thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-02--7 Races To Watch On The First Big Primary Day Of The Pandemic

Indiana , Iowa , Maryland , Montana , New Mexico , Pennsylvania , Rhode Island and South Dakota are all holding primaries on Tuesday .
Races across the eight states will point to additional signs about the direction of both the Democratic and Republican parties .
Will Republicans tolerate Trump-like rhetoric on race from a candidate other than Donald Trump ?
Does Democrats ’ preference for Joe Biden-like moderation translate down-ballot ?
How does the shift to vote-by-mail impact pandemic-era turnout ?
The highest-profile contest is likely in rural northwest Iowa , where GOP Rep. Steve King , who has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is trying to fend off a challenge from a fellow Republican .
Meanwhile , the Democratic nomination to challenge GOP Sen. Joni Ernst is up for grabs , with Washington Democrats spending heavily to get their favored candidate over the finish line .
None of Tuesday ’ s contests are likely to reveal much about how American politics will shift following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody and the resulting protests .
Mail-in ballots mean many people voted before Floyd ’ s death , and most of the races are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Mainstream Republicans have had it with GOP Rep. Steve King , whose embrace of white nationalist rhetoric has made him one of the House ’ s best-known and least-powerful members .
King , who nearly lost his deeply conservative district in rural Northwest Iowa to Democrat J.D .
Scholten in 2018 , is now facing a well-financed challenger , Iowa state Senate President Randy Feenstra , who has the backing of nearly every establishment Republican whose endorsement matters .
As HuffPost ’ s Christopher Mathias wrote this week , the effort to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his racist rhetoric , instead arguing King would hurt other Republicans politically and is unable to effectively advocate for his district because he no longer serves on committees .
( King has claimed he may be able to reclaim his committee spots in the next Congress . )
Third-party nominations almost never matter in American politics , but the race in Montana might be a rare exception .
Democratic Gov .
Steve Bullock ’ s late entrance into the race against GOP Sen. Steve Daines instantly moved this reelection contest from afterthought to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who has a high approval rating and has won statewide twice , is seen as the only Democrat in the state who could defeat Daines .
Operatives in both parties believe the race could make or break control of the Senate .
This primary is expected to be close , and third-party voters could be crucial .
Montana Democratic Sen. Jon Tester won in both 2006 and 2012 with less than half of the vote because Libertarian candidates drew small but significant percentages .
Republicans are hoping to damage Bullock ’ s chances @ @ @ @ @ @ @ GOP spent at least $ 100,000 to help the Green Party qualify for the ballot , hoping to draw away a crucial sliver of liberal-leaning voters .
Here ’ s the twist : Two people are running for the Green Party ’ s nomination .
One , retired college professor Dennis Daneke , has promised to drop out of the race if nominated in order to clear the way for Bullock .
Go Green Montana , a PAC linked to a GOP consulting firm , meanwhile , has spent tens of thousands of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ calling Daneke a “ puppet of big Democrats.
” One of the toughest House seats for Democrats to hold in 2020 will be New Mexico ’ s 2nd District , which covers the rural southern half of the state , where the economy is based around oil and gas production .
Democratic Rep. Xochitl Torres Small , a 35-year-old Latina lawyer , defeated Republican Yvette Herrell by fewer than 4,000 votes in 2018 , one of the best years for Democrats in recent political memory .
This time around , Herrell is battling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and Democrats have decided Herrell would be the weaker candidate because of her voting record in New Mexico ’ s legislature .
Two Democratic outside groups ― one affiliated with EMILY ’ s List , the other a little-known super PAC ― have paid for advertising highlighting Facebook posts Chase made insulting Trump as an “ asshole unworthy of the office.
” Will Valerie Plame Make It To Congress ?
Instead , it appears a relative moderate ― 16-year Hammond Mayor Tom McDermott Jr. ― is the clear favorite to claim the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ name identification advantage .
McDermott , a charter school backer who was considering a primary challenge to Viscloscky because of the incumbent ’ s support for Trump ’ s impeachment , has the support of both former presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg and former Sen. Joe Donnelly , and has raised twice as much as his closest competitor .

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Tuesday marks the first major multistate election day since the earliest days of the coronavirus pandemic in the United States, with the nominations for critical House and Senate races up for grabs and a number of nationally known politicians at risk of losing their seats.
Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Montana, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and South Dakota are all holding primaries on Tuesday. Races across the eight states will point to additional signs about the direction of both the Democratic and Republican parties. Will Republicans tolerate Trump-like rhetoric on race from a candidate other than Donald Trump? Does Democrats’ preference for Joe Biden-like moderation translate down-ballot? How does the shift to vote-by-mail impact pandemic-era turnout?
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The highest-profile contest is likely in rural northwest Iowa, where GOP Rep. Steve King, who has a long history of racist remarks, is trying to fend off a challenge from a fellow Republican. Meanwhile, the Democratic nomination to challenge GOP Sen. Joni Ernst is up for grabs, with Washington Democrats spending heavily to get their favored candidate over the finish line.
In New Mexico, former CIA agent Valerie Plame ― a Bush-era liberal darling ― is struggling to win the Democratic nomination in a district centered around Santa Fe. In the state’s southern half, Democrats are interfering in an already brutal Republican primary, hoping to pick an opponent for one of the GOP’s most vulnerable House members.
And in Montana, a third-party primary where it’s unlikely more than a few thousand votes will be cast could play a crucial role in determining control of the U.S. Senate.
None of Tuesday’s contests are likely to reveal much about how American politics will shift following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody and the resulting protests. Mail-in ballots mean many people voted before Floyd’s death, and most of the races are taking place far from major urban centers.
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Here are seven races to watch on Tuesday:
Can Rep. Steve King Survive?
Mainstream Republicans have had it with GOP Rep. Steve King, whose embrace of white nationalist rhetoric has made him one of the House’s best-known and least-powerful members. King, who nearly lost his deeply conservative district in rural Northwest Iowa to Democrat J.D. Scholten in 2018, is now facing a well-financed challenger, Iowa state Senate President Randy Feenstra, who has the backing of nearly every establishment Republican whose endorsement matters.
As HuffPost’s Christopher Mathias wrote this week, the effort to oust King has largely avoided focusing on his racist rhetoric, instead arguing King would hurt other Republicans politically and is unable to effectively advocate for his district because he no longer serves on committees. (King has claimed he may be able to reclaim his committee spots in the next Congress.)
There’s been limited public polling of the race, but what is available shows a tight contest, with the possibilities that minor candidates could deny Feenstra the votes to seize the nomination from King.
Democrats would prefer that Scholten face King, a weaker candidate, in the November general election.
The Tiny Primary With A Big Sky Impact
Third-party nominations almost never matter in American politics, but the race in Montana might be a rare exception. Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock’s late entrance into the race against GOP Sen. Steve Daines instantly moved this reelection contest from afterthought to the political center stage. Bullock, who has a high approval rating and has won statewide twice, is seen as the only Democrat in the state who could defeat Daines. Operatives in both parties believe the race could make or break control of the Senate.
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This primary is expected to be close, and third-party voters could be crucial. Montana Democratic Sen. Jon Tester won in both 2006 and 2012 with less than half of the vote because Libertarian candidates drew small but significant percentages. Republicans are hoping to damage Bullock’s chances in a similar fashion ― the Montana GOP spent at least $100,000 to help the Green Party qualify for the ballot, hoping to draw away a crucial sliver of liberal-leaning voters.
Here’s the twist: Two people are running for the Green Party’s nomination. One, retired college professor Dennis Daneke, has promised to drop out of the race if nominated in order to clear the way for Bullock. Go Green Montana, a PAC linked to a GOP consulting firm, meanwhile, has spent tens of thousands of dollars promoting rival candidate Wendie Fredrickson and calling Daneke a “puppet of big Democrats.”
In 2018, a mere 1,500 people voted in the Green Party primary for Senate. A similar number of people could end up having an enormous sway over which party ends up controlling the Senate in 2021.
Elsewhere in Montana, there are competitive primaries in both parties for the gubernatorial nomination ― Democrats have held the state’s governorship for the past 16 years, even as Republicans have dominated on the presidential level and seized control of the state legislature.
On the GOP side, Rep. Greg Gianforte ― who made national news for assaulting a reporter in 2017 ― has deployed his personal fortune and is now favored against Attorney General Tim Fox. The Democratic primary, meanwhile, pits Lt. Gov Mike Cooney against businessperson Whitney Williams. Cooney has the backing of Tester and Bullock, while EMILY’s List has spent aggressively for Williams.
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Iowa’s Democratic Senate Primary
Theresa Greenfield, the candidate endorsed by the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, is expected to win. But she needs to earn more than 35% of the vote in a four-way race to avoid having to secure the nomination at a convention later this summer.
Iowa, where GOP Sen. Joni Ernst is running for reelection, is expected to be a major Senate battleground ― both parties have reserved millions of dollars of television time in the state for the fall. Republicans hope a weaker-than-expected performance by Greenfield could prevent the party from focusing its fire on Ernst early.
The DSCC’s early endorsement of Greenfield, a political neophyte and small-business owner who made an aborted run for Congress in 2018, irritated some local Democrats. Two men have succeeded in running relatively serious campaigns for the nomination: retired Navy Vice Adm. Mike Franken and businessperson Eddie Mauro.
While national Democratic groups allied with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer have spent more than $10 million boosting Greenfield, Franken managed to generate buzz by earning the endorsement of the Des Moines Register, and Mauro has run ads attacking her. EMILY’s List ― rare among Democratic groups for its willingness to go negative during primaries ― has aired ads attacking both men.
Democrats Meddle in New Mexico
One of the toughest House seats for Democrats to hold in 2020 will be New Mexico’s 2nd District, which covers the rural southern half of the state, where the economy is based around oil and gas production. Democratic Rep. Xochitl Torres Small, a 35-year-old Latina lawyer, defeated Republican Yvette Herrell by fewer than 4,000 votes in 2018, one of the best years for Democrats in recent political memory.
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This time around, Herrell is battling businessperson Claire Chase for the GOP nomination, and Democrats have decided Herrell would be the weaker candidate because of her voting record in New Mexico’s legislature. Two Democratic outside groups ― one affiliated with EMILY’s List, the other a little-known super PAC ― have paid for advertising highlighting Facebook posts Chase made insulting Trump as an “asshole unworthy of the office.”
At the same time, Republicans allied with Chase have fired back with ads alleging Herrell plotted to deny Trump the GOP nomination. Democrats are hoping the contentious primary, which was already nasty before their meddling, will increase Torres Small’s chances of holding the seat.
Will Valerie Plame Make It To Congress?
The battle between former CIA agent Valerie Plame and local activist Teresa Leger Fernandez for the Democratic nomination in New Mexico’s 3rd District, which covers Santa Fe and the state’s north, is essentially a ticket to Congress.
It’s a race where the battle lines have been clear for a while: Leger Fernandez has paired her stronger ties to the district with endorsements from Washington-based liberal groups and progressive politicians ― Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren endorsed her on Monday ― while Plame has used her fame to gain a financial advantage and air additional television ads.
The most recent polling in the race shows Leger Fernandez with a slight edge.
A Moderate Might Walk Into Congress
Indiana Democratic Rep. Pete Viscloscky’s retirement after more than three decades in Congress should have provided a major opportunity for the left to seize his safely Democratic seat representing Northwest Indiana, an area known simply as “the region” that has more ties to Chicago than it does to Indianapolis.
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Instead, it appears a relative moderate ― 16-year Hammond Mayor Tom McDermott Jr. ― is the clear favorite to claim the seat, thanks to a financial and name identification advantage. McDermott, a charter school backer who was considering a primary challenge to Viscloscky because of the incumbent’s support for Trump’s impeachment, has the support of both former presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg and former Sen. Joe Donnelly, and has raised twice as much as his closest competitor.
Viscloscky, however, is backing North Township Trustee Frank Mrvan, and also helped Mrvan secure the support of the influential steelworkers’ union. Meanwhile, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus’ BOLD PAC is supporting state Sen. Mara Candelaria Reardon, who is seen as the most progressive candidate in the race with a shot at winning. Reardon made news when she was one of the first women to accuse Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill of sexual harassment. There are 11 other candidates on a crowded primary ballot.
Steny Hoyer Faces His Version Of AOC
House Majority Whip Steny Hoyer, who represents a Maryland district centered around the majority-black Washington suburb of Prince George’s County, is facing a challenge from the left from McKayla Wilkes, a 29-year-old African American mother of two. The race has drawn comparisons with New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s successful primary challenge of Joe Crowley during the 2018 midterms.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-02--Big Oil Wanted Changes To Worker Safety Rule. Emails Show Top Trump Official ‘Agreed.’

Sean Gardner / Reuters Smoke billows from a controlled burn of spilled oil off the Louisiana coast after the April 2010 Deepwater Horizon explosion killed 11 workers and ruptured BP 's deep-sea well .
In December 2017 , the Trump administration rolled out a proposal to gut a key offshore drilling safety regulation , adopted in the wake of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill , that the Trump administration had cited to justify its plans to open nearly all U.S. waters to oil and gas development .
Newly released emails show that months earlier , the American Petroleum Institute and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officials at the Department of the Interior that they “ did not see the need ” for the Obama-era Well Control Rule to include oversight from the department ’ s main offshore energy enforcement arm , and asked regulators to eliminate whole sections of the regulation , which the Obama administration had finalized in 2016 to prevent the next Deepwater Horizon disaster .
The oil industry ’ s role in shaping the Trump administration ’ s rulemaking was never in doubt .
In its proposed revision , Interior ’ s Bureau of Safety @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and natural gas operators raised concerns about certain regulatory provisions that impose undue burdens on their industry ” and estimated that the rollback would save industry just shy of $ 1 billion over a 10-year period .
Hopkins works for the nation ’ s most powerful oil and gas lobby , but also represented six other large industry groups in her letter : the Independent Association of Drilling Contractors , the Independent Petroleum Association of America , the National Ocean Industries Association , the Offshore Operators Committee , the Petroleum Equipment & Services @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gas Association .
The National Ocean Industries Association , or NOIA , and the U.S. Oil and Gas Association are former clients of Interior Secretary David Bernhardt , a longtime former lobbyist for oil , mining and agricultural interests .
But experts say the changes to the Obama-era rule did the exact opposite , leaving the country ’ s offshore oil rigs as vulnerable to disaster as they were in April 2010 , when BP ’ s Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded while the fossil fuel giant was drilling an exploratory well off @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than 200 million gallons of crude into the Gulf of Mexico .
“ What will come of this is we ’ ll have less safety on offshore oil rigs , which we know could end up putting workers ’ lives at risk , ” said Jacob Carter , a scientist at the Union of Concerned Scientists ’ Center for Science and Democracy .
“ This is a really good case of the administration ignoring science on behalf of industry.
” A spokesperson for the Interior Department said the agency carefully reviewed more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ period and that the revised rule “ incorporated commonsense changes that were based on the best available science , best practices and technological innovations.
” This is a really good case of the administration ignoring science on behalf of industry .
Jacob Carter , a scientist at the Center for Science and Democracy The Well Control Rule required additional inspection and maintenance of blowout preventers , devices designed to automatically seal a well and stop an uncontrolled release of oil and gas .
As HuffPost previously reported , Trump ’ s Interior Department @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reforms in its controversial plan to open vast areas of the Arctic , Atlantic and Pacific oceans to oil production , writing that the agency has made “ substantial reforms to improve the safety and reduce the possible adverse environmental impacts.
” The Trump administration ’ s overhaul of the Well Control Rule , finalized in May 2019 , includes many of the industry groups ’ suggested changes , including loosening a provision for real-time monitoring of wells and lifting a requirement that third-party rig inspectors be certified by the Bureau of Safety @ @ @ @ @ @ @ point person on this particular issue was Katharine MacGregor , then Interior ’ s acting assistant secretary for lands and minerals management , who has since taken over as the agency ’ s deputy secretary .
During her tenure at the Interior Department , MacGregor has had at least 62 meetings with industry groups pushing for increased offshore drilling access , including API and NOIA , according to a 2019 analysis by industry watchdog group Documented .
On its website , NOIA writes that MacGregor “ orchestrated myriad congressional hearings and drafted key @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and offshore ” while working as a Republican staffer on the House Natural Resources Committee ’ s Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources .

Smoke billows from a controlled burn of spilled oil off the Louisiana coast after the April 2010 Deepwater Horizon explosion killed 11 workers and ruptured BP's deep-sea well. Sean Gardner / Reuters
In December 2017, the Trump administration rolled out a proposal to gut a key offshore drilling safety regulation, adopted in the wake of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, that the Trump administration had cited to justify its plans to open nearly all U.S. waters to oil and gas development.
Newly released emails show that months earlier, the American Petroleum Institute and six other oil industry groups told top officials at the Department of the Interior that they “did not see the need” for the Obama-era Well Control Rule to include oversight from the department’s main offshore energy enforcement arm, and asked regulators to eliminate whole sections of the regulation, which the Obama administration had finalized in 2016 to prevent the next Deepwater Horizon disaster.
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In response to the request, Interior Associate Deputy Secretary James Cason thanked the industry groups for their feedback. And Daniel Jorjani ― a Trump appointee later promoted to serve as the agency’s top lawyer ― emailed back just one word: “Agreed.”
The oil industry’s role in shaping the Trump administration’s rulemaking was never in doubt. In its proposed revision, Interior’s Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement wrote that “oil and natural gas operators raised concerns about certain regulatory provisions that impose undue burdens on their industry” and estimated that the rollback would save industry just shy of $1 billion over a 10-year period.
But the May 17, 2017 email, made public through a Freedom of Information Act request, shows for the first time the extent of industry’s influence over the fine-print details of regulations that are supposed to police it.
“We appreciate the actions of this Administration to eliminate unnecessary burden and to restore certainty and predictability into the offshore permitting and regulatory regimes,” Holly Hopkins, a senior policy adviser at API, wrote in the email.
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Hopkins works for the nation’s most powerful oil and gas lobby, but also represented six other large industry groups in her letter: the Independent Association of Drilling Contractors, the Independent Petroleum Association of America, the National Ocean Industries Association, the Offshore Operators Committee, the Petroleum Equipment & Services Association, and the U.S. Oil and Gas Association. The National Ocean Industries Association, or NOIA, and the U.S. Oil and Gas Association are former clients of Interior Secretary David Bernhardt, a longtime former lobbyist for oil, mining and agricultural interests.
Daniel Jorjani, a Trump appointee, became the the solicitor of the Interior Department in late 2019. Senate EPW
“Safety is a core value for the oil and natural gas industry,” Hopkins wrote. “We are committed to safe operations and support effective regulations in the area of blowout preventer systems and well control.”
But experts say the changes to the Obama-era rule did the exact opposite, leaving the country’s offshore oil rigs as vulnerable to disaster as they were in April 2010, when BP’s Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded while the fossil fuel giant was drilling an exploratory well off the coast of Louisiana, releasing more than 200 million gallons of crude into the Gulf of Mexico.
“What will come of this is we’ll have less safety on offshore oil rigs, which we know could end up putting workers’ lives at risk,” said Jacob Carter, a scientist at the Union of Concerned Scientists’ Center for Science and Democracy. “This is a really good case of the administration ignoring science on behalf of industry.”
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API spokesperson Reid Porter said the suggestions in Hopkins’ email were consistent with the trade groups’ publicly-filed comments.
“This was a process in response to Secretarial Order 3350 that several organizations and experts in the field participated in,” he wrote in an email. “The updated rule reinforced industry actions and a regulatory framework that support safe operations.”
A spokesperson for the Interior Department said the agency carefully reviewed more than 118,000 comments submitted during a public comment period and that the revised rule “incorporated commonsense changes that were based on the best available science, best practices and technological innovations.”
“This is a really good case of the administration ignoring science on behalf of industry.” - Jacob Carter, a scientist at the Center for Science and Democracy
The Well Control Rule required additional inspection and maintenance of blowout preventers, devices designed to automatically seal a well and stop an uncontrolled release of oil and gas. As HuffPost previously reported, Trump’s Interior Department pointed to the rule and other Obama-era reforms in its controversial plan to open vast areas of the Arctic, Atlantic and Pacific oceans to oil production, writing that the agency has made “substantial reforms to improve the safety and reduce the possible adverse environmental impacts.”
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It then turned around and rolled back those very safeguards.
The Trump administration’s overhaul of the Well Control Rule, finalized in May 2019, includes many of the industry groups’ suggested changes, including loosening a provision for real-time monitoring of wells and lifting a requirement that third-party rig inspectors be certified by the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement.
“Rulemaking on [real-time monitoring] is premature, we suggest deleting those requirements,” Hopkins wrote in her 2017 email. “Certification,” she added, “can be done by third party organizations; they do not need to be approved by BSEE.”
API’s point person on this particular issue was Katharine MacGregor, then Interior’s acting assistant secretary for lands and minerals management, who has since taken over as the agency’s deputy secretary. During her tenure at the Interior Department, MacGregor has had at least 62 meetings with industry groups pushing for increased offshore drilling access, including API and NOIA, according to a 2019 analysis by industry watchdog group Documented. On its website, NOIA writes that MacGregor “orchestrated myriad congressional hearings and drafted key legislation aimed at expanding access both onshore and offshore” while working as a Republican staffer on the House Natural Resources Committee’s Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources.
Elizabeth Johnson Klein, the Interior Department’s associate deputy secretary under former President Barack Obama, said the oil and gas sector’s criticisms of the Well Control Rule are nothing new and were well-known to Obama’s Interior Department.
“We just opted to move forward on the side of responsible and safe development, understanding in particular the lessons learned from the Deepwater Horizon explosion, and the numerous recommendations made in the wake of that tragedy to improve oversight of offshore oil and gas activities,” Klein said in an email.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-02--Death Toll Grows In National Protests Over George Floyd Police Killing

One man was the beloved owner of a Louisville barbecue restaurant who made sure to provide free meals to officers .
Another was a man known as “ Mr .
Indianapolis , ” a former star football player .
Yet another was a federal officer working security during a protest .
They are among the people who have been killed as protests roiled American cities in the week since 46-year-old George Floyd died when a white officer jammed his knee into the back of the black man ’ s neck .
The deaths have at times been overshadowed by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ America , from heavy-handed riot police tactics to violence , vandalism and arson .
Tens of thousands have marched peacefully in demonstrations against police brutality and racism .
Dozens more have been hurt in various altercations — vehicles plowing into crowds , police officers suffering head injuries and broken bones and protesters ending up in emergency rooms with a variety of injuries from the melees .
The death toll and circumstances surrounding the killings are still being sorted out in many cities , but here is what we know about the cases so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ National Guard sought to disperse a crowd early Monday , they heard gunshots and returned fire , killing the owner of a barbecue restaurant , David McAtee .
The mayor has since terminated the city ’ s police chief after finding out that officers on the scene did not activate their body cameras .
The state police and the U.S. attorney also are investigating .
The protests in Louisville have centered not just on Floyd ’ s killing but also the death of Breonna Taylor , a black woman killed in her home @ @ @ @ @ @ @ EMT was shot eight times by narcotics detectives who knocked down her front door as they attempted to enforce a search warrant .
No drugs were found in the home .
It was not immediately clear if the drive-by shooting was related to the protests , though the federal building ’ s glass doors were smashed and the front entrance was sprayed with anti-police graffiti .
Beaty was known as “ Mr .
Indianapolis ” and remained involved with the Hoosiers long after his graduation .
He also was a prominent businessman in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ I am at a loss for words .
The news of the passing of Chris Beaty is just devastating , ” coach Tom Allen said in a statement .
“ Since I returned home to coach at Indiana , Chris embraced me , encouraged me and supported me !
His passion for life and Indiana Football energized me every time we were together.
” The circumstances of his shooting weren ’ t immediately clear but some media reports said it happened near an apartment where he lived .
It also occurred the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was fatally shot as protests broke out in the city .
In what is believed to be the first killing since the protests broke out , a 43-year-old black man was fatally shot outside a pawn shop as rioting broke out last week in Minneapolis and then spread nationally .
The owner of the pawn shop , who is white , was arrested in the death of Calvin L. Horton Jr. Police say they are investigating the circumstances surrounding the killing , including whether it was related to protests in the neighborhood .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ tackling Gardner , who ended up on his back and fired shots in the air .
Seconds later , Scurlock is seen tackling Gardner , who then fires the gun over his shoulder , striking Scurlock .

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One man was the beloved owner of a Louisville barbecue restaurant who made sure to provide free meals to officers. Another was a man known as “Mr. Indianapolis,” a former star football player. Yet another was a federal officer working security during a protest.
They are among the people who have been killed as protests roiled American cities in the week since 46-year-old George Floyd died when a white officer jammed his knee into the back of the black man’s neck.
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The deaths have at times been overshadowed by the shocking images of chaos engulfing cities across America, from heavy-handed riot police tactics to violence, vandalism and arson. Tens of thousands have marched peacefully in demonstrations against police brutality and racism.
Many of the people killed were African Americans, compounding the tragedy for black families to lose more members of their community amid the unrest.
Dozens more have been hurt in various altercations — vehicles plowing into crowds, police officers suffering head injuries and broken bones and protesters ending up in emergency rooms with a variety of injuries from the melees.
The death toll and circumstances surrounding the killings are still being sorted out in many cities, but here is what we know about the cases so far:
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LOUISVILLE
As local police and the National Guard sought to disperse a crowd early Monday, they heard gunshots and returned fire, killing the owner of a barbecue restaurant, David McAtee. The mayor has since terminated the city’s police chief after finding out that officers on the scene did not activate their body cameras. The state police and the U.S. attorney also are investigating.
The 53-year-old McAtee was an African American man known for offering free meals to officers who stopped by.
“We lost a wonderful citizen named David McAtee,” Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer said. “David was a friend to many, a well-known Barbecue man.”
Grief and anger after local West Louisville business owner #DavidMcAtee dies early Monday morning amid LMPD, National Guard gunfire at 26th and Broadway. https://t.co/6afGvsMUio pic.twitter.com/QXtELCHJOf — Matt Stone (@mattstonephotog) June 1, 2020
The protests in Louisville have centered not just on Floyd’s killing but also the death of Breonna Taylor, a black woman killed in her home in Louisville in March. The 26-year-old EMT was shot eight times by narcotics detectives who knocked down her front door as they attempted to enforce a search warrant. No drugs were found in the home.
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OAKLAND
A federal law enforcement officer was providing security at the federal courthouse in Oakland during a protest when someone fired shots from a vehicle.
Dave Patrick Underwood, 53, died and another officer was critically injured in the shooting.
It was not immediately clear if the drive-by shooting was related to the protests, though the federal building’s glass doors were smashed and the front entrance was sprayed with anti-police graffiti.
Underwood, who was black, and the other officer were contracted security officers and employed by the Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Protective Service; they were monitoring a nearby protest.
UPDATE: Family & friends have identified the Federal Protective Service @DHSgov security officer who was shot and killed at the Oakland Federal Building as Dave Patrick “Pat” Underwood. Gunman shot from van. @FBISanFrancisco @oaklandpoliceca investigating pic.twitter.com/G6eCO3pyDh — Henry K. Lee (@henrykleeKTVU) May 31, 2020
No one has been arrested and a motive for the shooting has not yet been determined.
Underwood was the brother of Angela Underwood Jacobs, recently a Republican candidate to fill a vacant U.S. congressional district north of Los Angeles.
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INDIANAPOLIS
Two people were killed over the weekend amid unrest in Indianapolis, including 38-year-old Chris Beaty, a former offensive lineman for Indiana University.
Beaty was known as “Mr. Indianapolis” and remained involved with the Hoosiers long after his graduation. He also was a prominent businessman in the city and ran multiple nightclubs.
“His life was cut short but his legacy will live on”
From Cathedral HS to the Hoosiers, Chris Beaty left behind friends wherever he went.
As a local businessman he befriended many on our news team.
Sadly, he was murdered near his downtown apartment over the weekend.#chrisbeaty pic.twitter.com/nS3mHrTrDd — Jesse Wells (@JesseWellsNews) June 1, 2020
“I am at a loss for words. The news of the passing of Chris Beaty is just devastating,” coach Tom Allen said in a statement. “Since I returned home to coach at Indiana, Chris embraced me, encouraged me and supported me! His passion for life and Indiana Football energized me every time we were together.”
The circumstances of his shooting weren’t immediately clear but some media reports said it happened near an apartment where he lived. It also occurred the same night that an 18-year-old man also was fatally shot as protests broke out in the city.
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MINNEAPOLIS
In what is believed to be the first killing since the protests broke out, a 43-year-old black man was fatally shot outside a pawn shop as rioting broke out last week in Minneapolis and then spread nationally.
The owner of the pawn shop, who is white, was arrested in the death of Calvin L. Horton Jr. Police say they are investigating the circumstances surrounding the killing, including whether it was related to protests in the neighborhood.
The victim in Wednesday night's shooting amid rioting near MPD 3rd Precinct was Calvin Lewis Horton Jr., of Minneapolis, and he died of shotgun wounds to the chest and upper extremities. | https://t.co/AiyXbIs2oz — WCCO - CBS Minnesota (@WCCO) May 29, 2020
The shop was described as having been significantly damaged during unrest.
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OMAHA, NEBRASKA
A 22-year-old black man was killed after authorities said he tussled with the owner of two bars in downtown Omaha. Surveillance video of the strip of bars shows a group of people, including James Scurlock, approach bar owner Jake Gardner.
Two people are seen on the video tackling Gardner, who ended up on his back and fired shots in the air. Seconds later, Scurlock is seen tackling Gardner, who then fires the gun over his shoulder, striking Scurlock.
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Authorities have declined to press charges, calling the shooting self-defense.
JUST IN: Officials announce no charges to be filed at this time in the death of 22-year-old James Scurlock https://t.co/Q2ihPMifx6 pic.twitter.com/61FErSiYLt — KETV NewsWatch 7 (@KETV) June 1, 2020
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DETROIT
A 21-year-old man was killed in downtown Detroit after someone fired shots into a vehicle during a protest. According to a police report, the man was sitting in the driver’s seat of a car in a parking lot with two others when someone fired shots into the vehicle and then fled on foot.
Family confirmed with FOX 2 the identify of the man who was killed late Friday amid protests erupting around the city. Police have released several images of the suspecthttps://t.co/GPLG2tss0R — FOX 2 Detroit (@FOX2News) June 1, 2020
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CHICAGO SUBURB
Two people were killed during unrest Monday in the Chicago suburb of Cicero, according to a town official. Spokesman Ray Hanania did not provide details about those who were killed but said it happened amid protests there.
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Associated Press journalist Herbert McCann contributed from Chicago.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-02--Minnesota Files Civil Rights Charge Against Police In George Floyd's Death

MINNEAPOLIS ( AP ) — The state of Minnesota filed a human rights complaint Tuesday against the Minneapolis Police Department in the death of George Floyd by an officer who pressed his knee into Floyd ’ s neck for minutes , even after he stopped moving .
Widely seen bystander video showing Floyd ’ s death has sparked sometimes violent protests around the world .
The officer , Derek Chauvin , has been fired and charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter .
Three other officers involved were fired but have not been charged .
“ We know that deeply @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
“ I know it because we saw the casual nature of the erasing of George Floyd ’ s life and humanity .
We also saw the reaction of the community .
They expected nothing to happen , because nothing happened so many times before.
” Walz said the investigation into the police department ’ s policies , procedures and practices over the past 10 years will determine if the force has engaged in systemic discrimination toward people of color , and work out how to stop it .
State Human Rights @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Spokesmen for the police department and the mayor ’ s office didn ’ t immediately respond to messages seeking comment .
The Minneapolis City Council planned to issue a statement on the investigation later Tuesday .
The department enforces the state ’ s human rights act , particularly as it applies to discrimination in employment , housing , education , public accommodations and public services .
Mediation is one of its first-choice tools , but the cases it files can lead to fuller investigations and sometimes end up in litigation .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allegations brutality and other discrimination against African Americans and other minorities , even within the department itself .
Critics say its culture resists change , despite the elevation of Medaria Arradondo as its first black police chief in 2017 .
Arradondo himself was among five black officers who sued the police department in 2007 over alleged discrimination in promotions , pay , and discipline .
They said in their lawsuit that the department had a history of tolerating racism and discrimination .
The city eventually settled the lawsuit for $ 740,000 .
Earlier @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s family again decried the official autopsy that found his death was caused by cardiac arrest as police restrained him and compressed his neck .
The medical examiner also listed fentanyl intoxication and recent methamphetamine use , but not as the cause of death .
“ The cause of death was that he was starving for air .
It was lack of oxygen .
And so everything else is a red herring to try to throw us off , ” family attorney Ben Crump said Tuesday .
He said the Hennepin County medical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to convince the public that what was shown on bystander video didn ’ t cause Floyd to die .

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MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The state of Minnesota filed a human rights complaint Tuesday against the Minneapolis Police Department in the death of George Floyd by an officer who pressed his knee into Floyd’s neck for minutes, even after he stopped moving.
Gov. Tim Walz and the Minnesota Department of Human Rights announced the filing at a news conference Tuesday afternoon.
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Widely seen bystander video showing Floyd’s death has sparked sometimes violent protests around the world. The officer, Derek Chauvin, has been fired and charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. Three other officers involved were fired but have not been charged.
“We know that deeply seated issues exist,” the governor said. “I know it because we saw the casual nature of the erasing of George Floyd’s life and humanity. We also saw the reaction of the community. They expected nothing to happen, because nothing happened so many times before.”
Our Minnesota Department of Human Rights today filed a civil rights charge against the MPD. @mnhumanrights will investigate the department’s policies, procedures, and practices over the past 10 years to determine if they engaged in systemic discriminatory practices. — Governor Tim Walz (@GovTimWalz) June 2, 2020
Walz said the investigation into the police department’s policies, procedures and practices over the past 10 years will determine if the force has engaged in systemic discrimination toward people of color, and work out how to stop it. State Human Rights Commissioner Rebecca Lucero will lead the investigation.
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Lucero’s department will seek an agreement from Minneapolis city leaders and the police department to immediately implement interim measures, followed by long-term measures to address systemic discrimination.
The FBI is also investigating whether police willfully deprived Floyd of his civil rights.
Spokesmen for the police department and the mayor’s office didn’t immediately respond to messages seeking comment. The Minneapolis City Council planned to issue a statement on the investigation later Tuesday.
The department enforces the state’s human rights act, particularly as it applies to discrimination in employment, housing, education, public accommodations and public services. Mediation is one of its first-choice tools, but the cases it files can lead to fuller investigations and sometimes end up in litigation.
The Minneapolis Police Department has faced decades of allegations brutality and other discrimination against African Americans and other minorities, even within the department itself. Critics say its culture resists change, despite the elevation of Medaria Arradondo as its first black police chief in 2017.
Arradondo himself was among five black officers who sued the police department in 2007 over alleged discrimination in promotions, pay, and discipline. They said in their lawsuit that the department had a history of tolerating racism and discrimination. The city eventually settled the lawsuit for $740,000.
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Latest: Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz announces a civil rights investigation into the Minneapolis Police Department pic.twitter.com/xXorLNxA4A — Bloomberg QuickTake (@QuickTake) June 2, 2020
Earlier Tuesday, an attorney for Floyd’s family again decried the official autopsy that found his death was caused by cardiac arrest as police restrained him and compressed his neck. The medical examiner also listed fentanyl intoxication and recent methamphetamine use, but not as the cause of death.
A separate autopsy commissioned for Floyd’s family concluded that that he died of asphyxiation due to neck and back compression.
“The cause of death was that he was starving for air. It was lack of oxygen. And so everything else is a red herring to try to throw us off,” family attorney Ben Crump said Tuesday. He said the Hennepin County medical examiner went to great lengths to try to convince the public that what was shown on bystander video didn’t cause Floyd to die.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison told ABC’s “Good Morning America” that prosecutors are working as fast as they can to determine whether more charges will be filed.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-02--Joe Biden Promises 'Era Of Action' To Battle Racial Inequality

Biden also harshly criticized President Donald Trump for his inflammatory and frequently racist rhetoric following the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police officers , comparing the president to the worst villains of the civil rights era .
Floyd ’ s death has led to days of protests across the country , during which police departments have often deployed tear gas and violence .
“ Look , the presidency is a big job .
Nobody will get everything right .
And I won ’ t either , ” Biden said from Philadelphia ’ s City Hall .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ hometown of Wilmington , Delaware , in months because of the coronavirus pandemic .
The roughly 20-minute speech could provide something of a restart for Biden ’ s campaign , which has drawn limited attention following his victory in the Democratic primaries and the outbreak of the pandemic .
Biden , who has a steady lead over Trump in most public polling , used the speech to appeal to both his base ― Black and older voters ― while using rhetoric and unveiling policy proposals that could encourage younger voters who remain skeptical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ creating an equal justice system would take more than a single term in office , but said Congress should “ immediately ” pass “ real police reform ” ― including legislation to ban police chokeholds , legislation to improve oversight and accountability , a ban on transferring military weaponry to police departments and the creation of a uniform standard for when police officers can deploy force .
Biden called out the worst excesses of the protests and riots — saying there needed to be a distinction between “ legitimate peaceful protest and opportunistic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more on the underlying causes of the unrest and on Trump ’ s response , specifically hammering the president for deploying tear gas on protesters to secure a photo-op on Monday night .
“ When peaceful protesters are dispersed by the order of the president from the doorstep of the people ’ s house , the White House — using tear gas and flash grenades — in order to stage a photo-op at a noble church , we can be forgiven for believing that the president is more interested in power than in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ former vice president has relied on Black voters since the start of his presidential run last year , and his support from Black elected officials and older Black voters remains solid .
But many younger Black voters remain skeptical of Biden , who has a history of racially insensitive remarks and has supported laws widely seen as increasing mass incarceration .
“ Joe Biden ’ s campaign made it clear that they stand with the rioters , the people burning businesses in minority communities and causing mayhem , by donating to post bail @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pierson , a senior adviser to the Trump campaign .
“ He has obviously made the crass political calculation that unrest in America is a benefit to his candidacy.
” Biden peppered the speech with references designed to strike a chord with baby boomers and older Americans : He invoked the assassinations of John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr. as setbacks toward progress , and he compared Trump to Bull Connor , perhaps the most famous racist law enforcement official in U.S. history .
At the same time , however , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that went beyond his standard rhetoric portraying Trump as an aberration .
Instead , he sounded more like his former boss , Barack Obama , who often portrayed American progress as the result of a constant push and pull .
“ I wish I could say this hate began with Donald Trump and will end with him .
It didn ’ t and it won ’ t , ” Biden said .
“ American history isn ’ t a fairytale with a guaranteed happy ending .
The battle for the soul of this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pull for more than 240 years .
A tug of war between the American ideal that we are all created equal and the harsh reality that racism has long torn us apart.
” This rhetorical shift could appeal more to younger voters and progressives who are sometimes skeptical of Biden and are more likely to see Trump as the culmination of a corrupt and failing American system that requires sweeping reform ― not just a problem that can be solved by a single election .

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Former Vice President Joe Biden on Monday promised an “era of action” to battle racial inequality, including racism in the criminal justice system, and called for Congress and local governments to immediately move to reform police departments and tactics.
Biden also harshly criticized President Donald Trump for his inflammatory and frequently racist rhetoric following the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police officers, comparing the president to the worst villains of the civil rights era. Floyd’s death has led to days of protests across the country, during which police departments have often deployed tear gas and violence.
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“Look, the presidency is a big job. Nobody will get everything right. And I won’t either,” Biden said from Philadelphia’s City Hall. It was his first time leaving his hometown of Wilmington, Delaware, in months because of the coronavirus pandemic.
“But I promise you this: I won’t traffic in fear and division,” he added. “I won’t fan the flames of hate. I will seek to heal the racial wounds that have long plagued this country — not use them for political gain.”
The roughly 20-minute speech could provide something of a restart for Biden’s campaign, which has drawn limited attention following his victory in the Democratic primaries and the outbreak of the pandemic. Biden, who has a steady lead over Trump in most public polling, used the speech to appeal to both his base ― Black and older voters ― while using rhetoric and unveiling policy proposals that could encourage younger voters who remain skeptical of his candidacy.
He acknowledged that creating an equal justice system would take more than a single term in office, but said Congress should “immediately” pass “real police reform” ― including legislation to ban police chokeholds, legislation to improve oversight and accountability, a ban on transferring military weaponry to police departments and the creation of a uniform standard for when police officers can deploy force.
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“Let us vow to make this, at last, an era of action to reverse systemic racism with long overdue and concrete changes,” Biden said. “No more excuses. No more delays.”
So far, Congress has taken little action in response to Floyd’s death and the resulting protests.
Biden also said “every police department in the country” should review its hiring and training processes, and reiterated his call for a national police oversight commission.
“More police officers meet the highest standards of their profession,” he said. “All the more reason why bad cops should be dealt with severely and swiftly.”
Former Vice President Joe Biden speaking in Philadelphia on Tuesday. He called for Congress and local governments to immediately move to reform police departments and tactics. AP Photo/Matt Rourke
Biden called out the worst excesses of the protests and riots — saying there needed to be a distinction between “legitimate peaceful protest and opportunistic violent destruction” — but he focused more on the underlying causes of the unrest and on Trump’s response, specifically hammering the president for deploying tear gas on protesters to secure a photo-op on Monday night.
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“When peaceful protesters are dispersed by the order of the president from the doorstep of the people’s house, the White House — using tear gas and flash grenades — in order to stage a photo-op at a noble church, we can be forgiven for believing that the president is more interested in power than in principle,” Biden said.
The former vice president has relied on Black voters since the start of his presidential run last year, and his support from Black elected officials and older Black voters remains solid. But many younger Black voters remain skeptical of Biden, who has a history of racially insensitive remarks and has supported laws widely seen as increasing mass incarceration.
The Trump campaign has long sought to highlight those issues, hoping to dampen Black voters’ enthusiasm for Biden. Trump has a long history of racist statements and holds little appeal for the overwhelming majority of Black voters.
“Joe Biden’s campaign made it clear that they stand with the rioters, the people burning businesses in minority communities and causing mayhem, by donating to post bail for those arrested,” said Katrina Pierson, a senior adviser to the Trump campaign. “He has obviously made the crass political calculation that unrest in America is a benefit to his candidacy.”
Biden peppered the speech with references designed to strike a chord with baby boomers and older Americans: He invoked the assassinations of John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr. as setbacks toward progress, and he compared Trump to Bull Connor, perhaps the most famous racist law enforcement official in U.S. history.
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“American history isn’t a fairytale with a guaranteed happy ending. The battle for the soul of this nation has been a constant push and pull for more than 240 years.” - former Vice President Joe Biden
At the same time, however, Biden framed these events in a way that went beyond his standard rhetoric portraying Trump as an aberration. Instead, he sounded more like his former boss, Barack Obama, who often portrayed American progress as the result of a constant push and pull.
“I wish I could say this hate began with Donald Trump and will end with him. It didn’t and it won’t,” Biden said. “American history isn’t a fairytale with a guaranteed happy ending. The battle for the soul of this nation has been a constant push and pull for more than 240 years. A tug of war between the American ideal that we are all created equal and the harsh reality that racism has long torn us apart.”
“The honest truth is both elements are part of the American character,” he concluded.
This rhetorical shift could appeal more to younger voters and progressives who are sometimes skeptical of Biden and are more likely to see Trump as the culmination of a corrupt and failing American system that requires sweeping reform ― not just a problem that can be solved by a single election.
Former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julián Castro, who made police reform a top issue during his unsuccessful bid for the Democratic presidential nomination, finally endorsed Biden on Tuesday, citing the former vice president’s recognition of “the urgent need for real reform to address our broken policing system.”
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Joe Biden recognizes the urgent need for real reform to address our broken policing system.
I’m proud to support him, and I look forward to seeing these reforms become law, so that what happened to George Floyd never happens again. pic.twitter.com/MKcOCk526Z — Julián Castro (@JulianCastro) June 2, 2020
Biden also acknowledged the massive economic pain caused by the coronavirus with a call for “economic justice.” (The unemployment rate now officially stands at 14%, but is likely higher.)
“These last few months, we have seen America’s true heroes. The health care workers, the nurses, delivery truck drivers, grocery store workers,” he said. “But we need to do more than praise them. We need to pay them.”
Compared to his proposals on criminal justice reform, however, Biden had little new information to offer on economic policy. He merely repeated his standard call for the expansion of Obamacare. (In recent months, Biden has adopted some left-leaning economic policies he had avoided during the primary, including a plan to wipe out substantial amounts of student debt.)
The speech, which was carried live on several cable news channels, was Biden’s highest-profile public appearance in months. It’s unclear if the Biden campaign — or the news media — will view this as the beginning of a new and more active phase of his presidential bid.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-02--George W. Bush: George Floyd's Death Means It's Time To Listen, Not Lecture

Former President George W. Bush released a statement Tuesday about the police killing of George Floyd but emphasized it wasn ’ t his place to say how the country should handle its systemic racism problem .
Instead , he said , it was time for Americans to recognize “ the repeated violation ” of the rights of Black Americans who didn ’ t get “ an urgent and adequate response from American institutions ” in a statement posted on the George W. Bush Presidential Center website .
“ Laura and I are anguished by the brutal suffocation of George Floyd @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that suffocate our country .
Yet we have resisted the urge to speak out , because this is not the time for us to lecture .
It is time for us to listen .
“ It is time for America to examine our tragic failures ― and as we do , we will also see some of our redeeming strengths.
” The 43rd president noted that “ it remains a shocking failure that many African Americans , especially young African American men , are harassed and threatened in their own country.
” Bush @ @ @ @ @ @ @ essay Monday by Barack Obama , to speak out about Floyd , 46 , a Black man who died last week after a white Minneapolis police officer , Derek Chauvin , knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes while Floyd was handcuffed on the ground .
Video of the arrest , over a suspected counterfeit $ 20 bill , shows Floyd repeatedly telling officers he couldn ’ t breathe .
His death has ignited protests and unrest across the nation over racial injustice and police brutality .
But then Bush , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any public statements against police brutality during his two terms in office , then said that Floyd ’ s death ― one of “ a long series of similar tragedies ” — raises the long-overdue question of how does America end its systemic racism : “ The only way to see ourselves in a true light is to listen to the voices of so many who are hurting and grieving .
Those who set out to silence those voices do not understand the meaning of America — or how it becomes a better @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doctrine and habits of racial superiority , which once nearly split our country , still threaten our Union ” and admitted that “ we have often underestimated how radical that quest really is , and how our cherished principles challenge systems of intended or assumed injustice.
” The former president then cited American heroes like Frederick Douglass , Harriet Tubman , Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King Jr. as “ heroes of unity ” while conceding their actions “ often revealed the nation ’ s disturbing bigotry and exploitation — stains on our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to examine.
” Still , he said , “ we can only see the reality of America ’ s need by seeing it through the eyes of the threatened , oppressed , and disenfranchised.
” Although Bush never called out President Donald Trump ’ s fiery rhetoric , he did concede that “ many doubt the justice of our country , and with good reason .
Bush said that “ lasting justice will only come by peaceful means , ” adding that “ looting is not liberation , and destruction is not progress.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ depends on the fairness and legitimacy of the legal system .
And achieving justice for all is the duty of all.
” Bush said for that to happen will ” require a consistent , courageous , and creative effort ” and that Americans need to understand the experiences of their neighbors and “ treat them as equals , in both protection and compassion .
”

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Former President George W. Bush released a statement Tuesday about the police killing of George Floyd but emphasized it wasn’t his place to say how the country should handle its systemic racism problem.
Instead, he said, it was time for Americans to recognize “the repeated violation” of the rights of Black Americans who didn’t get “an urgent and adequate response from American institutions” in a statement posted on the George W. Bush Presidential Center website.
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“Laura and I are anguished by the brutal suffocation of George Floyd and disturbed by the injustice and fear that suffocate our country. Yet we have resisted the urge to speak out, because this is not the time for us to lecture. It is time for us to listen. “It is time for America to examine our tragic failures ― and as we do, we will also see some of our redeeming strengths.”
The 43rd president noted that “it remains a shocking failure that many African Americans, especially young African American men, are harassed and threatened in their own country.”
Bush is the third president — after Bill Clinton and Barack Obama — to speak out about Floyd, 46, a Black man who died last week after a white Minneapolis police officer, Derek Chauvin, knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes while Floyd was handcuffed on the ground. Video of the arrest, over a suspected counterfeit $20 bill, shows Floyd repeatedly telling officers he couldn’t breathe. His death has ignited protests and unrest across the nation over racial injustice and police brutality.
Bush, in his statement, added that peaceful protests, when protected by responsible law enforcement, “make for a better future.”
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But then Bush, who The New York Times noted never made any public statements against police brutality during his two terms in office, then said that Floyd’s death ― one of “a long series of similar tragedies” — raises the long-overdue question of how does America end its systemic racism:
“The only way to see ourselves in a true light is to listen to the voices of so many who are hurting and grieving. Those who set out to silence those voices do not understand the meaning of America — or how it becomes a better place.”
Bush acknowledged the country’s greatest challenge “has long been to unite people of very different backgrounds into a single nation of justice and opportunity.”
He added: “The doctrine and habits of racial superiority, which once nearly split our country, still threaten our Union” and admitted that “we have often underestimated how radical that quest really is, and how our cherished principles challenge systems of intended or assumed injustice.”
The former president then cited American heroes like Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman, Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King Jr. as “heroes of unity” while conceding their actions “often revealed the nation’s disturbing bigotry and exploitation — stains on our character sometimes difficult for the American majority to examine.”
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Still, he said, “we can only see the reality of America’s need by seeing it through the eyes of the threatened, oppressed, and disenfranchised.”
Although Bush never called out President Donald Trump’s fiery rhetoric, he did concede that “many doubt the justice of our country, and with good reason.
“Black people see the repeated violation of their rights without an urgent and adequate response from American institutions.”
Bush said that “lasting justice will only come by peaceful means,” adding that “looting is not liberation, and destruction is not progress.”
Lasting peace, he said, can come only from truly equal justice.
“The rule of law ultimately depends on the fairness and legitimacy of the legal system. And achieving justice for all is the duty of all.”
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Bush said for that to happen will ”require a consistent, courageous, and creative effort” and that Americans need to understand the experiences of their neighbors and “treat them as equals, in both protection and compassion.”
He said if Americans apply empathy, shared commitment, bold action “and a peace rooted in justice, I am confident that together, Americans will choose the better way.”
Although many people found Bush’s statement “resonant and powerful” and “the type of leadership we need,” it should be noted that Bush’s own record on race issues was mixed.
In 2015, Politico gave Bush a “C minus” on race issues, giving him high marks for administration diversity and international outreach but an F for domestic outreach, a D for jobs and unemployment and a C minus for “apology and reparations to the Black community.”
CORRECTION: A previous version of this story stated incorrectly that George W. Bush was the second president to speak out about Floyd’s death. He is the third.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-02--Former Minneapolis Mayor: Democrats ‘Shouldn’t Be Afraid’ Of Police Unions

That organizing has dented the power of police unions .
Activists and organizations have won the passage of police accountability referendums in Washington state and in cities like Rochester , New York , with opposition from police proving futile .
Progressive prosecutors have won elections with activists ’ backing , and more progressive police chiefs have attempted to reform entire city police departments .
In Austin , Texas , activists forced their way to the bargaining table during police union contract negotiations .
They won provisions that took the city ’ s police force from a “ retrograde contract to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” two members of the coalition wrote in The New York Times last year .
“ The police have become a viable political force , but they ’ re no more powerful than the NRA , the NAACP or anybody else , ” DeLord said .
“ Having said that , if you go for the last year or two and you look at every referendum on police reform , it passed despite police union opposition .
No matter what the union said , the will of the people ― they agreed that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ police are so powerful , how come they ’ ve not defeated a single referendum based on reform ?
” Public opinion paints the picture of a political ― and policing ― system out of step with its citizens .
The public is split on the protests , a Yahoo News/YouGov poll found this week , but 42 % of respondents said they believed the charges against Chauvin were appropriate .
Nearly half said they believed the charges should be harsher , and just 4 % said they believed Chauvin shouldn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In 2017 , 86 % of police said more officers were needed on the streets to combat crime , but only a third of Americans agreed .
Two-thirds of officers said they saw use of deadly force against Black people as isolated incidents , while 60 % of the public , including 54 % of white people , said police killings of Black people were a sign of a larger problem , according to Pew Research Center .
Democratic fealty to tough-on-crime policies and the party ’ s reticence to support policing reforms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s won them no support from police unions , which have turned sharply to the right since the Obama era .
Activists and protesters , meanwhile , have targeted Democrats for not doing enough to address the deep history of segregation and police violence in cities they control ― including Minneapolis and Louisville , Kentucky , where protests erupted this week over the police killing of Breonna Taylor , a 26-year-old emergency room technician whom police fatally shot in her home in March .

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R.T. Rybak needed support from the police, or so he thought. In 2001, not long after he won the Democratic primary in Minneapolis’ mayoral race, he met with the local police union in an attempt to earn its support and shore up his public safety bona fides. It worked: Rybak won its endorsement, and the general election two months later.
But when he was up for reelection four years later, the union decided to campaign against him. Police even held an event on a street corner near his home.
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The police union, Rybak recalled, was “relentlessly” hammering him over his handling of crime in the city. But then he got 61.5% of the vote.
The killing of George Floyd, a Black man who died after Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin kneeled on his neck, has ignited protests against police violence across the country. His death has also drawn renewed scrutiny to police unions from progressive lawmakers and activists who argue that the labor groups improperly shield officers from accountability and wield their power to thwart police reform efforts nationwide.
But Rybak’s initial effort to win support from the local union is also evidence of the power the police have wielded within Democratic politics for decades, and why cities they control have been and still are so slow to adopt meaningful reforms even as they find themselves at the center of protests over police killings.
Although police unions are typically more conservative than other labor groups and often support Republican candidates in municipal elections, their endorsements can still help bend local primaries toward Democrats whose views hew closely to those of the rank and file. Even in cities where their preferred candidates don’t win, police can scare leaders off of the most modest rhetorical criticisms or policy changes that threaten to provoke the slightest confrontation.
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Police spray mace at protesters to break up a gathering near the Minneapolis Police third precinct on May 27 after a white police officer was caught on a bystander's video pressing his knee into the neck of a Black man named George Floyd, who later died at a nearby hospital. Eric Miller / Reuters
And “the most obvious manifestation of political power” unions hold, especially in Democratic cities, is their ability to negotiate disciplinary procedures via collective bargaining, and in some cases score more favorable rules in exchange for concessions on pay, said Stephen Rushin, an assistant professor of law at Loyola University Chicago who studies police accountability.
Rybak said his experience is a lesson for Democrats, who need to get over their fear of the perceived power of police unions — even if it seems counterintuitive to openly position themselves against an organized labor group.
“Police federations are obviously unions, but in an urban election, they’re given way too much credit,” Rybak told HuffPost. “If I was going to run for an office in the city of Minneapolis right now, the very last thing I would do is get an endorsement from the police union.”
“Urban politicians shouldn’t be afraid of them and shouldn’t treat them like a traditional union,” he added.
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The police are one of the most trusted institutions in the United States, according to a Gallup poll. And many Americans — especially white Americans — see them as a proxy for public safety writ large, an incredible source of power for the unions that represent officers.
But Democrats have long offered another form of support, unwittingly or otherwise. They have largely bought into the idea that police and public safety are one and the same, setting up a dynamic in which both political parties have a shared agenda on law enforcement that protects the status quo, said Ed Chung, a criminal justice expert at the Center for American Progress, a liberal think tank.
“Regardless of political party, there continues to be a reliance on policing to provide our public safety,” Chung said. “It’s like they’re synonymous with each other: Public safety equals policing. Policing equals public safety. If you’re saying that the police are fully, completely responsible for public safety, you’re not going to go against what police want.”
The image of police as the vanguard of public safety for all Americans has cracked over the last five years, as the Black Lives Matter movement has exposed the reality of policing to white Americans who had otherwise ignored it.
Police officers look outside their car window as people march in a Black Lives Matter rally in downtown Las Vegas on June 1. BRIDGET BENNETT via Getty Images
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Police have reacted with violent crackdowns on protests across the country, and their unions have repeatedly placed blame for the unrest on everyone but themselves. On Monday, Minneapolis police union leader Lt. Bob Kroll issued a statement highlighting Floyd’s criminal history, calling protesters a “terrorist movement” and criticizing Mayor Jacob Frey for firing Chauvin and three other officers who stood by at the scene of Floyd’s killing.
Groups such as Campaign Zero have helped shift the tide against them, too, targeting what the campaign says is the true source of officers’ power: the union contracts that have helped create “a culture of impunity” among American police, as University of Nebraska Omaha professor Sam Walker told The New Yorker in 2016. Rushin, the assistant law professor at Loyola, has found in his research that “police departments’ internal disciplinary procedures, often established through the collective bargaining process, can serve as barriers to officer accountability.”
That organizing has dented the power of police unions. Activists and organizations have won the passage of police accountability referendums in Washington state and in cities like Rochester, New York, with opposition from police proving futile. Progressive prosecutors have won elections with activists’ backing, and more progressive police chiefs have attempted to reform entire city police departments. In Austin, Texas, activists forced their way to the bargaining table during police union contract negotiations. They won provisions that took the city’s police force from a “retrograde contract to one that offers transparency and accountability,” two members of the coalition wrote in The New York Times last year.
This is evidence that police unions aren’t as powerful as many activists say they are, said Ron DeLord, an Austin attorney and former head of the city’s police union who still helps negotiate union contracts.
“The police have become a viable political force, but they’re no more powerful than the NRA, the NAACP or anybody else,” DeLord said. “Having said that, if you go for the last year or two and you look at every referendum on police reform, it passed despite police union opposition. No matter what the union said, the will of the people ― they agreed that they wanted more reform. If the police are so powerful, how come they’ve not defeated a single referendum based on reform?”
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Public opinion paints the picture of a political ― and policing ― system out of step with its citizens. The public is split on the protests, a Yahoo News/YouGov poll found this week, but 42% of respondents said they believed the charges against Chauvin were appropriate. Nearly half said they believed the charges should be harsher, and just 4% said they believed Chauvin shouldn’t have been charged with a crime. In 2017, 86% of police said more officers were needed on the streets to combat crime, but only a third of Americans agreed. Two-thirds of officers said they saw use of deadly force against Black people as isolated incidents, while 60% of the public, including 54% of white people, said police killings of Black people were a sign of a larger problem, according to Pew Research Center.
Until Black Lives Matter gained traction as a movement, police and their unions were able to run a “public relations operation” that went “completely unopposed,” said Tahir Duckett, a civil rights attorney in Washington, D.C. “For 30 years, nobody said anything bad about police except for Black people.”
That’s beginning to change. Still, Duckett said, “the thing that feels most frustrating to me with how this is going in Democratic cities is that without any real reason, they have ceded ideological ground to some of the most reactionary organizations in their communities.”
Military police officers watch demonstrators as they chant outside of the White House on May 30 in Washington, D.C., during a protest over Floyd's death. JOSE LUIS MAGANA via Getty Images
Rybak’s time as mayor coincided with the post-Sept. 11 recession that hammered local budgets and the Bush administration’s efforts to flood local police departments with the high-tech gear and weapons that came back from wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Many cities, including those led by Democrats eager to help fight the war on terror on home soil or scared to seem like they weren’t, splurged on the goods and militarized local police.
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“That’s one of the many mistakes I’ll own up to,” Rybak said.
But many aren’t so willing. Democratic mayors and governors have continued to plow public money into police budgets even as shortfalls have forced cuts to social services and programs that would address homelessness, fund education, better assist drug users or boost other initiatives that experts say should be part of any policy plan actually focused on public safety.
Democratic fealty to tough-on-crime policies and the party’s reticence to support policing reforms have done them few favors. It’s won them no support from police unions, which have turned sharply to the right since the Obama era. Activists and protesters, meanwhile, have targeted Democrats for not doing enough to address the deep history of segregation and police violence in cities they control ― including Minneapolis and Louisville, Kentucky, where protests erupted this week over the police killing of Breonna Taylor, a 26-year-old emergency room technician whom police fatally shot in her home in March.
Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer, a Democrat, is now facing calls to fire the three police officers who killed Taylor while executing a “no knock” warrant in March ― a move that may be complicated by the police union’s contract with the city. (Fischer has suspended the use of such warrants, and on Monday he fired Louisville Metro police Chief Steve Conrad after officers did not turn on body cameras during a shooting that killed David McAtee, a 53-year-old Black man.)
DeLord, the Austin attorney, credited local activists with working with the police union to put new reforms into its contract. He also argued that ensuring due process is all police unions want in such cases, and that police officers shouldn’t be subject to the whims of protesters.
Police officers are not the only party at the negotiating table, DeLord said, and they don’t determine department policies on their own. It’s on politicians and the police chiefs they appoint to draft the laws and policies to which officers should be subject. Many police unions have willingly adopted reforms, he added, but they also want protections for their jobs.
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“Does it need constant review? Yes, it does,” DeLord said. But police “want certain procedural due processes. We’re bargaining over whether you should keep your job, and those are based on whether you followed the procedures of the department. And if you did not, you’re subject to discipline.”
But activists and experts have argued that even collectively bargained disciplinary procedures should be far stricter for public employees who have the state’s license to use lethal force against its citizens than they are for other public employees. Nearly one-quarter of the 1,881 police officers fired between 2006 and 2017 were reinstated, a Washington Post investigation found, and Duckett, the civil rights attorney, said police often enjoy more protection from and discretion over their contracts than many other public workers.
Democrats who want police reform don’t have “to bust the union,” Duckett said. “But at least start to actually bargain with them. Why is it that in city after city, you have police contracts that might as well have been written by rank-and-file police themselves? Teachers don’t get to write their own contracts and get them rubber-stamped by Democratic officials. So why are you doing that with the police?”
Rybak, the former Minneapolis mayor, doesn’t believe there are “simple solutions” to the problem of policing. But he said that cooperation between unions and the communities they police is necessary for real reform, and that the onus is on police to make that happen.
“I used to say there are plenty of good cops who just need to speak up. But now I say, you can’t be a good cop unless you do speak up,” Rybak said. “You’re either saying something or you’re part of the problem.”
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And though it may not seem like it now, as police continue to crack down on protesters nationwide, the progress that Black Lives Matter and other activist groups have made without much political help suggests that neither police unions nor Democrats will have a choice but to eventually get on board with major overhauls, Duckett said.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-03--White Supremacist Congressman Steve King Defeated In Shock GOP Primary

Steve King , the white supremacist congressman from Iowa , was defeated in a shocking Republican primary Tuesday , bringing an end to the long legislative career of one of Washington ’ s most explicit bigots .
Former Iowa state Sen. Randy Feenstra defeated King to earn the GOP nomination for Iowa ’ s 4th Congressional District , according to The New York Times .
Feenstra will now face Democrat J.D .
Scholten in the general election this November .
“ I am truly humbled by the outpouring of support over the past 17 months that made tonight possible and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of public service , ” Feenstra said in a statement Tuesday night .
“ As we turn to the General Election , I will remain focused on my plans to deliver results for the families , farmers and communities of Iowa .
But first , we must make sure this seat doesn ’ t land in the hands of Nancy Pelosi and her liberal allies in Congress.
” King spent nine terms in Congress and became notorious for his comments about Latinos , Muslims , Blacks and queer people .
While a close @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , King had a falling out with the GOP rank-and-file last year after making remarks condoning white supremacy .
“ White nationalist , white supremacist , Western civilization — how did that language become offensive ?
” King told The New York Times during a January interview about immigration .
“ Why did I sit in classes teaching me about the merits of our history and our civilization ?
” Sen. Randy Feenstra , left , talks with state Sen. Roby Smith in the Iowa Legislature in 2019 .
Feenstra will face Democrat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Republican leadership in the House took the extraordinary step of stripping King of his committee seats as punishment for the comments .
In 2018 , a series of reports by HuffPost and other news outlets exposed the depths of King ’ s white supremacy .
HuffPost found that King had traveled to Austria and gave an in-person interview with a neo-fascist publication in which he discussed the “ Great Replacement , ” a white nationalist conspiracy theory .
King also made headlines for repeatedly promoting neo-Nazis on Twitter and for endorsing a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In November 2018 , King eked out a general election victory against Scholten , the Democrat , by only 3 percentage points .
King had routinely won reelection in his deeply conservative district by over 20 points .
A powerful coalition of GOP figures , fearing King was a political liability for the party , put money into boosting Feenstra ’ s campaign .

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Steve King, the white supremacist congressman from Iowa, was defeated in a shocking Republican primary Tuesday, bringing an end to the long legislative career of one of Washington’s most explicit bigots.
Former Iowa state Sen. Randy Feenstra defeated King to earn the GOP nomination for Iowa’s 4th Congressional District, according to The New York Times. Feenstra will now face Democrat J.D. Scholten in the general election this November.
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“I am truly humbled by the outpouring of support over the past 17 months that made tonight possible and I thank Congressman King for his decades of public service,” Feenstra said in a statement Tuesday night. “As we turn to the General Election, I will remain focused on my plans to deliver results for the families, farmers and communities of Iowa. But first, we must make sure this seat doesn’t land in the hands of Nancy Pelosi and her liberal allies in Congress.”
King spent nine terms in Congress and became notorious for his comments about Latinos, Muslims, Blacks and queer people. While a close ally and supporter of President Donald Trump, King had a falling out with the GOP rank-and-file last year after making remarks condoning white supremacy.
“White nationalist, white supremacist, Western civilization — how did that language become offensive?” King told The New York Times during a January interview about immigration. “Why did I sit in classes teaching me about the merits of our history and our civilization?”
Sen. Randy Feenstra, left, talks with state Sen. Roby Smith in the Iowa Legislature in 2019. Feenstra will face Democrat J.D. Scholten in November for Congress. Charlie Neibergall/ASSOCIATED PRESS
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Republican leadership in the House took the extraordinary step of stripping King of his committee seats as punishment for the comments.
In 2018, a series of reports by HuffPost and other news outlets exposed the depths of King’s white supremacy.
HuffPost found that King had traveled to Austria and gave an in-person interview with a neo-fascist publication in which he discussed the “Great Replacement,” a white nationalist conspiracy theory.
King also made headlines for repeatedly promoting neo-Nazis on Twitter and for endorsing a white nationalist candidate for mayor of Toronto.
In November 2018, King eked out a general election victory against Scholten, the Democrat, by only 3 percentage points. King had routinely won reelection in his deeply conservative district by over 20 points.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-02--Even Pat Robertson Is Turning On Trump: 'You Just Don't Do That, Mr. President'

Televangelist Pat Robertson scolded President Donald Trump on Tuesday over his threat to send the U.S. military into American cities to control civil unrest .
“ You just don ’ t do that , Mr. President , ” Robertson said on his “ 700 Club ” TV show , then he raised his voice : “ It isn ’ t cool.
” In comments posted online by Right Wing Watch , Robertson also called out Trump for getting the tone all wrong in dealing with the people protesting against racial injustice in the wake of the police killing of George @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , last week .
“ You know , there ’ s a purpose to everything under heaven , you read in the Bible , and there ’ s a time , ” he said .
“ And I think like now is the time to say , ’ I understand your pain , I want to comfort you , I think it ’ s time we love each other.
” But Trump , he said , took a very different approach : Given that Robertson is usually to be found on the far @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a stir on social media : You ’ ve all been asking who the leader of antifa is , and boy have I got a plot twist https : //t.co/1PsIwONLPy — Dave Weigel ( @ daveweigel ) June 3 , 2020 Damn..Pat Robertson is a triple OG white supremacist .
So when he says Trump 's response to the anti-Black racism protests was wrong , that really says a lot about Trump .
https : //t.co/II23Rihd5O — Tariq Nasheed 🇺🇸 ( @ tariqnasheed ) June 3 , 2020 I honestly did not think @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over being too shitty on racism and yet ... https : //t.co/fBTq3Rzylv — The Hoarse Whisperer ( @ HoarseWisperer ) June 3 , 2020 Pat Robertson is criticizing Trump for his actions against protestors .
At this point , 2020 is just flat-out trolling us .
https : //t.co/X4gAqdAoZt — Charlotte Clymer 🏳🌈 ( @ cmclymer ) June 3 , 2020 Well , I guess the apocalypse really must be upon us because I just found myself in agreement with Pat Robertson .
https : //t.co/r6jDW5sxAW — Rev .
Dr. Stacey Simpson Duke @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2020

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Televangelist Pat Robertson scolded President Donald Trump on Tuesday over his threat to send the U.S. military into American cities to control civil unrest.
“You just don’t do that, Mr. President,” Robertson said on his “700 Club” TV show, then he raised his voice: “It isn’t cool.”
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In comments posted online by Right Wing Watch, Robertson also called out Trump for getting the tone all wrong in dealing with the people protesting against racial injustice in the wake of the police killing of George Floyd, a Black man in Minneapolis, last week.
“You know, there’s a purpose to everything under heaven, you read in the Bible, and there’s a time,” he said. “And I think like now is the time to say, ’I understand your pain, I want to comfort you, I think it’s time we love each other.”
But Trump, he said, took a very different approach:
Pat Robertson tells Trump that his response to the George Floyd protests "isn't cool." pic.twitter.com/vDBYxxUp10 — Right Wing Watch (@RightWingWatch) June 2, 2020
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Given that Robertson is usually to be found on the far right, his criticism of Trump caused a stir on social media:
You’ve all been asking who the leader of antifa is, and boy have I got a plot twist https://t.co/1PsIwONLPy — Dave Weigel (@daveweigel) June 3, 2020
I’m not ready for woke Pat Robertson TBH https://t.co/WoZpMlsWO2 pic.twitter.com/68TpLgww37 — Asha Rangappa (@AshaRangappa_) June 3, 2020
Damn..Pat Robertson is a triple OG white supremacist.
So when he says Trump's response to the anti-Black racism protests was wrong, that really says a lot about Trump. https://t.co/II23Rihd5O — Tariq Nasheed 🇺🇸 (@tariqnasheed) June 3, 2020
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I honestly did not think it was possible to lose Pat Robertson over being too shitty on racism and yet... https://t.co/fBTq3Rzylv — The Hoarse Whisperer (@HoarseWisperer) June 3, 2020
Pat Robertson is criticizing Trump for his actions against protestors.
At this point, 2020 is just flat-out trolling us. https://t.co/X4gAqdAoZt — Charlotte Clymer 🏳🌈 (@cmclymer) June 3, 2020
When you lose Pat Robertson... https://t.co/2U7L0MSSmL — Julia Ioffe (@juliaioffe) June 3, 2020
what did I just watch and do I agree with Pat Robertson suddenly pic.twitter.com/K2uZBYI9j0 — Alissa Wilkinson (@alissamarie) June 3, 2020
Well, I guess the apocalypse really must be upon us because I just found myself in agreement with Pat Robertson. https://t.co/r6jDW5sxAW — Rev. Dr. Stacey Simpson Duke (@revdrduke) June 3, 2020


thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-03--Former Joint Chiefs Chairman Sounds Off On Trump: 'I Cannot Remain Silent’

Mike Mullen , former chairman of the joint chiefs of staff , wrote in The Atlantic on Tuesday that he “ can not remain silent ” about President Donald Trump any longer .
“ It sickened me yesterday to see security personnel – including members of the National Guard – forcibly and violently clear a path through Lafayette Square to accommodate the president ’ s visit outside St. John ’ s Church , ” he wrote .
Former Joint Chiefs Chairman Adm. Mike Mullen said American neighborhoods are our homes ― not “ battle spaces.
” On Monday , Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cities to deal with civil unrest in the wake of the police killing of George Floyd , a Black man in Minneapolis , last week .
After the president spoke , police forced peaceful protesters out of Lafayette Square near the White House so he could walk to the church for a photo op .
Mullen , who served as chairman under Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama , called the photo op a “ stunt ” that did little good : “ Whatever Trump ’ s goal in conducting his visit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the rights of peaceful protest in this country , gave succor to the leaders of other countries who take comfort in our domestic strife and risked further politicizing the men and women of our armed forces.
” “ But I am less confident in the soundness of the orders they will be given by this commander in chief , ” Mullen wrote .
“ And I am not convinced that the conditions on our streets , as bad as they are , have risen to the level that justifies a heavy reliance on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ neighborhoods are our homes ― not “ battle spaces , ” as Defense Secretary Mark Esper described them over the weekend .
“ Our fellow citizens are not the enemy and must never become so , ” Mullen wrote .
CORRECTION : A previous version of this story misstated the name of the defense secretary .

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Mike Mullen, former chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, wrote in The Atlantic on Tuesday that he “cannot remain silent” about President Donald Trump any longer.
“It sickened me yesterday to see security personnel – including members of the National Guard – forcibly and violently clear a path through Lafayette Square to accommodate the president’s visit outside St. John’s Church,” he wrote.
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Former Joint Chiefs Chairman Adm. Mike Mullen said American neighborhoods are our homes ― not “battle spaces.” ASSOCIATED PRESS
On Monday, Trump threatened to send U.S. troops into American cities to deal with civil unrest in the wake of the police killing of George Floyd, a Black man in Minneapolis, last week. After the president spoke, police forced peaceful protesters out of Lafayette Square near the White House so he could walk to the church for a photo op.
Mullen, who served as chairman under Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, called the photo op a “stunt” that did little good:
“Whatever Trump’s goal in conducting his visit, he laid bare his disdain for the rights of peaceful protest in this country, gave succor to the leaders of other countries who take comfort in our domestic strife and risked further politicizing the men and women of our armed forces.”
The retired four-star Navy admiral said armed forces would obey lawful orders.
“But I am less confident in the soundness of the orders they will be given by this commander in chief,” Mullen wrote. “And I am not convinced that the conditions on our streets, as bad as they are, have risen to the level that justifies a heavy reliance on military troops.”
Mullen noted that American neighborhoods are our homes ― not “battle spaces,” as Defense Secretary Mark Esper described them over the weekend.
“Our fellow citizens are not the enemy and must never become so,” Mullen wrote.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-02--Defense Secretary Says He 'Didn't Know' He Was Going With Trump To Photo-Op

Defense Secretary Mark Esper said Tuesday he “ didn ’ t know ” where he was going when he left the White House so that President Donald Trump could pose with a Bible after protesters were violently dispersed from the front of a historic church .
“ I thought I was going to do two things : to see some damage and to talk to the troops , ” Esper told NBC News in an interview , saying he thought they were going to see a vandalized bathroom .
“ I didn ’ t know where I was going .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ actually happened.
” Esper ’ s comments come amid ongoing protests nationwide over the death of George Floyd , a Black man who died in Minneapolis police custody May 25 after a white officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes .
During one such protest Monday in Washington ’ s Lafayette Park , across from the White House , federal police abruptly cleared the area with tear gas and flash-bang grenades as Trump pledged in a Rose Garden speech to crack down on anti-racist demonstrations .
Shortly after the address , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an entourage and walked to St. John ’ s Church for a photo-op .
He held a Bible , declared America the “ greatest country in the world ” and left .
The move prompted widespread condemnation from many Democratic lawmakers and members of the clergy , some of whom said they were “ outraged ” at the violent means used against largely peaceful protesters .
Gen. Mark Milley , chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff , was also with the president and spent Monday evening walking around the capital to see @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were doing .
Military staff said earlier Tuesday he didn ’ t know about the photo-op or the dispersal tactics before it took place .
Esper told NBC News on Tuesday that he , too , had “ no idea ” about the plans to disperse the crowds , but he noted he was “ very proud of the National Guard.
” He said he initially wanted to go out and thank them .
Earlier this week , the defense secretary said the military would help quell protests around the nation in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was in “ full support ” of local law enforcement .
“ I think the sooner that you mass and dominate the battle space , the quicker this dissipates and we can get back to the right normal , ” he said in the call , audio of which was obtained by The Washington Post .

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Defense Secretary Mark Esper said Tuesday he “didn’t know” where he was going when he left the White House so that President Donald Trump could pose with a Bible after protesters were violently dispersed from the front of a historic church.
“I thought I was going to do two things: to see some damage and to talk to the troops,” Esper told NBC News in an interview, saying he thought they were going to see a vandalized bathroom. “I didn’t know where I was going. I wanted to see how much damage actually happened.”
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Esper’s comments come amid ongoing protests nationwide over the death of George Floyd, a Black man who died in Minneapolis police custody May 25 after a white officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes.
During one such protest Monday in Washington’s Lafayette Park, across from the White House, federal police abruptly cleared the area with tear gas and flash-bang grenades as Trump pledged in a Rose Garden speech to crack down on anti-racist demonstrations.
Shortly after the address, the president left the White House with an entourage and walked to St. John’s Church for a photo-op. He held a Bible, declared America the “greatest country in the world” and left.
The move prompted widespread condemnation from many Democratic lawmakers and members of the clergy, some of whom said they were “outraged” at the violent means used against largely peaceful protesters.
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Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was also with the president and spent Monday evening walking around the capital to see “how well” National Guard troops were doing. Military staff said earlier Tuesday he didn’t know about the photo-op or the dispersal tactics before it took place.
Esper told NBC News on Tuesday that he, too, had “no idea” about the plans to disperse the crowds, but he noted he was “very proud of the National Guard.” He said he initially wanted to go out and thank them.
Earlier this week, the defense secretary said the military would help quell protests around the nation in a call with governors, saying the Pentagon was in “full support” of local law enforcement.