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Two swastikas burned into Auschwitz memorial in Grenoble, France

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Gershon Elinson/Flash90

Dan Verbin(Israel National News)

Two swastikas were carved with a blowtorch into a memorial plaque for victims of Auschwitz located in the esplanade of the Companions of the Liberation park in Grenoble, France.

The area is a tribute to those awarded the Companion of the Liberation high honor.

A similar incident had occurred a few days before, reported AFP.

The Companion of the Liberation medal was given by the French government to those who liberated France during World War II. The order is a rare honor that was only awarded to a few military units for their wartime deeds.

The Departmental Directorate of Public Security of Isére said that the graffiti appeared to have been burned into the monument, likely with a blowtorch.

The technical department of the municipality said that a similar tag had been made on the same plaque a few days ago, and had been cleaned off.

The judicial police were at the scene along with municipal police. An investigation is ongoing, reported Actu Grenoble.

The swastikas burned into the stone plaque were described as being about 20 square centimeters.

France has seen a worrying rise in Nazi hate graffiti and anti-Semitic threats in recent months.

In June, swastikas were spray painted on election signs in the village of Oulches. The small village of 400 people was reportedly shocked after discovering the tagged signs, which included the number “88” considered a neo-Nazi hate symbol and code for “Heil Hitler.”

A week earlier, two Jewish communities in southern France were sent threatening anti-Semitic letters. A similar letter was also sent to the mayor of one of the cities who has close ties with the Jewish community.

The question is when, not if, Hunter Biden’s laptop will bring down Joe Biden’s presidency

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Thanks to a series of leaks from the hard drive of Hunter Biden’s abandoned laptop computer, we know there is more than enough evidence to appoint a special counsel, or at least convene a grand jury to investigate bribery, tax fraud, and probably several other categories of crime involving the Biden Crime Family.  Three recent articles by highly respected reporters Miranda Devine (who has a book on the subject about to come out and whose work informs the other two writers), Byron York, and Emily Jashinsky present evidence typed in Hunter’s own hand of the schemes whereby Hunter acted as the bagman collecting vast wealth from foreign interests by selling access to Joe when he was vice president and a potential candidate for the presidency.

All three accounts are worth reading, though there is considerable overlap.  From Devine, here is an example of evidence that already ought to have led to a subpoena for financial records:

Hunter complained that he was forced to give half his salary to his father.
“I hope you all can do what I did and pay for everything for this entire family for 30 years,” Hunter wrote in a 2019 text message to his daughter, Naomi, that was found on his abandoned laptop.
“It’s really hard. But don’t worry, unlike Pop [Joe], I won’t make you give me half your salary.”  There’s no direct evidence of such a wealth transfer on Hunter’s laptop.

A mildly curious U.S. attorney ought to be able to get a grand jury to subpoena the financial records of the Biden clan on this basis.  Or, in an alternate reality, a special counsel, appointed to reassure the public that their president is not beholden to foreign interests, ought to be digging through these and other financial records, such as (via Devine) that Hunter routinely paid at least some of his father’s household expenses, including AT&T bills of around $190 a month.

We know from an e-mail on June 5, 2010, with the subject “JRB bills” to Hunter from Eric Schwerin, his business partner at Rosemont Seneca, that he was expected to foot hefty bills to Wilmington contractors for maintenance and upkeep of his father’s palatial lakefront property. Joe’s initials are JRB, for Joseph Robinette Biden.
The bills that June included $2,600 to contractor Earle Downing for a “stone retaining wall” at Joe’s Wilmington estate, $1,475 to painter Ronald Peacock to paint the “back wall and columns” of the house, and $1,239 to builder Mike Christopher for repairs to the air conditioning at the cottage of Joe’s late mother, Jean “Mom-Mom” Biden, which was on his property and which he would later rent to the Secret Service for $2,200 a month.
“This is from last summer I think and needs to be paid pretty soon,” wrote Schwerin of Christopher’s bill.
Another $475 “for shutters” was owed to RBI construction, of Bear, Del., about 15 minutes west of Wilmington.

Gifts to public officials that are not disclosed can and have led to criminal prosecution of both parties.

As Byron York reminds us:

For years, Joe Biden was known as the poorest man in the U.S. Senate. It was a label he himself welcomed, claiming it showed how ethically clean he was. “I entered as one of the poorest men in Congress, left as one of the poorest men in government, in Congress, and as vice president,” Biden said during his presidential campaign in 2019. What Devine has discovered suggests that while Biden bragged about his lack of money — in other words, claiming to be free of the financial corruption common in politics — he was relying on his influence-peddling son to pay some of his bills.

York also mentions the photo Devine obtained of Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim with both Bidens at the Vice President’s Residence, putting the lie to Biden’s claim he had no knowledge of Hunter’s business dealings.  Hunter gloated over the size of the business deals he expected with Slim and his associates.  Recall that it was Slim’s cash infusion that saved the New York Times when it was at a financial low point.

Jashinsky’s headline summarizes the big issue: “In A Healthy Country, The Bidens Would Be Seen As The Picture Of Elite Corruption.”  She reminds us that Joe raking off the top of Hunter’s business income is an old story:

Hunter’s complaint about his father taking a chunk of his earnings might sound familiar. It’s basically exactly what we learned from Tony Bobulinski shortly before the 2020 election, even if the media chose not to treat that information credibly.
Here’s more from Devine: “Further evidence that Joe expected to receive a slice of his son’s income was provided by Tony Bobulinksi, Hunter’s former business partner in a firm called Oneida, which was set up to enter a joint venture with the Chinese energy conglomerate CEFC. Bobulinski says that Joe was the “big guy” referred to in a 2017 e-mail who was to be allocated 10 percent equity in the firm: “10 [percent] held by H [Hunter] for the big guy.”
CEFC is a recurring character in the Biden drama. When the FBI caught Patrick Ho, an executive with CEFC, bribing African officials with cash in Chad and Uganda, he made a call. It was to James Biden, whose brother had just departed the vice presidency and was exploring a bid for the Oval Office. Why on earth would a corrupt Chinese business executive make an emergency call to James Biden?
Well, according to Jim, Ho was actually trying to contact his nephew Hunter. Here’s how the New York Times reported on the exchange back in 2018: “In a brief interview, James Biden said he had been surprised by Mr. Ho’s call. He said he believed it had been meant for Hunter Biden, the former vice president’s son. James Biden said he had passed on his nephew’s contact information.”
“There is nothing else I have to say,” James Biden told the Times. “I don’t want to be dragged into this anymore.”
Part of the point of paying Hunter Biden money to oversee business dealings outside his areas of expertise is so that you can make a call just like the one Ho made back in 2017.
So the new emails make it pretty clear that Hunter Biden’s corrupt foreign influence peddling benefitted the current president of the United States

It is far from clear how many copies of Hunter’s hard drive are in the hands of others, and far from clear who is orchestrating the leaks.  But what is absolutely clear is that Biden’s presidency could be brought to its knees, possibly even ended, if the media gatekeepers at the New York Times and Washington Post decided to give the story enthusiastic coverage, bringing the rest of the agitprop along with them.  They could agitate for the appointment of a special counsel, as was done with President Trump over the nonsense Russiagate fake scandal.

Or a U.S. attorney who convened a grand jury could issue subpoenas and eventually obtain indictments, setting the stage for impeachment.

We understand why none of this is happening — yet.  Biden is serving his purpose, appointing officials and signing executive orders that advance the progressives’ agenda.  But the drip, drip, drip continues and accumulates.

Glenn Reynolds, AKA the Instapundit, offers a fascinating theory:

Hunter’s laptop is being held for when they decide to get rid of Joe. The leaks are just to remind everyone it’s out there. Well, everyone except for Joe. He won’t remember for long anyway.

This makes perfect sense because Joe Biden already is damaged goods, his accelerating mental decline self-evident to all who do not wear ideological blinders.  What is most intriguing is the calculus behind “when they decide to get rid of Joe.”  I strongly suspect that Kamala Harris is now recognized to be such a disaster, unelectable if she inherits the presidency after Joe reigns, is impeached, or leaves under the terms of the 25th Amendment, that she must be Agnewed before Joe leaves.  Clayton Spann yesterday explored some of the types of maneuvers that might be executed to accomplish this, but there are many other approaches one could imagine.

Kamala Harris, for all her purported friction with Dr. Jill Biden, is Joe’s insurance policy.  If and when she leaves the vice presidency and is replaced by someone who could be elected in 2024, Joe’s and Jill’s days in the Oval Office are numbered.

All of this is uncomfortably banana republic territory: powerful, unseen forces pulling strings and deciding the fate of the nation’s leadership by manipulating corrupt media and officialdom.  That’s where we are today.

Canada’s churches burning as ‘civil liberties’ leader and other Cultural Marxists cheer

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By Thomas Lifson(American Thinker)

The same sort of anti-White racist, left-wing revolutionaries who have burned swaths of American cities are terrorizing parts of Canada with terroristic arson attacks.  But lacking any history of slavery or historic oppression of Blacks, the Canadian thugs have seized upon alleged mistreatment of indigenous peoples, called “First Canadians” according to recent local custom north of the border.

The result has been a wave of church burnings recently, including ten churches in Alberta on Canada’s national holiday, Canada Day, just a few days ago.

Shockingly, a number of people in presumably responsible positions have been cheering on religious terrorism. Jack Montgomery of Breitbart reports:

The executive director of the British Columbia Civil Liberties Association (BCCLA), Harsha Walia, is under fire for commenting on a story about the wave of church arsons sweeping Canada by saying “Burn it all down.”
Walia, a Bahrain-born South Asian based in Vancouver and described as “a community organizer and campaigner in migrant justice, feminist, anti-capitalist, abolitionist, and anti-imperialist movements” in her profile at the left-wing Intercept, made the inflammatory intervention in response to a VICE report on two Roman Catholic churches being burned down in Alberta and Nova Scotia.

Steve Sailer describes the cause seized upon by the current terrorists attacking churches:

[T]he sensationalized reports that there were “unmarked graves” at the much-demonized Canadian schools were immediately accepted as prima facie proof of the diabolical essence of Canadian history.
The term “unmarked graves” is suggestive of massacre, but the reality is that the children died of natural causes, especially diseases that hadn’t existed in the New World before 1492, so Indians hadn’t evolved defenses against them.
Moreover, it has now been publicly admitted in at least two of the four cases that the graves weren’t actually unmarked.  For example, at Cranbrook, the original wooden crosses simply burned up in brush fires or deteriorated over the decades.
Whether more Indian children died due to the schools than if they had been at home is probably unknowable.

Tucker Carlson covered the church burnings, as well as the toppling of a statue of Queen Victoria in Winnipeg, discussing the wave of violence with Ezra Levant of Rebel Media, mentioning the incredible fact that the U.S.-Canadian border is still closed, at Canada’s insistence, of the purported danger of COVID.

 

Levant criticized Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau for waiting a week to condemn the arson.  In the following video report from the Canadian government–owned CBC, Trudeau’s belated statement is presented, along with a video of some of the First Canadian parishioners who have lost their churches to the arson terror.

Anti-religious terrorism has been a feature of left-wing revolutionaries ever since the French Revolution launched the wave of utopian terror.  Tucker Carlson mentions the Spanish Civil War in his introduction, but many other revolutions, including Mexico’s, have a strong component of anti-religious zealotry and violence.  In China’s Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, Buddhist and Confucian religious structures were torched and libraries destroyed.

In all of these cases, the countries involved came to regret these extremes.  But it is clear from the enthusiasm expressed by seemingly respectable people in Canada — who have suffered no consequences — that Canada has a way to go before it sobers up.

Of course, the same is true south of the border.

Golden Beaches, Nightclubs, Shopping & Pure Natural Beauty Await You on the Island of Ibiza

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Now that summer travel season is in full swing, for those seeking an exotic vacation destination and one that boasts the most marvelous beaches on the planet, one can now hop on a plane and head over to the fabulous island of Ibiza. Photo Credit: Ibiza-Spotlight.com

Edited by: TJVNews.com

Now that summer travel season is in full swing, for those seeking an exotic vacation destination and one that boasts the most marvelous beaches on the planet, one can now hop on a plane and head over to the fabulous island of Ibiza.

Café Mambo, one of Ibiza’s premiere venue’s opens its doors for the first time this year and you can catch some pretty impressive sunsets there. Photo Credit: Ibiza-Spotlight.com

Located in the Mediterranean, near Spain, Ibiza is often characterized as a Bohemian paradise of sorts; attracting people of eclectic tastes the world over. According to a report in the Telegraph of the UK, Ibiza is described as a “mesmerizing melting pot of influences” and “a place for free thinkers to doze and dream, not to mention its reputation as a cradle for everyman.”

The report adds that “these days Ibiza is probably most famous for its dazzling sunsets and thundering nightlife scene, that quintessential bohemian spirit lingers. Whether on a beach, a dancefloor, or a yoga mat, few are able to resist its unmistakable magic.”

Ibiza also has a rich and fascinating history. The Telegraph report said that “the Carthaginians were the first settlers to be drawn to its shores, and in the ensuing years the Moors, the Romans and even pilfering pirates all took turns to stake their claim on this magnificent island in the Med.”

One of the most talked about beaches of Ibiza, as much for the atmosphere as for the scenery, Benirrás is a medium sized beach with rocky, grainy sand and almost unbelievably clear water. Photo Credit: white-ibiza.com

Look no further for a most fabulous beach experience as the coastline of Ibiza has well over 80 beaches to choose from so no doubt if you are looking for ultimate seaside serenity or exciting fun, you will have no problem finding it in Ibiza.

“From secluded, picturesque coves and bustling family resorts to tiny, pebbled bays and vast stretches of sugary sand, there’s something for everyone on the White Isle. Adopt the mindset of a local and take siesta mid-afternoon, or spend entire days partying beneath the fiery Mediterranean sun — Ibiza, as always, is whatever you make it, “ according to the Telegraph report.

If you are not looking to go too far from Ibiza town, try Talamanca, which the Telegraph report describes as “a sweeping stretch of golden sand backed by a wooden promenade.” If you start developing an appetite, you will find a considerable choice in reasonably priced dining venues there. The report indicated that these eateries are often crowded with locals; especially on Sunday, so plan accordingly. The Talamanca beach is especially popular with the young folks who come to the beach after they leave the nightclub and need to decompress. The beach itself is rarely overcrowded, so try chilling out there in the afternoon where you can get the best of the sun’s magnificent rays.  The report suggests “taking a stroll first thing in the morning when the sea is still enough to perfectly reflect the cerulean sky above.”

A long stretch of dark golden sand dominated by striking rocky cliffs, Aguas Blancas is a picture perfect example of Ibiza’s unspoiled northeastern coast. Photo Credit: white-ibiza.com

If you are looking for the ultimate in high energy party beaches then Las Salinas is the one for you and your coterie. The beach has kind of an iconic status with a “vast stretch of pale sand backed by beach clubs and the Las Salinas National Park,” according to the Telegraph report. Once again, the youngsters have a particular taste for this beach and they  “spend the day dipping in and out of the azure waters.”

If you want to enjoy a “liquid lunch” consisting of spectacular booze or if you want to dance your heart out on the shimmering beach, then this place has what the doctor ordered. If you are not inclined to party, you will also find that this beach is a wonderful spot for some real peace and quiet.

For a family oriented beach, check out Cala Llonga. Located on Ibiza’s east coast, this golden strip of beach has the most exquisite waters, both crystal clear and shallow for the kids. It kind of feels like a resort as it is replete with restaurants and plenty of places to shop, so bring your credit card and bring home some terrific souvenirs.   In addition to being steeped in nostalgic charm, its arc shaped cove of sand is big enough for all kinds of activities. “From beach volleyball to pedalo hire; diving school to an adventure playground — there’s enough to keep the little ones occupied all day long, and plenty of sun loungers and bars to please mom and dad, too, “ according to the report.

The Ibiza Spotlight web site reported that  O Beach Ibiza is now open.  Originally opened in June 2012, O Beach Ibiza (formerly Ocean Beach Ibiza) was instantly popular, successfully filling a gap in the market for San Antonio outdoor party venues by offering the kind of bubbly, poolside fun the west of the island had previously been lacking.

O Beach Ibiza has been delivering stylish, decadent pool parties on a daily basis ever since and as a result has become a “must-visit” for anyone wanting to pop open the champagne, down the Grey Goose or Ciroc Vodka and recline on a VIP bed or simply splash around dancing in the pool – all while soaking up the mid-afternoon Balearic sun.

With an eclectic mix of daytime parties, the music ranges from uplifting house beats to dance classics but some parties have deeper rhythms and live performers. This resort-style venue also boasts some of the most exciting sky-shows out there, with acrobatic performances at various times throughout the afternoon.

This is the place to enjoy daytime pool fiestas, fine dining, fashion shows, acrobatics, live performances, massages and private events while overlooking the bay of San Antonio.

The Ibiza Spotlight web site also reported that this July promises to be a super thrilling month for travelers from around the globe. Café Mambo, one of Ibiza’s premiere venue’s opens its doors for the first time this year and you can catch some pretty impressive sunsets there.

Have you heard about Ibiza’s famous hippy markets? They are one of the island’s top attractions and a must-see for every holidaymaker. Many take place all over the island, so wherever you stay you can more often than not enjoy a fabulous shopping experience. Photo Credit: Ibiza-Spotlight.com

Trawling market stalls and picking out handmade crafts, jewellery and clothing is part of the authentic Ibiza experience. Since last week, Ibiza’s oldest and largest hippy market, Punta Arabi has been back in business.

Open weekly until late October, Punta Arabi offers a great day out for the whole family, with live music and entertainment.

If you’re looking for a really fun place to hang your hat at night and catch some sleep or just stay up and party, you may want to try Ibiza Rocks Hotel. According to the Ibiza Spotlight web site, it  has been around for over 10 years, proving that the island offers more than superstar DJs and monster clubbing. With scores of daytime poolside parties and events, it has come to be known as the “home of the pool party.”

Long ago, Bar M (which is now the Ibiza Rocks Bar on the promenade of San Antonio) was the main live music venue for Ibiza Rocks, but such was the success of the party that a new location was needed. Enter stage left, Ibiza Rocks Hotel. This branded hotel on the site of the former Hotel Club Paraiso now plays home to all the Ibiza Rocks events.

It includes a purpose built and permanent stage set up, located within the hotel’s central courtyard, including a pool area that has become the scene of some memorable moments during and after gigs, when the crowd splashes around and even the artist sometimes take an impromptu dip.

In 2018, the venue underwent a refurbishment that added a brand new 360-degree performance space, VIP areas including a party suite, upgraded bars with faster service and a spanking new VOID sound system.

Ibiza Rocks Hotel is now involved in the electronica scene. Its TS5 pool parties with Craig David sell out each and every week, as Ibiza Rocks made more forays into the daytime party sphere.

The “home of the pool party” program continues to look juicier than ever.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus Hides ‘We’ll Convert Your Children’ Video After Backlash

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San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus

HANNAH BLEAU

The San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus unpublished a music video promising to “convert” children to a “tolerant” pro-LGBT worldview after it went viral Wednesday, thanks to its unabashed repurposing of critics’ rhetoric, playfully declaring: “the gay agenda is here,” “we’ll corrupt your kids,” and “we’re coming for them.”

In the song titled “Message From the Gay Community,” the choir gloats that parents are powerless to stop their movement from recruiting children — merely to be “accepting, caring people,” soloists Troy Iwata and Daniel Quadrino insist, mugging for the camera.

“So as we celebrate pride on the progress we’ve made over these past years, there’s still work to be done. So to those of you out there who are still working against equal rights, we have a message for you,” Iwata says before kicking off the song with the opening lines:

You think we’re sinful. You fight against our rights. You say we all lead lives you can’t respect. But you’re just frightened. You think that we’ll corrupt your kids if our agenda goes unchecked. It’s funny. Just this once, you’re correct.

The song goes on, with the activists promising to convert children “quietly and subtly.”

We’ll convert your children. Happens bit by bit. Quietly and subtly, and you will barely notice it. You can keep him from disco, warn about San Francisco. Make him wear pleated pants. We don’t care. We’ll convert your children. We’ll make them tolerant and fair.

The singers then repeatedly promise that they are “coming” for parents’ children.

We’ll convert your children,” they gleefully sing. “Someone’s gotta teach them not to hate. We’re coming for them. We’re coming for your children.”

 

The group made the original video private less than a week after uploading it on July 1. CBN reports the video had a disproportionally larger number of dislikes than likes, with over 1,000 comments, many of which were deleted.

In June, the choir similarly went viral for creepy political propaganda — a brief clip barking commands to receive a coronavirus vaccine, simply titled “Vaccinate!”

The video comes on the heels of Pride Month, which saw leftists in Hollywood, massive corporations, and the Biden White House pandering to LGBT demographics.

Nickelodeon, for example, promoted pride month with a video featuring drag queen Nina West, who sang about the meaning of the colors on the “pride” flag.

Overall, children’s shows have experienced a “222 percent increase in LGBTQ characters and stories between 2017 and 2019 alone,” according to a recent study.

Breitbart

 

NYC Doctor Receives 17 Year Sentence For Fentanyl Distribution Scheme

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(Press release Southern District NY)

Audrey Strauss, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that GORDON FREEDMAN, a doctor who practiced in New York, New York, was sentenced today in Manhattan federal court to 121 months in prison for participating in a scheme to receive bribes and kickbacks in the form of fees for sham educational programs (“Speaker Programs”) from pharmaceutical company Insys Therapeutics in exchange for prescribing millions of dollars worth of Subsys, a potent fentanyl-based spray manufactured by Insys, among other offenses (the “Insys Bribery Offenses”).  FREEDMAN was convicted of the Insys Bribery Offenses following a jury trial.  FREEDMAN was also sentenced to 210 months in prison, to run concurrently to the other sentence, for distributing oxycodone and fentanyl to a patient for no legitimate medical purpose (the “Diversion Offense”).  That patient ultimately died of a fentanyl overdose from drugs FREEDMAN illegally prescribed him.  FREEDMAN pled guilty to the Diversion Offense in December 2019.

 

FREEDMAN was sentenced by United States District Judge Kimba M. Wood.

 

U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said: “Dr. Gordon Freedman, a prominent Manhattan physician, allowed his medical judgment to be corrupted by hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes that he accepted from Insys in return for prescribing Subsys, a potent fentanyl painkiller.  These payments were made to appear like legitimate speaker program fees, but as the evidence at Freedman’s trial revealed, the speaker programs were a sham and were simply a way for Insys to line Freedman’s pockets.  In addition, Freedman prescribed excessive quantities of oxycodone and fentanyl to one of his patients for no legitimate medical purpose.  The patient overdosed and died from fentanyl prescribed by Freedman.  Freedman will now be serving a long prison sentence for accepting bribes and prescribing medically unnecessary opioids.”

 

According to the allegations contained in the Indictments against FREEDMAN, the evidence presented in Court during the trial related to the Insys Bribery Offenses, and filings in related proceedings:

 

Insys manufactured Subsys, a powerful painkiller approximately 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine.  The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) approved Subsys only for the management of breakthrough pain in cancer patients.  Prescriptions of Subsys typically cost thousands of dollars each month, and Medicare and Medicaid, as well as commercial insurers, reimbursed prescriptions written by the defendants.  In or about August 2012, Insys launched a “Speakers Bureau,” purportedly aimed at educating practitioners about Subsys.  In reality, however, Insys used its Speakers Bureau to induce doctors to prescribe large volumes of Subsys by paying them Speaker Program fees.  At each Speaker Program, speakers were supposed to conduct a slide presentation for other health care practitioners regarding Subsys.  However, many of the Speaker Programs led by the speakers paid by Insys were predominantly social affairs where no educational presentation occurred.  Attendance sign-in sheets for the Speaker Programs were frequently forged by adding the names and signatures of health care practitioners who had not actually been present.

 

FREEDMAN, a doctor certified in pain management and anesthesiology, owned a private pain management office on Manhattan’s Upper East Side and was an associate clinical professor at a large hospital in Manhattan (“Hospital-1”).  FREEDMAN received approximately $308,600 in Speaker Program fees from Insys in exchange for prescribing large volumes of Subsys.

 

In March 2013, a Regional Sales Manager for Insys sent an email to FREEDMAN informing him that he would receive more Speaker Programs in the coming months because Insys wanted prescriptions of Subsys to increase, and urging FREEDMAN to put more patients on Subsys.  FREEDMAN responded, in part, “Got it,” and significantly increased his Subsys prescriptions in the following months, during which he received approximately $33,600 in Speaker Program fees.

 

In 2014, FREEDMAN’s prescriptions of Subsys rose even further, and he was the fourth-highest prescriber of Subsys nationally in the final quarter of 2014, accounting for approximately $1,132,287 in overall net sales of Subsys in that quarter.  During 2014, FREEDMAN was the highest-paid Insys Speaker in the nation, receiving approximately $143,000.

 

During the period in which FREEDMAN was receiving kickbacks from Insys, he was also distributing powerfully addictive prescription drugs to a particular patient (“Patient-1”) with no legitimate medical purpose.  From in or about 2013 through in or about May 2017, FREEDMAN prescribed enormous quantities of oxycodone and fentanyl to Patient-1.  For example, in 2013 alone, FREEDMAN prescribed Patient-1 approximately 85,427 oxycodone pills –  an average of approximately 234 oxycodone pills per day – containing a total of approximately 2,422,435 mg of oxycodone.  On or about April 13, 2017, FREEDMAN gave Patient-1 prescriptions for approximately 150 doses of a drug containing fentanyl, and for approximately 950 oxycodone pills containing approximately 30 mg of oxycodone per pill.  On or about May 4, 2017, Patient-1 died of a fentanyl overdose after ingesting a quantity of the drug prescribed by FREEDMAN on or about April 13, 2017.

 

*                *                *

 

In addition to the prison sentence, FREEDMAN, 61, of New York, New York, was sentenced to three years of supervised release, ordered to forfeit $308,600 and ordered to pay a total fine across the two cases of $75,000.

 

FREEDMAN was one of five Manhattan doctors convicted for participating in the Subsys bribery conspiracy.  Todd Schlifstein was convicted upon a guilty plea and sentenced by Judge Wood on October 28, 2019, principally to a term of two years in prison.  Alexandru Burducea was convicted upon a guilty plea and sentenced by Judge Wood on January 27, 2020, principally to a term of 57 months in prison.  Dialecti Voudouris was convicted upon a guilty plea and sentenced by Judge Wood on March 5, 2020, principally to time served.  Jeffrey Goldstein was convicted upon a guilty plea and sentenced by Judge Wood on June 16, 2021, principally to a term of 57 months in prison.

 

Ms. Strauss praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and thanked the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – Office of the Inspector General for its participation in the investigation.

 

The cases are being prosecuted by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Noah Solowiejczyk, David Abramowicz, and Katherine Reilly are in charge of the prosecutions.

Report Identifies Officer Who Killed Ashli Babbitt

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January 6th
AP Photo/John Minchillo

Earlier this month former President Trump wondered in an emailed statement to supporters who killed Ashli Babbitt during the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. Now, RealClearInvestigations has provided an answer.

Thus far efforts by Babbitt’s family, journalists and watchdog groups to get the U.S. Capitol Police to release the identity of the officer who shot Babbitt have been futile. USCP is “shrouded in secrecy” and is not subject to Freedom of Information Act requests.

As RCI pointed out, the refusal to name the officer has led to false rumors circulating on the internet. But the officer’s identity appears to have been revealed by the acting House sergeant at arms during a briefing earlier this year—a detail that was ultimately scrubbed by C-SPAN and CNN.

Now a new name has surfaced in the Babbitt imbroglio — Lt. Michael L. Byrd — and while USCP Communications Director Eva Malecki won’t confirm he is the shooter, in this case she isn’t denying it.
In a little-noticed exchange, Byrd was cited by the acting House sergeant at arms during a brief discussion of the officer who shot Babbitt at a Feb. 25 House hearing. Both C-SPAN and CNN removed his name from transcripts, but CQ Transcripts — which, according to its website, provides “the complete word from Capitol Hill; exactly as it was spoken” — recorded the Capitol official, Timothy Blodgett, referring to the cop as “Officer Byrd.” His name is clearly audible in the videotape of the hearing (at around 39:20).
Byrd appears to match the description of the shooter, who video footage shows is an African American dressed that day in a business suit. Jewelry, including a beaded bracelet and lapel pin, also match up with photos of Byrd.
In addition, Byrd’s resume lines up with what is known about the experience and position of the officer involved in the shooting — a veteran USCP officer who holds the rank of lieutenant and is the commander of the House Chamber Section of the Capitol Police. (RCI)

In April, the Justice Department said it would not pursue charges against the officer responsible for Babbitt’s death.

“The investigation further determined that Ms. Babbitt was among a mob of people that entered the Capitol building and gained access to a hallway outside ‘Speaker’s Lobby,’ which leads to the Chamber of the U.S. House of Representatives,” the DOJ said in a press release.

“At the time, the USCP was evacuating Members from the Chamber, which the mob was trying to enter from multiple doorways.  USCP officers used furniture to barricade a set of glass doors separating the hallway and Speaker’s Lobby to try and stop the mob from entering the Speaker’s Lobby and the Chamber, and three officers positioned themselves between the doors and the mob,” the statement continued. “Members of the mob attempted to break through the doors by striking them and breaking the glass with their hands, flagpoles, helmets, and other objects.  Eventually, the three USCP officers positioned outside the doors were forced to evacuate.  As members of the mob continued to strike the glass doors, Ms. Babbitt attempted to climb through one of the doors where glass was broken out.  An officer inside the Speaker’s Lobby fired one round from his service pistol, striking Ms. Babbitt in the left shoulder, causing her to fall back from the doorway and onto the floor.”

She later died at a hospital in Washington.

The DOJ further stated that its investigation “revealed no evidence to establish that, at the time the officer fired a single shot at Ms. Babbitt, the officer did not reasonably believe that it was necessary to do so in self-defense or in defense of the Members of Congress and others evacuating the House Chamber.”

An attorney for the Babbitt family told RCI an investigator from their office also positively identified the officer based on “’painstaking’ analysis of photos and videos taken by journalists and witnesses inside the Capitol, as well as from tips from citizens and other information.”

The family plans to sue the USCP as well as the officer.

Almost Overnight, Standards of Color-Blind Merit Tumble Across American Society

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Photo Credit: AP

By Richard Bernstein, RealClearInvestigations

 

A broad revolution is underway in the United States as traditional standards used to measure achievement and provide opportunity are being rejected by schools, corporations, and governments in favor of quotas based on race and gender.

(AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
With Vice President Kamala Harris looking on, Biden uses his pen to signal an end to the nation’s long held principle of equal treatment for all.

On taking office, President Biden signaled that the nation’s long-held principle of equality for all had come to an end, signing executive orders to advance racial equity “across the Federal Government” — equity referring to the idea that merely treating everybody the same is not enough, and that an equal outcome for all people has to be the goal.

Over the last few months, many Ivy League and flagship state universities have moved away from a seemingly neutral measure long used to assess applicants – standardized test scores – to give minorities a better shot at admissions.

In May, Hewlett-Packard, the technology company with 50,000 employees worldwide, decreed that by 2030 half of its leadership positions and more than 30% of its technicians and engineers have to be women and that the number of minorities should “meet or exceed” their representation in the tech industry workforce.

That same month, United Airlines announced that half of the 5,000 pilots it would train at its proprietary flight school between now and 2030 will be women or people of color, with scholarships provided by United and JPMorgan Chase helping with tuition. There was nothing in the United announcement showing that there were enough qualified blacks and women in the pipeline so that a black/female quota of 2,500 new pilots could be filled, and nothing about what the company would do if there weren’t enough qualified candidates.

Delta Airlines, Ralph Lauren, and Wells Fargo are among other major American companies to announce hiring quotas recently as a way to redress racial imbalances, according to Bloomberg News.

These are just some of the many “woke” initiatives embraced by many of the pillars of American society in the year since social justice protests erupted across the country in response to the murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer.

Supporters argue that racial preferences and quotas are necessary to end deeply entrenched disparities. Critics say that they are a new form of discrimination, no more justified than old forms that are widely rejected. And while the stated goal of affirmative action was to simply eliminate unfair discrimination, the equity movement is rooted in a far more expansive and pessimistic view of the United States as irredeemably white supremacist, a view meant to continually challenge American institutions and values.

The rapid transition from equality of treatment to equality of outcomes tests one of the basic post-civil rights principles of American life, namely that the same standards should be applied to all people. Once a measure is applied, not to the unique individual but to that individual’s group identity, the idea that there are neutral, common, universally applicable standards gives way to something else, something subjective and political, with different measures applied to different people, depending on their sex, race, or other characteristics.

The issue of standards, moreover, is not just a matter of values or fairness. With the United States falling behind other countries in math and science, most notably China, standards are matters of competitiveness and national security — even as the military, CIA and other federal agencies embrace equity.

whitehouse.gov
           From the President’s Jan. 26 remarks explaining his racial equity orders.

But discontent over the pace of racial progress, fueled in the past year by the Black Lives Matter movement, has led to an explicit rejection of meritocracy and a call for old standards to make way for new ones. Explaining the company’s adoption of quotas, Hewlett-Packard Chief Diversity Officer Lesley Slaton Brown said the COVID-19 epidemic and the George Floyd murder has “really allowed us to do the double-click down on racial equality and the systematic and structural discrimination that exists.”

In the recent past, that effort often involved working with the existing ideological framework of equality of opportunity and merit to identify worthy candidates. Now, the trend is to reject and redefine those standards.

George Mason University
Gregory Washington, George Mason University: It’s not a quota system, but “a recognition of the reality that our society’s future lies in multicultural inclusion.”

“As a community, we need a more comprehensive framework for what constitutes ‘best’ in hiring faculty and staff,” Gregory Washington,  the president of George Mason University in Virginia, wrote in an email sent recently to the entire school. Washington, who is GMU’s first ever black president, denied that his call for greater diversity amounted to a quota system; instead, he said, “it is a recognition of the reality that our society’s future lies in multicultural inclusion.”

Certainly it is true that the American future is multicultural. Still, to say that the concept of “best” needs to be redefined in racial terms is already a significant departure from the idea of neutral standards. To go from there to the notion that meritocracy is a racist stratagem is a sea change, but there is a lot of evidence that that is exactly where society is going, in both small ways and large.

Hewlett-Packard
Lesley Slaton Brown, Hewlett-Packard: Upheavals of 2020 “really allowed us to do the double-click down on racial equality and the systematic and structural discrimination that exists.” Hewlett-Packard

In May, the Princeton University classics department announced that in an effort to combat “systemic racism,” it would no longer require classics majors to take Latin or Greek. This may be a good thing or a bad thing, but certainly it says that what was until recently a foundational qualification for the study of “the classics” — the ability to read texts in their original language — no longer applies, because some students, especially minority ones, didn’t have the opportunity to study Latin or Greek in high school. But is it really OK for future professors of classics not to know Latin? Is that simply a new standard or a decline in standards?

From a very different area of American life, none other than the very august American Medical Association announced in May a new Strategic Plan to Embed Racial Justice and Advance Health Equity in medical education and practice.

The 80-page plan calls for, among other things, an expansion of “medical school and physician education to include equity, anti-racism, structural competency, public health and social sciences, critical race theory, and historical basis of disease.” It doesn’t say whether adding those subjects to the medical school curriculum, which sounds a lot like instruction in the indelibly racist nature of America, will take away time from such other subjects as anatomy, microbiology, and genetics that are clearly more germane to the practice of medicine.

“Scientific evidence tells us that racism has caused significant harm to people – and their health – throughout our nation’s history,” Gregory E. Harmon, M.D., the AMA’s president elect, who is white, said in an email to RCI, explaining the initiative.

AMA
Gerald E. Harmon, American Medical Association: Defends an AMA document calling equality and meritocracy “malignant narratives.”

Perhaps the most striking passages in the AMA document are those that have to do with equality and meritocracy, which it calls “malignant narratives.”

“Seeking to treat everyone the ‘same’ ignores the historical legacy of disinvestment and deprivation,” the document says of equality, while meritocracy is “a narrative that attributes success and failure to individual abilities and merits. It does not address the centuries of unequal treatment that have historically robbed communities of the vital resources needed to thrive.”

Some critics have noted that the Strategic Plan says nothing about competency; several doctors posting to the blog Legal Insurrection asked if members of the AMA would be comfortable allowing them or their families to be treated, as one of them put it, “by those who have MD attached to their names solely in the name of equity … not because of meritocracy or qualification.”

The AMA rejects that view.  “Not only must we follow our oath to do no harm,” Harmon said in his email to RCI, “we must also prevent the harm that that inequity inflicts on communities and our nation.”

There is, of course, some truth to the assertion that standards have been misused in the past. There was a time not that long ago when social connections, a genteel manner, even just having an Anglo-Saxon name, not to mention being white, were deemed to be qualifications in themselves, while to be black, female, or gay was disqualifying.

But what the AMA document, like “woke” doctrine in general, ignores is that the national effort to redress past wrongs has been going on for a long time in American life, making the matter of racial advantage and disadvantage more a matter of multivariable calculus than simple arithmetic. To be sure, there are racial imbalances. Only 3.2% of senior corporate executives, for example, are black. It’s easy to see the demand for this number to increase, but there are many questions, involving both practicality and principle, about the use of racial quotas to achieve that goal.

National Science Foundation
Blacks are just 5% of those in engineering and sciences. How can that share rise dramatically?

On the practical side are the people hurt by them, both those unprepared for the roles as well as the qualified passed over. There is also the question of whether efforts like those at United and HP may simply run into the inconvenient fact that, for many complicated reasons, there simply aren’t enough qualified minority candidates around to meet goals for rapid increases in their representation.

According to the National Science Foundation, black men and women, who are 12% of the general population, make up just 5% of working engineers — this despite affirmative action programs and numerous other efforts over the years to recruit minorities into engineering programs in colleges and universities. How dramatic increases in a very short period can happen now remains unexplained.

As for American medicine, it’s been a very long time since it was a white male preserve, as just about any visit to a large urban hospital, with their many Filipino and Indian physicians both male and female, will show. For several years now, more women have been accepted to medical schools than men, but while the numbers of blacks going to medical school has also increased, only 5% of physicians in the country are black or African American.

Twitter
Kenny Xu, critic of bias against Asian Americans: “How would you feel if someone who studied a third as much as you did got an opportunity you’ve been wanting for years?  That would be absolutely unfair. And yet, that is what woke ideology does.”

This is the case even though black students are now accepted into medical school at almost the same rate as whites, 41% of black applicants compared to 45% of whites. Medical schools, like other professional schools, have, moreover, been eager to increase these numbers for years, so that blacks, whites, and Asians are already being admitted under different criteria. In 2018, Princeton Review reports, blacks accepted at medical schools scored an average 505.7 on the MCAT, the standardized med school admission test – putting them in the 69th percentile of all test takers. By comparison, the average score for admitted whites was 512.2 (the 86th percentile) and 513.8 for Asians. Average undergraduate GPAs: 3.53 for blacks, 3.77 for both whites and Asians.

The Strategic Plan offers no concrete suggestions for further increasing the numbers of blacks in medical school, and it makes no analysis of whether it’s even possible to do that. Is there a pool of qualified candidates that, somehow, is not being considered?  Should medical school admission committees admit some of the applicants rejected in the past, even though that would increase the gap in test scores and GPAs between them and other students? Will teaching critical race theory to existing medical students increase minority representation?

Asked about medical school admissions, Harmon pointed to studies showing that medical students with “midrange” scores on the MCAT “mostly succeed in medical school,” though “there is a tendency to overlook these applicants in favor of those with higher scores.”

The authors of the studies argue that admitting students with lower MCAT scores would “diversify the physician workforce.” But given that black students are already being admitted at a significantly lower standard, at least as defined by MCAT, than whites and Asians, how much lower can the standard go? The studies give no answer to that question.

The AMA Plan also fails to address the question of principle raised by applying different standards to different groups. Is it fair to effectively prevent some qualified individuals from becoming doctors because their gender or race requires them to score higher than other genders or races? It’s the same question that applies to the different standards applied to Asians, compared to both whites and blacks, in school admissions, a matter that is the subject of several lawsuits.

“We are taught to study for the test, to get good grades,” Kenny Xu, author of a forthcoming book “An Inconvenient Minority: The Attack on Asian American Excellence and the Fight for Meritocracy,” said in an email. “Why? Because those good grades and test scores will, and should, lead to rewards in the future.

“How would you feel if someone who studied a third as much as you did got an opportunity you’ve been wanting for years?  That would be absolutely unfair. And yet, that is what woke ideology does.”

(AP Photo/Matthew Barakat, File)
In Alexandria, Va., an anti-Asian bias suit over who gets into elite Thomas Jefferson High.

Despite views like those, standardized tests have been under assault for years as obstacles to minority advancement, especially tests for elite high schools in such cities as New York, Boston, and San Francisco, and the SAT used for college admissions.

Elite schools including Lowell High School in San Francisco have dropped their admissions test in favor of a lottery system. This may increase racial diversity, but will the school be able to maintain its high academic standards?  The same question applies to other elite schools such as the Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Virginia, rated by U.S. News as the best high school in the country, which is also jettisoning its former standardized test in favor of “holistic” admissions.

Similarly, last year, in what might prove to be a watershed decision, the regents of the University of California voted to phase out the SAT in admissions for the entire system, whose nine campuses make up the largest public university in the country.

All of this raises the possibility that the elimination of common, neutral standards will bring an end to the existence of elite schools for very gifted, very high-achieving students of the sort who will ensure American competitiveness in the future.

williamajacobson.com
William A. Jacobson, Cornell: “You see people saying that the whole concept of meritocracy is a device to maintain white supremacy. But if you eliminate testing that has commonality to it, how do you judge people?”

“I wouldn’t be surprised if in two or three years standardized testing is eliminated altogether,” William Jacobson, a law professor at Cornell who runs the Legal Insurrection website, said in a Zoom interview. “You see people saying that the whole concept of meritocracy is a device to maintain white supremacy. But if you eliminate testing that has commonality to it, how do you judge people?”

A similar rejection of the idea of merit lies behind another initiative in California, where the state Board of Education has adopted a “Framework” proposing that all gifted programs in math instruction be eliminated, along with all “acceleration” and “tracking” – that is, grouping students in different classes according to their math aptitude.

“The subject and community of mathematics has a history of exclusion and filtering rather than inclusion and welcoming,” the Framework states. “We reject ideas of natural gifts and talents … and the cult of genius.” Very early on, women and minorities get “fixed labels of ‘giftedness’ and are taught differently” in a system “designed for privileged white boys,” the Framework says.

No doubt, there’s truth to the idea that some children are discouraged early when it comes to math, and that that holds them back. But the idea, as the Framework puts it, that “all students are capable of becoming powerful mathematics learners and users” seems utopian at the very least. Can all students become great mathematicians, violinists, or professional athletes, or is the very difference in natural abilities due to labels arbitrarily applied to children largely on the basis of their sex or race?

Moreover, the assertion that the system is “designed for privileged white boys” runs into someinconvenient facts: one is that plenty of “privileged white boys” can’t do math to save their lives; another  is that Asians, both boys and girls, many of them immigrants from very modest circumstances, outperform these privileged white boys by considerable margins.  In addition, overall, girls get at least equal or higher grades than boys in math from elementary to high school, despite the stereotyping “labels” that, according to the Math Framework, hold them back.

As for gifted programs favoring whites while keeping minorities out, according to the very statistics included in the Math Framework, 32% of Asian boys and girls in California are in “gifted” programs, compared to 8% of whites and 4% of blacks. So it would seem indisputable that to eliminate these programs would have the effect of placing many Asians, but not many whites, in slower classes.

The solution to math disparities, according to the Framework, is to group all students of all aptitudes in the same class and for teachers to give “differentiated work and more open math questions” to all of them.

The Framework doesn’t say exactly why this would be better than grouping more proficient math students in their own classes. Emails asking that and other questions were acknowledged by the Board of Education press office, but it did not respond to the actual questions.

American high school students have steadily been falling behind their Asian and European counterparts in math and science, most recently ranking 37th in the PISA, the Program for International Student Assessment, which gives a test to 15-year-olds in countries around the world. China’s Shanghai ranks No.1.

The California Math Framework does not acknowledge that in Shanghai, the entirely opposite ideas about testing and standards are followed and implemented, with students tested early and often and placed into classes in accordance with their scores.

“Regarding minorities in particular, public K-12 education all too often produces students unprepared to compete, thus leading to large disparities in admissions at universities, graduate programs and faculty positions,” three math professors recently wrote in the online journal Persuasion.

“This disparity is then condemned as a manifestation of structural racism. Resulting in administrative measures to lower the evaluation criteria. Lowering standards at all levels leads eventually to even worse outcomes and larger disparities, and so on in a downward spiral.”

‘Ultimate betrayal’: Trump let down by Netanyahu’s congratulations to Biden, says new book

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Former President Donald Trump and PM Benjamin Netanyahu at Ben Gurion Airport, May 2017. (Flash90/Gili Yaari)
By Josh Plank World Israel News

President Donald Trump was highly disappointed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s swift congratulatory tweet to Joe Biden after the 2020 U.S. election, according to a new book authored by journalist Michael Wolff, the Forward reported Wednesday.

Trump told his aides that Netanyahu’s tweet was an “ultimate betrayal,” according to Wolff’s book, “Landslide: The Final Days of the Trump Presidency,” a copy of which was obtained by the Forward.

Netanyahu congratulated Biden approximately 12 hours after major American media networks declared him the winner. According to Wolff, Trump, who has disputed the election results ever since, told his aides that the tweet came “before the ink was dry.”

“It was startling to aides, however much they were anticipating an eruption, that Trump’s wrath fell on Bibi Netanyahu,” Wolff writes.

Netanyahu tweeted on November 8, 2020, “Congratulations @JoeBiden and @KamalaHarris. Joe, we’ve had a long & warm personal relationship for nearly 40 years, and I know you as a great friend of Israel. I look forward to working with both of you to further strengthen the special alliance between the U.S. and Israel.”

Wolff offers an explanation as to why Trump felt so betrayed by Netanyahu’s words.

“As in all Trump reactions, a variety of grievances welled up here,” he writes. “There was his belief that he had singularly done more for Israel than any American president — and that therefore he was owed. And now sold out.”

Trump’s foreign policy accomplishments include moving the U.S. embassy to the Israeli capital of Jerusalem, pulling out of the Iran nuclear deal, recognizing Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, and brokering the Abraham Accords.

In his book, Wolff also writes that Trump complained about the lack of support he received from Jewish Americans in the 2020 election, the Forward reported.

Trump lumped together his disappointment with Netanyahu “with his own increasing anger at his failure to much improve his standing among Jewish voters, even with what he regarded as the quid pro quo nature of his support of Israel,” Wolff writes.

Trump told Ami magazine last month that he was “really surprised” by the lack of support he received from the Jewish community, particularly from the non-Orthodox.

“I believe we got 25% of the Jewish vote, and it doesn’t make sense. It just seems strange to me,” he said.

Avenatti sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison for extortion

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Michael Avenatti arrives for a scheduled sentencing at Manhattan federal court, Thursday, July 8, 2021, in New York. The California lawyer who publicly sparred with then-President Donald Trump before criminal fraud charges disrupted his rapid ascent to fame faces sentencing after a jury concluded he tried to extort millions of dollars from Nike. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

(AP) — Michael Avenatti, the brash California lawyer who once represented Stormy Daniels in lawsuits against President Donald Trump, was sentenced Thursday to 2 1/2 years in prison for trying to extort up to $25 million from Nike by threatening the company with bad publicity.

Avenatti, 50, was convicted last year of charges including attempted extortion and honest services fraud in connection with his representation of a Los Angeles youth basketball league organizer who was upset that Nike had ended its league sponsorship.

U.S. District Judge Paul G. Gardephe called Avenatti’s conduct “outrageous,” saying he “hijacked his client’s claims, and he used those claims to further his own agenda, which was to extort millions of dollars from Nike for himself.”

Avenatti, the judge added, “had become drunk on the power of his platform, or what he perceived the power of his platform to be. He had become someone who operated as if the laws and the rules that applied to everyone else didn’t apply to him.”

Before the judge spoke, Avenatti delivered emotional remarks, sometimes through tears.

“Your honor, I’ve learned that all the fame, notoriety and money in the world is meaningless. TV and Twitter, your honor, mean nothing,” he said.

He ended his statement by saying what he expects of his three children, including two teenage daughters who wrote letters to the judge.

“Every father wants their children to be proud of them. I want mine to be ashamed. Because if they are ashamed, it means their moral compass is exactly where it should be,” he said.

Criminal fraud charges on two coasts disrupted Avenatti’s rapid ascent to fame. He also faces the start of a fraud trial next week in the Los Angeles area, a second California criminal trial later this year and a separate trial next year in Manhattan, where he is charged with cheating Daniels out of hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Avenatti represented Daniels in 2018 in lawsuits against Trump, appearing often on cable news programs to disparage the Republican president. Avenatti explored running against Trump in 2020, boasting that he would “have no problem raising money.” Daniels said a tryst with Trump a decade earlier resulted in her being paid $130,000 by Trump’s personal lawyer in 2016 to stay silent. Trump denied the affair.

Those political aspirations evaporated when prosecutors in California and New York charged Avenatti with fraud in March 2019. California prosecutors said he was enjoying a $200,000-a-month lifestyle while cheating clients out of millions of dollars and failing to pay hundreds of thousands to the Internal Revenue Service.

Charges alleging he cheated Daniels out of proceeds from a book deal followed weeks later. Avenatti pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Prosecutors requested a “very substantial” sentence, citing the U.S. Probation Department’s recommendation of an eight-year prison term. Avenatti’s lawyers said six months in prison and a year of home detention was enough punishment.

On Tuesday, the judge rejected a request by Avenatti’s lawyers to toss out his conviction in the Nike case on attempted extortion and honest services wire fraud charges. The judge wrote that evidence showed that Avenatti “devised an approach to Nike that was designed to enrich himself” rather than address his client’s objectives.

In written sentencing arguments, prosecutors said Avenatti tried to enrich himself by “weaponizing his public profile” to try to force Nike to submit to his demands.

In a victim-impact statement, Nike’s lawyers said Avenatti did considerable harm to the company by falsely trying to link it to a scandal in which bribes were paid to the families of NBA-bound college basketball players to steer them to powerhouse programs. An employee of Adidas, a Nike competitor, was convicted in that prosecution.

The lawyers said Avenatti threatened to do billions of dollars of damage to Nike and then falsely tweeted that criminal conduct at Nike reached the “highest levels.”

Avenatti’s former client, Gary Franklin Jr., said in a statement submitted by prosecutors that Avenatti’s action had “devastated me financially, professionally, and emotionally.” Franklin was expected in court Thursday.

In their presentence submission, Avenatti’s lawyers said their client had suffered enough, citing enormous public shame and a difficult stint in jail last year that ended after lawyers said he was particularly vulnerable to the coronavirus.

“Avenatti’s epic fall and public shaming has played out in front of the entire world. The Court may take judicial notice of this fact, as Avenatti’s cataclysmic fall has been well-documented,” the lawyers wrote.

Although prosecutors asked Gardephe to impose a $1 million restitution order to help cover Nike’s legal expenses, Avenatti’s attorneys cited the lack of financial losses as a reason for leniency.

“There was no financial loss to any victims so there is no restitution in this case,” they wrote. “The fact that a white collar federal criminal case was brought despite this fact is itself an important mitigating factor.”

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot Welcomes Joe Biden: Talk of City’s Rampant Gun Crime Avoided

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AP

SIMON KENT President Joe Biden was greeted by Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot (D) on Wednesday when he arrived for a speaking appointment at an Illinois community college. The city’s rampant gun violence however was not on the public agenda, with Biden instead choosing to talk about “human infrastructure” and his American Families Plan.

AP reports the president set out for the Chicago suburbs to bolster support for both his bipartisan infrastructure deal and a broader package he expects will be passed with only Democratic votes.

In his first visit to Illinois since winning the White House, Biden’s theme of family happiness and light was designed to resonate with suburban parents, college graduates and the working poor.

“There’s a lot of work ahead of us to finish the job, but we’re going to get it done,” Biden said in a 31-minute address he self-deprecatingly suggested was less than entertaining but important. “We’re going to reimagine what our economy and our future could be.”

Absent from his public remarks was any mention of the Chicago police officer and two federal agents shot on the Southwest Side hours before he landed at O’Hare Airport, the Chicago Sun-Times lamented.

That chance was missed even as the deaths mount and community frustration at the lack of action by Lightfoot builds, leading one Democrat alderman last month to call Chicago “a city under siege.”

White House press secretary Jen Psaki assured reporters Biden brought up the shootings with Lightfoot after she greeted him at O’Hare, however that exchange will remain private.

“President Biden expressed his personal support for the two ATF officials and the Chicago police officer who were shot earlier today,” Psaki said.

“He reiterated his commitment to working with the mayor and leaders in Chicago in the fight against gun violence and conveyed that the Department of Justice would soon be in touch about the strike force announced just a few weeks ago that will be working with cities like Chicago.”

Biden freezes Trump’s Abraham Fund, established to strengthen Israeli-Arab ties

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The Abraham Accords signing ceremony at the White House in Washington, September 15, 2020. (Avi Ohayon/GPO)

By Batya Jerenberg, World Israel News

The new American administration has decided to put on hold its mega-investment fund that was supposed to help strengthen regional ties after last year’s signing of the Abraham Accords, Globes reported Wednesday, based on American and Israeli sources.

The Abraham Fund was established immediately after Israel signed the historic normalization agreement with the UAE and Bahrain in September 2020.

It was to be underwritten by some $3 billion from both the U.S. government and private financial institutions to “promote economic cooperation and to encourage prosperity in the Middle East and beyond.”

After getting off to a running start, approving more than 10 projects in such fields as energy and fin-tech and reviewing hundreds more, it came to a sudden stop when Joe Biden won the presidential elections. The Fund’s head, appointed by former president Trump, left, and a successor has yet to be chosen.

According to Globes, the administration has told Israel that the Fund’s activities were being “reassessed.”

It also cited “a senior U.S. source” who said that while the White House wants the Abraham Accords to succeed, it will only promote the diplomatic side and has “indefinitely frozen” the Fund.

At least one of the reported reasons for the kibosh is that the Biden administration wants to focus its spending internally, in order to pull the country out of the economic crisis caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. Congress is now discussing a nearly $1 trillion infrastructure spending plan as part of these efforts.

It is also no secret that the Democrats want to overturn almost everything their hated Republican predecessor did. As soon as he was sworn in, Biden froze a multi-billion-dollar weapons deal with the UAE, which included 50 of the most advanced F-35 aircraft that had been a specific Trump incentive to get Abu Dhabi to the table with Israel. It was only given the green light in April, with a target delivery date of 2025 or later.

UAE Crown Prince Mohamed bin Zayed announced in March that his country would set up a different fund in Israel with the same stated aims as the Abraham Fund. This one, he said, would have $10 billion to invest primarily in the private sector, in many fields including health, space, energy and industry.

As of yet, the fund is on paper only, and Globes reported that other economic opportunities have not been realized by Israel’s new government, either.

When Foreign Minister Yair Lapid went last week to inaugurate the new Israeli embassy in Abu Dhabi, he signed an umbrella trade and economic agreement with his Emirati counterpart, Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan. He also took the time to meet with online influencers – but he cancelled a meeting with leaders of the business community, even though he had told the paper that strengthened trade ties was at the top of his priority list during his visit.

“We’re in a tough period economically, with a need for solutions for deficits and budgets, and the answer is economic development – that’s what’s happening here. The ties with the Emirates and the diplomatic and trade agreements are a real win-win,” he told the business daily.

One of the snubbed Emiratis told Globes, “The foreign minister preferred a meeting with Internet influencers who have tens of thousands of followers, instead of with businesspeople who have the capacity to invest billions in Israel.”

On the Frontline in Surfside with Miami-Dade Police Chaplain Rabbi Yossi Harlig

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Florida CFO and State Fire Marshal Jimmy Patronis, Miami-Dade Police chaplain Rabbi Yossi Harlig and J.D. Patterson, former Miami-Dade Police director and currently the county's chief public-safety officer. (Credit: Jimmy Patronis/Twitter)

By: Dovid Margolin

Suit jacket slung over his arm and badge around his neck, Miami-Dade police chaplain Rabbi Yossi Harlig walks briskly down Collins Avenue. He’s heading back towards the pile, the Surfside site where hundreds of emergency workers have been desperately digging since Champlain Towers South collapsed early on the morning of June 24. As one of Miami-Dade County Police’s 10 chaplains, Harlig has split most of his waking hours since the tragedy between the site where the workers toil night and day in the heat and humidity, and the area where families sit and wait for news of their loved ones.

“It’s a very, very difficult situation,” a visibly exhausted Harlig tells Chabad.org, enumerating the factors that have made it so. There is the magnitude of the building’s physical devastation; the strenuous work conditions, which have included fire, rain, humidity, sliding debris and a 12-story remnant towering ominously over the site; and the emotional and psychological difficulties unique to this mass tragedy.

 

Search efforts paused on Shabbat afternoon to prepare for the demolition of the remainders of Champlain Towers over concerns for its stability and ahead of an oncoming tropical storm. The controlled demolition took place on Sunday evening. Authorities have confirmed 24 people have died while 121 remain unaccounted for.

“This is a situation where some family members were talking to their loved ones while they were sitting on their porch, overlooking the water, and next thing they know not only did something happened to the building, but it’s crumbled in a pile of debris, rocks and cement,” says Harlig, who also directs Chabad-Lubavitch of Kendall and Pinecrest. “There was no time to process anything.”

In the first 24 and then 48 hours of the rescue operation, many, if not most, family members couldn’t understand why the search wasn’t moving faster. Frustrated, they waited for updates by the hour. What was taking so long?

At that point, Harlig explains, the only thing he and his fellow chaplains and other rabbis and caregivers could do was be there for them, support them. “Thursday was just the initial shock; it’s not a time to offer philosophical or theological explanations. Your job is just to allow people to express what they’re feeling and be that shoulder for them.”

Generally, people in such situations are not taken to the site of trauma. But on Sunday morning, June 27, authorities and mental-health professionals made the difficult decision to bring family members to the site. They weren’t quite sure what would happen.

 

Moment of Closeness

“The bus rides there were very tense,” recalls Harlig. The chaplains were on hand, as was Hatzalah emergency services and a team of mental-health professionals. “When we got to the site, there were a lot of emotions: crying, hugging, screaming out to their loved ones. But as the hour progressed, you saw a certain calmness come over people. After about 30 minutes, you saw that many wanted to speak to someone. Some people started praying. Whoever wanted to, put on tefillin.”

Being at the site allowed family members a moment to be close with their loved ones, but also to see for themselves how difficult conditions are and how hard frontline workers were working.

“Some of the police, fire, when they saw this sort of reunion, they started crying,” says Harlig. “People don’t realize how emotional this is for them. For rescuers, there’s no greater happiness than saving someone. Some even have family members in the building, but this is very personal for all of them.”

The ride back, says Harlig, was quieter. A certain calm descended on the families in the bus, with some coming away more hopeful that their loved ones would be found alive and others emerging with the opposite conviction.

The episode highlights the many terrains a chaplain like Harlig must traverse in fulfilling their job. There are the frontline workers on the one hand—the individuals to whom a chaplain’s main responsibilities lie—and families on the other. The chaplains are there to comfort all, regardless of faith, but they are also there to help ensure the needs of the religion they represent are understood and met.

For example, as Shabbat approached, Harlig and his fellow Jewish chaplains briefed police and fire personnel on the unique circumstances the oncoming day of rest would present. There have been other situations, such as coordinating the release of the deceased for burial. The various agencies have been more than willing to cooperate to accommodate religious needs, and chaplains are on hand to help make sure everyone is on the same page. It’s a balancing act, but the common strand that runs through it all is empathy and heart.

“Families want to go in there and lift the building with their bare hands because that’s what a parent does for their child,” says Harlig. “The responders understand that, but they need to follow their protocols because the first rule of saving lives is not risking more of them. We try to help bridge that gap. But one thing I can say, having sat in meetings with families, the governor, the mayor, officials and seeing the responders in action, is that everyone’s main concern the entire time has been: How do we save even one life?”

Even as that possibility dims, says Harlig, it’s clear that all differences in politics were put aside from day one in the unified effort to bring about the best resolution possible.

On the first responders’ end, there is a clear appreciation for the crucial role played by the chaplaincy.

“Our faith-based leaders are important to helping families through this crisis. We also need their help in supporting our first responders,” tweeted Jimmy Patronis, Florida’s Chief Financial Officer and State Fire Marshal. “A special thanks to Rabbi Yosef Harlig for being there for everyone.”

A Chaplain’s Work Goes On

Harlig and his wife, Nechama, moved to Miami to establish Chabad of Kendall and Pinecrest in 1995, later founding the Friendship Circle of Miami. In 2005, Rabbi Harlig joined the Miami-Dade County Police Department as a chaplain.

“The Rebbe [Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of righteous memory,] taught us that it is our job to seek out every opportunity to help others, both our fellow Jews and the broader community,” he explains.

“As a chaplain, you’re there for when there is a particular Jewish need, but you’re also there for every member of the force when that need for comfort and support arises.”

 

The closest episode to the Champlain Towers collapse that Harlig can remember was the Florida International University pedestrian bridge collapse in 2018, when six people lost their lives. But thankfully, there had been nothing on this scale.

Harlig was awoken on Thursday at 5 a.m. by the Miami-Dade chaplain supervisor, who asked that he head directly to Surfside. While the 10 chaplains, four of whom are Jewish (including Rabbi Mark Rosenberg, director of Chesed Shel Emes of South Florida), are usually called into action by precinct, the circumstances here demanded all of them head to the site immediately. Harlig was at the site in Surfside an hour later.

“It was shocking to see how it looked,” he recounts. “The building was gone.”

 

In those early hours, family members who lived nearby had already begun converging on the site. Authorities had yet to cordon off the area as they soon would, so distraught parents and children stood and stared at the smoking ruins in disbelief.

 

“There was a father next to me, his son had been staying in the building that night so he could attend a funeral in the morning,” recounts Harlig. “He was devastated: ‘If only my son hadn’t slept here tonight.’

” The rabbi remained on the scene until close to midnight, returning early the next morning.

During that first day, families waited for immediate news, hoping their loved ones could just be pulled out alive. By Friday, 24 hours after the collapse, it became even more desperate. A full day had passed and there was still no news.

“You just need to allow them to express their frustration,” Harlig says of the chaplain’s role. When representatives of fire and police briefed the families, the chaplains were on hand to help reassure families that everyone was working their hardest.

 

“Police and fire understood what the families were feeling; at no point were they offended,” Harlig says. Still, the decision to begin bringing families to the site on Sunday relieved some of the mental stress on first responders. “When families could see for themselves the elements and the work, they could begin to appreciate, despite their pain, what police and fire were doing on the scene.”

Aside for the emotional and religious needs of the responders and those dealing with them, in this case the many families, Harlig and his fellow chaplains are called to the scene when a nonliving person is pulled from the rubble and say a prayer before the deceased individual is transported to the onsite DNA testing lab.

At any time, there are about 200 workers pulling a 12-hour shift at the site. Due to the physical and emotional toll the work takes, though, the workers’ shifts digging on the actual pile are considerably shorter. Meanwhile, families have come to understand that closure of any kind may not come for some time. And so the chaplain’s work goes on.

 

“If you saw the Rebbe’s interaction with police and fire, those who put their lives on the line for others, it was always one of utmost respect and honor,” says Harlig. “The Rebbe also taught us that when we see anyone in pain, it’s our job to be there for them. The position of chaplain opens a door to being there for both police and fire and those who interact with them when they really need it most.”

Harlig is heading back to the scene—there is time for one last question, perhaps an obvious one. How has this experience impacted him personally?

 

“People have reached out to ask me that,” he considers. “You know, when you’re dealing with such a tragedy, you try to focus on the task at hand. Right now, in the middle of this, if you stop and process what you’ve seen, it can be overwhelming, and we can’t afford that. It needs to be ‘What’s next?’ You need to remain focused on the mission. Of course, it’s emotional, but I have a job, and I can’t stop.” (Chabad.org)

 

In first, UN condemns anti-Semitic terrorism

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Israel's Ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan (Aviv Hertz/TPS)

By Aryeh Savir, TPS

Israel’s mission to the United Nations (UN) marked an achievement for the Jewish state this week when the UN adopted a Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy that unequivocally condemns the terrorist organizations’ use of civilians as human shields.

After many efforts by the UN delegation led by Ambassador Gilad Erdan vis-à-vis the ambassadors of the relevant countries, a decision determining the UN’s strategy to combat terrorism included a number of important items that constitute a significant achievement for Israel.

The Assembly unanimously adopted a resolution titled “The United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy:  seventh review,” calling upon member states to take appropriate measures to address “the new and emerging threats posed by the rise in terrorist attacks on the basis of xenophobia, racism and other forms of intolerance, or in the name of religion or belief.”

Only a month after the IDF’s Operation Guardian of the Walls against Hamas, and at Israel’s request, the UN condemned the terrorist organizations’ use of civilians as human shields, a method employed by Hamas in the Gaza Strip and Hezbollah in Lebanon.

In addition, in its decision, the UN condemned for the first time anti-Semitic terrorism and recognized its existence.

“This is a very important and significant decision against the background of the wave of anti-Semitism in the world that is taking place these days,” Israel’s mission to the UN stated.

The UN resolution also condemned the use of the Internet as a tool to encourage and recruit terrorist operatives and called on Internet companies to take responsibility, a struggle that Erdan has led since his time as Israel’s Minister of Internal Security and continues to lead in the international arena and UN.

In his address to the General Assembly, Erdan welcomed the decision, saying the terrorists “must not be allowed to use schools, homes, and hospitals and it must be clear that they are responsible for the consequences.”

“For Israel, the fight against terrorism is not a theoretical issue. Israeli citizens in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, and Ashkelon sat in shelters under Hamas terrorist attacks,” he said.

“These terrorist organizations pose a great challenge to countries that comply with international law and try to protect their citizens.

“The unequivocal stance taken today by the international community underscores the challenges of asymmetric warfare in which democracies face terrorist organizations,” he stated.

On the UN’s recognition of terrorist acts against religious and ethnic communities, including explicit condemnation of anti-Semitism, Erdan said this is “of paramount importance. We have all witnessed anti-Semitic attacks against Jewish communities around the world, including here in New York, and we must take a hard line against any such action and first show the authorities what the UN expects them to do. ”

“Terrorism is terrorism is terrorism, and it should never be explained or justified. The UN must adopt a policy of zero tolerance for terrorism and zero excuses and explanations for terrorism. Only in this way can we fight it together,” he declared.

What to Do, Where to Go and Where to Stay in the Hamptons in the Summer of 2021!

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Hamptons Beach House. Photo Credit: Pinterest

Edited by: TJVNews.com

Ahhh!! Summer is well under way and vacation destinations are being selected by those who wish to take a well deserved break from the daily grind. For well heeled New Yorkers the usual venue is the good ol’ bucolic Hamptons out on the southern tip of Long Island. Beaches, parties and social events are the order of the day, but let it be known that even if you don’t lead an affluent lifestyle and even if you don’t have a seven figure back account, you can still enjoy some time with family and friends in the Hamptons and plunge into all that it has to offer.

According to a recent report in Conde Nast’s Traveler, the Hamptons is defined as the peninsula of land east of the Shinnecock Canal and is roughly 90 miles from New York City. So, that alleviates getting on a plane and wearing a mask for hours on end just to arrive at a vacation destination.

The wide open spaces and the non-stop activities are a lure for those vacationers seeking a respite and for those who just wish to imbibe the atmosphere and have some good old fashioned fun.

Getting to and around the Hamptons should be a cinch for New Yorkers. While the crowds can be on the dense side especially during the summer months, there are several viable options for transporting one’s self there.

According to the Conde Nast Traveler report, New Yorkers can hightail it over to Penn Station and grab a Long Island Railroad commuter train. The ride is just over two hours and in the summer the LIRR offers an express train service known as a “Cannonball” that makes the commute a heck of a lot faster. Call or e-mail the LIRR for the train schedule as the report indicates that trains only run a few times a day.

For those who prefer a luxury coach bus, one can hop aboard the Hampton Jitney that will take you directly to the hamlets from the city. Once you get to the Hamptons, however, be aware that unlike the city there are no public buses or trains to get you from one place to the next, but there are taxi services and bike rentals. For those who prefer to use Uber or Lyft, that too might work well for you if you don’t have a ar to get to the Hamptons,

Now that you have made your transportation arrangements and are heading to the Hamptons, you will definitely want to hit the white, sandy beaches. According to the Traveler report not all of the beaches are open to those who don’t reside there. The good news is that many beaches have paid parking lots for visitors and the best time to go is during the week, rather than on weekends. The report indicated that such beaches as Cooper’s Beach in Southampton Village, Foster Memorial Beach in Sag Harbor, Main Beach in East Hampton, Hither Hills State Park and Kirk Park in Montauk, Flying Point Beach in Watermill, Sagg Main Beach in Sagaponack, Mecox Beach in Bridgehampton, and Atlantic Avenue Beach in Amagansett do have paid parking lots or you can always cab it over there or even walk.

Once you’ve enjoyed some quality time working on your tan or taking a dip at any one of the beaches in the Hamptons, you may want to consider plunging into some cultural events.

Because the Hamptons have always been a hot spot for artists of all stripes, the art scene beckons with a visit to the Parrish Art Museum. The Conde Nast Traveler report said that the current exhibit at the museum is called “Affinities for Abstraction: Women Artists on Eastern Long Island, 1950-2020.” The museum is open Thursday through Monday for the weekend crowd.

Art lovers might also want to visit the Pollock-Krasner House and Study Center, in the Springs neighborhood of East Hampton. According to the Traveler report, it is a National Historic Landmark, built in 1879. The space once belonged to the painters Jackson Pollock and Lee Krasner, and visitors can tour their living quarters and painting studio. Admissions are by reservation only, Thursday through Sunday.

For those Andy Warhol fans out there, the Hamptons has a special surprise for you, as a wooded path on Amsterdam Beach in Montauk brings you to a view of the Warhol Estate, also known as Eothen. According to the Traveler report it features oceanfront buildings from the 1930s.  Back in the turbulent 1960s, the estate was known as hub of entertainment for Warhol and his coterie of eclectic friends. Now, how cool is that???

By this time, you must be getting hungry, but have no fear. The Hamptons is known for their chic and elegant eateries. Not all restaurants will make your wallet suffer and you can get some delicious eats in just about anywhere in the Hamptons. If you have a hankering for some terrific seafood, the Hamptons is the place to be. You can head over to Amagansett and try some local seafood and produce recently opened il Buco al Mare. The ambience is just wonderful and you can taste some really spectacular wines from Long Island.

Well, now that your stomach is full and the evening has arrived, you might want to head back to your hotel to stretch out and relax. So, where will you stay? The Traveler report indicated that a good choice would be luxury beachfront accommodations at Gurney’s Montauk. The report that this place was a Reader’s Choice award winner in 2017, 2018, 2020 and 2021. Pretty impressive, The report said that it is loaded with such amenities as a beach bar, multiple dining venues, and 158 rooms. If you want to stay in a smaller, more Bohemian setting, one can try a 23-room hotel and restaurant nestled into the sunset-facing waters of Lake Montauk at the Crow’s Nest.

 

 

 

Nothing Unites Democrats & Republicans Like a Legal Battle to Send the Big Tech Giants Into a Tailspin

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. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)

Edited by: TJVNews.com

As the subject of challenging Big Tech for their heavy handed censorship of voices they deem “dangerous” has once again dominated the news cycle, it is noteworthy to examine the nuances of the cognitive war of thoughts and ideas that is plaguing our society.

Former President Trump has announced that he will be launching a class action  suit against Facebook, Google and Twitter for deleting his accounts and thusly silencing him. This, of course, begs the question of who precisely is protected by the First Amendment as it pertains to free speech and the verbal and written expression of ideas.

Is any sort of censorship ever permitted and if so, when, where and how?

According to a recent report in the New Yorker magazine by Sheelah Kolhatkar, the government’s initiative to break up Facebook over alleged antitrust violations hit a major snag on June 28th, when federal judge James E. Boasberg accused the Federal Trade Commission and attorneys general representing 48 states of a number of errors and generally sloppy work when they filed the antitrust cases against Facebook.   A spotlight, of sorts, was focused on the FTC for not providing a clear description of the “market that Facebook operates in” and as for the attorneys general collaborative efforts, they were chided by the judge for having “waited too long to act.”

Since practically everything that swirls around us there days has become heavily politicized, the case against Facebook has bipartisan support with both sides of the proverbial aisle crying “foul” over the ever increasing domination of the big tech titans in multiple facets of our lives. Seeking to severely curtail what thwey perceive to be the ominous influence of the social media “monsters” which would also include Google, Amazon & Apple, the government has rallied the troops from both the left and the right in this war on these major technology companies.

As the New Yorker report keenly points out, the social media tech giants   “control large portions of the media, advertising, retail, social-networking, and communication markets.”

In addition to the government’s case against Facebook, the report indicates that the Department of Justice and many states went after Google last fall with antitrust cases and as the report suggests, Amazon could very well be the next target, according to experts in the antitrust field.

As previously stated, there is nothing like filing antitrust suits against “Big Tech” for the purposes of uniting a sharply divided congress. When it comes to going after the “tech” enemy, one can easily forget political policy disputes and all come together in relative harmony.

The New Yorker report suggests, however, that all is not lost in the government’s pursuit of Facebook.

As the report says: “A congressional subcommittee spent sixteen months investigating the business practices of Amazon, Apple, Google, and Facebook, amassing a huge cache of documents and evidence. A four-hundred-fifty page report that the committee released on October 6th concluded that “there is a clear and compelling need for Congress and the antitrust enforcement agencies to take action that restores competition, improves innovation, and safeguards our democracy.”

The aforementioned may have played a role in Judge Boasberg’s decision not to throw the government’s case out of court entirely, but then again, this is pure speculation. The New Yorker report said that the judge suggested that the “FTC rework it to address its weaknesses and then file it again within thirty days.”

The report said that Judge Boasberg wrote in his opinion: “The agency is on firmer ground in scrutinizing the acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp,” The Court rejects Facebook’s argument that the FTC lacks authority to seek injunctive relief against those purchases.”

Sounds like a real ray of hope for the government. The judge admonished the attorneys general for lagging behind on this issue and for not taking action much earlier. The New Yorker report tells us that as far back as 2012 problems arose when Facebook bought its chief competitor, Instagram. “That takeover, and the purchase of Whatsapp in 2014, were approved by regulators, and the attorneys general did nothing to object until years later, when the political appetite for criticizing the tech companies had changed dramatically,” the report said.

To her credit, in December, New York State Attorney General Letitia James led a large group of attorneys general in filing “a lawsuit alleging that Facebook was a monopoly and that it stifled competition in order to protect its position of dominance, “ according to the New Yorker report.

If the FTC can fix its errors and revise its case to meet the judge’s specifications, this antitrust suit might very well set a highly significant precedent in the ravenous world of social media control on our lives.

Only time will tell!