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Jewish prosecutors in blue city blow whistle on alleged antisemitism in DA's office

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Jewish prosecutors in blue city blow whistle on alleged antisemitism in DA's office

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A growing number of deputy district attorneys in Los Angeles says they have concerns about antisemitism in the office after months of silence on the issue from their boss, which culminated in clashes between anti-Israel agitators and counterprotesters outside a synagogue in a heavily Jewish neighborhood in the city.

Violence erupted outside the Adas Torah synagogue on Pico Boulevard last week, prompting condemnations from a range of prominent Democrats, including President Biden, California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass.

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But according to a number of Los Angeles prosecutors, there was notable silence from the district attorney tasked with prosecuting criminal acts in connection to the clashes: George Gascon.

VIOLENCE BREAKS OUT AFTER ANTI-ISRAEL AGITATORS SURROUND LA SYNAGOGUE, CLASH WITH ISRAEL SUPPORTERS

LAPD officers clash with anti-Israel protesters outside the Adas Torah synagogue in Los Angeles on June 23, 2024. (DAVID SWANSON/AFP via Getty Images)

“I hate going to work and entering a building where I feel like my boss will treat me differently simply because I’m Jewish, and that’s how I feel and many others feel,” said Brian Schirn, a veteran prosecutor helming the DA’s narcotics division.

Key issues Schirn and other deputy district attorneys brought up were Gascon’s slow response to Hamas’ Oct. 7 terror attack on Israel; his endorsements from local political groups accused of antisemitism, including the People’s City Council, a group dubbed “blatantly antisemitic” by the American Jewish Council’s Los Angeles chapter; and the fact that between a third and half of the nearly two dozen whistleblower retaliation lawsuits filed by fellow deputy district attorneys come from Jewish plaintiffs.

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BIDEN ‘APPALLED’ BY VIOLENCE AT LA SYNAGOGUGE, BUT DOJ WON’T SAY IF IT’S SEEKING CHARGES

They say he took an aggressive posture after pro-Israel counterprotesters joined the Adas Torah clashes, but not against the antisemitic mob that kicked things off. They say Jewish prosecutors have been passed over for more than a dozen promotions to prominent head deputy positions. And they say Gascon only addressed Hamas’ bloody Oct. 7 rampage in Israel after a letter from more than 130 employees asked him to do so.

Israel supporters clash with anti-Israel protesters blocking access to the Adas Torah synagogue in Los Angeles on June 23, 2024. (DAVID SWANSON/AFP via Getty Images)

In his response to the petition, he did not mention Hamas or use the term “antisemitism,” but in a statement to Fox News Digital, Gascon’s office condemned antisemitism by name and “all forms of hatred.”

“The District Attorney’s Office condemns all forms of hatred, including antisemitism and takes allegations of discrimination seriously,” a spokesperson told Fox News Digital. “Any suggestion that the DA’s Office is sympathetic to organizations that promote hatred, discrimination, violence, or terrorism is unfounded. Our approach to prosecuting demonstrations and counterprotests is driven solely by the principles of law and justice, without any bias toward any group.”

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WATCH: Biden DOJ pressured to prosecute violent LA synagogue attackers

According to one of the retaliation lawsuits, Deputy District Attorney Amy Pentz, who is Jewish, was invited to join the office’s “Equity Action Team.” After just one meeting, in which she thanked the panel for including her and said she was concerned about antisemitism, she was kicked out of the group “under the pretext that there were too many lawyers” on the panel, according to court documents.

Another deputy DA suing over alleged retaliation is John Lewin, a veteran cold case prosecutor who recently came home from leave early to help with a murder trial.

LA INTERNAL AFFAIRS WATCHDOG ACCUSES LEFTIST BOSS OF HIDING FACTS TO THWART SHERIFF’S REELECTION

Pro-Israel and anti-Israel protesters argue opposing views near the Adas Torah synagogue on June 23, 2024, in Los Angeles. (Zoe Cranfill / Los Angeles Times via AP)

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“I have no idea what George Gascon personally believes, but from what I can tell, he doesn’t personally believe anything other than what will further his political ambition,” said Lewin, who is Jewish. “Whether he is antisemitic in his heart, I have no idea. But the people around him and the groups that support him absolutely are.”

He said he takes issue with Gascon seeming to dismiss allegations against anti-Israel protesters who camped out at UCLA before allegedly saying he’d go after counterprotesters “to the fullest extent of the law.”

Video of the synagogue standoff shows anti-Israel protesters and counterprotesters brawling. At one point, a woman could be seen on the ground curled up in a fetal position as a mob kicks her while she’s down.

George Gascón stands next to Tiffiny Blacknell. (Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office)

“The fact that he would outwardly say that he would treat cases with Jewish suspects with the full force of the law, and on the other hand talk about how he wasn’t going to do anything to protesters, is shameful and an overt sign of antisemitism,” Schirn said. “And everything he’s done from the endorsements he’s accepted with people that are so vocally full of Jewish hate through his actions as district attorney are appalling, and the public needs to know so that when they vote, they’re informed as to what this district attorney will and will not do.” 

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Gascon’s challenger in the upcoming election, Nathan Hochman, argued that the incumbent’s silence on antisemitic protests on college campuses and outside the Adas Torah synagogue sends the wrong signal to people behind them.

“Vile and reprehensible” speech is protected by the First Amendment, he said, but rioting, violence and hate crimes are not.

And when words transition into illegal conduct, it’s the DA’s responsibility to do something about it, he added.

“You had President Biden weighing in on the Adas Torah synagogue Sunday, Gov. Newsom calling it appalling, Mayor Bass calling it abhorrent,” Hochman told Fox News Digital. “But one person was missing, the person in charge of all prosecutions, all felony prosecutions – the district attorney. His staying silent in the background, not just in connection with this incident, emboldens criminals,” Hochman said.

Joseph Iniguez, George Gascon, Richard Ceballos and Rachel Rossi attend Reform L.A. Jails Summit + Day Party: Mental Health Matters on Nov. 9, 2019 in Pasadena, California. (Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Patrisse Cullors)

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Gascon’s office denied allegations of antisemitism and said it was working to expand the Equity Action Team once again.

“Regarding promotions and representation within our office, we are dedicated to a fair and transparent process that values the qualifications and contributions of all our employees,” the statement continued. “We are actively working to ensure that our equity and diversity panel reflects the broad spectrum of our community, including Jewish representation.”

Hochman countered that the highest levels of the DA’s office are filled with unqualified personnel.

Police in riot gear are seen trying to restore order at the scene of a violent altercation between supporters and opponents of Israel outside the Adas Torah synagogue in Los Angeles. (Getty Images)

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Gascon’s No. 2 is Chief Deputy DA Joseph Iniguez, who can be seen in recently released video footage arguing with police as they tried to conduct a field sobriety test on this then-fiance. His former No. 3, Diana Teran, is facing 11 felony charges. And his chief of staff, Tiffiny Blacknell, is a former public defender who has been criticized for calling for an end to prisons, calling police “barbarians” and claiming to have been a looter during the 1992 Rodney King riots while bashing “Westside White liberals.”

“The fact that these three people who lead the DA’s office under Gascon are either unqualified, underqualified or right now being charged with criminal conduct is an indication of the catastrophic incompetence by which Gascon has run that office,” Hochman told Fox News Digital. “And if you add in the 20-plus lawsuits of people he has retaliated against, it just helps cement the truth that Gascon does not deserve to be the DA and can’t actually function as an effective DA.”

Fox News’ Bradford Betz contributed to this report.

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Colorado

Winter Park to host free rooftop celebration honoring Colorado 150

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Winter Park to host free rooftop celebration honoring Colorado 150


Winter Park will celebrate Colorado’s 150th anniversary of statehood and the nation’s upcoming 250th anniversary with musical performances and a drone show.

Hosted by the Town of Winter Park, the celebration will take place Friday, July 17 on the rooftop parking structure adjacent to Cooper Creek Square. The venue will be transformed into an open-air gathering space featuring a performance stage, a drone show, a photo booth, food and beverage vendors and seating for attendees.

Live entertainment begins at 5 p.m. with the Jessica Jones Trio featuring Kory Montgomery and Tommy Shugart. Hazel Miller & the Collective, one of Colorado’s best-known live acts, will take the stage from 7:15 to 9 p.m.



The evening will conclude with a drone show from 9 to approximately 9:30 p.m., illuminating the sky in honor of Colorado’s sesquicentennial and America’s semiquincentennial.

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Guests are encouraged to explore the Cooper Creek Square Entertainment District before and during the event. Beverages purchased from participating businesses in the district may be brought to the rooftop, where additional beverage vendors and light snacks will also be available.



The free community celebration is supported by the Colorado Tourism Office and is part of the statewide America 250–Colorado 150 commemoration, which recognizes Colorado’s 150 years of statehood and the nation’s 250th anniversary in 2026. 





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Hawaii

New Honolulu police chief plans to launch drone program to help catch crime

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New Honolulu police chief plans to launch drone program to help catch crime


HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – The new Honolulu Police Department chief said he’s launching a new initiative to send drones to potential crime scenes before police arrive.

Honolulu Police Chief David Lazar said the Department of Law Enforcement is helping the department get the required equipment and personnel.

Officers would deploy a drone to a location to let them know what to expect.

Officials said this could tell them whether a suspect is still there or if evidence is recoverable.

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HPD Chief Lazar said, “Our officers need the tools that they need to do the work and to make their work efficient and to capture those that are involved in crime.”

Lazar says HPD will start using the drones in August throughout Honolulu.

The Honolulu Police Department has used drones in the past to combat against illegl fireworks on the island.

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Idaho

Boating, beaches, and mountain scenery: Escape to this bright blue Idaho reservoir

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Boating, beaches, and mountain scenery: Escape to this bright blue Idaho reservoir


An Idaho reservoir known for its bright blue waters, miles of open water for boating, and excellent Kokanee salmon fishing is just a short drive from Boise. Anderson Ranch Reservoir, located just northeast of Mountain Home, holds over 475,000 acre-feet of water — perfect for fishing, water skiing, and boating.  Here, visitors can enjoy about […]



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