On Friday's Fox &; Friends‚ the show again showed viewers an example of how important it is for Americans to own guns to deter crime as the hosts discussed surveillance video of a 73-year-old man in San Francisco who used a handgun to scare five smash and grab robbers out of the store where he worked. Setting up the video‚ co-host Steve Doocy recalled: You've seen the smash and grab stuff from the West Coast -- it's just terrifying. And so let's take you out to the San Francisco area -- the Bay Area -- on Monday at a place called Estates Consignments store. It must have had some pretty nice stuff because a group of smash and grab bandits ran into the consignment store. The front door is always locked‚ but‚ on surveillance tape‚ apparently a woman seems to have been opening the door -- was allowed in -- and then held the door open for the group. They came in -- next thing you know‚ they're going to loot the place until somebody steps in. Co-host Ainsley Earhardt then added: They came in with sledge hammers in their hands -- they B-lined for the jewelry display cases‚ but a guy who works there had a gun. His name is Albert Marcu -- he's worked there since 2007. Thankfully‚ he stepped -- look at him on the left hand side of your screen with his gun. And then they were terrified‚ and they left. Viewers could see video of the attack which included video of the men forcing their way in through the door after the employee unlocked it to let a customer exit‚ and the employee‚ Albert Marcu‚ could be seen inside the store pointing his gun at the robbers with them frantically running back to their cars.Then a clip of Marcu was shown recalling that he brandished his gun and warned them he was armed‚ leading them to flee. Co-host Lawrence Jones recounted that liberals mistakenly believe these professional shoplifters are just poor people in need when in reality many are in the business of selling the stolen items to enrich themselves: And what these people don't understand -- these social justice warriors -- is these people aren't just poor people that are going and stealing things. This is part of a criminal enterprise. These people loot‚ they steal‚ and then they turn online and resell this stuff -- not to say it would have been justified if they were poor. But it's just -- there's a larger conversation that needs to happen about the large plan of selling all this stuff online. Earhardt further informed viewers that the good guy with a gun had immigrated to the United States from Romania decades ago to escape communism. Just a few weeks ago‚ Fox &; Friends and other Fox shows showed viewers video of California man who used a gun to defend himself from home invaders who was then informed by local police that his gun permit was being revoked. Transcript follows: Fox &; Friends December 15‚ 2023 6:43 a.m. Eastern STEVE DOOCY: You've seen the smash and grab stuff from the West Coast -- it's just terrifying. And so let's take you out to the San Francisco area -- the Bay Area -- on Monday at a place called Estates Consignments store. It must have had some pretty nice stuff because a group of smash and grab bandits ran into the consignment store. The front door is always locked‚ but‚ on surveillance tape‚ apparently a woman seems to have been opening the door -- was allowed in -- and then held the door open for the group. They came in -- next thing you know‚ they're going to loot the place until somebody steps in. AINSLEY EARHARDT: They came in with sledge hammers in their hands -- they B-lined for the jewelry display cases‚ but a guy who works there had a gun. His name is Albert Marcu -- he's worked there since 2007. Thankfully‚ he stepped -- look at him on the left hand side of your screen with his gun. And then they were terrified‚ and they left‚ Brian. BRIAN KILMEADE: Let's listen -- let's listen to what he had to say. ALBERT MARCU‚ SAN FRANCISCO RESIDENT: I show them my gun‚ and I told them to stop it‚ "I have a gun‚" and only because they saw my gun and saw I was‚ you know‚ serious about it‚ they panic and they run out. (editing jump) I didn't want to shoot anybody‚ right‚ but I had to make a statement. Too many bad things happen -- stores get robbed left and right. KILMEADE: They could have taken up to $1‚000‚ Lawrence. It didn't even matter. These guys turn and go the other way. I just hope all his permits and everything was done so he doesn't end up in trouble. LAWRRENCE JONES: You know‚ I want to meet Albert because I think that his position on this -- what he did is how a lot of folks in America feel. It's not just the smash and grabs -- it's people's home being broken into. I mean‚ it's just a lack of respect for the law and human decency. And what these people don't understand -- these social justice warriors -- is these people aren't just poor people that are going and stealing things. This is part of a criminal enterprise. These people loot‚ they steal‚ and then they turn online and resell this stuff -- not to say it would have been justified if they were poor. But it's just -- there's a larger conversation that needs to happen about the large plan of selling all this stuff online. (...) EARHARDT: Did y'all see that video of the lady walking out of the door. They said the staff believes that the woman seen on surveillance video might have been in on it. They explained that she walked in before they attempted the heist and then looked up at the cameras while on the phone the entire time. The store's front door is always locked until visitors are let in‚ and she appeared to hold it open and kind of go out slowly so they could get in. And they rushed in right after her. The guy who had the gun -- he said he escaped from the U.S. -- he escaped to the U.S. from communist Romania and is disappointed with the current climate. He said that "we beg the politicians to help us small businesses and help communities all over California." He said the police --  he did say the police were there in 30 seconds‚ so he was applauding them.

Raw unprotected gay sex. Not a topic that a mainstream political news outlet normally handles. However‚ when you are talking about Democrats and the U.S. Senate sometimes such outlets do have to handle it. Such is the case with a 24-year-old staffer for Senator Ben Cardin who was discovered on a private video having raw unprotected gay sex in a chamber of the Hart Senate Building on Capitol Hill. So if you are Politico‚ how do you cover this scandal? Well‚ very very delicately as you can see in the Saturday Playbook‚ "Senate staffer out after sex tape scandal." One method they use to avoid having to delve deeply into the incredibly sordid details is to send readers to the Daily Caller: And now there’s this: “Senate Staffer Caught Filming Gay Sex Tape In Senate Hearing Room (GRAPHIC)‚” by The Daily Caller’s Henry Rodgers. First off‚ please know‚ when they say “GRAPHIC‚” they mean it. The video‚ which Rodgers reports was shared in a group chat with gay men in politics‚ shows two men having sex in what appears to be Hart 216‚ the cavernous room that has played host to Supreme Court nominees‚ the 9/11 Commission hearings and former FBI Director JAMES COMEY’s blockbuster 2017 testimony on DONALD TRUMP. Then‚ after letting the Daily Caller handle the dirty details‚ Politico makes this strange observation: The‚ um‚ action takes place on the dais — right between where Sens. AMY KLOBUCHAR (D-Minn.) and CHRIS COONS (D-Del.) were sitting at a recent Senate Judiciary Committee markup‚ in case you were wondering. I wasn't wondering but since you brought this up‚ how are Senators Klobuchar and Coons going to feel the next time they take their seats in Hart 216? We have a pretty good idea now what will probably be going through their minds. The Daily Caller did not name the staffer‚ but conservative outlets identified the person responsible as AIDAN MAESE-CZEROPSKI‚ an aide to Sen. BEN CARDIN (D-Md.). Cardin’s office‚ after not commenting yesterday on what it called a “personnel matter‚” this morning tells Playbook in a statement that “Aidan Maese-Czeropski is no longer employed by the U.S. Senate.” “We will have no further comment on this personnel matter‚” the statement added. No curiosity as to the other participant who was recording the‚ um‚ activities? It could be another Cardin staffer. Since cross-party camaraderie is rare nowadays‚ he most likely isn't a Republican. Playbook also reached out to Capitol Police this morning to see if an investigation is underway and did not get a response. Senate leadership aides also declined to comment. That might be the most important part of the Politico report. Obviously‚ this stunt was filmed‚ so it cannot be denied. But since we can assume since January 6 that there's surveillance footage‚ couldn't they know who was with Ben Cardin's former aide? And could the Capitol Police have taken action in real time? Finding out this information could be a homework assignment for Politico. Our attempts to reach Maese-Czeropski this morning did not immediately succeed‚ but he posted the following to LinkedIn last night: “This has been a difficult time for me‚ as I have been attacked for who I love to pursue a political agenda. While some of my actions in the past have shown poor judgement‚ I love my job and would never disrespect my workplace. Any attempts to characterize my actions otherwise are fabricated and I will be exploring what legal options are available to me in these matters.” Filming a porn video in a Senate hearing room isn't about "who I love." It's about where you're filming. Such are the crazy times we live in.

Major media today are more inclined to keep their readers comfortable than to bring them hard truths.

If homemade fudge seems grainier than a field of wheat‚ there's a pretty simple way to fix that.