01.19.22

President Biden’s First Year Of Failure

Since President Biden Was Sworn In A Year Ago, He’s Presided Over The Worst Inflation In Four Decades And Record-Breaking Increases In Crime, Failed To Shut Down COVID Or Handle The Crisis At The Southern Border, And Ordered A Calamitous And Shameful Withdrawal From Afghanistan

 

Seven Straight Months Of Inflation Exceeding 5% Is A Biden Administration Policy Failure, Costing American Families $3,500 For The Same Level Of Goods And Services

Inflation In December Increased 7% Year-On-Year, ‘The Fastest Pace In 40 Years’ And The Seventh Straight Month In Which Inflation Topped 5%

“U.S. inflation closed out 2021 at its highest level since 1982 as robust consumer demand exacerbated pandemic-related supply shortages. The Labor Department said the consumer-price index—which measures what consumers pay for goods and services—rose 7% in December from the same month a year ago, up from 6.8% in November. That was the fastest pace since 1982 and marked the third straight month in which inflation exceeded 6%.” (“2021 Is Expected to Rank as Biggest Year for Inflation in Four Decades”, The Wall Street Journal, 1/12/2022)

“Prices rose at the fastest pace in 40 years in December, increasing 7 percent over the same period a year ago, and cementing 2021 as a year marked by soaring inflation … Indeed, 2021 went down as the worst year for inflation since 1982 … Higher prices seeped into just about everything households and businesses buy, raising alarms for policymakers at the Federal Reserve and White House that inflation has spread throughout the economy. There’s no telling when prices will fall to more sustainable levels, and officials within the Fed and Biden administration expect high inflation will persist through much of 2022.” (“December Prices Rise 7 Percent, Compared To A Year Ago, As 2021 Inflation Reaches Highest In 40 Years,” The Washington Post, 1/12/2022)

“Prices paid by U.S. consumers jumped 7% in December from a year earlier, the highest inflation rate since 1982 and the latest evidence that rising costs for food, rent and other necessities are heightening the financial pressures on America’s households…. Rising prices have wiped out the healthy pay increases that many Americans have been receiving, making it harder for households, especially lower-income families, to afford basic expenses. Polls show that inflation has started displacing even the coronavirus as a public concern, making clear the political threat it poses to President Joe Biden and congressional Democrats.” (“US Consumer Prices Soared 7% In Past Year, Most Since 1982,” The Associated Press, 1/12/2022)

December marked the seventh consecutive month in which inflation topped 5 percent. (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Accessed 1/12/2022)

Over The Past Year, Prices For Goods And Services Essential To Everyday Life Have Skyrocketed

The price of all items increased 7% year-on-year, the largest increase since 1982. (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Accessed 1/12/2022)

Food prices increased 6.3% year-on-year, the largest increase since 2008. (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Accessed 1/12/2022)

Food at home (grocery) prices increased 6.5% year-on-year, the largest increase since 2008. (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Accessed 1/12/2022)

Prices for food away from home increased 6% year-on-year, the largest increase since 1982. (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Accessed 1/12/2022)

Prices for new cars and trucks increased 11.8% year-on-year, the largest increase ever. (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Accessed 1/12/2022)

Prices for housing increased 5.1% year-on-year, the largest increase since 1982. (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Accessed 1/12/2022)

Prices for rent of shelter increased 4.2% year-on-year, the largest increase since 2007. (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Accessed 1/12/2022)

As Inflation Rises, Americans’ Paychecks Are Getting Smaller, With Year-On-Year Real Average Weekly Earnings Decreasing 2.3 Percent

“Real average hourly earnings decreased 2.4 percent, seasonally adjusted, from December 2020 to December 2021. The change in real average hourly earnings combined with no change in the average workweek resulted in a 2.3-percent decrease in real average weekly earnings over this period.” (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Press Release, 1/12/2022)

Ivy League Economists Estimate That Inflation Cost American Families $3,500 More For The Same Goods And Services In 2021, ‘Lower-Income Households Will Have To Spend About 7 Percent More’

“We estimate that inflation in 2021 will require the average U.S. household to spend around $3,500 more in 2021 to achieve the same level of consumption of goods and services as in recent previous years (2019 or 2020). Moreover, we estimate that lower-income households spend more of their budget on goods and services that have been more impacted by inflation. Lower-income households will have to spend about 7 percent more while higher-income households will have to spend about 6 percent more.” (“Impact of Inflation by Household Income,” Penn Wharton Budget Model, 12/15/2021)

 

President Biden Failed To Follow-Through On Key Promises To Combat COVID, Including Dozens Of Pledges On Testing And Real-Time Data Analysis

“President Biden entered office a year ago this week, staking his presidency on defeating the coronavirus pandemic with a battle plan hailed for its scope and specificity. … As he prepared to take office, Biden oversaw a 200-page pandemic plan that promised to restore trust in the federal government, protect essential workers and slow the coronavirus’s spread. But, as president, he has struggled to execute key parts of it.” (“A Year Ago, Biden Unveiled A 200-Page Plan To Defeat Covid. He Has Struggled To Deliver On Some Key Promises.,” The Washington Post, 1/18/2022)

“The administration has been less successful fulfilling 33 pledges intended to curb viral spread by expanding access to tests, improving data surveillance and issuing clear messages to the public, among an array of other measures. … One promise was to ‘effectively distribute tests’ so Americans wouldn’t need to wait in lines again to find out whether they were infected — an unfulfilled vow for the thousands of Americans in long testing queues before the holidays.” (“A Year Ago, Biden Unveiled A 200-Page Plan To Defeat Covid. He Has Struggled To Deliver On Some Key Promises.,” The Washington Post, 1/18/2022)

“Biden pledged to improve real-time data analysis, for instance, so policymakers could make decisions more effectively, and the public, better understand its risks. But his former advisers said that U.S. leaders still rely on data from overseas when judging vaccines’ durability and their effectiveness against variants, slowing down decisions like recommending booster shots and shifting policies to fight omicron.” (“A Year Ago, Biden Unveiled A 200-Page Plan To Defeat Covid. He Has Struggled To Deliver On Some Key Promises.,” The Washington Post, 1/18/2022)

Five Senate Democrats Admonished The Biden Administration For Being Unprepared And Failing To Address COVID Testing Shortages Until ‘Several Weeks Into The Surge, With Resources Still Not Available Until Later This Month Or Beyond’

FIVE SENATE DEMOCRATS: “We write with grave concern regarding the current state of preparedness and response to the COVID-19 pandemic, as the Omicron variant fuels record numbers of cases that are threatening the stability of not only our health care systems, but other critical infrastructure as well. … Given our current public health crisis, we ask that you address the steps you have taken to prepare the country for the increase in cases, why the Administration failed to take more significant steps earlier to increase access to at-home tests, and how you plan to mitigate the impact of the current and future variants moving forward. … Across America, there are lines for city blocks long to get COVID testing, signs in pharmacies saying they are out of rapid tests, hospitals operating under crisis standards of care, health care staff and first responders falling ill, and millions of people who are exhausted from the toll this pandemic has had.” (Sens. Rosen, Kelly, Manchin, Ossoff, and Sinema, Letter to Jeffrey Zients, White House Coordinator of the COVID-19 Response, 1/13/2022)

 

‘The Debacle Of The US Defeat And Chaotic Retreat In Afghanistan’

 

 “[President Joe] Biden faced widespread global backlash after Taliban insurgents retook Afghanistan in a matter of 11 days, essentially winning the war on Aug. 15 – 20 years after their ouster by U.S.-led forces. On Aug. 26, during the U.S. military's mass evacuation at Hamid Karzai International Airport, suicide bombers killed at least 183 people, including 13 U.S. service members. The U.S. retaliated by launching two drone strikes against suspected ISIS-K terrorists, one of which ended up killing 10 Afghan civilians, including seven children. The U.S. military evacuation, which required significant cooperation from the Taliban to complete, ended a day ahead of deadline on Aug. 30, leaving behind hundreds of U.S. citizens and tens of thousands of Afghan allies, despite Biden’s promise days earlier to ‘get them all out.’” (“Biden Admin Roiled By Crises On Afghanistan, Border, Inflation, COVID – But Heads Yet To Roll,” Fox News, 1/04/2022)

Biden Was Determined To Retreat From Afghanistan, Ignoring Both Advice From Military Commanders And Conditions On The Ground

“In his [August 16th] speech defending America’s chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan, President Biden said he would not shrink from his share of responsibility. That would include his decision to bring home U.S. troops, which was made against the recommendations of his top military generals and many diplomats, who warned that a hasty withdrawal would undermine security in Afghanistan, several administration and defense officials said. The president’s top generals, including Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Army Gen. Mark Milley, urged Mr. Biden to keep a force of about 2,500 troops, the size he inherited, while seeking a peace agreement between warring Afghan factions, to help maintain stability. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, who previously served as a military commander in the region, said a full withdrawal wouldn’t provide any insurance against instability. In a series of meetings leading up to his decision, military and intelligence officials told Mr. Biden that security was deteriorating in Afghanistan, and they expressed concerns both about the capabilities of the Afghan military and the Taliban’s likely ability to take over major Afghan cities…. Mr. Biden, however, was committed to ending the U.S. military role in the country.” (“Biden Wanted to Leave Afghanistan. He Knew the Risks.,” The Wall Street Journal, 8/17/2021)

  • “The Taliban … rolled into Kabul having barely fired a shot. The onslaught triggered a chaotic evacuation of almost all U.S. diplomats, helped by thousands of American soldiers who were sent back to assist in the mission, sending shock waves around the world. The swift takeover, punctuated by images of desperate Afghans gripping onto moving U.S. Air Force planes, raises the stakes of Mr. Biden’s decision and the way it was implemented, for him personally as well as for the administration’s foreign policy and for America’s standing in the world. His team’s failure so far to mitigate the fallout of the withdrawal, including protecting thousands of pro-Western Afghans marooned in the capital, has some countries expressing concern about the U.S. as a partner, including on some of the very issues Mr. Biden wants to address.” (“Biden Wanted to Leave Afghanistan. He Knew the Risks.,” The Wall Street Journal, 8/17/2021)
  • “Pentagon leaders publicly acknowledged on [September 28th] that they advised President Biden not to withdraw all troops from Afghanistan ahead of a chaotic evacuation in which 13 U.S. service members died in a suicide bombing and 10 Afghan civilians were killed in an American drone strike…. Under repeated questioning from Republican senators, the Pentagon leaders broke with parts of Mr. Biden’s defense of the pullout, acknowledging that they had recommended leaving 2,500 American troops on the ground, and had warned that the Afghan government and army could collapse as early as the fall if the United States withdrew its forces…. Senators pressed the three men on why the Pentagon failed to predict the rapid collapse of the Afghan government and Afghan military, why the United States did not start evacuating Americans and vulnerable Afghans sooner, and what the Pentagon was doing now to help evacuate the remaining Americans and Afghans who want to leave the country.” (“Military Officials Say They Urged Biden Against Afghanistan Withdrawal,” The New York Times, 9/28/2021)

‘Biden's Judgment As Commander-In-Chief Is Being Called Into Question’

“The debacle of the US defeat and chaotic retreat in Afghanistan is a political disaster for Joe Biden, whose failure to orchestrate an urgent and orderly exit will further rock a presidency plagued by crises and stain his legacy…. [T]he true magnitude of the crisis can only be judged in the human tragedy of a people again subject to Taliban persecution. And a failure to fulfill the now apparently near-impossible tasks of evacuating all the Afghan translators, workers and fixers on whom the US relied and who now face Taliban retribution would besmirch America's conscience and global reputation.” (“Biden's Botched Afghan Exit Is A Disaster At Home And Abroad Long In The Making,” CNN, 8/16/2021)

  • “Biden's judgment as commander-in-chief is being called into question since he is on record, in damning video footage, saying that the Taliban's victory was ‘not inevitable.’ He said there would be no Saigon-style pictures of helicopters lifting off the roof of the US embassy in Kabul. That exact scenario unfolded [in August] after the US rushed to get its people out, and the Stars and Stripes was run down the flagpole as the fundamentalist militia routed by the United States in 2001, surged back into the Afghan capital.” (“Biden's Botched Afghan Exit Is A Disaster At Home And Abroad Long In The Making,” CNN, 8/16/2021)

Despite Pledges From The Biden Administration Not To Leave Behind Americans, Two Months Later The Pentagon Admitted Hundreds Of Americans Were Still There, The State Department Said In December Over 900 People Left After Biden’s August 31st Deadline, And Reports Say There Are Still Dozens Left In The Country

“Almost two months after the U.S. withdrew all of its troops, the State Department is in touch with hundreds of Americans who want to leave Afghanistan, the Pentagon’s top policy official said [October 26th]. Testifying before the Senate Armed Services Committee, Colin Kahl, the undersecretary of Defense for policy, told lawmakers that 196 Americans are ready to leave Afghanistan now, while another 243 either want to stay or aren’t yet ready to depart. Republicans on the committee, including ranking member James M. Inhofe of Oklahoma, took that as an admission that President Joe Biden had not lived up to his pledge to leave no American citizens behind.” (“Hundreds Of Americans Remain In Afghanistan, Pentagon Official Says,” Roll Call, 10/26/2021)

“The United States has helped over 900 American citizens and lawful permanent residents to leave Afghanistan and relocate to the United States since Aug. 31, after the chaotic end to the American war there, the U.S. State Department said on [December 13th]. The United States has directly assisted 479 American citizens and 450 lawful permanent residents, in addition to their immediate families, depart Afghanistan and relocate to the United States since the end of August, the State Department said in a statement.” (“Over 900 American Citizens, Permanent Residents Left Afghanistan With U.S. Help –Agency,” Reuters, 12/13/2021)

“There are [as of January 11, 2022] about 80 Americans in Afghanistan who want to leave the country, but evacuation flights have been grounded by the Taliban for about a month, according to a State Department official and two congressional sources familiar with the matter. It is unclear when the flights will resume, the sources said.” (“80 Americans Still Want To Leave Afghanistan But Evacuation Flights Remain Grounded,” CNN, 1/18/2022)

On Top Of That, There Are Around 62,000 Afghans Who Helped American Forces ‘Believed To Have Been Left Behind’

“More than 60,000 Afghan interpreters and others who have applied for visas to seek shelter in the U.S. after working alongside American forces still remain in Afghanistan, a State Department official said Thursday. About 33,000 Afghans, including principal applicants and their families, have already cleared the more-onerous vetting requirements and could be eligible for immediate evacuation. This is the first time that the State Department has provided a number on those left behind since the Afghanistan government collapsed this summer. A total of 62,000 Afghans are believed to have been left behind, the official said…. The Biden administration came under intense pressure this summer to do more to evacuate applicants, beginning emergency flights out for those who had cleared vetting in July. The premature collapse of the Kabul administration meant that most were left behind. Afghan visa applicants left behind are increasingly desperate to leave due to deteriorating economic conditions in the country.” (“More Than 60,000 Interpreters, Visa Applicants Remain in Afghanistan,” The Wall Street Journal, 12/16/2021)

Meanwhile, ISIS-K And Al Qaeda Are Reconstituting And Growing In Strength

“The growth of the Islamic State Khorasan, or ISIS-K, and al Qaeda in the months since the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan could result in both groups having the capacity to launch international attacks in a matter of months, officials said. This continues a pattern of warnings that began just weeks after the withdrawal. Gen. Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said during his Sept. 29 testimony on Capitol Hill that either terror group could reconstitute within six to 36 months. That timeline remains accurate, a spokesperson from the Joint Chiefs office told the Washington Examiner, meaning that the groups could return as soon as three months from now…. [Colin] Kahl, the undersecretary of defense for policy, told the Senate Armed Services Committee that ISIS-K could generate the capability to strike internationally ‘in somewhere between six or 12 months, according to current assessments by the intelligence committee,’ while al Qaeda's rebuild ‘would take a year or two to reconstitute that capability.’ U.S. Central Command, when asked by the Washington Examiner if the previous time frames remained accurate, pointed to an interview Gen. Frank McKenzie, the head of CENTCOM, did with the Associated Press last month. ‘I believe al Qaeda and ISIS are recruiting both internally, and I think in fact, internationally,’ he explained in the Dec. 9 interview, adding that al Qaeda, which he said has ‘an aspirational desire’ to attack the U.S., has grown slightly in the time since the military departed…. When the Taliban took control of the country in August, they released hundreds of prisoners for Afghan prisons. McKenzie said ISIS-K was ‘reinvigorated’ by the release of these prisoners, and just days later, a member of the cell detonated an explosive as the U.S. military was evacuating people out of Afghanistan, killing 13 U.S. service members and 200 civilians. ‘So certainly we should expect a resurgent ISIS. It would be very surprising if that weren’t the case,’ he explained …” (“Defense Officials Fear ISIS-K And Al Qaeda Threats In Afghanistan Growing As Months Go By,” Washington Examiner, 1/07/2022)

And The Taliban Is Continuing A Brutal ‘Campaign Of Targeted Killings Against Former Members Of Afghan Security Forces’

“Taliban wages campaign of targeted killings against former members of Afghan security forces … The stories in Helmand, Kandahar and elsewhere were echoed in a Human Rights Watch report released Tuesday that documented more than 100 killings and abductions of former Afghan officials since August. The New York-based research group described the violations as on the rise and deliberate. The killings come despite a pledge to grant amnesty to former Afghan security forces and government officials, demonstrating that building international pressure for the group to respect human rights has done little to sway the Taliban from the use of indiscriminate violence to respond to groups and individuals perceived as threats…. While the Taliban used summary executions and arbitrary detention for years to maintain order in areas under its control, the number of incidents is up and the group is employing the tactics more widely, according to the Human Rights Watch report.” (“Taliban Wages Campaign Of Targeted Killings Against Former Members Of Afghan Security Forces,” The Washington Post, 11/30/2021)

In The Aftermath Of American Forces Being Ordered To Abandon Afghanistan, The ‘Economy Has All But Collapsed, Plunging The Country Into One Of The World’s Worst Humanitarian Crises’ With The Country On The Brink Of ‘Mass Starvation’

“Nearly four months since the Taliban seized power, Afghanistan is on the brink of a mass starvation that aid groups say threatens to kill a million children this winter — a toll that would dwarf the total number of Afghan civilians estimated to have been killed as a direct result of the war over the past 20 years. While Afghanistan has suffered from malnutrition for decades, the country’s hunger crisis has drastically worsened in recent months. This winter, an estimated 22.8 million people — more than half the population — are expected to face potentially life-threatening levels of food insecurity, according to an analysis by the United Nations World Food Program and Food and Agriculture Organization. Of those, 8.7 million people are nearing famine — the worst stage of a food crisis…. Such widespread hunger is the most devastating sign of the economic crash that has crippled Afghanistan since the Taliban seized power.” (“Facing Economic Collapse, Afghanistan Is Gripped by Starvation,” The New York Times, 12/04/2021)

  • “Across the country, millions of Afghans — from day laborers to doctors and teachers — have gone months without steady or any incomes. The prices of food and other basic goods have soared beyond the reach of many families. Emaciated children and anemic mothers have flooded into the malnutrition wards of hospitals, many of those facilities bereft of medical supplies that donor aid once provided.” (“Facing Economic Collapse, Afghanistan Is Gripped by Starvation,” The New York Times, 12/04/2021)

“Three months into the Taliban’s rule, Afghanistan’s economy has all but collapsed, plunging the country into one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises. Millions of dollars of aid that once propped up the previous government has vanished, billions in state assets are frozen and economic sanctions have isolated the new government from the global banking system. Now, Afghanistan faces a dire cash shortage that has crippled banks and businesses, sent food and fuel prices soaring, and triggered a devastating hunger crisis…. No corner of Afghanistan has been left untouched. In the capital, desperate families have hawked furniture on the side of the road in exchange for food. Across other major cities, public hospitals do not have the money to buy badly needed medical supplies or to pay doctors and nurses, some of who have left their posts. Rural clinics are overrun with feeble children, whose parents cannot afford food. Economic migrants have flocked to the Iranian and Pakistani borders…. The scale and speed of the collapse amounts to one of the largest economic shocks any country has experienced in recent history, economists say. [In October], the International Monetary Fund warned that the economy is set to contract up to 30 percent this year. Thousands of government employees, including doctors and teachers, have gone months without pay. The wartime economy that employed millions and propped up the private sector has come sputtering to a halt. By the middle of [2022], as much as 97 percent of the Afghan population could sink below the poverty line, according to an analysis by the United Nations Development Program. Many people who were already living hand-to-mouth have been pushed over the edge.” (“Afghan Economy Nears Collapse as Pressure Builds to Ease U.S. Sanctions,” The New York Times, 11/27/2021)

Afghan Families Are Faced With Devastating, Unfathomable Choices Between Feeding Their Families And Selling Their Daughters As Child Brides

“Parwana Malik, a 9-year-old girl with dark eyes and rosy cheeks, giggles with her friends as they play jump rope in a dusty clearing. But Parwana's laughter disappears as she returns home, a small hut with dirt walls, where she's reminded of her fate: she's being sold to a stranger as a child bride…. [H]er parents say they have no choice…. [L]ife has only gotten harder since the Taliban took power in Afghanistan on August 15. As international aid dries up and the country's economy collapses, they're unable to afford basic necessities like food. Her father already sold her 12-year-old sister several months ago…. Parwana is one of many young Afghan girls sold into marriage as the country's humanitarian crisis deepens. Hunger has pushed some families to make heartbreaking decisions … Abdul Malik, Parwana's father, can't sleep at night. Ahead of the sale, he told CNN he's ‘broken’ with guilt, shame and worry. He had tried to avoid selling her -- he traveled to the provincial capital city Qala-e-Naw to search unsuccessfully for work, even borrowing ‘lots of money’ from relatives, and his wife resorted to begging other camp residents for food. But he felt he had no choice if he wants to feed his family. ‘We are eight family members,’ he told CNN. ‘I have to sell to keep other family members alive.’ … Since the Taliban's takeover, stories like Parwana's have been on the rise. Though marrying off children under 15 is illegal nationwide, it has been commonly practiced for years, especially in more rural parts of Afghanistan. And it has only spread since August, driven by widespread hunger and desperation.” (“She Was Sold To A Stranger So Her Family Could Eat As Afghanistan Crumbles,” CNN, 11/01/2021)

 

Crime Went Up All Over The Country In 2021

City After City Broke Records For Homicides

“More than two-thirds of the country's 40 most populous cities saw more homicides last year than in 2020, according to a CNN analysis of police department data. Ten of those cities recorded more homicides in 2021 than any other year on record. Those are Philadelphia; Austin, Texas; Columbus, Ohio; Indianapolis; Portland, Oregon; Memphis, Tennessee; Louisville, Kentucky; Milwaukee; Albuquerque, New Mexico; and Tucson, Arizona. Minneapolis tied its previous record number of homicides, with 97 in the years 1997 and 2021. Many cities have seen homicides reach near-record highs in the past year. Chicago police investigated 797 last year, the most since 1996. But more than 800 homicides happened within the city when including expressway shootings, which are investigated by a different agency. Homicides were also up by 12% in Los Angeles from 2020 and 4% in New York.” (“10 Of The Country's Most Populous Cities Set Homicide Records Last Year,” CNN, 1/04/2022)

  • “The rise in homicides -- mostly by gun -- happened all across the country…. These increases are not isolated to any region. One-year increases don't always portend a significant spike in crime. But almost every major US city saw more homicides in both 2020 and 2021 than in 2019. Homicides rose sharply in the summer of 2020 and have remained at high levels since. According to the 2020 Uniform Crime Report from the FBI, homicides rose 30% from 2019 to 2020, the largest single-year increase the agency has recorded since it began tracking these crimes in the 1960s.” (“10 Of The Country's Most Populous Cities Set Homicide Records Last Year,” CNN, 1/04/2022)

WASHINGTON, DC: “Homicides in the District [of Columbia] and in the Maryland suburbs soared in 2021 to levels not seen in more than a decade, largely driven by shootings and reflecting a troubling rise in violent crime across the country. More people were slain in Prince George’s County [Maryland] than in any year since 2007. Montgomery County [Maryland] had recorded 32 homicides as of Friday evening, matching numbers not seen since 2002. And killings in the District rose for the fourth consecutive year, surpassing 200 for the first time since 2003.” (“Homicides Soar In District, Maryland Suburbs In 2021,” The Washington Post, 12/31/2021)

  • “The District’s 227 killings in 2021 as of [December 31st] represent about a 15 percent increase from 2020…. Deadly violence struck the entire Washington region and included the killings of two police officers — one at bus stop at the Pentagon, another guarding a street outside the Capitol. Police are investigating a possible serial killer in Virginia linked thus far to the deaths of four women, two of whom were found dead in Fairfax County. Homicides in Fairfax rose to 19 in 2021, the highest number since 2017, and the cases include five young men accused of killing their parents or siblings. And in Montgomery County, Md., which came close to reaching a number of killings not seen in at least 46 years, Police Chief Marcus Jones said he has ‘never seen the amount of guns and gun activity that is currently on our streets.’” (“Homicides Soar In District, Maryland Suburbs In 2021,” The Washington Post, 12/31/2021)

LOS ANGELES: “Homicides, officer-involved shootings and many other types of crime increased in Los Angeles in 2021, the LA Police Department reported Thursday. Deadly shootings involving LAPD officers were up 142.9%, homicides increased 11.8% and motor vehicle thefts also rose 13.3% last year compared with 2020…. Robberies increased 5.5%, aggravated assaults were up 7.2% and the number of victims shot rose 9.1%.... Robberies with a firearm increased 21% citywide last year, with LAPD’s central bureau logging the largest increase of 37%.... In addition to a 13.3% increase in motor vehicle thefts, burglary thefts from motor vehicles also increased 5% last year, with one in five of those thefts being catalytic converters. The central part of the city had the highest incidence of burglaries from motor vehicles: They were up 34% last year compared with 2020.” (“City Officials: LA Homicides, Vehicle Thefts, Officer-Involved Shootings Increased In 2021,” Spectrum News 1, 1/13/2022)

CHICAGO: “Chicago’s gun violence proved unrelenting in 2021, as the fear and unease many neighborhoods have long felt spread into wealthier, traditionally safer parts of the city. Shootings remained high in many city neighborhoods that have for decades struggled with violence, but the downtown area this year was also repeatedly the site of shootings, burglaries at high-end shops and large-scale gatherings of young people who sometimes had to be dispersed by Chicago police. Carjackings continued to increase around the city. Children, seniors and even transit workers found themselves victims in areas that are not known for violence. A review of the two years that coincide with the COVID-19 pandemic reveals a dramatic uptick in both homicides and shootings across the city, with a more-than-60% increase in both categories that increased pressure on policymakers to find answers.” (“In 2021, Violence Spread Into Chicago Neighborhoods That Normally Enjoy A Sense Of Security, Rattling Nerves And Putting City Leaders On The Defensive,” Chicago Tribune, 12/23/2021)

HOUSTON: “Houston saw another increase in homicides in 2021, with police investigators having responded to 469 deaths of that nature in the city over 12 months. The rate of deaths — about 20 per 100,000 people — accounts for Houston’s population boom over three decades, capping the year as one of the worst rates in three decades.” (“Houston, Harris County Homicides Increase In 2021 Amid Similar Trends Nationwide,” Houston Chronicle, 1/11/2022)

PHILADELPHIA: “Philadelphia has recorded more killings than ever. The number of people slain this year — 557 as of Wednesday — has already doubled the 2014 total.” (“Philly’s Homicide Crisis In 2021 Featured More Guns, More Retaliatory Shootings, And A Decline In Arrests And Convictions,” The Philadelphia Inquirer, 12/31/2021)

  • “As gun violence has spiked, two law enforcement trends in Philadelphia have overlapped: Police have arrested fewer people, and prosecutors have secured fewer convictions in court. In 2021, according to data published by the District Attorney’s Office, police arrested nearly 24,000 people for offenses ranging from murder to criminal mischief. That’s the lowest total in at least six years, and about 40% lower than the average number of annual arrests police made from 2015 to 2019.… One major reason appears to be a significant decline in drug arrests. Police this year made just over 5,000 arrests for crimes including drug sales and drug possession, according to data from the DA’s Office. From 2015 to 2019, the average annual total was nearly 12,000. [Police Commissioner Danielle] Outlaw said some of those declines stem from police making far fewer pedestrian and vehicle stops compared with years past, a trend that likely reflects both an ongoing court agreement with the ACLU and police adjusting tactics during the pandemic to protect public health…. She also said the department, with about 6,000 officers, was down to its lowest staffing levels in years and simply can’t replicate the work of a force that was at least 10% larger several years ago. As for the courtroom, the DA’s data say about 71% of the 10,000 violent crime cases resolved in the last two years were withdrawn by prosecutors or dismissed by a judge. In the five years before the pandemic, that rate was 52%.” (“Philly’s Homicide Crisis In 2021 Featured More Guns, More Retaliatory Shootings, And A Decline In Arrests And Convictions,” The Philadelphia Inquirer, 12/31/2021)

SAN ANTONIO: “In 2021, San Antonio police reported the highest homicide count since 1994, when the city was riddled with drive-by shootings and gang violence. Last year, 160 people lost their lives at the hands of another person in San Antonio last year, according to police records obtained and analyzed by KSAT 12. The numbers may increase as police officials work on gathering the latest information. The tally is higher than the most recent homicide spike in 2016, when 151 killings were reported in San Antonio. It’s the highest since 1994, when 194 homicides were recorded.” (“2021 Was San Antonio’s Deadliest Year Since 1994, Data Shows,” KSAT, 1/07/2022)

ATLANTA: “After a historically deadly 2020, Atlanta leaders hoped homicides would decrease last year. The opposite happened. Authorities investigated 158 killings in 2021, one more than 2020 and the most since 1996…. While Atlanta’s killings increased only slightly from 2020, they were up about 60% compared to 2019, according to police department data. At least 840 people were struck by gunfire in 2021, records show.” (“In 2021, Atlanta’s Killings Surged For A Second Straight Year,” The Atlanta Journal –Constitution, 1/14/2022)

NEW ORLEANS: “For the second straight year, New Orleans reported an increased number of killings in 2021, erasing gains in public safety achieved in the past decade and saddling the city with the highest murder toll in 17 years, according to unofficial statistics. There were 218 slayings, Police Department officials said. Not only was that a 10% increase from the 198 murders reported at the end of last year, it was also the first time since 2007 that the city had recorded more than 200 murders…. Nonfatal shootings were up about 9%, from fewer than 430 in 2020 to more than 465 this year, figures provided by the NOPD show. Carjackings, which tend to victimize residents and visitors more randomly than shootings or homicides, jumped by roughly 21%. The grim numbers have further distanced New Orleans from a historic 2019, when the city registered 121 murders, the lowest number in almost a half century. That year was also the third consecutive one in which murders fell. Since that low-water mark just two years ago, murders have risen by 77%.” (“New Orleans Ends 2021 With Most Murders In A Year Since Before Hurricane Katrina: ‘Why?,’” NOLA.Com, 12/31/2021)

OAKLAND, CA: “Oakland saw a dramatic rise in violence in 2021. The police department reported shootings, assaults, robberies and burglaries all went up compared to 2020. The city finished the year with the highest homicides in 15 years: 134 killings compared to 148 killings in 2006.” (“Oakland Records Plague of Homicides, Violent Crime in 2021,” CBS SF Bay Area, 12/31/2021)

JACKSON, MS: “2021 was Jackson’s deadliest year ever, with 152 homicides as of Dec. 30. The capital city surpassed its previous record of 130 homicides set in 2020. Most of the year’s homicides were gun deaths…. The city set its previous homicide record of 130 in 2020, which it matched just after Thanksgiving.” (“Jackson Ends Year Of Record Violence With More Than 150 Homicides; Most Were Gun Deaths,” [Jackson, MS] Clarion Ledger, 12/30/2021)

PEORIA, IL: “The year 2021 will go down in Peoria history for a record number of homicides in the city. In all, 34 people were the victims of homicide last year. That dwarfs the previous record of 25, set in 2019. Victims were beaten, stabbed and shot. Some died in a hospital. Others were left where they fell. Still others were hidden and left for someone to make a grisly discovery. The community and police have pleaded for a cessation to the violence to little avail, and 2022 dawned with two additional slayings on the first day of the year.” (“2021 Shattered A Homicide Record In Peoria. Here Are The Lives Lost And Cases Unsolved,” Peoria Journal Star, 1/05/2022)

‘Last Year Saw The Highest Number Of Law Enforcement Officers Who Were Intentionally Killed In The Line Of Duty Since’ 9/11

“Last year saw the highest number of law enforcement officers who were intentionally killed in the line of duty since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, an increase that comes as a rise in gun violence and homicides continues across the country. According to preliminary year-end data provided to CNN by the FBI, 73 officers died in felonious killings in the line of duty in 2021. The year marks the highest total recorded by the agency since 1995, excluding the 9/11 attacks…. The 73 felonious deaths reported by the FBI are a 59% increase from 2020's total of 46, breaking the previous high of 72 felonious killings in 2011. According to the FBI, at least eight police officers also lost their lives in premeditated, ambush-style attacks last year.” (“Intentional Killings Of Law Enforcement Officers Reach 20-Year High, FBI Says,” CNN, 1/13/2022)

At The Same Time, ‘Shoplifting Is Surging Across America’ As Retailers ‘Battle Organized Crime Rings’

“Retailers have always been vulnerable to shoplifting. But the emergence of coordinated and organized robberies at high-value stores, even during shopping hours, has the industry on edge. In November, a group of 14 individuals barged into a Louis Vuitton store in Oakbrook, Illinois, while customers were inside and audaciously drove away with a $100,000 worth of merchandise. The entire incident was caught on the store's surveillance video. That same month, a group of at least 18 people broke into a closed Nordstrom store at LA's famous high-end The Grove shopping mall using a sledgehammer and an electric bicycle. They made off with several thousand dollars in merchandise. And on Black Friday, one of the busiest shopping days of the year, as many as 30 people robbed a Best Buy in Minneapolis. The crime typically involves groups of people targeting stores that carry higher-value items like electronics, designer handbags and designer clothing, who resell the merchandise in secondary marketplaces, such as eBay, OfferUp and Facebook Marketplace or even back into the legitimate supply chain.” (“Shoplifting Is Surging Across America With Dangerous And Costly Consequences,” CNN, 1/07/2022)

 

During Fiscal Year 2021, 1.7 Million Aliens From 160 Countries Were Encountered Trying To Illegally Enter The United States, ‘The Highest Number Of Illegal Crossings Recorded’

“U.S. authorities detained more than 1.7 million migrants along the Mexico border during the 2021 fiscal year that ended in September, and arrests by the Border Patrol soared to the highest levels ever recorded, according to unpublished U.S. Customs and Border Protection data obtained by The Washington Post. Illegal crossings began rising last year but skyrocketed in the months after President Biden took office. As CBP arrests increased this past spring, Biden described the rise as consistent with historical seasonal norms. But the busiest months came during the sweltering heat of July and August, when more than 200,000 migrants were taken into custody.” (“Border Arrests Have Soared To All-Time High, New CBP Data Shows,” The Washington Post, 10/20/2021)

So Far In Fiscal 2022 Border Arrests Are Increasing For The First Time In Months

“Migrant encounters at the southern border increased again in December from the prior month, according to data provided to a federal court by the Biden administration -- the latest sign that the crisis at the border is likely to continue into 2022. According to the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) data provided in the Jan 14 filing, there were 178,840 migrant encounters in December, up from 173,620 in November. That in turn was an increase from the 164,753 apprehensions in October. Those numbers are drastically higher than the previous year, when there were 72,113 encounters in November and 73,994 in December.” (“Migrant Encounters Increased Again At The Southern Border In December: Court Docs,” Fox News, 1/19/2022)

“Apprehensions at the southwest U.S. border rose [in November] for the first time since July, with across-the-board increases in the detention of migrant families, single adults and minors traveling without their parents, according to preliminary U.S. Customs and Border Protection data obtained by The Washington Post. CBP made more than 173,600 arrests at the U.S.-Mexico border in November, a more than 5 percent increase from the month before and the largest influx for that month in years, according to the unpublished numbers. The increase is driven by sharp increases in arrivals from Venezuela, which smashed the record set in October, as well as steady arrivals from Cuba, parts of Central America and Mexico.” (“Border arrests ticked up 5 percent in November, first increase since summer,” The Washington Post, 12/16/2021)

‘Immigration Arrests In The Interior Of The United States Fell In Fiscal 2021 To The Lowest Level In More Than A Decade — Roughly Half The Annual Totals Recorded During The Trump Administration’

“Immigration arrests in the interior of the United States fell in fiscal 2021 to the lowest level in more than a decade — roughly half the annual totals recorded during the Trump administration, according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement data obtained by The Washington Post. ICE arrests in the interior plunged after President Biden took office and set new limits on immigration enforcement, including a 100-day “pause” on most deportations. A federal judge quickly blocked that order, and ICE’s arrests increased somewhat in recent months. But enforcement levels under Biden’s new priority system remain relatively low. Officers working for ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) made about 72,000 administrative arrests during the fiscal year that ended in September, according to agency data, down from 104,000 during fiscal 2020 and an average of 148,000 annually from 2017 through 2019.” (“Immigration Arrests Fell To Lowest Level In More Than A Decade During Fiscal 2021, ICE Data Shows,” The Washington Post, 10/26/2021)

FLASHBACK: Biden During The Primary Campaign: ‘I Would In Fact Make Sure… We Immediately Surge To The Border All Those People Are Seeking Asylum,’ ‘You Should Come,’ ‘Come To The United States’

JOE BIDEN: “What I would do as president is several more things because things have changed. I would in fact, make sure that there is we immediately surge to the border all those people are seeking asylum. They deserve to be heard. That’s who we are. We are a nation that says if you want to flee and you’re fleeing oppression you should come.” (ABC News Democratic Presidential Debate, 9/12/2019)

JOE BIDEN: “All of the bad things are coming through ports of entry right now. We don’t need a wall and by the way I would immediately as president surge to the border. I would end this notion for the first time in history the people seeking asylum have to be in squalor on the other side of the river and--and desperate situation. They should be-- be-- come to the United States and have a judgment made as to whether or not they qualify. I would also surge to the border immigration judges to make--make decisions immediately and no one, no one would be put in jail while waiting for their hearing.” (CNN and Univision Democratic Presidential Debate, 3/15/2020)

‘And Those Who Come Seeking Asylum, We Should Immediately Have The Capacity To Absorb Them’

JOE BIDEN: “But the fact is that, look, we should not be locking people up. We should be making sure we change the circumstance, as we did, why they would leave in the first place. And those who come seeking asylum, we should immediately have the capacity to absorb them, keep them safe until they can be heard.” (NBC News Democratic Presidential Debate, 6/27/2019)

‘These Are All Self-Inflicted Wounds’: The Biden Administration Was Warned Repeatedly That A Surge Of Migrants Could Result From Their Policies And Messaging, From Both The Prior Administration And Career Homeland Security Officials

“The warnings began before Biden even took office. During the transition period, career officials at U.S. Customs and Border Protection tried to issue sober alarms to the Biden team about the likelihood of a crisis at the border that could quickly overwhelm the nation’s capacity. Senior CBP officials delivered Zoom briefings to the Biden transition team that included modeling projections showing a steep increase in the arrival of unaccompanied minors if Trump’s policies were suddenly lifted, according to one current and two former Department of Homeland Security officials.” (“‘No End In Sight’: Inside The Biden Administration’s Failure To Contain The Border Surge,” The Washington Post, 3/20/2021)

“[Former acting Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Mark] Morgan said the Biden transition team was ‘specifically warned again and again and again,’ adding that officials had worked on modeling to project the jump in encounters if Trump policies were pulled back.” (“How The Border Problem Caught The Biden Team Off Guard, And How They've Scrambled To Fix It,” CNN, 3/20/2021)

“Republicans have assailed Biden's handling of the situation, blaming his early actions to overturn some of the Trump administration's draconian border enforcement policies for inducing what is shaping up to be a historic surge of migrants to the border. ‘These are all self-inflicted wounds,’ a Homeland Security official said.” (“How The Border Problem Caught The Biden Team Off Guard, And How They've Scrambled To Fix It,” CNN, 3/20/2021)

 

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