…Police are struggling to stop violence in West Baltimore, where officers have been routinely surrounded by dozens of people, video cameras and hostility while doing basic police work since the death of Freddie Gray, Baltimore Police Commissioner Anthony W. Batts said Wednesday. (link)…

BALTIMORE – Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake called the city’s recent spike in violence “disheartening” Thursday as police work to address a dramatic increase in homicides and nonfatal shootings.

“It’s extremely frustrating,” the mayor told reporters at a news conference. “It is disheartening, but I am still resolved to continue to reduce violent crime in our city.” (more…)

According to The Hill the Baltimore and Maryland politicians had a meeting today at the White House; described thusly:

Maryland officials meet at the White House to discuss Baltimore unrest: http://t.co/TB1jxWkB2w pic.twitter.com/ANjNsZa31y

— The Hill (@thehill) May 20, 2015

[…] Sens. Barbara Mikulski (D), Ben Cardin (D) and Rep. Elijah Cummings (D), who represents Baltimore, huddled with White House senior adviser Valerie Jarrett and other top ranking officials to “discuss ways in which the administration can continue to serve as an active partner in supporting local priorities following the recent unrest in Baltimore,” the White House said in a statement. (more…)

(Via The Hill) A federal judge has rejected the State Department’s proposal to not release thousands of pages of emails from former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton until next year, instead calling for them to be released on a rolling basis.

[…]  Jeffrey Light, the lawyer for Vice News, which filed the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit for the emails, said the judge had given the Obama administration one week to provide a schedule for the public release of all the emails, including those pertaining to Benghazi, Reuters reported.
The State Department had proposed releasing the emails sometime before Jan. 15, 2016, in court documents filed Monday night.
Those emails, which were submitted to the State Department in paper form, will be viewable in redacted form on the department’s website, according to John F. Hackett, who handles FOIA requests for State. (more…)

IRAQ – The Iraqi city of Ramadi has fallen to Islamic State (IS) after government forces abandoned their positions, officials say.

The police and military made a chaotic retreat after days of intense fighting.  Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi had ordered troops to stand their ground, saying he was deploying Shia militia to the city.
Ramadi is the capital of Iraq’s largest province, Anbar, and is just 70 miles (112km) west of Baghdad.
A statement purportedly from IS said its fighters had “purged the entire city”. It said IS had taken the 8th Brigade army base, along with tanks and missile launchers left behind by troops. (more…)

Today Fox News is reporting confirmation that weapons from Benghazi were shipped to Syria. This affirms one of the essential elements outlined in our Benghazi Brief.

Documents Reveal Obama Admin Knew Terrorists Had Planned #Benghazi Attack 10 Days in Advance: http://t.co/nPGPakVBKH via @JudicialWatch

— Judicial Watch ⚖️ (@JudicialWatch) May 18, 2015

The “Benghazi Brief” remains the most controversial research report we have ever produced. The brief contains over two years of research and hundreds of very specific citations supporting it.
The Brief has also been challenged and with extensive vetting factually withstood all scrutiny. The report, while exhaustive in detail, remains the strongest summary of events surrounding the two years leading up to the Benghazi Libya attack on 9/11/12.
We have repeatedly stated The Benghazi Brief, and ALL of the cited information contained therein, is available for use by anyone who has a goal of communicating the truth surrounding the controversial events. (more…)

Former interim CIA Head Mike Morell was part of team Hillary both before and after her tenure as Secretary of State so this admission carries a little more sting…. 

(Via Politico) Former Deputy CIA Director Michael Morell said that he believes some foreign intelligence agencies possess the contents of Hillary Clinton’s private email server.
“I think that foreign intelligence services, the good ones, have everything on any unclassified network that the government uses,” Morell said Friday in an interview on the Hugh Hewitt Show.
“I don’t think that was a very good judgment,” he added of Clinton’s decision to use the private server for official State Department business. “I don’t know who gave her that advice, but it was not good advice.” (more…)

If, like many of us, you are deep in the weeds in your understanding of the issues around Benghazi, the 2010 Arab Spring (Tunis, Egypt, Libya, Syria, Bahrain, Yemen), or the CIA operation “Zero Footprint” in Libya and the follow-up operation in Syria, you will enjoy this interview with former Panetta/Petraeus replacement Mike Morell.
Or, if you have a cursory understanding of events, this interview might spur you toward further research.  “The Benghazi Brief” – Regardless of your current level of understanding behind events of the past 7+ years, this interview is well constructed.
Bret Baier has done his homework, and in a refreshing and surprising manner you can see how Baier is able to cut through the distracting ‘talking points’ (no pun intended), and draw out the reality of what lies behind Morell and his foundational motives.

There’s an odd dynamic to the Washington Post report that Attorney General Loretta Lynch is set to “launch federal investigation of Baltimore police” using the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) office for a “pattern or practice” investigation.
Odd because, the DOJ COPS office investigation, run by Ronald L. Davis (Director of the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services), was already launched last October, 2014.

DETAILS – Yesterday the Washington Post reported:

Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch has decided to launch a federal investigation into whether the Baltimore Police Department has engaged in a “pattern or practice” of excessive force.  (link)

However, last October 20th COPS announced:

U.S. Department of Justice Announces Collaborative Reform Initiative with Baltimore Police Department
COPS OFFICE WILL ASSESS BALTIMORE POLICE POLICIES, TRAINING, AND OPERATIONS AS THEY RELATE TO USE OF FORCE AND INTERACTIONS WITH CITIZENS
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND – Today the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) announced the beginning of a review of the Baltimore Police Department’s use of force policies and practices. The scope of the work announced today will include an assessment of policies, training, and operations as they relate to use of force and interactions with citizens, taking into account national standards, best practices, current and emerging research, and community expectations.
(more…)

[Marilyn Mosby’s] case against the two arresting officers rests upon an “illegal” arrest.  She says the knife that Freddie Gray was carrying was legal.  But the police task force examined it and said the officers were indeed correct, the knife was spring-assisted and therefore prohibited.
It’s Mosby who made the “illegal” arrest, and could be charged under her own theory of “false imprisonment.” And sued to boot, since she forfeited her immunity from civil action by doing the charging herself. (link)

We continue looking through the direct action filing, the probable cause to arrest determination, as outlined in Mosby’s own words – and comparing her words to the factual evidence she is seeking to hide.  What we are finding is jaw dropping.
Mosby claimed:

[…] “Despite stopping for the purpose of checking on Mr. Gray’s condition, at no point did [Officer Goodson] seek nor did he render any medical assistance for Mr. Gray.” (link)

This is a lie!  An intentional lie we will prove below. (more…)

Obviously AG Lynch has a vested interest in this case.  It would be embarrassing to the administration, to the AG, and to the larger professional grievance community, if a poorly constructed case -built with a racially embedded narrative- were to be exposed to sunlight.
Not only is the case based on activism and agenda, but the likelihood of the case falling apart has increased exponentially over the past 72 hours. 

Ronald Davis, left (Community Policing), and AG Lynch – right.

[…] Lynch, who has ordered a separate federal investigation into the 25-year-old man’s death, met with the Gray family shortly after noon and later with faith leaders and members of the local congressional delegation
Lynch’s visit is her first venture out of Washington since taking office last week. She was accompanied by Vanita Gupta, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, which is leading the federal probe; and Ronald Davis, director of Justice’s Community Oriented Policing Services office.
The attorney general met privately with Gray’s family at the University of Baltimore where congressional leaders also huddled with Lynch.
(more…)