Businesses board up their windows in heavily Democratic cities ahead of Election Day
Heavily Democratic cities are now in the habit of boarding up windows and shuttering businesses ahead of political events that might upset local leftists.
That is certainly the case with Washington, D.C., which erected "Black Lives Matter"-branded plywood boards and fencing outside of stores ahead of the 2020 election and saw businesses brace for chaos again when Roe v. Wade was overturned. Some businesses in the city also took precautions ahead of the January 2017 anti-Trump riots, where all the rioters ultimately got off scot-free, as well as ahead of the Jan. 6, 2021, protests, where rioters were held to a different standard.
Possibly anticipating more chaos in the District of Columbia, where 92.1% of the vote in the last presidential election went to Joe Biden, businesses are once again reinforcing their windows and preparing for potentially "fiery but mostly peaceful protests."
Resident Stacy Snyder told WJLA-TV, "Hopefully no riots. Nobody wants to see anyone get hurt or any damage. After what happened last time, I guess, you have to be prepared for anything. So, like I said, better safe than sorry."
Ebony Boger, who works downtown, indicated she recently received an email from building management indicating it was going to fortify the exterior.
"It's not shocking. I'm kind of used to it. I think they should do it," said Boger.
The managers of various buildings confirmed to WJLA that the election was the reason behind the plywood reinforcement.
According to the Washington Post, some business and property owners have also boosted their private security in anticipation of possible riots and looting.
'If people choose to riot, I feel like we need to listen to the people.'
Leon Beresford, executive vice president of Admiral Security Services, indicated that his company, which provides security to 150 commercial office buildings in D.C., is mobilizing around 2,000 guards in time for Election Day.
"People would rather be overprepared and have nothing happen, as opposed to the alternative," said Eric Jones, vice president of government affairs for the Apartment and Office Building Association of Metropolitan Washington.
Washington Metropolitan Police Department Chief Pamela A. Smith said at a press conference last week, "I want to be very clear: We will not tolerate any violence of any kind. We will not tolerate any riots. We will not tolerate the destruction of property. We will not tolerate any unlawful behavior. Offenders will be arrested and will be held accountable."
Smith indicated that well over 3,000 police officers will be working 12-hour shifts through the election.
Storefronts in Portland, Oregon — another heavily Democratic city — have similarly disappeared behind protective boards. While big-name businesses like Chase Bank have reinforced their establishments, some have alternatively chosen to trust the mob.
Katherine Morgan, the owner of the relatively new Grand Gestures Books, told KATU-TV, "When I got the business, the windows were boarded up because of the protest, and they just never came down. For me, if people choose to riot, I feel like we need to listen to the people."
Morgan indicated she won't be boarding up her establishment, noting, "I'm someone who believes in protesting, I'm someone who believes in doing whatever you can for your voice to be heard."
Real estate developer Jordan Schnitzer told the Oregonian he is praying his building will go unscathed.
"If your sports team loses, do you go out and break windows?" said Schnitzer. "In this day and age to see that this type of behavior in America is so commonplace is heartbreaking."
Portland Police Chief Bob Day said last week, "We never can eliminate risk, but the confidence that I have in our community, the confidence I have in our law enforcement response, I'm really hopeful that that's not going to be necessary."
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Democratic DC councilman arrested, accused of $156,000 bribery scheme
Washington, D.C., Councilmember Trayon White Sr. was recently arrested for allegedly facilitating a $156,000 bribery scheme. White, a Democrat, has been representing D.C.’s Ward 8 since 2017, and he recently won the Democratic primary in June.
White is accused of using his position in office to pressure government employees to extend contracts in exchange for cash payments, the Department of Justice announced Monday.
‘What you need me to do, man?’
A criminal complaint revealed that White was charged with bribery for allegedly accepting money and other items of value in return for using his position to pressure employees at the Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement and the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services to extend several contracts valued at $5.2 million.
Since June, White has allegedly received four payments totaling $156,000 from the owner of two unnamed companies. According to the complaint, an arrangement between White and the contractor was caught on video. White allegedly accepted $35,000 from the company while it was “working covertly under the auspices of the FBI.”
According to the affidavit, video footage captured White asking the contractor, “What you need me to do, man?”
“I don’t wanna feel like you gotta gimme something to get something,” White continued before taking an envelope of money from the contractor, according to the filing. “We better than that.”
The affidavit claimed that the contractor agreed to give White a 3% cut of the government contracts he helped to extend.
A spokesperson for the D.C. city council told NBC News that White was arrested around 2 p.m. on Sunday. He was released from custody the following day after his court appearance. His next court date is slated for September 19. The spokesperson noted that the council was unaware of the investigation ahead of White’s arrest, the news outlet reported.
U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia Matthew Graves stated, “Because the investigation into the alleged bribery scheme involved contracts that could soon be awarded and other potential official acts that could be taken, our Office took swift steps to address the alleged crimes we were investigating.”
A spokesperson for White did not respond to a request for comment from NBC News. White’s attorney declined to comment, the Washington Post reported.
Earlier this year, White’s campaign committees were hit with a $40,000 fine from the D.C. Office of Campaign Finance for allegedly failing to provide requested documents to rectify expenditure and contribution discrepancies. A spokesperson for White’s office stated that the councilman appealed the fines, the Post reported.
White previously garnered national attention in 2018 when he was accused of spreading an anti-Semitic conspiracy theory when mentioning the Rothschilds in a video he posted on social media.
In the video, White said, “Man, it just started snowing out of nowhere this morning, man. Y’all better pay attention to this climate control, man, this climate manipulation. And D.C. keep talking about, ‘We a resilient city.’ And that’s a model based off the Rothschilds controlling the climate to create natural disasters they can pay for to own the cities, man. Be careful.”
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Pro-Hamas protesters take down US flags in DC — police deploy pepper spray to stop mob chase: Video
In response to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's scheduled speech before Congress on Wednesday, at least several hundred pro-Hamas activists, many carrying Palestinian flags, gathered around Capitol Hill to protest his address.
Blaze News' Julio Rosas captured videos of the anti-Israel protesters shouting, chasing, and shoving police officers stationed around the Capitol building and Union Station.
'Absolute chaos.'
Video from the demonstration showed some individuals in the mob attempting to pull police officers off of restrained and handcuffed agitators.
"Let them go! Let them go!" the crowd chanted at cops.
U.S. Park Police removed and secured an American flag at Union Station and withdrew from the chaos, Blaze News captured on video. Protesters followed the group of officers, shouting instructions to one another to grab the flag from officers.
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American flags posted outside of Union Station were removed by activists and replaced with Palestinian flags. A statue was defaced by protesters who wrote, "Hamas is coming."
Other photographs and videos showed demonstrators burning American and Israeli flags.
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Metropolitan Police officers deployed pepper spray outside of the Capitol building to break up the melee.
Rosas described the scene as "absolute chaos," writing in a post on X, "The mob continued to chase police officers to try to free protesters who had been arrested at Union Station. Pepper spray was eventually used to push the crowd back."
Rosas reported that law enforcement has detained some of the protesters.
Meanwhile, approximately half of the House and Senate Democrats refused to attend Netanyahu's address before Congress, choosing instead to align themselves with the activists. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and former House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.) were among those who boycotted the prime minister's address.
In the chamber, Representative Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) held up a sign reading "Guilty of genocide."
"I will never back down in speaking truth to power," Tlaib stated. "The apartheid government of Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians. Palestinians will not be erased. Solidarity with all those outside of these walls in the streets protesting and exercising their right to dissent."
Ocasio-Cortez called Netanyahu "a war criminal."
Vice President Kamala Harris (D) also did not attend Netanyahu's speech, citing a previously scheduled event. President Joe Biden and Harris will reportedly hold separate meetings with the Israeli prime minister on Thursday. Donald Trump is slated to sit down with Netanyahu on Friday.
Neither Biden nor Harris showed up to greet Netanyahu and his wife when they arrived in Washington, D.C., on Monday.
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This Week In Lawfare Land: Dismissal Of Classified Docs Case Deals Major Blow To DOJ
Here’s the latest information you need to know about each prosecution Democrats are waging against the Republican presidential candidate.Republican Rep. Mike Collins says 'three men attempted to rob one of my staffers and a friend at gunpoint in' DC
Republican Rep. Mike Collins of Georgia said in a Sunday post on X that one of his staffers and another individual had been targeted for robbery in Washington, D.C.
"Early this morning, three men attempted to rob one of my staffers and a friend at gunpoint in Navy Yard. One attacker took a watch, the other took a fist to the face. Our nation's capital has become a warzone because of pro-criminal policies peddled by D.C.'s government. Thank the good Lord, after fending off the assailants, both young men are safe," Collins tweeted.
'It's unthinkable that drive-by robberies are a normal part of living just a few blocks from the Capitol.'
"It's a shame our nation's capital is a showcase for failed Democrat policies and violent crime as opposed to the greatness of our country. The crime is so common place now many people don't even report it because they know the city government will do nothing or just release the criminals to keep offending," the staffer who had been involved in the incident told the Daily Caller on Monday.
The nation's capital is a deeply blue area that has consistently voted for the Democratic presidential candidate in each election since 1964, which was the first presidential contest after the 23rd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution took effect.
"Time and time again D.C.'s leadership proves they are incapable of governing and protecting its citizens. Violent crime in this city is a problem that affects everyone. It's unthinkable that drive-by robberies are a normal part of living just a few blocks from the Capitol," Collins tweeted.
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'Tragic injustice': Clinton-appointed judge sentences pro-life rescuer to nearly 5 years in jail over peaceful protest
A Clinton-appointed judge has sentenced pro-life activist Lauren Handy to four years and nine months in prison plus three years' supervision for peacefully speaking out in support of the lives lost and threatened at an infamous late-term abortion clinic in the nation's capital.
U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly's heavy-handed sentence in Handy's case, which was just one year shy of what Biden's admittedly pro-abortion Department of Justice advocated for, has been blasted by Republicans and other pro-life activists.
'Meanwhile, abortionists who dismember and kill children walk free. A grave injustice!'
The Thomas More Society, which defended Handy in the case, has indicated it will proceed with an appeal on behalf of Handy, not only to overturn her conviction but to challenge the constitutionality of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act, under which she was convicted in August.
Other pro-life rescuers who took part in the peaceful 2020 protest appear to also be headed to prison, including John Hinshaw, who was sentenced Tuesday to 21 months in prison.
Background
Handy, 30, is the director of activism and mutual aid for Progressive Anti-Abortion Uprising.
According to its website, PAAU is "committed to the progressive feminist values of equality, non-violence, and nondiscrimination through an anti-capitalist lens. ... We're committed to unparalleled bravery and to always challenging the oppressive status quo. We're committed to ending elective abortion to matter how long it takes."
Blaze News previously reported that Handy and four other PAAU activists — John Hinshaw, Heather Idoni, William Goodman, and Herb Geraghty — were convicted of FACE Act violations last year for supposedly blocking access on Oct. 22, 2020, to the Washington Surgi-Clinic, operated by the late-term abortionist Cesare Santangelo.
The FACE Act prohibits anyone from obstructing the entrance to an abortion clinic or intimidating or interfering with a woman attempting to have her unborn baby exterminated.
The Biden DOJ claimed that Handy partook in a "clinic blockade that was directed by Handy and was broadcast on Facebook. The defendants conspired to and did forcefully enter the clinic and block access to the clinic using their bodies, furniture, chains and ropes. Once the blockade was established, footage of the activities was live-streamed."
Legal analysts at the Heritage Foundation noted that "Congress specified that the FACE Act doesn't 'prohibit any expressive conduct (including peaceful picketing or other peaceful demonstration) protected from legal prohibitions by the First Amendment to the Constitution,' including the 'free speech or free exercise clauses,' occurring 'outside a facility.'"
Handy's defense also characterized the incident as a "rescue and protest," noting that she was under the distinct impression, in part due to an undercover video published by Live Action, that Santangelo was not just executing live-birth abortions but leaving born-alive infants to die.
Kollar-Kotelly ultimately barred the defendants from claiming their protest was protected by the First Amendment as well as from claiming they had protested in defense of a third person, stating "a defendant may not don a vigilante's hood." The Clinton judge, who made sure to chastise a nun in the public gallery for daring to make the sign of the cross, also prevented the defense from showing the undercover 2012 footage that prompted Handy to want to intervene for fear of prejudicing the jury.
Handy, convicted of a FACE Act violation as well as of conspiracy against rights, sat in prison for nine months until her sentencing.
Sentencing
The Biden DOJ asked Kollar-Kotelly to give Handy 6.5 years, claiming she was among the "masterminds who chose the clinic, advertised the event, recruited participants, and planned the crime," reported the Washington Examiner.
Handy's defense alternatively asked for a one-year sentence, emphasizing the peaceful nature of the event that entailed an "attempt to rescue preborn children from imminent death at the hands of an abortionist who Ms. Handy believed performed illegal late-term procedures."
The Clinton judge reportedly expressed concern that Handy's protest hindered multiple prospective patients from speedily entering the clinic, including a woman experiencing labor pains.
"Your views took precedence over, frankly, their human needs," said Kollar-Kotelly, apparently discounting the human needs ignored deeper within the clinic.
Prosecutors apparently also won the judge over with the claim that the protest was not peaceful, as a clinic nurse allegedly sprained her ankle when one of Handy's co-defendants entered the clinic, reported the New York Post.
Kollar-Kelly claimed Handy was not being punished for her pro-life beliefs but rather her actions, stating, "The law does not protect violent nor obstructive conduct, nor should it."
Response
The outcome incensed Republicans, women's organizations, and pro-life activists, who ostensibly agreed that the FACE Act has outstayed its welcome, especially after having been weaponized against pro-life activists by the Biden DOJ.
Live Action president Lila Rose noted Handy "has just been sentenced to 57 months in federal prison for handing roses and resources to women at an abortion facility[.] Meanwhile, abortionists who dismember and kill children walk free. A grave injustice!"
Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) said in a statement obtained by Blaze News, "Today's outrageous 57-month sentence for a progressive pro-life activist is a stark reminder: Biden's DOJ is fully weaponized against pro-life American citizens, and they are using the FACE Act to do it."
Roy stressed that "House Republicans should defund the DOJ weaponization, repeal the FACE Act, and stand up for the freedoms that we campaign on."
'Ms. Handy deserves thanks, not a gut-wrenching prison sentence.'
"This sentencing of @PAAUNOW's Lauren Hardy is a tragic injustice," said Penny Nance, CEO of the Concerned Women for America. "In policy and practice, the FACE Act is an unjust law that must be repealed. It is an unconstitutional breach of the states' police power, and the Biden Administration has used it to attack political opponents most blatantly."
\u201cThis sentencing of @PAAUNOW's Lauren Hardy is a tragic injustice,\u201d said Penny Nance, CEO of CWA. \u201cIn policy and practice, the FACE Act is an unjust law that must be repealed. It is an unconstitutional breach of the states\u2019 police power, and the Biden Administration has used it\u2026— (@)
Martin Cannon, senior counsel at the Thomas More Society, said in a statement, "There was only one thing around which Ms. Handy and her co-defendants were unified, and that was nonviolence. They conspired to be peaceful."
"For her efforts to peacefully protect the lives of innocent preborn human beings, Ms. Handy deserves thanks, not a gut-wrenching prison sentence," continued Cannon. "We will vigorously pursue an appeal of Ms. Handy's conviction and attack the root cause of this injustice, that is, the FACE Act — which we believe is unconstitutional and should never again be used to persecute peaceful pro-lifers."
Steve Crampton, senior counsel at the Thomas More Society, added, "The remains of several later-term aborted babies discovered by Ms. Handy and her associates, known as the 'D.C. Five,' have underscored the truth of Ms. Handy's concerns that abortionist Cesare Santangelo has more likely than not been violating the Born Alive Infants Protection Act by reportedly refusing to provide life-saving care to infants born alive as a result of an attempted abortion."
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New feminist Wonder Woman comic has hero enslaved as traditional, Christian wife who must reject the Bible to escape
A new Wonder Woman comic book has the hero trapped in her mind as a traditional, Christian wife who is verbally abused by her husband.
"Wonder Woman #8," written by author Tom King, places Wonder Woman under the constraints of a villain who has bound her with the Lasso of Lies, a powerful weapon much like her own, which he uses to manipulate her mind.
Please note that this article contains many spoilers.
While tied up with the magical lasso, the reader learns that Wonder Woman is trapped in her mind, living as a Christian wife in a pseudo-1950s landscape with cell phones.
Her husband is an abusive military officer who immediately takes issue with his wife's inability to deliver dinner on time. After reminding his wife, trad Wonder Woman, that he is "going out with the boys," she insists that she is "going to be better" for him.
The comic jumps back and forth between the real world and the one created to torment her. In her traditional-hell landscape, Wonder Woman's thoughts are invaded by Bible passages that poison her mind. 1 Timothy 2:9-15 is used, which talks about women being encouraged to dress modestly and decently, learning in quiet, and not having authority over a man.
Ephesians 5:22-24 is later cited, which says, "Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior."
Later in the comic, Wonder Woman's husband complains about the temperature on his steak, and when asking her why she isn't eating, she says it's because she's trying to lose weight.
"I do need to watch my figure," she states.
After becoming enraged when Wonder Woman asks him when he will be home, the tormenting husband tells her that she may not be able to cook, but at least she looks good.
"I shouldn't have asked. Have fun. I have so many chores around here to distract me. As much as anything can distract me from you," she said painfully.
"You can't cook, and you never know when to shut your mouth. But dammit, you do look all right in that outfit," the husband said while embracing the emotionally damaged woman.
Preview for Wonder Woman #8— (@)
Eventually, Wonder Woman escapes her mental prison but not before one more painfully written interaction with her husband. While sending her spouse into a spiral by burning his eggs, Wonder Woman is mentally battling more Bible passages.
Titus 2:3-5 is then quoted in the comic as "women, likewise, are to be reverent in behavior. Not slanderers or slaves to much wine."
"They are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children," it goes on.
She scolds her husband in their final interaction for not listening to her.
Eventually, Wonder Woman's mother appears in her hallucination to remind her that she is a strong, powerful woman who can accomplish anything.
Inspired by her mother, Wonder Woman breaks free from her confines and, while holding the villain by his throat, yells, "I do not believe your God!"
Loving this Wonder Woman issue 8 Cover D 1:25 Joshua 'Sway' Swaby Card Stock Variant #WonderWoman #Dc— (@)
With dialogue narrating how Wonder Woman's will can never be broken — unlike even the toughest of men — the story comes to an end in both worlds.
In the trad world, Wonder Woman's husband is left with a departing note from his now-estranged wife.
"Steve. My mother came by. I'm leaving with her. I am not coming back."
"The truth is, I'm not who you think I am. I am only who I think I am."
"P.S. The house is a little messy. And you're going to need a new vacuum."
Steve is revealed as looking stunned while reading the note. A caption adds, "We pushed her as far as any man has ever been pushed."
"But from the clay from which she is made, it will not crack."
As That Park Place reported, a former DC Comics artist who worked on Suicide Squad and Justice League of America comics announced he would boycott the company over the recent tones in the Wonder Woman series.
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Migrants in DC are getting away with driving motorbikes without license plates: Report
Migrants are driving around Washington, D.C., on motorbikes and motorized scooters without license plates or insurance, according to a Monday report by the Daily Signal.
An investigation conducted by the news outlet revealed that many individuals illegally driving unregistered bikes around the D.C. area have not been confronted by the police.
After interviewing about a dozen drivers, the Daily Signal reported that the Metropolitan Police Department seems to be largely ignoring the illegal activity amid an uptick in more motorbikes on the road.
Many individuals are acquiring motorized vehicles to generate income by delivering food. The investigation revealed that a large portion of the bikes lack license plates and are, therefore, unlikely to be properly registered or insured.
According to D.C. law, motorcycles containing engines larger than 50 cubic centimeters must be registered with the Department of Motor Vehicles within 30 days and display a license plate. Motorized bicycles that can go above 20 miles per hour must also be registered and have valid insurance.
In D.C., illegal immigrants with notice to appear documents may obtain “a temporary D.C. DMV [driver’s] license or identification card for the duration of processing time indicated in the notice up to a maximum of 18 months.”
A motorized bike shop employee told the Daily Signal that “police don’t give any attention” to drivers riding bikes without a license. The worker explained that the shop provides motorbike purchasers with a license plate that reads “49cc” to avert suspicion about the motors’ actual size. The shop sells only bikes with motors larger than 50cc.
Nearly all bike drivers interviewed by the Daily Signal admitted to illegally crossing the southern border into the country. All of those questioned were driving bikes without license plates. Despite lacking the proper plates, many stated that police had not stopped them at any point.
One American driver told the news outlet he was using a 50cc bike until he noticed others with larger bikes were not getting pulled over.
“Bro, to be honest, they don’t even do nothing,” he told the Daily Signal.
According to the driver, the local police appear to be treating 50cc and 150cc bikes “the same.” He called it “a weird loophole.”
Tom Lynch, a spokesperson for the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department, told the news outlet that the drivers violating license and registration laws are “testing their luck.” He noted that there was no way of knowing whether officers had seen the interviewed drivers who were in violation.
The police department said in a statement, “Chief [Pamela] Smith has heard the concerns from the community about traffic safety and is working to strengthen MPD’s traffic enforcement.”
“So far, MPD has conducted 40 Traffic Safety Compliance Checkpoints across the District. Nearly 19,000 vehicles have passed through these checkpoints, resulting in over 2,600 notice of infractions, 84 arrests and the recovery of 13 firearms,” the spokesperson continued.
The department added that it aims to achieve Mayor Muriel Bowser’s (D) Vision Zero initiative, which seeks “zero fatalities or serious injuries” by clamping down on “speeding, distracted driving, impaired driving, and other violations.”
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