“For all the naysayers, our numbers and more importantly, our insureds, tell a different story,” says Eric S. Poe, Esq., CPA, CEO of CURE. “The reforms really are working and working well.” Poe was confident that CURE could make a real difference to the residents of a state that had drivers paying the highest car insurance rates in the United States. “However, drivers need to shop around and rely less on their agents who are paid a commission on what consumers pay for insurance. The higher the rate, the more money the agent makes. At CURE, we do not use agents. That’s why Michiganders are flocking to our website. We are finding that 94% of drivers are selecting options under the new law with average savings of 40%, which reaffirms that the reforms are needed and working.”

Looking back to day one, Poe remembers, “One of the very first bound policies was for a mother and son in Pontiac, Michigan, who were previously paying $3,600 per year. Their rate dropped to $1,820. The next was a 52-year-old Detroit manager, who had been paying 55% more with his previous car insurance company.” Poe adds, “We could not be happier than what we’ve accomplished this past year and are even more excited about the difference we have made for thousands of Michigan families.”

Headquartered in Princeton, N.J., CURE auto insurance was heralded as the “cure” for the auto insurance no-fault crisis in New Jersey when it was founded in 1990. Specializing in no-fault insurance markets, CURE auto insurance insures over 85,000 vehicles and is licensed to do business New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Michigan.

More information can be found at cure.com or by calling 800-535-CURE.

Contact: Glori Gayster, The Daily Caller News Foundation

SOURCE CURE Auto Insurance

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By Selena Li and Clare Jim

HONG KONG – Chinese property developer Shimao Group has missed the interest and principal payment of a $1 billion offshore bond due on Sunday, in the latest blow to China’s embattled property market.

The non-repayment was the first missed public offshore payment for the Shanghai-based developer. With an outstanding $6.1 billion international bonds, Shimao is the sixth largest issuer among Chinese developers, according to Refinitiv.

China’s property sector has been hit by a series of defaults on offshore debt obligations, highlighted by China Evergrande Group, once the country’s top-selling developer but now the world’s most indebted property company.

Three of the top five issuers – Evergrande, Kaisa Group and Sunac China – have already defaulted their dollar bonds.

Shimao was unable to pay a total of $1.02 billion in principal and interest to creditors of the 4.75% senior notes, the developer said in a Sunday filing on the Hong Kong bourse, citing “market uncertainties over debt refinancing” and “challenging operating and funding conditions”.

It added that it also did not make principal payments under certain other offshore indebtedness, without giving details.

The developer has not received notice of acceleration of repayment from its lenders, it said, suggesting the debtholders have not moved to take enforcement actions.

Shimao hired Admiralty Harbour Capital as its financial adviser and Sidley Austin its legal adviser to help assess and explore ways to manage the liquidity crisis.

Meanwhile, creditors of its two syndicated loans have agreed to give the cash-strapped Chinese developer a breather.

Shimao said it had received written notice of support from the majority of the lenders of two syndicated loans agreed upon in 2018 and 2019, in which HSBC acted as the lead facilitator for dual currency loans.

The creditors, who are “generally supportive of the company continuing to explore the possibility of an agreement and implementation of a potential restructuring with its relevant stakeholders”, were willing to allow Shimao to continue to run the business with minimum disruption, according to the filing.

Shimao’s bond in question traded at 12.141 cents on the dollar on Friday, according to Duration Finance.

Shimao has been extending its debt obligations onshore and disposing of assets to raise fund, while its contracted sales in the first five months dropped 72% from a year ago.

(Reporting by Selena Li and Clare Jim; Editing by Louise Heavens and Edmund Blair)

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By Anna Mehler Paperny

TORONTO – Health authorities across Canada have cut the hours of hospital emergency departments and urgent care clinics in recent weeks, a move that in some cases may extend through the summer, due to a surge in patients and staff shortages.

The situation, clinicians say, is tied to a resurgence of viral infections such as COVID-19 among adults and children and a push by others to seek care delayed by the pandemic, and exacerbated by the high number of healthcare workers who are sick or burned out.

The strain has led to scenes of clogged hospital hallways and overflowing clinic waiting rooms, hours-long waits for inpatient care and occupancy rates of more than 100% at children’s hospitals. It also has rekindled debate about systemic problems in the government-funded healthcare system.

On Thursday, the Perth and Smiths Falls District Hospital in eastern Ontario announced that its emergency department in Perth would be closed from Saturday to Thursday due to a COVID-19 outbreak affecting its staffing.

“It’s like the four horsemen of the apocalypse all descending on us in health care at once,” said Alan Drummond, a family and emergency physician based in the town, which is home to about 6,000 people.

Drummond, who spoke with Reuters before the closure was announced, sees patients waiting 20 hours to be admitted, a situation that can lead to a deterioration in their condition or even medical errors. He blames the situation on years of inadequate funding of hospital beds and community care.

While hospitals in small towns and cities in Canada do sometimes reduce their hours, it is rarer for regional health hubs to do so.

Ontario’s health ministry would not say how many hospitals in the province, Canada’s most populous, are affected by partial or temporary closures, but said it has taken measures to address the issue, including retaining nurses and other healthcare workers.

“Sometimes hospitals must make the difficult decision to close their emergency departments temporarily so that operations can continue throughout the rest of the hospital,” a ministry spokesperson said.

Hospitals in Quebec, the country’s second-largest province, New Brunswick and Manitoba also have partially shut departments or temporarily cut hours for anywhere from a couple of weeks to a number of months, according to statements from the hospitals.

In Kingston, Ontario, the Hotel Dieu Hospital’s Urgent Care Clinic reduced its hours over the Canada Day long weekend. A spokesperson for the Kingston Health Science Centre described the move, which began on Friday, as a planned one-time reduction, but added it was expected that “staffing shortages and the current surge in patient volumes will continue throughout the summer.”

Children have been hard hit by the healthcare crunch as youngsters with no prior exposure to a number of viruses succumbed to illness during the spring as many people abandoned face masks used to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

The Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario in Ottawa, the nation’s capital, ran at between 110% and 120% capacity for weeks in May and early June. Occupancy was a record high for the month of May, a spokesperson said.

Low staffing and surging patient loads is “kind of like that perfect storm,” said Katharine Smart, a pediatrician who is the president of the Canadian Medical Association.

FUNDING DEBATE

Canada has the fourth-lowest number of funded acute care beds per capita among countries in the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, according to the OECD https://www.oecd.org/coronavirus/en/data-insights/hospital-beds-acute-care, and the Commonwealth Fund ranked https://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/fund-reports/2021/aug/mirror-mirror-2021-reflecting-poorly#rank Canada’s health system second-last among 11 rich countries.

Some blame underfunding of the healthcare system dating back to the 1990s, when Canada’s federal government cut spending to get the country’s deficit under control.

Others, such as the right-leaning Fraser Institute https://www.fraserinstitute.org/studies/understanding-universal-health-care-reform-options-cost-sharing-for-patients, say the government-funded system itself is the root cause of the problems, suggesting moving toward a privately-paid model.

Canada may have little time to waste.

Rami Rahal, a vice president at the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer, said there is a danger that cancer illness and deaths could worsen in the country due to lengthy periods in which screening was skipped or delayed and treatment postponed.

“We can’t hire our way out of this crisis,” he said. “We have to find innovative ways of delivering care.”

(Reporting by Anna Mehler Paperny; Editing by Paul Simao)

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TRENTON, NJ – New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy has signed two bills that make the Garden State America’s first codified abortion sanctuary state. New Jersey is already an illegal immigration sanctuary state and the soft of crime bail reform laws and prisoner release actions by the governor also make it a criminal sanctuary state.

This week, Murphy signed two bills that protect the rights of doctors, medical professionals, businesses, and those seeking to travel to New Jersey for an abortion.

The move comes after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe vs. Wade, returning the abortion legislation powers back to the states, which benefits New Jersey’s right to become an abortion sanctuary state, as the decision intended.

“While others throughout the country are revoking a woman’s right to reproductive freedom, New Jersey will continue to defend this fundamental right in our state,” said Governor Murphy. “By bolstering protections against potential repercussions for both health care professionals and patients, we are sending a message to all who seek or provide reproductive health care within our borders that we welcome and support you. These laws represent our commitment to standing by a woman’s right to make her own decisions about her body, and will serve to make our state a beacon of freedom to every woman in America.”

“While the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs may be among the most devastating and profoundly wrong rulings in American history, it will not stop us from using every available tool to continue protecting the right to choose,” said Acting Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin. “These two critical laws further our commitment to protecting abortion rights for New Jersey residents and anyone else who comes to our State seeking care. These laws also provide critical protections for health care providers and for patients’ privacy. I am grateful for Governor Murphy’s commitment to protecting women’s rights and reproductive freedom, and I am grateful to the Legislature for passing these important bills.”

The state provided the following information in a press release on Friday:

The legislation establishes protections for patients and providers.  For patients, the legislation helps ensure residents of other states who seek reproductive health care in New Jersey can access confidential care without fear of prosecution.  For providers, the legislation insulates healthcare practitioners from New Jersey-initiated disciplinary actions based on the provision of reproductive health care, including abortion, that is legal in New Jersey.

The first bill (A-3975/S-2633) would generally prevent the disclosure of a patient’s medical records related to reproductive health care without their consent in any civil, probate, legislative or administrative proceeding. It would also prohibit public entities and employees from cooperating with interstate investigations aiming to hold someone liable for seeking, receiving, facilitating, or providing reproductive health care services that are legal in New Jersey.

It would further protect providers by prohibiting New Jersey licensing boards from suspending, revoking, or refusing to renew the license or registration of a professional based solely on their involvement in the provision of reproductive health care services.

The second bill (A-3974/S-2642) would prevent the extradition of an individual within New Jersey to another state for receiving, providing, or facilitating reproductive health care services that are legal in New Jersey.

Primary sponsors of both bills include Senators Nia Gill, Nellie Pou, and Gordon Johnson, and Assembly members Lisa Swain, Mila Jasey, and Raj Mukherji.

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LAKEWOOD, NJ – A Lakewood man involved in a crash on Pine Street on June 25th exited his vehicle and carjacked the other vehicle involved in the crash. At around 6 pm, Lakewood police responded to the area of Pine Street for a motor vehicle crash. Witnesses said a driver involved in the crash stole the other vehicle and fled the scene. Police eventually captured John Ayala, 43, of Lakewood and charged him.

At this time, Ayala is not lodged in the Ocean County Jail.

Shore News Network has been covering the Five Towns NJ, including Lakewood, Brick, Toms River, Jackson and Howell Since 2008! Here’s what else is going on in the 5 Towns NJ area.

Read More Five Towns NJ News.

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LAKEWOOD, NJ – On Saturday night, a Lakewood man who went missing earlier in the day in the community was found. In response, a multi-volunteer agency search conducted by Hatzolah, Chaveirim, Shomrim, and the Lakewood Civilian Safety Watch was launched that scoured the area for the man. Later in the evening, a search party member located the man in a wooded area of the township.

The man was described as a 40-year-old male. Before going missing, he was last seen earlier in the afternoon at around 2:30 pm after leaving a local kiddush he had attended.

“Last night at about 7 pm Lakewood Shomrim Received a call in regards to missing persons, our members immediately responded, at about 11:30 pm the missing adult male was located safely,” LCSW said in a social media post.

Shore News Network has been covering the Five Towns NJ, including Lakewood, Brick, Toms River, Jackson and Howell Since 2008! Here’s what else is going on in the 5 Towns NJ area.

Read More Five Towns NJ News.

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BALTIMORE, MD – A Baltimore man has been arrested for the attempted murder of a 31-year-old man on June 15th. Police Department investigators believe Dreshwan Scott shot was the man who pulled the trigger. On June 30, 2022, detectives arrested and transported Dreshawn Scott to Central Booking Intake Facility, where he was charged with attempted 1st-degree murder.

On June 15, 2022, at approximately 8:27 p.m., Southwest District officers walking foot patrol came upon a shooting victim in the 4100 block of Frederick Avenue.

When officers arrived at the scene, they located a 31-year-old man suffering from gunshot wounds. Officers rendered aid, applied tourniquets, and summoned medics. The victim was transported to an area hospital for treatment.

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PHILADELPHIA, PA – A 17-year-old was shot and killed last Tuesday and today, police have released a photo of the suspect in hopes that the public can help them identify the gunman.

“The Philadelphia Police Department Homicide Unit is looking to identify the individual, depicted in the following surveillance video excerpts, as part of an ongoing investigation into the Homicide of a 17-year-old male, that occurred on Tuesday, June 22nd, 2021, at about 6:46 PM, in the 1200 block of S. 58th Street. The suspect is observed turning onto S. 58th Street from Cobbs Creek Parkway prior to the shooting, and after shooting the decedent, is last seen running Westbound from S. 58th Street onto Thomas Avenue,” the agency said.

The suspect is described as having medium-brown skin complexion, of medium build, and wearing a red hooded sweatshirt with a white design on the chest, light blue knee length shorts with dark blue and white accent stripes at the bottom, and the waist and grey athletic type shoes and white socks. The suspect was also wearing a white in color Covid-type mask.

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PHILADELPHIA, PA – The Philadelphia police department is not giving up its investigation into a murder that occurred last December.

The Philadelphia Police Department Homicide Unit is looking to identify the individual, depicted in the following surveillance video excerpts, as part of an ongoing investigation into the homicide by shooting of a 22-year-old male, that occurred on Tuesday, December 21st, 2021, at about 6:21 PM, in the 900 block of W. Rockland Street. He was last observed running north on N. Hutchinson Street from W. Rockland Street, armed with a handgun equipped with a weapon mounted flashlight.

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JACKSON TOWNSHIP, NJ – You might recognize the name. Captain Steven Laskiewicz has served for years as the Jackson Township Police Department’s public information officer, informing residents daily about what’s happening in town. This week, Laskiewicz retired. Joining him was Lt. Frank Mendez who was part of the post Superstorm Sandy team deployed to secure the barrier island in the wake of the storm.

The Jackson Police Department issued the following statement regarding their retirements:

Members of the Jackson Police Department along with family and friends of Captain Steven Laskiewicz #211 and Lieutenant Francisco Mendez #224 came out to headquarters on the afternoon of June 30th to congratulate both in a walk out ceremony on their retirement from the agency.

Capt. Laskiewicz was raised in Sayreville and was a graduate of Sayreville War Memorial High School. He attended Middlesex County College and completed an electrician apprenticeship with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers local #358

Capt. Laskiewicz started his career as an Auxiliary Police Officer with the Sayreville Police Department in 1994 and attended the Middlesex County Auxiliary Police Academy. In 1995, Captain Laskiewicz received a notice of appointment to attend the Los Angeles Police Academy and was scheduled to move to California but chose to remain in New Jersey where he was appointed as a police officer with Monroe Twp in 1996. Capt. Laskiewicz was later hired and appointed as a police officer with Jackson Police in July of 1996.

During his tenure with the agency, Capt. Laskiewicz was assigned to the 4-12 patrol shift where he also later served with the department’s Special Response Team, and as a Field Training Officer and was involved in updating the FTO program in the early 2000s

In February of 2005 he was assigned to the Ocean County Narcotics Strike Force before returning to Jackson Police in June of 2005 where he was promoted to the rank of Sergeant.

During this time, he was assigned to the midnight shift as the patrol sergeant. Capt. Laskiewicz was later transferred to the afternoon shift as a patrol sergeant in 2006. In 2008 he began instructing the agency in Use of Force during annual in-service training.

In November of 2011, Capt. Laskiewicz was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant where he oversaw the newly formed Office of Professional Standards.

A few years later, in November of 2015, Captain Laskiewicz was promoted to the rank of Captain and assigned as the Uniformed Services Division Commander before being assigned as the Investigative Services Division Commander in 2019. During his tenure he was proudly involved in the formation of the detective bureau’s newly formed Special Enforcement Unit.

From May 2021 through Oct. 2021, Captain Laskiewicz was assigned as full time Accreditation Manager and worked with Sgt. Dave Watson, P.O. Chris Schinder and multiple other officers as the agency worked to attain accredited status through the New Jersey State Association of Chiefs of Police, which was granted to the agency at the NJSACOP Accreditation meeting in October 2021.

January of 2022 saw Captain Laskiewicz return as Investigative Services Division Commander which was the position he finally retired from.

Detective Lieutenant Francisco Mendez was born In Brooklyn, NY and raised in Staten Island, NY

After graduating high school, D. Lt. Mendez enlisted in the U.S. Army, graduated basic training and advanced infantry training at Fort Benning, Georgia before going to his permanent duty station: Fort Ord, California with the 7th Infantry Division.

In 1989, he was deployed to the Republic of Panama. The 7th Infantry was instrumental in taking Manuel Noriega into U.S. custody and liberating Panama. D. Lt. Mendez was awarded the Combat Infantry Badge along with the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal and National Defense Service Medal.

D. Lt. Mendez started his law enforcement career at Brookdale College Police Department in 1993. In 1994, he became a Class II Special at Keansburg Police Department, before becoming a full time Police Officer for Keansburg Borough Police Department in 1996. During his time at Keansburg Borough Police Department, he worked as an undercover narcotics detective for two years with the Bayshore Narcotics Task Force.

In 2001, D. Lt. Mendez was hired by the Jackson Police Department. While in the patrol division, he was a Field Training Officer, advisor to the Jackson Police Explorer Post, member and later supervisor of the ATV patrol unit, member of the Jackson Police Special Response Team, and a member of the Ocean County Regional SWAT Team. He was also an instructor at the Ocean County Police Academy and an In-service training instructor at JPD for Use of Force and Arrest Search and Seizure

During his tenure, D. Lt. Mendez was recognized as the agency’s Officer of the Year in 2006 and again in 2009. He was additionally awarded four Unit Citations, Veteran’s Ribbon, Good Conduct Ribbon, Achievement Ribbon and Letter of Commendation. He was also honored by the Ocean County 200 Club for dealing with an armed emotionally disturbed person, taken into custody without injury to anyone.

In December of 2008, D. Lt. Mendez was assigned to the detective bureau where he served for numerous years before being promoted to the rank of Sergeant in 2011 and transferred back to the Patrol Division where he was later awarded Supervisor of the Year in 2015.

D. Lt. Mendez was then re-assigned to Investigative Services Division as Detective Sergeant in 2015 where he would remain as he was later promoted to the rank of Detective Lieutenant in 2021 which is the position he retired from. During his tenure, D. Lt. Mendez was instrumental in the agency’s hiring process, revamping the system which allowed the agency to hire professional candidates and police officers.

The members of the Jackson Police Department wish Captain Laskiewicz, Detective Lieutenant Mendez and their families the best as they enter the next phase of life being retired.

Sergeant Fred Meabe
Public Information Officer
Jackson Police Department
July 1, 2022

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ABSECON, NJ – According to the Absecon police, it was a busy night Michael Davis, 37, a local after a crime spree that ended at the Atlantic County jail.

“A man was arrested after victimizing numerous residents in the late hours Friday night. Officers were called to the Absecon Townhomes and Clayton Mill Run Apartment Complex where they discovered that a male had unlawfully entered a vehicle and two residences, as well as assaulted multiple victims,” police reported. “Responding officers learned that a man, while nude, approached a vehicle in the Absecon Townhomes parking lot; the vehicle was occupied by a juvenile driver. The man entered his vehicle, without permission, and ordered him to drive to the Clayton Mill Run apartment complex. There, the man assaulted the juvenile then fled from the vehicle with the juvenile’s cellular phone.”

Police said, once inside the apartment complex, Davis made entry into a residence occupied by an adult female and her two children. The residents were able to flee from their home, unharmed, while the suspect was inside.

“The suspect left the apartment then gained entry into another apartment at Clayton Mill Run after scaling a second story balcony. A woman and her infant child were inside. The suspect initiated an assault against the woman; however, she was able to fight him off. This caused the suspect to flee,” Absecon PD said in a statement. “The suspect fled the residence and went into hiding upon the arrival of police. A city officer located the suspect, identified as Michael Davis, 37, of Absecon. Davis refused to surrender and led the officer on a foot chase. The officer caught Davis and he was taken into custody.”

Davis was charged with Burglary (3 Counts), Aggravated Criminal Sexual Contact (3 Counts), Lewdness (3 Counts), Endangering the Welfare of a Child (2 Counts), Criminal Restraint, Theft from a Person, Hindering Apprehension, Obstruction, and Resisting Arrest.

Davis was lodged in the Atlantic County Justice Facility.

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LA VALLE, MD – Deputies arrested two out-of-state men driving westbound on Interstate 68 near mile marker 39 passing La Valle on Saturday. The Allegany County Sheriff’s Department said at about 1:05 pm, deputies initiated a traffic stop.

“Upon making contact with the occupants, Deputies developed probable cause to search the vehicle. During the course of their investigation, Deputies located a large quantity of suspected cocaine, crack cocaine, 3,4 Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), and marijuana. Additionally, Deputies located $4,715.00 in U.S. Currency,” the agency said in a statement. “All which was believed to be derived from the sale of controlled dangerous substances.”

Pursuant to the investigation, Deputies arrested and charged Gary Garfield Layne of Lawrenceville GA, with on multiple drug charges. Also arrested and on the scene was Rasheen Nathan Henry of Brooklyn NY, who was charged with similar drug charges.

Both subjects were transported to the Allegany County Detention Center to await their initial appearance before a District Court Commissioner.

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ANDERSON: Disney Overdosed On Wokeness. You’d Think They’d Know Better By Now

Brad Anderson on July 2, 2022

Disney’s mouse is staying in his house. In a surprise move, Disney’s Board of Directors unanimously voted this week to extend CEO Bob Chapek’s contract for an additional three years, paying him $2.5 million per year in base salary and at least $20 million in stock.

Talk about failing up. Disney’s board is rewarding Chapek for destroying shareholder value through his controversial political activism. “Bob is the right leader at the right time for The Walt Disney Company, and the Board has full confidence in him and his leadership team,” said Susan Arnold, chairman of the board. That’s cold comfort for Disney shareholders, including millions of American retirees, who have been victimized by his woke positions which the board chose to ignore.

Disney’s board should have stood up for shareholders and held Chapek accountable for not fulfilling his responsibility to them. Doing so would have landed a significant blow against woke capitalism and put corporate CEOs across the country on notice that they can’t put their personal political opinions above shareholders.

This spring, Chapek decided to wade into the culture wars by vocally opposing a Florida law that prevents teachers from discussing sexual orientation and transgender issues with kindergartners. He said the bill “should never have been passed” and called it a “challenge to basic human rights.”

Backlash was swift. Consumers launched boycotts and protests, and many canceled their Disney+ streaming subscriptions. Florida’s legislature abolished Disney’s special self-governing status that had saved the company tens of millions of dollars annually. In the U.S. Congress, Rep. Jim Banks promised to oppose extending Mickey Mouse’s lucrative copyright, which expires next year.

Disney’s share price has fallen by approximately one-third since Chapek’s goofy comments versus about 12% for the broader market. This plunging stock performance is especially painful to savers and retirees on fixed incomes who are contending with the highest inflation in 41 years. The prices they pay on everyday items are rising while their 401(k) accounts are falling.

Disney’s woke implosion also threatens the company’s broader stakeholders, including its employees, customers and communities. They may have to pay for Chapek’s unforced error in the form of reduced job opportunities, higher prices and reduced economic activity.

Disney is only one of many household companies that have recently engaged in woke capitalism by speaking out on contentious political issues that do not affect their bottom lines. Last year, for instance, numerous major companies such as Coca-Cola and Delta Airlines vocally opposed a Georgia state law that aligns its voting standards with those in other states. Their politicking caused Major League Baseball to move its All-Star Game from Atlanta to Denver, costing local businesses roughly $100 million in lost economic activity.

Fortunately, woke capitalism may have reached its high-water mark. Thanks to recent pushback from new organizations sticking up for shareholder interests, such as the Boardroom Initiative, which I co-chair, CEOs seem to be having second thoughts about engaging on divisive social issues.

Observe the relatively muted corporate reaction to the recent Supreme Court decision overturning Roe vs. Wade. Most major companies — even those with a history of making political statements — haven’t vocally opposed the ruling.

Many companies are rightly being advised by their PR firms to stay silent. An executive from a subsidiary of the PR giant Edelman warned corporate clients “not take a stance” on this issue, explaining: “This topic is a textbook’ 50/50′ issue. Subjects that divide the country can sometimes be no-win situations for companies because regardless of what they do they will alienate at least 15 to 30 percent of their stakeholders.” CEOs should heed this advice for all political issues and stick to focusing on running their business.

Hopefully, other companies have learned a valuable lesson from Chapek’s woke fail, even if the Disney boss has ducked the mousetrap on this occasion.

Brad Anderson is co-chair of the Boardroom Initiative, former CEO and Vice Chairman of Best Buy, and a member of Job Creators Network.

The views and opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and do not reflect the official position of the Daily Caller News Foundation.

Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact Daily Caller News Foundation

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HAMMER: Here’s How States Can Help Conservatives Secure Even More Legal Victories

Josh Hammer on July 2, 2022

America is currently in the midst of a broader political realignment. The political Left, which once upon a time purported to stand for the forgotten “little guy” against the titans of Big Business, has in recent years decided that Big Business is actually an ally of convenience in its long Gramsci-an “march” through the institutions. Chris Rufo has perhaps demonstrated this trend better than anyone else.

And the political Right, whose once-instinctive neoliberal proclivities made it a convenient ally for Big Business, is currently rethinking its approach to political economy in general, as well as its specific relationship to culturally leftist multinational corporations. The most tangible recent expression of this rethinking has been Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis’ crippling punishment of The Walt Disney Company for its coming out on behalf of sexually grooming innocent children in the Sunshine State.

The times, as Bob Dylan once sang, are a-changin’.

But as conservatives (prudentially) begin to pursue a more litigious agenda to rein in the corporate oligarchs who hate us and seek to subjugate us, like Amazon, the onus will shift a bit to an area of under-deserved attention: judicial economy.

Specifically, if conservatives want to better ensure our meritorious legal challenges to woke tyranny stand out and are not dismissed out-of-hand, it becomes important to better screen for, and weed out, frivolous lawsuits — and frivolous tort-related lawsuits, specifically. Each frivolous tort suit grinds the gears of the already-overly taxed judicial system, and detracts scarce time, attention and resources away from genuine concerns.

Consider, for example, the proliferation of noxious “public nuisance” tort litigation, which I have previously detailed elsewhere. Thankfully, the Oklahoma Supreme Court pulled the rug out from public nuisance litigation advocates in an important ruling last fall. Or consider the well-known proliferation of medical malpractice litigation in the United States; there are estimated to be roughly 20,000 malpractice lawsuits filed in the country each year, the majority of which are frivolous.

The cumulative effect of the metastasis of these types of frivolous litigation is to gum up the works and make it more difficult for targeted, prudential litigation against worthy targets. Some of that litigation would entail the more realistic, prudential use of antitrust against the overly powerful, and overly woke, Silicon Valley oligarchs who control our 21st-century public square.

And some of that strategic litigation would entail class-action consumer fraud litigation if, and when, Big Tech companies violate their terms of service agreements.

The net effect of such litigation should be as a deterrent effect against woke corporate actors who want to use corporate power to make half the population bend the knee. We need to fight back. But our task is only made more difficult by the proliferation of genuinely frivolous lawsuits.

Reform is thus necessary. But that takes time. In the interim, some companies are trying their best to ward off blatantly spurious lawsuits from self-interested lawyers simply hoping to gum up the works and bring home some extra bacon. One creative legal strategy, from the state where I used to practice law, is the so-called Texas Two-Step.

Under the Texas Business Organizations Code, a company can split in two, wherein one entity will receive all liabilities with limited assets for tort victims and the other, larger entity can insulate its assets from the liabilities. Since the new, smaller entity will not have enough of its own assets to cover all liabilities, it can file for bankruptcy, shifting the case from civil to bankruptcy court. Such a tactic thus helps clear the civil docket, amounting to a win not merely for the frivolously sued defendant, but also for judicial economy more broadly.

Tort lawyers, who still usually tend to be political progressives, tend to hate these sort of strategies. And if progressives are skeptical of such defensive maneuvers as the Texas Two-Step, they should work with conservatives to effectuate real, longer-lasting reforms.

But if stopgap measures are what it takes to free up bandwidth on the docket to focus on more pressing legal matters, such as antitrust suits and even consumer fraud suits against Big Tech, then so be it. More states should consider dancing to the beat of the Texas Two-Step.

Josh Hammer is Newsweek opinion editor, host of “The Josh Hammer Show,” a syndicated columnist, and a research fellow with the Edmund Burke Foundation. Twitter: @josh_hammer.

The views and opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and do not reflect the official position of the Daily Caller News Foundation.

Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact Daily Caller News Foundation

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YONKERS, NY – 22-year-old William Pryor was arrested for the March 3rd murder of a man in Yonkers.

According to police, officers and detectives responded to 284 Riverdale Avenue in Yonkers, for a report of a person who had been shot.

“Upon arrival, Police units found a male, later identified as Marquis Muniz, 29, of Yonkers, NY, deceased in the apartment with several apparent gunshot wounds. A crime scene was established and a homicide investigation was commenced,” police reported. “The investigation revealed that Muniz had a roommate, Pryor, and that a dispute ensued leading to Muniz being shot. It was also determined that pryor allegedly stole Muniz’s phone during the incident.”

Police eventually caught up with Pryor with the help of the Peekskill Police Department and the United States Marshall’s Service when they spotted Pryor leaving a residence in Montrose. He was arrested without incident and indicted for murder.

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NEW YORK, NY – It was grand theft auto last week on Humbolt Street in Brooklyn when two men stole a scooter owned by a 59-year-old m an. The incident happened June 24th at around 3:45 am at 845 Humbolt Street. The two men took the man’s scooter and fled, but not before being captured by a nearby surveillance video camera. The scooter is valued at over $3,000, and they are now facing grand theft larcey charges if captured.

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TOMS RIVER, NJ – A Toms River police officer who was injured in a crash while riding his police motorcycle has been released from the hospital and is continuing to recover from his injuries. Investigators now suspect a substance in the roadway attributed to the single-vehicle crash.

On Thursday, at around 1:30 pm, the Lakewood Township Police responded to the area of New Hampshire Avenue and Route 70 for a report of a Toms River Police Department Motorcycle that was involved in a crash.

“An investigation by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office, Lakewood Township Police Department and Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit determined that a Toms River Police Officer, who was on duty and operating his department-issued motorcycle, was traveling eastbound on Route 70 and entered the on-ramp to continue onto New Hampshire Avenue,” Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer said. “Shortly after entering the on-ramp, the Officer lost traction with the road surface and dropped to the roadway. In the process, the Officer was ejected from the motorcycle. The Officer was air-lifted to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune. The Officer was treated for his injuries and released.”

“This appears to be an accident caused by a substance on the roadway that caused the Officer to lose traction and subsequently – control of the motorcycle. We are thankful that the Officer involved was treated and released and should make a full recovery,” Prosecutor Billhimer stated.

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LINDEN, NJ – Police in Linden participated in a statewide crackdown against fentanyl dealers that led to the arrest of three Linden residents as part of a statewide anti-narcotics operation.

Search and arrest warrants were executed on June 20th in the pre-dawn hours on across the State in Phillipsburg, Middlesex Borough and on homes in Linden on the 1100 block of Charles Street and the 1000 block of Hussa Street, according to Assistant Prosecutors Peter DeRose and Megan Tomlinson, who are prosecuting the case,” police said. “Approximately 100 grams of raw fentanyl, hundreds of items of drug paraphernalia and packaging materials, two handguns and over $4,000 in cash was seized during the operation.

Police said the arrests were the culmination of a three month investigation by multiple agencies.

  • Jawwaad Butler, 43 of Phillipsburg, who was charged with first-degree leader of a narcotics trafficking network and third-degree conspiracy to distribute a controlled dangerous substance (CDS).
  • Justin Williams, 42 of Middlesex Borough, who was charged with second-degree possession with of fentanyl with the intent to distribute, third-degree conspiracy to distribute a controlled dangerous substance, third-degree possession of controlled dangerous substance, second-degree possession of a firearm while committing a CDS offense, second-degree certain persons not to possess a weapon, and fourth-degree possession of a large capacity magazine.
  • William Randle, 58 of Linden, who was charged with third-degree conspiracy to distribute a controlled dangerous substance and third-degree possession of controlled dangerous substance.
  • Dameon Little, 50 of Linden who was charged with third-degree conspiracy to distribute a controlled dangerous substance and third-degree possession of controlled dangerous substance.
  • Clifford Jones, 35 of Linden who was charged with second-degree unlawful possession of a firearm, third-degree possession of controlled dangerous substance and fourth-degree possession of a large capacity magazine.

The five men were taken into custody during the operation.  Little, Jones and Randle were subsequently released on Pre-trial Monitoring pending their next Court appearance while Butler and Williams remain incarcerated pending the outcome of the case, Tomlinson and DeRose said. – Linden P.D.

“I am extremely grateful to Chief Hart and the members of the Linden Police Department and the Prosecutor’s Office for their efforts throughout this investigation,” said Prosecutor Daniel. “Together with the extensive collaboration with our partner local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, our tireless efforts to diminish the devastating impact of opioids and guns in the communities we serve continue.”

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BALTIMORE, MD – As the Fourth of July weekend continues, in Baltimore, residents are hearing fireworks and gunshots across the city. On Saturday, those gunshots ended up hitting four and killing one.

At approximately 2:40 a.m., Eastern District patrol officers responded to an area hospital for a walk-in shooting victim seeking treatment. When officers arrived at the hospital, officers located a 46-year-old male victim suffering from two apparent gunshot wounds to the neck. The victim is in critical condition.

At 3:34 a.m., Eastern District patrol officers responded to the 600 block of North Broadway to investigate a shooting.

Once at the location, officers located an unidentified male victim suffering from an apparent gunshot wound to the body lying on the ground unresponsive. Medics transported the victim to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced deceased a short time later.

At 4:08 a.m., Southeast District officers’ patrol officers responded to the 5800 block of Eastern Avenue to investigate a shooting.

When officers arrived, officers located a 53-year-old female victim inside the location suffering from a non-life-threatening gunshot wound to the chest. The victim was transported to an area hospital in stable condition. The woman tried to intervene during an armed robbery at a business where she worked.

At approximately 3:25 p.m., Central District officers’ patrol officers responded to the 1500 block of Argyle Avenue to investigate a shooting.

When officers arrived, officers located a 19-year-old male victim suffering from multiple gunshot wounds to the body. The victim was transported to an area hospital in critical condition.

D

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BALTIMORE, MD – A man was shot twice in the neck on Saturday in Baltimore. Police were notified of the shooting by hospital staff who reported a walk-in gunshot victim.

At approximately 2:40 a.m., Eastern District patrol officers responded to an area hospital for a walk-in shooting victim seeking treatment.

“When officers arrived at the hospital, officers located a 46-year-old male victim suffering from two apparent gunshot wounds to the neck. The victim is in critical condition,” the department said. “The incident location is unknown at this time.”

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BALTIMORE, MD – Police in Baltimore responding to a shooting found an unresponsive male on the ground outside the grounds of John Hopkins hospital in the medical district along North Broadway on Saturday.

According to police, at approximately 3:34 a.m., patrol officers responded to the 600 block of North Broadway to investigate a shooting.

“Once at the location, officers located an unidentified male victim suffering from an apparent gunshot wound to the body lying on the ground unresponsive,” the Baltimore Police Department said. “Medics transported the victim to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced deceased a short time later.”

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BALTIMORE, MD – Police said a woman who tried to intervene in an attempted robbery was shot in the chest and is recovering in stable condition at a nearby hospital.

Baltimore Police said on Saturday, at approximately 4:08 a.m., Southeast District officers’ patrol officers responded to the 5800 block of Eastern Avenue to investigate a shooting.

“When officers arrived, officers located a 53-year-old female victim inside the location suffering from a non-life-threatening gunshot wound to the chest. The victim was transported to an area hospital in stable condition,” the department said.

According to a police report, the preliminary investigation revealed that the suspect described as a Hispanic or light-skinned black male wearing a black Nike jacket and black sweatpants attempted to rob the Business when the employee intervened and was shot.

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BALTIMORE, NJ – Gun violence and bloodshed in Baltimore is not taking a break during the extended 4th of July holiday weekend as another teen has been shot. Police say the 19-year-old Baltimore resident is in the hospital in critical condition and homicide detectives are now taking over the investigation.

On Saturday, at approximately 3:25 p.m., Central District officers’ patrol officers responded to the 1500 block of Argyle Avenue to investigate a shooting.

“When officers arrived, officers located a 19-year-old male victim suffering from multiple gunshot wounds to the body. The victim was transported to an area hospital in critical condition,” the department said. “Due to the victim’s condition, Homicide detectives responded to the scene and assumed control over the investigation.”

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ATLANTIC CITY, NJ – The Atlantic City Police Department has a new substation located inside the Arcade Building, 1325 Boardwalk.

“In partnership with the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority (CRDA), the Atlantic City Police Department Tourism District Unit (TDU) will be working out of a new substation located directly on the boardwalk and in close proximity to casinos, boardwalk restaurants, shops, and beaches,” the department said.

The Atlantic City Police Department’s Tourism District Unit consists of Class II Special Law Enforcement Officers and our new substation will allow for Class II officers to quickly deploy and address quality of life issues and public safety matters on the world famous boardwalk.

“Yesterday, roll call was conducted with the Class II officers on the boardwalk. Interim Officer in Charge James Sarkos, Captain Rudy Lushina, and Lieutenant Alexus Zeilinger also addressed the officers who will be working the busy July 4th weekend. Also present at the roll call President of the Citizen Advisory Review Board Joyce Mollineaux and Director of Special Improvement District for CRDA Rick Santoro,” the department said.

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SOUTH RIVER, NJ – Police in South River have released details about several motor vehicle crashes recently.

“Our weekly police blotter highlights noteworthy incidents that occur on a day to day basis in order to keep our community informed,” the department said. “Please keep in mind that, in the case of any ongoing investigation, we are not able to release certain details and information. In the case of major incidents or investigations, press releases are typically issued at a later date.”

MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENT & DUI, Main Street on 5/25 @ 1432 hours – Patrol units responded to a motor vehicle accident in which a parked vehicle was struck by a vehicle that left the scene. Patrol located a vehicle and driver nearby matching the description provided by a witness. The driver was subsequently charged with driving under the influence and other motor vehicle infractions. Ptl. Brian Hyslop was the arresting officer.

MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENT, Main Street on 5/25 @ 1535 hours – Patrol units and EMS responded to a motor vehicle accident involving two vehicles. One individual was treated for minor injuries.

MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENT, Main Street on 5/26 @ 1334 hours – Patrol units and EMS responded to a motor vehicle accident involving two vehicles. One individual was treated for minor injuries.

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