Today’s read: 4 min 11 sec

Good morning. The recent commentary on O.J. Simpson's death highlighted an important fact: the views on race and policing, often associated with the George Floyd era and labeled as "wokeness," have been prevalent for decades and played a significant role in OJ Simpson's celebrated acquittal.

First time here? I’m Ari, and this is Upward News. Every day, we scour 100s of sources to bring you need-to-know news and insights you won’t see in the MSM. Sign up here.

WHAT WE'RE WATCHING

🤐 NPR suspended its journalist after criticizing the outlet. Uri Berliner, who recently published an essay detailing how the organization lost Americans' trust by shifting left, was suspended for five days without pay. The new and divisive CEO denounced Berliner’s essay, highlighting the turmoil within the publicly-funded news outlet.

✊ Hundreds of illegal migrants flood to NYC City Hall. As New York City grapples with unprecedented numbers of illegal migrants, over 1,300 individuals from Haiti and Africa gathered outside of City Hall to protest for more aid and legal work permits. Nearly all the migrants were French-speaking working-age men who were reportedly promised green cards if they showed up at City Hall.

🗳 One-third of states agree to overhaul how presidents are elected. On Monday, Maine became the 17th state, along with D.C., to join a pact that opts for selecting the presidential winner based on the popular vote instead of the electoral vote. If adopted, advocates claim every American vote would count equally and prevent presidential elections from being decided by a handful of swing state counties.

🇻🇪 Senate Republicans are urging Biden to sanction Venezuela. A group of top Senate Republicans issued a letter to the president insisting he not renew oil sanctions relief on the socialist nation. The senators noted that as President Biden is seeking to import millions of barrels of Venezuelan oil, he has simultaneously restricted millions of acres of U.S. land to use for domestic oil production.

MEDIA

America’s racial polarization in the OJ era

What happened: Football star Orenthal James Simpson, or “O.J.,” passed away last week at 76, reigniting conversation about his divisive, highly publicized 1995 murder trial.

Catch up: Simpson was charged with the stabbing deaths of his ex-wife and her friend and led police on a car chase before his arrest in California.

• The racial component: Lawyers claimed racist law enforcement had planted evidence against Simpson, who was black, and a jury acquitted him after less than four hours of deliberation. A civil jury later found him liable for the deaths of the murder victims.

Why it matters: Simpson, who had a history of beating his ex-wife, is still widely believed to be guilty. Nevertheless, the progressives’ need to elevate “racial justice” supersedes culpability, as demonstrated by voices in the mainstream media and the courtroom.

Happy to see it: One CNN contributor said, "So many people … were just happy to see that someone who was rich and famous and black could get away with what other people did in the system.”

• More: Another at CNN said that regardless of the evidence, Simpson “represented something for the black community” during a time of “racial tension” and thus received support.

• Payback for King: One black juror on the case admitted that “90 percent” of the jury chose to acquit Simpson as retribution for the police beating of Rodney King years earlier.

Zoom out: The movement to structure the American justice system around race and alleged disparities — rather than individual guilt — persists in legislatures, local government offices, and law schools nationwide.

—H.C.

TRUMP TRIAL WATCH

• Manhattan D.A. Alvin Bragg requested Judge Merchan to hold Trump in contempt for allegedly violating his gag order.

• Donald Trump’s lawyer is accusing the prosecution of “stack[ing] the deck” against him in the jury selection.

• The first seven jurors were chosen in the “hush money” case after over 50 were initially dismissed over concerns they could not remain impartial.

• Jurors are required to answer dozens of questions, including which media outlets they read or watch, if they have strong feelings about Trump, and if they have ever belonged to radical groups like the Proud Boys or Antifa.

INSIDE AMERICA

The killing of Dexter Reed revives anti-cop narratives

What happened: Chicago police released footage of a traffic stop that led to the shooting death of a young black man, Dexter Reed. The 26-year-old was allegedly pulled over on suspicion of not wearing a seatbelt, but his encounter with five plainclothes officers devolved into a fatal shootout, prompting outrage.

• Reactions: Reed’s family demanded charges against the officers, called for defunding the police, and claimed, “He was just riding around in his car … and they killed him.” Activists also clashed with officers outside of a police precinct.

• Media framing: Many news articles emphasize that police “fired 96 shots” and wait several paragraphs before explaining Reed’s actions toward the officers.

Reed shot first: Footage shows officers surrounding Reed’s car and telling him to keep his window down and open the driver’s door. As he refuses to comply, officers draw their guns and continue making commands. Multiple video angles show Reed shooting first before the police returned fire.

• Criminal background: Reed was scheduled to stand trial for felony gun charges and may have been breaking the law by carrying a gun in his car.

• Previously injured: Court records reveal Reed was in mental and physical recovery from a 2021 shooting injury.

Why it matters: The false narrative surrounding the case is fueling anti-police sentiment in Chicago, which often leads to detrimental policy change. This comes as law enforcement grapples with the city’s extremely high rates of violent crime, a problem that disproportionately harms black residents.

• The violent reality: Black Chicagoans comprise most gun violence victims and as many as 77 percent of homicide victims.

—H.C.

WHAT WE’RE HEARING

• Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) is signing onto Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s (R-GA) motion to vacate the Speaker’s chair.

• Joe Scarborough went on a bizarre tirade on MSNBC, yelling that Donald Trump and Republicans are “obsessed with trashing America.”

• Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) is calling on people to “take matters into your own hands” with “pro-Hamas mobs.”

Michigan's “Death to America” Lobby

What’s happening: During an Al-Quds Day protest, demonstrators in Dearborn, Michigan, yelled death to America,” “death to Israel,” and claimed that Israel…

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OUR QUESTION TO YOU

POLL RESULTS FROM YESTERDAY

Should people be judged for their old social media posts?

🟨🟨🟨🟨⬜️⬜️ 👍 Yes (182)

🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 👎 No (257)

🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ 🤔 Other (90)

IN THE LOOP

• Nearly two-thirds of Americans do not believe Donald Trump broke the law in his “hush money” case.

• House Republicans delivered articles of impeachment against Homeland Security Sec. Alejandro Mayorkas to the Senate.

• 145 House members signed onto a resolution condemning the Iranian regime and their attack on Israel.

• The ADL reported a 140 percent increase in antisemitic incidents in 2023.

• The American presidency is the most powerful office on earth. But recently, with the rise of the modern Progressive administrative state, the executive power has undergone a big change. Learn about the Founders’ intentions for the president by enrolling in Hillsdale’s free online course, “The Presidency and the Constitution.” Click to begin today.*

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