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January 2017

Posted by William A. Jacobson on January 02, 2017 102 Comments
I remember traveling to Texas when I was in private practice, meeting a lawyer who was investigating a possible investment fraud case who wanted me to get involved. I'm pretty sure it was in San Antonio. What I remember most about the trip was the lawyer's "truck," or as we say in more refined circles, pickup truck. It was yuge. I don't recall the specifications on it, but I'm guessing it had as many cylinders as could be had, had a full backseat with its own doors, and was yuge (but I repeat myself). Pretty sure I needed a ladder to get into the vehicle, though my memory might be a little hazy on that part. The other things I remember is that while we were driving, it began to hail. Not hail like we have in the Northeast. Hail the size of f-ing golf balls. He quickly headed for a parking area under an apartment building, and we waited it out.

Posted by Mary Chastain on January 02, 2017 14 Comments
That strict gun control in Chicago has obviously worked. America's third largest city had 762 homicides in 2016, the most in two decades and more than New York and Los Angeles combined. It also saw 3,500 shooting incidents, which is 1,100 more than it had in 2015. From WGN:
According to the Chicago Police Department, there were 762 murders in the city in 2016 and 3,550 shooting incidents with 4,331 shooting victims. A department spokesman says more than 80% of the fatal and non-fatal shooting victims were previously identified by police as being likely to be involved in an act of gun violence, either as a victim or an offender. Most of the murders occurred on the city's South and West Sides.

Posted by Mark Finkelstein on January 02, 2017 24 Comments
Whatever happened to those 'Question Authority' and 'Dissent is the Highest Form of Patriotism' bumper stickers that flourished on liberals' cars during the dark days of George W.'s administration? Now, in the waning days of a Dem presidency, a touching trust in the judgment of the president is in evidence on the left. On today's Morning Joe, Prof. Eddie Glaude Jr., chair of Princeton's African-American studies department, said he is "struck" that anyone would question President Obama's judgment that sanctions against Russia are warranted. After all, argued Glaude, the president "has sworn to protect this country."

Posted by Mike LaChance on January 02, 2017 21 Comments
Professor Alan Dershowitz is prepared to turn in his Democratic Party membership card if Minnesota Congressman Keith Ellison assumes the chairmanship of the DNC. In a recent appearance on the FOX Business Network, Dershowitz was addressing the recent anti-Israel controversy with Obama and John Kerry when he made the announcement. The Hill reported:
Dershowitz: I'll leave Democratic Party if Ellison becomes DNC chair Harvard Law professor Alan Dershowitz said Friday he'll leave the Democratic Party if Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.) is appointed the next chair of the Democratic National Committee (DNC).

Posted by William A. Jacobson on January 01, 2017 0 Comments
On January 1, 2016, we covered the breaking news of a terrorist shooting on a busy street and shopping area in Tel Aviv, Shooting attack on Tel Aviv cafes:
At least two people were killed in a terror attack on cafes in the heart of Tel Aviv. The gunman purchased goods at a store then pulled out what is described as a submachine gun and started firing, before escaping. Details on the gunman are still developing, but the latest reports indicate he was an Israeli Arab from northern Israel. Police are not clear on the motive for the attack, and whether it was what Israelis term “nationalistic” in motive.
This video fro inside a cafe showed the gunman shooting:

Posted by William A. Jacobson on January 01, 2017 50 Comments
We did this last year, Best A.F. Branco Cartoon of 2015 (Reader Poll), and the vote was a precise tie. So we had a runoff was extremely close, with just an 11 vote difference, Runoff Election: Best A.F. Branco Cartoon 2015 (Reader Poll). And the winner was a cartoon that is so timely it would be timely right now ... Assume the Position. As before, the choice to get down to just 10 favorites was tough. My initial cut was 22 from a very impressive year of cartoons.

Posted by Miriam Elman on January 01, 2017 8 Comments
Despite its name, Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) isn’t Jewish or for peace. It’s a radical group that provides cover to the anti-Israel movement, particularly on campuses, by legitimizing and mainstreaming its assault on Jewish identity. As we’ve noted in prior posts, JVP usurps various Jewish celebrations, religious holidays, and commemorative life-cycle events by incorporating within them virulently anti-Israel themes and reinforcing that this Israel-bashing is consistent with Jewish values. Last year, as we highlighted in our posts, this identity theft of Jewish heritage was particularly visible during Passover and the High Holidays. Now, JVP is hijacking Chanukah (also spelled "Hanukkah") too.

Posted by Mary Chastain on January 01, 2017 1 Comment
Authorities in Turkey have launched a manhunt for a gunman dressed as Santa Claus who stormed into a nightclub in Istanbul in the first hour of 2017 and slaughtered 39 people. Istanbul Governor Vasip Sahim said the victims included 15 foreign nationals. Officials identified five as Turkish nationals while others came from Lebanon, Morocco, Israel, Libya, and Saudi Arabia. Police officer Burak Yildiz, 22, and security guard Hatice Karcilar, 29, also lost their lives.

Posted by Mark Finkelstein on January 01, 2017 38 Comments
A former Obama White House adviser to President Obama, Karine Jean-Pierre, said this morning that "the thing about Donald Trump is that he is the known. He is, it is very reminiscent of cross-burning in front of your house. Of the KKK." Jean-Pierre made her outrageous remark in response to a question from Al Sharpton, on his MSNBC show, as to what justice will be like under President Trump. The supposed Republican on the panel, Elise Jordan, rather than refuting Jean-Pierre, essentially seconded her, saying Trump "spends more time decrying a New York Times reporter than these white supremacists who are going out and committing these horrible acts."

Posted by David Gerstman on January 01, 2017 21 Comments
Probably the one columnist I have critiqued more than any other in my blogging career is Thomas Friedman of The New York Times. Friedman, one-time NY Times Jerusalem bureau chief, is considered The Times' go-to expert on the Middle East, globalization and environmental issues. However, when reading Friedman's columns, it's easy to see that rather than being an expert on any of these topics, he holds certain beliefs and uses all of his observations to support his deeply held beliefs. He often conveys his convictions using superficial metaphors that sound clever, but are meaningless or misleading.
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