WOMAN WHO HIT BICYCLIST IN NIAGARA SQUARE PROTEST PLEADS GUILTY TO TRAFFIC VIOLATION

Erie County District Attorney John J. Flynn announces that 26-year-old Joanna Gollnau of Buffalo pleaded guilty this morning before Buffalo City Court Judge Kevin Keane to one count of Failure to Exercise Due Care (New York State Vehicle and Traffic Law violation).

On Wednesday, September 23, 2020, at approximately 8:45 p.m., the defendant was driving a pickup truck through Niagara Square and hit a woman who was seated on a bicycle by failing to exercise due care around a pedestrian. The incident occurred during a demonstration in front of City Hall in downtown Buffalo. The bicyclist was taken to the hospital to be treated for physical injuries.

Today, the defendant was sentenced to a $200 fine. She also received two points against her New York State driver’s license.

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Second campaign manager jumps ship on embattled Dem candidate after one week: report



The teetering campaign of Maine oysterman Graham Platner to be the Democratic Party’s nominee to oppose Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) should she run for re-election in 2026 suffered another blow over the weekend.

According to a report from Axios’ Holly Otterbein on Monday, Kevin Brown, who took the place of departed former political director Genevieve McDonald on the Platner campaign, is bowing out after taking the job last Tuesday.

Brown, a longtime friend of the potential nominee for the U.S. Senate seat, issued a statement to Axios explaining, “Graham is a dear friend. I started this campaign Tuesday but found out Friday we have a baby on the way. Graham deserves someone who is 100% in on his race and we want to lean into this new experience as a family, so it was best we step back sooner than later so Graham can get the manager he deserves."

The political neophyte has been battered by revelations about his past for days after making a splash as a potential threat to Collins, whose seat is considered vulnerable because of Donald Trump’s unpopularity.

As Otterbien wrote, “It's the latest in a series of personnel shakeups for Platner's campaign, which was endorsed by progressive Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) but has been thrown into turmoil because Platner made controversial social media posts in the past and had a tattoo that looked like a Nazi symbol.”

“The Democratic Senate primary in Maine has become a battle between the party establishment and its progressive wing. Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) is the top target for Senate Democrats in the 2026 midterms,” she added before pointing out the Gov. Janet Mills (D) jumped into the race last week, adding more turmoil to the closely-watched race.

You can read more here.

‘Did She Just Sign Off?!’ Tara Palmeri Floored When Congressional Candidate Indicted by DOJ Cuts Off Live Interview After 4 Minutes

Independent journalist Tara Palmeri scored an interview with Kat Abughazaleh a few days after the Democratic congressional candidate was indicted by the DOJ, but the podcast soon went off the rails.

The post ‘Did She Just Sign Off?!’ Tara Palmeri Floored When Congressional Candidate Indicted by DOJ Cuts Off Live Interview After 4 Minutes first appeared on Mediaite.

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Dem congressional candidate hit with federal charges after anti-ICE protest



The Department of Justice has charged U.S. House Democratic candidate Kat Abughazaleh for allegedly impeding law enforcement following a September protest at the Broadview ICE facility in Chicago.

In addition to Abughazaleh, the DOJ also charged Michael Rabbitt, Andre Martin, Catherine Sharp, Brian Straw, and Joselyn Walsh. Authorities alleged that the group surrounded an ICE agent's vehicle and damaged it.

Abughazaleh, a former journalist, was accused of bracing her body against the vehicle. The indictment also claimed that someone scratched the word "PIG" on the car.

In a video posted to X, Abughazaleh said she was exercising her First Amendment rights.

"This is a political prosecution and a gross attempt to silence dissent, a right protected under the First Amendment," she explained. "This case is a major push by the Trump administration to criminalize protest and punish anyone who speaks out against them."

A video shared by DHS in September showed Abughazaleh being thrown to the ground by an officer outside the Broadview facility.

"Individuals and groups impeding ICE operations are siding with vicious cartels, human traffickers, and violent criminals," the post claimed. "You will not stop @ICEgov and DHS law enforcement from enforcing our immigration laws."

"I love watching communists get body slammed by ICE," Trump insider Laura Loomer responded, according to MSNBC.

"Good work," Fox News host Laura Ingraham agreed.