BLUE FLU: Seattle police ‘Unavailable’ list grows, city an emergency event away from catastrophe.

Earlier: Nearly 20 Percent Of Seattle Police Force Quits Following Defunding And Black Lives Matter Riots.

CIVIL ASSET FORFEITURE: Police Oversight Board Demands Answers After Dallas Cops Seized Traveler’s Cash. “Now a member of the city’s oversight board is demanding answers. ‘What I want to know are: What are the rules? And did this woman break them?’ Brandon Friedman, a member of Dallas’s Community Police Oversight Board, said to a local CBS affiliate. He added: ‘It’s not my business why someone’s carrying $100,000 at the airport unless it’s illegal, and from everything we’ve seen it doesn’t seem to be.’”

PORTLAND MORPHED INTO DETROIT SO SLOWLY, I HARDLY EVEN NOTICED:

Shot: The Tragedy of Portland: ‘It’s a Ghost Town, Except for Zombies.’

For seven months, Dylan Carrico Rogers slept in his bike shop with a shotgun. TriTech Bikes, located in the Montavilla neighborhood of northeast Portland, Ore., where Rogers grew up, had been battered by three break-ins, two nearby shootings, and countless instances of vandalism. Portland’s serially understaffed police force was nowhere to be found. And in the face of $25,000 of stolen bike parts, TriTech’s insurance company was ready to jump ship. “They said, ‘if you claim another one, we’re just gonna drop you,’” Rogers told National Review. “So I’m paying $1,200 every three months to be told that I have to replace [everything] on my own dime. And then at the same time, the cops don’t show up. So we’re just in a free-for-all.”

The lifelong Portland resident finally packed up and left in August. By that point, he said, the building landlord “told me that it wasn’t worth it anymore.” The graffiti, property damage, constant break-ins, and unattended-to police reports were just no longer worth the investment. “He tore up a three-year lease. The building’s vacant now,” Rogers said. The gloomy metropolis of 660,000, perched at the northwestern tip of Oregon, is not quite the anarchic dystopia that it is occasionally made out to be in some corners of conservative media. But in the wake of spasms of political violence, a slashed law-enforcement budget, a wave of early police retirements, and punitive lockdown measures that have devastated small businesses such as TriTech, it’s inching ever closer to genuine lawlessness.

This is the Portland way of life. “You have people that are just blatantly taking advantage of the fact that there are no police officers,” Rogers said. “I mean, this has spread everywhere now. It’s not just the Portland bike shops. Grocery-store workers are getting attacked, because we have drug addicts that are literally walking in and doing these blitz raids.”

—National Review, yesterday.

Chaser:

In their years at the Tailwind, the Aboud brothers have never been held up—a record that Aboud attributes to the family’s honest business practices and its militance. “When we caught shoplifters we never used to call the cops,” said Aboud, preferring the past tense. “We took care of things in our own way. If somebody killed my brother, I’d get even, that’s the type of family we are. People who think we’re crazy are right—we are crazy. But we don’t look for trouble. We’ve got a friendly store. Come over any night and you’ll see.”

The following Friday I took him up on his offer. After all the horror stories I had heard, I was surprised by the relaxed atmosphere in the Tailwind. Customers, mostly black, bantered with Aboud and his brother Mike, exchanging neighborhood gossip. John Aboud flirted amiably with several of the young women and they flirted back. Over the cash register there were snapshots of kids from the block.

After each customer left, Aboud provided me with a thumbnail biography. Some were solid working people, but many were drug addicts or dealers, teenage mothers and ex-cons. Each story was told in a flat, nonjudgmental way. Aboud is a merchant, not a missionary, and he accepts the foibles and weaknesses of human nature philosophically.

Aboud’s tolerance has not impaired his vigilance, however, and the Tailwind’s security system could be fairly characterized as forbidding. The front door has a permanent squeak, to let the brothers know when someone comes in. They work behind a thick shield of bullet-resistant glass (Aboud told me that when they come out from behind it, they wear bulletproof vests) and on the shelf behind the counter there was a small arsenal: a .44 Magnum, a 9-millimeter pistol, and a couple of AR 15 semiautomatic assault rifles—tools of the shopkeeper’s trade in Detroit.

—Devil’s Night: And Other True Tales of Detroit, Zev Chafets, 1990.

THIS DOESN’T FIT THE NARRATIVE: South Africa Hospitalization Rate Plunges in Omicron Wave.

BEN SHAPIRO: The Death of California.

It is strange, however, to see the language of sanctuary adopted to protect precisely the sort of activity abhorred by anyone of religious bent: abortion. The secular sacrament of abortion has become so sacred, however, that the governor of California, Gavin Newsom, recently announced his intent to make his state the first abortion sanctuary in the nation. “We’ll be a sanctuary,” Newsom announced. “We are looking at ways to support that inevitability and looking at ways to expand our protections.”

The state of California, according to Newsom’s Democratic legislative allies, could provide travel expenses including gas, lodging, transportation and child care for those seeking to kill their unborn children. Already, some 15% of America’s abortions occur in California, according to the Guttmacher Institute. That number would skyrocket if the state began subsidizing abortions across the land.

None of this is particularly surprising. It is telling, however, that as California sinks into the mire, it embraces ever more radical social policy. This is a state that currently houses — no pun intended — some 162,000 homeless people, a number that increased approximately 24% from 2018 to 2020. About a quarter of all homeless people in the United States currently reside in California.

Meanwhile, crime in California has become endemic, with smash-and-grabs roiling major cities and even wealthy residents murdered in their homes. This week, the head of the Los Angeles police union, Jamie McBride, warned people to stay out of the city, explaining, “We can’t guarantee your safety. It is really, really out of control.” Even former LA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa laments, “Rome is burning.”

How bad has California gotten under Newsom? This bad: Jerry Brown tells the L.A. Fox affiliate, “You’ve heard about the redistribution of wealth. We need a redistribution of incarceration! You go steal a car or something…you got to spend some time!”

CALIFORNIA HAS DESCENDED INTO SOME SORT OF BIZARRE HELL-WORLD IN WHICH JERRY BROWN IS A VOICE OF SANITY: Jerry Brown on advice to Gavin Newsom on California’s crime, budget and more.

Gov. Brown is concerned about images of smash and grab robberies on television screens every night.

He said there are not enough consequences currently for criminals.

“You’ve heard about the redistribution of wealth. We need a redistribution of incarceration… We’ve got all these people committing break ins, snatch and grab shooting up heroin on the street and they just walk out. So if we got the long termers and got them out a little quicker and we took the short term risk…put them in and give them some drug treatment and training,” he said.

He added: “But you got to have the carrot, but you got to have the stick and the stick is you go steal a car or something. You do spend some time. You don’t have to spend 10 years, put it in for a month and they do it again, put them in for three,” he said.

When you’re a leftist governor who’s lost Jerry Brown…

‘UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES:’ NBC Shocked Defund the Police Hurt Lib City.

Like a child who’s about to touch the stovetop for the first time, NBC Nightly News was in for a rude awakening Thursday night as they discovered that the Defund the Police movement they supported actually harmed the liberal stronghold of Burlington, Vermont. Correspondent Stephanie Gosk was shocked to discover the “unintended consequences” of cutting the police department’s budget by 30 percent, leaving people feeling unsafe.

“In Burlington, Vermont roll call looks a little different than it used to,” she announced as she began the report. “Often just five officers are on shift for a city of more than 44,000 after Burlington’s leaders cut the police force by nearly 30 percent. Essentially imposing a hiring freeze.”

This result came after the network, along with ABC and CBS, engaged in Orwellian doublespeak last summer and tried to tell Americans that “defund the police” didn’t actually mean defunding the police.

“Tonight, across the country, there is a growing movement to defund police departments. But what exactly does that mean? Well, apparently not the same thing to everybody,” wondered anchor Lester Holt on June 8, 2020.

Correspondent Morgan Radford answered Holt moments later, saying: “The movement calls for cutting down police budgets and reinvesting that money into services for marginalized communities.”

Senator Blutarsky and a legendary Beverly Hills gynecologist could not be reached for comment:

THIS IS A TRUMP LIKE-BULLSEYE AS A NICKNAME: ‘Senator Karen:’ Elon Musk just destroyed Elizabeth Warren.

The irony of a career politician, who subsists off the taxpayer dime, decrying a wildly successful entrepreneur who has created countless jobs and innovations as a “freeloader” was simply too much for Musk to resist. With intoxicating levels of chaos energy and internet meme-lordery key parts of his persona, Musk is not one to take a slight lying down.

“If you opened your eyes for 2 seconds, you would realize I will pay more taxes than any American in history this year,” he replied. “Don’t spend it all at once … oh wait you did already.”

“You remind me of when I was a kid and my friend’s angry Mom would just randomly yell at everybody for no reason,” Musk continued. “Please don’t call the manager on me, Senator Karen.”

As for the implication that he’s a fraud, Musk simply replied, “Stop projecting!” with a link to a Fox News article detailing Elizabeth Warren’s long history of falsely claiming to be a Native American.

And you know it’s a bullseye, when: Joy Reid deemed ‘1 of the dumbest people in media’ for accusing Elon Musk of appropriating his Karen insult from Black people; Updated: Musk fires back.

At least in this video, comedian Dane Cook, who likely created the Karen meme in 2005, looks rather white to me (language warning):

NEWS YOU CAN USE, ESPECIALLY IF YOUR LAST NAME IS KRUGMAN, KLAIN, OR BRANDON: Understanding Inflation, the ‘Mugger.’

“The Labor Department reported Friday that consumer prices in November rose 6.8 percent in the last 12 months, the most since 1982.”

I was told that there would be no math, but “since 1982” means we are talking about 40 years.

“This,” the unnamed editorialist wrote, “should be all the warning Democratic doubters need to shelve President Biden’s Build Back Better Act that could fuel more inflation.”

They like to keep things understated at the Journal. 

Still, mention of “fuel” reminds me of the Biden administration’s war on energy.

About the first thing Biden did on coming to office was kill the Keystone pipeline.

That cost tens of thousands of jobs and overnight assured that America would go from being energy independent to begging OPEC to pump more oil.

It also assured that Americans would being paying a lot more to run their cars and heat (or cool) their houses.

And let’s not forget Suale Omarova, the Russian-born Communist-sympathizing academic whom Joe Biden nominated to be head of the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency.

Among much else, Omarova was looking forward to bankrupting major swaths of the oil, coal, and gas industries in order to “tackle climate change.”

Reality crept in, just a little bit, to Omarova’s confirmation hearings, so she had to withdraw her nomination.

But the fact that Biden could even think of nominating someone like her—someone, that is to say, who is both ostentatiously anti-prosperity and anti-American—tells us all we need to know about his priorities.

No, when it comes to inflation, most people agree with Ronald Reagan, not Jen Psaki.

“Inflation,” Reagan said, “is as violent as a mugger, as frightening as an armed robber, and as deadly as a hitman.”

Exactly right.

Earlier: Joe Biden, Milton Friedman, and the Tyranny of Tiny Minds.

GOT WOKE, WENT BROKE: Salvation Army’s Red Kettle Campaign falling thousands short of goal.

The Salvation Army could use some help of its own this holiday season — its Red Kettle Campaign is falling far short of the nonprofit’s goal.

Capt. Stephen Wildish, corps officer for The Salvation Army, said Thursday that with only one week left in the annual fundraiser, contributions totaled nearly $114,000. That’s more than $50,000 shy of its $166,000 goal, which Wildish said must be met to maintain current programs.

“With the increased need for assistance with financial needs such as utilities and rental help due to the pandemic impact, the Red Kettle funding is extremely important,” he said. “We don’t want our programs and services to suffer, and we are asking our community to step up one more time.”

Curiously, no reasons are given by the Tallahassee Democrat as to why the Salvation Army isn’t reaching its goals this year. As Glenn noted on Tuesday, “From the comments: ‘We’re seeing Irish Democracy break out against the Woke would be rulers.’ Like America has never seen it, except maybe during Prohibition which lasted a little more than a decade before being reversed.”

Just think of the media as Democratic Party operatives with bylines, and its absence makes sense.

Evergreen:

#HIMTOO? Sex and the City star Chris Noth accused of sexually assaulting two women.

MORE LIKE THIS, PLEASE: Senate passes Uyghur forced labor bill.

Why it matters: Human rights activists say the bill will impose the first substantive costs the Chinese government has ever faced for its atrocities in Xinjiang — and could set a precedent for other countries to follow suit.

• Major corporations like Nike and Coca Cola had lobbied against the bill, which has far-reaching consequences for U.S. supply chains deeply integrated with Chinese industry.
• Xinjiang, the region where more than 1 million ethnic minorities have reportedly passed through mass internment camps, accounts for nearly 50% of the world’s polysilicon, a raw material used to manufacture solar panels.

Between the lines: Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) agreed to lift his hold on Burns’ nomination after Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) argued that the ambassador to China and two other State Department roles would need to be in place to help implement the new law.

• Rubio and Murphy had sought to pass their compromise via unanimous consent on Wednesday, but Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) objected in order to propose a year-long extension to the expiring child tax credit.

• Wyden stressed that he still supports the Uyghur bill, and did not object again on Thursday.

John Kerry hardest hit: John Kerry Remains Committed to Enabling Evil. “Kerry has been lobbying Democrats to oppose a [Marco Rubio] amendment to the #NDAA that would ban Uyghur slave labor imports, because Kerry fears it could threaten climate negotiations with the Chinese Communist Party.”

Because the ChiComs are so trustworthy on this (or any topic). Or as Sarah spotted last night: China Walks Back COP26 Carbon Emission Pledges.

WHAT COULD GO WRONG? The Washington Post is looking for an enterprising reporter to cover the political right in the United States.

This reporter will be expected to break news and produce distinctive stories that explore the forces and personalities driving the Republican Party at every level of government and culture. This includes writing with clarity about the pro-Trump movement and its supporters, as well as the broader constellation of elected officials, activists, donors and media figures who embrace and echo its brand of politics.

The ideal candidate is someone with a track record of producing revelatory stories. This reporter will play a leading role in our coverage of the 2022 and 2024 elections, collaborating with colleagues across the Politics team as well as visual journalism teams such as Graphics, Photo and Video. This reporter will be expected to travel frequently and often on short notice.

This position is based in our Washington newsroom. Once we resume normal operations, it will not be eligible for remote work.

The Post strives to provide its readers with high-quality, trustworthy news and information while constantly innovating. That mission is best served by a diverse, multi-generational workforce with varied life experiences and perspectives. All cultures and backgrounds are welcomed.

Given what happened with Dave Weigel and then Jennifer Rubin, I’ve got a bad feeling about this…

IT’S COME TO THIS: Police Arrest Anti-Vaccine Mandate Protesters At New York City Applebee’s ‘Sit-In.’

PAUL KRUGMAN EATS CROW: ‘Warnings About Inflation Have Proved Right.’

A tectonic shift in the world of economics has taken place: New York Times economist Paul Krugman finally admitted that his detractors on inflation were right all along.

The leftist economist surprisingly conceded in a new op-ed that others have warned “that we may face something comparable to the stagflation of the 1970s. And credit where credit is due.” Then came the sticker shock: “So far, warnings about inflation have proved right, while Team Transitory’s predictions that inflation would quickly fade have been wrong.” Talk about eating crow. Krugman recently conceded Nov. 14 that he “got inflation wrong” even though he tried to hedge by claiming he thought blindly believing the false “transitory” inflation narrative was “still the best bet.” His latest concession puts him even further at odds with his Nov. 11 column: “History Says Don’t Panic About Inflation.” National Review senior political correspondent Jim Geraghty documented at least six times throughout 2021 where Krugman has tried to downplay or dismiss the threat of spiking inflation.

Flashback to Krugman in May: The Economy Is Spinning Its Wheels, and About to Take Off.

And the obligatory flashback to Krugman On Election Night 2016: “If the question is when markets will recover, a first-pass answer is never.”

RIP: Lina Wertmuller, first woman nominated for best director Oscar, dies at 93. Italian filmmaker received nomination for 1977’s ‘Seven Beauties,’ but also was known for ‘The Seduction of Mimi’ and ‘Swept Away.’

(Via Ace of Spades.)

THE BOSS MAKES BANK: Bruce Springsteen sells his entire music catalogue for $500m.

The deal gives Sony ownership of his 20 studio albums, including classics like Born To Run, The River and Born In The USA, according to multiple US reports.

A 20-time Grammy winner, Springsteen’s music generated about $15m in revenue last year.

His deal follows similar sales by Bob Dylan, Blondie and David Bowie.

Warner Music bought the worldwide rights to Bowie’s music in September, and Dylan sold his catalogue of more than 600 songs in December last year to Universal Music Group at a purchase price widely reported as $300m.

IT’S COME TO THIS: Bay Area car break-ins are on the rise, prompting some auto owners to leave their trunks open.

Do 21st century San Franciscans watch Vertigo as an inadvertent documentary about Bay Area life in a gilded age?

Related: Crime and No Punishment.

BACK TO THE FUTURE! Giant Kites That Drag Cargo Ships Across Oceans Go on Trial.

Shouldn’t we get supply chains sorted out again before returning to the era of Horatio Hornblower?

WE WILL BE WELCOMED AS LIBERATORS: A Popeyes in France? Chain to open hundreds of locations in upcoming years.

THE SAN FRANCISCO EXODUS ISN’T OVER, ACCORDING TO NEW MIGRATION DATA. HERE’S WHERE PEOPLE ARE MOVING.

How’s that Welcome Wagon program coming along?

THIS IS CNN: CNN’s Don Lemon Rails Against Misinformation About Covid – By Omitting Key Part of Trump Quote. “However, the clip was selectively shortened to exclude the full quote, which showed that Trump, contrary to popular misconception, did not tell people to inject themselves with bleach in response to Covid.”

LET’S GO BRANDON: The Biden Administration Crushes America’s Brief Experiment in Showerhead Freedom.

XI’S GOTTA HAVE IT! Wyden blocks advancing Uyghur bill, Biden nominees over child tax credit.

“Unexpectedly,” given that Wyden’s top financial contributor is Nike.

URBAN MEYER OUT AS JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS’ HEAD COACH AFTER ROCKY FIRST YEAR: “Meyer’s only season with the Jaguars wasn’t very good on the field — the team went 2-11, its 10th season with double-digit losses in the past 11 years — but issues off the field are what doomed him. From hiring a strength and conditioning coordinator who had been accused of making racist remarks and bullying black players, to an embarrassing video of Meyer with a woman who was not his wife at a bar, to tension between Meyer and his staff and players, there was dysfunction almost from the moment Meyer was hired.”