crooksandliars--2020-06-21--At Tulsa Rally, Trump Mocks COVID-19 As A Joke Created By The Media: 'Kung Flu'

During most of last night 's bizarre kick-off campaign rally in Tulsa , Donald Trump 's main target throughout was the media , as usual , and all the criticism he receives .
As the evening wore on , he bitched and moaned about how the media was attacking him from both the left and the right .
Trump continually whined about the criticism he received for holding this indoor rally , with thousands of unmasked supporters during a pandemic .
“ If you could have heard the reports , the reports , the reports , 'oh , it ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , like a demented relative telling you that you 'll catch your death of cold without a scarf .
He continued , `` By the way , it 's a disease without question that has more names than any disease in history.
” That 's a lie .
It is a coronavirus , designated COVID-19 because it began in 2019 .
His administration and his minions began race-baiting , though , to try and blame China for their weak and deadly response to the outbreak .
`` I can name Kung Flu , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which was barely one-third full .
`` I can name ( pause ) 19 different versions of names . ''
Trump continued , “ Many call it a virus which it is .
Many call it a flu , what difference . ''
It 's not a flu .
COVID-19 is much more contagious , and has caused nearly 120,000 deaths , so far , in just a couple of months .
`` I think we have 19 or 20 versions of the name , ” he repeated .
Then he went off @ @ @ @ @ @ @ energy he has .
No wonder so many of his followers shun all the directives from the CDC , refusing to wear masks or follow social distancing or self quarantine orders .
His administration , with the help of his VP , have been publicly downplaying the pandemic to the point that they recite fake statistics .
They pretend it 's just dying off and not even around anymore , even though we see big upticks of infections in states that have reopened .
He never mentioned that six of his own staffers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and had to be quarantined .
I wo n't get into the rest of his clown show , or his attempt to make believe the media fabricated why he hobbled down a ramp at West Point after giving a speech .
He repeated his same message that he wants the testing to slow down , so fewer cases are reported .
The White House later said he was only joking , but he 's said that way too many times for it to be anything but how he feels .
That should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

During most of last night's bizarre kick-off campaign rally in Tulsa, Donald Trump's main target throughout was the media, as usual, and all the criticism he receives.
As the evening wore on, he bitched and moaned about how the media was attacking him from both the left and the right. Trump continually whined about the criticism he received for holding this indoor rally, with thousands of unmasked supporters during a pandemic.
“If you could have heard the reports, the reports, the reports, 'oh, it’s COVID,'" he said, like a demented relative telling you that you'll catch your death of cold without a scarf. He continued, "By the way, it's a disease without question that has more names than any disease in history.”
That's a lie. It is a coronavirus, designated COVID-19 because it began in 2019. His administration and his minions began race-baiting, though, to try and blame China for their weak and deadly response to the outbreak.
"I can name Kung Flu," he said to the arena, which was barely one-third full. "I can name (pause) 19 different versions of names." Trump continued, “Many call it a virus which it is. Many call it a flu, what difference."
It's not a flu. COVID-19 is much more contagious, and has caused nearly 120,000 deaths, so far, in just a couple of months.
"I think we have 19 or 20 versions of the name,” he repeated. Then he went off into a different tangent about how much energy he has.
No wonder so many of his followers shun all the directives from the CDC, refusing to wear masks or follow social distancing or self quarantine orders.
His administration, with the help of his VP, have been publicly downplaying the pandemic to the point that they recite fake statistics. They pretend it's just dying off and not even around anymore, even though we see big upticks of infections in states that have reopened.
He never mentioned that six of his own staffers tested positive before the event even began, and had to be quarantined.
I won't get into the rest of his clown show, or his attempt to make believe the media fabricated why he hobbled down a ramp at West Point after giving a speech.
He repeated his same message that he wants the testing to slow down, so fewer cases are reported. The White House later said he was only joking, but he's said that way too many times for it to be anything but how he feels.
That should get him impeached all on its own.


crooksandliars--2020-06-21--'Just Nasty': Fox & Friends Blames 'Mean Girl' AOC For 'Empty Seats' At Trump Rally

The hosts of Fox & Friends on Sunday suggested that Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez ( D-NY ) was to blame for a number of empty seats at Saturday Trump campaign rally in Tulsa .
`` There were some empty seats in that stadium that we could all see , '' host Griff Jenkins announced during the Sunday show , noting that Ocasio-Cortez had praised `` teens on TikTok '' for making fake ticket requests to the campaign .
`` This kind of makes my blood boil , '' co-host Jedidiah Bila complained .
`` One thing I can not stomach is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you be proud of people for doing something , first of all , just nasty .
If you 're going to buy up tickets to try to fake somebody out and make them think -- I mean , that 's just nasty behavior . ''
`` Remember how much we heard about campaign interference ? ''
co-host Pete Hegseth chimed in , referring to Russia 's interference in the 2016 election .
`` Now , she 's so proud of this millennial zoomer campaign interference .
It 's very , very telling .
@

The hosts of Fox & Friends on Sunday suggested that Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) was to blame for a number of empty seats at Saturday Trump campaign rally in Tulsa.
"There were some empty seats in that stadium that we could all see," host Griff Jenkins announced during the Sunday show, noting that Ocasio-Cortez had praised "teens on TikTok" for making fake ticket requests to the campaign.
"This kind of makes my blood boil," co-host Jedidiah Bila complained. "One thing I cannot stomach is an adult mean girl. Why would you be proud of people for doing something, first of all, just nasty. If you're going to buy up tickets to try to fake somebody out and make them think -- I mean, that's just nasty behavior."
"Remember how much we heard about campaign interference?" co-host Pete Hegseth chimed in, referring to Russia's interference in the 2016 election. "Now, she's so proud of this millennial zoomer campaign interference. It's very, very telling."


crooksandliars--2020-06-21--Peter Navarro Gaslights CNN With Bigotry: 'That Virus Was A Product Of The Chinese Communist Party'

White House trade adviser Peter Navarro claimed on Sunday that the novel coronavirus pandemic is `` a product of the Chinese Communist Party . ''
During an interview on CNN 's State of the Union program , host Jake Tapper asked Navarro about President Donald Trump 's call to reduce COVID-19 testing in the United States .
`` That was tongue-in-cheek , '' Navarro insisted .
`` Come on now . ''
`` I do n't know that it was tongue-in-cheek , '' Japper said .
`` He has said similar things for months . ''
`` We 've seen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ China Wuhan virus , '' Navarro countered .
`` Let 's talk about some serious issues .
I do n't want to go there . ''
`` I think testing is a very serious issue , '' Tapper insisted .
`` I 'm not the one making jokes about it . ''
`` It was a light moment , '' Navarro shrugged .
`` We 're 60 seconds into a tongue-and-cheek thing .
Asked and answered . ''
`` I 'm not sure 100,000 [ dead ] Americans is the subject for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lamented .
`` China created this pandemic , '' Navarro ranted .
`` They hid the virus , they created that virus and they sent over hundreds of thousands of Chinese citizens here to spread that around and around the world .
Whether they did that on purpose , that 's an open question .
But that 's a fact . ''
`` The Chinese Communist Party did tremendous damage to this society and this economy , '' he continued .
`` Did you say China created this virus ? ''
Tapper asked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wrong , '' Navarro replied .
`` That virus was a product of the Chinese Communist Party .
And until we get some information about what happened in those labs , what happened in that wet market , we know that that virus was spawned in China , that is what I mean .
Spawned in China . ''
`` Do you think it was purposefully created ? ''
Tapper wondered .
`` Do you have evidence of that ? ''
Tapper pressed .
Navarro responded by saying that he had predicted that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would lead to a pandemic .
`` Roll the tape back , '' he added .
`` I said that virus came out of China .
The Chinese Communist Party is responsible for it . ''
`` You said they created it , right ? ''
Tapper remarked .
`` Let us say spawned , '' Navarro said .

White House trade adviser Peter Navarro claimed on Sunday that the novel coronavirus pandemic is "a product of the Chinese Communist Party."
During an interview on CNN's State of the Union program, host Jake Tapper asked Navarro about President Donald Trump's call to reduce COVID-19 testing in the United States.
"That was tongue-in-cheek," Navarro insisted. "Come on now."
"I don't know that it was tongue-in-cheek," Japper said. "He has said similar things for months."
"We've seen over 100,000 people die because of the China Wuhan virus," Navarro countered. "Let's talk about some serious issues. I don't want to go there."
"I think testing is a very serious issue," Tapper insisted. "I'm not the one making jokes about it."
"It was a light moment," Navarro shrugged. "We're 60 seconds into a tongue-and-cheek thing. Asked and answered."
"I'm not sure 100,000 [dead] Americans is the subject for a light moment," the CNN host lamented.
"China created this pandemic," Navarro ranted. "They hid the virus, they created that virus and they sent over hundreds of thousands of Chinese citizens here to spread that around and around the world. Whether they did that on purpose, that's an open question. But that's a fact."
"The Chinese Communist Party did tremendous damage to this society and this economy," he continued.
"Did you say China created this virus?" Tapper asked.
"You did not hear me wrong," Navarro replied. "That virus was a product of the Chinese Communist Party. And until we get some information about what happened in those labs, what happened in that wet market, we know that that virus was spawned in China, that is what I mean. Spawned in China."
"Do you think it was purposefully created?" Tapper wondered.
"That's an open question!" Navarro exclaimed.
"Do you have evidence of that?" Tapper pressed.
Navarro responded by saying that he had predicted that the "authoritarian structure" of China would lead to a pandemic.
"Roll the tape back," he added. "I said that virus came out of China. The Chinese Communist Party is responsible for it."
"You said they created it, right?" Tapper remarked.
"Let us say spawned," Navarro said.


crooksandliars--2020-06-21--Trump's Lonely Walk Of Shame

Trump's Lonely Walk Of Shame

He looks so beaten down and defeated .
It 's a thing of beauty .
It 's like he 's @ @ @ @ @ miles through treacherous Bayou .
It 's a walk of shame .
What happened on @ @ @ @ @ is I do n't care .
As long as it wipes that pompous smile off @ @ @ @ @

He looks so beaten down and defeated. It's a thing of beauty. It's like he's been hunted for miles and miles through treacherous Bayou. It's a walk of shame. What happened on Marine One? Rhetorical answer is I don't care. As long as it wipes that pompous smile off his face https://t.co/xWZLENzkBJ
— John W Heers (@JohnnyHeers) June 21, 2020


crooksandliars--2020-06-21--Tulsa Trump Supporter Says He'd Have To Commit Adultery To Lose Her Vote

Trump supporter `` Rosie , '' who was waiting in line at his rally this Friday was asked by reporter Andrew Kimmel just what Dear Leader would have to do to lose her support , and apparently this cult member was n't aware of his affair with adult film star Stephanie Clifford , a.k.a .
Stormy Daniels .
`` Rosie '' does n't appear a big fan of the need for a free press either .
What a shock , right ?
Here are the exchanges with Kimmel that he posted on Twitter : I asked Rosie if she supports @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` I do , as long as they put the right spin on it .
Do n't take bits and pieces of something and make it out to be something negative ... because it 's not .
`` # TrumpRallyTulsa pic.twitter.com/LbHi4kLyV6 Is there anything Trump can do to make you lose support of him ?
`` Commit adultery on his beautiful , classy wife . ''
What about Stormy Daniels ?
`` That was years ago before he ever became president .
Nobody is accountable for what he done when he was a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ While Kimmel did remind the her of the affair , he did not ask `` Rosie '' if she thought 60 was `` young . ''

Trump supporter "Rosie," who was waiting in line at his super-spreader event rally this Friday was asked by reporter Andrew Kimmel just what Dear Leader would have to do to lose her support, and apparently this cult member wasn't aware of his affair with adult film star Stephanie Clifford, a.k.a. Stormy Daniels.
"Rosie" doesn't appear a big fan of the need for a free press either. What a shock, right?
Here are the exchanges with Kimmel that he posted on Twitter:
I asked Rosie if she supports the need for a free press.
"I do, as long as they put the right spin on it. Don't take bits and pieces of something and make it out to be something negative... because it's not."#TrumpRallyTulsa pic.twitter.com/LbHi4kLyV6 — Andrew Kimmel (@andrewkimmel) June 20, 2020
Is there anything Trump can do to make you lose support of him?
"Commit adultery on his beautiful, classy wife."
What about Stormy Daniels?
"That was years ago before he ever became president. Nobody is accountable for what he done when he was a lot younger."#TrumpRallyTulsa pic.twitter.com/67OdKJXi0O — Andrew Kimmel (@andrewkimmel) June 20, 2020
While Kimmel did remind the her of the affair, he did not ask "Rosie" if she thought 60 was "young."
h/t Raw Story


crooksandliars--2020-06-22--From Grandfather To Grandson, The Lessons Of The Tulsa Race Massacre

My family sat down to watch the first episode of HBO ’ s “ Watchmen ” last October .
Stephen Williams , the director , included quick cuts of gunshots , explosions , citizens fleeing roaming mobs , and even a plane dropping bombs .
We ’ ve come to anticipate these elements in superhero films .
As the sepia-toned footage spooled across the screen , the words “ Tulsa 1921 ” were superimposed over the mayhem .
My throat tightened .
I knew that place and year well .
The terror of the Tulsa race riot is something that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ long as I can remember .
My grandfather , Robert Fairchild , told the story nearly a quarter century ago to several newspapers .
Here ’ s how he recounted the story in The Washington Post in 1996 : “ At 92 years old , Robert Fairchild is losing his hearing , but he can still make out the distant shouts of angry white men firing guns late into the night 75 years ago .
His eyes are not what they used to be , but he has no trouble seeing the dense @ @ @ @ @ @ @ houses as he walked home from a graduation rehearsal , a frightened boy of 17 .
His has since been a life of middle-class comfort , a good job working for the city , a warm family life .
But he has never forgotten his mother ’ s anguish in 1921 as she fled toward the railroad tracks to escape the mobs and fires tearing through the vibrant black neighborhood of Greenwood in north Tulsa.
” “ There was just nothing left , ” Fairchild said recently .
The Washington Post article said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ among the “ worst race riots in the nation ’ s history.
” It reported : “ The death toll during the 12-hour rampage is still in dispute , but estimates have put it as high as 250 .
More than 1,000 businesses and homes were burned to the ground , scores of black families were herded into cattle pens at the fairgrounds , and one of the largest and most prosperous black communities in the United States was turned to ashes.
” Riots began after a white mob attempted to lynch a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ woman .
Black residents came to his defense , some armed .
The groups traded shots , and mob violence followed .
My family eventually returned to a decimated street .
Miraculously their home on Latimer Avenue was spared .
Hearing about these experiences at the family table was troubling enough .
Reading a newspaper account of your ancestors ’ fleeing for their lives is a surreal pain .
There ’ s recognition of your family ’ s terror , and relief in knowing your family survived what “ 60 Minutes ” recently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ massacres in American history.
” In spite of my grandfather ’ s witness , this same event didn ’ t merit inclusion in any of my assigned history texts , either in high school or college .
On the occasions I ’ ve mentioned this history to my colleagues , they ’ ve been astonished .
In 1996 , at the 75th anniversary of the massacre , the city of Tulsa finally acknowledged what had happened .
Community leaders from different backgrounds publicly recognized the devastation wrought by the riots .
They gathered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the riot and since rebuilt .
My grandfather told The New York Times then that he was “ extremely pleased that Tulsa has taken this occasion seriously.
” “ A mistake has been made , ” he told the paper , “ and this is a way to really look at it , then look toward the future and try to make sure it never happens again.
” That it took so long for the city to acknowledge what took place shows how selective society can be when it comes to which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and which ones to overlook .
The history that society colludes to avoid publicly is necessarily remembered privately .
Even with massive destruction , the area of North Tulsa , known as Greenwood , became known for its economic vitality .
On the blocks surrounding the corner of Archer Street and Greenwood Avenue in the 1930s , a thriving business district flourished with retail shops , entertainment venues and high-end services .
One of these businesses was the Oklahoma Eagle , a black-owned newspaper .
As a teenager in the early 1940s , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the paper .
Without knowing the history , it would be a surprise to the casual observer that years earlier everything in this neighborhood had been razed to the ground .
The Black Wall Street Memorial , a black marble monolith , sits outside the Greenwood Cultural Center .
The memorial is dedicated to the entrepreneurs and pioneers who made Greenwood Avenue what it was both before and after it was destroyed in the 1921 riot .
Although I grew up on military bases across the world , I would visit Greenwood many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ grew into my teenage years in the 1970s , I recognized that the former vibrant community was beginning to decline .
Some of this was due to the destructive effects of urban renewal and displacement .
As with many other black communities across the country , parts of Greenwood were razed to make way for highways .
Some of the decline was due to the exit of financial institutions , including banks .
This contributed to a decrease in opportunities to build wealth , including savings and investment products , loans for homes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ build health clinics and affordable housing .
And at least some was due to the diminished loyalty of residents to black-owned businesses and institutions .
During the civil rights movement , downtown Tulsa businesses began to allow blacks into their doors as customers .
As a result , blacks spent less money in their community .
At the end of my father ’ s military career in the 1970s , he became a community development banker in Virginia .
His work involved bringing together institutions – investors , financial institutions , philanthropists , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ solutions for areas like Greenwood .
For me , there are lessons in the experiences of three generations – my grandfather ’ s , father ’ s and mine – that influence my scholarly work today .
On the one hand , I study how years after the end of legal segregation , Americans remain racially separate in our neighborhoods , schools and workplaces and at alarmingly high levels .
My research has shown how segregation depresses economic and social outcomes .
In short , segregation creates closed markets that stunt economic activity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other hand , I focus on solutions .
One avenue of work involves examining the business models of Community Development Financial Institutions , or CDFIs , and Minority Depository Institutions , or MDIs .
These are financial institutions that are committed to economic development – banks , credit unions , loan funds , equity funds – that operate in low- and moderate-income neighborhoods .
They offer what was sorely needed in North Tulsa , and many other neighborhoods across the nation – locally attuned financial institutions that understand the unique challenges families and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are interventions we can take , locally and nationally , that recognize centuries of financial and social constraint .
Initiatives like the recent decision by the Small Business Administration and U.S. Treasury to allocate US $ 10 billion to lenders that focus funds on disadvantaged areas are a start .
These types of programs are needed even when there aren ’ t full-scale economic and social crises are taking place , like the COVID-19 epidemic or protesters in the street .
Years of institutional barriers and racial wealth gaps can not be redressed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ capital matters .
The 1921 Tulsa race riot began on May 31 , only weeks before the annual celebration of Juneteenth , which is observed on June 19 .
As communities across the country begin recognizing Juneteenth and leading corporations move to celebrate it , it ’ s important to remember the story behind Juneteenth - slaves weren ’ t informed that they were emancipated .
After the celebrations , there ’ s hard work ahead .
From my grandfather ’ s memory of the riot ’ s devastation to my own work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I have come to see that change requires harnessing economic , governmental and nonprofit solutions that recognize and speak openly about the significant residential , educational and workplace racial segregation that still exists in the United States today .
[ You ’ re smart and curious about the world .
So are The Conversation ’ s authors and editors .
You can get our highlights each weekend . ]
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license .
Read the original article .

Gregory B. Fairchild, University of Virginia
My family sat down to watch the first episode of HBO’s “Watchmen” last October. Stephen Williams, the director, included quick cuts of gunshots, explosions, citizens fleeing roaming mobs, and even a plane dropping bombs. We’ve come to anticipate these elements in superhero films.
As the sepia-toned footage spooled across the screen, the words “Tulsa 1921” were superimposed over the mayhem. My throat tightened.
I knew that place and year well. The terror of the Tulsa race riot is something that has been with me for almost as long as I can remember. My grandfather, Robert Fairchild, told the story nearly a quarter century ago to several newspapers.
Here’s how he recounted the story in The Washington Post in 1996:
“At 92 years old, Robert Fairchild is losing his hearing, but he can still make out the distant shouts of angry white men firing guns late into the night 75 years ago. His eyes are not what they used to be, but he has no trouble seeing the dense, gray smoke swallowing his neighbors’ houses as he walked home from a graduation rehearsal, a frightened boy of 17. His has since been a life of middle-class comfort, a good job working for the city, a warm family life. But he has never forgotten his mother’s anguish in 1921 as she fled toward the railroad tracks to escape the mobs and fires tearing through the vibrant black neighborhood of Greenwood in north Tulsa.”
“There was just nothing left,” Fairchild said recently.
The Washington Post article said the Tulsa race riots of 1921 were among the “worst race riots in the nation’s history.” It reported: “The death toll during the 12-hour rampage is still in dispute, but estimates have put it as high as 250. More than 1,000 businesses and homes were burned to the ground, scores of black families were herded into cattle pens at the fairgrounds, and one of the largest and most prosperous black communities in the United States was turned to ashes.”
During the Tulsa race riots in 1921, black businesses and homes in the Greenwood District in Tulsa, Oklahoma, were destroyed at the hands of white residents. Bettmann Archive/Getty Images
Riots began after a white mob attempted to lynch a teenager falsely accused of assaulting a white woman. Black residents came to his defense, some armed. The groups traded shots, and mob violence followed. My family eventually returned to a decimated street. Miraculously their home on Latimer Avenue was spared.
Disturbing history
Hearing about these experiences at the family table was troubling enough. Reading a newspaper account of your ancestors’ fleeing for their lives is a surreal pain. There’s recognition of your family’s terror, and relief in knowing your family survived what “60 Minutes” recently called “one of the worst race massacres in American history.”
In spite of my grandfather’s witness, this same event didn’t merit inclusion in any of my assigned history texts, either in high school or college. On the occasions I’ve mentioned this history to my colleagues, they’ve been astonished.
In 1996, at the 75th anniversary of the massacre, the city of Tulsa finally acknowledged what had happened. Community leaders from different backgrounds publicly recognized the devastation wrought by the riots. They gathered in a church that had been torched in the riot and since rebuilt. My grandfather told The New York Times then that he was “extremely pleased that Tulsa has taken this occasion seriously.”
“A mistake has been made,” he told the paper, “and this is a way to really look at it, then look toward the future and try to make sure it never happens again.”
An African American couple walking across a street in Tulsa, Oklahoma, June 1921. Oklahoma Historical Society/Getty Images
That it took so long for the city to acknowledge what took place shows how selective society can be when it comes to which historical events it chooses to remember – and which ones to overlook. The history that society colludes to avoid publicly is necessarily remembered privately.
Economically vibrant
Even with massive destruction, the area of North Tulsa, known as Greenwood, became known for its economic vitality. On the blocks surrounding the corner of Archer Street and Greenwood Avenue in the 1930s, a thriving business district flourished with retail shops, entertainment venues and high-end services. One of these businesses was the Oklahoma Eagle, a black-owned newspaper. As a teenager in the early 1940s, my grandfather had his first job delivering the paper.
Without knowing the history, it would be a surprise to the casual observer that years earlier everything in this neighborhood had been razed to the ground. The Black Wall Street Memorial, a black marble monolith, sits outside the Greenwood Cultural Center. The memorial is dedicated to the entrepreneurs and pioneers who made Greenwood Avenue what it was both before and after it was destroyed in the 1921 riot.
Although I grew up on military bases across the world, I would visit Greenwood many times over the years. As I grew into my teenage years in the 1970s, I recognized that the former vibrant community was beginning to decline. Some of this was due to the destructive effects of urban renewal and displacement. As with many other black communities across the country, parts of Greenwood were razed to make way for highways.
Some of the decline was due to the exit of financial institutions, including banks. This contributed to a decrease in opportunities to build wealth, including savings and investment products, loans for homes and businesses, and funding to help build health clinics and affordable housing.
And at least some was due to the diminished loyalty of residents to black-owned businesses and institutions. During the civil rights movement, downtown Tulsa businesses began to allow blacks into their doors as customers. As a result, blacks spent less money in their community.
Historical lessons
At the end of my father’s military career in the 1970s, he became a community development banker in Virginia. His work involved bringing together institutions – investors, financial institutions, philanthropists, local governments – to develop innovative development solutions for areas like Greenwood. For me, there are lessons in the experiences of three generations – my grandfather’s, father’s and mine – that influence my scholarly work today.
On the one hand, I study how years after the end of legal segregation, Americans remain racially separate in our neighborhoods, schools and workplaces and at alarmingly high levels. My research has shown how segregation depresses economic and social outcomes. In short, segregation creates closed markets that stunt economic activity, especially for blacks.
On the other hand, I focus on solutions. One avenue of work involves examining the business models of Community Development Financial Institutions, or CDFIs, and Minority Depository Institutions, or MDIs. These are financial institutions that are committed to economic development – banks, credit unions, loan funds, equity funds – that operate in low- and moderate-income neighborhoods. They offer what was sorely needed in North Tulsa, and many other neighborhoods across the nation – locally attuned financial institutions that understand the unique challenges families and businesses face in minority communities.
Righting historical wrongs
There are interventions we can take, locally and nationally, that recognize centuries of financial and social constraint. Initiatives like the recent decision by the Small Business Administration and U.S. Treasury to allocate US$10 billion to lenders that focus funds on disadvantaged areas are a start. These types of programs are needed even when there aren’t full-scale economic and social crises are taking place, like the COVID-19 epidemic or protesters in the street. Years of institutional barriers and racial wealth gaps cannot be redressed unless there’s a recognition that capital matters.
The 1921 Tulsa race riot began on May 31, only weeks before the annual celebration of Juneteenth, which is observed on June 19. As communities across the country begin recognizing Juneteenth and leading corporations move to celebrate it, it’s important to remember the story behind Juneteenth - slaves weren’t informed that they were emancipated.
After the celebrations, there’s hard work ahead. From my grandfather’s memory of the riot’s devastation to my own work addressing low-income communities’ economic challenges, I have come to see that change requires harnessing economic, governmental and nonprofit solutions that recognize and speak openly about the significant residential, educational and workplace racial segregation that still exists in the United States today.
[You’re smart and curious about the world. So are The Conversation’s authors and editors. You can get our highlights each weekend.]
Gregory B. Fairchild, Associate Professor of Business Administration, University of Virginia
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.


crooksandliars--2020-06-22--Supreme Court To Decide Future Of The Electoral College

Many Americans are surprised to learn that in U.S. presidential elections , the members of the Electoral College do not necessarily have to pick the candidate the voters in their state favored .
Or do they ?
This month the Supreme Court will rule on the independent powers of electors , which will determine the meaning of the Electoral College in contemporary American politics .
The constitutional system of presidential selection is a set of uneasy compromises worked out at the very end of the Constitutional Convention in 1787 .
The framers could not decide whether the choice of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the states .
They also could not agree whether all states should have equal power in the selection , or if more populous states should have more say .
And they didn ’ t agree whether a state ’ s choice should be made by local elites ( state legislators ) or the masses ( all of the voters ) .
In the end , the Committee on Unfinished Parts created a unique governmental structure that compromised on all of these debates .
Unlike many contemporary Americans , the founders were comfortable with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mechanism of presidential selection .
A small number of citizens called electors would meet in each state to decide the presidency collectively .
Congress would enter the picture only if the electors did not reach a majority decision .
The number of electors would equal the number of senators and representatives in Congress , which means that small states had greater power than their population would suggest , but still not as much as big states .
State legislatures could use their discretion about how to choose electors , which could result in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ different states .
Pennsylvania held a popular election in the very first presidential contest , allowing voters to choose electors aligned with the emerging parties .
Some state legislatures appointed electors themselves until the mid-1800s .
As Americans embraced popular democracy in the decades following the founding , most people began to expect a majority vote in the state would determine its choice .
In most states , the legislature gives the winning party the duty of choosing electors – who typically are party members who have pledged to vote for their party @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meeting of the Electoral College in December .
When that happens , the state ’ s Electoral College votes go to the winner of the state ’ s popular vote .
But it is possible for an elector to vote for someone else – which is why there is a case before the Supreme Court .
When Donald Trump won enough states in November 2016 to be elected the 45th U.S. president , opponents turned to the Electoral College as a last attempt to alter the election ’ s result .
This became @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Alexander Hamilton was an advocate of elitist democracy who did not trust ordinary people to vote .
He also thought highly of the Electoral College .
In Federalist 68 , he asserted that “ if the manner of it be not perfect , it is at least excellent.
” His reason was that the selection of the president would reflect only “ the sense of the people , ” but truly be made by “ a small number of persons , selected by their fellow-citizens from the general mass.
” In Hamilton ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the necessary “ information and discernment , ” while the masses would likely vote for a president with the “ talents for low intrigue , and the little arts of popularity.
” The Hamilton Electors ’ explicit goal in 2016 was to convince enough electors to cast “ faithless ” votes – against the election results of their state – to switch the outcome .
Several celebrities , including Martin Sheen , who played the president of the U.S. in “ The West Wing , ” urged Republican electors to be “ an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from winning .
Trump ’ s official tally in the Electoral College was 304 to Hillary Clinton ’ s 227 .
That doesn ’ t add up to 538 – the total number of electoral votes – because seven electors were unfaithful to their state ’ s popular decisions .
Two Republican electors went their own ways , casting their ballots for John Kasich and Ron Paul .
Five Clinton electors also refused to vote with their states ’ majorities : Three chose former Secretary of State Colin Powell and one each chose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Faith Spotted Eagle .
Those seven electors were not enough to change the outcome .
But what if they had been ?
What do faithless electors mean for 2020 ?
The outcome in 2020 may be closer than in 2016 .
If Joe Biden wins a few states that Hillary Clinton did not – say Pennsylvania and Arizona – but Trump holds on to the rest of his 2016 states , the Electoral College outcome will be remarkably close .
By my count , it could be 274 to 264 in the Electoral @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , even a small number of faithless electors could change the outcome .
Election Day is always the Tuesday after the first Monday in November , but the day the Electoral College votes is the first Monday after the second Wednesday in December .
If Americans believe on Nov. 3 , 2020 , that one person has been elected the next president , but find out on Dec. 14 that it is going to be a different person , it is difficult to predict what the public will think – or do .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ states had tried to limit the discretion of electors .
Colorado passed a law that allowed faithless electors to be replaced immediately with an alternate , and Washington imposed a US $ 1,000 fine for electors who voted differently from the public at large .
Two faithless electors – Michael Baca and Peter Chiafalo – challenged the ability of states to restrict their discretion under the Constitution .
The debate at the court is about whether the U.S. still has elements of an elite democracy that can not be altered by individual states @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a popular democracy within their borders by making electors simply registrars of the popular will – even though the constitutional text ( and Alexander Hamilton ’ s plans ) may suggest that electors should make their decisions freely .
What the Hamilton Electors are saying is that the old idea of an occasional block to the popular will is still useful .
In their view , the rise of populism has made the old elitism important again .
The supporters of faithless electors are taking a position grounded in the intent of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as originalism .
But that interpretation of originalism runs up against another one : The founders let states decide how to pick electors .
These two originalist positions divide between a higher regard for the original purpose of electors and the original means of selecting and regulating them .
On the other hand , the usual liberal position – living constitutionalism – is clear .
It supports the idea that the U.S. has evolved into a popular democracy regardless of the original intent .
Binding electors to the vote of the state is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ elections that most Americans believe the country already has .
If the states win , they will be allowed to set the future rules for how electors may vote .
If enough states bind electors , then the election will proceed as the public expects .
But if the faithless electors win , the 2020 election results may be unclear far beyond Election Day .
[ You ’ re too busy to read everything .
We get it .
That ’ s why we ’ ve got a weekly newsletter .
Sign up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license .
Read the original article .

Morgan Marietta, University of Massachusetts Lowell
Many Americans are surprised to learn that in U.S. presidential elections, the members of the Electoral College do not necessarily have to pick the candidate the voters in their state favored.
Or do they?
This month the Supreme Court will rule on the independent powers of electors, which will determine the meaning of the Electoral College in contemporary American politics.
An American invention
The constitutional system of presidential selection is a set of uneasy compromises worked out at the very end of the Constitutional Convention in 1787.
The framers could not decide whether the choice of a president should be made by Congress or the states.
They also could not agree whether all states should have equal power in the selection, or if more populous states should have more say.
And they didn’t agree whether a state’s choice should be made by local elites (state legislators) or the masses (all of the voters).
In the end, the Committee on Unfinished Parts created a unique governmental structure that compromised on all of these debates. Unlike many contemporary Americans, the founders were comfortable with such compromises and immediately approved the new mechanism of presidential selection.
A small number of citizens called electors would meet in each state to decide the presidency collectively. Congress would enter the picture only if the electors did not reach a majority decision. The number of electors would equal the number of senators and representatives in Congress, which means that small states had greater power than their population would suggest, but still not as much as big states.
State legislatures could use their discretion about how to choose electors, which could result in elitist or popular forms of democracy in different states. Pennsylvania held a popular election in the very first presidential contest, allowing voters to choose electors aligned with the emerging parties. Some state legislatures appointed electors themselves until the mid-1800s.
As Americans embraced popular democracy in the decades following the founding, most people began to expect a majority vote in the state would determine its choice. In most states, the legislature gives the winning party the duty of choosing electors – who typically are party members who have pledged to vote for their party’s presidential candidate during a public meeting of the Electoral College in December.
When that happens, the state’s Electoral College votes go to the winner of the state’s popular vote. But it is possible for an elector to vote for someone else – which is why there is a case before the Supreme Court.
What are ‘faithless electors’?
When Donald Trump won enough states in November 2016 to be elected the 45th U.S. president, opponents turned to the Electoral College as a last attempt to alter the election’s result. This became known as the Hamilton Electors movement.
John Trumbull/Wikimedia Commons
Alexander Hamilton was an advocate of elitist democracy who did not trust ordinary people to vote. He also thought highly of the Electoral College. In Federalist 68, he asserted that “if the manner of it be not perfect, it is at least excellent.”
His reason was that the selection of the president would reflect only “the sense of the people,” but truly be made by “a small number of persons, selected by their fellow-citizens from the general mass.”
In Hamilton’s view, these electors would hold the necessary “information and discernment,” while the masses would likely vote for a president with the “talents for low intrigue, and the little arts of popularity.”
The Hamilton Electors’ explicit goal in 2016 was to convince enough electors to cast “faithless” votes – against the election results of their state – to switch the outcome. Several celebrities, including Martin Sheen, who played the president of the U.S. in “The West Wing,” urged Republican electors to be “an American hero” by blocking Donald Trump from winning.
AP Photo/Cathy Bussewitz
Trump’s official tally in the Electoral College was 304 to Hillary Clinton’s 227. That doesn’t add up to 538 – the total number of electoral votes – because seven electors were unfaithful to their state’s popular decisions. Two Republican electors went their own ways, casting their ballots for John Kasich and Ron Paul. Five Clinton electors also refused to vote with their states’ majorities: Three chose former Secretary of State Colin Powell and one each chose Sen. Bernie Sanders and Native American activist Faith Spotted Eagle.
Those seven electors were not enough to change the outcome. But what if they had been?
AP Photo/Scott Sonner
What do faithless electors mean for 2020?
The outcome in 2020 may be closer than in 2016. If Joe Biden wins a few states that Hillary Clinton did not – say Pennsylvania and Arizona – but Trump holds on to the rest of his 2016 states, the Electoral College outcome will be remarkably close. By my count, it could be 274 to 264 in the Electoral College. If it is that close, even a small number of faithless electors could change the outcome.
Election Day is always the Tuesday after the first Monday in November, but the day the Electoral College votes is the first Monday after the second Wednesday in December.
If Americans believe on Nov. 3, 2020, that one person has been elected the next president, but find out on Dec. 14 that it is going to be a different person, it is difficult to predict what the public will think – or do.
Faithless electors at the Supreme Court
Even before the 2016 election, some states had tried to limit the discretion of electors. Colorado passed a law that allowed faithless electors to be replaced immediately with an alternate, and Washington imposed a US$1,000 fine for electors who voted differently from the public at large. Two faithless electors – Michael Baca and Peter Chiafalo – challenged the ability of states to restrict their discretion under the Constitution.
The debate at the court is about whether the U.S. still has elements of an elite democracy that cannot be altered by individual states, or if state legislatures can create a popular democracy within their borders by making electors simply registrars of the popular will – even though the constitutional text (and Alexander Hamilton’s plans) may suggest that electors should make their decisions freely.
What the Hamilton Electors are saying is that the old idea of an occasional block to the popular will is still useful. In their view, the rise of populism has made the old elitism important again.
AP Photo/Elaine Thompson
The supporters of faithless electors are taking a position grounded in the intent of the framers, the usually conservative theory known as originalism.
But that interpretation of originalism runs up against another one: The founders let states decide how to pick electors.
These two originalist positions divide between a higher regard for the original purpose of electors and the original means of selecting and regulating them.
On the other hand, the usual liberal position – living constitutionalism – is clear. It supports the idea that the U.S. has evolved into a popular democracy regardless of the original intent. Binding electors to the vote of the state is simply the mechanism to achieve the representative elections that most Americans believe the country already has.
If the states win, they will be allowed to set the future rules for how electors may vote. If enough states bind electors, then the election will proceed as the public expects. But if the faithless electors win, the 2020 election results may be unclear far beyond Election Day.
[You’re too busy to read everything. We get it. That’s why we’ve got a weekly newsletter. Sign up for good Sunday reading. ]
Morgan Marietta, Associate Professor of Political Science, University of Massachusetts Lowell
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.


crooksandliars--2020-06-22--Mike's Blog Round Up

Mike's Blog Round Up

Brains and Eggs : The week in cartoons .
MIT Technology Review : The Trump 2020 campaign ’ s phone @ @ @ @ @ much everything you do .
Joe.My.God .
: Speaking of boobs , Franklin Graham reminds @ @ @ @ @ ’ t truth—God is.
” Speaking of which , your quote of the day : @ @ @ @ @ I do n't know .
But regardless , all of us need to be prepared @ @ @ @ @ . ''
( Franklin Graham , on whether the tsunami that hit Japan was a @ @ @ @ @ , March 20 , 2011 . )
Guest blogging Mike 's Blog Round Up this @ @ @ @ @ Perrspectives .
Send your tips , recommendations , comments and angst to mbru AT crooksandliars @ @ @

Brains and Eggs: The week in cartoons.
Pharyngula: Keeping abreast of Civil War monuments in Iowa.
MIT Technology Review: The Trump 2020 campaign’s phone app keeps abreast of pretty much everything you do.
Joe.My.God.: Speaking of boobs, Franklin Graham reminds us that “science isn’t truth—God is.”
Speaking of which, your quote of the day:
"Maybe this is, I don't know. But regardless, all of us need to be prepared to stand before almighty God." (Franklin Graham, on whether the tsunami that hit Japan was a signal of the Second Coming, March 20, 2011.)
Guest blogging Mike's Blog Round Up this week is Jon Perr from Perrspectives. Send your tips, recommendations, comments and angst to mbru AT crooksandliars DOT com.


crooksandliars--2020-06-22--Want To Help With A NY Miracle On Tuesday?

The Establishment has tried to define the grassroots efforts in New York this week to replace corporate Democrats beholden to Wall Street and their corporate donors with reformers as a twisted and desperate power grab by the left .
Politico asserts that these efforts on behalf on progressive primary candidates like Jamaal Bowman , Lauren Ashcraft , Robin Wilt , Mondaire Jones , Tomas Ramos and others have exposed party fissures , spurring Democratic establishment powerhouses such as Hillary Clinton , Nancy Pelosi and Jim Clyburn to throw their weight behind status quo figures like themselves while agents of change @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Ayanna Pressley and virtually every credible progressive political group in America has gotten behind at least one or two of the progressive challengers .
Politico : `` The clash between heavyweights like Clinton and Sanders has made New York ’ s 16th District race one of the most-watched primaries of the cycle -- and one of the most telling . ''
Blue America endorsed Jamaal Bowman almost a year ago , and long before any of the national heavyweights were aware of the contest and we decided to back him less because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jamaal himself has to offer -- the primary reason we have also endorsed New York candidates Nate McMurray , Lauren Ashcraft , Robin Wilt , Mondaire Jones , Tomas Ramos and Dana Balter for Tuesday 's primary .
Engel is n't the same kind of corrupt villain that Joe Crowley is , nor the same kind of villain that Dan Lipinski is .
The best critique of him is that he 's absent and no longer a part of his constituency and that his interests are more conjoined with those of Benjamin Netanyahu @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Westchester and the Bronx .
But the reason for Jamaal 's traction -- irregardless of the typical Beltway-centric version -- is all about Jamaal .
Engel is rated a gentleman 's `` C '' by Progressive Punch -- not an `` F '' or even a `` D. '' But there is no reason that NY-16 should n't be represented by someone with an `` A , '' which is exactly what Bowman 's platform adds up to .
Engel has a huge Establishment push working for him now -- and a bipartisan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ca n't ever win in NY-16 so they 're supporting the less progressive contender , Eliot Engel .
Immense sums of money have flooded into this race from both Democratic and Republican heavy donors .
Despite Engel 's big financial advantage the only public polling in the race shows Bowman leading with double digits .
Asked last week if they would vote for Bowman or Engel , voters picked Bowman over Engel 41-31 with 27 % undecided .
When the undecided voters were asked who they are leaning towards , Bowman had an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bordering on Jamaal 's district is the open Westchester/Rockland County district being vacated by longtime incumbent Nita Lowey .
Seven Democrats are in contention -- including one extreme right Blue Dog-type , state Senator David Carlucci , a bunch of rich people ( one of whom , Adam Schleifer , a big PhRMA guy , has self-funded $ 4 million of his own into the race ) and one viable progressive , Mondaire Jones , who Blue America has endorsed .
A new poll of likely primary voters last week , shows Mondaire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ points .
Jamaal Bowman and Mondaire Jones -- not to mention Charles Booker , the Senate candidate in Kentucky , whose primary is also Tuesday -- are the candidates who are getting the most attention in the progressive blogosphere right now and we are feeling increasingly confident about all three .
But there 's another candidate we 're extremely excited about in New York too , Shan Chowdhury , the Democratic Socialist taking on the city 's most corrupt politician , Greg Meeks .
Meeks has been trying to keep the primary under @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his downfall .
Shan is young , progressive and is being drastically outspent .
If he wins , he 's going to be Congress ' most shake-it-up member .
Despite the finance disparity and with just 3 days left , things have changed for Shan 's race .
His campaign has worked , for 14 months , to expand the size of the electorate in New York 's 5th Congressional district .
His campaign has sent over 750,000 texts , made over 100,000 phone calls and is running advertising on almost 10 different @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( print and digital ) .
Chowdhury 's aggressive strategy to expand the electorate is a problem for Meeks .
In NY-05 , voter turnout is abysmal .
Despite there being over half a million registered voters , Congressional primary turnout in 2016 was only 8,635 .
Meeks has never faced a real primary challenge and as a result his machine has been able to solidify a small base that turns out .
That is why expanding the electorate has been an effective strategy for Shan .
I just got word that , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tracked , Shaniyat is very likely going to upset Rep. Meeks and win Tuesday .
Despite being widely overlooked , due to a lack of institutional support , his chances of winning are higher than almost any other campaign in New York City .
According to the Board of Elections , only 15,000 absentee ballots have been requested in the district .
That is lower than any other district in the City .
Taking into account Shan 's campaign 's incredible outreach and the work his team has done expanding the electorate , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ day with better odds of winning then even the incumbent !
If their internal numbers reinforce the reality that on June 23rd , they are going to shock the political world -- in some ways louder than Bowman , Jones and Booker will .
Even being so close to election day , contributions are vital to Chowdhury 's ability to pull this off .
They are going to need all the money they can get in order to properly execute their get out the vote strategy .
They are in the middle of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and posters between today and election day .
They are also going to need the resources to send a broadcast election reminder text to every potential voter in the district .
Let me be clear , contributions today will give them a chance to secure this victory and change -- perhaps forever -- what is thought possible in electoral politics .
The Blue America 2020 congressional thermometer on the right is how you can contribute to Shan Chowdhury , Jamaal Bowman and Mondaire Jones in one fell swoop .
And , by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ minute money gets to the campaigns on time -- Act Blue wires the contributions daily .

The Establishment has tried to define the grassroots efforts in New York this week to replace corporate Democrats beholden to Wall Street and their corporate donors with reformers as a twisted and desperate power grab by the left.
Politico asserts that these efforts on behalf on progressive primary candidates like Jamaal Bowman, Lauren Ashcraft, Robin Wilt, Mondaire Jones, Tomas Ramos and others have exposed party fissures, spurring Democratic establishment powerhouses such as Hillary Clinton, Nancy Pelosi and Jim Clyburn to throw their weight behind status quo figures like themselves while agents of change like Bernie, Elizabeth Warren, AOC, Ayanna Pressley and virtually every credible progressive political group in America has gotten behind at least one or two of the progressive challengers.
Politico: "The clash between heavyweights like Clinton and Sanders has made New York’s 16th District race one of the most-watched primaries of the cycle-- and one of the most telling."
Blue America endorsed Jamaal Bowman almost a year ago, and long before any of the national heavyweights were aware of the contest and we decided to back him less because of Engels faults than because of what Jamaal himself has to offer-- the primary reason we have also endorsed New York candidates Nate McMurray, Lauren Ashcraft, Robin Wilt, Mondaire Jones, Tomas Ramos and Dana Balter for Tuesday's primary.
Engel isn't the same kind of corrupt villain that Joe Crowley is, nor the same kind of villain that Dan Lipinski is. The best critique of him is that he's absent and no longer a part of his constituency and that his interests are more conjoined with those of Benjamin Netanyahu than with the struggling working families of Westchester and the Bronx. But the reason for Jamaal's traction-- irregardless of the typical Beltway-centric version-- is all about Jamaal. Engel is rated a gentleman's "C" by Progressive Punch-- not an "F" or even a "D." But there is no reason that NY-16 shouldn't be represented by someone with an "A," which is exactly what Bowman's platform adds up to.
Engel has a huge Establishment push working for him now-- and a bipartisan one at that. Republicans know they can't ever win in NY-16 so they're supporting the less progressive contender, Eliot Engel. Immense sums of money have flooded into this race from both Democratic and Republican heavy donors.
Despite Engel's big financial advantage the only public polling in the race shows Bowman leading with double digits. Asked last week if they would vote for Bowman or Engel, voters picked Bowman over Engel 41-31 with 27% undecided. When the undecided voters were asked who they are leaning towards, Bowman had an even bigger advantage: 40-18%.
Bordering on Jamaal's district is the open Westchester/Rockland County district being vacated by longtime incumbent Nita Lowey. Seven Democrats are in contention-- including one extreme right Blue Dog-type, state Senator David Carlucci, a bunch of rich people (one of whom, Adam Schleifer, a big PhRMA guy, has self-funded $4 million of his own into the race) and one viable progressive, Mondaire Jones, who Blue America has endorsed. A new poll of likely primary voters last week, shows Mondaire leading his closest rival by over 10 points.
Jamaal Bowman and Mondaire Jones-- not to mention Charles Booker, the Senate candidate in Kentucky, whose primary is also Tuesday-- are the candidates who are getting the most attention in the progressive blogosphere right now and we are feeling increasingly confident about all three. But there's another candidate we're extremely excited about in New York too, Shan Chowdhury, the Democratic Socialist taking on the city's most corrupt politician, Greg Meeks. Meeks has been trying to keep the primary under the radar-- and that could be his downfall.
Shan is young, progressive and is being drastically outspent. If he wins, he's going to be Congress' most shake-it-up member. Despite the finance disparity and with just 3 days left, things have changed for Shan's race. His campaign has worked, for 14 months, to expand the size of the electorate in New York's 5th Congressional district. His campaign has sent over 750,000 texts, made over 100,000 phone calls and is running advertising on almost 10 different platforms in just the last month alone (print and digital). Chowdhury's aggressive strategy to expand the electorate is a problem for Meeks. In NY-05, voter turnout is abysmal. Despite there being over half a million registered voters, Congressional primary turnout in 2016 was only 8,635. Meeks has never faced a real primary challenge and as a result his machine has been able to solidify a small base that turns out. That is why expanding the electorate has been an effective strategy for Shan. I just got word that, based upon internal numbers and absentee ballots tracked, Shaniyat is very likely going to upset Rep. Meeks and win Tuesday.
Despite being widely overlooked, due to a lack of institutional support, his chances of winning are higher than almost any other campaign in New York City. According to the Board of Elections, only 15,000 absentee ballots have been requested in the district. That is lower than any other district in the City. Taking into account Shan's campaign's incredible outreach and the work his team has done expanding the electorate, this means they are going into election day with better odds of winning then even the incumbent! If their internal numbers reinforce the reality that on June 23rd, they are going to shock the political world-- in some ways louder than Bowman, Jones and Booker will.
Even being so close to election day, contributions are vital to Chowdhury's ability to pull this off. They are going to need all the money they can get in order to properly execute their get out the vote strategy. They are in the middle of distributing 100,000 pieces of literature, flyers and posters between today and election day. They are also going to need the resources to send a broadcast election reminder text to every potential voter in the district.
Let me be clear, contributions today will give them a chance to secure this victory and change-- perhaps forever-- what is thought possible in electoral politics.
The Blue America 2020 congressional thermometer on the right is how you can contribute to Shan Chowdhury, Jamaal Bowman and Mondaire Jones in one fell swoop. And, by the way, those who wonder how last minute money gets to the campaigns on time-- Act Blue wires the contributions daily.


crooksandliars--2020-06-22--Trump Confirms He Was Serious About Slowing Down Coronavirus Testing

Donald Trump paused and refused to answer a direct question from a local television station about whether he authorized the slowdown of COVID-19 testing , as he said during his rally on Saturday night .
He 's been idiotically claiming that the number of COVID-19 cases has skyrocketed in America because we test so much .
And he 's said many times he wants to slow the testing down so the numbers look better for him , as if a failure to document those infected with the disease somehow means it is n't spreading like wildfire .
For his own @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this same talking point during his disastrous Tulsa campaign rally which brought the topic back to the forefront of American politics and health .
He even mocked COVID-19 as the `` Kung Flu '' to his rally-goers .
On Monday , during an interview with Scripps television , he was asked point blank if he really wants testing to slow down .
`` Someone watching now on the local news is not going to get a test because you asked , '' Joe St. George said .
Trump replied by repeating his usual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people than any other country in the world .
It 's good that testing capabilities are improving , but bragging about that is myopic .
Trump said , `` As you do more tests you show more and more cases . ''
He continued , `` If we did slow it down - we would n't show nearly as many cases . ''
This confirms what John Bolton said : Trump is unfit to lead .
St. George tried to get Trump back on track by emphasizing with his arms and hands and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you ask to slow it down ?
Trump hesitated and stammered `` Ahhh '' and then refused to answer it directly .
`` If it did slow down , '' he said .
`` Frankly I think were way ahead ourselves if you want to know the truth ... '' '' The reason we have more cases is because we do more testing than any other country , '' he repeated .
He thinks if he says the same things over and over again somehow people will hear them differently .
His minions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ joking Saturday night , and that was repeated all morning on Fox news and Fox Business , but we know he was n't .
This confirms it .
Of course he wants testing to slow down because he wants the numbers of documented infections to go down so that he can claim he is saving lives instead of helping people get infected and die .
“ President Trump just made it clear again today that he views COVID-19 testing as a political inconvenience — not the single most important tool we have to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ save lives , and get Americans back to work .
And , after the President ’ s aides spent the weekend trying to spin away his comments in Tulsa as a pathetic attempt at humor , today ’ s comments showed that the only joke here is the idea that this White House has a shred of credibility left when it comes to fighting the coronavirus .

Donald Trump paused and refused to answer a direct question from a local television station about whether he authorized the slowdown of COVID-19 testing, as he said during his rally on Saturday night.
He's been idiotically claiming that the number of COVID-19 cases has skyrocketed in America because we test so much. And he's said many times he wants to slow the testing down so the numbers look better for him, as if a failure to document those infected with the disease somehow means it isn't spreading like wildfire.
For his own benefit!!!!
Trump repeated this same talking point during his disastrous Tulsa campaign rally which brought the topic back to the forefront of American politics and health.
No one campaigns against Trump better than Trump. https://t.co/QxJ7Rwcv6g — Lawrence O'Donnell (@Lawrence) June 22, 2020
He even mocked COVID-19 as the "Kung Flu" to his rally-goers.
On Monday, during an interview with Scripps television, he was asked point blank if he really wants testing to slow down.
"Someone watching now on the local news is not going to get a test because you asked," Joe St. George said.
Trump replied by repeating his usual talking points, saying we test more people than any other country in the world.
That fact means nothing.
Zip.
Zero.
It's good that testing capabilities are improving, but bragging about that is myopic.
Trump said, "As you do more tests you show more and more cases."
Yeah?
He continued, "If we did slow it down - we wouldn't show nearly as many cases."
This confirms what John Bolton said: Trump is unfit to lead.
St. George tried to get Trump back on track by emphasizing with his arms and hands and asked again directly, "But did you ask to slow it down?
Trump hesitated and stammered "Ahhh" and then refused to answer it directly.
"If it did slow down," he said.
Yes, please proceed.
"Frankly I think were way ahead ourselves if you want to know the truth..."
WTF?
"We've done too good a job," Trump continued.
WTF?
"The reason we have more cases is because we do more testing than any other country," he repeated.
WTF?
He thinks if he says the same things over and over again somehow people will hear them differently.
His minions like Peter Navarro claimed he was only joking Saturday night, and that was repeated all morning on Fox news and Fox Business, but we know he wasn't. This confirms it.
Of course he wants testing to slow down because he wants the numbers of documented infections to go down so that he can claim he is saving lives instead of helping people get infected and die.
UPDATE: Biden issued a statement:


crooksandliars--2020-06-22--Missouri Police Stand Guard As White People Paint Blue Line Over BLM Mural

Police in Missouri were seen blocking traffic for a group of white people who destroyed a Black Lives Matter mural @ @ @ @ @ social media shows four people who appear to be white painting over the words “ @ @ @ @ @ what was called a “ blue line.
” In the image , police vehicles can @ @ @ @ @ the four people , who are in civilian clothing , can cover the mural .
@ @ @ @ @ Black Lives Matter mural was first painted by activists Friday night , but it was @ @ @ @ @ workers ” on Saturday morning .
Activists were said to have replaced the street painting @ @ @ @ @ A spokesperson with the police department told News 4 that any kind of painting on @ @ @ @ @ the message , is not allowed in Florissant , ” KMOV reported .
Florissant police @ @ @ @ @ was grey , not blue as the images on social media suggest .

Police in Missouri were seen blocking traffic for a group of white people who destroyed a Black Lives Matter mural.
An image shared on social media shows four people who appear to be white painting over the words “Black Lives Matter” with what was called a “blue line.”
Happening now in front of the Florissant, MO police department. Police block traffic while four white men cover up the #BLACKLIVESMATTER mural with a "blue line". pic.twitter.com/V6FXtJdADV — Cop Watch STL (@CopWatchSTL) June 20, 2020
In the image, police vehicles can be seen blocking traffic so the four people, who are in civilian clothing, can cover the mural.
According to KMOV, the Black Lives Matter mural was first painted by activists Friday night, but it was covered up by “city workers” on Saturday morning. Activists were said to have replaced the street painting later on Saturday.
“A spokesperson with the police department told News 4 that any kind of painting on the road, regardless of the message, is not allowed in Florissant,” KMOV reported.
Florissant police also insisted that the paint was grey, not blue as the images on social media suggest.


crooksandliars--2020-06-22--Jared And Ivanka Fuming At Trump Campaign Manager Brad Parscale Over Tulsa: Report

President Donald Trump ’ s daughter and her husband are reportedly angry at Trump 2020 campaign manager Brad Parscale after @ @ @ @ @ meet expectations .
According to CNN ’ s Jim Acosta , Ivanka Trump and Jared @ @ @ @ @ “ pissed ” at the campaign manager because thousands of the arena ’ s seats @ @ @ @ @ to blame the media in a statement released on Sunday .
“ Leftists and online @ @ @ @ @ lap , thinking they somehow impacted rally attendance , ” Parscale wrote , “ don @ @ @ @ @ ’ re talking about or how our rallies work .
Reporters who wrote gleefully about @ @ @ @ @ without contacting the campaign for comment — behaved unprofessionally and were willing dupes to the @ @ @ @ @ media to now celebrate the fear that they helped create is disgusting , but typical @ @ @ @ @ “ And it makes us wonder why we bother credentialing media for events when they @ @ @ @ @ full jobs as professionals .
”

President Donald Trump’s daughter and her husband are reportedly angry at Trump 2020 campaign manager Brad Parscale after a Tulsa rally failed to meet expectations.
According to CNN’s Jim Acosta, Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner were said to be “pissed” at the campaign manager because thousands of the arena’s seats were empty.
From our Chief White House @Acosta : Turns out Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner are “pissed” at Trump Campaign Mgr. Brad Parscale for predicting a much larger turnout at the Tulsa rally last night than actually showed — only 6200. There were thousands of empty seats. #CNN — lisa mirando (@LisaMirandoCNN) June 21, 2020
Parscale sought to blame the media in a statement released on Sunday.
“Leftists and online trolls are doing a victory lap, thinking they somehow impacted rally attendance,” Parscale wrote, “don’t know what they’re talking about or how our rallies work. Reporters who wrote gleefully about TikTok and K-pop fans — without contacting the campaign for comment — behaved unprofessionally and were willing dupes to the charade.”
“For the media to now celebrate the fear that they helped create is disgusting, but typical,” he added. “And it makes us wonder why we bother credentialing media for events when they don’t do their full jobs as professionals.”


crooksandliars--2020-06-22--John Bolton On Trump: 'I Don't Think He's Fit For Office'

Trump 's former National Security advisor John Bolton was interviewed on ABC News Sunday night and explained clearly why he 's not voting for Trump for a second term .
Bolton portrayed Trump as a narcissistic and dangerous man , damaging to the country he is supposed to lead .
Bolton told host Martha Raddatz that the purpose of his book was to reveal a picture of the presidency that he saw in his 17 months in office as the National Security Advisor .
During the ABC News special Bolton said Trump was `` stunningly uninformed , '' makes `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , is unable to separate his personal and political interests from the country 's , and is marked and manipulated by foreign adversaries .
Bolton said , `` My conclusion is clear , I do n't think he should be president .
I do n't think he 's fit for office .
I do n't that he has the competency carry out the job . ''
After saying he 's going to write in `` a conservative Republican '' in November , Raddatz asked how history will remember Donald Trump .
`` I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one-term president who did n't plunge the country Irretrievably into a downward spiral we ca n't recover from , '' he said .
Bolton believes we can get over one term but , 'two terms I 'm more troubled about . ''

Trump's former National Security advisor John Bolton was interviewed on ABC News Sunday night and explained clearly why he's not voting for Trump for a second term.
Bolton portrayed Trump as a narcissistic and dangerous man, damaging to the country he is supposed to lead.
Bolton told host Martha Raddatz that the purpose of his book was to reveal a picture of the presidency that he saw in his 17 months in office as the National Security Advisor.
During the ABC News special Bolton said Trump was "stunningly uninformed," makes "erratic" and "irrational" decisions, is unable to separate his personal and political interests from the country's, and is marked and manipulated by foreign adversaries.
Bolton said, "My conclusion is clear, I don't think he should be president. I don't think he's fit for office. I don't that he has the competency carry out the job."
After saying he's going to write in "a conservative Republican" in November, Raddatz asked how history will remember Donald Trump.
"I hope it will remember him as a one-term president who didn't plunge the country Irretrievably into a downward spiral we can't recover from," he said.
Bolton believes we can get over one term but, 'two terms I'm more troubled about."


crooksandliars--2020-06-22--Trump's Acting DHS Chief Blames Mexico For COVID Spikes

Stable Genius likes `` acting '' department heads who are not confirmed by the US Senate .
That way he can hire unqualified hacks to promote his stupid propaganda from an official position .
The DHS `` acting '' secretary told Face the Nation 's Margaret Brennan that “ there ’ s a variety of reasons ” for COVID19 outbreaks across the southwestern US .
Rather than blame Trump 's boredom with the Covid issue and his admitted `` slowing down of testing , '' Chad suggested out loud that the spike could be tied to people who live in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for medical treatment.
” MARGARET BRENNAN : ... Just to button up on something you referred to earlier when you talked about the increase in testing that is available to those who- who may have COVID-19 .
I 'm sure you know that there are spikes in actual hospitalizations , people actually getting sick , particularly in Arizona and in Te- in Texas .
It 's not just increased testing .
WOLF : Absolutely .
And again , the White House Coronavirus Task Force is on top of all of these outbreaks , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ county .
Whether it 's Arizona , Texas , Florida , a number of these states that are having hot spots , that are having those upticks .
So we 're surging resources , medical individuals and the like , even individuals from the Department of Homeland Security .
We 're surging into those to- areas to understand what is the cause of that outbreak and address that proactively .
MARGARET BRENNAN : And you do n't know yet what the cause of the outbreaks in all of those Sunbelt states is ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ They 're all for various different reasons .
What we see is some of the outbreaks along the southwest border in Arizona , particular parts of Texas , we have about one point five million U.S.- U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents living in Mexico , coming back over for medical treatment .
So there 's a variety of different reasons on why you would have different outbreaks in different states .
And again , we have medical professionals , CDC has sent teams into these individual areas , the Department has as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ address that .
You mean expat US citizens , Chad ?

Stable Genius likes "acting" department heads who are not confirmed by the US Senate. That way he can hire unqualified hacks to promote his stupid propaganda from an official position.
Meet Chad Wolf.
The DHS "acting" secretary told Face the Nation's Margaret Brennan that “there’s a variety of reasons” for COVID19 outbreaks across the southwestern US. Rather than blame Trump's boredom with the Covid issue and his admitted "slowing down of testing," Chad suggested out loud that the spike could be tied to people who live in Mexico and are “coming back over for medical treatment.”
Transcript via CBS:
MARGARET BRENNAN: ...Just to button up on something you referred to earlier when you talked about the increase in testing that is available to those who- who may have COVID-19. I'm sure you know that there are spikes in actual hospitalizations, people actually getting sick, particularly in Arizona and in Te- in Texas. It's not just increased testing.
WOLF: Absolutely. And again, the White House Coronavirus Task Force is on top of all of these outbreaks, looking state by state, county by county. Whether it's Arizona, Texas, Florida, a number of these states that are having hot spots, that are having those upticks. So we're surging resources, medical individuals and the like, even individuals from the Department of Homeland Security. We're surging into those to- areas to understand what is the cause of that outbreak and address that proactively.
MARGARET BRENNAN: And you don't know yet what the cause of the outbreaks in all of those Sunbelt states is?
WOLF: They're all different. They're all for various different reasons. What we see is some of the outbreaks along the southwest border in Arizona, particular parts of Texas, we have about one point five million U.S.- U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents living in Mexico, coming back over for medical treatment. So there's a variety of different reasons on why you would have different outbreaks in different states. And again, we have medical professionals, CDC has sent teams into these individual areas, the Department has as well. And we're continuing to address that.


crooksandliars--2020-06-22--Trump Flips Out After Nightmare Weekend: Mail-in Ballots Will 'Rig' 2020 Election

Donald Trump is trying to negate the 2020 presidential election .
Mango Mussolini had an early morning meltdown after his disaster of a campaign rally Saturday night .
With the pandemic still spreading throughout the country and millions of jobs being lost , Trump creeped back to DC thoroughly beaten .
His only focus was to start another conspiracy theory about voter fraud .
It appears this is his campaign strategy : to try and suppress as much voter turnout as possible and to put into question the validity of the results .
To do so , he needs to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mail-in ballots .
If you 've ever used a mail-in ballot , you know they are not just some sort of 'vacation postcard ' that Bill Barr makes them out to be .
Reporter Andrew Feinberg tweets : FACT CHECK : Absentee/mail-in ballots are printed with bar codes for tracking .
And if anyone was going to counterfeit ballots it would be Putin , helping Trump and not hurting him .
As David Badash writes , `` Five states are vote-by-mail only : Colorado , Hawaii , Oregon , Washington and Utah .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ is nearly zero voter fraud .
Yesterday , I wrote about the cover-up general , Bill Barr , creating the backdrop for this new conspiracy of foreign governments forging mail-in ballots .
Bill Barr Makes Up Brand New Conspiracy Theory About Mail-In Ballots There is not and has never been any proof about this , but the Trump administration never uses facts to float their conspiracies .
They have their media sycophants and Attorney General to do so .
And Trump ran with it today .
Thieves , liars , and charlatans populate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
They 're also known as Republicans .
It 's time to vote them all out .

Donald Trump is trying to negate the 2020 presidential election.
Mango Mussolini had an early morning meltdown after his disaster of a campaign rally Saturday night. With the pandemic still spreading throughout the country and millions of jobs being lost, Trump creeped back to DC thoroughly beaten.
His only focus was to start another conspiracy theory about voter fraud.
It appears this is his campaign strategy: to try and suppress as much voter turnout as possible and to put into question the validity of the results.
To do so, he needs to shut down every state that turns to mail-in ballots.
RIGGED 2020 ELECTION: MILLIONS OF MAIL-IN BALLOTS WILL BE PRINTED BY FOREIGN COUNTRIES, AND OTHERS. IT WILL BE THE SCANDAL OF OUR TIMES! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 22, 2020
If you've ever used a mail-in ballot, you know they are not just some sort of 'vacation postcard' that Bill Barr makes them out to be.
FACT CHECK: Absentee/mail-in ballots are printed with bar codes for tracking.
CONTEXT ALERT: @realDonaldTrump is the only candidate for president who has repeatedly solicited foreign assistance for his re-election campaign. https://t.co/XlSebORsXf — Andrew Feinberg (@AndrewFeinberg) June 22, 2020
Reporter Andrew Feinberg tweets: FACT CHECK: Absentee/mail-in ballots are printed with bar codes for tracking.
And if anyone was going to counterfeit ballots it would be Putin, helping Trump and not hurting him.
As David Badash writes, "Five states are vote-by-mail only: Colorado, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington and Utah. Several other states offer vote-by-mail. There is nearly zero voter fraud.
Yesterday, I wrote about the cover-up general, Bill Barr, creating the backdrop for this new conspiracy of foreign governments forging mail-in ballots. Bill Barr Makes Up Brand New Conspiracy Theory About Mail-In Ballots
"Right now a foreign country could print up tens of thousands of counterfeit ballots, and it would be very hard for us to detect which is the right one and which is the wrong ballot," Barr said.
There is not and has never been any proof about this, but the Trump administration never uses facts to float their conspiracies. They have their media sycophants and Attorney General to do so.
And Trump ran with it today.
Thieves, liars, and charlatans populate the highest reaches of our federal government. They're also known as Republicans. It's time to vote them all out.


crooksandliars--2020-06-22--Noose Left In Bubba Wallace's Garage Stall At Talladega Track

No , boys , the seditionist South will NOT rise again .
And no , no one 's ever going to look the other way again at your open racism toward people like Bubba Wallace : A noose — among the most threatening and resonant images from America 's long history of white racist violence — was left in the garage stall Sunday of NASCAR 's sole African American driver in the Cup Series , its top stock car racing circuit .
NASCAR said the incident took place at its race track in Talladega , Ala .
The garage stall @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had led the successful campaign to ban Confederate flags from NASCAR facilities and events , which went into effect earlier this month .
In a statement , Wallace said , `` Today 's despicable act of racism and hatred leaves me incredibly saddened and serves as a painful reminder of how much further we have to go as a society and how persistent we must be in the fight against racism . ''
`` We are angry and outraged , and can not state strongly enough how seriously we take this heinous act @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and will do everything we can to identify the person ( s ) responsible and eliminate them from the sport .
As we have stated unequivocally , there is no place for racism in NASCAR , and this act only strengthens our resolve to make the sport open and welcoming to all . ''

No, boys, the seditionist South will NOT rise again. And no, no one's ever going to look the other way again at your open racism toward people like Bubba Wallace:
A noose — among the most threatening and resonant images from America's long history of white racist violence — was left in the garage stall Sunday of NASCAR's sole African American driver in the Cup Series, its top stock car racing circuit.
NASCAR said the incident took place at its race track in Talladega, Ala. The garage stall was assigned to Bubba Wallace, who had led the successful campaign to ban Confederate flags from NASCAR facilities and events, which went into effect earlier this month.
In a statement, Wallace said, "Today's despicable act of racism and hatred leaves me incredibly saddened and serves as a painful reminder of how much further we have to go as a society and how persistent we must be in the fight against racism."
NASCAR condemned the act:
"We are angry and outraged, and cannot state strongly enough how seriously we take this heinous act. We have launched an immediate investigation, and will do everything we can to identify the person(s) responsible and eliminate them from the sport. As we have stated unequivocally, there is no place for racism in NASCAR, and this act only strengthens our resolve to make the sport open and welcoming to all."


crooksandliars--2020-06-22--COVID Infection Spike In At Least 23 States, More Young People Testing Positive

CNN 's New Day opened with the rapid increase in virus cases this morning .
John Berman said this was `` exactly what public health officials have been worried about -- a serious coronavirus surge across the country . ''
As of this morning , he said , 23 states are seeing a rise in the number of cases .
`` You can see them in red right there , 11 with growth of more than 50 % .
Nationwide , cases have risen more than 15 % .
Despite what you hear from officials , this is not just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ substantial increase in the rate of people getting sick and an increase in the number of people who are so sick that they 're in the hospital .
`` The White House now acknowledges that they 're preparing for a second wave in the fall , less than a week after Vice President Pence said fears about a second wave were overblown .
The states of particular concern this morning include Florida and Arizona , where President Trump is holding an event tomorrow .
You can see the spikes in the cases there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ White House continues to send mixed messages regarding the covid-19 pandemic , but here 's the thing .
States continue to report a record number of covid-19 cases as the United States is about to hit a grim milestone : 120,000 american fatalities .
The Trump administration says it 's preparing for a possible second wave of the coronavirus after a week of downplaying the recent surge sweeping across nearly half the nation .
We are filling the stockpile in anticipation of a possible problem in the fall .
We are doing everything @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as hard as we possibly can .
`` Last week , Vice President Mike Pence said in a Wall Street Journal op-ed that panic over a second wave was overblown .
and on Saturday , President Trump said this to supporters about coronavirus testing . ''
So I said to my people , slow the testing down , please .
They test and they test .
We had tests of people that do n't know what 's going on .
`` His staff leader said he 's joking , but the increase in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very serious for state leaders . ''
`` Do you think the people , the 120,000 families out there who are missing their loved ones , thought it was funny ? ''
Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said .

CNN's New Day opened with the rapid increase in virus cases this morning.
John Berman said this was "exactly what public health officials have been worried about -- a serious coronavirus surge across the country."
As of this morning, he said, 23 states are seeing a rise in the number of cases.
"You can see them in red right there, 11 with growth of more than 50%. Nationwide, cases have risen more than 15%. Despite what you hear from officials, this is not just about more testing. This is a substantial increase in the rate of people getting sick and an increase in the number of people who are so sick that they're in the hospital.
"The White House now acknowledges that they're preparing for a second wave in the fall, less than a week after Vice President Pence said fears about a second wave were overblown. The states of particular concern this morning include Florida and Arizona, where President Trump is holding an event tomorrow. You can see the spikes in the cases there."
Rosa Flores reported from Florida.
"Good morning. The White House continues to send mixed messages regarding the covid-19 pandemic, but here's the thing. States continue to report a record number of covid-19 cases as the United States is about to hit a grim milestone: 120,000 american fatalities. The Trump administration says it's preparing for a possible second wave of the coronavirus after a week of downplaying the recent surge sweeping across nearly half the nation.
We are filling the stockpile in anticipation of a possible problem in the fall. We are doing everything we can underneath the surface, working as hard as we possibly can.
"Last week, Vice President Mike Pence said in a Wall Street Journal op-ed that panic over a second wave was overblown. and on Saturday, President Trump said this to supporters about coronavirus testing."
So I said to my people, slow the testing down, please. They test and they test. We had tests of people that don't know what's going on.
"His staff leader said he's joking, but the increase in cases in at least 23 states is very serious for state leaders."
"Do you think the people, the 120,000 families out there who are missing their loved ones, thought it was funny?" Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said.


crooksandliars--2020-06-22--MSNBC Analyst: Recent Hanging Deaths Of Black People Need To Be 'Aggressively Investigated'

It 's the year 2020 , and we still can not get Congress to make lynching a federal crime .
Unconscionable .
With the racist extremists seeing tangible evidence that their imagined white superiority and unearned supremacy wo n't continue to garner them them privilege they believe they deserve , a disturbing trend has reared its head across the nation .
As laws banning chokeholds are passed in the wake of George Floyd 's murder , as police departments are being disbanded and no-knock warrants being outlawed in memory of Breonna Taylor , dark history is coming back to haunt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being found dead , hanging from trees in public places .
Three Black men , one Black teenage boy , one Black trans woman , and one Latino man have been found dead across the country .
Police have ruled every one of these deaths suicide .
In only one case does the family agree .
Joy Reid seems to be the only national journalist covering this , and devoted an entire segment to the topic , bringing on law enforcement analyst Jim Cavanaugh to discuss it .
REID : More than 100 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year , posthumous pulitzer prize winning journalist , Ida Bae Wells , fought for the anti-lynching in the United States , United States Senator Cory Booker is leading the charge to finally make lynching a federal crime .
It 's a fight that 's been re-ignited by nationwide protests and calls for racial justice , since George Floyd 's death , and the shock after the video-taped chasing and killing of Ahmaud Arbery by .
three white men in Georgia .
The push also comes amid recent hanging deaths of black and hispanic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is monitoring the investigation into the deaths of two black men found hanging from trees in Southern California .
Ten days apart .
Though the family of one of the men now says they believe his death was a suicide .
There have been at least five indents of hangings in public places in recent weeks that have all been ruled suicides .
But some of the families of the victims are not convinced and are demanding thorough investigations .
Joining me now is Jim Cavanaugh , MSNBC law enforcement analyst .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the recent cases .
In California , two black men , California hanging death of Black men summoned a dark history and FBI scrutiny .
In New York , a death of a man found hanging in the tree in Manhattan , that was ruled a suicide by the medical examiner .
In Houston , a teen said to have hanged himself on elementary school property .
A man found dead in apparent suicide outside of a store in Shady Acres .
A lot of people -- it 's all in my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a lot of people do n't believe these are suicides .
What goes into deciding whether or not a case like this is a suicide or a homicide ?
CAVANAUGH : Well , it 's the complete circumstances , Joy , that surround the violent death .
And it takes a trained investigators to go in there and look , get all the facts and you know , these are cases when Black men are hung from trees in public places that the police , law enforcement , has to step up , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ private apartment , with the locked door , with a note that , you know , it 's pretty clear it 's suicide .
They can tell the family members .
Here , you have a history of over 4,000 lynchings in America of Black men in public places .
And this is just another case , in my view , of law enforcement just not in tune enough with our history to understand the angst any of these deaths cause , just to begin with , whether they 're murder or suicide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , each and every one , on the separate merits , and good homicide investigators and medical examiners can usually tell the difference .
But they 've got to share the facts with the public and the family , if it in fact is suicide .
If it 's homicide , they really need to put a lot of resources on it and go after it heavy .
While I appreciate Cavanaugh 's gift for understatement , I hope everyone hears the searing criticism he is handing down of the way police are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the program , Reid asked him about the Ahmaud Arbery case , and if he would classify that as a lynching .
He said he absolutely would , and that the very first thing that should have happened is that the men who fired the shots should have had his guns taken and he should have been taken into custody .
He said , `` The only thing missing was the rope . ''

It's the year 2020, and we still cannot get Congress to make lynching a federal crime. Unconscionable.
With the racist extremists seeing tangible evidence that their imagined white superiority and unearned supremacy won't continue to garner them them privilege they believe they deserve, a disturbing trend has reared its head across the nation. As laws banning chokeholds are passed in the wake of George Floyd's murder, as police departments are being disbanded and no-knock warrants being outlawed in memory of Breonna Taylor, dark history is coming back to haunt us.
Black and brown people are being found dead, hanging from trees in public places. Three Black men, one Black teenage boy, one Black trans woman, and one Latino man have been found dead across the country. Police have ruled every one of these deaths suicide. In only one case does the family agree.
Joy Reid seems to be the only national journalist covering this, and devoted an entire segment to the topic, bringing on law enforcement analyst Jim Cavanaugh to discuss it.
REID: More than 100 years after pioneering and as of this year, posthumous pulitzer prize winning journalist, Ida Bae Wells, fought for the anti-lynching in the United States, United States Senator Cory Booker is leading the charge to finally make lynching a federal crime. It's a fight that's been re-ignited by nationwide protests and calls for racial justice, since George Floyd's death, and the shock after the video-taped chasing and killing of Ahmaud Arbery by. three white men in Georgia. The push also comes amid recent hanging deaths of black and hispanic men across the country. The FBI is monitoring the investigation into the deaths of two black men found hanging from trees in Southern California. Ten days apart. Though the family of one of the men now says they believe his death was a suicide. There have been at least five indents of hangings in public places in recent weeks that have all been ruled suicides. But some of the families of the victims are not convinced and are demanding thorough investigations. Joining me now is Jim Cavanaugh, MSNBC law enforcement analyst. I want to show you a brief headline of the recent cases. In California, two black men, California hanging death of Black men summoned a dark history and FBI scrutiny. In New York, a death of a man found hanging in the tree in Manhattan, that was ruled a suicide by the medical examiner. In Houston, a teen said to have hanged himself on elementary school property. A man found dead in apparent suicide outside of a store in Shady Acres. A lot of people -- it's all in my twitter feed and in my text messages a lot of people don't believe these are suicides. What goes into deciding whether or not a case like this is a suicide or a homicide? CAVANAUGH: Well, it's the complete circumstances, Joy, that surround the violent death. And it takes a trained investigators to go in there and look, get all the facts and you know, these are cases when Black men are hung from trees in public places that the police, law enforcement, has to step up, more than say a death in the private apartment, with the locked door, with a note that, you know, it's pretty clear it's suicide. They can tell the family members. Here, you have a history of over 4,000 lynchings in America of Black men in public places. And this is just another case, in my view, of law enforcement just not in tune enough with our history to understand the angst any of these deaths cause, just to begin with, whether they're murder or suicide. They need to be thoroughly investigated, each and every one, on the separate merits, and good homicide investigators and medical examiners can usually tell the difference. But they've got to share the facts with the public and the family, if it in fact is suicide. If it's homicide, they really need to put a lot of resources on it and go after it heavy.
While I appreciate Cavanaugh's gift for understatement, I hope everyone hears the searing criticism he is handing down of the way police are handling these cases. Later on in the program, Reid asked him about the Ahmaud Arbery case, and if he would classify that as a lynching. He said he absolutely would, and that the very first thing that should have happened is that the men who fired the shots should have had his guns taken and he should have been taken into custody. He said, "The only thing missing was the rope."