California is facing a bit of a climate issue, and I’m not kidding.
Christianity is under attack again in Los Angeles.
And one of the greatest crime heists in history happened in California! Let’s talk about it.
Everyone Relax
How About Just No
According to Fox News:
A legal battle over a nearly century-old cross tradition and longstanding Nativity display in the historic heart of Los Angeles could threaten generations of Mexican-American traditions and leave religious monuments across the country vulnerable, an attorney representing local merchants fighting to preserve the displays told Fox News Digital.
“If the cross and nativity were taken down, it would just be the first step in unraveling the vibrant community cultural celebrations, a lot of which have their roots in Mexican-American Catholic history and really decimating this tight-knit community,” Andrea Butler, counsel at Becket and lead attorney for the merchants, told Fox News Digital Thursday in an interview.
A cross has stood at the head of Olvera Street since 1929, when the original was raised to celebrate Los Angeles’ 148th birthday, while a life-size Nativity is displayed each December as part of the community’s traditional Las Posadas celebration.
Last year, according to Becket, a resident sued the city asking it to remove or cover the cross and stop the Nativity display, arguing the display “offends [him] and makes [him] feel excluded as a non-believer.”
The religious-liberty group said merchants have helped preserve those traditions since the area was revitalized in the 1920s, with some current vendors belonging to families that have operated at the market since it opened in 1930. Merchants also help organize annual cultural and religious celebrations, including Día de los Reyes, Día de los Muertos and Las Posadas.
In its Monday filing, Becket asked the Ninth Circuit to allow the Olvera Street Merchants Association Foundation to join the legal battle over a nearly century-old cross and longstanding Nativity display at El Pueblo in Los Angeles. Becket said the merchants are seeking to defend religious and cultural traditions their families have helped preserve for generations.
According to Becket, El Pueblo attracts millions of visitors each year to its Olvera Street marketplace, historic sites and cultural events celebrating the neighborhood’s Mexican-American heritage.
The Crime of the Century
According to the Daily Wire:
A truck carrying roughly 40,000 pounds of Pabst Blue Ribbon beer — more than 50,000 cans’ worth — has disappeared in Southern California, prompting Pabst to issue a public ultimatum to whoever took it.
The truck was last seen in Montclair, California, on August 17, when it was supposed to deliver its cargo to San Diego. Instead, the delivery never arrived. The shipment was worth roughly $45,000.
The haul included approximately 1,406 cases of Pabst Blue Ribbon and 196 cases of Old Milwaukee Non-Alcoholic Beer, according to Pabst in a statement to Men’s Journal.
The apparent beer heist could be one of the largest of its kind ever reported. Pabst, however, isn’t leaving the matter entirely to police. The beer company took to Instagram to address the thief directly, offering what might be one of the most unusual bargains in the history of criminal investigations.
“To the thief: we don’t fault you for wanting to brag to your friends how much PBR you have, we just wish you obtained it the honorable way,” Pabst wrote. “Pabst is officially starting the clock now — you have exactly 18 days and 44 minutes to return our truck, no questions asked,” the company said. “Leading up to that time, we will be offering a reward to anyone who can help us solve this mystery.” The company concluded its message with a warning: “P.s. this is real and we are deadly serious.”
Pabst later provided an update as the search continued.
“Beer is getting warmer, trail is getting colder. Clock’s still ticking,” the company wrote.
Montclair police said the shipment disappeared after a subcontractor was scheduled to transport it from an Anheuser-Busch distribution center. A police report was filed, and authorities are working with Pabst to recover the truck and its cargo.
“We’re working with the local authorities to try and recover the stolen truck and are grateful for all their hard work,” a Pabst spokesperson told Men’s Journal. “We also appreciate all the individuals who have been sharing possible sightings of the truck.”
The company added one final request for the brew bandit: “We hope that whoever managed to steal our truck also knows the importance of keeping beer cold.”
For now, however, the beer and the truck remain missing, and Pabst’s clock is ticking.