Oh How the Mighty Have Fallen: The LA Times Appears to Be in a State of Imminent Collapse

I posit those who voted for Gascon, and support the Times' publishers would be those who support Hamas, even knowing their treatment of the Israelis. Can we continue as a great nation with such ignorance at campuses and newsrooms? TD

RedState  

. . ."And, oh yeah, [Gascon] was never a Deputy District Attorney. Just went straight from being chief of San Francisco's Police Department, a post he was appointed to by Gavin Newsom. All of that is conveniently left out of the Times' narrative of Gascon's career." . . .Jennifer Van Laar

. . ."As our Managing Editor Jennifer Van Laar wrote:

This year-over-year decline in digital/mobile traffic for the L.A. Times is massive, and seeing the number in comparison to outlets like the Washington Post and the New York Times puts it into perspective. It's more difficult to get advertisers when you're losing readers, and a 38 percent decline in digital traffic for a publication where the overwhelming majority of its pieces are for subscribers only is a very bad development. It's also interesting that RedState's traffic is in the same universe as the Los Angeles Times' despite having a very small fraction of the resources (equipment, writers) the LAT has.

"That is their sole purpose in life, to report the news and topics of interest. The same goes for RedState, but there are some key differences between RedState and the Times: our contributor staff is a fraction of the size of the Times, as was pointed out; many of our contributors have other jobs in addition to writing here, and we do this out of love of country and the truth. We don't get paid exorbitant salaries or get fame or fortune like they do. Yet we beat them at the very game they were a huge part of creating, every day. 

"Besides the competition, the Times has another serious problem; they have lost touch with reality and have taken a deep dive into being just another partisan hack of the left. Decades ago, the Times used to have a solid reputation for being truly independent in the face of politics, hitting the right AND the left equally across the board. The same cannot be said of the Times anymore, as they have become a stalwart member of the huge media giant that coordinates with, supports, defends, and runs cover for the leftist political and ideological machine."  . . .

Maybe MSNBC will be next?  Russell Brand Roasts Rachel Maddow for Her Hysterical Censoring of Donald Trump – RedState  

. . ."I'll stop the excerpts there because it's not easy to transcribe a fast-speaking British dude whose using words I've never heard of, but you get the idea. He goes on for several more minutes thoroughly roasting Maddow, and it's well-deserved." 

"How silly do these networks look bothering to censor a presidential candidate because he mentions there's an "invasion" at the border or that he thinks the 2020 election is rigged? Who cares? Aren't voters adults? Shouldn't they have the mental fortitude to handle hearing things they may disagree with? If not, should they even be voting?". . . 

 The article also mentions the “Streisand Effect”. 

Anti-Israel Muslim Councilwoman, Shahana Hanif, who has come under fire for blaming Israel for the October 7th Hamas terror attack, has been named co-chair of the City Council’s ‘Task Force to Combat Hate’

 Oh, this is rich! (barenakedislam.com)

:Shahana Hanif, 32, was one of 100 arrested for storming Bryant Park and blocking traffic at a pro-Hamas rally,  sponsored by the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), where hostile demonstrators bellowed anti-Semitic chants and waved signs supporting the bloodthirsty Hamas terrorists.". . .

NY Post (h/t Marvin W) A socialist Brooklyn councilwoman who has blamed Israelis for instigating Hamas’ barbaric attacks on the Jewish state has been named co-chair of the new Task Force to Combat Hate. Shahana Hanif, the first Bangladeshi Muslim woman elected to the City Council, will oversee the six-member panel.

Hanif in April voted against a council resolution to establish an “End Jew Hatred Day” in New York City that overwhelmingly passed, saying that she opposed the End Jew Hatred movement because it was crafted by what she called “far-right” Republicans, with whom she refused to collaborate.

“Letting Shana Hanif co-chair an anti-hate task force is like letting Jamal Bowman run a congressional fire drill,” quipped Councilwoman Inna Vernikov, referring to the NYC congressman who infamously pulled a fire alarm in a Capitol Hill office building in September to delay a vote to avert a government shutdown.

"In October, she was among more than 100 protesters arrested at a pro-Palestinian rally in Bryant Park where hostile demonstrators bellowed antisemitic chants and waved signs supporting the bloodthirsty Hamas terrorists. Days earlier, she pointed blame at Israel for the death of its citizens.

"Failing to acknowledge that Israel evacuated all Jews from Gaza in 2005, Hanif claims:" . . .

Whither Diversity Hiring?

 

Biden Commits To Picking A Diversity Hire For SCOTUS Since That Worked So Well With His VP | Babylon Bee    January 2022: "Justice Stephen Breyer has announced he is retiring from the Supreme Court, sparking intense speculation for who Biden will be nominating to replace him. In response, the President has pledged to nominate a woman of color for SCOTUS, since diversity hires have always strengthened his Presidency.

" 'I gotta go with what works, folks. And just like choosing my VP, I will select someone for SCOTUS based solely on her race and her gender," said President Biden. "I did that last time and look how well it's worked out for me. Everyone loves and approves of Kamala! She's got a great laugh, comes across as extremely relatable, and just look at how she handled the border crisis so well!' " . . .

 

Diversity is now an industry | Fetcher    

 "Diversity Metrics - Track gender and demographic estimates to achieve your    

diversity hiring goals

Kamala Harris Is a Diversity Hire | Opinion   . . ."But the truth is, if Harris were white and male, she wouldn't be vice president. Because Harris is our first diversity hire V.P.

"This was never a secret, or even an issue. Then-candidate Joe Biden was very explicit about his plans to pick a woman of color to share the ticket. After it became clear that Biden was to be the Democrats' nominee for president in 2020, Biden said during a CNN-Univision debate, "If I'm elected president, my Cabinet, my administration will look like the country, and I commit that I will, in fact, appoint a, pick a woman to be vice president." In a separate press conference, this one a roundtable with Black journalists, Biden was even more specific: "Preferably it will be someone who was of color and/or a different gender," he said of his potential running mate." . . .

Do Diversity Hires Really Make Us More Diverse? | by Jessica Lim   

. . ."However, diversity hiring is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it’s great. It gets people — who in the past would have never been given a second glance — in the door. But it also puts individuals in a place that they feel like they’re fighting heaven and earth for it to not slam right back into their face. (Emphases in the original)

"As a girl in software engineering, a girl who is a varsity athlete, a girl…. period, I am constantly surrounded by people who — to some extent — believe that I have succeeded not because of my skills, but instead because I am a girl.

"Just as some people believe that extra funding for helping people of color is unfair — or even ‘racist’ — towards white people, some apply the same ideology to women in the workplace. They look at any example of incompetence or weakness as proof that these women only received their job because they filled a certain quota." . . .

How corporate America is slashing DEI workers amid backlash to diversity programs - ABC News (go.com)   

"When Diversity and Inclusion Training Goes Wrong

"Unfortunately, while the idea behind diversity and inclusion training is valuable and ethical, when it is implemented incorrectly or without thought, it can often elicit adverse effects. According to Frank Dobbins, a Harvard Sociologist focused on diversity training, there are three primary reasons D&I efforts can go wrong-- and hurt a company's culture. Here are the three common missteps:

1. When it's mandatory. Mandatory diversity and inclusion training can net an immediate and negative response. When it's mandatory, it can seem punitive, with a reaction of “someone did something wrong and now we all have to sit through this.” If training is required in response to a problem you may already be behind the eight-ball where employee opinion is concerned. The majority of people don’t see themselves as biased and immediately become vehemently defensive if they’re accused of being so. Similarly, when it's clearly being offered as a response to an incident, attendees can become extremely defensive. Some may even cling more strongly to their biases. Research has overwhelmingly shown negative messaging in D&I training not only doesn’t help, but it may also set inclusion efforts back. Social scientists have also found, over a number of years, that people naturally tend to rebel against enforced rules.
2. When it's too focused on the law. Another mistake businesses make when implementing D&I programs is focusing on a legal viewpoint as opposed to an empathetic and ethical viewpoint. When employees perceive the training as an attempt to stay compliant and simply check off a box, they will usually be more resistant to the teachings. If a business is not genuine in its reasons for offering the training, it will be harder for employees to genuinely absorb the information.
3. When it's offered to (or required for) a limited group. Dobbins' research suggests that when training is only offered to one group in the office, it's much less effective. Training only your management team may seem like a good (and cost-efficient) idea, but employees don’t like being left out. Furthermore, discrimination and biases don't solely occur at a managerial level. To be effective with training, it should be accessible and encouraged for all

"Unfortunately, around 75% of corporate diversity training programs fall into one of these three categories." . . .

How to use Diversity of Thought and Cognitive Thinking to build a better workplace? [2024 DEI Resources] | Diversity for Social Impact

The Hostages: Killed by IDF Airstrikes or Murdered?

  Frontpage Mag

Whom should we believe — the IDF or Hamas?

"Noa Agarmani, one of many Israeli girls kidnapped on October 7 and held hostage in Gaza, was filmed by her Hamas captors, conveying their latest message about the hostages to an Israel audience. Reading from, or prompted by, a Hamas script, she described how two fellow captives, Yossi Sharabi and Itay Svirsky, had died as a result of two Israeli bombardments. The IDF has said, in response, that it did not bomb the building where the three hostages were being held. Undoubtedly Sharabi and Svirsky were murdered by their Hamas captors. More on this endless cruelty by Hamas, and the long calvary both for the hostages and for their families in Israel, can be found here: “Israeli Hostage Forced to Say Fellow Captives Dead in Latest Hamas Video,” Algemeiner, January 15, 2024:

…“I was located in a building,” Argamani said in the Hamas video, evidently under distress and seemingly reading a script in front of a blank white wall. “It was bombed by an IDF [Israel Defense Forces] air strike, an F16 fighter jet. Three rockets hit us — two of the rockets exploded, and one did not. We were in the building with Al Qassam [Hamas] soldiers and three hostages: myself, Itay Svirsky, and Yossef Sharabi.”

Argamani added that they were all buried in rubble after the building was hit. “Al Qassam soldiers saved my life and Itay’s,” she said. “Unfortunately, we were not able to save Yossi’s.”

"What kind captors these Hamas captors must be: “Al Qassam soldiers saved my life and Itay’s.” What unexpected behavior, coming from those who, we know, not only savagely murdered Israeli men, women, and children on October 7, but have continued to murder hostages taken to Gaza — at this point, about two dozen Israeli hostages have died in captivity." . . .    They'll believe this on American campuses. TD

Israel's prime minister said he rejected the terms of a deal which included Israel’s complete withdrawal from Gaza

American and Western mal-educated youth give Hamas the support they wanted. TD

 Why should they, when throngs of useful idiots in America mindlessly chant their genocidal slogans in support of Hamas terrorism? When the streets of London fill with Hamas fellow-travelers in terror to demand Israel’s surrender to Mashal? When the US and UK keep applying pressure on Israel to stop fighting back against Hamas and give them a sovereign base from which to continue their genocidal actions? Hamas went on a rampage of slaughter, rape, and kidnapping, and while it resulted in punishing losses in war, it has also bolstered their standing in the West. Mashal’s not inaccurate in that assessment of the political outcome of October 7.

Hamas Leader: We Reject a Two State Solution. We Demand It All. – HotAir

"Consider this the one point of agreement between Israel and the terror network that has conducted war against it for nearly 20 years. Although perhaps there could be another point of agreement now as well — that October 7 changed everything. For Israel, it finally woke them from their fantasy that Hamas would turn into a governing entity rather than a genocidal terrorist network.

"For Khaled Mashal, it marked the first time that Hamas successfully turned the West into cheerleaders for their genocide, which fuels their fight in Gaza to this day. “From the river to the sea” means exactly what it states, Mashal asserts in this interview caught by MEMRI — and that is a radical-Islamist Palestinian state replacing Israel entirely:

“I believe that the dream and the hope for Palestine from the River to the Sea and from the north to the south has been renewed. This has also become a slogan chanted in the U.S. and in Western capital cities, by the American and Western public,” he said.

“Palestine is free from the River to the Sea—that’s the slogan of the American students and the [students] in European capital cities.

“The Palestinian consensus—or almost a consensus—is that we will not give up on our right to Palestinian in its entirety, from the [Jordan] river to the [Mediterranean] sea and from Rosh Hanikra to Eilat or the Gulf of Aqaba,” he continued.

. . . 

Hamas official says ‘no chance’ hostages will return to Israel after Netanyahu rejects deal | Israel-Gaza war | The Guardian

How can Hamas be this harsh? See the above article. TD

CBO: Biden Admin Has Released 6.2 Million Illegal Migrants into U.S. in 3 Years

 Breitbart (breitbart.com)

President Joe Biden’s deputies have let 6.2 million illegal migrants into the United States, according to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO).

"Biden’s southern inflow is more than one migrant for every two American births since January 2021.

“ 'More of those people are also being released into the United States than previously, generally through the use of parole authority or with a notice to appear before an immigration judge,” said the report, titled “The Demographic Outlook: 2014 to 2054.”

"The 2023 inflow includes 900,000 migrants who were released after they walked up to official border gates plus 1.1 million migrants who were released after they crossed through gaps in the border wall, said the CBO agency, which acts as an advisor to Capitol Hill legislators.

"Roughly have of those migrants — 1.1 million — were let into the country by October 1, 2023, via Biden’s use of the “parole” loophole in border law, the CBO reported. Biden and his Democratic allies are now trying to expand the parole doorway." . . .

Three Former Presidents Start NGO to Import Illegal Aliens into the U.S. › American Greatness (amgreatness.com)

As reported by Just The News, the NGO Miles4Migrants, founded by former Presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush, and Bill Clinton, is teaming up with two other organizations, American Express Global Business Travel and Welcome.US, to expand upon a previous effort that focused solely on Afghan refugees following the disastrous withdrawal of American forces from Afghanistan in 2021.

US won't reverse clean energy transition, regardless of election outcome - Kerry

 

As Utility Bills Rise, Low-Income Americans Struggle for Access to Clean Energy - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

US won't reverse clean energy transition, regardless of election outcome - Kerry | Reuters  "WASHINGTON, Jan 16 (Reuters) - The transition toward clean energy and electric vehicles will not be interrupted regardless of who wins the 2024 U.S. presidential election, outgoing U.S. climate envoy John Kerry said on Tuesday.

"Kerry, speaking on a panel at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, was bullish on the trajectory of the energy transition - even amid global concern that a possible second Trump presidency could reverse some of the Biden administration's key climate policies. 

"This economic revolution is underway and it's much bigger than any politician, any one person," Kerry told the Davos audience.

"Kerry confirmed that he plans to leave his role as the president's special envoy on climate change, the top U.S. climate diplomat, in order to play a vocal role in President Joe Biden's reelection campaign this year.

"He said that a U.S. law called the Hatch Act prevents federal employees from participating in campaign activities, which he said would constrain him from touting the administration's climate policies and accomplishments ahead of the November elections." . . .

Look who protects free speech; Billionaires now are doing the job that journalists quit

  Don Surber (substack.com)

'Honestly, I prefer the IDF': Palestinians in Gaza speak out on Hamas abuse

Oh, the ignorance that abounds in Western society and its education. TD

Case in point:  Denial of Hamas' October 7 massacre spreads in US   Probably among many who cannot find Israel on a map .   " 'False flag attack': Washington Post reports that US groups saying Israel staged attack to justify 'genocide' in Gaza grow on social media despite ample proof of Hamas' atrocities.

"According to The Washington Post, the number of massacre deniers in the United States is currently small, but growing. Some claim the IDF carried out the massacre to "justify genocide in Gaza," while others believe some hostages were kidnapped by Israel. Some are even confident that the United States is behind the attack." . . .

"These false narratives have circulated on social media, and users on platforms like TikTok and Reddit are already blaming Israel for a "false flag" attack – a staged attack designed to justify a harsh retaliatory action.

"This phenomenon is troubling Jewish leaders and researchers who see a connection between it and Holocaust denial. They also identify similarities between the denial of the massacre and conspiracy theories with antisemitic foundations, including supporters of the QAnon conspiracy theory." . . .

Here in New York:

'We received first calls from survivors who were sexually assaulted on October 7' "While the world continues to deny the gender-based crimes committed on the October 7 massacre, care workers confirm, for the first time, that several survivors, young women who attended the Nova Music Festival, contacted them and reported that they were sexually assaulted by Hamas terrorists."

"It needs to be said, but gently: alongside the women who will never be able to speak again, some women survived Hamas's gender-based violence on October 7. "I can say that the care centers of the Welfare and Social Affairs Ministry have received several initial calls from survivors who have been sexually assaulted," reveals Mali Orgad, director of the Center for the Treatment and Protection of Trauma and Crisis at the Welfare and Social Affairs Ministry.

'People are comfortable saying Israel doesn't have a right to exist because they're not afraid of getting the s*** beaten out of them'

"After his heart was broken in Be’eri and Hostage Square, actor Michael Rapaport settles scores with antisemites and bleeding-heart American left; he shares what he learned during his visit to Israel, explaining how despite his image, he's not really hot-headed."

 'Honestly, I prefer the IDF': Palestinians in Gaza speak out on Hamas abuse (ynetnews.com)  "Interrogated Palestinians reveal the level of abuse and neglect they've endured by Hamas, even going so far as saying they'd be much better off with the IDF in charge because being among Israeli soldiers 'felt safe'

Palestinian security official shot for calling Hamas 'Iranian proxy'  West Bank officer slams terror group for 'ruining the nation'; operatives of Hamas ally Islamic 

Jihad track him down, shoot him in the leg and post video of him writhing in pain online; 

Fatah calls for their head

IDF commandeers underground Hamas HQ, retrieving bodies of five slain soldiers and hostages    "The IDF successfully completed an operation to dismantle and destroy the northern underground headquarters of Hamas in Jabaliya, located in the northern Gaza Strip. During the operation, documentation from a network of giant tunnels was revealed, and the bodies of Eden Zacharia, Elia Toledano, Warrant Officer Ziv Dado, Sgt. Ron Sherman, and Corporal Nick Baizer were retrieved." . . .

Expecting a Response to an Email Is Racist, Trump Prosecutor Suggests in Leaked Emails

 Expecting a Response to an Email Is Racist, Trump Prosecutor Suggests in Leaked Emails   Washington Free Beacon

"When everything is racist....nothing is racist. This is just absurd." Nancy Hrabak Ciraldo

"The district attorney prosecuting former president Donald Trump in Georgia suggested in an email exchange earlier this month that racism was at play when one of Trump's attorneys pressed her team for a response to his emails.

"Trump defense lawyer Steven Sadow requested responses from District Attorney Fani Willis's team to a series of emails he sent, according to the New York Times, which obtained portions of the conversation. After Executive District Attorney Daysha Young replied by suggesting the prosecuting attorneys were being treated with disrespect because they're black, Willis sent an email to Sadow affirming Young's charge.

" 'In the legal community (and the world at large) some people will never be able to respect African Americans and/or women as their equal and counterpart. That is a burden you do not experience. Further, some are so used to doing it they are not even aware they are doing it while others are intentional in their continued disrespect," Willis, who is black, said in an email to Sadow and Trump's other defense attorneys, most of whom are white men.

"The conversation began Jan. 5 when Sadow told the prosecution, "For the life of me, I cannot understand why you refuse to respond to the series of emails below." Young, who is black, responded to him five days later, saying that she and Willis "are both aware, especially as an African American woman some find it difficult to treat us respectfully.' " . . .

Taking our Pride to the skies with Delight Flights; first-ever LGBTQ+ inspired plane -

Taking our Pride to the skies with Delight Flights & first-ever LGBTQ+ inspired plane - YouTube   "From our inclusive flag raising at HQ, to our parade in the sky on the first & only U.S. Pride aircraft, it’s easy to see that we’re just plane proud. This month, to commemorate Pride, Alaska surprised not one—but four lucky flights on a newly decorated Pride-inspired plane supporting the LGBTQ+ community. The plane, the first of its kind in the U.S., will fly throughout our network for the next year. Learn more: https://blog.alaskaair.com/values/pri...

"So this is what Alaska airline spends their money on rather than ensuring they have safe aircraft and instead we have windows blowing out. Good to know they have their priorities straight. Sickening."

Alaska Airlines Had Its Recent Woes Parodied In An 'SNL' Fake Ad (uproxx.com)

"Sometimes SNL just knocks it out of the park, hitting on a subject that resonates so strongly that we can’t help but talk about it days — sometimes years — later. The most recent viral sketch happened last Saturday when SNL aired a fake commercial for Alaska Airlines addressing the airline’s recent troubles. And by recent troubles we’re talking about that time when the door plug flew off the plane mid-flight — sucking out shirts, phones, and a tray table while passengers sat in the plane unsure of whether or not they’d live to tell about it." . . .

Boeing CEO Assures Nervous Fliers That All 737 Aircraft Are Built To The Highest Diversity Standards | Babylon Bee 

  "Amid growing concerns over safety after several devastating mechanical failures on Boeing 737-9 Max aircraft, Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun assured hesitant travelers that all their aircraft are built according to the highest standards of diversity

" 'I know everyone is nervous about the doors of their planes blowing off the aircraft mid-flight or the entire fuselage buckling due to faulty parts, but let me assure you: Boeing is diverse," said Calhoun in a CNBC interview. "In fact, our design and manufacturing crews are the most diverse in our company's history. Nothing to worry about.' " . . .

Chicago Organized Theft Ring Allegedly Led by Newly Arrived Illegal Aliens

 Breitbart (breitbart.com)  

"The Chicago suburb of Oak Brook has been beset with an increase in retail theft and burglaries over the last year, and police say the leading culprits have been recently arrived illegal border crossers who have filtered out to the suburb from Chicago.

"The Oak Brook Police Department reports that 47 recently arrived illegal aliens have been arrested in connection with retail thefts and home and car burglaries just since October and more than 175 since last year, according to Newsbreak.

"Officials of the suburb — which is only about 25 minutes west of downtown Chicago and only minutes south of O’Hare International Airport where hundreds of illegals have been sheltering for months — noted that the thieves often use bags lined with sheets of tinfoil in an attempt to thwart store anti-theft protection devices at entrances, the New York Post reported.

"The issue has been ongoing in the suburb, especially inside the Oak Brook shopping mall.

"As far back as 2021 the Oak Brook Police Department reported a gang of about 14 individuals entering stores and stealing all they could carry." . . .