Monday morning news - September 14, 2020

LA County deputies critically wounded in ambush attack » Two Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies were fighting for their lives on Sunday as police conducted a manhunt for the gunman who shot the deputies in their squad car. 

Sheriff Alex Villanueva told reporters that both officers were new on the job.

VILLANUEVA: One is the 31-year-old mother of a 6-year-old boy. Her husband is here with them. The other is a 24-year-old. The parents are here, girlfriend is here. They’re both out of class 437 and so they just graduated. And in fact I swore them into office 14 months ago. 

Both underwent surgery on Saturday night, shortly after the attacker ambushed their patrol car at a Metro rail station. The deputies were able to radio for help. 

The department tweeted video of the shooting that shows a person firing through the passenger-side window.

According to the sheriff’s department, protesters then blocked the entrance & exit of the hospital emergency room yelling ‘We hope they die.’

President Trump reacted Sunday saying the shooter should receive the death penalty if either of the officers die. Joe Biden called the attack “cold-blooded” and “unconscionable” and said the “perpetrator must be brought to justice.”

Missing residents found as wildfires rage along West Coast » Some good news in Oregon on Sunday, as officials said nearly all of the dozens of people reported missing have been located after a blaze in the southern part of the state. 

But firefighters continue to battle devastating wildfires up and down the West Coast. So far 33 people have died. 

Oregon Governor Kate Brown said Sunday that more than 40,000 Oregonians have had to flee their homes. 

BROWN: This week alone, we’ve burned more than a million acres of beautiful Oregon. We’ve got fires on the coast. We’ve got fires in communities butting our metropolitan areas, and southern Oregon has been devastated. 

Warnings of low moisture and strong winds that could fan the flames have added urgency to the battle. The so-called red flag warnings stretched from hard-hit southern Oregon to Northern California and have been extended through this evening. 

Human rights groups ask Olympics to reconsider holding Winter Games in Beijing » More than 150 human rights groups are urging the International Olympic Committee to rethink holding the 2022 Winter Games in Beijing. 

In a letter, the coalition said that since the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China has built—quote, “an Orwellian surveillance network” in Tibet and incarcerated more than a million Uighurs.” It listed a litany of other abuses from Hong Kong to the Inner Mongolia region, as well as the intimidation of Taiwan.

China brushed off the letter as an attempt to politicize sports. 

GOP lawmakers call on Justice Dept. to investigate Netflix » At least two GOP lawmakers are calling on the Justice Department to investigate to see if Netflix and the makers of a controversial French film violated child pornography laws. Texas Senator Ted Cruz said Sunday…

CRUZ: This movie “Cuties,” it sexualizes 11-year-old girls, has them dancing like strippers, has them in very suggestive sexual roles, and it’s frankly disgusting.

And Indiana Congressman Jim Banks told Fox News…

BANKS: It’s trafficking child pornography on Netflix, and Netflix should be penalized. They should be gone after by the DOJ with charges brought against them for distributing child pornography. 

The Justice Department has not made a public statement about a potential investigation.

Calif. church defies court order, holds indoor service » Grace Community Church in suburban Los Angeles defied a court order and held its normal Sunday service indoors yesterday. 

On Thursday the Los Angeles Superior Court temporarily banned the church from having any indoor worship services. Judge Mitchell Beckloff also said the church could only hold outdoor services under certain conditions. 

The church’s pastor, John MacAurthur, called the ruling unconstitutional. On Sunday morning, he read from a list of requirements the church would have to meet to comply with the order including restroom protocols and rules about parking. He said the rules would effectively “shut the church down.” 

An attorney for the county argued earlier this month—his words—“religion doesn’t trump health and safety.” But a lawyer for the church said the county is guilty of a double-standard. He said officials are targeting the church but seem to have no problem with large protest gatherings.

(AP Photo/Noah Berger) Flames lick above vehicles on Highway 162 as the Bear Fire burns in Oroville, Calif., on Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2020.

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