Testimony casts doubt on George Floyd case
Also, pro-Hamas supporters strike again
Editorial Team
October 24, 2023
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Today we’re covering:
👮 New details at odds with the George Floyd Narrative
🇵🇸 Pro-Hamas sentiments across the globe
🇺🇸 America’s falling empire 🔒
And everything else you need to know.
☕️ Welcome back. I’m Ari, and this is Upward News. Every day, our team scours 100s of sources to bring you need-to-know news and insights you won’t find in the MSM—all in 5 minutes. Were you forwarded this email? Sign up here.
TRENDS IN AMERICA
Israeli hostage flyers ripped down across cities and campuses in the West
What’s happening: Posters intended to spread awareness for the 200 people Hamas kidnapped on October 7 are being ripped down in cities across the U.S. and the West.
Where: Videos have emerged of people ripping down hostage flyers on college campuses such as New York University, Boston University, Harvard University, the University of Pennsylvania, and the London School of Economics. Videos have also surfaced showing people in New York, Los Angeles, Boston, and Miami ripping down or vandalizing the posters.
Consequences: A number of people have been identified and have lost their jobs.
No answers: When confronted for ripping down posters of civilians who have been kidnapped, most either have no answer, respond with profanity, deny the Hamas atrocities took place, or say it's because of Israel’s response.
Surprising? Polls show that 51 percent of Americans 18-24 believe Hamas’s brutal terrorist attack was justified and 64 percent believe Israel and Hamas have equally just causes. Massive pro-Hamas rallies have been organized across the country where people chant slogans such as “There is only one solution, intifada revolution” and “Glory to our martyrs.”
Why it matters: A certain portion of American society has been explicitly pro-Hamas since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war. The act of ripping down awareness posters for those innocents who have been kidnapped — including babies and children — is the embodiment of what that means in practice.
WHAT WE'RE WATCHING
🪖 A.P. refuses to label Hamas “terrorists.” The Associated Press has implemented a newsroom-wide policy directing reporters to refer to Hamas as "militants.” This rule contrasts with the BBC’s recently revised guidelines, which now allow the use of "proscribed terrorist organization" to describe Hamas. (Washington Free Beacon, Fox News)
🚨 DHS warns of possible terrorist presence in America. A report from a San Diego field office of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) raises concerns that agents affiliated with Hamas or Hezbollah may have already entered the U.S. This adds to ongoing concern that attacks in the Middle East will inspire extremists within America’s borders. (Post Millennial)
🗣️ Biden admin tells Israel to delay invasion. The Biden administration is urging the Israeli government to postpone its ground invasion of Gaza to allow Hamas more time to release hostages. Officials are also waiting for more humanitarian aid to arrive while preparing for retaliation from Iran-backed terrorists. Israel says it cannot continue to delay the offensive. (New York Times)
🚀 Iran proxies attack American troops. On Monday, terrorist groups linked to Iran targeted multiple U.S. military installations across the Middle East in retaliation for America's support of Israel. Following these attacks, the Pentagon issued deployment orders for U.S. troops to the affected region and unequivocally stated its intent to hold Iran responsible for the orchestrated strikes. (Breitbart, ABC News, Bloomberg)
WHAT WE’RE HEARING
The House GOP held a forum on speaker candidates ahead of today’s vote where establishment Rep. Tom Emmer (R-MN) is working to consolidate support. (CNN)
Trump slams Biden on his Israel strategy, vows to prevent “World War III” if re-elected. (Boston Globe)
The White House Press Secretary answered a question about antisemitism with a condemnation of Islamophobia. (RNC Research)
The Atlantic finally acknowledges the downfalls of open borders and unmitigated immigration. (The Atlantic)
INSIDE AMERICA
Testimony casts doubt on George Floyd case
What’s happening: A county medical examiner deemed George Floyd’s death a homicide to protect the “narrative” that police officers murdered him, according to newly released testimony. This claim stems from a former prosecutor’s lawsuit over workplace disputes.
Catch up: On the day of his 2020 arrest, Floyd took lethal amounts of fentanyl and began saying “I can’t breathe” before officers began restraining him. Former Officer Derek Chauvin and three colleagues have all been convicted and punished because Floyd died while Chauvin restrained his neck.
The testimony: Hennepin County Medical Examiner Andrew Baker initially found no “injury” to Floyd’s neck that would cause “asphyxia or strangulation,” a former prosecutor explained. He asked her, “What happens when the actual evidence doesn’t match up with the public narrative that everyone’s already decided on?” according to her testimony. “This is the kind of case that ends careers.”
What happened next: After his first autopsy report sparked outrage, Baker pivoted and said Floyd was choked to death, helping prosecutors’ case.
Why it matters: Floyd’s death was used to justify mass riots, defunding the police and other radical reforms, the expansion of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, and donations to left-wing organizations such as Black Lives Matter. The testimony paints a bigger picture of how the facts were widely ignored.
Mob rule: Another former prosecutor testified there was “extreme premium pressure” to file charges because “the city was burning down.” Chauvin’s trial also involved a BLM activist on the jury and a judge who focuses his career on “racial justice” and “equity.”
America is an empire stretched thin
Four crises around the globe test the limits of America’s power.
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POLL
Do you believe the George Floyd case was fair?Poll results will be in tomorrow's newsletter. |
POLL RESULTS FROM YESTERDAY
Should Republicans still impeach Biden with the geopolitical crisis?
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 👍 Yes (587)
⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ 👎 No (31)
⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ 🤔 Unsure (33)
👍 Yes: “If crime has been committed or sufficient evidence points to it, then that individual should be tried before a court. No matter who it is.” — Anonymous
👎 No: “Give, it up. It only hurts the party. Unify now and show a cooperative front for the next election.” — Lori
🤔 Unsure: “Do we really want Kamala?” — Anonymous
IN THE LOOP
Coca-Cola appears to have removed its support for BLM from its website following criticism from Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX). (NY Post)
The New York Times offered a weak apology after publishing misinformation about the hospital blast in Gaza. (Politico)
Two individuals received compensation for injuries sustained from the COVID-19 vaccine. (The Epoch Times)
Hamas fighters were promised $10,000 and an apartment if they kidnapped an Israeli during the attack. (Daily Caller)