The Los Angeles chapter of Black Lives Matter is suing the City of Santa Monica, which was smashed and looted during Black Lives Matter protests a year ago.
It's tempting to laugh at this sort of blue-on-blue lawsuit, which claims that a "progressive" city is in fact a repressive totalitarian regime bent on suppressing freedom of expression. It must hurt to be sued by the mob that Santa Monica's left-wing politicians have probably spent months praising to the hilt.
However, these cases are often designed to lead to ridiculous settlements in which the city gives the plaintiffs everything they want and the residents and taxpayers are basically powerless to stop either side. And Santa Monica is also a place I love. I was really, really upset about the riots last year. I still am.
Black Lives Matter claims that the police are responsible for the looting, because they focused on arresting peaceful protesters and interfering with their constitutional rights. That's not what happened. The unlawful protest drained police resources and provided cover for the looters and rioters literally one block away. The riots and looting happened because of Black Lives Matter.
This is not the first Black Lives Matter lawsuit, and it won't be the last, against a city they wounded and nearly destroyed. Perhaps a Democratic municipal leader will finally stand up to them. Perhaps dolphins will fly out of the ocean.
This is my first broadcast from the new office and studio in Washington, DC, where I'll be for a couple of years my neighborhood back in L.A. cleans up -- and as we follow the Trump administration from a little closer up than usual.
Topics:
- The anniversary of the attempted assassination of President Donald Trump
- The escalating tariff battle with various different trading partners
- The future of the Middle East peace talks, and ongoing antisemitism
- The Jeffrey Epstein files and whether they mean anything at all
- The continued crisis of the Texas floods, and stories of heroism and survival
And more!
Special guests:
- James Rosen - Newsmax chief Washington correspondent
- Bob Price - Breitbart News Texas reporter, on the ongoing floods
- Robert Cahill - Trafalgar Polling, on a new alliance of reliable pollsters
- Rabbi Yaakov Menken - Coalition for Jewish Values - on Israel & antisemitism
Tune in: 7-10 p.m. ET, 4-7 p.m. PT
Call: 866-957-2874
This week’s portion tells the grand story of the prophet who tried to curse people of Israel and instead ended up blessing them.
I am reminded that these portions continue to be relevant anew, as this particular reading lent the title for Israel’s recent 12 Day War against Iran, “Operation Rising Lion.”
This week's portion includes the commandment of the red heifer -- one of the classic "irrational" commandments whose fulfillment is an expression of faith. It also includes the regrettable episode in which Moses strikes the rock.
I referred to this story in a wedding speech last night. Why was Moses punished for striking the rock in Numbers, when he struck the rock without incident in Exodus -- both for the purpose of providing water to the people?
The answer is that in the interim, the Jewish people had received the Torah, which is like the marriage contract between the people of Israel and God. In a marriage, you do not resolve things by breaking boundaries, but through love.
The additional reading, from Judges Chapter 11, is the story of Jephthah (Yiftach), a man whom the leaders spurn, but to whom they must turn to save the nation. The parallels to our present political circumstances are striking.
Shabbat Shalom and Happy Fourth of July!
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