Rittenhouse Takes the Stand
Posted By: Dreadnought, 11/10/2021 10:21:58 PM
Today Kyle Rittenhouse took the stand to testify in his own defense. I was glad to see it. Commentators always say how risky it is for a criminal defendant to testify, but not testifying is risky too–the overwhelming majority of criminal defendants who don’t testify are convicted. And in my opinion, Rittenhouse had a good story to tell. Victoria Tate has an account of Rittenhouse’s direct testimony at PJ Media. It sounds as though the testimony was gripping, and he did well, describing the verbal and physical threats and assaults made against him by the three men whom he shot, he says, in self-defense. Andrew Branca describes the Assistant District Attorney’s cross-examination
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Dreadnought"
Matthew McConaughey is speaking out on mandating vaccines for his children.
The issue has become a hot-button topic since a vaccination against coronavirus was made widely available early this year for adults.
In recent weeks, developers have been working toward making the vaccine available to children, prompting questions about whether such a vaccine should be mandated for kids.
Speaking at The New York Times' DealBook summit, the 52-year-old actor expressed hesitancy to require his children to get the vaccine. "I couldn't mandate having to vaccinate the younger kids," he said. "I still want to find out more information.
Kyle Rittenhouse's Call of Duty Habit
and Post-Arrest Silence Aren't Evidence
of His Guilt 9 replies
and Post-Arrest Silence Aren't Evidence
of His Guilt 9 replies
Kyle Rittenhouse is the star witness in the Kyle Rittenhouse trial. And today the 18-year-old took the stand, testifying that he acted in self-defense when he shot three men, ultimately killing two, during unrest in Kenosha, Wisconsin, on August 25, 2020.
The testimony was arguably the climax in the proceedings against Rittenhouse, who is facing multiple homicide charges and has become symbolic of just about everything the viewer wants to see. To many on the left, he's a vigilante upholding racist structures; to some on the right, a protector who filled a void left by law enforcement.
But there was another courtroom fixture centerstage on Monday: Assistant District Attorney Thomas Binger, who
Joe Biden Marvels at $4.50 a Gallon Gas
Prices: ‘Did You Ever Think You’d
Be Paying this Much?’ 30 replies
Prices: ‘Did You Ever Think You’d
Be Paying this Much?’ 30 replies
President Joe Biden marveled at the high cost of gas on Wednesday, without offering any solutions for lowering prices.
“Did you ever think you’d be paying this much for a gallon of gas?” Biden said. “In some parts of California, they’re paying $4.50 a gallon.”
The president spoke about gas prices during an event at the Port of Baltimore to celebrate the passage of his $1.3 trillion infrastructure bill.
“People are feeling it. They’re feeling it,” Biden said, speaking at length about supply chain disruptions and the higher cost of goods.
Biden defended the higher cost of goods, arguing that thanks to trillions of dollars of government spending
We won’t know the final answer to this until the jury comes back, of course, but perhaps Kyle Rittenhouse’s decision to testify isn’t as “insane” as it first looked. With prosecutors seemingly doing their level best to establish all of the elements of self-defense for Rittenhouse, putting the 18-year-old defendant on the stand and subject him to cross-examination appeared to be a pointless risk.
Not so, writes our friend Andrew McCarthy at National Review. While the testimony took place today, McCarthy reminded readers that a refusal to testify would also have been a risk. And given how badly prosecutors had performed already, the gamble here was calculated
Rittenhouse Takes the Stand
3 replies
Today Kyle Rittenhouse took the stand to testify in his own defense. I was glad to see it. Commentators always say how risky it is for a criminal defendant to testify, but not testifying is risky too–the overwhelming majority of criminal defendants who don’t testify are convicted. And in my opinion, Rittenhouse had a good story to tell.
Victoria Tate has an account of Rittenhouse’s direct testimony at PJ Media. It sounds as though the testimony was gripping, and he did well, describing the verbal and physical threats and assaults made against him by the three men whom he shot, he says, in self-defense.
Andrew Branca describes the Assistant District Attorney’s cross-examination
Trial Explodes: Defense Seeks Mistrial
as Kyle Rittenhouse Cries on Stand, Judge
Berates Prosecutor 7 replies
as Kyle Rittenhouse Cries on Stand, Judge
Berates Prosecutor 7 replies
Kyle Rittenhouse’s defense attorneys said Wednesday that they will file for a mistrial with prejudice, citing constitutional violations and misconduct by the prosecution.
Kenosha County Judge Bruce Schroeder said he would take the motion under advisement. Should he declare a mistrial, Rittenhouse would be released and the state would not be permitted to re-try him on the same charges.
The motion for a mistrial was filed in response to Assistant District Attorney Thomas Binger’s cross examination of Rittenhouse, which he began by implying that the defendant’s silence ahead of the trial was potentially incriminating. Rittenhouse’s attorney objected to the line of questioning.
Remember when inflation was supposed to be “transitory”? Good times, good times. Instead it appears to be accelerating, even more than yesterday’s look at wholesale prices suggested. The consumer price index hit its highest annual inflation rate in 31 years last month, and the blow to households is both powerful and broad:
Inflation across a broad swath of products that consumers buy every day was even worse than expected in October, hitting its highest point in more than 30 years, the Labor Department reported Wednesday.
The consumer price index, which is a basket of products ranging from gasoline and health care to groceries and rents, rose 6.2% from a year ago.
President Joe Biden continues struggling with messaging to Americans about what his administration is doing to make things better for the difficult 2021 holiday season.
The White House released a video on Tuesday evening of Biden trying to reassure Americans things were going to be fine, despite looming reports of shortages, and stubbornly high costs for ordinary goods.
“I know a lot of Americans are worried whether or not there’s going to be enough stock on the shelves for Thanksgiving and Christmas,” Biden says in the video, as a reassuring soft piano soundtrack plays in the background.
Biden is struggling to address
Consumer prices grew far faster than expected in October, according to data released Wednesday by the Labor Department.
The consumer price index (CPI), which tracks inflation for a range of staple goods and services, rose 0.9 percent last month and 6.2 percent in the 12-month period ending in October, the highest rate in the U.S. in 30 years. Analysts broadly expected the CPI to rise by 0.5 percent last month, up from a gain of 0.4 percent in August, and 5.8 percent over the past year.
The sharp jump in the inflation rate is a dismal sign for President Biden and Democrats as they face growing pressure over rising pieces.
The rate of new COVID-19 cases in California is currently more than twice the rate in Florida, prompting debate about draconian public health measures implemented across the Golden State, like vaccine mandates for small children.
California is averaging 16 new cases per 100,000 residents the last week compared to just seven in Florida.
California’s full vaccination rate (62%) is higher than places like Florida (60) and Texas (54), where state leaders do not enforce mask policies or support strict mandates. The Golden State has seen a surge of more than 60% in new cases in the last two weeks, compared to a 20% drop in the Sunshine State.
Jake Sullivan, President Biden's White House national security adviser, is the "foreign policy advisor" referred to in the indictment of former Hillary Clinton presidential campaign lawyer Michael Sussmann, according to two well-placed sources.
This is the closest Special Counsel John Durham's investigation into the origins of the Russia investigation has come to anyone directly associated with the Biden White House. Sussmann was indicted for allegedly lying to the FBI on Sept. 16, and has pleaded not guilty to one count of making a false statement to a federal agent. This case came out of Durham’s probe into the origins of the Russia investigation.
Edward Durr Nears ‘Legend’ Status
With Spot-on Response to Gov. Phil Murphy's
'Dangerous' Attack 14 replies
With Spot-on Response to Gov. Phil Murphy's
'Dangerous' Attack 14 replies
New Jersey truck driver Edward Durr appears to be triggering all the right people in the Garden State after his apparent surprise victory over his Democrat opponent and longtime State Senate President Steve Sweeney, who as of this writing is refusing to concede the race though the Associated Press has called it for Durr.
Durr, a Republican who reportedly spent only around $2,300 in an effort to defeat the second most powerful man in the state, has apparently caught the attention of the state’s Democrat Gov. Phil “Mandate Man” Murphy, who looks like he narrowly won his bid for re-election though his Republican
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New Jersey state Senate President Steve Sweeney conceded Wednesday to Republican candidate and commercial truck driver Edward Durr, who spent only $153 on his primary campaign.
"The results of Tuesday’s election are in, all votes have been fairly counted, and I, of course, accept the results," Sweeney said during a press conference at the statehouse.
"I want to congratulate Mr. Durr and wish him the best of luck," added Sweeney, who has served as New Jersey state Senate president since 2010.
When asked "what happened" to upend the race in the state's 3rd Legislative District, Sweeney replied, "It was a red wave."
Liz Cheney Sparks Further Speculation
She's Running in 2024 As She Rails Against
Trump in NH Speech 39 replies
She's Running in 2024 As She Rails Against
Trump in NH Speech 39 replies
It made for a good laugh a few months ago when Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY), a particularly fierce critic of former President Donald Trump, indicated she wasn't ruling out a run for president in 2024. Her actions as of late have only fueled further speculation that she really is going for it. On Tuesday night she not only publicly railed against Trump before a large audience, but she did so in New Hampshire. As the first primary state, even just stepping foot there can get people talking. [Tweets]
Rep. Cheney made her remarks at St. Anselm College’s Nackey Loeb School of Communication.
Tiffany Cross, the host of MSNBC's Cross Connection, pondered on Twitter about how the judge in the Kyle Rittenhouse trial could be removed from the case and accused him of bias after clips went viral of him berating the prosecution for its conduct during the trial.Moments after Rittenhouse himself broke down and sobbed uncontrollably on the stand, Judge Bruce Schroeder ordered the jury out of the room and subsequently reprimanded the prosecution for questioning Rittenhouse's post-arrest silence during the trial and referencing evidence
Sorry Hillary Clinton, but Kamala Harris is the official “Queen of Cringe”. As horrible as Hillary was, Kamala seems to make basic human interaction even more cringeworthy. That leads us to today, when Harris spoke with scientists at the Pasteur Institute in Paris in a cringe fake “french” accent.“We campaign with the plan … the plan,” Harris said with a strange accent.“The environment is such that we are expected to defend the plan,” Harris said. “Even when the first time we roll it out, there may be some glitches, and it’s time to reevaluate and then do it again,” she added.
While introducing Democrats at the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi scolded the audience after they failed to clap for her and other representatives.The Speaker was introducing several lawmakers when the embarrassing moment took place.“Good afternoon, everyone,” Pelosi started. “Uh it is really an honor to be here with our Distinguished Delegation from the House of Representatives. I want them all to stand so you can see who they are. Congressman Earl Blumenauer, McCallum, McCollum, Pingree, Keating, Bonamici, Brownley,
Kamala Harris tries to communicate with
the French by addressing them in Pepe
Le Pew's accent 31 replies
the French by addressing them in Pepe
Le Pew's accent 31 replies
What's up with Kamala Harris on her five-day official visit to France representing the United States of America?
Seems she's up to this: Truly, what is wrong w this woman?! She’s mocking them as though her prep for this trip involved watching Pepe LePew cartoons. Kamala using a fake French accent to talk to French people. (snip) Which is pretty juvenile. Going to a foreign country and mocking the locals in their own accent is no way to make friends or project U.S. influence abroad. In fact, it's not something anyone with any manners at all would do, let alone jet into someone's country to do.
A Black Lives Matter leader said there will be “bloodshed” after debating police reform with Mayor-elect Eric Adams during a contentious sit-down with the incoming Democrat at Brooklyn Borough Hall Wednesday.Although Adams found common ground with the activists on plans to fight poverty in the black community, the former NYPD captain vowed to bring back the Anti-Crime Unit, which was disbanded during widespread police protests last year.“If they think they are going back to the old ways of policing then we’re going to take to the streets again,” New York BLM co-founder Hawk Newsome said outside Borough Hall. “There will be riots. There will be fire,
Joe Biden Marvels at $4.50 a Gallon Gas
Prices: ‘Did You Ever Think You’d
Be Paying this Much?’ 30 replies
Prices: ‘Did You Ever Think You’d
Be Paying this Much?’ 30 replies
President Joe Biden marveled at the high cost of gas on Wednesday, without offering any solutions for lowering prices.
“Did you ever think you’d be paying this much for a gallon of gas?” Biden said. “In some parts of California, they’re paying $4.50 a gallon.”
The president spoke about gas prices during an event at the Port of Baltimore to celebrate the passage of his $1.3 trillion infrastructure bill.
“People are feeling it. They’re feeling it,” Biden said, speaking at length about supply chain disruptions and the higher cost of goods.
Biden defended the higher cost of goods, arguing that thanks to trillions of dollars of government spending
A Black Lives Matter leader vowed there’ll be “riots,” “fire” and “bloodshed” if Mayor-elect Eric Adams follows through with his promise to bring back plainclothes anti-crime cops to battle New York’s surge in violent crimes.
New York BLM co-founder Hawk Newsome debated the plan for a return to tougher policing with Adams during a contentious sit-down at Brooklyn Borough Hall Wednesday that was livestreamed on Instagram.
Although Adams found common ground with the activists on plans to fight poverty in the black community, the former NYPD captain said he’ll be reinstating a revamped version of the undercover anti-crime unit that was disbanded at the height of widespread police protests last year.
As Vermont reports higher than ever COVID-19 case rates, state health officials have been trying to understand why. How can a state that did so well during the first part of the pandemic — even garnering national recognition — be doing so much worse now? "There is not one simple answer," said Vermont Health Commissioner Dr. Mark Levine during a news conference Tuesday. "But, there are clearly factors that have come together to create the situation that we're in now." Slowing the spread is critical right now to prevent Vermont's hospitals from being overwhelmed with people sick with the virus, Levine said.
U.S. voters are segmented into nine political tribes - four that lean left, four that lean right, and the 'stressed sideliners' who have a minimal interest in politics - according to a report released Tuesday by the Pew Research Center.Pew surveyed 10,221 adults this July, but has been conducting interviews with respondents since January 2020. While partisan polarization remained high, the research also showed that there are divisions within both the Democrats and the Republicans - as members' views vary on issues including racial justice, abortion, taxes and the future role of former President Donald Trump.
The White House remains elusive about the timing of a physical exam for President Joe Biden, as more Americans question his physical and mental health.The White House previously said last May Biden would get a physical before the end of the year and in October, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said it would be “soon.”Biden will turn 79 on November 20.Deputy Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Tuesday she had no update about an upcoming physical for the president.“I don’t have anything for you,” she said, when asked by reporters for an update during the daily briefing.