NY Trump Grand Jury Questions Forbes Over Interview With Trump

A new front has opened in the investigation to get justice for former president Trump's crimes.

(Photo of Cyrus Vance walking out of federal building.)

The Manhattan Grand Jury subpoenaed Forbes editor Randall Lane to testify about an article the publication ran in 2015. In the piece Trump threw out fantastic valuations of his properties and brand.

Prosecutors are interested in what Trump told Forbes about the value of his holdings. His bold lies about his net worth at the time raised reporter's eyebrows.

_______________________________

Related: Forbes' Editor Tells Grand Jury About Trump's Obsession With His Rich List Placing

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With Cyrus Vance retiring at the end of the month observers are saying he wants to wrap up the case. He's centering in on Trump's intent to defraud investors and banks.

Vance wants to get clarity on who inflated Trump's net worth.

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Trump Fraud Inquiry's Focus: Did He Mislead His Own Accountants?

______________________________

It appears Trump is in more trouble than we thought. There's a good chance he'll be charged with fraud on several fronts.

In the weeks ahead the biggest story of 2020 may break as Vance wraps up the loose ends.

America may get an early Christmas present if Trump is indicted.

As The Coup Spreads: House Freedom Caucus Plans to Infect State Legislatures

They're coming.

And they're crazy.

The House Freedom Caucus is coming to a state or city near you soon.

Its membership is devoted to Trump and overthrowing our republic.

The House hate group was launched in 2015 because some of the craziest Republican members didn't think the party was conservative enough. You won't find their definition of conservative in any dictionary, however.

Simply put, the new conservative's rhetoric and tactics has been cemented in the last five years under Trump's direction.

Currently Mark Meadows - Trump's former chief of staff and one of the original assholes to form the caucus, is busy helping the group to expand into state legislatures.

Meadow's efforts come amid his battle with Congress over his active role in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.

The Conservative Partnership Institute (CPI), a D.C.-based nonprofit founded by former Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., whose leaders include Meadows and attorney Cleta Mitchell — who aided Trump's failed legal efforts to overturn the election — is funding the group's expansion to Georgia, where seven Republican state lawmakers announced their launch on Tuesday, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

This effort in Georgia is just the tip of the iceberg. 

CPI announced in a press release that it will launch the "State Freedom Caucus Network" across the country and provide each state freedom caucus "with the tools and resources they need to mirror the success of the House Freedom caucus."

It's just another scary chapter of "As the coup spreads" in America's ongoing battle to preserve freedom.

Biden Released JFK Assassination Files In The Name of Transparency: Whose Going To Believe That?

I grew up believing in a conspiracy.

When I was thirteen John F. Kennedy was assassinated. 

Conspiracy theories have thrived since then.

Who was behind the assassination?

Was the Mafia involved?

Was there more than one shooter?

Why was Jack Ruby murdered on live TV?

Who was the umbrella man?

These are but a sampling of questions that went unanswered back then... and now.

Over the decades presidents have released portions of the JFK files that have not answered any of those questions.

The Biden administration released almost 1,500 documents today. There're still an estimated 10,000 documents being held back.

Longtime JFK researchers (truthers?) say the release likely does not include a smoking gun that would substantively change the public understanding of the circumstances surrounding Kennedy's death.

Some historians argue that one simply doesn't exist. So why play the reveal game and dole out documents now?

Lawmakers and transparency advocates say it's all about restoring faith in the functioning of government. 

Public polling through the decades has shown that a majority of Americans do not believe the Warren Commission's official finding that Kennedy was killed by a single man, Lee Harvey Oswald, acting alone.

The fact is the government has taken far too long to get these records out and most people won't believe what does come out.

Congress is in a prolonged struggle for transparency in what happened during the Jan. 6 coup attempt.

In this day and age of rampant conspiracies revealing portions of a Congressional inquiry over 60 years ago isn't going to convince people that the government is open and transparent today.

For the record, I'm not a conspiracist, but I still don't believe we'll ever hear the rest of the story about JFK's assassination.

The Sad Demise of America's Hometown Newspapers Has Had Devastating Effects On Our Society

I cut my journalistic teeth with small hometown newspapers. 

Watching the last of our nation's hometown newspapers fade into the past has been difficult for me.

I was the editor of a slew of local weekly newspapers over two decades. 

From being the editor (early 1980s) of The Desert Trail  in 29 Palms, California, to being a publisher of a group of weekly newspapers in northern California, I lived in small tightly knit communities.

Part of my job was becoming part of the community and getting involved in organizations like Rotary, Historical Societies and local government. 

One thing that was universal during those decades was people loved their local newspaper and it was a central part of the community. Readers trusted their paper.

Those days are rapidly coming to an end. Groups of newspapers have gobbled up most of the beloved hometown publications. The internet has also contributed to the decline of local journalism.

Readers who once couldn't wait to read about their neighbors and local news, now turn to social media platforms that polarizes neighbors.

Rural communities are losing their peaceful identities and morphing into hotspots for extremists.

It's difficult watching those 100-year-old plus newspapers recede into history. I realize now what an honor it was working for those small hometown newspapers.

Insurrection Update: National Guard Was Ready To 'Protect Pro Trump People'

Trump's former chief of staff Mark Meadows is defying a subpoena to appear before the Jan. 6 Select Committee, but the documents he did release are proving to be damning.

In particular, there was an email sent Jan. 5th by Meadows saying the National Guard would be present to "protect pro Trump people" in the lead up to the U.S. Capitol insurrection.

Another Jan 5th email had a 38-page PowerPoint briefing titled "Election Fraud, Foreign Interference & Options for Jan. 6" to be provided "on the hill." 

Another damning email (Nov. 7, 2020) emerged discussing the appointment of alternate states of electors as part of a "direct and collateral attack" against the election results.

The new documents come as Meadow's role is under renewed scrutiny following his decision to cease cooperating with the committee last week.

The Jan. 6 Committee is meeting today to formally advance criminal contempt proceedings against him. A full House vote is expected tomorrow.

Meanwhile the committee is still pouring over the rest of the documents Meadows has turned over including text messages exchanged between Meadows and an organizer of the rally on the Ellipse who needed direction from him.

Apparently, Trump was upset with what Meadows sent the committee causing him to stop cooperating with the investigation to prove his undying loyalty to his master.

That loyalty is not only going to ruin him politically, he's also probably going to get jail time for believing in a failed demagogue.

Tornedos in Kentucky: One Couple's Story

Kentucky was hit with an historic number of tornedos Friday according to Gov. Andy Beshear.

At least 30 tornedos were reported in six states, but Kentucky seems to have been hit the hardest.

My wife's brother Bill, and his wife Val, live in Dawson Springs in Kentucky, just northeast of the city of Mayfield where the destruction was devastating.

Gov. Beshear reported that at least 70 people have been killed and he expects it to exceed 100 before the day is out.

Bill and Val's home was obliterated by a tornedo that rolled through Dawson Springs. Fortunately, Val's son lives nearby, and they were able to shelter there.

Bill is a Vietnam veteran and Green Beret who did two tours of combat. He's 75 years-old and in very poor health. And he's scheduled for a three-way heart bypass surgery Monday.

The question is, will his surgery get postponed by an influx of casualties in the hospital where he's scheduled to go?

I'm thankful they have a place to shelter right now. There're hundreds (if not thousands) of other families who may not be so lucky tonight, where more bad weather is predicted.

"This is the most devasting tornado in our state's history... the level of devastation is unlike anything I've ever seen," Gov. Beshear told the press.

Untold challenges face Bill and Val, along with thousands of other Kentuckians, in the days ahead.

Related: Family members search for unaccounted loved ones in Kentucky

Follow The Money: Understanding Cults and Politicians in America

It's never been easier to con people.

It's never been easier to fleece one's own followers thanks to bad actors supporting extremist social media platforms and right-wing TV. Like our former president.

It's difficult to recall a time in our history when the general public was so gullible, they followed every lie fed to them by a wannabe king.

Our republic was formed in opposition to royalty ruling the land and stifling individual freedoms. Yet here we are a sociopath with autocratic intentions has divided the country and is currently openly working on rigging the 2022 and 2024 elections.

The once and future king Trump is pulling the grift of his life making money on clueless supporters who readily fundraise for him like it's honor.

The con is so enormous our democracy is under siege and Trump is getting richer and more powerful by the day.

Bottom line, follow the money. If Trump is accused of something his minions send him millions to defend himself. Regardless of the charges.

One of the things cults, like the Party of Trump, have in common is fleecing their own followers, often demanding they turn over everything of value to the cause. 

It's commonly said that money is the root of all evil. Sacrificing others to get richer has always been the Trump credo. He just gets crazier with every passing day, but real Republicans don't have the spine to stand up to him.

It's conspiracy USA every day as a third of our population is under Trump's spell.

Ideologies have given away to mass hysteria and fear fed by Trump's desire to regain power - and to hold it as long as he can.

Money is paving the way towards a future hell. And the damn thing is, there's nothing we can do about it.  

Talking Treason in Real Time: Emboldened Trumpies Broadcast New Insurrection Goal

          It's no secret. If, it ever was one.

The Party of Trump is giving public notice that they plan to win the 2024 election by WHATEVER MEANS IT TAKES.

Another insurrection? Sure, why not? Most of the big players have not yet had to answer for the first attempt to overthrow our democracy.

All you have to do is listen to Bannon's podcasts to get updates on what they plan to do. Bannon was openly discussing a fascist insurrection with Matt Gaetz yesterday. 

The two didn't go to prison for their first attempt, so they don't expect to be punished for the next. The two treasonous trolls were bragging about having 4,000 "shock troops" (sound familiar? See Nazi Brownshirts) on a recent podcast.

"The shock troops will be hitting the beaches with landing teams," Bannon gloated. Their fever dream broadcast discussed locking up the DOJ and the FBI after handing Trump a victory. 

The very logistics of doing something like that - you'd be talking thousands of employees - is impossible. But it sure makes for good "tough talk" on Bannon's War Room program that's known for spewing toxic rhetoric. 

Gaetz gleefully chimed in and said, "And we're going to go after this administrative state and we're going to start at the DOJ and the FBI. That's the job I want. You know, send me over to the Judiciary Committee and their sphincters will tighten because they have been doing a lot of corrupt things over there."

How can a sitting member of Congress get away with talking about overthrowing the government so openly?

For starters, Republicans are afraid of Trump, and if he wants to disband the current government, they'll follow along like sheared sheep.

It's now up to AG Garland to hold these traitors accountable with criminal charges after the Select Committee on Jan. 6, makes its recommendations. 

For the sake of democracy, we must count on justice being served, and never seeing another coup attempt again.

Who's The Biggest Threat To Democracy? Putin or Trump?

America is at a crucial turning point in history. We are defending democracy from attacks within, and abroad.

Future historians will look at this moment when a former president inspired a coup attempt because he couldn't accept reality. They'll read about Trump's ongoing campaign to steal the next presidential election.

Coupled with this challenge within, historians will examine how Biden dealt with Putin who threatened to destabilize Europe and invade the Ukraine.

Russia's assault against all democracies - especially against the United States - will fill volumes for future scholars.

In the here and now, Trump is the greater threat to our nation. Putin isn't the one brain-washing millions to believe the Big Lie. 

That's Trump's tactic. He's currently subverting future elections by inserting his minions into positions of power in states in order to suppress voters.

It's Trump supporters who are actively undermining COVID vaccination efforts and safety measures against the deadly virus that has taken hundreds of thousands of lives.

Despite recently released reports that show Trump dangerously downplayed the coronavirus when it first appeared. He hasn't answered for those unnecessary deaths that his hubris caused.

Even after inciting an assault on the Capitol on Jan. 6, Trump is still not behind bars. He abuses the court systems and ignores laws that he believes don't apply to him. 

Historians will record these times as the first attempt of an authoritarian populist to seize the government and make it a fascist state.

We won't know if Trump succeeds in his mission until some day in the future when we discover if we're still a republic.

Meanwhile, we must count on justice being served and Trump getting criminally indicted for his crimes before his presidency, and afterward.

A Look At Trump's Latest Grift

True to form, Trump has not stopped conning people, especially his own base. 

His latest venture is currently under federal scrutiny.

Federal investigators announced today that the shell company that is facilitating Trump's return to Wall Street, is under investigation.

Trump's latest con is a new media venture that would "stand up to the tyranny of Big Tech." In other words, it'll be fact-free.

The new entity, chaired by Trump, agreed to go public through a merger with Digital World, a Special Purpose Acquistion Company, or SPAC.

Wall Street's self-regulator, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, or FINRA, is looking into trading prior to the deal's final announcement according to Digital World.

The proposed deal immediately drew scrutiny.

The New York Times reported in late October, that Trump began discussing a merger with Digital World long before the blank-check company went public and before such talks were disclosed to investors.

Then Senator Elizabeth Warren called for the SEC to investigate whether any laws were broken by Digital World because the company reportedly told shareholders that it had not held substantive talks with a target company.

Here's the deal; SPACS are not supposed to have merger targets planned before they raise money from the public.

The announcement reverberated in the stock market and shares fell 5 percent today.

This whole deal is a continuation of the corruption that the former president brings into any dealmaking.

He'll cheat until caught. When exposed, Trump manages to slither away and let his minions take the fall. So far, this tactic has worked, as Trump prepares to pollute Wall Street with his infamous brand.

The big question; will Trump ever pay for his crimes? I have to admit, I don't think he will. And that's what's wrong in America today.

The Republic of Florida? DeSantis Wants His Own Vigilante Force

In his campaign to run for president, Gov. DeSantis is pulling out all the stops to make Florida an independent country.

His latest assault on democracy is an effort to create a civilian military force that would only be answerable to him, not the Pentagon or the president.

Attacking the federal government has been a mainstay in DeSantis's campaign. From resisting COVID-19 legislation to suppressing voters, he has established a hard right-wing cadre of supporters in the Sunshine State.

Yesterday, DeSantis pitched the idea as a way to support the Florida National Guard during emergencies, like hurricanes.

DeSantis is calling the proposed militia unit the Florida State Guard. He bragged that they would "not be encumbered by the federal government" and would only be answerable to him.

In other words, DeSantis would have his own vigilante force to enforce his draconian laws and to defy the government with.

Spurred by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin's directive warning that National Guard members who refuse to get vaccinated against the coronavirus will have their pay withheld and barred from training, DeSantis introduced the plan to have his own personal militia force.

States do have the power to create defense forces separate from the national guard, though not all of them use it. 

The Florida State Guard was created in 1941 during World War II as a temporary force to fill the void left behind when the Florida National Guard was deployed to assist in the U.S. combat efforts.

It was disbanded after the war ended.

The reason his plan to create his own secret police force - and they would be just that under him - lies in his insatiable lust for power. 

By making Florida a bastion for extremists, DeSantis hopes to capture the votes to get re-elected next year, and eventually to run for the presidency. 

His present goal is to make Florida a republic that defies governmental oversight, and caters to conspiracy-loving lunatics who will support his political efforts.

It remains to be seen if Florida taxpayers are ready to fork out millions to satisfy DeSantis's private army.

Three Head Shaking Headlines in Today's News

Let's start the parade with this headline from MSNBC:

Rep. McCarthy Said To Be Urging GOP Members To Stop Infighting

What a laugher! Coward McCarthy wants to be the next Speaker of the House and would willing sell his parents down the river to do so. 

His feeble efforts to unify his peers has been noticed by other right-wing goons in Congress who have even suggested Trump should be the next Speaker when the GOP takes the House back during the midterms.

I wonder how many of his colleagues laughed in his pasty white face? 

BREAKING Handful of GOP senators say they'll block a vote to fund the government

If you read this story from CNN you know that Republican members are frustrated that a small group of their members might cause a government shutdown.

It's no secret that the resisting clowns are polishing their creds with their idol Trump. The problem is, even other Trump supporters in the senate don't want the government to shut down.

This kind of partisan bullshit (and GOP infighting) is what's crippling our government and making it nearly impossible to pass much needed legislation.

Biden's Vaccine Mandate is 'Worst Violation of Civil Liberties in Decades'

Faux News reporter Brian Mast shows how stupid he is as usual.

If Mast really thinks that a health mandate is worse than all the other civil liberty cases involving black and brown Americans in the last couple of decades, then he's teetering on the edge of insanity.

This is just another case of lying to keep the right-wing base salivating: which is of course, par for the course at Faux News.

That's enough head shakers for a day.

Lady Justice Walked Away One Day

Lady Justice walked away one day

from the USA...

The allegorical personification

of the moral force of our courts

has turned away from the nation

and moved on to other ports

Distrust of the judicial system is systemic in our society today. And for good reason.

Who can trust a system that can't seem to find Trump guilty of anything? 

During his short chaotic reign, Trump was able to stack the Supreme Court and federal courts throughout the country with his supporters. 

He cheated, lied, and abused every federal department from the Department of Justice to the FBI to place partisan hacks in the courts.

One need not look any further than the quasi-trial of a murdering 17-year-old punk who got away with killing two unarmed men and seriously wounding another with a bullshit defense.

If you followed the Rittenhouse trial, you know the judge was bias in his favor. Having Trump's favorite martial song as the dial tone on his cell phone was one hint on where that judge was coming from.

Turning to one of the most important cases in decades, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments on the future of abortion rights in America today.

Front and center the fate of Roe v. Wade, the 1973 landmark Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion nationwide prior to viability.

No decision is expected to be announced until next year, but Trump's stacked court of hand-picked Federalist Society darlings are expected to overturn the decision and take away women's rights to their own bodies.  

The fact that Trump and his minions can get away with abusing the courts using endless appeals to continually stall justice is demoralizing.

Once upon a time "blind justice" was the legal concept regarding the neutrality of the dispensing of justice. Now it means crooked judges and kangaroo courts.

GOP Doubling Down Against Vaccinations By Claiming the New Variant Was Invented By Democrats

Listen my children and you'll shall hear

How Republicans utilize fear

to debunk science and facts

with numerous circus acts

As the rest of the world responds to the new COVID-19 variant, Omicron, Republicans are scrambling to blame Democrats for the arrival of the new mutation.

Clown Caucus House GOP members are claiming the Democrats invented Omicron. That's right. As stupid as this claim is, it'll be raw meat for Trump supporters and other low life extremists.

Fox is having fun mocking the new variant. It's really something to see the Good Morning Moron Crew casually joke about a new mutation of the deadly virus.

One Congressional wag (who isn't worth naming) commented that the Democrats came up with Omicron virus to help them out in the midterms. Like a deadly virus would be a selling point? Unbelievable.

What's happening is Republicans want to undermine Biden's vaccine efforts.

As Axios reported Monday morning, the concerted efforts to keep shots from going in arms have escalated in red states, with Republican politicians now openly bribing constituents not to get vaccinated.

"Republican officials around the country are testing a creative mechanism to build loyalty with unvaccinated Americans while undermining Biden administration mandates: unemployment benefits," the short piece explains.

"Florida, Iowa, Kansas and Tennessee have changed their unemployment insurance rules to allow workers who are fired or quit over vaccine mandates to receive benefits," Axios stated in the report.

I can't help wondering how many Republicans/Trump minions are going to die to show their loyalty to the most corrupt president this country has ever seen?

Founder of the 'Stop The Steal' Rally Will Comply With House Subpoena

Ali Alexander, who takes credit for being the founder of the "Stop The Steal" rally on Jan. 6, is going to cooperate with the House Select Committee.

To be sure, if Alexander had the money he would resist, but he doesn't. Praising his "fellow patriots" who are defying the committee, Alexander bemoaned the fact they have an "expensive right" to fight subpoenas - claiming the cost is too high for him.

Alexander told the press that "I frankly don't have the money to spend on legal bills. The only reason I'm going is I don't want to go to jail."

Hoping for a circus-like public setting, Alexander was irritated when the committee said he would be privately deposed in December.

Promising to make the interview as public as possible afterward, Alexander defiantly told his followers he will resist in any way he can.

In a recent video he said that he plans on submitting photographic and video evidence of agitators sabotaging his Jan. 6 peaceful protest.

--------------------------------------------

How two friends farcical, failed schemes ended with the biggest fail of all: Stop The Steal

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Alexander, a known conspiracy clown, also claimed he has evidence that Trump was betrayed by someone in his inner circle. 

It's hard to see how much information will be pried from his unwilling lips, but at least it's an attempt to flesh out the insurrection's origins.

Be Prepared For The Worst If You Go Shopping This Year

      Fair warning. Shop at your own risk!

Holiday shoppers are risking life and limb to go shopping across America this season.

Groups of thieves are looting retail stores in organized smash-and-grab robberies putting shoppers at risk. Gunshots have been ringing out in malls from Washington to Minnesota.

The headlines:

**Six Injured after shooting at North Carolina mall sends Black Friday shoppers running in panic

**Black Friday: Another High-End Store is Robbed, In String of Six LA Smash-and-Grabs

How Safe Is It Too Go Shopping?

In addition to the perils shoppers face this season they have to contend with the ongoing pandemic.

First, it's important to note public health authorities are urging people to stay at home as much as possible by limiting errands and outings to just the essentials.

The fact is only 58 percent of all Americans are vaccinated. That means 42 percent are unvaccinated and walking around in public.

Holiday shopping has always been a chaotic experience with crowds rushing stores that feature special seasonal sales.

But this season is special for all the wrong reasons. Just know that if you decide to join those adventurous shoppers you could be taking your life into your hands.

A New COVID Variant Emerges: It's More Deadly Than Then The Last One

The discovery of a new COVID-19 variant spreading rapidly from six African countries has caused a cascade of closures from countries around the world.

The newly identified virus known as B.1.1.529, is causing an unusually high number of mutations that make it more transmissible and could result in immune evasion.

These are the countries that have announced restrictions so far:

* Italy

* Austria

* France

* Japan

*The United Kingdom

*Singapore

*The Netherlands

* Malta

* Malaysia

*Morocco

*Philippines

The closures were announced late yesterday. All flights from these six African countries have been suspended:

South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Lesotho, and Eswatini.

Germany plans on declaring South Africa a "virus variant area" as of tonight, which will mean that airlines may only enter the country to repatriate German citizens.

Israel's Prime Minister Nattali Bennett announced sweeping travel restrictions for most of Africa after one case of the new COVID-19 variant was confirmed in the country.

President Biden announced new travel restrictions today to and from the six African countries affected, after the World Health Association labeled the new strain as a "variant of concern." 

Dr. Anthony Fauci said there is no indication that the new variant - Omicron - is currently in the United States.

According to Fauci, the U.S. is bidding time (with the restrictions) while trying to determine if its vaccines will provide protection against the new Omicron variant.

Tragically, it doesn't look like the world can do anything about the global ongoing mutations other than react to them in real time.

Thanksgiving Day: Finding Something - Anything - To Be Thankful For

Now that most of the country has gotten over the "Thanksgiving myth" that eventually led to the genocide of native Americans, the day has expanded into a generic holiday to be thankful.

Thankful for anything.

There's a pandemic. Be thankful you're alive and reading this.

The country is polarized. Listen...this is nothing new. A quick look back at our history shows numerous decades of chaos. Yet, we're still here. That's worth being thankful for.

There's so much hatred in the country. Staying above the fray, where anything can provoke anger is a choice. Be thankful that you can still spread love as a potent alternative.

There're traditional reasons about the holiday to be thankful for. Especially the emphasis of families coming together in fellowship. 

I won't sugar-coat it. I know these are hard times. Americans are afraid of a lot of things, from losing their jobs to their lives to the COVID-19 delta variant.

I believe we can all find something to be thankful for. No matter how small. Whatever reasons you have, Thanksgiving 2021, is a good time to recall and embrace them.

Shoplifting on Steroids: Organized Thieves Raid Stores and Run

               (Photo - Flash mob-style robbery of Walnut Creek Nordstrom)

Shoplifting has been elevated to a dark art, as groups of people dash into stores and steal everything they can get their hands on in minutes before running away.

Here's two recent cases to illustrate just how bad the situation is becoming for retail stores in America today:

Last week a Louis Vuitton store in a Chicago suburb was raided by 14 thieves wearing masks and hooded sweatshirts.

Surveillance footage showed them brazenly grabbing bags and wiping shelves clear before dashing out the front door.

They escaped. All the police could find was one of the three cars used for the getaway (it was stolen). 

The thieves didn't display weapons or attack employees. They were very businesslike in their looting. It's estimated that the merchandize stolen amounts to $120,000.

Also last week:

About 80 thieves wearing ski masks stormed the Nordstrom store in Walnut Creek, California.

Witnesses say the large group raided the store in under one minute! 

In this case two employees were attacked by the looters who punched and kicked them while another was pepper sprayed.

Unlike the Louis Vuitton store however, at least three suspects were arrested. One, at gunpoint.

Police reported the raid was not connected to a string of nationwide riots that took place over the weekend in the wake of the Rittenhouse verdict.

No. It was just another case of organized thieves ripping off retailers. The raids have gotten out of hand and many retailers in areas like San Francisco are shutting down their stores because of the losses.

In mid-October Walgreens in San Francisco closed five of it's stores because "retail theft" has risen to unsustainable levels despite increased investment in security.

Thanks to organized serial shoplifters bare necessities are now rare luxuries on drug-store shelves across New York City.

I suppose you could blame the pandemic for the rise in shoplifting, but it has to go deeper than that. 

It goes to the lack of moral fiber in the country today. Nothing is too extreme. Nothing is off the table. People are becoming more lawless within our severely divided country with each passing day.

This decay in our society is just one more symptom of our country in a crisis.

Divided We Fall: How Two Americas Are Destroying Democracy

Remember when this was the nation's de facto motto?

E pluribus unum. "Out of many we are one."

Now it's about how divided we are. How factions of society don't believe in universal equality. Partisan groups threaten each other in state and federal government with bodily harm.

Religion, always a controversial subject, has been weaponized with the rise of so-called Nationalist Christians. They're goals are simple and cruel.

Christian nationalist agitators are calling for only one religion to be celebrated in America. Christianity. The rest of the religions are being relegated to imposters who seek God in the wrong places.

Broken down to the simplest terms, we are now living in two Americas where everything from belief systems to human equality are in question.

We are now in Defcon 2. One step away from total anarchy. Political road blocks are springing up throughout the country. A sure sign of the stagnancy which has settled into the states and federal government.

The idea of a unified nation has been cast to the winds of chaos as America stumbles through a never-ending pandemic and the battle between two tribes - with one perfectly willing to destroy the other in the name of hateful ideologies.

I've heard and read political pundits who already believe we are engaged in another Civil War. 

How did we get here? Where did we go wrong? How is it a large segment of Americans don't believe in reality and science?

Part of the problem has been the "dumbing down" of American education in the last couple of decades. Ignorance can lead to hatred of things people don't understand.

A big factor is the rise of the Trump cult. Americans never experienced a more corrupt president, and were caught off guard by his cruelty and stupidity.

Embraced by the worst segments of our society, Trump tore down all the norms in our life and government. That the former president is still trying to steal the 2020 election - a year later - shows how dire things are right now.

How can we turn the tide?

The only thing I can see, in the short term, is for the Democrats to hold onto the House and Senate in next year's midterms.

Short of that, I predict we're going to keep on going down the rabbit hole until democracy is dead.