CMR is the leading provider of funding and management support for small to medium-sized businesses and entrepreneurs 

Authored by Daniel McCarthy via The Epoch Times,

What will it take to get crime under control in our subways and public transit systems?

On Monday, Dec. 1, news broke of another passenger set on fire in New York City’s subway—although this story wasn’t all it seemed.

The homeless man who at first said he was the victim of an attack turned tight-lipped when police pressed him about what happened.

Had he set his own clothes ablaze to attract attention?

In the wild environment our subways have become, a malicious attack or a madman’s self-inflicted injury are both all too believable.

Most trips on the New York City subway or Washington’s Metro system don’t resemble a clip from “Mad Max,” but sooner or later anyone who rides the rails of our cities regularly encounters insanity, aggression, and the prospect of violence—or actual violence, including the murderous kind.

The life-changing and very nearly life-ending attack on Bethany MaGee, the woman set aflame on a Chicago Blue Line train last month, was no hoax.

Nor was the assault that killed Iryna Zarutska on a commuter train in Charlotte, North Carolina, this summer.

Nor was the burning alive of Debrina Kawam on the New York City subway in December 2024.

None of those women had any reason to fear for her life, yet a commute turned into unspeakable terror.

And it was predictable—not because these victims had anything special to fear but because everyone knows what’s allowed to happen in the tunnels and on the trains.

If a thug with 72 arrests to his name—such as the man who tried to immolate the 26-year-old MaGee in Chicago—or with “just” 14 arrests—such as Zarutska’s murderer—decides that this is the day to take an unsuspecting victim, what chance does the victim have?

Her fate was already decided by judges who chose to not lock up men who were a demonstrated threat to the public.

The killers and would-be killers are only half the problem.

The other half are the judges and lawmakers who put them on the streets in the first place, leaving them free to ambush unsuspecting victims on train cars, where they can’t escape.

(MaGee did try running, but her attacker caught up and torched her.)

Legislators in North Carolina, at least, are trying to stop this murderous chain of events before it begins, by putting men with criminal records like those of Zarutska’s killer in prison or mental institutions as soon as they start breaking the law.

“Iryna’s Law” restricts cashless bail, requires judges to order more mental evaluations, and makes it easier to involuntarily commit offenders found to be disturbed.

It also attempts to restore the death penalty in North Carolina, which has been blocked for nearly 20 years by legal challenges.

The law is a good start, and other states need similar reforms to incarcerate and institutionalize more of the people who commit horrors such as the subway attacks of recent months.

There’s a federal role in this, too, including rigorous enforcement of immigration law.

Sebastian Zapeta-Calil, the man charged with burning Kawam to death, is an illegal immigrant who should never have been in this country to begin with.

Yet more is needed: not only zero tolerance toward violent and repeat offenders, but also zero tolerance in the political process for judges who go easy on them.

Some states elect judges, and voters in those places can make known just how they feel about judges’ culpability for crimes committed by the lawbreakers they set loose.

And states have provisions for impeaching judges, just as the federal government does.

Where judges egregiously endanger the public with their leniency toward criminals, they should be impeached and removed from office.

It wouldn’t take many examples before soft-on-crime judges got the message.

Of course, judges themselves, where they aren’t elected by the public, are appointed by politicians who have to answer to voters—and those pols should feel the heat, too.

Five years ago, progressives were pushing, in all seriousness, to “defund the police” and “abolish bail,” meaning, in the latter instance, simply releasing a wider array of arrestees.

In most of the country, those slogans were not political winners, but advocates for these policies count more on elite sympathy, especially within the legal profession, than they do on ballot-box victories.

Their gamble is that most Americans pay no mind to the inner workings of state courts and legislatures, so what loses in an election can still win where laws and legal precedents are actually made.

This populist moment in national politics arises from the distrust our leaders have engendered among the public.

But leaders in states and cities have betrayed Americans’ trust, too, and their betrayal turns public transportation into scenes of public execution for innocents such as Zarutska.

Authored by Melanie Sun via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

The Roman Catholic Church in New York and more than 1,300 people who have accused its priests and lay employees of sexual abuse have agreed to enter mediation to resolve the claims.

Announcing the negotiations on Dec. 8, the Archdiocese of New York said it hopes to reach a global settlement that would provide victim-survivors with “the most financial compensation possible.”

Cardinal Timothy Dolan, who has led the archdiocese since 2009, said in an open letter that “darkness has cast a shadow” on the church.

“As we have repeatedly acknowledged, the sexual abuse of minors long ago has brought shame upon our Church. I once again ask forgiveness for the failing of those who betrayed the trust placed in them by failing to provide for the safety of our young people,” Dolan said. “Yet, as our faith teaches us, light will always conquer darkness.”

The Archdiocese of New York, which serves 2.5 million Catholics across nearly 300 parishes—the second-largest population of registered Catholics nationwide after the Archdiocese of Los Angeles—has taken the significant and necessary further steps to allow it to “bring peace and consolation to victim-survivors and their families,” Dolan said.

Adding to voluntary compensation efforts by the archdiocese in 2016, dubbed the Independent Reconciliation and Compensation Program (IRCP), the cardinal said the church has “made a series of very difficult financial decisions” that, when finalised, should liquidate at least $300 million “to provide compensation to survivors of sexual abuse.”

The decisions included laying off staff, cutting 10 percent of the operating budget, and selling significant real estate assets. The sales include the former archdiocesan headquarters on First Avenue in Manhattan.

Dolan also said the compensation efforts were being complicated by ongoing legal struggles with Chubb Insurance Companies, which ?has refused to pay claims for policies that included “coverage for sexual misconduct claims, for itself and the parishes, schools, and archdiocesan charitable organizations.” The church said it had purchased such general liability insurance coverage for ?the decades coinciding with the allegations of abuse.

“Despite accepting millions in premiums from the archdiocese, Chubb has steadfastly refused to honor the policies it issued,” the cardinal said.

Chubb accused the ?archdiocese of tolerating and covering up child sexual abuse for decades and called for more transparency, saying the archdiocese has refused to share “what they knew and when.”

“The insurance that the Archdiocese bought covers accidents, it does not provide compensation for knowingly allowing a pattern of abuse to persist for many years,” Chubb said in a statement. “There’s a reason insurance doesn’t cover this kind of behavior as it would reward those who facilitate criminal conduct rather than those who take vigilant steps to mitigate risk and protect children from abuse.”

‘Time for Reckoning’

The settlement is to be negotiated by a third-party mediator, whom both sides agreed would be retired Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Daniel Buckley.

Buckley successfully negotiated the $880 million settlement between the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and 1,353 victim-survivors of sexual abuse in 2024. That archdiocese is the largest in the nation, with about 4.4 million registered Catholics.

Dolan also said that the parish in the archdiocese where most of the claims of abuse were filed has declared bankruptcy. That parish—Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish in Scarsdale—is facing imminent court proceedings related to “alleged abuse by a former lay employee at the parish,” the cardinal said.

Most of the lawsuits against the archdiocese were filed after New York’s Child Victims Act was enacted in 2019. It extended the statute of limitations for civil lawsuits involving child sexual abuse, creating a one-year retrospective window that allowed petitioners to file historical claims of clergy abuse.

Before this, under the archdiocese’s voluntary compensation effort established by Dolan to compensate victims abused by priests or deacons of the archdiocese, 189 victim-survivors were recognised by the church and compensated more than $40 million.

Attorney Jeff Anderson, who represents some 300 of the 1,311 accusers whose claims date from 1952 to 2020, said that the archdiocese agreed to negotiate settlements over ?the next two months. This is ahead of civil litigation against it that is due to come to trial next year.

“The time for reckoning is now, and it’s long past due,” he said.

He added that any settlements will have to be accompanied by full disclosure of wrongdoing and measures to prevent future abuse.

According to the archdiocese’s website, since the Catholic Bishops of the United States adopted the Charter on the Protection of Children and Young People in 2002, the church has implemented preventive measures through the “Safe Environment Program,” designed to prevent and respond to any incidents of child sexual abuse.

“We are dedicated to insure the safety of children and young people who have been entrusted to our care in our parishes, schools, religious education classes and other programs,” the website notice reads.

The archdiocese said that since the charter’s adoption, it has identified only one case of credible sexual abuse of a minor involving an active clergyman. Law enforcement was immediately notified and handled the case. The priest was also removed from ministry by the archdiocesan review board.

“Please join me in praying for the victim-survivors, their families, and all who have experienced the horror of abuse,” Dolan said. “It is my heartfelt prayer that together as a family of faith, we may experience healing, hope, and light this Christmas season.”

Reuters contributed to this report.

Authored by Conrad Black via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

There’s no doubt that President Donald Trump’s campaign to reduce urban crime is fundamentally popular. The overwhelming majority of Americans oppose crime, particularly violent crime that threatens them in their homes or while engaging in daily activities on city streets and sidewalks.

Some Democrats continue to align themselves with individuals and groups broadly disapproved of by the public, including violent criminals who entered the country illegally and whose civil rights are defended on technical grounds prior to deportation. The same is true for disruptive university activists who block respected speakers and threaten Jewish students.

There is broad public support for Trump’s efforts to seal the southern border and reduce the number of illegal immigrants entering the country—from approximately 3 million annually under President Joe Biden to near zero today. Understandably, urban crime and illegal immigration are closely linked in the public’s mind. While the public supports the administration’s primary goals—to sharply reduce crime and completely end unlawful entry—the president is sometimes perceived as heavy-handed. A more refined approach could help secure the support these policies warrant.

The deployment of National Guard troops in Washington has been notably effective. Even the strongly partisan Democratic mayor, Muriel Bowser, thanked the president for their presence. Violent crime has declined by more than 50 percent, and petty crimes have dropped 40 to 50 percent. At the same time, the administration has begun restoring Union Station—a historic structure long plagued by vagrancy and drug use—revamping the Kennedy Center, and adding a grand ballroom to the White House, all reportedly without taxpayer cost. The president’s commitment to restoring Washington as a city of grandeur and civic pride is widely supported, both by Washingtonians and the public at large.

Meanwhile, some Democratic leaders in cities such as Chicago have accused the federal government of an “occupation,” suggesting it has no jurisdiction, despite Chicago being part of the United States. Such objections come as Metropolitan Chicago’s gun-related crime rate is reportedly 10 times that of similarly sized Toronto. Greater law-enforcement presence is clearly needed. However, the National Guard is a costly option, especially when guardsmen are deployed from out of state. For instance, guardsmen in Washington are from West Virginia, as Democratic governors of neighboring states declined to assist. Their deployment over four months has cost more than $200 million.

The National Guard has also been deployed to Los Angeles and other cities to contain riots opposing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Border Czar Tom Homan has stated that 74 percent of deportees have violent histories and pose a threat to public safety. President Trump has emphasized that ICE targets “the worst of the worst.” While these claims may be accurate, they’re not universally accepted and would benefit from clear substantiation.

Critics—including many in the national political media—allege that the administration is targeting law-abiding, family-oriented individuals who entered illegally years ago and have since become productive residents, while some dangerous individuals escape detection. Even if the administration’s numbers are correct, that still suggests that 24 percent of deportees, according to Homan, aren’t dangerous. These individuals often become the focus of sympathetic features in outlets such as The New York Times. As with tariffs and other complex policies, the administration would benefit from refining its enforcement strategy to transform it into a broadly accepted success.

Given the sharp increase in attacks on ICE agents, it’s reasonable for agents to wear masks and body armour and to move discreetly when detaining suspects. The president’s strong defence of ICE appears justified, provided enforcement efforts truly focus on serious offenders rather than longtime residents who have otherwise complied with the law.

The administration might consider a version of President Bill Clinton’s initiative to fund 100,000 additional police officers—provided they’re deployed to high-crime areas rather than low-risk districts or desk roles. A balanced combination of National Guard support and increased local policing might be effective if Democratic mayors, often resistant, can be persuaded to cooperate. If not, federal authorities may need to persist with guard deployments, but should require local governments to share the financial burden.

Less than a year into his presidency, President Trump is fulfilling his campaign promises and has broad public backing. It would be a political setback if minor adjustments in policy execution prevent his administration from securing unambiguous public support. He should take steps to prevent inflammatory comparisons—such as those likening of his administration’s approach to that of Nazi Germany’s—from gaining traction. Politicians making such remarks should be held accountable not only for the deterioration of major cities but also for perpetuating inflammatory rhetoric.

Views expressed in this article are opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times or ZeroHedge.

Authored by Jerry Zhu via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

Australia’s utility industry warns the country’s current water supply is not enough to accommodate the explosive growth of data centres and artificial intelligence (AI).

The Water Services Association of Australia (WSAA), the nation’s peak water body, says data centre developers are seeking about 5 to 40 million litres of water per day to cool down their facilities.

That’s the equivalent of 70,000 to 80,000 households or 16 Olympic-sized swimming pools.

Data centres, which store information for governments to businesses, cycle water through their facilities to cool down servers and prevent overheating.

However, the development of AI, which has much higher computational power, storage, as well as electricity needs, is also driving up the base requirements of data centres.

In fact, the WSAA estimates that by 2030, data centres in Sydney alone are estimated to use 10.5 billion litres a year (1.9 percent of Sydney Water’s supply).

By 2035, this is expected to balloon to 90 billion litres a year, the equivalent of 15 to 20 percent of supply.

Sydney is arguably the tech capital of Australia with 90 data centres currently in the state of New South Wales (NSW), followed by 40 in Victoria. Future data centre developments could be much larger and energy-intensive, the report says.

Adam Lovell, executive director of WSAA, stressed the need for Australia to plan its water use carefully.

“Australia is well positioned to become a global data centre hub, and that needn’t be at the expense of our water resources,” Lovell said.

“The key is to help the sector become smart water users.

“We have a history in Australia of developing innovative solutions to make sure industrial users through to residential consumers have reliable access to water supplies.”

The report contained five recommendations, including implementing efficiency standards, recycling water, more transparency by publishing metric on water and energy use, early collaboration between data centres and water utilities, and creating new frameworks for developments.

Greens MP Airs Concerns About Data Centre Water Needs

Abigail Boyd, Greens MP of the NSW Legislative Council, raised concerns about data centre water use in late November.

“The latest Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal [IPART] determination for Sydney water prices notes that Sydney Water estimates that the water needs of data centres may be up to 250 megalitres per day by 2035 to fuel the explosion of artificial intelligence products,” she said during Question Time in NSW Parliament.

“That would be almost 20 percent of Sydney Water’s total water usage being consumed by data centres ...” she said (pdf).

“What is the minister doing to advocate for a more responsible approach to artificial intelligence and data centre development so that new infrastructure, like water connections, is appropriately prioritised towards housing and is not fuelling the latest tech bubble?”

In response, Rose Jackson, Labor minister of water and housing, said Sydney Water had not prioritised capital investment for data centres and that housing targets were the priority.

“The government is having collaborative conversations with Sydney Water and energy providers because some of the pressures that the member has identified in relation to water also relate to energy and ensuring that New South Wales is open for business and supporting the future economic needs of the tech sector,” Jackson said.

“We want New South Wales to be a place where investment occurs so that we are at the cutting edge of emergent technology, and we can take advantage of it,” she added.

“Sydney Water is exploring a number of innovative opportunities to ensure that data centre development can be supported without putting pressure on the prioritised capital delivery for housing,” the minister said, noting that the water needs of data centres could also change as technology improves.

Federal and state ministers are expected to discuss the country’s growing water demands in Brisbane on Dec. 12 amid the government’s newly released artificial intelligence plan.