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Kamala Harris’ Israel smear is a gamble that could cost her an all-important swing state

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Kamala Harris’ Israel smear is a gamble that could cost her an all-important swing state

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Vice President Kamala Harris might have just sealed her fate in Pennsylvania — just not in the way she intended.  

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After publicly agreeing with a heckler accusing Israel of genocide, the vice president signaled a desperate attempt to placate Arab American voters in a state where discontent with Democrats’ support of Israel has been growing and is likely irreversible. And in doing so, Harris continued to alienate another key demographic: Jewish voters. And it’s in Pennsylvania where she may pay the ultimate price. 

At a campaign event in Wisconsin, a heckler yelled at Harris about Israel’s alleged war crimes, and Harris responded by saying, “What he’s talking about, it’s real.” The remark didn’t come off as an off-the-cuff response, but an affirmation of a false narrative designed to appease unhappy Arab American voters.  

TRADITIONALLY DEM LEADERS IN KEY MICHIGAN VOTING BLOC DITCH HARRIS, ENDORSE TRUMP

Her campaign only walked the statement back after her calculated response gained too much attention. But it wasn’t before it became the latest in a series of signals that the Democratic Party, once seen as a strong ally of Israel, is shifting under the weight of progressive voices who reject the Jewish state. 

Democratic presidential nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris, sits with former Rep. Liz Cheney for a town hall with Maria Shriver at the Royal Oak Music Theatre on October 21, 2024, in Royal Oak, Michigan, United States. (Photo by Sarah Rice/Getty Images)

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Harris, clearly aware that Michigan’s Arab American community has been growing increasingly frustrated with the Biden administration’s stance on Israel, is trying to walk a political tightrope. Michigan has one of the largest Arab American populations in the country, and in a race that could be won by a very small percentage of votes, this voting bloc yields power. 

But it’s impossible to pacify this base without accusing Israel of genocide and Harris is already behind in Michigan. Former President Donald Trump is gaining momentum at the right time, making Harris’ chances of winning Michigan exceedingly slim — even with her appeasement strategy. 

If placating Arab voters in Michigan is unlikely to land, what’s the cost? It’s Jewish voters in Pennsylvania and they could be a deciding factor. Harris is already struggling in Pennsylvania, a state more crucial than Michigan if she hopes to take the White House. Jewish voters in Pennsylvania, especially in the suburban regions around Philadelphia, have traditionally been a strong Democratic bloc. But there are signs of movement away from the party, and Harris’s recent comments may accelerate that shift. 

“The family that is my generation and older generations, I don’t think anybody is voting for Harris, and we’ve never voted Republican, ever,” 49-year-old Pittsburgh resident Rona Kaufman told the AP. “My sister has a Trump sign outside her house, and that is a huge shift.” 

Enter Dave McCormick. The Republican candidate running for Senate in Pennsylvania has been strategically courting Jewish voters. He’s tapped into the growing discontent with the Democratic Party’s shifting stance on Israel, positioning himself as a staunch defender of the U.S.-Israel alliance. McCormick has made repeated visits to synagogues, hosted events specifically for the Jewish community, and is clearly hoping to capitalize on the kind of rhetoric Harris just embraced and amplified. 

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It’s not just McCormick, either. Across the country, Republicans have been making inroads with Jewish voters who rightly feel abandoned by a Democratic Party that seems willing to bend further and further toward anti-Israel progressivism. And it doesn’t take much to tip the scales.  

In tight races like the ones expected in Pennsylvania and Michigan, even a small shift in voter demographics can make a significant difference, especially when you see other demographics traditionally loyal to Democrats (Latinos and Black men) drifting to Trump.  

It didn’t help that Harris passed on a stronger vice-presidential choice of Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro for a Minnesota knucklehead. If Jewish voters who traditionally support Democrats move even slightly toward the GOP — let’s say 5% — that could be enough to swing key counties and potentially the state. 

But it’s impossible to pacify this base without accusing Israel of genocide and Harris is already behind in Michigan. Former President Donald Trump is gaining momentum at the right time, making Harris’ chances of winning Michigan exceedingly slim — even with her appeasement strategy. 

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This isn’t happening in a vacuum. A recent Pew Research survey showed that while Jewish voters still overwhelmingly support Democrats, their support for Republicans has been steadily growing, with more Jews viewing Trump as pro-Israel than they do the Democratic Party.  

A Siena College poll in September even found Trump with a 10-point lead over Harris with Jewish voters. While that’s since shifted to Harris, it’s unclear if that’s due to a sampling anomaly, and it signals there’s clearly some movement toward Trump, especially with a new Manhattan Institute poll showing Jewish support for a Democrat presidential nominee is the lowest it’s been since the Ronald Reagan era. 

The electoral map is unforgiving, and Pennsylvania is a make-or-break state for Harris where every percentage point counts. If Jewish voters decide to punish the Democrats for their lack of support for Israel and embrace of antisemitic voices within their party, it could be the nail in the coffin for Harris’s presidential ambitions.  

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Milwaukee, WI

Chief marketing and communication officer named to Milwaukee Business Journal’s 40 Under 40  | Marquette Today

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Chief marketing and communication officer named to Milwaukee Business Journal’s 40 Under 40  | Marquette Today


Lynn Griffith, chief marketing and communication officer, was named to the Milwaukee Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 list. 

Griffith leads Marquette’s Office of Marketing and Communication, a team of 30 talented professionals who work to elevate and differentiate the Marquette brand via strategy and planning; brand management; media relations; internal communication; presidential communication; social media; issues and crisis management; advertising, digital and creative services; video; and editorial content, including the university’s flagship alumni publication, Marquette Magazine.  

Under Griffith’s leadership, Marquette’s marketing and communication team has been recognized for excellence, winning multiple National Collegiate Advertising awards, Circle of Excellence Awards from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education, and PRSA Southeastern Wisconsin Chapter Paragon Awards. In 2024, the university’s digital storytelling strategy was named a Ragan’s PR Daily award finalist. Marquette is ranked a top 55 most trusted higher education brand in the U.S. by Morning Consult and its social media is No. 5 in the country for higher education social media engagement by RivalIQ.  

During her nine years at Marquette, Griffith has been tapped for multiple university initiatives, including co-chairing the university’s Crisis Management Team, co-leading the university’s Convention Steering Committee ahead of Milwaukee hosting the Republican National Convention in 2024, and serving on Mission Priority Examen and presidential inauguration planning committees. 

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An engaged member of the Milwaukee community, Griffith serves on the board of directors of Menomonee Valley Partners and on the marketing committee of VISIT Milwaukee. She is a member of TEMPO Milwaukee and the Arthur W. Page Society, as well as the Marquette Mentors leadership council, on which she also serves as a mentor. She recently completed the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities’ 18-month Ignatian Colleagues Program for lay leaders.  

Griffith is a two-time graduate of Marquette, earning a Bachelor of Arts in public relations and writing intensive English and a Master of Business Administration. 

40 Under 40 honorees were selected based on the impact they have had in their jobs, in the community and on Southeast Wisconsin overall. The Milwaukee Business Journal reviewed hundreds of nominations to curate its 34th 40 Under 40 cohort. 

In addition to Griffith, seven alumni were named to the list: 

  • David Griggs, co-founder of One 5 Olive LLC 
  • Jordan Komp, senior principal and Milwaukee office director at Thornton Tomasetti Inc. 
  • Avery Mayne, attorney at von Briesen & Roper, s.c. 
  • Brian McClaren, principal of H. Knox Development Company 
  • Emily Tau, director of public affairs for Milwaukee County 
  • Jessica Shepherd, director of financial planning and analysis at Baird 
  • Mike Wanezek, partner at Colliers | Wisconsin 

The 40 Under 40 honorees will be celebrated in a forthcoming special edition of the Milwaukee Business Journal and at an awards presentation on Wednesday, March 11, at the Baird Center. 



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Minneapolis, MN

Prosecutors in DOJ’s Civil Rights Division will not investigate Minneapolis ICE shooting, sources say

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Prosecutors in DOJ’s Civil Rights Division will not investigate Minneapolis ICE shooting, sources say


Prosecutors in the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division were told they will not play a role in the ongoing investigation into a fatal shooting of a woman in Minneapolis by a federal immigration officer, according to two sources familiar with the matter.

Leadership in the Civil Rights Division, overseen by Harmeet Dhillon, informed staff in the division’s criminal section that there would not be an investigation, two sources said. Normally, after a high-profile incident involving a fatal shooting by an officer, attorneys from the criminal section fly out to the scene. Multiple career prosecutors offered to do so in this case, but they were told not to do so, one of the sources added. 

While investigations into the excessive use of force can be pursued solely by a U.S. Attorney’s office without direct involvement from the Civil Rights Division, it is customary for the division’s federal prosecutors to take the lead on high-profile investigations like the one in Minnesota.

The decision also raises questions about how far the FBI’s investigation into the shooting will go. 

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A Justice Department spokesperson declined to comment. 

On Thursday, the Justice Department announced that the FBI was leading the investigation into the fatal shooting of 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer.

Video footage shows the officer, identified in court records from a prior incident as Jonathan Ross, fired three rounds at the car as Good started to drive away.

The video also appeared to depict the officers did not take immediate steps to ensure that Good received emergency medical care after the shooting took place. A separate video from the scene showed officers stopping a man who claimed to be a doctor from moving toward Good. 

The killing has sparked protests nationwide, including in New York, Miami, Los Angeles and Detroit.

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Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has argued that Ross was acting in self-defense, and claimed that Good was trying to use her car as a weapon in an act of “domestic terrorism.”

That description sparked immediate backlash from state and city officials, with the mayor of Minneapolis labeling the self-defense claims as “bulls***.”

On Friday, Trump administration officials shared another cellphone video of the incident that sources say was recorded by the ICE officer. The White House argues this video shows Ross was hit by Good’s car.

The Justice Department has stopped short of claiming Ross was acting in self-defense. 

But in a statement to CBS News this week, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said that the use of deadly force by law enforcement officials can sometimes be justified.

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“Federal agents risk their lives each day to safeguard our communities. They must make decisions, under dynamic and chaotic circumstances, in less time than it took to read this sentence,” Blanche said.

“The law does not require police to gamble with their lives in the face of a serious threat of harm. Rather, they may use deadly force when they face an immediate threat of significant physical harm,” he added.

The criminal section of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division specializes in investigating and prosecuting constitutional violations by law enforcement officers. 

Some of the most common investigations involve excessive use of force, but can also include other things such as sexual misconduct, false arrests or deliberate indifference to serious medical needs.

One of the most famous civil rights prosecutions by the section in recent years took place in Minneapolis, after former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin murdered George Floyd in May 2020.

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Chauvin pleaded guilty to willfully depriving, while acting under color of law, Floyd’s constitutional rights, as well as the rights of a 14-year-old boy.

Since President Trump took office last year, the Civil Rights Division has scaled back its work on excessive force prosecutions, according to legal experts. 

Last year, it sought to downplay the conviction of a former Louisville police officer who was convicted of violating Breonna Taylor’s civil rights and asked a federal judge to sentence him to serve just one day in prison.

The judge ultimately sentenced him to serve 33 months.

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Indianapolis, IN

Indianapolis Colts highest and lowest PFF grades on offense in 2025

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Indianapolis Colts highest and lowest PFF grades on offense in 2025



These Colts’ players on offense received the highest and lowest PFF grades over the 2025 NFL season.

With the Indianapolis Colts’ season now behind us, let’s take a look at which players on offense received the highest and lowest grades from Pro Football Focus.

Below is a look at PFF’s grading system for some context. While this metric is very helpful when it comes to quantifying a player’s performance, PFF’s grading system isn’t the be-all and end-all either. It is one metric out of many that are out there.

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  • 90.0+: Elite
  • 80-89.9: High quality
  • 70-79.9: Good
  • 60-69.9: Above average
  • 50-59.9: Average
  • 40-49.9: Below average
  • 39.9 or less: Poor

Now, here are the Colts’ five highest graded players on offense from the 2025 NFL season.

Colts’ five highest graded players for 2025 season

  • LG Quenton Nelson: 84.5
  • C Tanor Bortolini: 82.6
  • LT Bernhard Raimann: 82.0
  • WR Alec Pierce: 79.3
  • RB Jonathan Taylor

In both pass-blocking efficiency and run-blocking grade, Nelson was one of the highest-rated guards in all of football by PFF’s metrics. Bortolini wasn’t credited with allowing any sacks, but what really boosted his overall grade was his performance as a run-blocker.

Raimann was steady across the board, grading out very well as both a run blocker and pass blocker.

Pierce led the Colts in receiving, totaling over 1,000 yards, and he also led the NFL in yards per catch. Taylor was the NFL’s second-leading rusher this season.

Colts’ three lowest graded players in 2025

  • OL Dalton Tucker: 39.3
  • QB Phillip Rivers: 51.0
  • WR Anthony Gould: 52.0

Tucker’s pass-blocking grade is what brought down his overall grade. He allowed eight pressures and two sacks in just 86 pass-blocking snaps.

Remember at the beginning of this I said take these grades with a grain of salt? Rivers’ grade is an example of that. Overall, he provided the Colts’ with stability at quarterback and kept them in games. However, the late interceptions and lack of explosive plays brought his grade down.

Gould has a very small sample size to pull from, but of his two receptions, he generated just six yards of offense.



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