It was a long time coming, but I stopped listening to NPR radio on my local affiliate here in Austin, KUT-FM. Two stories hallmarked my decision: a denial of left wing violence and a hatchet job on Falun Gong.
Words come with responsibilities for the creator and receiver. Understanding the hidden messages in news reporting is a necessary skill for any serious democrat (or republican). Reading and listening require translating, filtering, and interpreting. I learned to do it by the time I first took a journalism class in the 8th grade. When I entered high school, I also began writing news. For a couple of years lately, I would flip between Fox radio (KLBJ-AM/FM) and NPR. The headlines were often the same though the nuances were different. The truth was mixed in there somewhere for me to extract and evaluate.
Now, I get my news by reading the Associated Press on my computer and phone. It is opinionated reporting, of course, beginning with the choice of stories. What is important? Why? Make of it what you will, they decide what to tell you about. So far, I have had less cause for groaning and muttering.
LEFT WING VIOLENCE AND THE MORAL HIGH GROUND
Reporting on the murders of Sarah Milgrim and Yaron Lischinsky by Elias Rodriguez on May 22, 2025, National Public Radio denied the reality of violence committed in the name of progressive social causes.
A. MARTÍNEZ: Now, we know that political violence has been on the rise in the United States, but how much of that are we seeing from the far left?
ODETTE YOUSEF: Look, the data show that the far right has been responsible for most of the lethal political violence we've seen in the last four decades. But I spoke with Colin Clarke about this. He says he's been warning about a rise in far-left militancy for years and says it's a reaction to the rise in far-right extremist activity. He's with The Soufan Group.
Sarah Milgrim and Yaron Lischinsky YOUSEF: … Historically, far-left violence has mostly been property damage, A. You know, we've seen this with the vandalism of Tesla vehicles and some of the riots during the summer of the racial justice protests in 2020. Lately, though, there have also been high-profile events like attempted assassinations of Trump, the killing of a health care CEO, where the facts are muddy but nonetheless there is a perception that these were leftist actors. This attack, though, may be a clear case of lethality from the left.
MARTÍNEZ: Oh, OK. That's terrible to hear. What happens now? Where did things go from here?
YOUSEF: You know, Clarke says this should prompt some soul-searching on the left. It's tough to claim a moral high ground when someone commits an act like this.
(Read the full transcript below. Also, although he said, "That's terrible to hear" his delivery carried absolutely no hint of terror. He dismissed it.)
In 1957, Gresham M. Sykes and David Matza catalogued five common excuses offered by criminals :
- Denial of Responsibility
- Denial of Injury
- Denial of the Victim
- Condemning the Condemners
- Appeal to Higher Authority
“Techniques of Neutralization” in American Sociological Review, Vol. 22, No. 6. (Dec., 1957), pp. 664-670.
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| Anti World Trade Riot in Seattle |
NPR and the progressives whom it excuses betray a primitive epistemology which accepts physical objects as metaphysical constants: steel, lumber, hydro-electric dams, and skyscrapers are no different than rocks, trees, rivers, and mountains. So, if you destroy property, you are not really hurting anyone.
In fact, criminal acts are not the special province of any political group. Perpetrators justify their acts with words that are consonant with their own beliefs. It begins and ends there. Claiming the moral high ground is exactly what empowers violence. We couldn’t help it. We had to do it. They deserved it. Who cares about them anyway? They are just as bad as we are and even worse. So why pick on us?
NPR never condemned Occupy protests or Black Lives Matter riots. Finally, this instance of denial was too disingenuous and hypocritical to ignore. So, I stopped listening.
NOT OUR RELIGION
The expose´ that I heard was not their May 13 broadcast on All Things Considered. I heard a replay of a New York Times podcast from 2024.
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| "... operation built on exploitation [and] coercion all in service to [Falun] Gong's religious leader who has turned Shen Yun into a major source of wealth..." |
The Shun Yen productions are the work of Falun Gong. NPR and The New York Times are opposed to its success and wealth. The Shen Yun productions are a cooperative effort financed by local members of Falun Gong who forward all profits to the organization while also agreeing to absorb any losses.
It also remains that some of the Shen Yun performers allege that their training is harsh, even brutal. I can accept their claims because professional athletics is known to be like that. The coaches always insist that championship comes at a price. So, work through the pain and get back in the game. But it is their choice. And these exposés exist now because some have quit and told their stories, which was also their choice.
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| Falun Gong teaches meditation and movement. |
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| It promises a lot. |
Previously on Necessary Facts
Created Works and the Public Domain
NPR TRANSCRIPTS
https://www.npr.org/transcripts/nx-s1-5407925
NATIONAL
< Jewish Museum fatal shooting raises concerns about domestic extremism
MAY 23, 20254:18 AM ET
3-Minute Listen
TRANSCRIPT
https://www.npr.org/transcripts/nx-s1-5407925
A MARTÍNEZ, HOST:
We're now going to hear about more possible motives for the man suspected of killing Israeli Embassy aides in Washington. Now, among the details still emerging about the suspect is that he once belonged to a far-left political group. Let's bring in NPR's domestic extremism correspondent Odette Yousef. So what's known so far about the suspect's political beliefs?
ODETTE YOUSEF, BYLINE: Well, A, someone with the same name as the suspect was quoted back in October of 2017 in a publication put out by the Party for Socialism and Liberation, and it quoted this person as being from that group. Since the killings, the PSL issued a statement disavowing the attack and saying that Elias Rodriguez's association with the group ended in 2017. I think, you know, we may learn more about this as the case develops. But also, yesterday morning, I went to the building where the suspect is believed to live. It's a brick multiunit on a leafy residential side street in northwest Chicago. The windows of the unit believed to be his had a lot of signs up, three of them relating to the conflict in Gaza, one that said ceasefire now, another that included the message free Palestine. There were also signs for local politicians on the left, including a Democratic socialist.
MARTÍNEZ: Now, we know that political violence has been on the rise in the United States, but how much of that are we seeing from the far left?
YOUSEF: Look, the data show that the far right has been responsible for most of the lethal political violence we've seen in the last four decades. But I spoke with Colin Clarke about this. He says he's been warning about a rise in far-left militancy for years and says it's a reaction to the rise in far-right extremist activity. He's with The Soufan Group.
COLIN CLARKE: Only really since October 7, the war in Gaza and the Israeli military campaign in the Middle East, have we seen this kind of uptick in what I would call far-left militancy, far-left extremism surrounding the issue of Gaza - and not just, you know, pro-Palestinian but actually pro-Hamas, pro-Hezbollah, pro actual terrorist organizations.
YOUSEF: And Clarke, you know, says he's talking about a very small number of people doing that. But still, you know, he points to college campuses where there were some people waving flags of those organizations or voicing solidarity explicitly with them. Historically, far-left violence has mostly been property damage, A. You know, we've seen this with the vandalism of Tesla vehicles and some of the riots during the summer of the racial justice protests in 2020. Lately, though, there have also been high-profile events like attempted assassinations of Trump, the killing of a health care CEO, where the facts are muddy but nonetheless there is a perception that these were leftist actors. This attack, though, may be a clear case of lethality from the left.
MARTÍNEZ: Oh, OK. That's terrible to hear. What happens now? Where did things go from here?
YOUSEF: You know, Clarke says this should prompt some soul-searching on the left. It's tough to claim a moral high ground when someone commits an act like this. And, you know, you heard from Jennifer just now that some of the details in court documents paint a really chilling picture of these particular killings. I think it'll be important to watch also how this develops both in the political arena and in public discourse. Will this suspect be lionized by parts of the public? And politically, there are concerns that the government may use this as a reason for significant countermeasures aimed at suppressing free speech and even pushing the boundaries of labeling certain groups domestic terrorists.
MARTÍNEZ: All right, that's NPR's Odette Yousef. Odette, thanks a lot.
YOUSEF: Thank you.
Copyright © 2025 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information.
Accuracy and availability of NPR transcripts may vary. Transcript text may be revised to correct errors or match updates to audio. Audio on npr.org may be edited after its original broadcast or publication. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.
https://www.npr.org/transcripts/nx-s1-5407925
NATIONAL
Suspect charged with murder in killing of 2 Israeli Embassy employees
MAY 23, 20254:16 AM ET
HEARD ON MORNING EDITION
By Jennifer Ludden, Michel Martin
3-Minute Listen
TRANSCRIPT
The man suspected of killing two Israeli embassy employees in Washington, D.C. has been charged with murder. Officials say they're continuing to investigate the attack as a possible hate crime.
MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:
The man suspected of killing two Israeli Embassy employees outside a Jewish museum in Washington, D.C., has been charged with two counts of murder, among other crimes.
A MARTÍNEZ, HOST:
Law enforcement officials say they're continuing to investigate the attack as a possible hate crime.
MARTIN: NPR's Jennifer Ludden is with us now with the latest. Jennifer, good morning.
JENNIFER LUDDEN, BYLINE: Good morning.
MARTIN: I understand that we now have a lot more information on what exactly happened. So what can you tell us?
LUDDEN: Yes. We know now from the affidavit that the suspect, Elias Rodriguez, flew from his home in Chicago to Washington, D.C., on Tuesday. That's the day before the attack. He declared a firearm in his checked luggage, and he bought a ticket to the event that was taking place at this Jewish museum three hours before it started. It was a mixer for young diplomats. From witness interviews and surveillance video, we also have some pretty gruesome details of the shooting. Law enforcement officials say Rodriguez shot at the two victims from the back and kept firing repeatedly, even as one of them tried to crawl away. He then discarded his 9-millimeter handgun, and eventually, he went inside the museum and told a police officer that he had done this, saying, quote, "I did it for Palestine. I did it for Gaza."
MARTIN: And The Washington Post is also reporting that the gunman sat down indoors after the shooting as though he was fleeing the danger. A witness told the Post that somebody even got him a glass of water. So President Trump and others have called this an act of antisemitism. But is it correct that so far, he has not been charged with a hate crime?
LUDDEN: That's right, not at this point. But Jeanine Pirro, the interim U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, told reporters that the murder charges and others are only the beginning. Federal agents raided Rodriguez's home in Chicago yesterday. They learned that he expressed admiration for a person who self-immolated in front of the Israeli Embassy here in D.C. last year. He described them as a martyr. And Pirro says investigators are going through massive amounts of evidence to learn what motivated him.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
JEANINE PIRRO: Violence against anyone based on their religion is an act of cowardice. It is not an act of a hero. It is the kind of case that we will vigorously pursue.
LUDDEN: And she says, look, there's going to be additional charges as the evidence warrants.
MARTIN: Tell us more about the two people who were killed. They were a young couple. They both worked at the Israeli Embassy. What else can you tell us about them?
LUDDEN: Yeah, it's really quite sad, Michel. Israel's ambassador to the U.S. said Yaron Lischinsky had bought an engagement ring. He was planning to propose to Sarah Milgrim next week. They were going to be on a trip to Jerusalem. Lischinsky was a German and Israeli citizen. Milgrim was American. She grew up in a Kansas City suburb. A friend of Milgrim's, Israeli attorney Ayelet Razin Bet Or, told me she took the embassy job after Hamas attacked Israel a year and a half ago. She was already sensing a rise in antisemitism, and she wanted to combat that.
AYELET RAZIN BET OR: Not with violence or shoutings or verbal abuse, but in diplomacy, with love, with intelligence.
LUDDEN: Razin Bet Or says it is a painful irony that Milgrim lost her life in this way.
MARTIN: Finally, Jennifer, very briefly, obviously, something like this heightens people's fears - obviously, for many Jewish people, but others as well. Are officials saying something about that?
LUDDEN: Absolutely. D.C.'s police chief says there's going to be more law enforcement officers around faith-based groups, schools and places like the Jewish Community Center here.
MARTIN: That is NPR's Jennifer Ludden. Jennifer, thank you.
LUDDEN: Thank you.
Copyright © 2025 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information.
Accuracy and availability of NPR transcripts may vary. Transcript text may be revised to correct errors or match updates to audio. Audio on npr.org may be edited after its original broadcast or publication. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.
