ADVERTISEMENTDecline in searches mirrors, might contribute to, explosion of gun violenceSHAREThe embattled Minneapolis Police Department has mostly ceased stopping and searching residents of the city, as resources are stretched thin by anti-cop protests and surging gun violence.Official data released by the MPD show that cumulative stops fell 36 percent in the week after George Floyd's death at the hands of three officers, sparking nationwide protests. That trend has persisted—over the week between July 6 and July 12, MPD officers made just 193 stops, down 77 percent from the same week in...…ADVERTISEMENTDecline in searches mirrors, might contribute to, explosion of gun violenceSHAREThe embattled Minneapolis Police Department has mostly ceased stopping and searching residents of the city, as resources are stretched thin by anti-cop protests and surging gun violence.Official data released by the MPD show that cumulative stops fell 36 percent in the week after George Floyd's death at the hands of three officers, sparking nationwide protests. That trend has persisted—over the week between July 6 and July 12, MPD officers made just 193 stops, down 77 percent from the same week in...WW…

ADVERTISEMENTThe corona-crisis puts the Prairie State at the center of a bailout debateSHAREAs a coronavirus-driven cash crunch collides with nearly two decades of unbalanced budgets and exorbitant pension spending, insolvency is on the horizon in Illinois.The state's Democratic lawmakers have sounded the alarm, telling their federal counterparts that an unavoidable budget shortfall requires a $40 billion bailout. But state Republicans have blanched at the idea of a bailout that does not fix underlying structural issues that they say would guarantee another ask when the next crisis hits.The...…ADVERTISEMENTThe corona-crisis puts the Prairie State at the center of a bailout debateSHAREAs a coronavirus-driven cash crunch collides with nearly two decades of unbalanced budgets and exorbitant pension spending, insolvency is on the horizon in Illinois.The state's Democratic lawmakers have sounded the alarm, telling their federal counterparts that an unavoidable budget shortfall requires a $40 billion bailout. But state Republicans have blanched at the idea of a bailout that does not fix underlying structural issues that they say would guarantee another ask when the next crisis hits.The...WW…

Over the past decade, more and more American moviegoers have witnessed something startling: Much of what they watch is now altered to serve the interests of the Chinese Communist Party.From the of Taiwan's flag from a jacket in Top Gun: Maverick to China's with North Korea in Red Dawn, the country's political sway in movies has grown increasingly apparent. Hollywood studios now bend over backwards to appease the government gatekeeping the world's fastest-growing media market. The effects of that influence operation are obvious, but the mechanics that drive it are obscured in a vast web of...…Over the past decade, more and more American moviegoers have witnessed something startling: Much of what they watch is now altered to serve the interests of the Chinese Communist Party.From the of Taiwan's flag from a jacket in Top Gun: Maverick to China's with North Korea in Red Dawn, the country's political sway in movies has grown increasingly apparent. Hollywood studios now bend over backwards to appease the government gatekeeping the world's fastest-growing media market. The effects of that influence operation are obvious, but the mechanics that drive it are obscured in a vast web of...WW…

ADVERTISEMENTSHAREWith millions out of work and a of small business closures on the horizon, many policymakers are clamoring for an end to coronavirus lockdowns and a "reopening" of the economy.Just as state and federal lawmakers moved to "shut down" the economy to slow the spread of the coronavirus, leaders are now weighing when to start it back up. President Donald Trump has officially convened a panel to weigh when and how to reopen; blue state governors have followed suit with interstate planning committees. Some congressmen have for a reopening, arguing that the "cure is proving worse...…ADVERTISEMENTSHAREWith millions out of work and a of small business closures on the horizon, many policymakers are clamoring for an end to coronavirus lockdowns and a "reopening" of the economy.Just as state and federal lawmakers moved to "shut down" the economy to slow the spread of the coronavirus, leaders are now weighing when to start it back up. President Donald Trump has officially convened a panel to weigh when and how to reopen; blue state governors have followed suit with interstate planning committees. Some congressmen have for a reopening, arguing that the "cure is proving worse...WW…

ADVERTISEMENTNortham eyeing death penalty repeal, felon enfranchisementSHAREVirginia governor Ralph Northam (D.) on Wednesday pushed his party to give voting rights to felons and make their state the first in the South to abolish the death penalty.The proposals, which came during Northam's State of the Commonwealth address, follow a marathon special session in which the Democrat-controlled state legislature of criminal justice-related laws, largely in reaction to the death of George Floyd and ensuing nationwide protests this summer.On Wednesday, Northam his party to go further, pressing for...…ADVERTISEMENTNortham eyeing death penalty repeal, felon enfranchisementSHAREVirginia governor Ralph Northam (D.) on Wednesday pushed his party to give voting rights to felons and make their state the first in the South to abolish the death penalty.The proposals, which came during Northam's State of the Commonwealth address, follow a marathon special session in which the Democrat-controlled state legislature of criminal justice-related laws, largely in reaction to the death of George Floyd and ensuing nationwide protests this summer.On Wednesday, Northam his party to go further, pressing for...WW…

House Republicans are pushing to seal the deal on a host of policies to withdraw vital American industries from China in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.The GOP-chartered House China Task Force issued a report on Wednesday that calls in part for Congress to enact the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act's bevy of policies. Those policies, many of which have already passed the House, aim at reducing U.S. supply chain dependency on the Chinese Communist regime, which the report labeled a risk to American safety and prosperity."The next step is to get this NDAA, to get this defense...…House Republicans are pushing to seal the deal on a host of policies to withdraw vital American industries from China in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.The GOP-chartered House China Task Force issued a report on Wednesday that calls in part for Congress to enact the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act's bevy of policies. Those policies, many of which have already passed the House, aim at reducing U.S. supply chain dependency on the Chinese Communist regime, which the report labeled a risk to American safety and prosperity."The next step is to get this NDAA, to get this defense...WW…