Another critic of Obama administration, liberal writer Michael Hastings, 33, killed on Los Angeles street 15-months after Andrew Breitbart

A liberal critic of the Obama Administration, writer, Michael Hastings, 33, was killed in an automobile accident early this morning in Los Angeles.

Jack Mikinson characterizes the writer and journalists reaction to it (and, presumably, the risks of criticizing this administration) in  the Huffington Post "Michael Hastings Death Met With Stunned Horror By Journalists Everywhere"

The journalism world reacted with stunned horror at the sudden death of Michael Hastings on Tuesday. 

Hastings, who was just 33 years old, was killed in a car crash in Los Angeles early Tuesday morning. 

He rocketed to instant fame when his piece in Rolling Stone brought down Stanley McChrystal, the top-ranking general in Afghanistan, in 2010. Since then, Hastings was a regular presence in print and on television, a frequent critic of the Obama administration and an aggressive and enthusiastic debater. In recent years, the war correspondent had turned his focus to domestic politics, bringing the same independent spirit to the campaign trail.

Journalist Michael Hastings dies in L.A. car crash by Richard Winton, Andrew Blankstein and Kate Mather

Neither the Los Angeles Police Department nor coroner's officials could immediately confirm whether Hastings was the victim of a single-car crash that occurred about 4:25 a.m. in the 600 block of North Highland Avenue. Police officials said it was the only vehicle fatality reported Tuesday morning in the city of Los Angeles.

The vehicle crossed a median, struck a tree and burst into flames in the Hancock Park area, LAPD Officer Christopher No said. The driver was prounounced dead at the scene. 
A witness described the accident to KTLA News: “I was just coming northbound on Highland and I seen a car, like, going really fast and all of a sudden I seen it jackknife,”  Luis Cortez said. “I just seen parts fly everywhere, and I slammed on my brakes and stopped and tried to call 911."

On May 25, Melissa Jeltsen reported in the HuffPo Michael Hastings Rips Obama Drone Speech (VIDEO)  

On Thursday, Obama gave a major national security speech in which he defended the use of drone strikes as a key counterterrorism tool. Hastings said the speech marked a reversal in Obama's thinking. 

"If you compare this speech to the speech he gave in Cairo, in 2009 or his Nobel Prize speech, you see almost a total rejection of the civil rights tradition that President Obama supposedly came out of... and just an embrace of total militarism," Hastings said. 

"That speech to me was essentially agreeing with President Bush and Vice President Cheney that we're in this neo-conservative paradigm, that we're at war with a jihadist threat that actually is not a nuisance but the most important threat we're facing today," Hastings continued.

Andrew Breitbart, another outspoken critic of the Obama adminstration, but from the political right, also died mysteriously one evening a Los Angeles street in March, 2012. 

DemoCast filmed Mr. Breitbart endorsing the Tea Party in L.A. ato the Republican Jewish Coalition Summer Bash in 2011.  His father, Gerald, died Monday, 11 June 2013 - approximately 100 days after his beloved wife, Arlene.

Jesse Lee Peterson discusses rebuilding families by rebuilding the man at 4th Annual Fatherhood and Men Conference held Father's Day weekend

Big, new Al Jazeera America news channel harnesses familiar Ali Velshi and Al Gore's CurrentTV to interpret local, national, & world events for Americans

Al Jazeera America: What influence is Qatar's emir spending $500 million to effect within America?

The British-accented, Al Jazeera English satellite news channel, met with limited reception by US pay-TV subscribers, will be superseded in North America by a new, American-based (but still Qatar-monarchy owned) Al Jazeera America news channel.  Al Jazeera America will be ushered into American cable and satellite homes over the channel formerly known as CurrentTV beginning the third week of August, 2013.  Tony Fox, Al Jazeera's public communications chief (formerly with Comedy Central), gives us the lowdown on how vast the news channel's American operation will be - and what independence will this channel have from the sharia-governing owner, Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin Thamer Al Thani.



The channel has hired familiar Muslim, chief business correspondent with CNN, Ali Velshi, to be the familiar public face to help streamline acceptance of channel-viewing into American homes. Mr. Velshi explained his perspectives on the channel's role in the American media landscape to DemoCast at the National Cable Television Association convention in Washington D.C. on June 10th.

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The Qatari Emir, though also professing a hands-off approach towards editorial in Al Jazzera English, has been criticized for influencing it.  In one case, it resulted in the replacement of it's long-time Director-General by a man with no background in journalism, according to the Britain's The Guardian newspaper published 30 Sept'12:

"Al-Jazeera English was set up in 2006 by the Arabic broadcaster of the same name and both are owned by the Qatari state. The network, founded in 1996, gained credibility with audiences in the region for its seemingly independent coverage in the post 9/11 period. Its English channel was launched to offer an alternative, non-western-centric worldview.

However, in recent years, Qatar has taken steps to consolidate its control over the channel as the country seeks greater political influence in the Gulf.

In September 2011, Wadah Khanfar, a Palestinian widely seen as independent, suddenly left as director-general after eight years in the post and was replaced by a member of the royal family, Sheikh Ahmed bin Jassim al-Thani, a man with no background in journalism.

In his resignation letter, Khanfar said, after noting that the channel had been criticised by Donald Rumsfeld and hailed by Hillary Clinton, that "al-Jazeera is still independent and its integral coverage has not changed".

Memorial Day: We honor those who sacrificed themselves in the defense of liberty

The 42nd Highlanders Pipe and Drum Corps open a tribute to America's fallen defenders from Forest Lawn Cemetery in Hollywood Hills, California. Army Capt. Justin Babcock gives an inspiring tribute to the defenders of freedom.

In this video playlist (advance with lower-center buttons) watch the US Armed Service branch songs performed by the Notre Dame High School marching band, the Blue Eagles Honor Guard, a genuine survivor of the attacks on Pearl Harbor (in which Japan drew the U.S. into World War II) and a real, 12-gun memorial salute.



Interviews with surviving veterans, international military historians, the west-coast head of the African-American Montford Point Marines Association; a veteran of the Battle of the Bulge in 1944; and curator of the American Society of Military History Museum.  Event held on Veterans' Day, 2011 in Los Angeles, California.  Subscribe to new YouTube channel, DemoCast News to receive future news videos via email.

Conservative L.A. mayoral candidate, Kevin James, looks beyond mayoral run-off between Eric Garcetti & Wendy Greuel

In January, I asked the only Republican candidate in L.A.'s mayoral primary, Kevin James, how would a Republican, anti-big-government candidate fare in a largely Democrat city.



In the March 5th primary, Mr. James came in 3rd place- 50% behind Eric Garcetti and 45% behind Wendy Greuel.  As only the top 2 finishers progressed into today's run-off election, I asked Mr. James (who has endorsed Mr. Garcetti in the race) about what he expects for his future in view of a new L.A. city administration.