crooksandliars--2020-06-15--How ‘Karen’ Went From Popular Baby Name To Stand-In For White Entitlement

When I read about Amy Cooper , the woman in Central Park who called the police on a black birder because he ’ d asked her to leash her out-of-control dog , I was horrified .
But , as a sociolinguist who studies and writes about language and discrimination , I was also struck by the name given to Cooper in several headlines : “ Central Park Karen.
” On Twitter , the birder ’ s sister also referred to her as a “ Karen.
” There was no confusion about what this meant : It was a label for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ privilege to threaten and try to intimidate a black man by calling the police .
But this was just one way “ Karen ” has been deployed in recent months .
There was the woman dubbed a Karen who , after being told that a waiter would bring ketchup to her table , ended up helping herself at the server ’ s station .
And then there was the mom who was called a Karen for telling a woman wearing a bikini to cover up .
Countless other variations have emerged .
At @ @ @ @ @ @ @ infused with so much meaning seems patently absurd .
Imagine if your friend groused that his boss was being “ a real David , ” or a sibling pointed out that mom was acting like “ such a Christina.
” So how , exactly , does a name like Karen become such a powerful form of social commentary ?
And how does it come to mean so many different things at the same time ?
The many shapes of meaning First names tend to contain a range of social cues .
An obvious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ convey other kinds of information too , including age , ethnicity , religion , social class , and geography .
The first name Karen peaked in popularity in 1965 , which means that in 2020 , most people named Karen are middle-aged .
Because roughly 80 % of the U.S. population was white in the 1960s , it ’ s safe to assume that the proportion of people named Karen in 2020 is predominantly white .
So that ’ s kind of a rough foundation for what the first name Karen might signal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ way it evolved to mean much more than simply a first name relatively common among middle-aged white women ?
On the one hand , meaning can directly reference something in the world .
A kitchen is , well , a kitchen .
For this reason , we often assume that meanings are fixed and stable .
But meaning can also be more indirect , indicating characteristics like where a person is from , their age or their ethnicity .
Whether you say “ soda , ” “ pop ” or “ Coke ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the United States you likely grew up .
In many African American communities , kitchen , in addition to being the place you cook , means “ nape of the neck.
” These different definitions are often referred to as “ indexical ” because different contexts indicate , or index , different meanings .
Meaning , it turns out isn ’ t nearly as stable or fixed as we like to think .
This is how the use and understandings of words change and shift over time .
It ’ s also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ commentary .
It ’ s largely a coincidence that Karen – rather than , say , other popular baby names from the 1960s like Linda or Cynthia – is the name that became the label .
Instead , it ’ s the repeated use of the name on social media and on the street that reinforced its status .
By tracing the origins of Karen up until the Central Park incident , you can see how two separate threads of meaning converged to make Karen the label for an officious , entitled , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ African American communities , where certain generic first names have long been a shorthand for “ a white woman to be wary of because she won ’ t hesitate to wield privilege at the expense of others.
” Around 2018 , people started posting pictures of white women calling the police on the mundane activities of black people .
These individuals got labeled with hashtags like # bbqbecky , # permitpatti , # golfcartgail and # cornerstonecaroline .
The goal was to call out the inherent racism and white privilege of these women @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
This was the same sort of behavior that Amy Cooper engaged in when she called the police claiming to be threatened .
The second thread emerges from stand-up comedy and Reddit .
In 2005 , Dane Cook performed a sketch comedy piece in which Karen is “ that friend nobody likes.
” In the sketch , she ’ s described as “ always a douche.
” This portrayal of a “ Karen ” is less about her racism and contains more gender-based critiques , which might be why some continue to call @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in late 2017 , Karen appeared on Reddit as a parody of a Reddit user who had ranted about his ex-wife named Karen who received custody of their children and possession of the family home .
That ’ s likely the point at which Karen became linked to pushy behaviors like “ wanting to speak to the manager.
” A link that may have occurred first through parody went on to serve as an actual label for self-important , bossy people .
A Karen by many other names The Central Park incident created @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to come together .
There ’ s the intersection of entitled behavior , racism , and demographics .
Interestingly , despite a lot of media analysis about what Karen “ really ” means , its use has been quite fluid .
For example , we ’ ve seen people who deny the existence of racism , panic buy toilet paper or call for an end to social distancing all called “ Karens.
” In fact , the meaning and use of Karen continues to shift .
We can find male Karens and black @ @ @ @ @ @ @ called a Karen .
And then there ’ s the way it ’ s being used to push for justice , with protesters of police violence holding signs like “ Karens against police brutality ” and “ I ’ d like to speak to the manager of systemic racism.
” So is Karen fundamentally about white women using their racial privilege as a weapon ?
Is it about being an obnoxious rule follower ?
Or is it about being a no-fun , hysterical mom ?
Karen can be and is all of those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ critique ; it simply gives it more facets and nuance .
[ Deep knowledge , daily .
Sign up for The Conversation ’ s newsletter . ]
Robin Queen , Professor of Linguistics , English Language and Literatures and Germanic Languages and Literatures , University of Michigan This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license .
Read the original article .

Robin Queen, University of Michigan
When I read about Amy Cooper, the woman in Central Park who called the police on a black birder because he’d asked her to leash her out-of-control dog, I was horrified.
But, as a sociolinguist who studies and writes about language and discrimination, I was also struck by the name given to Cooper in several headlines: “Central Park Karen.” On Twitter, the birder’s sister also referred to her as a “Karen.”
There was no confusion about what this meant: It was a label for a white woman who had used her privilege to threaten and try to intimidate a black man by calling the police.
But this was just one way “Karen” has been deployed in recent months. There was the woman dubbed a Karen who, after being told that a waiter would bring ketchup to her table, ended up helping herself at the server’s station. And then there was the mom who was called a Karen for telling a woman wearing a bikini to cover up. Countless other variations have emerged.
At first glance, a generic name becoming infused with so much meaning seems patently absurd. Imagine if your friend groused that his boss was being “a real David,” or a sibling pointed out that mom was acting like “such a Christina.”
So how, exactly, does a name like Karen become such a powerful form of social commentary? And how does it come to mean so many different things at the same time?
The many shapes of meaning
First names tend to contain a range of social cues. An obvious one is gender. But they can convey other kinds of information too, including age, ethnicity, religion, social class, and geography. The first name Karen peaked in popularity in 1965, which means that in 2020, most people named Karen are middle-aged. Because roughly 80% of the U.S. population was white in the 1960s, it’s safe to assume that the proportion of people named Karen in 2020 is predominantly white.
So that’s kind of a rough foundation for what the first name Karen might signal to people. But what about the way it evolved to mean much more than simply a first name relatively common among middle-aged white women?
On the one hand, meaning can directly reference something in the world. A kitchen is, well, a kitchen. For this reason, we often assume that meanings are fixed and stable.
But meaning can also be more indirect, indicating characteristics like where a person is from, their age or their ethnicity. Whether you say “soda,” “pop” or “Coke” for a carbonated beverage can indicate where in the United States you likely grew up. In many African American communities, kitchen, in addition to being the place you cook, means “nape of the neck.”
These different definitions are often referred to as “indexical” because different contexts indicate, or index, different meanings. Meaning, it turns out isn’t nearly as stable or fixed as we like to think.
This is how the use and understandings of words change and shift over time. It’s also how they can become vehicles for social commentary.
Karen’s origin story
It’s largely a coincidence that Karen – rather than, say, other popular baby names from the 1960s like Linda or Cynthia – is the name that became the label. Instead, it’s the repeated use of the name on social media and on the street that reinforced its status.
By tracing the origins of Karen up until the Central Park incident, you can see how two separate threads of meaning converged to make Karen the label for an officious, entitled, white woman.
The first comes from African American communities, where certain generic first names have long been a shorthand for “a white woman to be wary of because she won’t hesitate to wield privilege at the expense of others.” Around 2018, people started posting pictures of white women calling the police on the mundane activities of black people. These individuals got labeled with hashtags like #bbqbecky, #permitpatti, #golfcartgail and #cornerstonecaroline.
The goal was to call out the inherent racism and white privilege of these women using a particular kind of alliterative flair. This was the same sort of behavior that Amy Cooper engaged in when she called the police claiming to be threatened.
The second thread emerges from stand-up comedy and Reddit. In 2005, Dane Cook performed a sketch comedy piece in which Karen is “that friend nobody likes.” In the sketch, she’s described as “always a douche.” This portrayal of a “Karen” is less about her racism and contains more gender-based critiques, which might be why some continue to call the Karen meme sexist.
Then, in late 2017, Karen appeared on Reddit as a parody of a Reddit user who had ranted about his ex-wife named Karen who received custody of their children and possession of the family home. That’s likely the point at which Karen became linked to pushy behaviors like “wanting to speak to the manager.” A link that may have occurred first through parody went on to serve as an actual label for self-important, bossy people.
A Karen by many other names
The Central Park incident created the perfect moment for these two strands to come together. There’s the intersection of entitled behavior, racism, and demographics.
Interestingly, despite a lot of media analysis about what Karen “really” means, its use has been quite fluid. For example, we’ve seen people who deny the existence of racism, panic buy toilet paper or call for an end to social distancing all called “Karens.”
In fact, the meaning and use of Karen continues to shift. We can find male Karens and black Karens. Donald Trump has even been called a Karen.
And then there’s the way it’s being used to push for justice, with protesters of police violence holding signs like “Karens against police brutality” and “I’d like to speak to the manager of systemic racism.”
So is Karen fundamentally about white women using their racial privilege as a weapon? Is it about being an obnoxious rule follower? Or is it about being a no-fun, hysterical mom?
Karen can be and is all of those. That doesn’t weaken the critique; it simply gives it more facets and nuance.
[Deep knowledge, daily. Sign up for The Conversation’s newsletter.]
Robin Queen, Professor of Linguistics, English Language and Literatures and Germanic Languages and Literatures, University of Michigan
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.


crooksandliars--2020-06-15--Larry Kudlow Chides Unemployed While Cushioning Wall Street, Part Infinity

Those unemployed by COVID ca n't be incentivized not to work !
With the U.S. jobless rate still at levels not seen since the Great Depression and coronavirus-induced mass layoffs continuing across the nation , millionaire White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow complained Sunday that the $ 600-per-week increase in unemployment insurance authorized by the CARES Act is too generous and said the benefits should expire at the end of July .
`` I mean , we 're paying people not to work .
It 's better than their salaries would get , '' Kudlow said in an appearance on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that many U.S. workers are earning slightly more on the boosted unemployment insurance than they would at their low-wage jobs .
Meanwhile , this pandemic ai n't so bad as to give ( Fox Link ) an ounce of worry to , you know , investors : '' The president is absolutely disinclined to shut down the economy , as is the vice president , '' Kudlow said Monday during an interview on `` America 's Newsroom . ''
`` You know , I think shutting down the economy could be worse for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
Kudlow maintained that the spike in new cases is the byproduct of increased testing in the U.S. and are not indicative of a second wave of infections .
The tally is ultimately still low , he said -- and warned the sudden flare-up in cases may be something the U.S. needs to get used to , barring the creation of a vaccine or treatment .
`` These are relatively small bumps .
They ’ re there , I 'm not denying it , '' he said .
`` We are testing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a couple of months back in March .
So you ’ re bound to uncover a lot more cases . ''

Larry Kudlow covers both sides!
Those unemployed by COVID can't be incentivized not to work!
With the U.S. jobless rate still at levels not seen since the Great Depression and coronavirus-induced mass layoffs continuing across the nation, millionaire White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow complained Sunday that the $600-per-week increase in unemployment insurance authorized by the CARES Act is too generous and said the benefits should expire at the end of July. "I mean, we're paying people not to work. It's better than their salaries would get," Kudlow said in an appearance on CNN, echoing the common Republican complaint that many U.S. workers are earning slightly more on the boosted unemployment insurance than they would at their low-wage jobs.
Meanwhile, this pandemic ain't so bad as to give (Fox Link) an ounce of worry to, you know, investors:


crooksandliars--2020-06-15--GOP In Disarray!  Lou Dobbs Rails Against GOP Senators For Distancing From You-Know-Who

... turns its ire to Senate Republicans seeking re-election .
Seems the campaign ads they 're running are not loyal @ @ @ @ @ LOU DOBBS : Fourteen of those ads made no mention whatsoever of the president .
@ @ @ @ @ ignored President Trump but highlighted his work with the state ’ s Democratic governor , @ @ @ @ @ ignored the president as well but promoted her work with Democrat Senators Tim Kaine and @ @ @ @ @ ] That should assure a landslide for Collins .
House RINOs forfeiting their power under @ @ @ @ @ 2018 ?
They followed the same strategy of distancing themselves from the irrepressible president and @ @ @ @ @ leader of the party and who is already a historic president .
Clever people , @ @ @ @ @ Lou Dobbs is betting that Gardiner and Collins are going to lose their seats and @ @ @ @ @ with a huge `` I told you so , they should have remained loyal to @ @ @ @ @

Lou Dobbs 30-minute propaganda show...
Does North Korea take notes from Lou Dobbs on how to worship Dear Leader? pic.twitter.com/f1RzeBOlI0 — Frances Langum 🧶 (@bluegal) June 15, 2020
...turns its ire to Senate Republicans seeking re-election. Seems the campaign ads they're running are not loyal enough to Stable Genius.
LOU DOBBS: Fourteen of those ads made no mention whatsoever of the president. Senator Cory Gardner of Colorado ignored President Trump but highlighted his work with the state’s Democratic governor, nonetheless. Senator Susan Collins ignored the president as well but promoted her work with Democrat Senators Tim Kaine and Joe Manchin. [scoffs] That should assure a landslide for Collins. House RINOs forfeiting their power under former speaker Paul Ryan in 2018? They followed the same strategy of distancing themselves from the irrepressible president and the man who is the leader of the party and who is already a historic president. Clever people, these republican establishment types.
Lou Dobbs is betting that Gardiner and Collins are going to lose their seats and he will be right there with a huge "I told you so, they should have remained loyal to the irrepressible president."
Republicans in disarray!


crooksandliars--2020-06-15--Twitter Brawl:  Three Republicans Versus... Ron Perlman?

Two of the dumbest Republican politicians ever , and that 's saying something , tried to take down Trump critic and renowned actor Ron Perlman on Twitter .
And the Senator from Texas inserted the odious Jim Jordan into the Twitter spat .
Jordan , you will recall , is a former wrestling coach at Ohio State who has been implicated by many witnesses in knowingly remaining silent while his wrestling students were being sexually assaulted .
Ted Cruz thought it was smart to namedrop Jordan as his gladiator .
Really .
The fight started after US Soccer lifted the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anthem .
Then Perlman threw the nastiest douche bag of all Congressmen into the picture : Jim Jordan .
This scuffle somehow made Sen. Ted Cruz so mad that he challenged the now 70-year-old Ron Perlman to a fight -- with Jim Jordan .
For what it 's worth , Trump is now a role model for Republican Senators ?
They certainly mimic his awful behavior on Twitter .
By the way , Ron Perlman at 70 years old is 6 ' 1 '' and fourteen years older than Rep. Jordan , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ day , every day .

Two of the dumbest Republican politicians ever, and that's saying something, tried to take down Trump critic and renowned actor Ron Perlman on Twitter.
It backfired magnificently.
And the Senator from Texas inserted the odious Jim Jordan into the Twitter spat.
Jordan, you will recall, is a former wrestling coach at Ohio State who has been implicated by many witnesses in knowingly remaining silent while his wrestling students were being sexually assaulted. Ted Cruz thought it was smart to namedrop Jordan as his gladiator. Really.
The fight started after US Soccer lifted the ban on players kneeling during the national anthem.
The US Soccer team called and you guessed it... said they couldn’t give any less of a fuck about what you two dipshits think. @realDonaldTrump @mattgaetz — Ron Perlman (@perlmutations) June 13, 2020
This racial justice warrior had no problem in Hollywood portraying the White Supremacist leader of a motorcycle gang. #SOA https://t.co/mKUFz4y5ru — Matt Gaetz (@mattgaetz) June 14, 2020
Yessir, so true! So rewarding playing assholes on tv. Tell me sir, how is it actually being one? https://t.co/8Yk4lXvyAI — Ron Perlman (@perlmutations) June 14, 2020
And while we’re at it fuckboi, what is this shit about playing your crowd with dog whistles like “Hollywood“, making them think culture is the thing that’s keeping them down? When it’s really you and your greed. — Ron Perlman (@perlmutations) June 14, 2020
Then Perlman threw the nastiest douche bag of all Congressmen into the picture: Jim Jordan.
PS: You’re lucky for this guy Matt. If it weren’t for him you’d be the ugliest politician walking. @mattgaetz pic.twitter.com/uUgUDKHgZA — Ron Perlman (@perlmutations) June 15, 2020
This scuffle somehow made Sen. Ted Cruz so mad that he challenged the now 70-year-old Ron Perlman to a fight -- with Jim Jordan.
Listen Hellboy. You talk good game when you’ve got Hollywood makeup & stuntmen. But I’ll bet $10k—to the nonpolitical charity of your choice—that you couldn’t last 5 min in the wrestling ring w/ @Jim_Jordan w/o getting pinned. You up for it? Or does your publicist say too risky? https://t.co/eRerYVe5kj — Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) June 15, 2020
For what it's worth, Trump is now a role model for Republican Senators? They certainly mimic his awful behavior on Twitter.
Wait, is this THEE Ted Cruz? Holy shit man! Is this the same guy let little Donnie call his wife A dog and his father an assassin and now kisses his ass? Yo, can I get your autograph man? https://t.co/6QDwCaEkpv — Ron Perlman (@perlmutations) June 15, 2020
Teddy, Teddy, what kind of a muthafucka offers to have another guy, probably asleep at the time, kick another guy’s ass? https://t.co/v7EFmP1Mqe — Ron Perlman (@perlmutations) June 15, 2020
I tell you what teddy boy, since mentioning jim jordan and wrestling is... problematic, why don’t we say fuck him and just make it you & me. I’ll give 50k to Black Lives Matter and you can keep all the tax payer money you were thinking of spending. https://t.co/6QDwCaEkpv — Ron Perlman (@perlmutations) June 15, 2020
By the way, Ron Perlman at 70 years old is 6' 1" and fourteen years older than Rep. Jordan, but I'd bet on the actor all day, every day.


crooksandliars--2020-06-15--SCOTUS Rules Sexual Orientation Covered By Civil Rights Act

A big day for LGBTQ+ rights .
And six to three ?
Amen .
PETE WILLIAMS , MSNBC Supreme Court Correspondent : No longer is Anthony Kennedy among the justices .
The man who wrote all the gay rights decisions before.The Trump administration sided against this ruling , saying when Congress passed it in 1964 , nobody was thinking about sexual orientation .
It was simply against men or women .
Today the Supreme Court says , no , that 's not the case , sexual orientation is part of the 1964 Civil Rights Act .
This is a victory @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being on a gay softball team .
He sued and was told it 's not covered .
Today the Supreme Court said it 's wrong .
It 's an issue that divided the lower courts .
On the same day , this case was argued the Supreme Court heard a separate case whether it 's also illegal under the same civil rights law to fire someone for transgender status .
We do n't have that decision .
The Supreme Court , as you know in this time of the pandemic , is not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this is happening virtually , and frankly , all we have so far in the decision is the very first page , but I 'm told now it 's starting to line up .
The vote is 6-3 with Neil Gorsuch , one of the Trump appointees joining Chief Roberts and four more liberal members to form a 6-3 majority .
This is a huge thing .
Gay rights groups consider this even more important than the fight for marriage equality because while not every gay person in America gets married , most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and as of just a few minutes ago , it was possible to get married on Sunday and legally fired on Monday , but no more .

A big day for LGBTQ+ rights. And six to three? Amen.
PETE WILLIAMS, MSNBC Supreme Court Correspondent: No longer is Anthony Kennedy among the justices. The man who wrote all the gay rights decisions before.The Trump administration sided against this ruling, saying when Congress passed it in 1964, nobody was thinking about sexual orientation. It was simply against men or women. Today the Supreme Court says, no, that's not the case, sexual orientation is part of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. This is a victory for a man who was fired for being on a gay softball team. He sued and was told it's not covered. Today the Supreme Court said it's wrong. It's an issue that divided the lower courts.
On the same day, this case was argued the Supreme Court heard a separate case whether it's also illegal under the same civil rights law to fire someone for transgender status. We don't have that decision. The Supreme Court, as you know in this time of the pandemic, is not actually in the courtroom. All of this is happening virtually, and frankly, all we have so far in the decision is the very first page, but I'm told now it's starting to line up. The vote is 6-3 with Neil Gorsuch, one of the Trump appointees joining Chief Roberts and four more liberal members to form a 6-3 majority.
This is a huge thing. Gay rights groups consider this even more important than the fight for marriage equality because while not every gay person in America gets married, most gay adults want or need a job, and as of just a few minutes ago, it was possible to get married on Sunday and legally fired on Monday, but no more.


crooksandliars--2020-06-15--Former White House Doc Runs For Congress, Now Calls Obama 'Deep State Traitor'

Everything Trump touches dies , as someone once said .
Via CNN : ( CNN ) Dr. Ronny Jackson , the former White House physician who is running for Congress as a Republican in Texas , is embracing the right-wing conspiracy , promoted by President Donald Trump without offering proof , that then-President Barack Obama spied on Trump 's campaign -- angering some of the Obama aides who served alongside him in the White House .
The turn has left some officials from the last administration a little perplexed because Jackson was considered even-minded , apolitical -- and friendly with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of grave crimes .
`` President Obama weaponized the highest levels of our government to spy on President Trump .
Every Deep State traitor deserves to be brought to justice for their heinous actions , '' Jackson wrote Tuesday on Twitter , without offering any proof .
The message sparked some rebukes from former Obama aides .
`` Ronny Jackson was friends with Obama and his entire staff .
I never heard him make a partisan statement , '' tweeted Tommy Vietor , a former National Security Council spokesman under Obama .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ watch him debase himself by lying for Trump and promoting this toxic bullshit to win a Congressional primary .
Truly shameful . ''

Everything Trump touches dies, as someone once said. Via CNN:
(CNN)Dr. Ronny Jackson, the former White House physician who is running for Congress as a Republican in Texas, is embracing the right-wing conspiracy, promoted by President Donald Trump without offering proof, that then-President Barack Obama spied on Trump's campaign -- angering some of the Obama aides who served alongside him in the White House.
The turn has left some officials from the last administration a little perplexed because Jackson was considered even-minded, apolitical -- and friendly with Obama, who he is now accusing of grave crimes.
"President Obama weaponized the highest levels of our government to spy on President Trump. Every Deep State traitor deserves to be brought to justice for their heinous actions," Jackson wrote Tuesday on Twitter, without offering any proof.
The message sparked some rebukes from former Obama aides.
"Ronny Jackson was friends with Obama and his entire staff. I never heard him make a partisan statement," tweeted Tommy Vietor, a former National Security Council spokesman under Obama. "So it's really been sad to watch him debase himself by lying for Trump and promoting this toxic bullshit to win a Congressional primary. Truly shameful."


crooksandliars--2020-06-15--Donald Trump's Niece Is Coming For Him With Salacious New Book

Mary Trump , the daughter of Trump 's dead brother , Fred Trump Jr. , is releasing a book right before the election .
Via Huffington Post : The book , titled “ Too Much and Never Enough , ” will be released in August and reportedly include “ salacious ” stories about the president .
The Beast notes the book will reveal Mary Trump as the source behind a landmark investigation by The New York Times that detailed a series of financial schemes Trump was involved in in the 1990s that helped his parents dodge millions in taxes .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ today ’ s equivalent of more than $ 400 million from his father ’ s real estate empire as part of the schemes , won a Pulitzer Prize .
“ As she is set to outline in her book , Mary was a primary source for the paper ’ s Pulitzer Prize-winning investigation , supplying Fred Trump Sr. ’ s tax returns and other highly confidential family financial documentation to the paper , ” the outlet reported , citing unnamed sources familiar with the book .
Mary Trump has largely remained out of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was engaged in a bitter court battle over the estate of the president ’ s father , Fred Trump Sr .
The Beast said the tell-all will also include conversations with Trump ’ s sister , Maryanne Trump Barry , and contain “ intimate and damning thoughts about her brother .
”

Mary Trump, the daughter of Trump's dead brother, Fred Trump Jr., is releasing a book right before the election. Via Huffington Post:
The book, titled “Too Much and Never Enough,” will be released in August and reportedly include “salacious” stories about the president. The Beast notes the book will reveal Mary Trump as the source behind a landmark investigation by The New York Times that detailed a series of financial schemes Trump was involved in in the 1990s that helped his parents dodge millions in taxes.
The story, which showed Trump inherited today’s equivalent of more than $400 million from his father’s real estate empire as part of the schemes, won a Pulitzer Prize.
“As she is set to outline in her book, Mary was a primary source for the paper’s Pulitzer Prize-winning investigation, supplying Fred Trump Sr.’s tax returns and other highly confidential family financial documentation to the paper,” the outlet reported, citing unnamed sources familiar with the book.
Mary Trump has largely remained out of the spotlight since 2000 when her family was engaged in a bitter court battle over the estate of the president’s father, Fred Trump Sr.
The Beast said the tell-all will also include conversations with Trump’s sister, Maryanne Trump Barry, and contain “intimate and damning thoughts about her brother.”


crooksandliars--2020-06-16--Join The #MasksNow Coalition To Help Stop The Spread Of Coronavirus

One of the ways I decided to keep from feeling completely helpless during this pandemic has been making homemade masks for friends , family , coworkers , retired coworkers since the lockdown first began .
I 've had a steady stream of people coming to pick them up , or I mailed them out .
For a while , they were all gone as fast as I could make them .
I 've never taken a sewing lesson and do n't sew that well , but well enough to put together the masks , and eventually I started to get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the demand , so I decided to look around for somewhere to donate the extra masks I made , which is when I found the National # MasksNow Coalition on Facebook .
The group also has a website -- https : //masksnow.org/ -- with a ton of useful information on everything from mask and cap patterns , video links , information on how to donate and other ways to get involved .
The coalition also has local Facebook groups and organizers for most states , and I joined the Facebook group for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ group .
# MasksNow is a grassroots organization with over 11,000 volunteers nationwide in every state , and they work to put together people who are willing to sew masks , people or organizations and businesses that are willing to donate supplies , and organizations that need masks , such as `` patients , healthcare workers , at-risk community members , and essential workers , including postal workers , grocery store workers , manufacturing personnel , and more . ''
The masks I 've donated through the group have gone to assisted living @ @ @ @ @ @ @ store workers and Operation Backpack , and the request for masks has increased , not decreased since I started .
If anyone is aware of other groups doing similar work , please feel free to share the information in the comments section .
Here are a few of the masks I 've made .
My tie dying skills are better than my sewing skills .
Our own Karoli has been making masks as well .
Here are some samples of her lovely work .
For anyone else that 's sewing masks , please @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comments section and let us know who you 've been making them for .
We 'd love to see them .
It 's more important than ever that people wear them as states open things back up .
Tragically , persuading people that there 's a need to cover up to protect each other has been made infinitely harder by the complete and total lack of national leadership and a propaganda network helping Trump and his allies to minimize the need for masks and pretending the pandemic is over .
The pandemic and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over , and the PPE shortages continue .
It 's nice to see people banding together to do what they can to help fill the gap , and to be able to be a part of that .

One of the ways I decided to keep from feeling completely helpless during this pandemic has been making homemade masks for friends, family, coworkers, retired coworkers since the lockdown first began. I've had a steady stream of people coming to pick them up, or I mailed them out. For a while, they were all gone as fast as I could make them.
I've never taken a sewing lesson and don't sew that well, but well enough to put together the masks, and eventually I started to get a little bit quicker and got ahead of the demand, so I decided to look around for somewhere to donate the extra masks I made, which is when I found the National #MasksNow Coalition on Facebook.
The group also has a website -- https://masksnow.org/ -- with a ton of useful information on everything from mask and cap patterns, video links, information on how to donate and other ways to get involved.
The coalition also has local Facebook groups and organizers for most states, and I joined the Facebook group for my state as well as the national group.
#MasksNow is a grassroots organization with over 11,000 volunteers nationwide in every state, and they work to put together people who are willing to sew masks, people or organizations and businesses that are willing to donate supplies, and organizations that need masks, such as "patients, healthcare workers, at-risk community members, and essential workers, including postal workers, grocery store workers, manufacturing personnel, and more."
The masks I've donated through the group have gone to assisted living facilities, day care centers, grocery store workers and Operation Backpack, and the request for masks has increased, not decreased since I started.
If anyone is aware of other groups doing similar work, please feel free to share the information in the comments section.
Here are a few of the masks I've made. My tie dying skills are better than my sewing skills.
Our own Karoli has been making masks as well. Here are some samples of her lovely work.
For anyone else that's sewing masks, please share your work as well in the comments section and let us know who you've been making them for. We'd love to see them.
It's more important than ever that people wear them as states open things back up. Tragically, persuading people that there's a need to cover up to protect each other has been made infinitely harder by the complete and total lack of national leadership and a propaganda network helping Trump and his allies to minimize the need for masks and pretending the pandemic is over.
The pandemic and the need for masks is far from over, and the PPE shortages continue. It's nice to see people banding together to do what they can to help fill the gap, and to be able to be a part of that.


crooksandliars--2020-06-16--'Antifa' Is Not The Demonic Force Trump And Fox News Want You To Think It Is

It ’ s unlikely that Martin Gugino , the 75-year-old activist labeled an “ antifa provocateur ” by Donald Trump this week for the sin of being knocked to the pavement on video by police in Buffalo , New York , ever in fact identified as a member of an “ antifa ” group .
Not that it would make any difference to Trump , who only wanted to dehumanize and demonize the man by casting him as an embodiment of the right ’ s favorite bogeyman in the Trump era .
For most Americans , the first question is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” anyway ?
The answer : A lot of things , some of them noncontroversial and some controversial , but pretty much none of them are what Trump , Fox News , Breitbart , and the rest of the right-wing media ecosystem have told you they are .
The narrative about “ antifa ” that has been generated on right-wing media over the past three years—and then often thoughtlessly regurgitated and amplified on more mainstream media , including CNN and MSNBC—is an almost entirely false one : A violent leftist movement dedicated to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on quashing patriotic Americans ’ free speech , capable of massive terrorist acts of property destruction , and coming to your neighborhood soon .
None of this is remotely accurate .
As existential threats to our national well-being go , the “ antifa ” bogeyman is a very recent addition to the American right ’ s long history of concocting dire enemies through the use of eliminationist rhetoric .
It really only first arrived on the right ’ s radar in January 2017 , when a bundle of conspiracy theorists tried to claim @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Communist attempt to prevent Trump from being sworn in as president , with Alex Jones of Infowars and “ health ranger ” Mike Adams leading the charge .
Ten months later , they briefly resuscitated the same hysterical scenario , claiming that “ antifa ” and associated Satanists were planning to spark a violent civil war , with Trump ’ s overthrow being the ultimate purpose .
However , this time , the antifa panic spread to a broader audience , including Fox News , which carried a report claiming that “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump regime ” : “ Will the so-called `` Antifa apocalypse '' come with a bang or a whimper ?
” a Fox News story asked in its lede .
One widely viewed YouTube video claimed : “ They will start off by attacking police officers , first responders , anybody that ’ s in uniform , ” he said .
“ And after they have disrupted that enough in the nation , and us first responders are literally going everywhere , trying to resolve things , they will then go after the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and all of that .
So if you ’ re white , you ’ re a Trump supporter , you ’ re a Nazi then , to them .
And it will be open game on you.
” “ Make sure you got enough ammo , make sure your guns are ready , ” another YouTuber advised in a popular clip .
“ You have to understand these are vicious , vicious people .
Your life means nothing to them .
In fact , if you ’ re a white man , you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The right-wing blog Gateway Pundit even published a post claiming that “ antifa ” radicals were planning to “ behead white parents and small business owners ” —citing a post that in fact mocked gullible fools on the right who believed such nonsense .
As it turned out , these even included officials at the Department of Homeland Security who bought into the hoax and handled it as if the threat were a real one .
In reality , the “ civil war ” turned out to be just a handful of small @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the looming threat of the Evil Antifa Horde had been born .
It ’ s had an especially lively new life in Trump-loving right-wing media since the protests over the killing of George Floyd erupted .
Tucker Carlson ’ s opening monologue June 2 raised the spectral bogeyman again , warning that they were coming soon to your neighborhood , where “ violent young men with guns will be in charge .
They will make the rules , including the rules in your neighborhood .
They will do what they want .
You @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one will stop them .
You will not want to live here when that happens.
” On Fox & Friends June 4 , the cohosts , in aghast tones , told their audience that “ antifa is dropping off bricks and pickaxes to attack cops and take out buildings and stores , ” showing them videos of blue plastic boxes filled with bricks and rocks .
( In reality , as Vice reported , the containers were from construction sites and were nowhere near any planned protests . )
Similarly , Laura Ingraham @ @ @ @ @ @ @ antifa conspirators for the protests ’ violence : “ I mean , when you see people dressed in clown masks throwing Molotov cocktails toward or in police vehicles and the bricks on the streets , piling them up , passing them out to people , what is this ?
” she asked her guest , who replied : “ Well , it certainly looks to me like the far-left radical type element that has been with us for a long time.
” ( Also in reality : the only arrests related to people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Boogaloo Bois ” who brought them to a rally in Houston , intent on wreaking havoc . )
Not a single aspect of any of these characterizations or claims is accurate .
While some black-clad activists have been involved in confrontations with police in a number of cities , there is no indication that any of this has been coordinated , or that antifascist agitators have been urging anything other than vocal protests and marches against police brutality .
FBI officials so far have been clear that they have not found any evidence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any of the violence at these rallies .
I know this from having covered multiple events involving antifascists as a reporter , first for the Southern Poverty Law Center and more recently for Daily Kos : a total of 17 of them over the past three years , as well as on a number of occasions before Trump ’ s election , thanks in no small part to the ongoing presence of factions of violent white supremacists in the Pacific Northwest .
I can say without hesitation that , while I ’ ve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sense , I have never been either a participant in this movement nor an admirer of a number of its tactics—particularly the propensity to slap cameras out of the hands of journalists , something I ’ ve experienced personally ( and to somewhat disastrous effect ) .
I ’ m from an older generation ( 63 years old and counting ) and pretty firmly an old-fashioned small-d democrat , so there are a lot of components of antifascist beliefs that very much run against my personal grain .
None of that is a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clear : Each of these events was a planned rally sponsored by a far-right organization , which was why I was there to report .
The first was an appearance by alt-right figure Milo Yiannopoulos on Inauguration Day 2017 in Seattle .
During that event , an antifascist I had been standing next to only moments before was shot by a woman who thought she had to defend her husband against an evil violent “ antifa ” dude ; the man survived , and I wound up being the central prosecution witness in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ husband .
If there is any single indelible impression that I have come away with from my experience through this trial—as well as my multiple experiences covering far-right street brawlers and their events , along with the opposition that comes out to meet them—it is how readily , almost automatically , the demonization and dehumanization of these leftist protesters rises to the surface as if utterly normalized .
Certainly a primary takeaway , both as a witness to that riot as well as many subsequent others , and as a witness to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ standard media narrative about “ antifa ” —particularly the one you get from both the Fox Newses and Breitbarts of the world and the CNNs—is mostly a load of rubbish .
If anyone came out of the whole mess looking decent and honorable and principled , it was Josh Dukes [ the victim ] .
Regardless of what his Twitter account looked like , the man I saw in the plaza that night was doing exactly what a peacekeeper should .
Taking away a pepper spray device from a man wielding it , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ description as well .
The contrast between his character and that of the gaslighting Hokoanas could not have been more stark .
I couldn ’ t help remarking , as all this was beginning to happen in early July , on the contrast between the media interest in this case and in that of Andy Ngo , the right-wing provocateur/journalist who was attacked by antifascists on June 30 in Portland and banged up , purportedly with the help of “ concrete milkshakes , ” according to early reports .
For weeks since , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tales of the “ violent antifa ” that is assuredly coming for their children next , after they ’ ve dispensed with your free-speech rights .
This view was reinforced through multiple subsequent events , involving outfits that call themselves Patriot Prayer and Proud Boys and American Guard , all claiming the pretense of the far-right cause du jour ( it varied from “ free speech ” to “ Stop Islam ” to “ not all men ” to “ stop sanctuary cities and illegal immigration ” ) as a serial array of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from rural areas and exurbs into urban centers full of the “ leftists ” they love to hate and often fantasize about beating up .
Which , given some of the violence I witnessed , it quickly became clear was the entire reason these men were organizing these events : to beat people up on the street .
The motives of the antifascists I covered were significantly different .
Mainly , they were focused on defending their communities from these far-right outsiders who were there to cause violence .
Most were intent on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they and their message were not welcome in their communities .
There are always Black Bloc folks—the people who mask up in black and commit prolific acts of mischief and sometimes violence at the right-wing events—but I can also attest that on none of the occasions when I covered these events were the majority of people dressed like that , nor particularly inclined to rough behavior .
The typical participant was a white middle-aged progressive or member of the local Democratic Socialists of America chapter ; there was rarely a shortage of grandmothers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bloc ’ in action at an anti-KKK rally in Portland on Feb. 10 .
Image from : David Neiwert photo Most participants at antifascist events I ’ ve attended are , at least initially , present to have a good time voicing their beliefs opposing organizations that are proto-fascist at best , and explicitly dedicated to bringing violence to their communities .
One of my favorite regulars at Portland antifascist events is a marching band whose members all dress in yellow and call themselves “ Banana Bloc , ” performing lively tunes and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , adorned with a banana peel and reading , “ Don ’ t Slip On Me.
” The people at these counterprotests are not evil communist radicals , but ordinary people with a perfectly explicable desire to defend their communities from violent actors .
And yes , many of them are in fact subsequently caught up in the violence that the right-wing protesters bring to their cities .
The media formula that poses these protesters as equivalent—morally , politically , and behaviorally—could not be a more absurd distortion of the reality .
This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Prayer held its rally in Portland on June 5 , 2017 , immediately in the wake of Jeremy Christian ’ s murderous attack on his fellow passengers on a commuter train less than a week before .
City officials had pleaded with Joey Gibson , Patriot Prayer ’ s founder , to call off the event , which was ostensibly about ensuring “ free speech ” for “ conservatives.
” Gibson and his cohorts had refused , claiming that Christian had nothing to do with his group—even though Christian had in fact marched @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before .
In the meantime , at his initial arraignment , Christian had sounded like a Joey Gibson imitator in the courtroom : The antifascists I have encountered and covered have been primarily intent on stopping this kind of hatefulness and its attendant violence from spreading in their communities .
Yet they have been boxed in by a media narrative that portrays them as the cause of the violence , right-wing extremists who disingenuously play the innocent victims , and police forces that not only have clearly favored the right-wing invaders , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the leftists with their contempt and violence—making mass arrests on city streets , kettling innocent bystanders and protesters together , and then carting them off to jail .
Citizens have been clear about police responsibility for violent scenes during Portland protests .
Image from : David Neiwert photo The police , particularly in Portland , have manifestly failed at protecting their communities from this violence—and then amplified the problem by mistreating and often arresting the people they ’ re supposed to be protecting for protesting the situation .
It ’ s been ugly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ disdain for their hired protectors .
This is the mess that Trump and the American right generally are exploiting by portraying “ antifa ” as a dire existential threat to the nation in the form of far-left radicalism .
Trump ’ s earlier tweet announcing “ the United States of America will be designating ANTIFA as a Terrorist Organization ” was in fact a mostly empty threat , since there is no place in American law that would enable him to make such a designation .
After all , there is no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cooperative groups , all of them officially leaderless—and no national “ leaders , ” despite anti-Semitic conspiracy theorists ’ risibly false claims that George Soros is the man behind it all .
Perhaps more to the point , antifascists have committed exactly one terrorist act in the past three years ( Willem Van Spronsen ’ s self-martyrdom in attempting to attack a Tacoma , Washington , immigrant-detention facility in April 2019 ) , while in contrast , there have been 49 cases of domestic terrorism committed by right-wing extremists in the same timespan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during that time .
Far-right extremists , in contrast , have killed 144 people in the United States alone .
( A special report coming soon from Reveal News and Type Investigations will lay these numbers out in full detail . )
And indeed , even the FBI has made clear that “ antifa ” has not been involved in the protests over the killing of George Floyd .
Actual terrorism , however , is not what interests Trump .
What he instead is doing is using a vague image of far-left radicals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as well as any who might protest him or his policies or oppose them .
This is why he tried to make Martin Gugino out to be “ antifa.
” If he and his attorney general—who has vowed to use the powers of the Justice Department to bring “ antifa ” to heel , despite its lack of any kind of serious record of terrorism—are able to transform their words into action , then Americans will be facing an administration capable and willing to use an ill-defined term to declare anyone it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to treat them accordingly .
This has always meant violence , incarceration , and censorship .
For America , it would mark the final emergence of Donald Trump as a dictator with limitless powers .

It’s unlikely that Martin Gugino, the 75-year-old activist labeled an “antifa provocateur” by Donald Trump this week for the sin of being knocked to the pavement on video by police in Buffalo, New York, ever in fact identified as a member of an “antifa” group. Not that it would make any difference to Trump, who only wanted to dehumanize and demonize the man by casting him as an embodiment of the right’s favorite bogeyman in the Trump era.
For most Americans, the first question is: What the hell is “antifa” anyway? The answer: A lot of things, some of them noncontroversial and some controversial, but pretty much none of them are what Trump, Fox News, Breitbart, and the rest of the right-wing media ecosystem have told you they are.
The narrative about “antifa” that has been generated on right-wing media over the past three years—and then often thoughtlessly regurgitated and amplified on more mainstream media, including CNN and MSNBC—is an almost entirely false one: A violent leftist movement dedicated to Marxist overthrow of American values, intent on quashing patriotic Americans’ free speech, capable of massive terrorist acts of property destruction, and coming to your neighborhood soon. None of this is remotely accurate.
As existential threats to our national well-being go, the “antifa” bogeyman is a very recent addition to the American right’s long history of concocting dire enemies through the use of eliminationist rhetoric. It really only first arrived on the right’s radar in January 2017, when a bundle of conspiracy theorists tried to claim that they were leading the charge for a Communist attempt to prevent Trump from being sworn in as president, with Alex Jones of Infowars and “health ranger” Mike Adams leading the charge.
Ten months later, they briefly resuscitated the same hysterical scenario, claiming that “antifa” and associated Satanists were planning to spark a violent civil war, with Trump’s overthrow being the ultimate purpose. However, this time, the antifa panic spread to a broader audience, including Fox News, which carried a report claiming that “antifa” planned to topple the “Trump regime”: “Will the so-called "Antifa apocalypse" come with a bang or a whimper?” a Fox News story asked in its lede.
One widely viewed YouTube video claimed: “They will start off by attacking police officers, first responders, anybody that’s in uniform,” he said. “And after they have disrupted that enough in the nation, and us first responders are literally going everywhere, trying to resolve things, they will then go after the citizens and the people and the government and all of that. So if you’re white, you’re a Trump supporter, you’re a Nazi then, to them. And it will be open game on you.”
“Make sure you got enough ammo, make sure your guns are ready,” another YouTuber advised in a popular clip. “You have to understand these are vicious, vicious people. Your life means nothing to them. In fact, if you’re a white man, you don’t deserve to live.”
The right-wing blog Gateway Pundit even published a post claiming that “antifa” radicals were planning to “behead white parents and small business owners”—citing a post that in fact mocked gullible fools on the right who believed such nonsense. As it turned out, these even included officials at the Department of Homeland Security who bought into the hoax and handled it as if the threat were a real one.
In reality, the “civil war” turned out to be just a handful of small anti-Trump rallies. But the myth of the looming threat of the Evil Antifa Horde had been born.
It’s had an especially lively new life in Trump-loving right-wing media since the protests over the killing of George Floyd erupted. Tucker Carlson’s opening monologue June 2 raised the spectral bogeyman again, warning that they were coming soon to your neighborhood, where “violent young men with guns will be in charge. They will make the rules, including the rules in your neighborhood. They will do what they want. You will do what they say. No one will stop them. You will not want to live here when that happens.”
On Fox & Friends June 4, the cohosts, in aghast tones, told their audience that “antifa is dropping off bricks and pickaxes to attack cops and take out buildings and stores,” showing them videos of blue plastic boxes filled with bricks and rocks. (In reality, as Vice reported, the containers were from construction sites and were nowhere near any planned protests.)
Similarly, Laura Ingraham hosted a June 3 segment blaming nefarious antifa conspirators for the protests’ violence: “I mean, when you see people dressed in clown masks throwing Molotov cocktails toward or in police vehicles and the bricks on the streets, piling them up, passing them out to people, what is this?” she asked her guest, who replied: “Well, it certainly looks to me like the far-left radical type element that has been with us for a long time.” (Also in reality: the only arrests related to people with Molotov cocktails has involved far-right “Boogaloo Bois” who brought them to a rally in Houston, intent on wreaking havoc.)
Not a single aspect of any of these characterizations or claims is accurate. While some black-clad activists have been involved in confrontations with police in a number of cities, there is no indication that any of this has been coordinated, or that antifascist agitators have been urging anything other than vocal protests and marches against police brutality. FBI officials so far have been clear that they have not found any evidence yet of “antifa” involvement in any of the violence at these rallies.
I know this from having covered multiple events involving antifascists as a reporter, first for the Southern Poverty Law Center and more recently for Daily Kos: a total of 17 of them over the past three years, as well as on a number of occasions before Trump’s election, thanks in no small part to the ongoing presence of factions of violent white supremacists in the Pacific Northwest.
I can say without hesitation that, while I’ve always considered myself antifascist in the generic sense, I have never been either a participant in this movement nor an admirer of a number of its tactics—particularly the propensity to slap cameras out of the hands of journalists, something I’ve experienced personally (and to somewhat disastrous effect). I’m from an older generation (63 years old and counting) and pretty firmly an old-fashioned small-d democrat, so there are a lot of components of antifascist beliefs that very much run against my personal grain. None of that is a surprise.
But let’s be clear: Each of these events was a planned rally sponsored by a far-right organization, which was why I was there to report. The first was an appearance by alt-right figure Milo Yiannopoulos on Inauguration Day 2017 in Seattle. During that event, an antifascist I had been standing next to only moments before was shot by a woman who thought she had to defend her husband against an evil violent “antifa” dude; the man survived, and I wound up being the central prosecution witness in the trial of the woman and her husband.
As I explained afterward:
If there is any single indelible impression that I have come away with from my experience through this trial—as well as my multiple experiences covering far-right street brawlers and their events, along with the opposition that comes out to meet them—it is how readily, almost automatically, the demonization and dehumanization of these leftist protesters rises to the surface as if utterly normalized. Certainly a primary takeaway, both as a witness to that riot as well as many subsequent others, and as a witness to the Hokoanas’ trial, was that the standard media narrative about “antifa”—particularly the one you get from both the Fox Newses and Breitbarts of the world and the CNNs—is mostly a load of rubbish. If anyone came out of the whole mess looking decent and honorable and principled, it was Josh Dukes [the victim]. Regardless of what his Twitter account looked like, the man I saw in the plaza that night was doing exactly what a peacekeeper should. Taking away a pepper spray device from a man wielding it, regardless of the side, fits that description as well. The contrast between his character and that of the gaslighting Hokoanas could not have been more stark. I couldn’t help remarking, as all this was beginning to happen in early July, on the contrast between the media interest in this case and in that of Andy Ngo, the right-wing provocateur/journalist who was attacked by antifascists on June 30 in Portland and banged up, purportedly with the help of “concrete milkshakes,” according to early reports. For weeks since, the public has been flooded with horrifying tales of the “violent antifa” that is assuredly coming for their children next, after they’ve dispensed with your free-speech rights. Yeah, well. That’s a giant crock.
This view was reinforced through multiple subsequent events, involving outfits that call themselves Patriot Prayer and Proud Boys and American Guard, all claiming the pretense of the far-right cause du jour (it varied from “free speech” to “Stop Islam” to “not all men” to “stop sanctuary cities and illegal immigration”) as a serial array of excuses to bring right-wing brawlers hailing mostly from rural areas and exurbs into urban centers full of the “leftists” they love to hate and often fantasize about beating up. Which, given some of the violence I witnessed, it quickly became clear was the entire reason these men were organizing these events: to beat people up on the street.
The motives of the antifascists I covered were significantly different. Mainly, they were focused on defending their communities from these far-right outsiders who were there to cause violence. Most were intent on sending a message to these actors that they and their message were not welcome in their communities.
There are always Black Bloc folks—the people who mask up in black and commit prolific acts of mischief and sometimes violence at the right-wing events—but I can also attest that on none of the occasions when I covered these events were the majority of people dressed like that, nor particularly inclined to rough behavior. The typical participant was a white middle-aged progressive or member of the local Democratic Socialists of America chapter; there was rarely a shortage of grandmothers in the mix.
The ‘Banana Bloc’ in action at an anti-KKK rally in Portland on Feb. 10. Credit: David Neiwert photo
Most participants at antifascist events I’ve attended are, at least initially, present to have a good time voicing their beliefs opposing organizations that are proto-fascist at best, and explicitly dedicated to bringing violence to their communities. One of my favorite regulars at Portland antifascist events is a marching band whose members all dress in yellow and call themselves “Banana Bloc,” performing lively tunes and carrying a mock Gadsden Flag yellow banner, adorned with a banana peel and reading, “Don’t Slip On Me.”
The people at these counterprotests are not evil communist radicals, but ordinary people with a perfectly explicable desire to defend their communities from violent actors. And yes, many of them are in fact subsequently caught up in the violence that the right-wing protesters bring to their cities.
The media formula that poses these protesters as equivalent—morally, politically, and behaviorally—could not be a more absurd distortion of the reality. This was driven home to me when Patriot Prayer held its rally in Portland on June 5, 2017, immediately in the wake of Jeremy Christian’s murderous attack on his fellow passengers on a commuter train less than a week before.
City officials had pleaded with Joey Gibson, Patriot Prayer’s founder, to call off the event, which was ostensibly about ensuring “free speech” for “conservatives.” Gibson and his cohorts had refused, claiming that Christian had nothing to do with his group—even though Christian had in fact marched with the group less than two weeks before.
In the meantime, at his initial arraignment, Christian had sounded like a Joey Gibson imitator in the courtroom:
"Free speech or die, Portland! You got no safe place. This is America! Get out if you don’t like free speech! "Death to the enemies of America! Leave this country if you hate our freedom. Death to Antifa! "You call it terrorism, I call it patriotism!"
The antifascists I have encountered and covered have been primarily intent on stopping this kind of hatefulness and its attendant violence from spreading in their communities. Yet they have been boxed in by a media narrative that portrays them as the cause of the violence, right-wing extremists who disingenuously play the innocent victims, and police forces that not only have clearly favored the right-wing invaders, but have often created fresh violence by treating the leftists with their contempt and violence—making mass arrests on city streets, kettling innocent bystanders and protesters together, and then carting them off to jail.
Citizens have been clear about police responsibility for violent scenes during Portland protests. Credit: David Neiwert photo
The police, particularly in Portland, have manifestly failed at protecting their communities from this violence—and then amplified the problem by mistreating and often arresting the people they’re supposed to be protecting for protesting the situation. It’s been ugly, and it has intensified the communities’ disdain for their hired protectors.
This is the mess that Trump and the American right generally are exploiting by portraying “antifa” as a dire existential threat to the nation in the form of far-left radicalism. Trump’s earlier tweet announcing “the United States of America will be designating ANTIFA as a Terrorist Organization” was in fact a mostly empty threat, since there is no place in American law that would enable him to make such a designation.
After all, there is no national “antifa” organization—only small local cooperative groups, all of them officially leaderless—and no national “leaders,” despite anti-Semitic conspiracy theorists’ risibly false claims that George Soros is the man behind it all.
Perhaps more to the point, antifascists have committed exactly one terrorist act in the past three years (Willem Van Spronsen’s self-martyrdom in attempting to attack a Tacoma, Washington, immigrant-detention facility in April 2019), while in contrast, there have been 49 cases of domestic terrorism committed by right-wing extremists in the same timespan. Antifascists have killed exactly no one during that time. Far-right extremists, in contrast, have killed 144 people in the United States alone. (A special report coming soon from Reveal News and Type Investigations will lay these numbers out in full detail.) And indeed, even the FBI has made clear that “antifa” has not been involved in the protests over the killing of George Floyd.
Actual terrorism, however, is not what interests Trump. What he instead is doing is using a vague image of far-left radicals to tar everyone who protests the police, as well as any who might protest him or his policies or oppose them. This is why he tried to make Martin Gugino out to be “antifa.”
If he and his attorney general—who has vowed to use the powers of the Justice Department to bring “antifa” to heel, despite its lack of any kind of serious record of terrorism—are able to transform their words into action, then Americans will be facing an administration capable and willing to use an ill-defined term to declare anyone it wants a “terrorist,” and to treat them accordingly. This has always meant violence, incarceration, and censorship. For America, it would mark the final emergence of Donald Trump as a dictator with limitless powers.
Posted with permission from Daily Kos.


crooksandliars--2020-06-17--The Masks At Trump's Tulsa Rally Are Not Meant To Be Worn

President Trump 's campaign will require temperature checks and will distribute face masks and hand sanitizer to each person attending his rally in Tulsa on Saturday , a spokesperson said Monday .
Why it matters : The decision to move ahead with the rally as the number of coronavirus infections continues to be on the rise in many states has prompted scrutiny from public health experts and local officials in Tulsa .
It will be the first rally by any presidential candidate since the pandemic was declared in March .
Republican National Committee chair Ronna McDaniel said Monday that masks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : `` The American people can make decisions for themselves , we 're all pretty informed about Covid at this point . ''
Trump tweeted earlier Monday : `` The Far Left Fake News Media , which had no Covid problem with the Rioters & Looters destroying Democrat run cities , is trying to Covid Shame us on our big Rallies .
Won ’ t work ! ''
You 've heard airport anti-terrorism measures described as `` security theater '' ?
Well , this is public health theater .
Temperature checks seemed like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ months ago , but we 've known for a while that a significant percentage of infected people do n't develop a fever .
The hand sanitizer is a nice freebie , but the masks are being offered largely as a thumb in the eye of the president 's enemies : Team Trump knows the audience wo n't wear them , and will make a great show of mocking the idea of wearing them , and that will be a great moment in lib ownage .
Ronna Romney McDaniel makes the point clear when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can make decisions for themselves , we 're all pretty informed about Covid at this point . ''
In other words : You know this all nonsense , right ?
We 'll give you the silly masks just to shut the media up , but we all know that only wussy Democrats actually wear them .
It 's going to be like this until there 's a vaccine -- which many of the Trumpers wo n't want .
I have no idea what the health toll of all this rejection of science will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pretty .
Posted with permission from No More Mr. Nice Blog

Axios reports:
President Trump's campaign will require temperature checks and will distribute face masks and hand sanitizer to each person attending his rally in Tulsa on Saturday, a spokesperson said Monday. Why it matters: The decision to move ahead with the rally as the number of coronavirus infections continues to be on the rise in many states has prompted scrutiny from public health experts and local officials in Tulsa. It will be the first rally by any presidential candidate since the pandemic was declared in March. Republican National Committee chair Ronna McDaniel said Monday that masks would be optional, telling Fox News: "The American people can make decisions for themselves, we're all pretty informed about Covid at this point." Trump tweeted earlier Monday: "The Far Left Fake News Media, which had no Covid problem with the Rioters & Looters destroying Democrat run cities, is trying to Covid Shame us on our big Rallies. Won’t work!"
You've heard airport anti-terrorism measures described as "security theater"? Well, this is public health theater. Temperature checks seemed like a sensible anti-COVID measure a couple of months ago, but we've known for a while that a significant percentage of infected people don't develop a fever.
The hand sanitizer is a nice freebie, but the masks are being offered largely as a thumb in the eye of the president's enemies: Team Trump knows the audience won't wear them, and will make a great show of mocking the idea of wearing them, and that will be a great moment in lib ownage.
Ronna Romney McDaniel makes the point clear when she says, "The American people can make decisions for themselves, we're all pretty informed about Covid at this point." In other words: You know this all nonsense, right? We'll give you the silly masks just to shut the media up, but we all know that only wussy Democrats actually wear them.
It's going to be like this until there's a vaccine -- which many of the Trumpers won't want. I have no idea what the health toll of all this rejection of science will be, but it won't be pretty.
Posted with permission from No More Mr. Nice Blog


crooksandliars--2020-06-16--Largest Tulsa Newspaper Says Trump Not Welcome

The editorial board of Tulsa , Oklahoma 's largest daily newspaper on Monday slammed President Donald Trump 's planned June 20 campaign rally as a poorly timed and badly located event that risks undermining the city 's fight against Covid-19 and dangerously inflaming street protests over police brutality .
`` Tulsa is still dealing with the challenges created by a pandemic , '' reads an editorial published Monday in the Tulsa World .
`` The city and state have authorized reopening , but that does n't make a mass indoor gathering of people pressed closely together and cheering a good @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Covid-19 and no vaccine .
It will be our healthcare system that will have to deal with whatever effects follow . ''
`` We do n't know why he chose Tulsa , '' the editorial states , `` but we ca n't see any way that his visit will be good for the city . ''
The president 's campaign rally was initially scheduled to take place on Juneteenth—the June 19 holiday that commemorates the end of slavery in the United States—but Trump pushed the rally back by one day in the face @ @ @ @ @ @ @ editorial came just days after the director of the city 's health department called on Trump to postpone the rally `` to a time when the virus is n't as large a concern as it is today . ''
`` Covid is here in Tulsa , it is transmitting very efficiently , '' said Dr. Bruce Dart .
The Trump campaign effectively acknowledged that the event poses a significant public health risk by requiring prospective attendees to sign a waiver vowing not to sue if they contract Covid-19 at the rally .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the campaign event , the Tulsa World editorial board also noted that `` Trump will be rallying in a city that 99 years ago was the site of a bloody race massacre . ''
`` Tulsa and the nation remain on edge after the May 25 police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis .
Trump , a divisive figure , will attract protests , the vast majority of which we expect to be peaceful .
But there may also be confrontation and inappropriate behavior from some , '' the editorial reads .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in dealing with what happens at a time when the city 's budget resources have already been stretched thin . ''
`` This is the wrong place for the rally , '' the editorial states in closing .
`` When the president of the United States visits your city , it should be exciting .
We think a Trump visit will be , but for a lot of the wrong reasons , and we ca n't welcome it . ''

The editorial board of Tulsa, Oklahoma's largest daily newspaper on Monday slammed President Donald Trump's planned June 20 campaign rally as a poorly timed and badly located event that risks undermining the city's fight against Covid-19 and dangerously inflaming street protests over police brutality.
"Tulsa is still dealing with the challenges created by a pandemic," reads an editorial published Monday in the Tulsa World. "The city and state have authorized reopening, but that doesn't make a mass indoor gathering of people pressed closely together and cheering a good idea. There is no treatment for Covid-19 and no vaccine. It will be our healthcare system that will have to deal with whatever effects follow."
"We don't know why he chose Tulsa," the editorial states, "but we can't see any way that his visit will be good for the city."
The president's campaign rally was initially scheduled to take place on Juneteenth—the June 19 holiday that commemorates the end of slavery in the United States—but Trump pushed the rally back by one day in the face of widespread backlash.
The Tulsa World editorial came just days after the director of the city's health department called on Trump to postpone the rally "to a time when the virus isn't as large a concern as it is today."
"Covid is here in Tulsa, it is transmitting very efficiently," said Dr. Bruce Dart.
The Trump campaign effectively acknowledged that the event poses a significant public health risk by requiring prospective attendees to sign a waiver vowing not to sue if they contract Covid-19 at the rally.
In addition to criticizing the hazardous timing of the campaign event, the Tulsa World editorial board also noted that "Trump will be rallying in a city that 99 years ago was the site of a bloody race massacre."
"Tulsa and the nation remain on edge after the May 25 police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Trump, a divisive figure, will attract protests, the vast majority of which we expect to be peaceful. But there may also be confrontation and inappropriate behavior from some," the editorial reads. "Again, Tulsa will be largely alone in dealing with what happens at a time when the city's budget resources have already been stretched thin."
"This is the wrong place for the rally," the editorial states in closing. "When the president of the United States visits your city, it should be exciting. We think a Trump visit will be, but for a lot of the wrong reasons, and we can't welcome it."
Republished from Common Dreams (Jake Johnson, staff writer) under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 License.


crooksandliars--2020-06-16--Trump's Executive Order On Policing Are 'A Smack In The Face' To Protesters

Consider civil rights attorney , and CNN legal analyst Areva Martin thoroughly unimpressed with Trump 's Rose Garden speech and executive order on policing in America .
Brianna Keilar asked her if there was anything she liked about what she saw , and if it will have any impact whatsoever .
Martin did not hold back .
MARTIN : I do n't like any of it , Brianna .
I felt like it was a big smack in the face for the protesters that have been on the streets the last 19 , 20 days calling for big and bold @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this country operate .
What the president did n't do at all was address the systemic racism issues that are at the core of these issues .
He comes out , surrounded by law enforcement personnel , talks about his law and order agenda , without at all even applying lip service to the systemic problems that have , you know , a big , bright light is shining on .
This is another band-aid on a hemorrhage .
This is another carrot that Trump is dangling in front of the American public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tired of it .
Civil rights activists , we 're all tired of this president and his approach to these issues , which is basically a non-approach .
I did n't find anything encouraging about what he did today .
If anything , he made mockery , I think , of the whole process that 's in place , where people are demanding reimagining our public safety and the way police police particularly African-American communities .
He did n't speak to those issues at all .
None of this is surprising , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ each day .
Keilar asked Martin about the absurd motions Trump went through by issuing an executive order in which chokeholds were banned , unless the officer 's life was at risk .
That 's like issuing an executive order mandating that everything needs to stay exactly as it is .
In the immortal words of Basil Fawlty , `` What is the bloody point ? ''
Clearly he thinks the Black community and those who support it are too stupid to recognize bullsh*t when they see it .
MARTIN : It 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ followed by anyone .
We see in these cases all the time , Brianna , law enforcement , police agents , officers defend their actions by saying they felt their life was in danger .
All they have to do is repeat that refrain we hear repeated over and over again .
And , according to these guidelines , they would be completely justified in their use of chokeholds .
He 's not banning chokeholds .
He 's not changing the way police officers police African-American communities and other communities of color .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ these issues .
He 's patting his law enforcement buddies on the back , he 's telling them what a great job they 're doing and not at all addressing the underlying issues .
The New York Times wrote a great article over the weekend about what happened after 2014 , and all the protests we saw following the police murdering of Mike Brown in Ferguson , Missouri , and they said tens of millions of dollars was invested in all of these de-escalation , implicit bias , so many reforms we 're @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the 1,000 people that are killed every year by police officers and the article basically said what the protesters are saying , that unless we make big and bold changes to the way we police , we 're going to be right back here , not -- I ca n't even say a month from now , because we were right back here over the weekend with Mr. Brooks in Atlanta .
Trump has n't done anything other than insult the protesters .
She 's absolutely right .
And did anyone expect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did n't see his framing school `` choice '' as the biggest civil rights issue of our time coming , but the rest of it ?
Classic Trump .

Consider civil rights attorney, and CNN legal analyst Areva Martin thoroughly unimpressed with Trump's Rose Garden speech and executive order on policing in America. Brianna Keilar asked her if there was anything she liked about what she saw, and if it will have any impact whatsoever. Martin did not hold back.
MARTIN: I don't like any of it, Brianna. I felt like it was a big smack in the face for the protesters that have been on the streets the last 19, 20 days calling for big and bold changes to ways that police departments in this country operate. What the president didn't do at all was address the systemic racism issues that are at the core of these issues. He comes out, surrounded by law enforcement personnel, talks about his law and order agenda, without at all even applying lip service to the systemic problems that have, you know, a big, bright light is shining on. This is another band-aid on a hemorrhage. This is another carrot that Trump is dangling in front of the American public and, quite frankly, protesters are tired of it. Civil rights activists, we're all tired of this president and his approach to these issues, which is basically a non-approach. I didn't find anything encouraging about what he did today. If anything, he made mockery, I think, of the whole process that's in place, where people are demanding reimagining our public safety and the way police police particularly African-American communities. He didn't speak to those issues at all.
None of this is surprising, but the rage is palpable and more deserved each day. Keilar asked Martin about the absurd motions Trump went through by issuing an executive order in which chokeholds were banned, unless the officer's life was at risk. That's like issuing an executive order mandating that everything needs to stay exactly as it is. In the immortal words of Basil Fawlty, "What is the bloody point?" Clearly he thinks the Black community and those who support it are too stupid to recognize bullsh*t when they see it.
Martin blew that nonsense to bits.
MARTIN: It's not a standard that can even be followed by anyone. We see in these cases all the time, Brianna, law enforcement, police agents, officers defend their actions by saying they felt their life was in danger. All they have to do is repeat that refrain we hear repeated over and over again. And, according to these guidelines, they would be completely justified in their use of chokeholds. He's not banning chokeholds. He's not changing the way police officers police African-American communities and other communities of color. He's just paying lip service to these issues. He's patting his law enforcement buddies on the back, he's telling them what a great job they're doing and not at all addressing the underlying issues. The New York Times wrote a great article over the weekend about what happened after 2014, and all the protests we saw following the police murdering of Mike Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, and they said tens of millions of dollars was invested in all of these de-escalation, implicit bias, so many reforms we're hearing about and nothing moved the needle on the 1,000 people that are killed every year by police officers and the article basically said what the protesters are saying, that unless we make big and bold changes to the way we police, we're going to be right back here, not -- I can't even say a month from now, because we were right back here over the weekend with Mr. Brooks in Atlanta. Trump hasn't done anything other than insult the protesters.
She's absolutely right. And did anyone expect anything different? I mean, I didn't see his framing school "choice" as the biggest civil rights issue of our time coming, but the rest of it? Classic Trump.


crooksandliars--2020-06-16--Susan Collins Blasted Again For Her Brett Kavanaugh Vote

Twitter and her Democratic opponent Sara Gideon let her have it again , Collins ' vote to confirm Brett Kavanaugh ( hopefully ) ending her career in the U.S. Senate .
You ca n't really pretend to be some kind of champion of LGBTQ rights and keep putting abominations like Kavanaugh , Alito , and the rest of them on the Supreme Court .
That just is n't going to play anymore .
Sen. Susan Collins ( R-Maine ) is coming under fire for her 2018 vote to confirm Supreme Court Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh , after Kavanaugh dissented in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ federal anti-discrimination laws protect gay and transgender employees .
Collins , who faces a tough 2020 reelection bid , is among the most vocal Senate Republican supporters of LGBTQ rights .
She is one of the lead sponsors of the Equality Act , which would add sexual orientation and gender identity to other protected classes in federal law .
After news of Monday ’ s 6-to-3 Supreme Court decision was reported , she praised the ruling as “ a major advancement for LGBTQ rights ” and called for Congress to pass the Equality @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to “ expressly prohibit ” such discrimination .
But Democrats — including Maine House Speaker Sara Gideon , Collins ’ s likely general election opponent — skewered Collins on Monday for her vote to confirm Kavanaugh in light of his position on Monday ’ s ruling .

Twitter and her Democratic opponent Sara Gideon let her have it again, Collins' vote to confirm Brett Kavanaugh (hopefully) ending her career in the U.S. Senate. You can't really pretend to be some kind of champion of LGBTQ rights and keep putting abominations like Kavanaugh, Alito, and the rest of them on the Supreme Court. That just isn't going to play anymore.
Source: Washington Post
Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) is coming under fire for her 2018 vote to confirm Supreme Court Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh, after Kavanaugh dissented in Monday’s landmark ruling affirming that federal anti-discrimination laws protect gay and transgender employees.
Collins, who faces a tough 2020 reelection bid, is among the most vocal Senate Republican supporters of LGBTQ rights. She is one of the lead sponsors of the Equality Act, which would add sexual orientation and gender identity to other protected classes in federal law. After news of Monday’s 6-to-3 Supreme Court decision was reported, she praised the ruling as “a major advancement for LGBTQ rights” and called for Congress to pass the Equality Act and amend the Civil Rights Act to “expressly prohibit” such discrimination.
But Democrats — including Maine House Speaker Sara Gideon, Collins’s likely general election opponent — skewered Collins on Monday for her vote to confirm Kavanaugh in light of his position on Monday’s ruling.


crooksandliars--2020-06-16--Trump Declares School Choice The 'Most Important Civil Rights Issue' Of All Time

During a speech Tuesday on Safe Policing for Safe Communities , Trump veered off into the moronic claim that he 's fighting more for school choice than anything that 's happening today .
As protests are still erupting throughout our nation , more Black men are being murdered by police and armed militia members are shooting protesters , school choice is what Donald Trump chose to highlight .
Trump had few words for George Floyd , the many victims of police brutality or their families , but had a lot to say about defending the men in blue against the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how he swiftly dealt with the uprising by calling in the National Guard .
There was barely a Black face in attendance during his signing ceremony , but he still bloviated on how he helped Black communities by lowering the unemployment rate before the coronavirus struck .
He then shifted to a topic that had no business being in this speech or discussed during these trying times in our country .
`` We 're fighting for school choice , which is really the civil rights of all time in this country . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ school choice is a civil rights statement of the year , of the decade and probably beyond because all children have that access to quality education . ''
School choice is inherently racist .
It 's nothing more than code for school segregation , which makes it especially inappropriate for the huckster-in-chief to promote ever , but especially now .
But to Trump , that 's more important than the Civil Rights Act , the Voting Act , Loving v. Virginia Trump made many other imbecilic remarks throughout the speech .
So many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all .
We need to vote out this narcissistic buffoon in massive numbers come November .

During a speech Tuesday on Safe Policing for Safe Communities, Trump veered off into the moronic claim that he's fighting more for school choice than anything that's happening today.
As protests are still erupting throughout our nation, more Black men are being murdered by police and armed militia members are shooting protesters, school choice is what Donald Trump chose to highlight.
Trump had few words for George Floyd, the many victims of police brutality or their families, but had a lot to say about defending the men in blue against the massive protests in America going on and how he swiftly dealt with the uprising by calling in the National Guard.
There was barely a Black face in attendance during his signing ceremony, but he still bloviated on how he helped Black communities by lowering the unemployment rate before the coronavirus struck.
He then shifted to a topic that had no business being in this speech or discussed during these trying times in our country.
"We're fighting for school choice, which is really the civil rights of all time in this country." Trump said
He continued, "Frankly school choice is a civil rights statement of the year, of the decade and probably beyond because all children have that access to quality education."
WTF?
School choice is inherently racist. It's nothing more than code for school segregation, which makes it especially inappropriate for the huckster-in-chief to promote ever, but especially now.
But to Trump, that's more important than the Civil Rights Act, the Voting Act, Loving v. Virginia
Trump made many other imbecilic remarks throughout the speech. So many, I can't write about them all.
Trump: "They have come up with the AIDS vaccine. " pic.twitter.com/0BzSJHzQwG — Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) June 16, 2020
when you don't get consent even on a nationwide scale https://t.co/jpPGWvBoJx — Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) June 16, 2020
TRUMP: "Chokeholds will be banned, except if an officer's life is at risk." (Seems like a significant loophole.) pic.twitter.com/dujoVVwXy9 — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) June 16, 2020
We need to vote out this narcissistic buffoon in massive numbers come November.


crooksandliars--2020-06-16--Fox News Hits Larry Kudlow Over Promise Of 'No Second Wave' Of Coronavirus

White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow faced questions from Fox News on Monday over his claim that there would be no “ second wave ” of COVID-19 even though some states are seeing a record number of cases .
“ Friday morning , you said on Fox News Channel — and I remember it so clearly — you said no second wave , and you said it again , ” Fox New host Sandra Smith reminded Kudlow .
“ Since then , we have received new data points.
” Smith pointed out that states are seeing “ COVID spikes across @ @ @ @ @ @ @ growing concerns , ” Kudlow replied .
“ And we ’ re going to have these concerns for a while .
But I ’ ve been in touch with our health experts each of the last four or five days , including this morning .
These are relatively small bumps .
They ’ re there .
I ’ m not denying it.
” The economic adviser suggested that the spike in new cases is because “ we are testing at a hundred times what we were a few months ago.
” “ I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to get used to , ” he continued .
“ I think it ’ s controllable.
” Fox News host Ed Henry pressed : “ How can you say again as you did a moment ago , ‘ We ’ re not shutting the economy down again ?
’ Nobody is wishing for this .
But , God forbid the health experts go to the president and say , ‘ Look , we ’ re fearful this is going the wrong way and there could be tens of thousands of more people dying.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ still will not shut down the economy ?
” “ The president is absolutely disinclined to shut down the economy , ” Kudlow insisted .
“ I think shutting down the economy could be worse for our health than not shutting it down.
” He went on to compare the coronavirus pandemic to a hurricane or “ bad snow storm.
” “ Hardship , heartbreak , yes , ” Kudlow remarked .
“ But when it passes , people return back to their work .
”

White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow faced questions from Fox News on Monday over his claim that there would be no “second wave” of COVID-19 even though some states are seeing a record number of cases.
“Friday morning, you said on Fox News Channel — and I remember it so clearly — you said no second wave, and you said it again,” Fox New host Sandra Smith reminded Kudlow. “Since then, we have received new data points.”
Smith pointed out that states are seeing “COVID spikes across the country.”
“I understand the growing concerns,” Kudlow replied. “And we’re going to have these concerns for a while. But I’ve been in touch with our health experts each of the last four or five days, including this morning. These are relatively small bumps. They’re there. I’m not denying it.”
The economic adviser suggested that the spike in new cases is because “we are testing at a hundred times what we were a few months ago.”
“I think it’s something we have to get used to,” he continued. “I think it’s controllable.”
Fox News host Ed Henry pressed: “How can you say again as you did a moment ago, ‘We’re not shutting the economy down again?’ Nobody is wishing for this. But, God forbid the health experts go to the president and say, ‘Look, we’re fearful this is going the wrong way and there could be tens of thousands of more people dying.’ You’re saying the president still will not shut down the economy?”
“The president is absolutely disinclined to shut down the economy,” Kudlow insisted. “I think shutting down the economy could be worse for our health than not shutting it down.”
He went on to compare the coronavirus pandemic to a hurricane or “bad snow storm.”
“Hardship, heartbreak, yes,” Kudlow remarked. “But when it passes, people return back to their work.”


crooksandliars--2020-06-16--Former C&L Contributor Steve Benen: Republicans Have Abandoned Governing

Steve Benen is not only a Rachel Maddow Show producer , he 's also a former contributor to Crooks and Liars .
In his new book , `` The Impostors , '' Benen illustrates how Donald Trump is a symptom of a Republican Party that has `` abandoned the rigors of governing and the principles of policymaking . ''
He does n't say it exactly , but the Republican Party is now entirely about `` owning the libs . ''
I was struck by this part of his Monday night interview with Rachel Maddow : STEVE BENEN : You know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I went to Joe Biden 's campaign home page and I went to Donald Trump 's campaign home page .
And I looked at Joe Biden 's issues page to see what was there , and there were thirty-seven plans , and blueprints , and outreach to various constituencies , to let everyone know that if Joe Biden was elected , here 's what he would do with power .
Then I went to Donald Trump 's to look for a comparable page and it did not exist .
There is no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I 'm thinking , well , maybe we can replace that with the Republican platform , except that does n't exist either .
They are simply just taking the 2016 platform and slapping a sticker on it that says `` 2020 . ''
And so with that in mind , it seems to me we are stuck in this same feedback loop , insofar as Republicans do n't seem to have an interest in governing .
But that said , Republicans are losing .
And with that in mind , I think it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they expect more and that this is an opportunity for them to remind Republicans that the current post-policy path is n't good enough .
And I can think of another huge example : when Republicans said , `` repeal and replace Obamacare but we have ZERO ideas for the 'replace ' part . ''
That was a huge FAIL for voters in the 2018 midterms .

Steve Benen is not only a Rachel Maddow Show producer, he's also a former contributor to Crooks and Liars.
In his new book, "The Impostors," Benen illustrates how Donald Trump is a symptom of a Republican Party that has "abandoned the rigors of governing and the principles of policymaking."
He doesn't say it exactly, but the Republican Party is now entirely about "owning the libs."
I was struck by this part of his Monday night interview with Rachel Maddow:
STEVE BENEN: You know, I saw something interesting this morning. I went to Joe Biden's campaign home page and I went to Donald Trump's campaign home page. And I looked at Joe Biden's issues page to see what was there, and there were thirty-seven plans, and blueprints, and outreach to various constituencies, to let everyone know that if Joe Biden was elected, here's what he would do with power. Then I went to Donald Trump's to look for a comparable page and it did not exist. There is no "issues page" there. and I'm thinking, well, maybe we can replace that with the Republican platform, except that doesn't exist either. They are simply just taking the 2016 platform and slapping a sticker on it that says "2020." And so with that in mind, it seems to me we are stuck in this same feedback loop, insofar as Republicans don't seem to have an interest in governing. But that said, Republicans are losing. And with that in mind, I think it's likely we will say voters say they expect more and that this is an opportunity for them to remind Republicans that the current post-policy path isn't good enough.
Between Trump not having a second-term agenda, and Republicans recycling their 2016 platform, the GOP doesn't seem at all interested in being a governing party. https://t.co/rnKa24dXle — Steve Benen (@stevebenen) June 11, 2020
And I can think of another huge example: when Republicans said, "repeal and replace Obamacare but we have ZERO ideas for the 'replace' part." That was a huge FAIL for voters in the 2018 midterms.
Congratulations on the book Steve Benen!