Nadler Rejects DOJ’s ‘Anarchist Jurisdiction’ Label of New York City

Australia at Risk of Losing Ground to China in Pacific: Expert

One of Australia’s highest foreign policy priorities, the Pacific Step-up, is at risk of losing ground to China if the federal government ignores the region’s needs, a strategic expert has claimed. Beijing is moving to control vital trans-Pacific sea lines of communication under the guise of helping low-lying Pacific island nations with economic development and adapting to rising sea levels. Steve Raaymaker, principle at EcoStrategic Consultants, contended in an article published by the ASPI Strategist that Pacific nations and territories are becoming increasingly vulnerable to China’s cash-based diplomacy because more traditional allies, like Australia, are ignoring their development needs. The island of Tuvanipupu in Honiara, Guadalcanal Island, Solomon Islands. (Chris Jackson-Pool/Getty Images)Raaymaker argued that as a result the strategically vital nations are being co-opted by China with promises of significant financial and development aid as they…

Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) condemned the Trump administration’s designation of New York City as an “anarchist jurisdiction,” which the Department of Justice announced Monday. This designation would enable the administration to withhold federal funding unless local officials restore law and order.

“We (New York’s congressional delegation) reject Trump’s partisan distraction and stand together in opposing any effort to cut funding for NYC,” Nadler wrote in a Tweet Tuesday morning.

According to the DOJ, anarchist jurisdictions are areas that have “permitted violence and destruction of property to persist and have refused to undertake reasonable measures to counteract criminal activities.”

For New York City, the DOJ cites statistics that shootings have risen since rioting and looting began in May 2020 and writes, “For July 2020, shootings increased from 88 to 244, an increase of 177 [percent] over July 2019. In August 2020, shootings increased from 91 to 242, a 166 [percent] increase over August 2019.”

Nadler Rejects DOJ’s ‘Anarchist Jurisdiction’ Label of New York City

The DOJ also cites the fact that “the Manhattan and Brooklyn District Attorneys have declined to prosecute charges of disorderly conduct and unlawful assembly arising from the protests, and the District Attorneys in Queens and the Bronx have declined to prosecute other protest-related charges.”

In addition to Nadler, New York Democrats, Reps. Carolyn Maloney, Grace Meng, Nydia Velázquez, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Hakeem Jeffries, Katherine Clarke, Eliot Engel, Gregory Meeks, Jose E. Serrano, Max Rose, Nita Lowey, and Adriano Espaillat issued a written statement Monday pushing back on the DOJ’s designation of New York City as an anarchist haven.

“The President does not have the power to target and defund individual cities, nor does he have the authority to single-handedly eliminate or change congressional appropriations,” N.Y. Democrats wrote. They said they are united and will oppose any attempted funding cuts associated with the label.

In addition, New York’s Gov. Andrew Cuomo said he will fight the administration in court like they did when the administration attempted to take away money from jurisdictions for being “sanctuary cities.”

“He doesn’t control federal funding. The federal law controls federal funding, and the federal law is very specific: Jurisdiction doesn’t get affordable housing money if it does this, jurisdiction gets community development money if it does this, the jurisdiction gets Title I education funding if it does this. And the President is not above the law—that’s the Constitution of the United States,” Cuomo said in a written statement.

The DOJ has also designated Portland, Oregon, and Seattle, Washington as “anarchist jurisdictions.”

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio along with Portland and Seattle Mayor said that President Trump is playing political games with this new DOJ policy.

“This is thoroughly political and unconstitutional. The President is playing cheap political games with Congressionally directed funds,” the three mayors wrote. They added that the President is “shirking” his responsibilities and blaming others for his failures.

Meanwhile, NY Attorney General Letitia James criticized the president for diverting attention from COVID deaths by designating NYC as an anarchist jurisdiction. She warned the administration to be prepared to fight this policy in court.

Referring to a past court case involving a sanctuary city designation by the Trump administration that would have stripped funding from New York, James said, “We have beat the president and the illegal actions of his DOJ in court before and have no doubt we will beat them again,” James said in a written statement Monday.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the new designation.

Focus News: Nadler Rejects DOJ’s ‘Anarchist Jurisdiction’ Label of New York City

Latest ‘Virtual Kidnapping’ Scam Claims $200,000 From Concerned Parents

SYDNEY—An international Chinese student has been found safe after an elaborate “virtual kidnapping” incident in Sydney that saw a family in China pay more than $200,000 in “ransom” money. The 18-year-old woman was reported missing on Sept. 8 to New South Wales (NSW) Police by friends concerned for her welfare. Police were told videos and images of the woman had been sent to family members overseas via Chinese social media app WeChat. The videos were followed by demands for money by scammers purporting to be Chinese police, in exchange for the woman’s safe release. The family would gradually transfer $213,000 to an offshore account in the Bahamas. Chinese-speaking scammers are posing as Chinese authority figures (including police) and duping Chinese students in Australia to participate in “virtual kidnappings,” while extorting their…