Oregon’s Drug Legalization Has Killed Many and Earned Massive Pushback

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Oregon’s Drug Legalization Has Killed Many and Earned Massive Pushback

(Headline USA) Oregon‘s first-in-the-nation law that decriminalized the possession of heroin, cocaine and other illicit drugs is facing strong pushback in the progressive state after an explosion of public drug use and a surge in deaths from opioids, including those of children.

“The inability for people to live their day-to-day life without encountering open-air drug use is so pressing on urban folks’ minds,” said John Horvick, vice president of polling firm DHM Research. “That has very much changed people’s perspective about what they think Measure 110 is.”

When the law was approved by 58% of Oregon voters three years ago, supporters championed Measure 110 as a revolutionary approach that would transform addiction by minimizing penalties for drug use and investing instead in recovery.

But even top Democratic lawmakers who backed the law, which will likely dominate the upcoming legislative session, say they’re now open to revisiting it after the biggest increase in synthetic opioid deaths among states that have reported their numbers.

The cycle of addiction and homelessness spurred by fentanyl is most visible in Portland, where it’s not unusual to see people shooting up in broad daylight on busy city streets.

“Everything’s on the table,” said Democratic state Sen. Kate Lieber, co-chair of a new joint legislative committee created to tackle addiction. “We have got to do something to make sure that we have safer streets and that we’re saving lives.”

Measure 110 directed the state’s cannabis tax revenue toward drug addiction treatment services while decriminalizing the possession of so-called “personal use” amounts of illicit drugs. Possession of under a gram of heroin, for example, is only subject to a ticket and a maximum fine of $100.

Those caught with small amounts of drugs can have the citation dismissed by calling a 24-hour hotline to complete an addiction screening within 45 days, but those who don’t do a screening are not penalized for failing to pay the fine. In the first year after the law took effect in February 2021, only 1% of people who received citations for possession sought help via the hotline, state auditors found.

Critics of the law say this doesn’t create an incentive to seek treatment.

Republican lawmakers have urged Democratic Gov. Tina Kotek to call a special session to address the issue before the Legislature reconvenes in February. They have proposed harsher sanctions for possession and other drug-related offenses, such as mandatory treatment and easing restrictions on placing people under the influence on holds in facilities such as hospitals if they pose a danger to themselves or others.

“Treatment should be a requirement, not a suggestion,” a group of Republican state representatives said in a letter to Kotek.

Law enforcement officials who have testified before the new legislative committee on addiction have proposed reestablishing drug possession as a class A misdemeanor, which is punishable by up to a year in jail or a $6,250 fine.

“We don’t believe a return to incarceration is the answer, but restoring a (class A) misdemeanor for possession with diversion opportunities is critically important,” Jason Edmiston, chief of police in the small, rural city of Hermiston in northeast Oregon, told the committee.

Estimates from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show, among the states reporting data, Oregon had the highest increase in synthetic opioid overdose fatalities when comparing 2019 and the 12-month period ending June 30, a 13-fold surge from 84 deaths to more than 1,100.

Among the next highest was neighboring Washington state, which saw its estimated synthetic opioid overdose deaths increase seven-fold when comparing those same time periods, CDC data shows.

Adapted from reporting by the Associated Press

Federal Employees Protest on Behalf of Palestinian Interests

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Federal Employees Protest on Behalf of Palestinian Interests

(Headline USA) Federal government workers from the State Department to NASA are circulating open letters demanding that Joe Biden pursue a cease-fire against Israel’s war against Hamas. 

Congressional staffers are picking up microphones in front of the Capitol, speaking out to condemn what they say is the silence of lawmakers about the toll on Palestinian civilians.

As the deaths soar in Gaza, Biden and Congress are facing unusually public challenges from the inside over their support for Israel’s offensive. Hundreds of staffers in the administration and on Capitol Hill are signing on to open letters, speaking to reporters and holding vigils, all in an effort to shift U.S. policy toward more urgent action to stem Palestinian casualties.

“Most of our bosses on Capitol Hill are not listening to the people they represent,” one of the congressional staffers told the crowd at a protest this month. Wearing medical masks that obscured their faces, the roughly 100 congressional aides heaped flowers in front of Congress to honor the civilians killed in the conflict.

The objections coming from federal employees over the United States’ military and other backing for Israel’s Gaza campaign is partly an outgrowth of the changes happening more broadly across American society. As the United States becomes more diverse, so does the federal workforce, including more appointees of Muslim and Arab heritage. And surveys show public opinion shifting regarding U.S. ally Israel, with more people expressing unhappiness over the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

A significant number of Americans, including from Biden’s Democratic Party, disagree with his support of Israel’s military campaign. A poll by The Associated Press and NORC Center for Public Affairs Research in early November found 40% of the U.S. public believed Israel’s response in Gaza had gone too far. The war has roiled college campuses and set off nationwide protests.

As of late this past week, one open letter had been endorsed by 650 staffers of diverse religious backgrounds from more than 30 federal agencies, organizers said. The agencies range from the Executive Office of the President to the Census Bureau and include the State Department, U.S. Agency for International Development and the Department of Defense.

A Biden political appointee who helped organize the multiagency open letter said the president’s rejection of appeals to push Netanyahu for a long-term cease-fire had left some federal staffers feeling “dismissed, in a way.”

“That’s why people are using all sorts of dissent cables and open letters. Because we’ve already gone through the channels of trying to do it internally,” this person said.

The letter condemns both the Hamas killings of Israelis in the militants’ Oct. 7 incursion and the Israeli military campaign.

The letter calls for the U.S. to push for a cease-fire and a release of hostages held by Hamas and of Palestinians that the signers say are unjustly detained by Israel, as well as greater action overall on behalf of Gaza’s civilians.

The organizers of the executive branch and congressional protests all spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity, citing fear of professional and other repercussions. The federal employees speaking up in opposition to the U.S. policy appear to be seeking a balance, raising their objections in a way that doesn’t deprive them of a seat at the table and risk their careers.

Some current and former officials and staffers said it’s the public nature of some of the challenges from federal employees that is unusual. It worries some, as a potential threat to government function and to cohesion within agencies.

The State Department has an honored tradition of allowing formal, structured statements of dissent to U.S. policy. It dates to 1970, when U.S. diplomats resisted President Richard Nixon’s demands to fire foreign service officers and other State Department employees who signed an internal letter protesting the U.S. carpet-bombing of Cambodia.

Ever since, foreign service officers and civil servants have used what is known as the dissent channel at moments of intense policy debate. That includes criticism of the George W. Bush administration’s prosecution of the war in Iraq, the Obama administration’s policies in Syria, the Trump administration’s immigration restrictions on mainly Muslim countries and the Biden administration’s handling of the 2021 U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.

But dissent cables, which are signed, are classified and not for public release.

In State Department tradition, at least, if “for whatever reason a criticism or complaint were not taken into account or were not believed to be sufficient to change policy, well, then, it was time to move on. It was done,” said Thomas Shannon, a retired career foreign service officer who served in senior positions at the State Department. “It was time to salute, and execute.”

Shannon was briefly interim secretary of state in the Trump administration. There, he fended off a recommendation from White House spokesman Sean Spicer that State Department staffers who signed a dissent cable against President Donald Trump’s so-called Muslim ban should quit.

Growing diversity of the State Department’s workforce is a positive, Shannon said. But “in the foreign service as in military service, discipline is real and it’s important,” he said, citing the need for consistent, cohesive foreign policy.

“I guess I’m just saying I’m not a fan of open letters,” Shannon said.

State Department officials say several expressions of dissent have made their way through the formal channels to Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

One State Department official, 11-year veteran Josh Paul, quit late last month to protest the administration’s rush to provide arms to Israel.

Blinken addressed internal opposition to the administration’s handling of the Gaza crisis in a departmentwide email to staffers this past Monday. “We’re listening: what you share is informing our policy and our messages,” he wrote.

State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said the dissent was welcome. “One of the strengths of this department is that we do have people with different opinions,” he said.

Unlike the dissent cables, the multiagency open letter and another endorsed by more than 1,000 employees of the U.S. Agency for International Development have been made public. They also are anonymous, with no names of signers publicly attached to them.

The USAID letter with 1,000 staffers backing it, which was given to The Washington Post, Foreign Policy and others, calls for an immediate cease-fire. But one longtime USAID staffer said it distressed some of the agency’s staffers, including some who are Jewish, by not addressing the Hamas killings of civilians in Israel. The delivery of the letter to news organizations also seemed outside the agency’s tradition of handling matters internally in a consultative way, the staffer said, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter.

The organizers of the multiagency open letter said they acted out of frustration after other efforts, particularly a tense meeting between White House officials and Muslim and Arab political appointees, seemed to have no effect.

Staying silent, or resigning, would shirk their responsibility to the public, the staffer said. “If we just leave, there’s never going to be any change.”

Adapted from reporting by the Associated Press

Top Biden Official Invited CCP, Russian Leaders to Sensitive Nat. Security Site

Dmytro "Henry" Aleksandrov
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Top Biden Official Invited CCP, Russian Leaders to Sensitive Nat. Security Site

(Dmytro “Henry” Aleksandrov, Headline USA) GOP Conference Chair Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., and 18 U.S. House Republicans formed a coalition to press Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm over her agency’s offer for China and Russia to inspect a sensitive U.S. nuclear testing site.

Stefanik and other Republicans blasted Granholm in a Thursday letter for recently offering foreign adversaries “unprecedented access” to the Department of Energy’s Nevada National Security Site, according to Fox News.

In September 2023, the DOE’s National Nuclear Security Administration invited Chinese and Russian officials to tour the site to prove the U.S. is upholding a three-decade moratorium against testing nuclear weapons, as it was previously reported.

“I am leading my colleagues in demanding that President Biden revoke this misguided invitation to our adversaries in Beijing and Moscow that grants them unprecedented access and insight into our nuclear weapons. Inviting Communist China and Russia to have a front-row seat for our sensitive nuclear weapons tests will give them invaluable information on how to defeat our nuclear capabilities and improve their own,” Stefanik said.

She then added that inviting foreign enemies to take a look at your nuclear weapons is a very bad move.

“At a time when our adversaries are growing their nuclear stockpiles to undermine America’s leadership, allowing them access to one of our nuclear test sites will only advance this pursuit and lead to our own destruction,” Stefanik said.

The National Nuclear Security Administration [NNSA] invited Chinese and Russian officials to tour the Nevada site — the place where sensitive nuclear experimentation is conducted — during the latest International Atomic Energy Agency summit. It was also reported that the countries didn’t immediately respond to the offer, Corey Hinderstein, a senior NNSA official, said.

“The notion of granting America’s adversaries’ access to our military sites — and enabling them to gain information about U.S. nuclear capabilities — is deeply alarming and fundamentally absurd,” Rep. Rob Wittman, R-Va., one of the letter co-signers, said.

DOJ Wants J6 Victim in Jail after Capitol Police Beat Her Up

Dmytro "Henry" Aleksandrov
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DOJ Wants J6 Victim in Jail after Capitol Police Beat Her Up

(Dmytro “Henry” Aleksandrov, Headline USA) The corrupt Washington D.C. court said that Victoria White, one of the people who entered the U.S. Capitol building on Jan. 6, 2021, must be behind bars after she was brutally beaten with sticks and dragged through the building in her socks and without her coat on that day.

White informed her followers about the news on Friday night by tweeting that her sentencing will take place on Nov. 20, 2023.

“My sentencing is Monday in person in DC. I just found out via my attorney the pre-sentencing people are asking that the judge give me 90 days in federal prison,” she wrote.

White came to D.C. from Rochester, Minn., to attend the Stop the Steal rally, according to the Gateway Pundit.

“She is hit approximately 35 times over the course of four minutes and 30 seconds, while appearing to be begging for mercy the entire time. She is hit with the baton while facing away. She is hit with the baton while facing forward. She is speared and poked with the baton about the face so as to inflict maximum pain. She collapses more than once and is stood up by the officers only to be maced and beaten again,” attorney Joseph McBride said.

McBride then continued his description.

“At some point, [a white shirt] puts away his baton, not because he is showing mercy, but because he has a clear avenue to her face. As such, he unloads on the defenseless woman punching her five times in five seconds, directly in the face, with all of his might,” he added.

After the Capitol police officers beat White with batons for several minutes and smashed her in the face with their fists, they put her in handcuffs and paraded her through the building and into a police vehicle.

The DOJ also released the report regarding what happened without ever describing the brutal beating.

‘They’ve Never Met My Daughter’: Hunter’s Baby Mama Defies Critics in Op-Ed

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‘They’ve Never Met My Daughter’: Hunter’s Baby Mama Defies Critics in Op-Ed

(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) Lunden Roberts, the mother of Hunter Biden’s five-year-old love child, has finally broken her silence on the contentious child support battle that rocked the Biden family and the White House earlier this year. 

Roberts, whose legal pursuit for $20,000 monthly child support payments reached a settlement in June, rushed to defend Hunter as the first son continues to face legal battles that trigger intense public scrutiny. 

In the op-ed, Roberts made it clear she won’t criticize her child’s father, aiming not to add more fuel to an already blazing fire. Instead, she pleads for privacy as Hunter reconnects with their daughter after years of denying her existence. 

“Having gone to court with Hunter in a much-publicized child support case, I’m probably the last person you might expect to leap to his defense,” Roberts stated in the op-ed, marking five months since reaching a financial agreement with Hunter. 

“Yes, he’s led a privileged life, but Hunter has also lived in the public eye with political opponents who seize upon his mistakes and use his addiction against him,” she declared.  

“One day soon Navy Joan is going to be old enough to search the internet seeing the countless newspaper articles dedicated to her father’s transgressions and I cannot fathom how she may feel,” Roberts continued, cautioning against adding further turmoil to the situation. 

Roberts is advocating for privacy as Hunter seeks to build a relationship with their daughter. 

“Hunter has had the courage to admit his mistakes and learn from them. That’s a valuable lesson for every parent to teach their child,” she added. 

In her closing remarks, Roberts defended her support for Hunter amidst their tumultuous child support battle, emphasizing that judgments are made without contemplating the well-being of her daughter. 

“They’ve never met my daughter and they haven’t spent a second thinking what is best for her,” Roberts concluded, addressing critics. 

As reported by the New York Times, Roberts and Hunter reached an agreement for monthly payments of child support. While the amount was not disclosed, Hunter agreed to turn over several of his paintings, which have sold for at least $500,000 each. 

As part of the agreement, Roberts dropped her request for the child to bear the Biden last name. 

Joe Biden’s FCC is Advancing ‘Digital Equity,’ Simultaneously Skirting Its Own Rules

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Joe Biden’s FCC is Advancing ‘Digital Equity,’ Simultaneously Skirting Its Own Rules

(Kevin Whiteley, Headline USA) The Federal Communications Commission recently implemented revisions to its existing legislation, under Biden’s administration.

The Digital Equity Act, through congressional bipartisanship, was launched to address “digital discrimination” in “poorer, less-white neighborhoods,” according to the Associated Press.

The new law allots $2.75 billion via three grant programs to “promote digital equity and inclusion,” according to BroadbandUSA.ntia.doc.gov.

The average broadband is 25 megabits per second—roughly 167 Mbps for U.S. median homes.

One such reportedly disproportionately affected New Orleans woman’s AT&T internet is operating on 1 Mbps, for comparison, AP cited.

“AT&T offers residents of the mostly white, upper-income neighborhood of Lakeview internet speeds almost 400 times faster … for the same price: $55 a month,” AP said.

“We know broadband is essential infrastructure for modern life, and these rules will bring us one step closer to ensuring everyone has access to the internet, no matter who they are or where they live,” FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said.

There has yet to be a specific, clear standard for assessing inequities in the digital industry. Biden’s FCC will be using the latest rules as a basis for determining whether or not an Internet Service Provider discriminated intentionally on the grounds of race and income as these rules are applied.

The FCC will also be reinstating former-President Barack Obama’s net neutrality rules “meant to connect every U.S. household to quality, internet service by 2030 regardless of income or identity,” Joe Biden said, according to AP.

However, “[FCC] has found ‘little to no evidence’ of intentional discrimination. It fails to give any examples of digital discrimination where people and communities are systematically unserved based on their ‘income level, race, ethnicity, color, religion, or national origin,’” according to a deeper, Nov. 13 examination from The Federalist.

While Biden’s FCC is using these rules to initiate an investigation, there appears to be no solid impetus to do so—teetering on Fourth Amendment issues.

More, prior to the Nov. 15 vote, FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr took to Twitter on Nov. 6, opposing Biden’s FCC efforts, stating, “Those rules would give the federal government a roving mandate to micromanage nearly every aspect of how the internet functions—from how ISPs allocate capital and where they build, to the services that consumers can purchase; from the profits that ISPs can realize and how they market and advertise services, to the discounts and promotions that consumers can receive.”

Commissioner Carr followed up with two more posts amid the FCC’s deliberation and on the day of its decision to adopt the news rules.

“President Biden’s much anticipated spectrum plan is missing one big thing: spectrum. The plan does not commit to freeing up even one iota of spectrum,” Carr stated in his Nov. 13 post.

The commissioner included his official letter of dissent within his post on Nov. 15—when the agency voted in favor to revise the legislation.

“Today, the FCC voted in favor of President Biden’s plan for ‘digital equity.’ I dissented because the plan amounts to an unlawful power grab that gives the government a roving mandate to micromanage nearly every aspect of how the Internet functions,” Carr explained in his post.

The latest revisions to FCC’s rules also entail a significant caveat—an exemption for Biden’s administration—as Carr cited in his Nov. 16 post.

This latest race-based legislation’s in conjunction with a reportedly, pre-existing practice of the government collecting citizens’ personal data.

Not just standard name, date of birth, address and social security number but also facial-recognition scans, DNA, iris scans and other information, according to Epic.org via ZeroHedge.

Some of this information is gathered if/when attending “a political rally, a town hall, or just fit a demographic a campaign is after,” ZH’s report notes. Campaigns allegedly hire data vendors to gather individuals’ personal details via televisions and digital devices.

The government can also purchase commercially available information (CAI) from third-party sources,” according to a January 2022 report by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.

This can extend to drivers, as the “Department of Motor Vehicles in states around the country have been selling drivers’ personal information ‘to thousands of businesses, including private investigators who spy on people for a profit,’” despite Congress having passed the Driver’s Privacy Protection Act in 1994, according to VICE via ZH.

While the Privacy Act of 1974 and E-Government Act of 2002 are in place to supposedly limit the government from gathering personal data via assessments and “substantive protections” of individuals, “agencies often rubberstamp dangerous, privacy practices by performing rote, impact assessments and exempting databases from many of the protections of the Privacy Act.”

University Abruptly Halts Tlaib’s Event amid Accusations of Anti-Semitism

Luis Cornelio
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University Abruptly Halts Tlaib’s Event amid Accusations of Anti-Semitism

(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) Arizona State University (ASU) gutted a contentious Nov. 17 event organized by the Arizona Palestine Network, where Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., was scheduled to speak.

The university cited policy violations as the reason for the cancellation, as reported by Fox News.

“The event featuring Congresswoman Tlaib was planned and produced by groups not affiliated with ASU and was organized outside of ASU policies and procedures. Accordingly, that event will not take place today on the ASU Tempe campus,” an ASU spokesperson declared.


The cancellation sparked criticism from the Arizona Palestine Network, labeling the move as “completely unacceptable.”

On a Facebook post, the group whined, “Rashida Tlaib must be heard on campus as the only Palestinian member of Congress who plans to speak on an American issue at this event. ASU cannot claim to hold free speech as a principle while denying Palestinians their voices on campus.”

The Arizona Palestine Network claimed that the cancelation went against the university’s pledged for inclusion in its chapter.  

“Cancelling this event puts the university in direct contradiction with its charter as a university ‘measured not by whom it excludes, but by whom it includes and how they succeed,” they added. 

The event’s cancellation came amidst controversy surrounding Tlaib’s recent comments defending a phrase associated with the destruction of Israel. 

“From the river to the sea is an aspirational call for freedom, human rights, and peaceful coexistence, not death, destruction, or hate,” Tlaib claimed on Nov. 3, garnering over 32 million impressions on Twitter.

Tlaib faced bipartisan criticism for her use of the phrase historically linked with the dismantling of the Israeli state, referencing the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea. 

Tlaib, known for being part of the “Squad” alongside other progressive lawmakers, has been a vocal supporter of Gaza following actions by the Hamas terror group in southern Israel.

At least 1,400 individuals, including babies and U.S. citizens, were brutally killed by Hamas on Oct. 7.

‘Pure Evil’: Musk Issues Legal Threat Against DNC Mouthpiece Media Matters

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‘Pure Evil’: Musk Issues Legal Threat Against DNC Mouthpiece Media Matters

(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) Elon Musk, owner of Twitter (now X), released a scathing response to Media Matters for America, a far-left media watchdog group, following their allegations about Twitter’s advertising placements.  

Musk hinted at an imminent legal battle against the organization, describing it as a “thermonuclear lawsuit” in a Saturday tweet. 

“The split second court opens on Monday, X Corp will be filing a thermonuclear lawsuit against Media Matters and ALL those who colluded in this fraudulent attack on our company,” Musk said. “Their board, their donors, their network of dark money, all of them.” 

Musk’s ire was ignited by a Media Matters report asserting that major companies’ ads appeared alongside alleged white supremacist posts on Twitter.

Media Matters claimed on Nov. 16 that Apple, Bravo, IBM, Oracle, and Xfinity ran ads near “pro-Nazi content,” prompting Apple and IBM to suspend their advertising on Twitter. Musk vehemently contested Media Matters’ assertions. 

“This week Media Matters for America posted a story that completely misrepresented the real experience on X, in another attempt to undermine freedom of speech and mislead advertisers,” a lengthy statement published by Musk said.  

“Media Matters created an alternate account and curated the posts and advertising appearing on the account’s timeline to misinform advertisers about the placement of their posts,” the statement added.

Labeling Media Matters as “pure evil,” Musk condemned the organization’s tactics, known for its bias against conservative reporters, outlets and commentators. 

Responding to Musk’s threat, Media Matters President Angelo Carusone portrayed Musk as a bully attempting to stifle “accurate” reporting.

“Far from the free speech advocate he claims to be, Musk is a bully who threatens meritless lawsuits in an attempt to silence reporting that he even confirmed is accurate,” Carusone declared on Sunday. “Musk admitted the ads at issue ran alongside the pro-Nazi content we identified. If he does sue us, we will win.”

Despite the confrontation, Media Matters doubled down with another report, accusing Twitter of showcasing ads from Amazon, NBA Mexico, NBCUniversal Catalyst, Action Network, and Club for Growth adjacent to “white nationalist hashtags” like “KeepEuropeWhite,” “white pride,” and “WLM” (“White Lives Matter”).

Media Matter’s reports against Twitter were subjected to backlash and humor from conservative pundits and Twitter influencers.

Subway Assault Spurs NYPD Suspension, Legal Woes for Civilians Aiding Victims

Luis Cornelio
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Subway Assault Spurs NYPD Suspension, Legal Woes for Civilians Aiding Victims

(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) An incident of violence aboard a New York City subway train has ignited a firestorm of controversy, leading to the suspension of NYPD Officer Manual Morales after a viral video showed him hesitating to intervene as Lieutenant Gypsy Pichardo was viciously assaulted by a group of individuals.

In the disturbing footage captured on Nov. 11, Morales, a seasoned officer with nearly two decades of service, appeared to hold a subway door and refrain from intervening as Lt. Pichardo faced a brutal beating.

Reports by the New York Post suggested both officers were attempting to defuse an alleged knife fight on the train, only for the assailants to turn their violence towards the lieutenant. 

The NY Post highlighted the disturbing ordeal, depicting Pichardo enduring violent punches to the face while Morales seemingly stood by without assisting. 

As a result, the NYPD confirmed that Morales has been suspended from his duties, his $144,986 salary withheld, pending an “ongoing internal affairs investigation.” 

An NYPD spokesperson affirmed that Pichardo is currently in recovery from the injuries sustained during the assault. 

Critics swiftly condemned Morales for his perceived inaction, with one veteran officer labeling his behavior as “an act of cowardice.” He added, “He shouldn’t be on the job if he’s not going to help other officers.” 

This incident has amplified concerns among New Yorkers about intervening in such situations due to fears of legal consequences. 

Notable is the case of John Rote, a 43-year-old who found himself arrested and charged after intervening to protect a woman from a potential mugger at a subway station.

Rote faced charges including criminal possession of a weapon, criminal possession of a firearm, reckless endangerment and menacing despite his actions being aimed at saving a woman from potential violence. 

Another instance involved Jose Alba, a bodega worker initially charged and arrested after defending himself against a man who threatened him by leaping over the counter. Alba was subsequently released and is now suing the district attorney and the NYPD for the arrest.

Similarly, the case of Jordan Neely, a homeless man experiencing a manic episode who allegedly terrorized bystanders, was highlighted.  

Neely’s erratic behavior led Daniel Penny, a veteran hailed as a hero, to intervene and subdue him. However, Penny faced manslaughter charges for his actions in attempting to protect fellow subway passengers.

Trump Prevails as Judge Rejects ‘Un-American’ Bid to Oust Him from Key Ballot

Luis Cornelio
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Trump Prevails as Judge Rejects ‘Un-American’ Bid to Oust Him from Key Ballot

(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) Former President Donald Trump’s lead in the 2024 Republican primary remains unscathed after a Colorado judge dismissed efforts to bar him from the state’s primary ballot.  

In a Friday ruling, Colorado Judge Sarah B. Wallace mandated Trump’s inclusion on the ballot, rejecting claims that sought to disqualify him based on the 14th Amendment. 

The challenge, led by the leftist Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) organization and six Colorado voters, unsuccessfully sought to employ the 14th Amendment’s Disqualifications Clause.  

The clause prohibits individuals involved in “insurrection or rebellion” from holding public office. CREW’s argument centered on Trump’s alleged role in the protests surrounding the 2020 presidential election certification. 

As reported by Fox News, Trump’s campaign spokesperson, Steven Cheung, hailed the decision as a blow to what he described as “un-American ballot challenges” against the former president. 

“With this decision, Democrats’ 14th Amendment challenges have now been defeated in Colorado, Michigan, Minnesota and New Hampshire. These cases represent the most cynical and blatant political attempts to interfere with the upcoming presidential election by desperate Democrats who know Crooked Joe Biden is a failed president on the fast track to defeat,” Cheung said. 

While CREW vowed to appeal the decision to the Colorado Supreme Court, the Trump team celebrated the judge’s ruling as a major victory. 

“The American voter has a Constitutional right to vote for the candidate of their choosing, with President Donald J. Trump leading by massive numbers. This right was correctly preserved in Colorado today and urge the swift disposal of any and all remaining Democrat ballot challenges,” Cheung affirmed. 

This legal battle in Colorado is part of a broader campaign by anti-Trump factions seeking to prevent his candidacy on various state ballots ahead of the 2024 presidential election.

Similar attempts in Minnesota, Michigan and Florida employing the same 14th Amendment argument failed to oust Trump from the ballots, with the respective courts rejecting the challenges.

Editor’s Note: An earlier version of this article described Judge Sarah B. Wallace as “U.S. District Judge,” a title used for federal judges. Wallace serves as state judge of the Colorado 2nd Judicial District.

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