August 19, 2024 | Read Online

First time here? I'm Ari, and this is Upward News. Every day, we scour 100s of sources to bring you need-to-know news and insights you won't see in the MSM. Sign up here →

Calling women everywhere…

FREE Virtual Event: She's Unstoppable Summit with Sage Robbins, Tyra Banks, Derek & Hayley Hough, Maria Menounos and surprise special guest you won't want to miss! It's all happening on August 21, 2024. Connect with some of the most powerful figures to discover your true power and authentic self. Reserve your free seat now!

Get your free seat

WHAT WE'RE WATCHING

💰 Kamala Harris unveiled a new $1.7 trillion economic plan. Vice President Harris announced a $1.7 trillion economic plan she intends to sign into law, including $25,000 subsidies for first-time homebuyers and a JD Vance-inspired $6,000 tax break for families with newborns. She also proposed to ban "corporate price gouging" to lower grocery costs, despite the American grocery industry maintaining a mere 1.18 percent net profit margin last year.

💊 DNC to provide free abortions and vasectomies to attendees. At this week's Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Chicago, attendees can get a free medication abortion or vasectomy just blocks away. Planned Parenthood is bringing a mobile clinic to offer these services, underscoring the Democratic Party's commitment to expanding abortion and sterilization.

📈 New polling indicates Kamala Harris is making ground. Donald Trump is now virtually tied with Kamala Harris in several critical battleground states. Harris holds a five-point lead in Arizona and a two-point lead in North Carolina, while Trump is leading in Georgia. And although Harris is outperforming Biden, she is still not resonating as strongly with Hispanic voters, who are crucial for winning states like Nevada.

🙅‍♂️ X closed operations in Brazil due to "censorship orders." Amid Elon Musk's longstanding battle with Judge Alexandre de Moraes, X was compelled to immediately shut down its operations in Brazil after the judge allegedly threatened to arrest the platform's legal representative. Brazil's court demanded X remove certain accounts for "misinformation" and threatened to arrest its staff for non-compliance. X responded, calling Judge Moraes' actions "incompatible with democratic government."

WHAT WE'RE HEARING

Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) said he is "comfortable" with US weapons being used to hit targets in Russian territory.
Don Lemon was shocked to find large numbers of Trump supporters in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
Sen. JD Vance (R-OH) said that trusting Kamala Harris with inflation policy is like "giving Jeffrey Epstein control over human trafficking policy."

IN THE LOOP

Tens of thousands of anti-Israel demonstrators are expected to protest the DNC this week.
Trump and Vance plan to "barnstorm" battleground states during the DNC.
House Republicans accused President Biden of engaging in "impeachable conduct" in their impeachment report.
House Intelligence Chairman Mike Turner (R-OH) said the Biden administration is "not holding Iran accountable" for working to assassinate Trump.
Our article, "Biden Fast-Tracks Citizenship for Migrants and Changes America's Elections Forever" was originally only for premium readers — but it's important for all to see, so we removed the paywall. Read it here.
Remember the days of paper lists and mall marathons? Now it's Amazon Prime time. While free shipping and exclusive shows are a given, these 10 hidden perks can enhance your membership in unexpected ways.*

*This is sponsored content

Zero billionaires. Zero special interest groups. Readers like you are 100% responsible for keeping Upward News afloat. Start your 7 day premium trial→

MY THOUGHTS

Candace Leaves Conservatism

Good morning. I wrote about Candace Owens, the once-magnetic conservative star who, since October 7th, has spiraled into a shocking antisemitic tirade. Her recent obsessions have dominated her podcasts, echoing rhetoric reminiscent of Hitler's talking points and centuries-old blood libel.

When The Daily Wire parted ways with her, critics like Patrick Bet-David accused Ben Shapiro's company of silencing anti-Israel dissent. But the reality was far more complex, and I felt compelled to set the record straight in a piece I wrote over the weekend for UnHerd. You can read it here.

Since then, numerous prominent commentators condemned her. It's genuinely sad to see someone with so much talent devolve into deep hatred, and it appears that she has broken with the conservative movement.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE

America's blind justice system winks at the left

Many protesters in last month's pro-Palestine march in DC had their charges dropped
Before that, the vast majority of BLM protesters had charges dropped in 2020
Right-wing protesters have had the book thrown at them, underscoring a clear double standard

The story

Last month, protesters promised chaos when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu came to town to address a joint session of Congress. They threatened a "day of rage" ahead of Netanyahu's visit and flooded Washington, DC, demanding an end to US aid to Israel and Netanyahu's arrest.

Chants rang out: "Bibi, Bibi, we're not done! The intifada has just begun!" as Palestinian-flag-waving activists filled the streets in rage. Protesters accused Netanyahu (Bibi for short) of genocide against the Palestinian people, as Israel's army fights to eliminate the terrorist group that murdered 1,200 Israeli civilians on Oct. 7.

Activists burned American and Israeli flags and paper effigies of Netanyahu. Some carried jihadist flags and called for a "final solution" — referring to the Nazi plan to exterminate the Jewish people. Transgender activists and communists tied themselves to the march to showcase their solidarity.

At DC's Union Station, protesters defaced statues, graffitied phrases like "All Zionists are bastards" and "Hamas is comin," and raised the Palestinian flag to replace the American flag. Some clashed with police, prompting the use of pepper spray to keep rioters at a distance.

By the time the pandemonium subsided, 25 had been arrested. Just two days later, prosecutors dropped charges against nearly half. Ten of the most serious arrests occurred at Union Station, where the American flag was taken down and officers were assaulted. Two of those cases were dismissed, leaving spectators stunned and puzzled as to how this could happen.

Gus Papathanasiou, chairman of the U.S. Capitol Police labor committee, lamented "it's a slap in the face to law enforcement who are doing their jobs, and these prosecutors throw these charges out." Protesters repeatedly assaulted police officers as they made arrests, yet the perpetrators faced no consequences. Papathanasiou continued, "Shame on them for … giving free passes to criminals."

The politics

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) is initiating an investigation of the National Park Service (NPS) director "regarding the Biden-Harris administration's failure to deploy adequate resources" which could have averted the riots at Union Station.

Cruz is specifically demanding that the NPS explain why it deployed only 29 officers to guard Union Station, an area under their jurisdiction, for a protest with a permit for 5,000 attendees.

Many on the left supported the protests, including dozens of congressional staffers who organized a walkout during Netanyahu's address. Among supporters of the pro-Palestine marches and of the "racial justice" marches in 2020, prevailing sentiment is that disorderly behavior and violent conduct should be excused because the cause is just.

In 2021, a writer for the Lexington Herald-Leader expressed this view, arguing that charges should be dropped entirely for protesters-turned-rioters, since they were marching for a righteous cause. In fact, stated the author, the city of Lexington, KY should thank protesters for drawing attention to the movement.

Getting off easy

The trend of violent left-wing protesters facing little or no consequences has a long history but, in recent memory, can be traced to the George Floyd riots. In summer 2020, marches erupted across the United States in protest of George Floyd's death and broader issues with American policing. In Minneapolis, where Floyd was killed, protesters burned down entire city blocks in a furious ecstasy.

Despite mass arson, assaulting law enforcement, and disorderly conduct, one analysis from the UK's The Guardian found that the vast majority of charges against protesters were eventually dropped. In nearly every jurisdiction examined, over 90 percent of cases were not pursued.

In Dallas and Philadelphia, the dismissal rate climbed as high as 95 percent, while Houston and Los Angeles saw about 93 percent of citations dismissed.

San Francisco's progressive district attorney, Chesa Boudin, was particularly lenient and dismissed all 127 cases tied to "peaceful protest-related charges." Boudin proved to be too progressive even for San Francisco, as he was recalled fewer than two years later.

On the other hand, the iron fist of the state hammered protesters perceived as being right-wing who were involved in demonstrations.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) brought charges against over 1,200 individuals involved in the Jan. 6 riot at the capitol, and 467 were jailed. U.S. District Attorney Matthew Graves went so far as to recommend prosecuting individuals on the lawn outside the capitol who never actually entered the building.

After the recent Supreme Court decision on Fischer v. United States, which ruled that the DOJ overreached in charging Jan. 6 participants with obstruction of justice, up to 126 defendants may see their charges dropped.

While the Jan. 6 riot was violent and unruly, and tarnished the image of the world's most powerful government, the loss of lives and monetary damage does not compare to that of the 2020 riots. Additionally, violence and hatred from left-wing anti-Israel movements have persisted for nearly a year, unlike the single evening of unrest.

While left-wing rioters go unpunished for attacking police, defacing statues, and assaulting peaceful counter-protesters, right-wingers are subjected to the full force of the law.

Why it matters

The pattern of left-wing protesters getting off scot-free while right-wingers face severe punishment is very destabilizing for American society.

As recently seen in the UK, protests exploded into violent riots over migrant violence, after years of pent-up frustration by the British right finally boiled over. When an entire segment of society feels that they cannot speak up about worsening issues in their communities, a backlash becomes almost inevitable.

As the American media and Justice Department continue to go soft on left-leaning protest movements, conservative Americans are increasingly feeling gaslit about the fairness of the supposedly blind justice system.

💬 Paid members: Leave a comment