[FoxNews] Boston Mayor Michelle Wu raised eyebrows over the weekend after she expressed condolences to the family of a knife-wielding suspect who was shot and killed by an off-duty officer after he allegedly tried to stab two people on Saturday night.
The suspect, whose identity was not released by police, brandished a knife near a Chick-fil-A on Boylston Street, a busy part of the Massachusetts capital. He was fatally shot by an off-duty police officer who saw him targeting the two victims, police said.
During a Saturday night press conference, Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox said that the officer identified himself to the suspect and asked him to drop his weapon.
"The individual was trying to stab the two individuals in the store, and the off-duty officer identified himself as a police officer, instructing them to drop the weapon, at which point the individual did not comply," Cox explained. "The officer discharged his weapon to stop the threat, and the individual was struck. The armed individual was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead."
Cox added that he was "proud of police officers who activate themselves, whether it's on duty or off duty, to try to save lives."
After Cox and Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden both expressed some sadness over the loss of life during the incident, Wu notably did not express sympathy for the two people who were nearly stabbed by the suspect, just those "impacted" by the incident, which happened in "one of the busier parts" of Beantown.
"My condolences, and all of our thoughts, are with the family of the individual whose life has been lost," Wu said. "And I'm also thinking of all the people who were impacted here today in one of the busier parts of the city with this tragedy."
"I'm glad that the officer is safe and very grateful for a quick response from all of our first responders here again," she said.
Wu's remarks were called out by critics across the country on social media.
If America gets to rein in their NGOs, maybe Germany should look into theirs, eh? Good for the CDU/CSU!
[DW] Germany's conservative CDU/CSU bloc is questioning the political neutrality of some NGOs. That could weigh on relations with its potential Social Democrat coalition partners.
Over the past few weeks, hundreds of thousands of demonstrators erupted into the streets to protest against the conservative Christian Democrats ...every time you hear the phrase white people, white supremacy,white anything but paint, you're listening to a Democrat. Ask him/her/it to reimagine something for you; they do that a lot, though not well. They can hear a dog whistle a mile or two away. They invented the spoils system and Tammany Hall, and inspired the addition of the word (Thomas) Nasty to the English language. They want to stop continental drift and repeal the law of unintended side effects... (CDU) after they voted through proposals for stricter migration policies together with the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.
By so doing, the demonstrators said, the CDU had torn down the "firewall" between traditional parties and the far right that has long prevailed in Germany.
The protests were organized by a range of NGOs such as "Omas gegen Rechts" (Grannies against the Right), the environmental group NABU or "Munchen ist bunt" (Munich is Diverse).
Many of the associations and initiatives involved in the protests are financed not only by donations and member fees but also by state subsidies. Charitable organizations are also eligible for tax breaks.
But legally, their situation is a tightrope walk because they are permitted to be involved in social issues but not to take sides in party politics.
CONSERVATIVES QUESTION STATE SUPPORT
Now, if the CDU and CSU are to be believed, some NGOs have violated this principle with their protests. For this reason, the CDU/CSU finance expert, Mathias Middelberg, announced in a newspaper interview in mid-February that he would be "very critically" scrutinizing federal support programs about who was benefiting from them, and looking at potentially cutting them altogether.
The conservative bloc is following through on his words. It has put in a parliamentary request for information to the federal government.
It said the request was made because of the protests against the CDU, "which were partly organized or supported by charitable associations or state-financed organizations." The 32-page inquiry contains 551 questions about altogether 17 NGOs.
”Gotcha!”
POLITICAL NEUTRALITY: A QUESTION OF INTERPRETATION
In its inquiry, the CDU/CSU parliamentary group refers to an article in the conservative-leaning German daily Welt in which several experts on constitutional law expressed very critical views about the demonstrations.
"Associations that helped organize 'firewall' demonstrations did not act on a charitable basis," argued Volker Boehme-Nessler from Oldenburg University. "The demonstrations were one-sidedly political. They were directed concretely against one party, the CDU."
Indeed.
Dietrich Murswieck, a legal expert who taught at Freiburg University until 2016, is of a similar view.
"If a nature conservation group protests that a parliamentary resolution ignored the 'firewall,' it has nothing to do with its charitable purpose of protecting the environment," he said.
But Maximilian Schiffers, a political scientist from the Duisburg-Essen University, has a very different take on the precept of political neutrality, which is also a subject of debate in expert circles.
"It doesn't mean that organizations have to be neutral on political issues. They are just not allowed to campaign for a particular party," he told DW.
HUMAN RIGHTS AND CONSERVATION: POLITICALLY NEUTRAL ISSUES?
According to Schiffers, even the German constitution is not neutral, "particularly when human rights ...not to be confused with individual rights, mind you... , civil liberties, environmental and climate protection and the participation in democratic decision-making processes are concerned." In view of this, civil society organizations did not have to be neutral either, Schiffers said.
The Society for Civil Rights (GFF), which is financed by donations and member fees, is also on the side of those criticizing the way the conservatives and the AfD closed ranks for the vote in parliament.
"It is always possible to support democratic principles and objectively examine positions taken by a party that are problematic from the point of view of constitutional law," it said in a blurb.
The GFF stressed that such actions were even desirable to enable the open democratic discourse reflected in the German constitution, or Basic Law.
ATTEMPT AT INTIMIDATION?
The organization Reporters Without Borders (RSF), which fights for press freedom across the world, has been even more explicit in its criticism of the action taken by the CDU/CSU bloc. The director of its German branch, Anja Osterhaus, accused the conservatives of trying to intimidate critical voices from civil society.
Although she conceded that parliamentary inquiries by parties were an important monitoring mechanism, she said it was "worrying that the CDU/CSU parliamentary group used this means to demand information on media organizations that are known for their investigative journalism."
The CDU/CSU inquiries include questions about German media organizations Correctiv and Netzwerk Recherche.
In early 2024 Correctiv, which also receives money from the state, reported on a meeting in Potsdam attended by right-wing holy warrior and conservative figures. The gathering was allegedly held to discuss plans to carry out mass deportations of people with an immigration background from Germany. The revelations triggered mass demonstrations nationwide against right-wing extremism and the AfD.
SPD PARLIAMENTARY LEADER CALLS 'FOUL'
The debate on state support for charity organizations is also damaging relations between the CDU/CSU bloc and its potential partners in a coalition government, the Social Democrats (SPD). On Friday, the first exploratory talks between the parties were held in Berlin following the February 23 elections.
Lars Klingbeil, who co-leads the SPD and heads its parliamentary party, accused the CDU and CSU of "foul play."
"The Union [CDU/CSU bloc] should do some soul-searching very quickly about whether it will stick with that," he said.
But the words of the conservatives' parliamentary leader, Thorsten Frei, give no reason to believe that it will.
Frei told public-service broadcaster ARD that no one wanted to intimidate anyone but that it was "normal" to watch where and to whom public monies and tax cuts were going.
[FoxNews] Ric Grenell, the Trump administration's special presidential envoy for special missions, slammed Obama and Biden-era diplomat Susan Rice for the Democratic Party's years of foreign policies that he said landed the U.S. in two different wars under the Biden administration alone.
"Your guy couldn’t even talk to Putin. For 3.5 years! Your policies helped usher in a war in Ukraine, Gaza…and Rwanda if you remember," Grenell posted to X on Saturday afternoon.
"And then you lied about Libya - it wasn’t caused by a video," he continued, referring to claims in 2012 that an anti-Islam video
…the poorly made film was Innocence of Muslims, produced by Coptic Egyptian-American Sam Bacile (among over a dozen aliases — his real name apparently is Nakoula Basseley Nakoula). The Obama administration jailed him for almost a year on trumped up charges in an attempt to divert protestors around the ummah…
led to the Benghazi terror attack on U.S. government facilities in the Libyan city. "You made that up…. Donald Trump handed you peace in the Middle East and Europe - you handed us two wars. We see you," he added.
Grenell was responding to a post from Susan Rice, who served as an Obama administration national security advisor and U.N. ambassador, that claimed conservatives "are up to the same old tired crap" following President Donald Trump's tense meeting with Ukraine President Volodomyr Zelenskyy on Friday.
#1
When they trot out Rice, Bolton, Brennan and Clapper it reminds me of people who never remove their Halloween 🎃 and just leave them melting on their doorstep passed Thanksgiving. Theese disfigured and discredited decorations are now devoid of any legitimate role in our discourse. Yet there they remain.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
03/03/2025 4:36 Comments ||
Top||
#5
Take Away: According to locals, the Obamas are never seen at the town's modest array of shops such as grocery store Bobby's and are yet to enjoy lunch at popular dining spot Keneke's...
'[Obama] is retired, he never comes in here,' sniffed one local store owner who asked not to be named.
'He probably would have when he was campaigning but not now. Their staff go out and collect their food.'
[IsraelTimes] A US judge declares President Donald Trump’s firing of the head of a federal watchdog agency illegal, in an early test of the scope of presidential power likely to be decided at the US Supreme Court.
US District Judge Amy Berman Jackson in Washington has previously ruled Hampton Dellinger, the head of the Office of Special Counsel who is responsible for protecting whistleblowers, can remain in his post pending a ruling.
Berman says in her ruling that upholding Trump’s ability to fire Dellinger would give him “a constitutional license to bully officials in the executive branch into doing his will.”
#2
They are supposed to do Trump’s will or our electing him is thwarted. She’s a moron.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
03/03/2025 4:18 Comments ||
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#3
Moron is too kind; she strives to rise to the level of moron. Something is seriously wrong with the US District Courts.
Posted by: Whiskey Mike ||
03/03/2025 6:08 Comments ||
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#4
The Judiciary is an unelected branch of the government not subject to the consent of the governed. It can not be a republic if they believe they rule rather than the elected representatives of the people.
#5
Congress has powers (under the Constitution) over the US District Courts, which include abolition and drastic reversion of their structure & operations. This somehow has been getting zero consideration in all the voluminous commentary about the continuing lawfare of the Deep State. Since Congress has essentially abdicated its responsibilities in our system of government, this may not matter one bit. The Supreme Court may be an unelected branch of our government, but Congress is up for complete revision / relection of the House along with 1/3 of the US Senate as soon as November 2026.
#6
“a constitutional license to bully officials in the executive branch into doing his will.”
I am not a lawyer, but I actually laughed out loud reading that. Trump is the duly elected President which, if I remember my 9th grade civics, makes him the head of the Executive Branch. The Supreme Court has already ruled that the President can do president stuff. Will Roberts and the gang toss Judge Ninny's ruling immediately or will they let it fester for a while?
#7
“The twelfth: the enemy acts like a woman in being weak when faced with strength and strong when faced with weakness. For as it is proper to a woman, when she is fighting with some man, to lose heart and to flee when the man confronts her firmly, and, on the contrary, if the man begins to flee, losing heart, the anger vengeance and ferocity of the woman grow greatly and know no bounds. In the same way, it is proper to the enemy to weaken and lose heart, fleeing and ceasing his temptations when the person who is exercising himself in spiritual things confronts the temptations of the enemy firmly, doing what is diametrically opposed to them; and, on the contrary, if the person who is exercising himself begins to be afraid and lose heart in suffering the temptations, there is no beast so fierce on the face of the earth as the enemy of human nature in following out his damnable intention with such growing malice” (St. Ignatius).
[FoxNews] Sanctuary cities limit local cooperation with federal immigration authorities
The mayors of Boston, Chicago, Denver and New York City are prepping for a high-stakes hearing before the House Committee on Oversight and Government.
"Sanctuary mayors owe the American people an explanation for city policies that jeopardize public safety and violate federal immigration law by releasing dangerous criminal illegal aliens back onto the streets," House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., said in a press release announcing the hearings, which are set to take place Wednesday.
The hearing, which will take place in front of a full committee, comes as so-called sanctuary cities, jurisdictions that limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities, have come under increasing scrutiny since President Donald Trump regained control of the White House in January.
While Trump has seemingly made quick work of the situation at the southern border, attention has turned to his promised mass deportation efforts, a process that can be helped along if state and local agencies work hand-in-hand with federal authorities.
Now the mayors of four of the biggest sanctuary cities will attempt to justify their policies in front of what could be a hostile Congress, with one report from Politico noting that the mayors will be seeking to sidestep the kind of "embarrassing" episode that plagued several Ivy League presidents who were testifying about antisemitism on their campuses in 2023.
The report notes that all four mayors have been working with advisers and lawyers and prepping to redact documents ahead of Wednesday’s hearing, with the thought of University of Pennsylvania President Liz Magill being ousted in the aftermath of her appearance at the 2023 hearing fresh in mind as they seek to avoid similar missteps.
The hearing could sway the political futures of Chicago’s Brandon Johnson, New York’s Eric Adams, Boston’s Michelle Wu, and Denver’s Mike Johnston.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
...every time you hear the phrase 
