time by a former Marine and wide receiver Phillip Blanks, 28, who scooped the toddler up and rushed him to safety, according to reports by ABC7.

The woman’s 8-year-old daughter was also rescued as she dropped from the apartment’s balcony. The mother, however, perished in the blaze.

Historic Black cemetery that was ‘purposefully erased’ during Jim Crow uncovered

The Zion cemetery was founded in 1901 by Richard Doby, a prominent African American business leader, Prendergast told Fox News.

Robles Park Village was built over the cemetery in the 1950s, the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Prendergast explained that the cemetery was in use until 1923, noting that archaeologists have death certificates of 763 individuals known to have been buried at Zion.

However, the cemetery also contained a Potters Field for paupers’ burials and archaeologists believe up to 1,000 people may have been buried at Zion.

American flag displays set on fire in Massachusetts

One of the patriotic scenes in Needham, outside of Boston, was arranged by resident Kate Robey in coordination with a local Veterans of Foreign Wars post, according to WFXT.

“Dedicated people put those out and to just burn them, nonchalantly, it’s hurtful,” she told the station.

The station says Robey has been working with the VFW to set up the displays around Needham for nearly a decade.

Two White People Charged With Hate Crime For Allegedly Defacing Black Lives Matter Mural In California

The suspects, identified as Nicole Anderson and David Nelson, also will be charged with three misdemeanors — iolation of civil rights, vandalism and possession of tools to commit vandalism or graffiti — by the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office.

“We must address the root and byproduct of systemic racism in our country. The Black Lives Matter movement is an important civil rights cause that deserves all of our attention,” Contra Costa County District Attorney Diana Becton said in a press release.

“The mural completed last weekend was a peaceful and powerful way to communicate the importance of Black lives in Contra Costa County and the country. We must continue to elevate discussions and actually listen to one another in an effort to heal our community and country.”

Crime Surges At Minneapolis Homeless Encampments, Multiple Sexual Assaults Investigated

After the city’s Park and Recreation Board voted June 17 to allow homeless residents to stay overnight at city parks like Powderhorn Park, the encampments have expanded rapidly.

Sexual assaults, assaults with blunt objects, fentanyl overdoses and reports of individuals being chased by others with guns and baseball bats have increased in regularity, the Star Tribune reported.

The board estimates more than 800 people live in the nearly 560 tents in the park.

Four days after the board rejected a plan that could have restricted the encampments, a man attacked a girl, who was hospitalized, requiring child protective services to become involved.

Judge Jeanine Says NYC DA Wants To ‘Dismiss’ Charges Against City Rioters And Investigate Police

“You’ve got a D.A. sending a memo out to his staff basically saying number one, as it relates to the protesters, go easy, dismiss them … we are not worried about that, but we want proactive investigations into possible police misconduct,” Pirro said on Fox News’ “Tucker Carlson Tonight.”

Pirro claimed that “as New York City burns” Vance is ignoring the plight of looted businesses, “many of them minority-owned, many of them — because of the protests — closed forever.”

The judge predicted that the situation would continue to deteriorate as “bail reform continues,” saying that jails are developing a revolving door.

Supreme Court rules in favor of Little Sisters of the Poor in ObamaCare contraception case

The court ruled 7-2 in favor of the Trump administration and the Catholic charity that cares for the elderly in two related disputes against Pennsylvania, which sued over the validity of a rule from the Trump administration that allowed religious-affiliated groups and some for-profit companies to opt-out of providing contraception coverage to employees.

The majority opinion, written by Justice Clarence Thomas, ruled that the Trump administration’s challenged rulemaking was aboveboard, and hailed the work of the Little Sisters of the Poor.

“For over 150 years, the Little Sisters have engaged in faithful service and sacrifice, motivated by a religious calling to surrender all for the sake of their brother,” Thomas wrote.

Politics:

Tucker: Sen. Tammy Duckworth has no right to lecture anyone

Commentary/Opinion:
Tammy Duckworth is a callous hack who ignored the suffering of actual veterans when it actually mattered.

She has no moral authority.

Ingraham: Sacrificing the kids to beat Trump

Commentary/Opinion:
With the Trump recovery underway, Democrats are shifting back to their default position:

Shut the economy down and that includes our schools.

Marxist mobs sweep into cities, call for defunding of police, tear down statues and create havoc

Commentary/Opinion:
The moment mass hysteria took hold of our ruling class, the panicked desire to not be called “racist” by Marxist bullies destroyed any hope for actual reform and progress not just of policing tactics, but also of a law enforcement system that caters to the rich while condemning the disenfranchised.

The “movement” instead became a parade of White people, individually and in corporations, jockeying to prove who was the most woke by confessing to racist thoughts
or actions.

There have been many absurdities exposing the farce that has descended upon us in the aftermath of Floyd’s death, none of which is more shocking and heartbreaking than the chaos and riots unleashed in our inner-cities destroying the lives primarily of people of color.

This is no American “movement.” It’s an organized, craven political con job hoping, somehow, the ensuing misery inflicted on you and your family will compel you to vote against Republicans in November.

The Democrats have talked about not wanting to let a crisis go to waste, and you and our culture are now the sacrificial lambs in their political games.

Should Bill de Blasio resign amid rising violence in New York City?

Commentary/Opinion:
Joe Borelli, NYC Councilman, discusses the future of New York City under Mayor Bill de Blasio after calls for his resignation.

Biden-appointed panel to make recommendations for climate policy Wednesday: sources

Biden named Ocasio-Cortez, a supporter of one-time rival Bernie Sanders and champion of aggressive climate policies that would transform the economy, and Kerry as the co-chairs of the task force in May to try to come up with policy recommendations that could bridge the gap between the liberal and more centrist wings of the Democratic party.

Some members of the Democratic National Committee’s Environment and Climate Crisis Council, formed last year, last month published proposals for the party’s four-year platform for up to $16 trillion in spending to shift the U.S. economy away from fossil fuels while banning hydraulic fracking and oil and gas exports – much more than Biden’s initial $1.7 trillion plan.

Schools Accused Of Staying Closed For “Political Reasons”

Teachers unions and school officials are being accused of keeping schools closed for political reasons instead of for the children’s safety

Trump signs a joint declaration with the president of Mexico

President Trump and Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador sign a joint declaration in the Rose Garden.

World News:

Report: China Resumes Censoring, Silencing Coronavirus Doctors and Patients

Beijing law professor Xu Zhangrun became the highest-profile victim of this second wave of censorship on Monday when he was arrested for the “crime” of criticizing Chinese dictator Xi Jinping’s response to the coronavirus.

Xu was especially trenchant in his criticism of Xi’s use of deception and censorship to manage the political fallout from the epidemic, so he’s essentially been silenced for noticing that people are being silenced.

The Washington Post last week reviewed Wuhan Diary: Dispatches from a Quarantined City, a collection of posts from a Wuhan resident named Fang Fang mentioned by Liu in her discussion of renewed censorship.

Fang made many of the same points as Liu about government censors and “nationalistic trolls” zealously guarding the official narrative of the coronavirus epidemic, including Chinese officials who flat-out lied to their superiors, and the world, about whether the coronavirus was contagious, for as long as they could get away with it.

Facebook suspends disinformation network tied to employees of Brazil’s Bolsonaro

The company said that despite efforts to disguise who was behind the activity, it had found links to the staff of two Brazilian lawmakers, as well as the president and his sons, Congressman Eduardo Bolsonaro and Senator Flavio Bolsonaro.

Gleicher said his team had identified and suspended more than 80 accounts on Facebook and its photo-sharing site, Instagram, as part of the Brazilian network. The accounts had amassed 1.8 million followers, he said, and some dated back to 2018.

Researchers at the Atlantic Council’s Digital Forensic Research Lab, who spent a week analysing the activity identified by Facebook, said they had found five current and former political staffers who registered and operated the accounts.

Violent clashes erupt in Serbia after new coronavirus curfew announced

The chaos that erupted in Belgrade on Tuesday came after health officials reported the highest single-day death toll of 13, as well as 299 new COVID-19 cases.

Serbian police say 23 people have been detained and scores of police officers and demonstrators were injured in the violence that lasted for more than six hours.

During the unrest in Belgrade Tuesday, police cars were set on fire, and rocks were thrown while officers responded by firing tear gas, according to the BBC.

British court rules against Christopher Steele, orders damages paid to businessmen named in dossier

Justice Mark Warby of the High Court of England and Wales ordered Steele’s firm, Orbis Business Intelligence, to pay a modest 18,000 English pounds – about $22,596 in American currency – each to Petr Aven and Mikhail Fridman as compensation for a violation of Britain’s Data Protection Act 1998 .

Warby ruled that while Steele had a national security interest to share his intelligence with U.S. and British authorities, several of the allegations in Memo 112 of the Steele dossier were “inaccurate or misleading as a matter of fact.”

Though a matter of British law, the ruling is likely to have impact as well in the United States, where the Justice Department continues to investigate the actions of the FBI in the Russia collusion probe, including its interactions with Steele and agents’ honesty with the FISA court.

University professor offers bonus to students who ‘find a poor Jew’ in anti-Semitic lecture: reports

Professor Esteban Lizondo’s anti-Semitic comments were recorded by a student and posted on social media from an online class on international politics at the 21st Century Business University in Cordoba, according to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency.

The student, who remains unnamed, recorded the lecture and reported the incident to the Cordoba office of the Argentine Jewish umbrella organization DAIA, which complained to the university.

Argentina is home to the largest Jewish communities in Latin America, the second largest in the Western hemisphere, according to the latest data published by the American Jewish Year Book.