A grand jury in Texas declined to file charges against the man who last year shot and killed a suspected robber at a Houston-area taqueria before returning the stolen money to other patrons‚ authorities announced on Wednesday. Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg’s office said in a statement that grand jurors “no billed” the armed customer‚ who has not been publicly identified‚ following an investigation by the Houston Police Department into the fatal shooting of 30-year-old Eric Eugene Washington. The “no bill” decision means at least nine of 12 randomly selected residents who made up the panel determined probable cause did not exist‚ “effectively clearing the individual of criminal wrongdoing‚” according to the district attorney. “This process ensures that members of the community‚ rather than the District Attorney’s Office‚ determine the appropriate outcome in all homicides in Harris County‚” added the statement‚ which was posted to X by a writer for The Texan. The incident happened inside The Ranchito #4 at around 11:30 p.m. on January 5‚ 2023. Witnesses told officers that a masked black man wearing all black clothing‚ a black ski mask‚ and black gloves walked into the restaurant‚ waving what appeared to be a firearm at customers while demanding their money‚ according to Houston police. CAUGHT ON VIDEO: A customer at a taqueria shot and killed a robber at the restaurant on S. Gessner in southwest Houston‚ police said. Read: https://t.co/3M4zQSUx2G pic.twitter.com/XQH8r8yHus — KHOU 11 News Houston (@KHOU) January 6‚ 2023 While the alleged robber‚ later identified as Washington‚ was walking around the restaurant taking money from patrons‚ one customer sitting in a booth with another person quickly stood up as soon as Washington passed by and pulled out a gun‚ as seen in surveillance video. The armed patron shot Washington‚ who collapsed on the ground. The customer‚ who was reported to be 46 years old at the time‚ continued to fire as he walked up to Washington‚ took his gun‚ and then fired one more round toward Washington. At least nine shots could be heard in the footage. As reported by FOX 26 Houston‚ the security video showed the patron apparently realizing Washington’s firearm was fake as he threw it against the wall. Police said the man collected the stolen money‚ which he then returned to the others. He and other patrons then left the scene. Responding officers found the robbery suspect shot multiple times‚ and paramedics pronounced him dead‚ according to authorities. No one else was reported to be injured in the incident at the time. UPDATE: Surveillance photos of the male (and his vehicle) wanted for questioning in this fatal shooting of a robbery suspect last night (Jan. 5). Know the man's ID? Call HPD Homicide 713-308-3600. He is not charged at this time. More info at https://t.co/ldFdhIXy1g#hounews https://t.co/CIqpLEQmmM pic.twitter.com/FrL42qkjxu — Houston Police (@houstonpolice) January 6‚ 2023 Houston police Lt. R. Wilkins said Washington was brandishing “a plastic pistol possibly an aero soft or possibly a little BB pistol‚” KHOU 11 reported. While Pedro Lopez‚ the owner of the restaurant‚ praised the armed patron as a “hero‚” some activists argued the number of shots was excessive and called for charges. CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP Corine Goodman‚ Washington’s mother‚ told FOX 26 that she did not “condone” her son’s actions during the attempted robbery but insisted that he promised to her in a call before the incident that he was trying to be the “best person” he could be after being released from prison for prior criminal activity. Goodman also said she did not “hate” the armed patron‚ though she wanted to know why he fired the gun so many times. In the week that followed the shooting‚ Houston police said the armed customer was questioned by homicide detectives in the presence of his attorney. “After consulting with members of the Harris County District Attorney’s Office‚ it was determined the shooting will be referred to a grand jury‚” the Houston Police Department said in a statement. “Since the male is not arrested or charged‚ his identity is not being released at this time.” The armed customer’s attorney released a statement to ABC 13 Eyewitness News last January saying they were confident the grand jury would conclude the shooting was justified under Texas law. “In fear of his life and his friend’s life my client acted to protect everyone in the restaurant‚” the statement said. “In Texas‚ a shooting is justified in self-defense‚ defense of others and in defense of property. The customer has met with the Harris County District Attorney’s Office and Investigators with HPD homicide. He fully intends to continue cooperating with the ongoing investigation.”

Shia LaBeouf received the Sacrament of Confirmation‚ completing his conversion to Catholicism‚ on Sunday‚ and the actor’s confirmation sponsor suggested LaBeouf may become a deacon “in the future.” The 37-year-old actor was confirmed into the Catholic Church by Bishop Robert Barron on Dec. 31 at Old Mission Santa Inés Parish in Solvang‚ California‚ the Catholic News Agency reported. “We are thrilled to share that our dear friend Shia LaBeouf has fully entered the Church this past weekend through the sacrament of confirmation!” a post on the Capuchin Franciscans – Western American Province Facebook read. Hollywood star Shia LaBeouf was received into the Catholic Church with the sacrament of confirmation by Winona-Rochester Bishop Robert Barron on Sunday evening. https://t.co/LTuD2sTZBC — Catholic News Agency (@cnalive) January 3‚ 2024 “The Capuchin Franciscan friars are overjoyed to welcome him into the fold and witness his deep commitment to his faith journey‚” it added. “Shia LaBeouf‚ known for his incredible talent and passion in the entertainment industry‚ has embarked on a profound spiritual journey that has led him to embrace the teachings of the Catholic Church.” “His decision to fully enter the Church is a testament to his sincere desire to grow in his relationship with God and live out the Gospel values‚” the statement continued‚ asking for prayers for the actor “as he continues to deepen his faith and seek God’s guidance in his life.” The post concluded with a message about LaBeouf’s journey possibly inspiring “others to explore their own spiritual paths and find solace in the loving embrace of the Church.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP LaBeouf’s sponsor‚ Capuchin friar Brother Alexander Rodriguez‚ told the outlet that the actor has expressed an interest in becoming a deacon “sometime in the future.” In 2022‚ LaBeouf appeared on “Bishop Barron Presents: Conversations at the Crossroads” and talked about studying for his role as St. Padre Pio in the film “Padre Pio.” The actor told Barron that the role led him to convert‚ admitting that he always had a belief‚ but no connection. LaBeouf said he was “never an atheist‚” but instead agnostic and credited “Pio” with saving his “life” at a time he described as “nuclear” because roles had dried up. In 2021‚ LaBeouf was facing a variety of allegations‚ including abuse. Related: Shia LaBeouf Discusses Role That Led To His Conversion To Catholicism‚ ‘Saved My Life’

New York City Democratic Mayor Eric Adams admitted this week that some of the illegal migrants who have shown up in the city recently are engaging in a “robbery pattern.” Adams made the comments during a press conference on Tuesday. “Do I believe that there are some migrants who are committing crimes in the city? Yes. Yes‚” Adams responded to a reporter who asked him about the issue. He quickly added that migrants are not the only ones responsible for the city’s criminal activity‚ such as the increase in grand larceny auto. “There are people who are committing crimes in all walks of life. It’s not just migrants and asylum seekers. I think that we have a number of migrants who have committed crimes. We have a number of non-migrants who are committing crimes‚” Adams said. “And so I do not want to walk away with anyone saying that the GLA [grand larceny auto] increase we saw in the city was just migrants. No‚ it’s not. It was long-term New Yorkers who committed GLAs also‚” the mayor continued. “But are there some crimes that migrants have committed? Yes‚ there are.” The reporter pressed Adams on what data he was using to make the claim that migrants had committed crimes. “There was a robbery pattern‚ for instance‚” Adams responded. “We identified that this was a robbery pattern‚ and there were some migrants that participated in that robbery pattern.” About 161‚000 migrants‚ mostly from Venezuela‚ have flooded into New York City since the spring of 2022‚ and about half of them are still in the city’s care. The crisis has forced the city to open new shelters and slash the budget of every city agency‚ even including police‚ public schools‚ and sanitation. Adams predicted that the influx of migrants would cost the city as much as $12 billion. CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP Adams and New York Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul have both urged the Biden administration to grant federal aid to alleviate the strain on the city‚ even making trips to Washington‚ D.C. to ask for help. In September‚ Biden expanded work authorizations for migrants‚ which Hochul called “the way out of the migrant crisis‚” but the approval process is still extremely slow as they struggle to navigate the bureaucracy. “You place a person in an environment where they can’t work‚ they can’t provide for themselves. That’s not a good scenario‚” Adams said Tuesday. Texas and other southern states have bused hundreds of illegal migrants up to New York and other Democrat-run sanctuary cities to relieve some of the border towns that have been overrun.

Normally‚ the confirmation process to anoint a new Secretary of Labor isn’t especially interesting. We certainly don’t learn anything new or scandalous most of the time. But in 2017‚ the confirmation process of Alexander Acosta was a very notable exception. At the time‚ the Trump administration was vetting Acosta‚ and they asked him whether anything in his past might pose a problem during his confirmation hearings. That’s when Acosta told Trump officials about his handling of the Jeffrey Epstein criminal case‚ back when he was the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida in 2007. Acosta recounted that he had agreed to give Jeffrey Epstein the mother of all sweetheart deals. He granted immunity not only to Epstein‚ but also to any potential co-conspirators‚ known or unknown. Acosta also hid the existence of this non-prosecution agreement from Epstein’s victims‚ in violation of the law. As a result of the deal‚ the federal investigation into Epstein was shut down. Epstein ultimately pleaded guilty to a state charge of procuring a girl for prostitution under the age of 18. He was out of prison in a few months. All of that was known to the Trump team when they interviewed Acosta. These are the kind of facts that could have killed his nomination to be Secretary of Labor. But Acosta offered an explanation for his handling of the Epstein case. He told investigators for the Trump administration that he had been directed by U.S. intelligence agencies to let Epstein off the hook. He was told that Epstein‚ “belonged to intelligence‚” that the matter was‚ “above his pay grade‚” and that he needed to‚ “leave it alone.” When this news broke a couple years later‚ following Epstein’s arrest‚ Acosta was asked about it. He refused to say it was false and he gave maybe the most equivocal answer he possibly could have given. This will go down in history as maybe one of the worst attempts to evade an answer that has ever occurred in a press briefing in Washington. Watch: That’s an admission‚ obviously. There’s no other way to interpret what Acosta was doing there. He’s not a particularly good liar. That non-denial is confirmation that yes‚ Jeffrey Epstein was an intelligence asset. He was being used by the intelligence agencies‚ and therefore he couldn’t go to prison for amassing an army of child sex slaves. And that’s not all the help Epstein and his associates received. On July 6 and 7 of 2019‚ shortly after Epstein was arrested on new sex assault charges‚ FBI agents photographed a variety of evidence in Epstein’s New York townhouse. They discovered binders with CDs and photographs lining the shelves. Inside a safe‚ which they opened with a saw‚ the agents found lewd photographs of children. They also discovered even more CDs that had handwritten labels on them‚ with the names of two individuals on some of the labels. It’s not hard to conclude that this was probably blackmail material. According to the official story‚ agents simply photographed all of these items‚ but they didn’t take them‚ because they didn’t have a search warrant. Incredibly‚ the agents left the property to get a warrant‚ which somehow took four days to acquire. This by itself is ridiculous‚ since in a high-profile case like this‚ judges could obviously have approved a warrant almost immediately‚ while agents remained on-site. But in this case‚ the agents left the property‚ and they didn’t come back until four days later. And by that point‚ the materials they had photographed were all missing.  Supposedly one of Epstein’s lawyers later brought the property to the FBI‚ but of course there’s no way of knowing if the CDs are the same ones that were removed from the safe. There’s no way of knowing how much evidence was tampered with. WATCH: The Matt Walsh Show Given this history‚ there was really no conceivable way we’re ever going to learn the truth about exactly what Jeffrey Epstein did‚ and who his associates were. But in 2017‚ the independent journalist Mike Cernovich did his best to get some answers anyway. He tried to force the government’s hand. He filed an intervening motion in an existing defamation case concerning Epstein. This motion‚ which went all the way up to federal appellate court in New York‚ demanded that the government release information it possessed about Epstein. And the courts ultimately agreed. But just days before documents were set to come out‚ coincidentally enough‚ Epstein — and Epstein alone — was booked on the new sex assault charges by the federal government. That arrest delayed the release of the documents‚ pending the prosecution. Of course that prosecution never came because Epstein  “committed suicide.” The materials in his safe began to disappear. And outside of Ghislane Maxwell‚ Epstein’s associates evaded scrutiny. The legal documents containing the names of many Epstein associates‚ as well as transcripts of key witness depositions‚ remained redacted. Last night‚ after many years of delays‚ we finally got a partially unredacted look at some of the documents that Cernovich has been seeking for the better part of a decade. More documents are expected to be un-redacted in the coming days. This is just the first batch. But most of the materials we’re now allowed to see‚ as you’ve probably guessed‚ are not particularly shocking. We all knew‚ for example‚ that Bill Clinton had flown on Epstein’s private jet‚ and had been photographed with some of Epstein’s victims. What’s new is unredacted testimony from Johanna Sjoberg‚ one of Epstein’s victims. She was asked‚ “Did Jeffrey ever talk to you about Bill Clinton?” In response‚ Sjoberg testified that‚ “He said one time that Clinton likes them young‚ referring to girls.” It’s not clear whether that testimony refers to underage girls‚ nor is it particularly new information. Neither is the fact that‚ according to one witness‚ Michael Jackson once visited Epstein at his home in Palm Beach. To be sure‚ there are more alarming accusations in these documents‚ although for the most part‚ they aren’t new. There’s the testimony from Epstein victim Virginia Giuffre that she was directed by Ghislaine Maxwell to have sex with Prince Andrew‚ for example‚ as well as hedge fund manager Glenn Dubin. There are also renewed claims in these documents that Harvard Law professor Alan Dershowitz had sex with one of Epstein’s underage victims. Again‚ we’ve heard this before. Going down the list‚ the billionaire executive chairman of Hyatt Hotels‚ Thomas Pritzker‚ is also alleged in these documents to have had sex with one of Epstein’s victims. Pritzker‚ incidentally‚ is related to Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker‚ as well as the Harvard board member Penny Pritzker‚ who played a key role in promoting Claudine Gay to the Harvard presidency. Just in case you thought this week somehow couldn’t get any worse for Harvard. There are some mildly interesting tidbits‚ all the same. For example‚ the magician David Copperfield’s name appears in these documents‚ and according to Epstein accuser Johanna Sjoberg‚ Copperfield appeared to be aware that Epstein was recruiting underage girls. But there’s no evidence Copperfield himself engaged in any illegal activity. There’s also the news that Epstein wrote an email explicitly denying that Stephen Hawking had ever participated in an orgy at his island‚ which is a strange email to write. Regardless‚ this isn’t exactly groundbreaking stuff‚ nor does it provide much clarity. And there are still many more questions than answers. If you go through the nearly-600-pages of documents that were released last night‚ you’ll still find a lot of very conspicuous redactions. On page 497‚ for example‚ you’ll find this question that was posed to Virginia Giuffre: “Ghislaine Maxwell told you to go give a massage to [Redacted]‚ correct?” The name of the person is hidden. By the same token‚ on page 502‚ you’ll find this question to Giuffre: “Other than Glenn Dubin‚ [Redacted]‚ Prince Andrew‚ Jean Luc Brunel‚ Bill Richardson‚ another prince‚ the large hotel chain owner and [the late MIT professor] Marvin Minsky‚ is there anyone else Ghislaine Maxwell directed you to go have sex with?”  Once again‚ there’s a name missing from the list in that question‚ and for some reason we’re still not allowed to know who that is. There could be good reasons for concealing the name. Maybe it’s an underage victim of Epstein’s. On the other hand‚ maybe it’s someone with a lot of power who’s still under the control of the intelligence agencies. We really have no idea. Whatever the case‚ there are a lot more redactions like this. You can download the documents and see for yourself. What this means is that‚ several years after Epstein’s death‚ we’re still left to fill in the blanks of court documents that were supposed to be made public before Epstein died. We’re not entitled to know anything more than we already knew and we’re definitely not allowed to know what exactly was on those blackmail CDs that disappeared from Epstein’s safe. CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILY WIRE APP Most of what appears in the documents released yesterday leaves plenty of plausible deniability for those named. None of it amounts to actual proof of wrongdoing. It all raises more questions than it answers. But there is very good reason to believe that there exists out there somewhere — or did exist‚ at one point — actual physical direct proof that a bunch of powerful people raped children on Epstein’s island‚ or on one of his other properties. But that proof is not being released‚ and nobody has ever been arrested. It’s a funny thing‚ isn’t it? Epstein was an international pimp and pedophile‚ but apparently he had no clients. That’s what we’re supposed to believe anyway. But we can’t believe that‚ because it’s nonsense. Which means that the truth — the real truth‚ the full truth — is still being kept secret from us. Those are secrets‚ as Alexander Acosta said‚ that are above our pay grade. And they will remain above our pay grade — at least‚ until the people Epstein was blackmailing step out of line. Then we might see the names on those CDs. Then we might learn the identity of all the people named in those binders in his New York townhouse. Otherwise‚ the feds will continue to stonewall Cernovich and everyone else who’s been seeking the truth. That’s because‚ more than four years after Jeffrey Epstein’s death‚ he still belongs to intelligence. The CIA has a term called “limited hangout.” This is a tactic where some small portion of the truth is made public while the most important details — the stuff that really matters — is kept hidden. Intelligence agencies do this in hopes that the stuff they release will satisfy everyone’s curiosity and they’ll stop asking questions. These Epstein files appear to be exactly that. This is a limited hangout. A diversion meant to satisfy you without actually telling you what you need to know. They want you to stop asking questions. Don’t fall for it.

CBS anchor Tony Dokoupil appeared to grow impatient with Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas’ attempts to spin the record-breaking crisis that is still unfolding at the U.S.-Mexico border. Dokoupil said that both major parties had a history of “playing games” when it came to the topic of illegal immigration — but then he called Mayorkas out directly‚ noting that Republicans had “very specific ideas” regarding how to stem the tide and pointing to the Biden administration’s outright refusal to discuss them. WATCH: CBS's Tony Dokoupil calls out Biden DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas over the record-breaking border crisis: "Republicans want a STOP to the flow — with very specific ideas! You're not even talking about those ideas this morning!" pic.twitter.com/1J9gKaP6kq — RNC Research (@RNCResearch) January 4‚ 2024 Dokoupil began by pointing to the overwhelming number of illegal immigrants crossing the border on a daily basis‚ saying that the “flow” was creating issues for Democratic leaders in cities along the border. “Democratic leaders — mayors‚ governors — they’re struggling‚” he said. “Abbott‚ Governor Abbott in Texas‚ is busing people to different states‚” Dokoupil continued‚ adding that once those illegal immigrants arrived‚ they had no way to support themselves and put pressure on local officials working with already strained resources. He turned to Mayorkas with just one question: “What is the White House going to do to come to the aid of your fellow Democrats who say‚ ‘We need help’?” Mayorkas briefly addressed the question‚ saying that Congress had approved some funding for local authorities to address the issue. He then turned back to the subject of Texas Governor Abbott. He asked Dokoupil whether it was “responsible governance” or whether a real patriot would bus illegal immigrants to other states without first coming to an understanding with the local authorities. “Is that the type of patriotism and governance that we expect of our officials?” he asked. CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP “I think that both parties are playing games and have been for decades on this issue‚” Dokoupil replied. “But you’re not talking about the fundamental point of contradiction‚ Republicans want a stop to the flow — with very specific ideas! You’re not even talking about those ideas this morning! And so‚ both sides are playing politics‚ as they have been for a very long time.” “I would respectfully disagree with you‚” Mayorkas replied‚ and Dokoupil raised an eyebrow.

President Joe Biden’s latest campaign ad may have stopped short of using the word “deplorable” to describe those who support former President Donald Trump‚ but the message was loud and clear. In the ad‚ Biden was surrounded by American flags and the famous monuments of the nation’s Capitol — and while Trump was not mentioned by name‚ images from January 6‚ 2021‚ dominated the screen as viewers were warned of those who would see American democracy come to an end. WATCH: All of us are being asked right now: What will we do to maintain our democracy? pic.twitter.com/tjGDgQG0eU — Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) January 4‚ 2024 Against a backdrop of several American flags — and following a panoramic view of Washington‚ D.C. — Biden said‚ “I’ve made the preservation of American democracy the central issue of my presidency. I believe in free and fair elections and the right to vote fairly and have your vote counted.” The imagery changed abruptly then‚ pivoting to photos from January 6 and demonstrations tied to Trump supporters. “There’s something dangerous happening in America‚” Biden said over these images‚ riddled with Trump flags alongside the American flags. “There’s an extremist movement who does not share the basic beliefs in our democracy.” “All of us are being asked right now‚ what will we do to maintain our democracy?” he continued. “The world is watching. Most important‚ our children and grandchildren hold us responsible.” “Remove our opponent from the ballot? Arrest our opponents??” @ThePeoplesCube replied to Biden’s query. Remove our opponent from the ballot?Arrest our opponents?? — The People's Cube (@ThePeoplesCube) January 4‚ 2024 “Nothing unites the country more than calling over 74 million Americans ‘extremists.'” @ALX posted. “And ‘What will we do to maintain our democracy?’ coming from the party trying to remove a candidate from the ballot? What a joke.” Nothing unites the country more than calling over 74 million Americans “extremists” And “What will we do to maintain our democracy?” coming from the party trying to remove a candidate from the ballot? What a joke. — ALX 🇺🇸 (@alx) January 4‚ 2024 “You could: Use the DOJ to target your opponent; the Democrats in NY could change laws the day Trump’s presidency ends so he can be sued; Have democrat AGs around the country target your biggest opponent; Coordinate with tech platforms to silence anyone who speaks against you; Arrest people who protested your election to scare anyone else from questioning it; Use racial politics to divide a country that’s already on the threshold of civil war‚” @travis_in_flint suggested. “That should protect your version of ‘democracy‚’ Right?” You could: – Use the DOJ to target your opponent – the Democrats in NY could change laws the day Trump’s presidency ends so he can be sued. – Have democrat AGs around the country target your biggest opponent. – Coordinate with tech platforms to silence anyone who speaks… — 🇺🇸Travis🇺🇸 (@Travis_in_Flint) January 4‚ 2024

A group of more than 100 looters crashed a car into a bakery near Los Angeles and trashed the store after an illegal street takeover in the dead of night on Tuesday. The street takeover began around 3 a.m.‚ and the group ended up at Ruben’s Bakery &; Mexican Food about a mile away in Compton. Someone backed a white Kia through the front doors of the bakery‚ ramming it into the store twice as a large group looters crowded around nearby‚ security footage shows. A chaotic street takeover in Compton #California led to an outrageous break in that cost a local bakery at least $20‚000 And California just made it a felony to conceal carry and protect yourselfpic.twitter.com/bHadAJskDu — Ronald Kelly (@RonK3l) January 4‚ 2024 A bakery gets looted after a street takeover in Compton this morning. pic.twitter.com/PN9vnU3Z1R — Los Angeles Scanner (@LosAngeles_Scan) January 2‚ 2024 Once inside‚ the looters‚ wearing masks or pulling their hoods over their faces‚ can be seen grabbing as much as they can from the store‚ jumping on counters and pushing past each other before fleeing. Some go straight for the cash register. At one point‚ a woman appeared to try to stop the crowd from looting the store to no avail. Photos from the aftermath show the store ransacked with open food containers lying on the ground. A metal grated window appears to have been destroyed by the car‚ and shattered glass lies on the ground as well. The damage amounted to hundreds of thousands of dollars. CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP Among the items stolen were meat scales‚ meat‚ groceries‚ and lotto tickets‚ according to Captain Melissa Ramirez of the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department. Just before the looting incident‚ police had been called twice about a car on fire and the street takeover outside the bakery. No arrests appear to have been made related to the looting so far. Street takeovers have been an ongoing problem in the Los Angeles area. On Tuesday night‚ Compton’s mayor‚ Emma Sharif‚ a Democrat‚ urged the city council to approve an ordinance that would result in more citations for street takeovers. “Ensuring the safety of businesses and residents in our city is our top priority‚” Sharif said at the council meeting. “We need to vote on this so that we can actually start implementing the changes that’s been made in the policy.” Compton residents spoke at the city council meeting as well‚ expressing their frustration with how often street takeovers occur‚ which often involve fires. “So sick and tired of hearing this crap every single day‚” one woman said. In some cases‚ street takeovers can be deadly. In December 2022‚ a 27-year-old man was on a walk with his high school sweetheart when he was killed by a driver fleeing a street takeover nearby‚ police said. Retail theft has also been a problem plaguing the Los Angeles area‚ especially organized mobs of thieves who descend on stores.

The 2024 election is coming. And right now‚ it’s Advantage: Trump. Trump is leading by 2.2% in the RealClearPolitics polling average. That doesn’t sound like a lot until you realize that Trump trailed Joe Biden in the same average on election day 2020 by 7.2% — and only lost by 4.5%. Or that Hillary Clinton was leading in the same average by 3.2% on election day 2016 — and only won the popular vote by 2.1%. In other words‚ Trump almost always outdraws his polling number. What’s more‚ Biden is stuck. Yesterday‚ political scientist Ruy Teixeira‚ who is no Right-winger‚ wrote an article in the Washington Post‚ saying‚ “In his 2020 campaign for the nomination‚ the longtime former senator had a better sense than other Democratic candidates of the normalcy that voters were looking for after more than six months of a pandemic‚ accompanied by lockdowns and an economic crash. … But there was a catch. After he clinched the nomination‚ he felt it was necessary to incorporate the views of the party’s left into his campaign’s policy stances and outlook. … Now‚ with the next campaign about to begin‚ Biden and his party are struggling.” In other words‚ Biden lied to voters: He campaigned as a moderate in the primaries‚ capitalized on that image in the general while pushing steadily to the Left‚ and then governed from the Left. Now‚ says Teixeira‚ “Biden is polling behind Trump nationally and in every swing state‚ with the possible exception of Wisconsin. Trump is preferred to Biden by wide margins on voters’ most important issue‚ the economy and inflation‚ as well as their second most important issue‚ immigration and border security‚ and on crime and public safety. Biden’s approval rating at this point in his presidency is the lowest of any president going back to the 1940s‚ when the era of modern polling began.” WATCH: The Ben Shapiro Show So‚ what can Biden do to turn that around? Biden thinks that Trump-bashing will save him. That’s presumably why he’s going to go on a Trump-bashing tour beginning this week‚ labeling Trump a racist and a fascist. The Associated Press has outlined this plan: President Joe Biden is starting the campaign year by evoking the Revolutionary War to mark the third anniversary of the deadly insurrection at the U.S. Capitol and visiting the South Carolina church where a white gunman massacred Black parishioners — seeking to present in the starkest possible terms an election he argues could determine the fate of American democracy.  On Friday‚ Biden will travel to near Valley Forge‚ Pennsylvania‚ where George Washington and the Continental Army spent a bleak winter nearly 250 years ago. There‚ he’ll decry former President Donald Trump for the riot by a mob of his supporters who overran the Capitol in an attempt to overturn the 2020 presidential election. Two days later‚ the president will visit Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston‚ where nine people were shot and killed in a June 2015 white supremacist attack.  Biden’s kicking off 2024 by delving into some of the country’s darkest moments rather than an upbeat affirmation of his record is meant to clarify for voters what his team sees as the stakes of November’s election. During both events‚ he will characterize his predecessor as a serious threat to the nation’s founding principles‚ arguing that Trump — who has built a commanding early lead in the Republican presidential primary — will seek to undermine U.S. democracy should he win a second term. This isn’t likely to work. At all. It’s unlikely to work — because everyone knows Trump. Everyone also knows that Trump’s 2020 post-election activities didn’t change the outcome of the election — Biden‚ after all‚ is president. What’s more‚ the pitch that Trump is more racist than Biden doesn’t work. Biden is the DEI president. The pitch that Trump is a fascist won’t work either because as even George Will‚ a Trump opponent of high pitch‚ points out‚ “Joe Biden is‚ like Trump‚ an authoritarian recidivist mostly stymied by courts.” That’s from a Trump opponent. As Will says‚ “Instances of Trump’s anti-constitutional behavior have been amply reported and deplored. Biden’s‚ less so — although they (e.g.‚ the eviction moratorium‚ the vaccine mandate‚ the cancellation of student debt)‚ and judicial reprimands of them‚ have been frequent. Now‚ consider the lack of attention to his contempt for the Federal Vacancies Reform Act‚ and the Senate majority’s supine complicity.” Most of all‚ Biden’s hope that hatred for Trump will somehow save him is predicated on the idea that heavy turnout against Trump is a foregone conclusion. But … what if it’s not? What if the actual norm is that Trump doesn’t drive turnout in the way Biden hopes? In 2016‚ after all‚ turnout was within historical norms: When it comes to turnout as percentage of eligible voters‚ here are the numbers by election:  2000: 54.3% 2004: 60.1% 2008: 62.5% 2012: 58.0% 2016: 59.2% 2020: 66.9% That last number is a massive outlier. 2020 saw a voter increase of 23 million‚ to 160 million total voters — as opposed to 137 million in 2016 and 129 million in 2012. Do we really think that number will replicate? If it doesn’t‚ who will those marginal voters come from — Biden or Trump? This means Biden is going to have to actually succeed in order to win. The only thing that might save him would be … you know‚ good things happening in America. But his own policies prevent just that. CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILY WIRE APP

“Harry Potter” book profits continued to soar in 2023 despite numerous attempts to cancel the famed author of the book series J.K. Rowling for her support of biological women over trans-indentifying males. In 2023‚ Pottermore publishing — a global digital audiobook and eBook publisher of “Harry Potter” books and affiliated Wizarding World titles — experienced a surge in sales‚ going from approximately $7 million U.S. dollars to more than $11.9 million over the last fiscal year‚ GB News reported. Pottermore witnesses surge in profits with pre-tax gains reaching £9.4 million 👉https://t.co/hyrrV5DtXA pic.twitter.com/eBHk2dVexA — The Rowling Library (@rowlinglibrary) January 2‚ 2024 Pottermore’s Managing Director released a statement about the increase in revenue and said‚ “We continue to look for ways to grow partnerships‚ build our language catalog and reach new audiences with creative and promotional initiatives such as the annual Starting Harry Potter campaign for new readers.” Rowling — who has faced numerous attacks from leftist activists for her support of biological women — is very outspoken on social media and doesn’t back down when threatened by trans activists. She went viral recently after she posted a message on X to those pushing people to use the word “cis‚” a term used to describe people whose identity and gender correspond with their biological sex‚ after X boss Elon Musk labeled it “a slur.” “‘Cis’ is ideological language‚ signifying belief in the unfalsifiable concept of gender identity‚” Rowling wrote at the time. CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP “You have a perfect right to believe in unprovable essences that may or may not match the sexed body‚ but the rest of us have a right to disagree‚ and to refuse to adopt your jargon‚” she added. Her post went viral with more than 20 million views and counting at the time of this publication. In another post‚ she torched a trans activist who told her‚ “You as a cis woman have every right to disagree with me‚ cis man‚ and other cis women‚ along with trans men and trans women.” “Just type ‘repent‚ heretic‚'” Rowling wrote. “Fewer characters and it’ll have exactly the same effect on me.” The famous author previously spoke out against the former Scottish female First Minister‚ Nicola Sturgeon‚ who in 2022 supported that government’s Gender Recognition Reform Bill. Related: J.K. Rowling Slams Critic Claiming Trans Aren’t ‘A Threat’ When They Use Women’s Restroom