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Wednesday, May 1, 2024

Columbia University Protesters Arrested After Barricading Themselves Inside of a Building

New York Post: NYPD was seen moving in on Columbia University’s anti-Israel protests on Tuesday evening, video shows, with dozens of protesters being filed into buses by authorities. Columbia students who took over Hamilton Hall are now facing expulsion, according to a memo sent out by the Ivy League school. NYPD also laid out possible charges for Columbia protesters on campus grounds in encampments and those who have taken over Hamilton Hall (New York Post). NBC: After the NYPD entered campus tonight, Columbia blamed the actions of protesters for the situation. “We regret that protesters have chosen to escalate the situation through their actions. After the University learned overnight that Hamilton Hall had been occupied, vandalized, and blockaded, we were left with no choice,” the university said in a statement. Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Jamaal Bowman, both D-N.Y., criticized the police response at Columbia tonight in separate statements, with Ocasio-Cortez also faulting Mayor Eric Adams (NBC). Daily Wire: Pro-Hamas protesters at Columbia University called for the destruction of the state of Israel this week as school leaders have struggled to enforce their own deadline for the protesters to leave. “We don’t want no two state! We want all of it!” the encampment of protesters chanted. “From the river to the sea! Palestine is all you’ll see” (Daily Wire)!

Student Protesters Now Demand Amnesty for Protesting as Repercussions Begin

Associated Press: The students’ plight has become a central part of protests, with students and a growing number of faculty demanding their amnesty. At issue is whether universities and law enforcement will clear the charges and withhold other consequences, or whether the suspensions and legal records will follow students into their adult lives (Associated Press). Guy Benson: It’s fascinating to see how “brave” these students seem to believe they are, while also trying to avoid any negative ramifications for their behavior. Part of old school civil disobedience is accepting consequences. But these people want to cosplay as radicals, including shouting terrorist slogans at the top of their lungs — just without any meaningful risks or downsides (Townhall). Noam Blum: They wear masks, sign letters anonymously, chase away cameras, and beg for amnesty so no one ever knows they did it (X). I said it before, I will say it again: these are adults. They must accept accountability for their actions.

Alvin Bragg Violates Trump’s Rights

National Review: A crucial due-process provision is meant to prevent exactly what the DA has done: force a defendant to go to trial without being put on notice of the charge. Bragg, an election denier, is trying to convict Trump of a crime that is not charged in the indictment — to wit, conspiracy to steal the 2016 election by suppressing negative information in violation of federal campaign law. This violates the Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which requires a felony charge to be spelled out in an indictment whose criminal elements have been established by probable cause to the satisfaction of a grand jury. Here, the problem is not just that there is no indication the grand jury was presented with an election-theft conspiracy offense; there is no such conspiracy crime in New York penal law. As a state prosecutor, moreover, Bragg has no jurisdiction to enforce federal law — as to which Congress vested “exclusive” criminal- and civil-enforcement authority, respectively, in the Justice Department and the Federal Election Commission. Worse still is that Judge Juan Merchan is not just letting Bragg get away with this; he is consciously abetting the district attorney — thus adding heft to Trump’s claim that Merchan is deeply conflicted by political bias. Nevertheless, the violation of Trump’s rights is even more basic. Trump is actually charged not with a conspiracy but with 34 substantive felony violations of a New York statute that makes it a crime to falsify business records with the fraudulent intent to conceal “another crime.” What other crime? The penal statute in question doesn’t say (National Review). Hugh Hewitt: You will see that a rogue prosecutor and a rogue judge are combining forces to get a picture of former President Donald Trump in handcuffs. That’s it. That’s their game. It is that simple. They must know they will see that conviction reversed but they don’t care. Their audience is the hard left and their performance theater is for the MSNBC crowd. The reputation of the United States for being free of political show trials rests on at least one juror having the courage to stand up against this and force a mistrial (X).

Donald Trump Held in Contempt of Court, Forced to Pay $9,000, Threatened with Jail

Townhall: Former President Donald Trump was held in contempt of court on Tuesday for violating a gag order nine times. Judge Juan Merchan fined Trump $9,000 for repeatedly violating the order when he made public statements about witnesses and jurors, among others connected to the case, on Truth Social and his campaign website. The ruling came after Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg had accused the former president of violating the order multiple times. Merchan claimed he understood the significance of Trump’s First Amendment rights but warned the presumptive GOP presidential nominee that future violations could bring jail time (Townhall).

Biden Administration Considers Allowing Refugees From Gaza to Resettle in the United States

CBS: The Biden administration is considering bringing certain Palestinians to the U.S. as refugees, a move that would offer a permanent safe haven to some of those fleeing war-torn Gaza. In recent weeks, the documents show, senior officials across several federal U.S. agencies have discussed the practicality of different options to resettle Palestinians from Gaza who have immediate family members who are American citizens or permanent residents (CBS). Washington Examiner: The Palestinian refugees would have to meet stringent qualifications, including eligibility, medical, and security screenings, then provide proof that they are fleeing due to persecution, such as of their nationality, religion, or political views, according to the report. Palestinians could opt to select the Israeli government as their persecutor, setting up an awkward situation for the allied U.S. government (Washington Examiner).

Benjamin Netanyahu States Rafah Incursion Will Occur Regardless of Hostage Deal Status

ABC: As Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated Tuesday that Israel would proceed with a military operation in the southern Gaza city of Rafah “with or without a deal,” the Biden administration — which has repeatedly warned against a Rafah offensive — appears to be holding out hope for a cease-fire agreement. “We will enter Rafah because we have no other choice,” Netanyahu said Tuesday in comments translated from Hebrew. “We will destroy the Hamas battalions there, we will complete all the objectives of the war, including the repatriation of all our hostages.” Netanyahu said there would be an evacuation of the civilian population. No timeline has been given for an operation in Rafah, where it’s believed more than 1.4 million Palestinians have gathered in the wake of Israel’s bombardment of the Gaza Strip (ABC). Associated Press: Netanyahu has faced pressure from his governing partners not to proceed with a deal that might prevent Israel from invading Rafah. His government could be threatened if he agrees to a deal because hardline Cabinet members have demanded an attack on Rafah (Associated Press).

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Five Middle School Girls Banned From Track Meets After Refusing to Compete Against Trans Athlete

New York Post: Five West Virginia middle schoolers who protested a transgender athlete’s participation in a track and field competition have been barred from future meets — prompting the state attorney general to ask the US Supreme Court to weigh in on transgender student-athlete bans for a second time. West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey filed a lawsuit against the Harrison County Board of Education on the dissenting students’ behalf after they were blocked from upcoming meets following their protests at the April 18 shot put competition, West Virginia Watch reported. Five girls from Lincoln Middle School stepped up to the circle for their turn before refusing to throw in the event, which was won by Becky Pepper-Jackson, a 13-year-old girl who takes puberty-blocking medication and estrogen hormone therapy. While West Virginia law bans transgender girls from playing on girls’ sports teams, a recent federal appeals court ruled that the law couldn’t lawfully be applied to the eighth-grader (New York Post). Riley Gaines: Rather than banning the boy from girls sports, they ban the girls from girls sports. You can’t make this stuff up. Sue them into oblivion (X). Travis Media Group: How many young girls are losing opportunities because cowardly liberal and RINO politicians are caving to mental illness (X)?

Biden’s Pier in Gaza Will Cost Taxpayers $320 Million

Reuters: The U.S. military’s cost estimate to build a pier off Gaza to deliver humanitarian aid has risen to $320 million. The figure, which has not been previously reported, illustrates the massive scale of a construction effort that the Pentagon has said involves about 1,000 U.S. service members, mostly from the Army and Navy. Still, the cost has roughly doubled from initial estimates earlier this year. “The cost has not just risen. It has exploded,” Senator Roger Wicker, the top Republican on the Democratic-led Senate Armed Services Committee said. “This dangerous effort with marginal benefit will now cost the American taxpayers at least $320 million to operate the pier for only 90 days.” President Joe Biden announced the pier in March as aid officials implored Israel to ease access for relief supplies into Gaza over land routes (Reuters). Associated Press: U.S. and Israeli officials have said they hope to have the floating pier in place, the causeway attached to the shore and operations underway by early May. Under the plan by the U.S. military, aid will be loaded onto commercial ships in Cyprus to sail to the floating platform now under construction off Gaza. The pallets will be loaded onto trucks, which will be loaded onto smaller ships that will travel to a metal, floating two-lane causeway (Associated Press).

Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) Faces Censure for Stating Jewish Students Are in Favor of Genocide

Newsmax: Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., is again facing censure in the House after referring to some Jewish students at Columbia University as pro-genocide. Omar, who is of Somali heritage and a member of the “Squad,” a faction of extreme left-wing Democrats, made the comments Thursday during a visit to the tent encampment set up by pro-Palestinian protesters at the university. “We should not have to tolerate antisemitism or bigotry for all Jewish students, whether they are pro-genocide or anti-genocide” Omar told WNYW-TV in New York on Thursday (Newsmax). Axios: The Minnesotan was removed from the House Foreign Affairs Committee in a party-line vote last February over past anti-Israel comments which colleagues in both parties labeled antisemitic (Axios).

10.

Washington Governor Announces Program Using Taxpayer Dollars to Help Low-Income Families to Purchase EVs

Seattle Weekly: Gov. Jay Inslee announced a new state program that allows instant rebates for eligible Washington residents purchasing or leasing an electric vehicle (EV). “Washington state is already a leader in EV adoption, but many more people interested in ditching the gas pump may think they can’t afford to do it,” Inslee said. “With these new rebates, we’re significantly lowering the entry point, opening the door to EVs for people of modest incomes as we continue paving the way to a clean transportation future for all.” Opening in August 2024, the $45 million state program will allow eligible Washington residents who annually earn up to $45,180 for a single person, or $93,600 for a family of four, to receive up to $5,000 for a new EV purchase or two-year lease, or up to $9,000 for a three-year lease on a new EV. Used EVs are also included in the program, with eligibility of $2,500 for purchases and leases. According to the state Department of Commerce, the department is making new EVs more affordable by leveraging the federal credit to make leasing EVs as low as $56 a month for certain models (Seattle Weekly). Must Read Alaska: The program has drawn criticism, including from Washington Policy Center Environmental Director Todd Myers. In a blog post, he argued that the subsidies won’t help reduce carbon emissions and is a waste of taxpayer money better spent on other environmental priorities, such as salmon recovery (Must Read Alaska).