Oligarchs speaking out against the war signal that Putin is losing his grip on Russia's elite, says the head of the Justice Department's KleptoCapture group

 Oligarch Outcries Against War Show Putin Is Losing Loyalty: DOJ (businessinsider.com)  "Several Russian oligarchs have publicly broadcasted their opposition to the Ukraine war — a sign that Putin is losing his grip on the country's elite, the head of the Justice Department's KleptoCapture group told CNN in an interview published Friday.

"While discussing the impact of sanctioning Russian oligarchs, KleptoCapture lead Andrew Adams pointed to statements made "by people who previously were actively supportive of the Kremlin or criminally silent about its actions, who have now come forward to complain about the latest effort to inflict damage in Ukraine."

" 'That is the signal that I would look for in terms of the solidity and stability of Putin's grip on these people," he added.

"Sanctioned billionaires Mikhail Fridman and Oleg Deripaska were some of the first Russian businessmen to share their disapproval of the invasion, a rare showing of public disagreement with the Kremlin.". . . 

LA District Attorney George Gascon Declines To Prosecute Chappelle Attacker

 As recall hits 400,000 signatures, Gascon won’t prosecute alleged Chappelle attacker. | KABC-AM   "Alleged"

"LA District Attorney Declines To Prosecute Chappelle Attacker

"(Los Angeles, CA) — The Los Angeles County District Attorney is declining to prosecute the man who allegedly attacked comedian Dave Chappelle. D-A George Gascon will not file any criminal charges. He’s instead sending the case to the L-A City Attorney for possible misdemeanor charges.

"This action–or inaction–comes as the recalldageorgegascon.com committee hit 400,000 signatures. The group sent this press release:". . .

. . ."The suspect is behind bars after tackling the comedian on Tuesday night. The man was reportedly armed with a knife. Twenty-three-year-old Isaiah Lee was booked for suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon. The D-A’s office says that while criminal conduct occurred, they believe it “did not constitute felony conduct.” It comes at a time when Gascon is facing a recall effort for not prosecuting many high-profile cases. The recall website is GG Home - Recall DA George Gascon " (Emphases added by TD)

In 2019 Gascon was the man for liberal hopes; California DA race a major test for criminal justice reform movement - POLITICO   

. . ."Gascón’s work in San Francisco earned him the admiration of like-minded reformers and the enmity of the city’s police union. The president of San Francisco Police Officers Association responded to Gascón’s LA campaign with a statement that cops were “praying for the residents of Los Angeles hoping that George Gascón does not do to their city what he did to San Francisco during his tenure.”

"That type of opposition historically would have been politically fatal for anyone running for DA, whose close work with law enforcement has tended to translate to political alignment. But other progressive prosecutors who have also antagonized cops argue that the political terrain is shifting, and that support from rank-and-file law enforcement is no longer a necessity.". . .

James Woods in awe as Rand Paul devours Mayorkas on disinformation: ‘Like watching a lion feast on a gazelle’

 James Woods in awe as Rand Paul devours Mayorkas on disinformation: 'Like watching a lion feast on a gazelle' (bizpacreview.com)

. . ."Woods’ tweet follows Paul grilling Mayorkas during a Senate Homeland Security hearing on Wednesday over claims that he made about Russia and the pandemic.

“Do you think the Steele dossier included Russian disinformation?” Paul asked him.". . .

. . .“I mean, think of all the debates and disputes we’ve had over the last 50 years in our country,” Paul stated. “We worked them out by debating them. We don’t work them out by the government being the arbiter. I don’t want guardrails. I want you to have nothing to do with speech. You think we can’t determine, you know, speech by traffickers is disinformation. Do you think the American people are so stupid they need you to tell them what the truth is? You can’t even admit what the truth is with the Steele dossier. I don’t trust government to figure out what the truth is. Government is largely disseminating disinformation.' ” 

Much more of this discussion here

PolitiFact finds DeSantis was right, drops fact-check

 Don Surber: PolitiFact finds DeSantis was right, drops fact-check  

"PolitiFact is a Marxist propaganda machine that lives off tax-free donations as if it were the Little Sisters of the Poor or some other worthy charity.

"My problem with PolitFact is that its propaganda is so blatant -- so obvious -- so phony. They rub their lies in our faces.

"And yes it lied in 2008 to get Obama elected president. For that it received a Pulitzer. Among other things, PolitiFact vouched for Obama's Big Lie that you could keep your doctor. PolitiFact said that was 100% true.

"Only after Obama was elected, Obamacare signed into law, and Obama re-elected did PolitiFact admit he lied.

"It falsely called it the Lie of the Year in 2013. Wrong year. Obama told that lie repeatedly in 2008, not 2013.

"For 6 years now, PolitiFact has distorted, mangled and twisted Trump's words. This year, PolitiFact has focused like a laser on DeSantis.". . .

This gives rise to some parody from Babylon Bee:

Snopes Publishes Fact-Check On Whether Snopes Plagiarized But Oh No! The Whole Article Seems To Have Been Stolen From PolitiFact | The Babylon Bee  

"Snopes has finally fact-checked the accusation that Snopes co-founder David Mikkelson plagiarized over 50 articles, finding the claim a "mixture" and saying that it is "lacking important context."

"But oops! It looks like the Snopes fact-check on whether Snopes fact-checks are stolen was stolen entirely from PolitiFact! Oh no! It appears the article was copied word for word from competing fact-checker PolitiFact, causing more problems for Snopes.. . ."

An Open Letter to the Supreme Court Leaker

 An Open Letter to the Supreme Court Leaker (townhall.com)

. . ."I have every expectation that you will be found.  The community of clerks and others privileged to see such documents is a small circle.  Once we know your identity, I would love to relish the sight of a proper consequence for such a towering breach of ethics.

"But I know better.  Sure, there will be a moment of public scorn, and a corner of shame carved out in our history for the first such abrogation of trust within the realm of our highest court.  But you will soon bask in the healing glow of adulation from those who will have considered your treachery to be the height of heroism.

"This is the hallmark of today’s left.  When you people think you are right, rules don’t matter.  If you were driven by the goal of wrenching justices away from their constitutional duty, there will be an appreciative, even worshipful crowd of the like-minded to run interference for you.". . .

Except the fight was not good.  The leak was not good. You have stained the history of the Supreme Court with this subversive escapade.  But the bottom line contains good news for America.  Long after you fade into distant memory, the Constitution will still stand repaired.  You may be driving Bentleys bought with the dirty money of your fans, but those of us who value the rule of law will enjoy a reward of even greater value—the moral, legal and political victories of a half-century battle won at last.

 Leftist Poses 'Thought Experiment' on Twitter About Murdering Conservative Justices (townhall.com)

WH Resists Condemning Protesters Descending on Supreme Court Homes (breitbart.com)

. . ."Psaki expressed concern that people were more concerned about the nature of the protests rather than the threat the Supreme Court posed to Roe v. Wade.

“ 'I think we shouldn’t lose the point here,” she said.

"Psaki also said the president understood why people are upset by the arguments against the Constitutional right to abortion in the leaked draft of the document.

“ 'I think the president’s view is that there is a lot of passion, a lot of fear, a lot of sadness from many, many people across this country from what they saw in this leaked document,” she said.

"Psaki also refused to condemn the leak of the document from the Supreme Court.

“ 'This is not about the leak,” she said. “This is about women’s health care.' ”. . .

Ruth Bader Ginsburg saw this coming: There's a fatal flaw in Roe v. Wade

 Ruth Bader Ginsburg saw this coming: There's a fatal flaw in Roe v. Wade | Salon.com 

The original Roe decision never even mentions women's equality. As Ginsburg saw, that was a critical mistake

"After affirming and reaffirming the right to have an abortion over nearly a half-century — not just in Roe v. Wade,  but also Akron v. Akron Center for Reproductive Health, Thornburgh v. American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists and Planned Parenthood v. Casey — the Supreme Court should have found Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, the Mississippi case now before it, an easy call. After all, the right to abortion is considered settled law, as Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh said in their confirmation hearings. According to those precedents, the Due Process Clause of the 14th Amendment provides a right to privacy that protects the right to choose whether to have an abortion prior to viability, and the government cannot pose an undue burden on that right. 

"But a crucial argument was missing from Roe in the first place which may ultimately have doomed it, given the leaked majority opinion written by Justice Samuel Alito signaling that the court is about to overturn that landmark ruling. What advocates should have done, and must do going forward, is to incorporate sex equality arguments into their analysis of abortion rights. Although people identifying with different genders can have abortions, the right to an abortion undoubtedly involves women's position in society in relation to men. ". . .

Get ready for another 'summer of love'

Get ready for another 'summer of love' - American Thinker    "In 2020, we watched as rioters destroyed buildings and lives throughout our cities in the wake of George Floyd's death.  Get ready for another summer of riots and destruction.  The White House has legitimized such behavior by calling MAGA Republicans the most extreme in our history.

"The leaked working opinion authored by Justice Alito concerning overturning Roe v. Wade has provided the necessary unifying principle for the radical left.  Sen. Warren (D-Mass.) helped light the fuse outside the Supreme Court Building by inciting the crowd when she told them, "We won't go back."  In the past, Sen. Schumer (D-N.Y.) threatened justices on the steps of the Court in 2020: "I want to tell you, Gorsuch.  I want to tell you, Kavanaugh.  You have released the whirlwind, and you will pay the price.  You won't know what hit you if you go forward with these awful decisions."

"Already liberal groups are organizing protests to SCOTUS rulings.  Now the addresses of the Republican-appointed justices have been published for a walk-by next week.  This type of intimidation may be illegal in Virginia and could be viewed as interference in a legal procedure.  Certainly, among the pro-abortion crowd are radical persons who would advocate violence to stop such a ruling against Roe.  Afterall, intimidation is one of Saul Alinsky's Rules for Radicals.". . .

After Horrific SCOTUS Leak, Justices Must Plow Ahead and Overturn Roe - The American Spectator | USA News and Politics   "To defect now would be to give the leaker and his or her street brawler allies a massive win."  (Behind a pay wall)

Different article, same title: After Horrific SCOTUS Leak, Justices Must Plow Ahead and Overturn Roe | Opinion (newsweek.com)

While we cannot be certain, it is highly likely that the leak originated in the chambers of one of the Court's three lockstep-marching progressives: the retiring Justice Stephen Breyer, Justice Elena Kagan and Justice Sonia Sotomayor. The most straightforward, and indeed most likely, explanation is that a fanatical pro-abortion law clerk in a liberal chamber decided to seek progressive "hero" status and a shiny book deal, a MSNBC talking-head gig and/or a gender studies professorial perch at a mid-tier university. That rabid Antifa thugs will be dispatched to the private residences of the case's two swing justices, Amy Coney Barrett and Brett Kavanaugh, is not a bug but a feature of this malicious scheme. Indeed, it appears some vile pro-abortion activists have already publicly posted some of the justices' personal addresses.