thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-28--House Democrats Abandon Vote On FISA Reauthorization

House Democrats abandoned plans to vote Thursday on a bill reauthorizing lapsed provisions of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act after complaints from Republicans and progressives , leaving the renewal and overhaul of major domestic surveillance programs in doubt .
“ The two-thirds of the Republican party that voted for this bill in March have indicated they are going to vote against it now .
I am told they are doing so at the request of the President , ” Hoyer said in a statement .
House progressives , who opposed the bill in March , also refused to get on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to lawmakers on Tuesday urging them to oppose an amendment they said offered fewer protections for Americans ’ Internet browsing data .
The amendment was offered as a compromise to the bill , but it collapsed after the Democratic sponsor of a similar measure in the Senate , Ron Wyden of Oregon , pulled his support .
The developments left many progressive advocates frustrated that the Democratic-controlled House changed a provision that received such widespread support in the Senate ― one that would have barred the federal government from spying on Americans ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ warrant .
The ability of Congress to renew controversial FISA surveillance programs , some of which expired last year , always hinged on a bipartisan coalition of members that could overcome opposition from liberals and libertarian-leaning conservatives .
Once Republicans pulled their support , House Democrats couldn ’ t make up the difference within their own numbers .
Trump and his allies had their own complaints about FISA .
The president alleged that surveillance programs were abused by the Obama administration to spy on former national security adviser Michael Flynn , a member @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Speaker Nancy Pelosi ( D-Calif. ) told reporters on Thursday she intended to go to conference with the Senate to come up with a bicameral agreement on reauthorizing the law .
The upper chamber passed its own version last week that included some modest reforms to the surveillance programs , but senators fell one vote shy of preventing the federal government from spying on Americans ’ internet browsing and search histories without a warrant .

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House Democrats abandoned plans to vote Thursday on a bill reauthorizing lapsed provisions of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act after complaints from Republicans and progressives, leaving the renewal and overhaul of major domestic surveillance programs in doubt.
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) blamed President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans for whipping against a bill that passed earlier this year with broad GOP support.
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“The two-thirds of the Republican party that voted for this bill in March have indicated they are going to vote against it now. I am told they are doing so at the request of the President,” Hoyer said in a statement.
House progressives, who opposed the bill in March, also refused to get on board. Privacy advocates sent a letter to lawmakers on Tuesday urging them to oppose an amendment they said offered fewer protections for Americans’ Internet browsing data. The amendment was offered as a compromise to the bill, but it collapsed after the Democratic sponsor of a similar measure in the Senate, Ron Wyden of Oregon, pulled his support.
The developments left many progressive advocates frustrated that the Democratic-controlled House changed a provision that received such widespread support in the Senate ― one that would have barred the federal government from spying on Americans’ internet browsing and search histories without a warrant.
The ability of Congress to renew controversial FISA surveillance programs, some of which expired last year, always hinged on a bipartisan coalition of members that could overcome opposition from liberals and libertarian-leaning conservatives. Once Republicans pulled their support, House Democrats couldn’t make up the difference within their own numbers.
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Trump and his allies had their own complaints about FISA. The president alleged that surveillance programs were abused by the Obama administration to spy on former national security adviser Michael Flynn, a member of his 2016 presidential campaign.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) told reporters on Thursday she intended to go to conference with the Senate to come up with a bicameral agreement on reauthorizing the law.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-28--Rush Limbaugh Says Cancer Treatment Is ‘Kicking My Ass’

Conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh revealed this week that his treatment for advanced lung cancer is “ kicking my ass.
” “ There have been many cycles but this is the third wave and this current wave , I have to tell you , is kicking my ass , ” the controversial 69-year-old political commentator said during Tuesday ’ s broadcast of his nationally syndicated “ The Rush Limbaugh Show.
” “ For the last seven days , I have been virtually worthless , virtually useless , ” he continued .
“ I haven ’ t left the house .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ anything , except just try to rest and relax .
All of this was told to me , it was gon na be a factor.
” He added : “ It ’ s the price that you pay if you make the decision to go ahead and do treatment to try to prolong your life.
” Limbaugh , a staunch supporter of President Donald Trump who has often used his popular show to espouse conspiracy theories , said he ’ d been reluctant in recent weeks to talk about his condition “ because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ patient on the radio.
” He also feared attacks , claiming : “ If I were to go into much greater detail , you know , the media would start researching everything I said.
” Limbaugh appeared to suggest he may soon have to take more time off from hosting his show because of the physical and mental toll .
“ I hope that that doesn ’ t happen .
And I ’ m not , at the same time , making any excuses .
But I do feel the need to keep @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Limbaugh announced his diagnosis on air in early February , one day before Trump presented him with the Presidential Medal of Freedom during the State of the Union address .

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Conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh revealed this week that his treatment for advanced lung cancer is “kicking my ass.”
“There have been many cycles but this is the third wave and this current wave, I have to tell you, is kicking my ass,” the controversial 69-year-old political commentator said during Tuesday’s broadcast of his nationally syndicated “The Rush Limbaugh Show.”
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“For the last seven days, I have been virtually worthless, virtually useless,” he continued. “I haven’t left the house. I haven’t done much of anything, except just try to rest and relax. All of this was told to me, it was gonna be a factor.”
He added: “It’s the price that you pay if you make the decision to go ahead and do treatment to try to prolong your life.”
Limbaugh, a staunch supporter of President Donald Trump who has often used his popular show to espouse conspiracy theories, said he’d been reluctant in recent weeks to talk about his condition “because I vowed not to be a cancer patient on the radio.”
He also feared attacks, claiming: “If I were to go into much greater detail, you know, the media would start researching everything I said.”
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Limbaugh appeared to suggest he may soon have to take more time off from hosting his show because of the physical and mental toll.
“I hope that that doesn’t happen. And I’m not, at the same time, making any excuses. But I do feel the need to keep you informed,” he said.
Limbaugh announced his diagnosis on air in early February, one day before Trump presented him with the Presidential Medal of Freedom during the State of the Union address.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-28--Senate Democrats Call For Audit Of OSHA Over Lax Coronavirus Enforcement

A group of Senate Democrats says the Occupational Safety and Health Administration has done so little to protect workers during the coronavirus pandemic that they want an audit of the agency ’ s enforcement efforts since March .
In a letter Wednesday , the lawmakers asked the Labor Department ’ s inspector general to investigate OSHA ’ s inspections and citations ever since workers began getting sick with COVID-19 .
They also asked the watchdog to probe the agency ’ s decision not to implement an emergency standard to deal with the virus .
Citing a drop in workplace investigations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ grave concerns that OSHA is failing to meet its core mission of protecting worker health and safety during the COVID-19 pandemic.
” In a statement to HuffPost , Warren said OSHA has “ let employers off the hook ” and “ refused to take even the most basic steps to protect workers during this crisis.
” Democrats and workplace safety advocates have been hammering OSHA , which is part of the Labor Department , for going easy on employers during the pandemic .
The agency has issued a raft of new guidance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ merely advice for employers on how to keep workers safe ― not legally enforceable measures that come with citations .
Former OSHA officials from the Obama presidency have harshly criticized the agency ’ s leadership under Trump for not issuing an emergency standard that would require certain employers to follow clear protocols for the coronavirus .
Critics also say the agency should be using every tool it has ― from fines to the bully pulpit ― to pressure employers to follow social distancing measures and provide protective equipment for workers .
The lawmakers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the coronavirus “ constitutes a new hazard ” and therefore requires an emergency standard .
They called OSHA ’ s rationale for not implementing one “ plainly faulty , ” pointing to COVID-19 outbreaks at a Walmart store in Massachusetts , a Smithfield meatpacking plant in South Dakota and an Amazon warehouse in Kentucky .
Labor Secretary Eugene Scalia has defended the agency ’ s handling of the crisis , saying it is pursuing a “ two-pronged approach ” of guidelines and enforcement during the pandemic .
But under the Trump presidency @ @ @ @ @ @ @ number of worker protections while scaling back enforcement efforts .
The number of inspectors within OSHA has dropped to levels not seen in decades .
As of last week , OSHA had opened just 310 inspections related to COVID-19 out of nearly 4,000 complaints received on the subject , Politico reported .
The agency still had not issued a citation dealing with the coronavirus , though it has up to six months to issue one from the time a violation is alleged to have happened .
In their letter , the lawmakers cited @ @ @ @ @ @ @ largely abdicated its investigation and enforcement responsibilities for even existing standards .
”

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A group of Senate Democrats says the Occupational Safety and Health Administration has done so little to protect workers during the coronavirus pandemic that they want an audit of the agency’s enforcement efforts since March.
In a letter Wednesday, the lawmakers asked the Labor Department’s inspector general to investigate OSHA’s inspections and citations ever since workers began getting sick with COVID-19. They also asked the watchdog to probe the agency’s decision not to implement an emergency standard to deal with the virus.
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Citing a drop in workplace investigations, the senators wrote that they have “grave concerns that OSHA is failing to meet its core mission of protecting worker health and safety during the COVID-19 pandemic.”
The letter was spearheaded by Sen. Elizabeth Warren (Mass.) and cosigned by fellow Democrats Tim Kaine (Va.), Tammy Baldwin (Wis.), Bob Casey (Penn.) and Tammy Duckworth (Ill.), as well as independent Sen. Bernie Sanders (Vt.).
In a statement to HuffPost, Warren said OSHA has “let employers off the hook” and “refused to take even the most basic steps to protect workers during this crisis.”
A Labor Department spokesperson disputed the lawmakers’ characterization of OSHA enforcement.
“With respect, the Senators’ letter paints a grossly inaccurate picture of the unprecedented response by OSHA and the federal government as a whole to the coronavirus pandemic,” the spokesperson said in an email. “The Department is committed to protecting American workers during the pandemic, and OSHA has been working around the clock to that end.”
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Democrats and workplace safety advocates have been hammering OSHA, which is part of the Labor Department, for going easy on employers during the pandemic. The agency has issued a raft of new guidance in recent weeks, but it is merely advice for employers on how to keep workers safe ― not legally enforceable measures that come with citations.
Former OSHA officials from the Obama presidency have harshly criticized the agency’s leadership under Trump for not issuing an emergency standard that would require certain employers to follow clear protocols for the coronavirus.
Critics also say the agency should be using every tool it has ― from fines to the bully pulpit ― to pressure employers to follow social distancing measures and provide protective equipment for workers.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren and other Democrats say OSHA has fallen down on the job. Chip Somodevilla via Getty Images
The lawmakers said it was “beyond dispute” that the coronavirus “constitutes a new hazard” and therefore requires an emergency standard. They called OSHA’s rationale for not implementing one “plainly faulty,” pointing to COVID-19 outbreaks at a Walmart store in Massachusetts, a Smithfield meatpacking plant in South Dakota and an Amazon warehouse in Kentucky.
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Labor Secretary Eugene Scalia has defended the agency’s handling of the crisis, saying it is pursuing a “two-pronged approach” of guidelines and enforcement during the pandemic. But under the Trump presidency, the Labor Department has repealed a number of worker protections while scaling back enforcement efforts. The number of inspectors within OSHA has dropped to levels not seen in decades.
As of last week, OSHA had opened just 310 inspections related to COVID-19 out of nearly 4,000 complaints received on the subject, Politico reported. The agency still had not issued a citation dealing with the coronavirus at that point, though it has up to six months to issue one from the time a violation is alleged to have happened.
In their letter, the lawmakers cited those figures and said OSHA has “largely abdicated its investigation and enforcement responsibilities for even existing standards.”
On Thursday, Loren Sweatt, the agency’s principal deputy assistant secretary, testified before Congress that OSHA had issued one citation related to the coronavirus.
This post has been updated with a response from OSHA.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-28--Declare Racism A Public Health Crisis, Minneapolis City Council VP Says

Andrea Jenkins , vice president of the Minneapolis City Council , urged her colleagues in local government to declare racism a public health issue after George Floyd ’ s death at the hands of police .
Floyd , 46 , died Monday after a police officer kneeled on his neck and appeared to ignore his pleas for air long after he stopped moving , video showed .
“ We feel as if there was a knee on all of our collective necks ― a knee that says Black life does not matter , ” Jenkins began .
“ You stand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ life .
A senseless , tragic loss of Black life .
I really don ’ t have many words , but I know that something ’ s got to change , ” she said .
“ So I am asking my colleagues , the mayor , and anyone else who is concerned with the state of affairs in our community to declare a state of emergency declaring racism as a public health issue .
Until we name this virus , this disease that has infected America for the past 400 years , we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Four Minneapolis police officers were fired this week in the wake of the killing , and Mayor Jacob Frey has called for charges against them .
“ To those who say bringing up racism is racist in and of itself , I say to you , if you don ’ t call cancer what it is , you can never cure that disease , ” Jenkins said .
Jenkins is known for being the first openly transgender African American woman elected to public office in the U.S. , in 2018 .
Minneapolis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I am asking my colleagues ... to declare a state of emergency declaring racism as a public health issue .
Until we name this virus , this disease that has infected America for the past 400 years , we will never , ever resolve this issue . ''
pic.twitter.com/qO60aJAvQp — NBC News ( @ NBCNews ) May 28 , 2020 Protests in the Minneapolis area over Floyd ’ s death erupted Wednesday night following a daylong peaceful demonstration outside a police station , where officers attempted to disperse the crowd using tear gas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some people set fire to an Auto Zone and vandalized a Target and some other businesses .
One man was shot and killed , reportedly by a pawn store owner who was soon arrested .

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Andrea Jenkins, vice president of the Minneapolis City Council, urged her colleagues in local government to declare racism a public health issue after George Floyd’s death at the hands of police.
An emergency public health declaration could help alleviate a 400-year-old sickness, Jenkins suggested during a city press conference Thursday.
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Floyd, 46, died Monday after a police officer kneeled on his neck and appeared to ignore his pleas for air long after he stopped moving, video showed.
“We feel as if there was a knee on all of our collective necks ― a knee that says Black life does not matter,” Jenkins began.
“You stand here grieving yet another loss of Black life. A senseless, tragic loss of Black life. I really don’t have many words, but I know that something’s got to change,” she said.
“So I am asking my colleagues, the mayor, and anyone else who is concerned with the state of affairs in our community to declare a state of emergency declaring racism as a public health issue. Until we name this virus, this disease that has infected America for the past 400 years, we will never, ever resolve this issue.”
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Four Minneapolis police officers were fired this week in the wake of the killing, and Mayor Jacob Frey has called for charges against them.
“To those who say bringing up racism is racist in and of itself, I say to you, if you don’t call cancer what it is, you can never cure that disease,” Jenkins said. Jenkins is known for being the first openly transgender African American woman elected to public office in the U.S., in 2018.
Minneapolis City Council VP Andrea Jenkins:
“I am asking my colleagues ... to declare a state of emergency declaring racism as a public health issue. Until we name this virus, this disease that has infected America for the past 400 years, we will never, ever resolve this issue." pic.twitter.com/qO60aJAvQp — NBC News (@NBCNews) May 28, 2020
Protests in the Minneapolis area over Floyd’s death erupted Wednesday night following a daylong peaceful demonstration outside a police station, where officers attempted to disperse the crowd using tear gas and rubber bullets. After nightfall, some people set fire to an Auto Zone and vandalized a Target and some other businesses.
One man was shot and killed, reportedly by a pawn store owner who was soon arrested.
Frey, the mayor, has pleaded with residents to express their anger nonviolently.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-28--Joe Biden Says He Hopes To Name Running Mate By Aug. 1

Joe Biden told supporters at a virtual fundraiser on Wednesday night that he hopes to name his running mate by August 1 .
The presumptive Democratic candidate for president said his campaign had interviewed the candidates on his shortlist — all of them women — and was in the process of “ deciding the basic cut , ” CNN reported .
“ I think that I need somebody who in fact is simpatico with me , both in terms of personality as well as substance .
That means that they don ’ t have to agree with me on everything @ @ @ @ @ @ @ same basic approach to how we handle the economy and how we handle everything , ” Biden said during the fundraiser , according to The Washington Post .
He added that he wants “ to have people around me that have strengths and capacities I don ’ t. ” Biden is reportedly considering several different women for the role , including former presidential hopefuls Sens .
Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts , Kamala Harris of California , and Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota .
Former Georgia state representative Stacey Abrams , Michigan Gov .
Gretchen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lujan Grisham are believed to also be on the shortlist .

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Joe Biden told supporters at a virtual fundraiser on Wednesday night that he hopes to name his running mate by August 1.
The presumptive Democratic candidate for president said his campaign had interviewed the candidates on his shortlist — all of them women — and was in the process of “deciding the basic cut,” CNN reported.
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“I think that I need somebody who in fact is simpatico with me, both in terms of personality as well as substance. That means that they don’t have to agree with me on everything, but they have to have the same basic approach to how we handle the economy and how we handle everything,” Biden said during the fundraiser, according to The Washington Post.
He added that he wants “to have people around me that have strengths and capacities I don’t.”
Biden is reportedly considering several different women for the role, including former presidential hopefuls Sens. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Kamala Harris of California, and Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota.
Former Georgia state representative Stacey Abrams, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham are believed to also be on the shortlist.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-28--Trump Claims He'd Quit Twitter 'If We Had Fair Press In This Country'

President Donald Trump really wants to quit Twitter , he claims , but he just ... can ’ t .
The president admitted his lingering attraction to the social media platform to reporters on Thursday while signing an executive order designed to weaken legal protections for social media companies .
Trump signed the order a couple of days after Twitter appended fact-check links to his tweets claiming mail-in voting is rife with fraud .
Reporters watching the president sign the order attempted to ask a logical question : If you ’ re not happy with Twitter , why not just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he really would put the kibosh on Twitter if he didn ’ t have to deal with unfair reporting by the press .
. @ realDonaldTrump says he would delete his  @ Twitter account if it weren ’ t for what he considers unfair reporting by the press pic.twitter.com/FSZZZPQCmZ — Jeff Mason ( @ jeffmason1 ) May 28 , 2020 The president also claimed that social media has “ unchecked power ” and is “ beginning to editorialize.
” He then rhetorically asked , “ Imagine if your phone company edited or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Oval tells reporters that social media has “ unchecked power.
” Twitter ceasing to be a neutral public platform and beginning to editorialize .
“ Imagine if you ’ re phone company edited or silenced your conversations , ” he says .
— Jennifer Jacobs ( @ JenniferJJacobs ) May 28 , 2020 Despite the president ’ s claims he really wants to get off Twitter , many users of the site were a tad skeptical .
Fact checking his lies is n't silencing him .
It 's exposing a serial liar , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a failed pandemic response that has destroyed the US economy and killed over 100,000 Americans to date and shows no sign of stopping .
— lawhawk ( @ lawhawk ) May 28 , 2020 He 's just as likely to quit golfing and eating a well-balanced diet as he is of deleting his twitter account .
— Joyous Panther ( @ JoyousPanther ) May 28 , 2020 Some people were especially amused by the president ’ s phone analogy .
honestly that ’ d be hilarious .
“ HELLO RYAN ’ S MOM @ @ @ @ @ @ @ HE HASN ’ T CALLED YOU IN WEEKS , WE CAN ASSURE YOU HE WAS NOT BUSY LIKE HE CLAIMED . ''
https : //t.co/bUbLK9Sq96 — Ryan Nanni ( @ celebrityhottub ) May 28 , 2020 And , yes , this meme popped up .
Some people tried to persuade the president to delete the app if only as an act of public service .

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President Donald Trump really wants to quit Twitter, he claims, but he just ... can’t.
Not yet, anyway.
The president admitted his lingering attraction to the social media platform to reporters on Thursday while signing an executive order designed to weaken legal protections for social media companies.
Trump signed the order a couple of days after Twitter appended fact-check links to his tweets claiming mail-in voting is rife with fraud.
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Reporters watching the president sign the order attempted to ask a logical question: If you’re not happy with Twitter, why not just not use it?
The president claimed he really would put the kibosh on Twitter if he didn’t have to deal with unfair reporting by the press.
.@realDonaldTrump says he would delete his @Twitter account if it weren’t for what he considers unfair reporting by the press pic.twitter.com/FSZZZPQCmZ — Jeff Mason (@jeffmason1) May 28, 2020
The president also claimed that social media has “unchecked power” and is “beginning to editorialize.”
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He then rhetorically asked, “Imagine if your phone company edited or silenced your conversations?”
Trump in Oval tells reporters that social media has “unchecked power.” Twitter ceasing to be a neutral public platform and beginning to editorialize. “Imagine if you’re phone company edited or silenced your conversations,” he says. — Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) May 28, 2020
Despite the president’s claims he really wants to get off Twitter, many users of the site were a tad skeptical.
No DJT you are a Twitter addict. — Barbara Sheltraw (@mbs54) May 28, 2020
He just can't stop lying. Tweeter is everything to him. — Fred Kesselman (@fkess23) May 28, 2020
Fact checking his lies isn't silencing him.
It's exposing a serial liar, con artist, and the architect of a failed pandemic response that has destroyed the US economy and killed over 100,000 Americans to date and shows no sign of stopping. — lawhawk (@lawhawk) May 28, 2020
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He's just as likely to quit golfing and eating a well-balanced diet as he is of deleting his twitter account. — Joyous Panther (@JoyousPanther) May 28, 2020
Some people were especially amused by the president’s phone analogy.
honestly that’d be hilarious. “HELLO RYAN’S MOM? HE’S LYING ABOUT WHY HE HASN’T CALLED YOU IN WEEKS, WE CAN ASSURE YOU HE WAS NOT BUSY LIKE HE CLAIMED." https://t.co/bUbLK9Sq96 — Ryan Nanni (@celebrityhottub) May 28, 2020
And, yes, this meme popped up.
Some people tried to persuade the president to delete the app if only as an act of public service.
Delete Twitter @realDonaldTrump! It will be there single greatest gift you could give this country. Peace. pic.twitter.com/cjzAA0RGSi — Joelle (@jubbie77) May 28, 2020
Although the president probably won’t delete the app, one person offered a solution for the rest of us.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-28--Fox's Lou Dobbs Lavishes Praise On Donald Trump As U.S. Coronavirus Deaths Top 100,000

Fox Business host Lou Dobbs , one of Donald Trump ’ s loudest cheerleaders , drew scorn on Wednesday for lavishing praise on the president as the nationwide death toll from the coronavirus passed 100,000 .
“ He is arguably the greatest president in our history , ” proclaimed Dobbs , whose sycophantic statement earned a thank-you tweet from Trump himself : '' He is arguably the greatest president in our history.
” Thank you @ LouDobbs !
pic.twitter.com/6dfy0yxu9l — Donald J. Trump ( @ realDonaldTrump ) May 27 , 2020 Dobbs in the past has claimed Trump is setting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mortals won ’ t be able to meet , ” is “ unbeatable at the polls ” and has energized the White House in ways that have never been seen before .
The “ Lou Dobbs Tonight ” host ’ s boasts about Trump have been widely ridiculed , with many critics likening them to state television propaganda in North Korea .
This time , however , Dobb ’ s praise of Trump as the bleak pandemic milestone was reached was greeted with fierce criticism , given the Trump White House ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health crisis : Lou Dobbs , perhaps the most ludicrous man on cable in the Trump era - and that 's a high bar , given he shares an employer with the likes of Tucker Carlson and Laura Ingraham .
https : //t.co/Y4evo76Lyc — Mehdi Hasan ( @ mehdirhasan ) May 28 , 2020 How on earth Lou Dobbs can say this live on camera , and with a straight face , is extraordinary .
— Mike P Williams ( @ Mike_P_Williams ) May 28 , 2020 When Lou Dobbs says of Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president in our history , ” I can think of some very substantial arguments ... starting with George Washington and ending ( for now ) with 100K dead Americans .
pic.twitter.com/T70fIGOWMy — Rus McLaughlin ( @ rusmclaughlin ) May 28 , 2020 So , Lou Dobbs says of Trump : `` He is , arguably , the greatest president in our history . ''
This is what an actual Fox host is willing to say out loud .
He is still employed .
— Gene Weingarten ( @ geneweingarten ) May 28 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the coronavirus hits 100,000 , Trump tweets his thanks to Lou Dobbs for praising him on his show tonight .
— Kyle Griffin ( @ kylegriffin1 ) May 28 , 2020 Lou Dobbs is saying this with over 100k dead and 40 million unemployed in the last 3 months — Noble Prize in Sarcasm ( @ rewegreatyet ) May 27 , 2020

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Fox Business host Lou Dobbs, one of Donald Trump’s loudest cheerleaders, drew scorn on Wednesday for lavishing praise on the president as the nationwide death toll from the coronavirus passed 100,000.
“He is arguably the greatest president in our history,” proclaimed Dobbs, whose sycophantic statement earned a thank-you tweet from Trump himself:
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"He is arguably the greatest president in our history.” Thank you @LouDobbs! pic.twitter.com/6dfy0yxu9l — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 27, 2020
Dobbs in the past has claimed Trump is setting a standard for presidents “that most mortals won’t be able to meet,” is “unbeatable at the polls” and has energized the White House in ways that have never been seen before.
The “Lou Dobbs Tonight” host’s boasts about Trump have been widely ridiculed, with many critics likening them to state television propaganda in North Korea.
This time, however, Dobb’s praise of Trump as the bleak pandemic milestone was reached was greeted with fierce criticism, given the Trump White House’s slow and sloppy response to the public health crisis:
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Lou Dobbs, perhaps the most ludicrous man on cable in the Trump era - and that's a high bar, given he shares an employer with the likes of Tucker Carlson and Laura Ingraham. https://t.co/Y4evo76Lyc — Mehdi Hasan (@mehdirhasan) May 28, 2020
How on earth Lou Dobbs can say this live on camera, and with a straight face, is extraordinary. — Mike P Williams (@Mike_P_Williams) May 28, 2020
Lou Dobbs must not know too much history. — Kara Eastman (@karaforcongress) May 27, 2020
When Lou Dobbs says of Trump, "He is arguably the greatest president in our history,” I can think of some very substantial arguments... starting with George Washington and ending (for now) with 100K dead Americans. pic.twitter.com/T70fIGOWMy — Rus McLaughlin (@rusmclaughlin) May 28, 2020
So, Lou Dobbs says of Trump: "He is, arguably, the greatest president in our history." This is what an actual Fox host is willing to say out loud. He is still employed. — Gene Weingarten (@geneweingarten) May 28, 2020
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Lou Dobbs is, arguably, network TV's least credible commentator on the topic of great American presidents. — Jack Kuenzie (@JKuenzie) May 28, 2020
Lou Dobbs is arguably the greatest sycophant in our history. — Morten Øverbye (@morten) May 27, 2020
Trump just retweeted Lou Dobbs calling him the greatest president in history. Sigh. — JoeMyGod (@JoeMyGod) May 27, 2020
As the reported U.S. death toll from the coronavirus hits 100,000, Trump tweets his thanks to Lou Dobbs for praising him on his show tonight. — Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) May 28, 2020
Lou Dobbs is saying this with over 100k dead and 40 million unemployed in the last 3 months — Noble Prize in Sarcasm (@rewegreatyet) May 27, 2020


thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-28--Trump’s New ‘Religious Freedom’ Adviser At USAID Once Called Islam A ‘Barbaric Cult’

The new religious freedom adviser at the U.S. Agency for International Development once called Islam a “ barbaric cult ” and shared a meme that said people should be forced to eat bacon before purchasing a gun , among other racist posts .
Those sentiments are dangerous , and he needs to step down , several Muslim civil rights groups said in a letter Thursday .
Mark Kevin Lloyd , a former Virginia field director for President Donald Trump ’ s presidential campaign , started at USAID on Tuesday .
The Associated Press first reported on the Islamophobic posts in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Post confirmed his new position at the agency and found additional posts linked to Lloyd ’ s Facebook page where he spread more anti-Muslim comments and memes , including stating that people who believe Islam is a peaceful religion don ’ t understand history .
It ’ s not altogether surprising to Muslim groups that the Trump administration would hire someone who posted bigoted statements against Muslims ; organizations already raised warnings about other officials and , of course , the president himself .
But it ’ s alarming that the pattern extends @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the agency responsible for administering civilian aid across the world .
“ How is it that the agency that does a lot of work in Muslim countries and makes decisions that affect the lives of millions is going to hire a so-called religious freedom adviser who denigrates the world ’ s second-largest religion ?
” said Wa ’ el Alzayat , the chief executive officer at Emgage , a national Muslim American civic engagement group headquartered in Washington , D.C. Emgage organized a coalition letter Thursday with more than a dozen co-signers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The letter , which was addressed to USAID Acting Administrator John Barsa , said that “ Mr .
Lloyd ’ s rhetoric is disturbing , and demonstrates a clear bias against Islam and its adherents.
” Emgage and the other groups urged the agency to remove him and “ instead find an individual capable of upholding the religious freedom of peoples from all backgrounds and creeds.
” A USAID spokesperson told HuffPost that Lloyd ’ s comments “ were in reference to radical Islam , not Islam ” and that the agency @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ethnic minorities , whether it be persecuted Christians in Iraq or the Muslim Rohingya in Burma.
” Allowing Lloyd to remain in the role could be damaging for treatment of Muslim aid recipients and would send a terrible message to other nations , said Robert McCaw , the government affairs director at the Council on American-Islamic Relations , the nation ’ s largest Muslim civil liberties organization and a co-signer of the letter .
“ Llyod is one of many Islamophobes that the Trump administration has elevated into U.S. government policymaking circles , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a message that our nation has an ill will toward Muslims domestically and abroad.
” But the Trump administration has already shown it ’ s willing to accept anti-Muslim sentiment in its officials .
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has a documented history of spewing Islamophobic comments and has been associated with hate groups , including speaking at the Center for Security Policy , a far-right , anti-Muslim think tank .
Stephen Miller , the architect of Trump ’ s hard-line immigration policies , including the Muslim-targeting travel ban , has also been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2017 , Faith Vander Voort , a former senior adviser at the Department of the Interior who has since joined Vice President Mike Pence ’ s office , voiced support for more surveillance of Muslim communities and proclaimed that a Muslim “ could never serve ” as president .
Ken Cuccinelli , an immigration hard-liner who is the acting deputy secretary of the Department of Homeland Security , previously praised a notorious anti-Muslim hate group .
The list goes on .
“ Since Trump took office , we lost count of how many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” said Alzayat of Emgage .
“ We feel that this a continuation of the anti-Muslim , anti-minority and anti-brown policies of this administration .
”

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The new religious freedom adviser at the U.S. Agency for International Development once called Islam a “barbaric cult” and shared a meme that said people should be forced to eat bacon before purchasing a gun, among other racist posts. Those sentiments are dangerous, and he needs to step down, several Muslim civil rights groups said in a letter Thursday.
Mark Kevin Lloyd, a former Virginia field director for President Donald Trump’s presidential campaign, started at USAID on Tuesday. The Associated Press first reported on the Islamophobic posts in 2016. This week, The Washington Post confirmed his new position at the agency and found additional posts linked to Lloyd’s Facebook page where he spread more anti-Muslim comments and memes, including stating that people who believe Islam is a peaceful religion don’t understand history.
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It’s not altogether surprising to Muslim groups that the Trump administration would hire someone who posted bigoted statements against Muslims; organizations already raised warnings about other officials and, of course, the president himself. But it’s alarming that the pattern extends to Lloyd’s role at USAID, the agency responsible for administering civilian aid across the world.
“How is it that the agency that does a lot of work in Muslim countries and makes decisions that affect the lives of millions is going to hire a so-called religious freedom adviser who denigrates the world’s second-largest religion?” said Wa’el Alzayat, the chief executive officer at Emgage, a national Muslim American civic engagement group headquartered in Washington, D.C.
Emgage organized a coalition letter Thursday with more than a dozen co-signers that called for Lloyd’s resignation. The letter, which was addressed to USAID Acting Administrator John Barsa, said that “Mr. Lloyd’s rhetoric is disturbing, and demonstrates a clear bias against Islam and its adherents.” Emgage and the other groups urged the agency to remove him and “instead find an individual capable of upholding the religious freedom of peoples from all backgrounds and creeds.”
A USAID spokesperson told HuffPost that Lloyd’s comments “were in reference to radical Islam, not Islam” and that the agency”has prioritized support for religious and ethnic minorities, whether it be persecuted Christians in Iraq or the Muslim Rohingya in Burma.”
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Allowing Lloyd to remain in the role could be damaging for treatment of Muslim aid recipients and would send a terrible message to other nations, said Robert McCaw, the government affairs director at the Council on American-Islamic Relations, the nation’s largest Muslim civil liberties organization and a co-signer of the letter.
“Llyod is one of many Islamophobes that the Trump administration has elevated into U.S. government policymaking circles,” McCaw said. “It conveys a message that our nation has an ill will toward Muslims domestically and abroad.”
But the Trump administration has already shown it’s willing to accept anti-Muslim sentiment in its officials. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has a documented history of spewing Islamophobic comments and has been associated with hate groups, including speaking at the Center for Security Policy, a far-right, anti-Muslim think tank. Stephen Miller, the architect of Trump’s hard-line immigration policies, including the Muslim-targeting travel ban, has also been linked to white nationalist propaganda. In 2017, Faith Vander Voort, a former senior adviser at the Department of the Interior who has since joined Vice President Mike Pence’s office, voiced support for more surveillance of Muslim communities and proclaimed that a Muslim “could never serve” as president. Ken Cuccinelli, an immigration hard-liner who is the acting deputy secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, previously praised a notorious anti-Muslim hate group. The list goes on.
Earlier this week, Muslim Advocates, a national civil rights organization, renewed its calls for Cuccinelli’s resignation in addition to Lloyd’s.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-28--One Of The First California Counties To Reopen Is Closing Again

Lassen County , a county of 30,000 people in the far reaches of Northern California , was one of the first places in the state to reopen in early May .
But this week , it became the first to reverse course because of a resulting coronavirus outbreak .
The county ’ s public health officer , Dr. Kenneth Korver , announced the decision on Tuesday after confirming the county ’ s first four cases of COVID-19 .
“ While Lassen County had no confirmed cases for the past three months , we were fully aware of the risk that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” he wrote .
“ Unfortunately , this did happen and we now have a serious problem.
” Lassen County began reopening with Democratic Gov .
Gavin Newsom ’ s blessing in early May , far sooner than the state ’ s denser communities could even consider .
In the weeks that followed , the county opened retail stores , restaurant dining rooms , shopping malls and other businesses .
Now , businesses in Lassen County may only operate curbside pickup and delivery services , and the county won ’ t proceed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which most California counties just got Newsom ’ s approval to do .
Earlier this month , before Newsom gave Lassen County the go-ahead to reopen , lawmakers from the area complained there shouldn ’ t be a “ one size fits all ” policy for ending social distancing orders and argued that small communities without coronavirus cases should be able to reopen sooner .
“ We ’ re not like Los Angeles or San Francisco .
Let ’ s get back to cooler heads , ” Republican state Sen. Brian Dahle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the time .
“ Let the people free.
” Lassen County ’ s recent outbreak is testing that thinking .
County officials are hoping they can contain the virus before it spreads any further and are planning to use contact tracing to track transmission .
Korver said it ’ s his “ intention for this to be a very temporary situation.
” The same day Lassen County announced it was scaling back reopenings , the public health officer in California ’ s Santa Clara County warned that she thought the state was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ modifications are being made without a real understanding of the consequences of what the last move has been , ” the health officer , Dr. Sara Cody , said at a Board of Supervisors meeting .
Not taking time to evaluate the safety of social distancing modifications , she continued , risks “ an exponential growth in cases , and therefore a risk to social and economic wellbeing.
” Cody ’ s remarks came after Newsom gave counties permission to reopen salons and resume some gatherings of up to 100 people .
However @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their own rules stricter than state-level ones .

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Lassen County, a county of 30,000 people in the far reaches of Northern California, was one of the first places in the state to reopen in early May. But this week, it became the first to reverse course because of a resulting coronavirus outbreak.
The county’s public health officer, Dr. Kenneth Korver, announced the decision on Tuesday after confirming the county’s first four cases of COVID-19.
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“While Lassen County had no confirmed cases for the past three months,
we were fully aware of the risk that the virus could come to our community,” he wrote. “Unfortunately, this did happen and we now have a serious problem.”
Lassen County began reopening with Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom’s blessing in early May, far sooner than the state’s denser communities could even consider. In the weeks that followed, the county opened retail stores, restaurant dining rooms, shopping malls and other businesses.
Now, businesses in Lassen County may only operate curbside pickup and delivery services, and the county won’t proceed with opening salons and places of worship, which most California counties just got Newsom’s approval to do.
Earlier this month, before Newsom gave Lassen County the go-ahead to reopen, lawmakers from the area complained there shouldn’t be a “one size fits all” policy for ending social distancing orders and argued that small communities without coronavirus cases should be able to reopen sooner.
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“We’re not like Los Angeles or San Francisco. Let’s get back to cooler heads,” Republican state Sen. Brian Dahle, who represents the county, said at the time. “Let the people free.”
Lassen County’s recent outbreak is testing that thinking. County officials are hoping they can contain the virus before it spreads any further and are planning to use contact tracing to track transmission. Korver said it’s his “intention for this to be a very temporary situation.”
The same day Lassen County announced it was scaling back reopenings, the public health officer in California’s Santa Clara County warned that she thought the state was reopening too quickly.
“The state modifications are being made without a real understanding of the consequences of what the last move has been,” the health officer, Dr. Sara Cody, said at a Board of Supervisors meeting. Not taking time to evaluate the safety of social distancing modifications, she continued, risks “an exponential growth in cases, and therefore a risk to social and economic wellbeing.”
Cody’s remarks came after Newsom gave counties permission to reopen salons and resume some gatherings of up to 100 people. However, county officials are allowed to make their own rules stricter than state-level ones.
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UPDATE: May 29 — Lassen County on Thursday terminated its order to scale back reopening, which was initially intended to remain in effect for seven days. Korver cited “contact tracing investigations” in his decision.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-28--Twitter Users Offer Encouragement After Trump Riffs About Deleting Account

President Donald Trump claimed on Thursday that he ’ d love to delete his Twitter account ― and users on the platform were very supportive of that idea .
The comment came as Trump signed an executive order devised to reduce legal protections for social media companies .
In a first earlier this week , Twitter had flagged two of the president ’ s tweets , which contained unsubstantiated claims about mail-in voting , with fact-check warnings .
Trump ― who generally uses the platform to bash his rivals , spread baseless theories and promote himself and his allies ― @ @ @ @ @ @ @ speech and made the apparent move to punish the company .
When a reporter asked why Trump doesn ’ t simply leave the platform he has so many issues with , he replied , “ There ’ s nothing I ’ d rather do than get rid of my whole Twitter account.
” However , the president claimed , he keeps it so he can challenge news coverage he deems “ fake.
” President @ realDonaldTrump : `` There 's nothing I 'd rather do than get rid of my whole Twitter account @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thehill ) May 28 , 2020 While many skeptics doubted Trump ’ s ability to part ways with his Twitter account , other users optimistically offered their full encouragement .
Think of all the time that would free up for golf .
https : //t.co/5ThB4wHJh5 — David Corn ( @ DavidCornDC ) May 28 , 2020 🙋🏾♀You have my full support on this .
By all means , DO !
You aren ’ t wanted here , the folks on here don ’ t understand or respect you .
There ARE greener @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is the most manly move .
https : //t.co/GKZSvsFzO2 — Pam Keith ( @ PamKeithFL ) May 28 , 2020

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President Donald Trump claimed on Thursday that he’d love to delete his Twitter account ― and users on the platform were very supportive of that idea.
The comment came as Trump signed an executive order devised to reduce legal protections for social media companies. In a first earlier this week, Twitter had flagged two of the president’s tweets, which contained unsubstantiated claims about mail-in voting, with fact-check warnings.
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Trump ― who generally uses the platform to bash his rivals, spread baseless theories and promote himself and his allies ― declared this move a suppression of free speech and made the apparent move to punish the company.
When a reporter asked why Trump doesn’t simply leave the platform he has so many issues with, he replied, “There’s nothing I’d rather do than get rid of my whole Twitter account.”
However, the president claimed, he keeps it so he can challenge news coverage he deems “fake.”
President @realDonaldTrump: "There's nothing I'd rather do than get rid of my whole Twitter account." pic.twitter.com/Giz99p1sG2 — The Hill (@thehill) May 28, 2020
While many skeptics doubted Trump’s ability to part ways with his Twitter account, other users optimistically offered their full encouragement.
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PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE https://t.co/Ll1lToXTc3 — Emma Kennedy (@EmmaKennedy) May 28, 2020
Easily his most popular opinion yet. https://t.co/yZu6rbU83u — Caleb Howe (@CalebHowe) May 28, 2020
Think of all the time that would free up for golf. https://t.co/5ThB4wHJh5 — David Corn (@DavidCornDC) May 28, 2020
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-29--Twitter Places ‘Glorifying Violence’ Warning On Donald Trump's Tweet About George Floyd

Twitter applied a warning label early Friday on President Donald Trump ’ s latest tweet about the death of George Floyd , which it said violated rules against glorifying violence .
Trump called people protesting the death of Floyd , who died in Minneapolis on Monday after a police officer knelt on his neck , “ THUGS ” and threatened to send troops .
“ Any difficulty and we will assume control but , when the looting starts , the shooting starts , ” tweeted the president .
Protests have erupted nationwide over Floyd ’ s death with demonstrators in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with police .
Twitter ’ s label , below , said the platform had “ determined that it may be in the public ’ s interest for the Tweet to remain accessible.
” Users are still able to click through to see Trump ’ s post : Trump seemingly responded to the label later Friday morning , with a tweet complaining Twitter doesn ’ t challenge “ lies & propaganda ” from “ China or the Radical Left Democratic Party.
” He suggested that Section 230 — the section of the Communications Decency @ @ @ @ @ @ @ liability for what people post on them — be revoked .
“ Until then , ” he wrote , it should be regulated .
Trump signed an executive order Thursday that aims to weaken those legal protections .
Twitter is doing nothing about all of the lies & propaganda being put out by China or the Radical Left Democrat Party .
They have targeted Republicans , Conservatives & the President of the United States .
Section 230 should be revoked by Congress .
Until then , it will be regulated !
— Donald @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 29 , 2020 Twitter ’ s label is sure to escalate tensions between the president and his favorite social media platform .
On Tuesday , Twitter put fact-check warnings on two of the president ’ s tweets in which he baselessly claimed that mail-in voting was “ substantially fraudulent.
” Then , on Thursday , he signed the executive order in a bid to weaken legal protections for social media companies by pushing the liability for what gets posted onto them .
Twitter has , however , has refused to take action against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ theories suggesting MSNBC host Joe Scarborough committed murder .
This Tweet violates our policies regarding the glorification of violence based on the historical context of the last line , its connection to violence , and the risk it could inspire similar actions today .
https : //t.co/sl4wupRfNH — Twitter Comms ( @ TwitterComms ) May 29 , 2020 We 've taken action in the interest of preventing others from being inspired to commit violent acts , but have kept the Tweet on Twitter because it is important that the public still be able @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to ongoing matters of public importance .
— Twitter Comms ( @ TwitterComms ) May 29 , 2020 As is standard with this notice , engagements with the Tweet will be limited .
People will be able to Retweet with Comment , but will not be able to Like , Reply or Retweet it .
https : //t.co/V3T521zjnj — Twitter Comms ( @ TwitterComms ) May 29 , 2020

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Twitter applied a warning label early Friday on President Donald Trump’s latest tweet about the death of George Floyd, which it said violated rules against glorifying violence.
Trump called people protesting the death of Floyd, who died in Minneapolis on Monday after a police officer knelt on his neck, “THUGS” and threatened to send troops. “Any difficulty and we will assume control but, when the looting starts, the shooting starts,” tweeted the president.
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Protests have erupted nationwide over Floyd’s death with demonstrators in Minneapolis setting buildings on fire and warring with police.
Twitter’s label, below, said the platform had “determined that it may be in the public’s interest for the Tweet to remain accessible.”
Users are still able to click through to see Trump’s post:
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Trump seemingly responded to the label later Friday morning, with a tweet complaining Twitter doesn’t challenge “lies & propaganda” from “China or the Radical Left Democratic Party.”
He suggested that Section 230 — the section of the Communications Decency Act that shields social media platforms from liability for what people post on them — be revoked. “Until then,” he wrote, it should be regulated. Trump signed an executive order Thursday that aims to weaken those legal protections.
Twitter is doing nothing about all of the lies & propaganda being put out by China or the Radical Left Democrat Party. They have targeted Republicans, Conservatives & the President of the United States. Section 230 should be revoked by Congress. Until then, it will be regulated! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 29, 2020
The official White House account then posted the text of Trump’s initial offending post. That too was marked with the “glorifying violence” warning:
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Twitter’s labeling is sure to escalate tensions between the president and his favorite social media platform. On Tuesday, Twitter put fact-check warnings on two of the president’s tweets in which he baselessly claimed that mail-in voting was “substantially fraudulent.”
Trump hit back and accused the platform of “stifling free speech.”
Then, on Thursday, he signed the executive order in a bid to weaken legal protections for social media companies by pushing the liability for what gets posted onto them.
Twitter has, however, refused to take action against Trump’s spreading of false conspiracy theories suggesting MSNBC host Joe Scarborough committed murder.
Twitter confirmed Friday that it had “placed a public interest notice” on Trump’s George Floyd post:
We have placed a public interest notice on this Tweet from @realdonaldtrump. https://t.co/6RHX56G2zt — Twitter Comms (@TwitterComms) May 29, 2020
This Tweet violates our policies regarding the glorification of violence based on the historical context of the last line, its connection to violence, and the risk it could inspire similar actions today. https://t.co/sl4wupRfNH — Twitter Comms (@TwitterComms) May 29, 2020
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We've taken action in the interest of preventing others from being inspired to commit violent acts, but have kept the Tweet on Twitter because it is important that the public still be able to see the Tweet given its relevance to ongoing matters of public importance. — Twitter Comms (@TwitterComms) May 29, 2020
As is standard with this notice, engagements with the Tweet will be limited. People will be able to Retweet with Comment, but will not be able to Like, Reply or Retweet it. https://t.co/V3T521zjnj — Twitter Comms (@TwitterComms) May 29, 2020
It followed a growing backlash from other prominent users of the platform, including comedian Patton Oswalt, a fierce critic of the president:
Liza Hearon contributed reporting.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-29--Rank-And-File Republicans Turn On Trump In New Effort To Block His Reelection

A new ad campaign puts Republican voters front-and-center to talk about President Donald Trump ― but it ’ s not an endorsement .
Just the opposite : They ’ re all explaining why they can ’ t vote for Trump , and why many plan to cast a ballot for former Vice President Joe Biden even when they disagree on policy , in the new campaign called Republican Voters Against Trump .
“ I ’ d vote for a tuna fish sandwich before I ’ d vote for Donald Trump again , ” said Jack Spielman , who voted for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ toxic.
” Meet Jack from Michigan .
His is one of nearly 100 stories we ’ ve collected from Republican Voters Against Trump .
Hear the rest at https : //t.co/yJXGAISXlW “ I ’ d vote for a tuna fish sandwich before I ’ d vote for Donald Trump again.
” -Jack pic.twitter.com/gVtmlOzWJe — Sarah Longwell ( @ SarahLongwell25 ) May 28 , 2020 The group ― a project of Defending Democracy Together , a collection of anti-Trump conservatives ― says it has nearly 100 video testimonials so far with more to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to spend $ 10 million promoting them across social media as well as on television , with some appearing on Fox News next week .
Jeff from Michigan has been a leader in the Republican Party .
Hear him explain in his own words why his allegiance to Republican principles makes @ jefftimmer a Republican voter against Trump .
pic.twitter.com/6nPZBD7ojT — Republican Voters Against Trump ( @ RVAT2020 ) May 28 , 2020 Republican Voters Against Trump spokesperson Sarah Longwell said in a statement that disaffected GOP voters could be the most effective @ @ @ @ @ @ @ There are millions of voters who used to be reliable Republicans but are disgusted by the Trump administration , ” she said .
“ Some are upset about the skyrocketing debt .
Others about how he has debased the office .
Some wish he would pursue a more humane immigration policy.
” But the one thing that unites them all , she added , is “ wanting the country to move on from this deeply un-American presidency.
” More videos from disaffected conservatives ― including former Trump voters who ’ ve had enough @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s website , which also has a form for Republicans who want to share their own stories .
Meet Jeanine and Dale from Michigan .
They both voted for Donald Trump in 2016 , but won ’ t vote for him again in 2020 .
Let them tell you why .
@ RVAT2020 pic.twitter.com/lfgz73nrdl — Sarah Longwell ( @ SarahLongwell25 ) May 29 , 2020

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A new ad campaign puts Republican voters front and center to talk about President Donald Trump ― but it’s not an endorsement.
Just the opposite. They’re all explaining why they can’t vote for Trump, and why many plan to cast ballots for Democrat Joe Biden even when they disagree on policy, in the new campaign called Republican Voters Against Trump.
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“I’d vote for a tuna fish sandwich before I’d vote for Donald Trump again,” said Jack Spielman, who voted for Trump in 2016 but now calls him “toxic.”
Meet Jack from Michigan. His is one of nearly 100 stories we’ve collected from Republican Voters Against Trump. Hear the rest at https://t.co/yJXGAISXlW
“I’d vote for a tuna fish sandwich before I’d vote for Donald Trump again.” -Jack pic.twitter.com/gVtmlOzWJe — Sarah Longwell (@SarahLongwell25) May 28, 2020
The group ― a project of Defending Democracy Together, a collection of anti-Trump conservatives ― says it has nearly 100 video testimonials so far with more to come.
And they’re planning to spend $10 million promoting them across social media as well as on television, with some appearing on Fox News next week.
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Jeff from Michigan has been a leader in the Republican Party. Hear him explain in his own words why his allegiance to Republican principles makes @jefftimmer a Republican voter against Trump. pic.twitter.com/6nPZBD7ojT — Republican Voters Against Trump (@RVAT2020) May 28, 2020
Republican Voters Against Trump spokesperson Sarah Longwell said in a statement that disaffected GOP voters could be the most effective voices of persuasion for Biden.
“There are millions of voters who used to be reliable Republicans but are disgusted by the Trump administration,” Longwell said. “Some are upset about the skyrocketing debt. Others about how he has debased the office. Some wish he would pursue a more humane immigration policy.”
But the one thing that unites them all, she added, is “wanting the country to move on from this deeply un-American presidency.”
More videos from disaffected conservatives ― including former Trump voters who’ve had enough ― are available on the group’s website, which also has a form for Republicans who want to share their own stories.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-28--Minneapolis Police Station Set On Fire As George Floyd Protests Rage For Third Day

Protests broke out for the third day in a row on Thursday over the death of George Floyd , a Black man who died after a Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for several minutes .
Demonstrators clashed with police , and buildings in the city were set on fire .
Local media outlets reported later Thursday that some protesters had broken into the Minneapolis Police Department ’ s 3rd Precinct Station , setting part of the building on fire .
Officials said they evacuated the building for the safety of personnel .
“ Our mission is to protect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to peacefully demonstrate , ” the state ’ s National Guard said on Twitter .
“ A key objective is to ensure fire departments are able to respond to calls .
The news came amid ongoing protests across Minneapolis and around the nation over Floyd ’ s death on Monday , which has drawn bleak comparisons to other Black men and women who have died in police custody .
Demonstrations raged for the second day in a row on Wednesday , spilling into the early hours of Thursday morning as some protestors turned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and a construction site and looting a local Target .
One person was shot and killed by the owner of a pawnshop .
As Justice Department officials at a Thursday afternoon press briefing in a Minneapolis suburb said the agency ’ s “ highest of the high ” were investigating the case , protesters began to gather in force once again on Thursday evening as the governor activated the National Guard and declared a state of emergency .
“ We are conducting a robust and meticulous investigation into the circumstances surrounding the events @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the police officers ’ actions on that evening , ” U.S. Attorney Erica MacDonald said at the briefing .
“ Minneapolis , our nation , really the world , has witnessed this incredibly disturbing loss of life .
… We are grieving and we will continue to grieve .
To be clear , the Department of Justice has made the investigation in this case a top priority.
” The video showing Floyd dying as he was pinned by an officer “ is graphic and horrific and terrible and no person should do that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But my job in the end is to prove that ( the officer ) violated a criminal statute and there is other evidence that does not support a criminal charge .
We need to wade through all that evidence and to come to a meaningful determination and we are doing that to the best of our ability.
” “ If you ’ re feeling that sadness , that anger , it ’ s not only understandable , it ’ s right .
It ’ s a reflection of the truth that our black @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at a separate press conference .
“ We must believe that we can be better than we have been.
” Anger has continued to build after the Minneapolis Police Department fired four officers on Tuesday following the release of the shocking video showing Floyd ’ s arrest .
In the footage , Floyd can be seen pinned to the ground as Officer Derek Chauvin keeps pressing his knee into the man ’ s neck , even as Floyd pleas , “ Please man , I can ’ t breathe .
I can not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Floyd ’ s eyes close after several minutes and he stops speaking .
Officers later called an ambulance but the man died after arriving at a local hospital .
Paramedics later said Floyd , 46 , was unresponsive and without a pulse by the time he was en route to the hospital .
Protests in the Minneapolis area sparked by the death of George Floyd included one Wednesday evening outside the home of Derek Chauvin , the police officer who pinned the Black man to the ground with a knee of his neck @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quickly fired , but no charges have yet been filed in the case .
“ These guys need to be arrested , convicted of murder , and given the death penalty , ” he said .
“ They need to .
They took my brother ’ s life .
He will never get that back .
I will never see him again .
My family will never see him again .
His kids will never see him again .
”

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Protests broke out for the third day in a row on Thursday over the death of George Floyd, a Black man who died after a Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for several minutes. Demonstrators clashed with police, and buildings in the city were set on fire.
Local media outlets reported later Thursday that some protesters had broken into the Minneapolis Police Department’s 3rd Precinct Station, setting part of the building on fire. Officials said they evacuated the building for the safety of personnel.
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This appears to be the Minneapolis Police Department’s Third Precinct, surrounded by flames. @kare11 pic.twitter.com/oQHBCROgg4 — Danny Spewak (@DannySpewak) May 29, 2020
A protester sets fire to the entrance of a police station in Minneapolis. REUTERS/Carlos Barria Carlos Barria / Reuters
The Minneapolis National Guard said it had activated more than 500 troops to the Minneapolis-St. Paul region.
“Our mission is to protect life, preserve property and the right to peacefully demonstrate,” the state’s National Guard said on Twitter. “A key objective is to ensure fire departments are able to respond to calls.
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The news came amid ongoing protests across Minneapolis and around the nation over Floyd’s death on Monday, which has drawn bleak comparisons to other Black men and women who have died in police custody. Demonstrations raged for the second day in a row on Wednesday, spilling into the early hours of Thursday morning as some protestors turned violent, setting fire to retail stores and a construction site and looting a local Target. One person was shot and killed by the owner of a pawnshop.
Federal officials said Thursday the investigation was a “top priority,” but added they were still gathering information in their probe and had not yet made a decision on filing charges.
As Justice Department officials at a Thursday afternoon press briefing in a Minneapolis suburb said the agency’s “highest of the high” were investigating the case, protesters began to gather in force once again on Thursday evening as the governor activated the National Guard and declared a state of emergency.
Tear gas brought out on crowd of a few hundred people outside Target near Third Precinct. Some protesters picked the canisters up and threw them back. pic.twitter.com/P33OWyiXXL — Ryan Faircloth (@RyanFaircloth) May 28, 2020
Well over 1,000 protesters file down 3rd Ave in downtown Minneapolis with fists raised. Organizers have stressed multiple times that the march will remain peaceful. “We gotta fight these people intelligently — with our minds,” says longtime activist Mel Reeves. pic.twitter.com/49qBjJRXys — Liz Sawyer (@ByLizSawyer) May 28, 2020
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“We are conducting a robust and meticulous investigation into the circumstances surrounding the events of May 25, 2020, and the police officers’ actions on that evening,” U.S. Attorney Erica MacDonald said at the briefing. “Minneapolis, our nation, really the world, has witnessed this incredibly disturbing loss of life. … We are grieving and we will continue to grieve. To be clear, the Department of Justice has made the investigation in this case a top priority.”
The attorney for Hennepin County, which includes Minneapolis, said at the briefing that his office was moving forward cautiously with its investigation.
The video showing Floyd dying as he was pinned by an officer “is graphic and horrific and terrible and no person should do that,” Mike Freeman said. “But my job in the end is to prove that (the officer) violated a criminal statute and there is other evidence that does not support a criminal charge. We need to wade through all that evidence and to come to a meaningful determination and we are doing that to the best of our ability.”
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, who has called for charges to be filed in the case, again urged citizens to protest peacefully following Wednesday night’s looting and arson in parts of the city.
“If you’re feeling that sadness, that anger, it’s not only understandable, it’s right. It’s a reflection of the truth that our black community has lived,” Frey said at a separate press conference. “We must believe that we can be better than we have been.”
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It is time to rebuild. Rebuild the city, rebuild our justice system, and rebuild the relationship between law enforcement and those they’re charged to protect. George Floyd’s death should lead to justice and systemic change, not more death and destruction. — Governor Tim Walz (@GovTimWalz) May 28, 2020
Anger has continued to build after the Minneapolis Police Department fired four officers on Tuesday following the release of the shocking video showing Floyd’s arrest. In the footage, Floyd can be seen pinned to the ground as Officer Derek Chauvin keeps pressing his knee into the man’s neck, even as Floyd pleas, “Please man, I can’t breathe. I cannot breathe. I cannot breathe.”
Three other officers at the scene who with Chauvin were later fired ― Thomas Lane, Tou Thao and J. Alexander Kueng ― make no apparent effort to intervene.
Floyd’s eyes close after several minutes and he stops speaking. Officers later called an ambulance but the man died after arriving at a local hospital. Paramedics later said Floyd, 46, was unresponsive and without a pulse by the time he was en route to the hospital.
The Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s said later Thursday it was still waiting for final lab results “to provide the most medically accurate cause of death determination possible.”
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Protests in the Minneapolis area sparked by the death of George Floyd included one Wednesday evening outside the home of Derek Chauvin, the police officer who pinned the Black man to the ground with a knee of his neck. Chauvin and three other officers were quickly fired, but no charges have yet been filed in the case. ASSOCIATED PRESS
Floyd’s family has publicly called for charges to be filed against the four officers. His brother, Philonise Floyd, told CNN they should be arrested “right now” and “held accountable about everything.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-29--Denver Driver Appears To Target Man With Car As George Floyd Protest Grows Violent

Protests in Denver over the death of George Floyd , a Black man who died in police custody in Minneapolis , grew violent on Thursday after a driver appeared to target a demonstrator with their car and an unknown person fired a gun several times near those gathered outside the Colorado Capitol .
No one was injured in the shooting , but Annabel Escobar , a Denver resident at the protest , uploaded a video on Thursday afternoon of demonstrators walking toward the Statehouse after reports of the gunshots subsided .
During a tense moment , a man can be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ moving car , which then speeds away with him on the vehicle .
The driver then appears to swerve toward the man after he falls off the car , then speeds away .
Escobar told The Washington Post she spoke with the man and said he was not seriously injured .
She said the police had been notified , but it ’ s unclear if they had found the driver .
Colorado Gov .
Jared Polis ( D ) said later Thursday that it was a “ very sad night for our state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the protests had “ developed into vandalism and violence.
” “ I was absolutely shocked by video evidence of a motorist attempting to run over a protestor , ” Polis wrote on Twitter .
“ Coloradans are better than this .
I share the immense anguish we all feel about the unjust murder of George Floyd .
But let me be clear , senseless violence will never be healed by more violence.
” These are extremely difficult times for our state , country , and world .
Now more than ever we need @ @ @ @ @ @ @ right by each other .
I ask everyone to make their voice heard peacefully and to turn their anger into advocacy and action -- never violence .
( 3/3 ) — Governor Jared Polis ( @ GovofCO ) May 29 , 2020 Denver Police Department officials said there were no reports of injuries or damage following the shooting , and police did not have anyone in custody .
They said six or seven shots were fired shortly after 5:30 p.m. local time , although the Denver Post said it was unclear where they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who was outside the Statehouse during the shooting , said the scene was “ tense ” immediately after the event .
Footage shared on social media shows demonstrators running from the area .
The demonstrations in Denver add to growing national outrage over the death of Floyd , who died in police custody after a white officer knelt on his neck .
Protests erupted in Minneapolis on Thursday night for the third day and a police station was set on fire as demonstrators clashed with authorities .
The Minneapolis National Guard had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on their way to the region to help quell the growing unrest .
Four police officers were fired from the Minneapolis Police Department after Floyd ’ s death this week , but members of Floyd ’ s family and the city ’ s mayor have called for charges to be filed .

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Protests in Denver over the death of George Floyd, a Black man who died in police custody in Minneapolis, grew violent on Thursday after a driver appeared to target a demonstrator with their car and an unknown person fired a gun several times near those gathered outside the Colorado Capitol.
No one was injured in the shooting, but Annabel Escobar, a Denver resident at the protest, uploaded a video on Thursday afternoon of demonstrators walking toward the Statehouse after reports of the gunshots subsided. During a tense moment, a man can be seen jumping on the hood of a moving car, which then speeds away with him on the vehicle. The driver then appears to swerve toward the man after he falls off the car, then speeds away.
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A link to the video, which is disturbing, can be found on Twitter.
Escobar told The Washington Post she spoke with the man and said he was not seriously injured. She said the police had been notified, but it’s unclear if they had found the driver.
The Denver Police Department did not immediately respond to HuffPost’s request for comment.
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D) said later Thursday that it was a “very sad night for our state,” adding that he was disheartened the protests had “developed into vandalism and violence.”
“I was absolutely shocked by video evidence of a motorist attempting to run over a protestor,” Polis wrote on Twitter. “Coloradans are better than this. I share the immense anguish we all feel about the unjust murder of George Floyd. But let me be clear, senseless violence will never be healed by more violence.”
These are extremely difficult times for our state, country, and world. Now more than ever we need to lift each other up and do right by each other. I ask everyone to make their voice heard peacefully and to turn their anger into advocacy and action -- never violence. (3/3) — Governor Jared Polis (@GovofCO) May 29, 2020
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The protests on Thursday involved clashes with police as authorities fired tear gas and pepper spray into the crowd.
Denver Police Department officials said there were no reports of injuries or damage following the shooting, and police did not have anyone in custody. They said six or seven shots were fired shortly after 5:30 p.m. local time, although the Denver Post said it was unclear where they came from.
State Rep. Leslie Herod, who was outside the Statehouse during the shooting, said the scene was “tense” immediately after the event. Footage shared on social media shows demonstrators running from the area.
They’re now damaging cars at the Colorado Capitol. This has moved beyond a peaceful protest. pic.twitter.com/hyVQAvZeB3 — Matt Mauro (@mattmauronews) May 29, 2020
We just got shot at. Capitol. — Leslie Herod (@leslieherod) May 28, 2020
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The demonstrations in Denver add to growing national outrage over the death of Floyd, who died in police custody after a white officer knelt on his neck. Protests erupted in Minneapolis on Thursday night for the third day and a police station was set on fire as demonstrators clashed with authorities. The Minneapolis National Guard had been activated and said 500 troops were on their way to the region to help quell the growing unrest.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-28--'Rich Mitch' Bashed In New Republican Lincoln Project Ad As Kentucky Suffers

“ When he fixed the impeachment trial by blocking evidence of Trump ’ s high crimes and misdemeanors , McConnell violated and abased the solemn oaths he took as a United States Senator , ” Conway , who ’ s married to White House counselor Kellyanne Conway , said in a statement .
“ Add in the fact that , as our ad shows , he ’ s managed to do much better for himself than for the people of Kentucky , and it becomes a no-brainer : McConnell has to go.
” McConnell ’ s campaign dismissed the ad @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ No scam PAC of grifters has ever been less relevant and no group of D.C. consultants will be forgotten faster than these thieves who bet everything on three days of dishonest ads in Kentucky , ” the campaign said in a statement .
The ad was trending on Twitter just hours after its release .
The Lincoln Project focus on video ads has resulted in major circulation on social media .
Its recent “ Mourning In America ” and “ Trump Will Lie ” ( people will die ) videos about the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was so incensed by the “ Mourning ” video that he tweeted about it , calling the Lincoln Project founders “ losers.
” That , in turn , brightened the spotlight on the ad .
McConnell , 78 , remains favored to win reelection , though he may face a competitive race from the likely Democratic Senate nominee , former Marine combat pilot Amy McGrath , 44 .
The primary to pick McConnell ’ s Democratic challenger is scheduled for June 23 .
Check out the Lincoln Project ad up top .

“When he fixed the impeachment trial by blocking evidence of Trump’s high crimes and misdemeanors, McConnell violated and abased the solemn oaths he took as a United States Senator,” Conway, who’s married to White House counselor Kellyanne Conway, said in a statement. “Add in the fact that, as our ad shows, he’s managed to do much better for himself than for the people of Kentucky, and it becomes a no-brainer: McConnell has to go.”
McConnell’s campaign dismissed the ad and the Lincoln Project as ineffective.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-29--Don Lemon Lets Trump Have It On George Floyd: ‘That’s How Black People Feel’

No one wants to hear from the man who said there are ‘ very fine people on both sides.
’ @ @ @ @ @ am saying ?
No one wants to hear from the person that they perceive as @ @ @ @ @ situations like this , in this society .
Not directly , but allowing people like @ @ @ @ @ get away from this .
No one wants to hear from the Birther-in-Chief , from @ @ @ @ @ ’ -calling person , who says that athletes , who are kneeling for this very @ @ @ @ @ to hear from that .

No one wants to hear from the man who said there are ‘very fine people on both sides.’ Do you understand what I am saying? No one wants to hear from the person that they perceive as contributing to this situation, situations like this, in this society. Not directly, but allowing people like that to think they can get away from this. No one wants to hear from the Birther-in-Chief, from the ‘sons of bitches’-calling person, who says that athletes, who are kneeling for this very reason. No one wants to hear from that.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-29--Chris Hayes Turns Donald Trump’s Own Campaign Claims Against Him In Withering Monologue

Chris Hayes on Thursday took Donald Trump ’ s 2016 campaign claims and lobbed them right back at the president , as he lamented “ the carnage and chaos we are living through now.
” The host of MSNBC ’ s “ All In ” noted how Trump had essentially campaigned on the theme that the United States was a “ hellhole ” and later promised to “ stop the American carnage ” during his 2017 inauguration address .
Hayes acknowledged the U.S. had its fair share of problems before Trump became president .
But Trump , he argued , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ especially amid the coronavirus pandemic .
“ There is no plan from the president , who warned against American carnage , with the carnage and chaos we are living through now , ” he noted .
“ Not the pandemic .
Not the economic crisis .
Not the societal inequities .
Not predatory policing .
Not the protests in Minnesota , ” Hayes continued .
“ Nothing except to make it all worse , to sell chaos and discord and bigotry and hope the smaller part of the country that follows him is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ This is what Donald Trump ’ s America has wrought , ” he said .
.
@ chrislhayes : “ There is no plan from the President ... Not the pandemic .
Not the economic crisis .
Not the societal inequities .
Not predatory policing .
Not the protests in Minnesota .
Nothing except to make it all worse ...
This is what Donald Trump ’ s America has wrought . ''
pic.twitter.com/WAzOgTZ7Ne — All In with Chris Hayes ( @ allinwithchris ) May 29 , 2020

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Chris Hayes on Thursday took Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign claims and lobbed them right back at the president, lamenting “the carnage and chaos we are living through now.”
The host of MSNBC’s “All In” pointed out that Trump had essentially campaigned on the idea that the United States was a “hellhole” and later promised to “stop the American carnage” during his 2017 inauguration address.
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Hayes acknowledged that the United States had its fair share of problems before Trump became president. But Trump, he argued, has only made things worse, especially during the coronavirus pandemic.
“There is no plan from the president, who warned against American carnage, with the carnage and chaos we are living through now,” Hayes said.
“Not the pandemic. Not the economic crisis. Not the societal inequities. Not predatory policing. Not the protests in Minnesota,” he continued. “Nothing except to make it all worse, to sell chaos and discord and bigotry and hope the smaller part of the country that follows him is enough to win an election again.”
“This is what Donald Trump’s America has wrought,” he said.
Check out Hayes’ monologue above.
.@chrislhayes: “There is no plan from the President...Not the pandemic. Not the economic crisis. Not the societal inequities. Not predatory policing. Not the protests in Minnesota. Nothing except to make it all worse...This is what Donald Trump’s America has wrought." pic.twitter.com/WAzOgTZ7Ne — All In with Chris Hayes (@allinwithchris) May 29, 2020


thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-28--Trump Makes Baseless Claim About Children Stealing Vote-By-Mail Ballots

Speaking at the White House signing of a new executive order on social media , the president once again went off on mail-in ballots , repeatedly claiming the process is rife with “ fraud and abuse ” — even though there is no evidence of that .
“ When they send out , like in California , millions and millions of ballots to anybody in California that ’ s breathing .
Anybody that ’ s breathing gets a ballot , ” Trump falsely claimed .
An executive order signed by Democratic Gov .
Gavin Newsom earlier this month requires the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ registered voter in California before the Nov. 3 election .
As in other states seeking to expand mail-in voting for the 2020 election , the move came amid public health concerns over in-person voting further spreading the coronavirus .
“ Oh really ?
So when [ Newsom ] sends out 28 million ballots in all the mailboxes , and kids go and they raid the mailboxes , and they hand them to people that are signing the ballots down the end of the street , which is happening .
They grab the ballots @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ You don ’ t think that happens ?
There ’ s ballot harvesting.
” “ You don ’ t think they rip them out of mailboxes ?
It ’ s all the time , you read about it , you can read about it .
Take a look , ” the president added .
There have been no reports that children stealing ballots out of mailboxes has been a problem for mail-in voting .
As for “ ballot harvesting , ” it ’ s worth noting that the president himself used @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to vote by mail as an absentee in Florida ’ s March primary .
This isn ’ t the first time Trump has gone after California specifically to make false claims about supposed widespread voter fraud .
During the 2016 presidential election and again ahead of the 2018 midterm election , Trump claimed that millions of people voted illegally in California — but the president has failed to substantiate these allegations with any evidence , even though he empaneled a national commission in 2017-2018 to investigate his voter fraud claims .
Trump has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if the electorate were expanded through the use of mail-in ballots , saying on “ Fox & Friends ” last month that if Democratic proposals on voting went through , “ you ’ d never have a Republican elected in this country again.
” On Thursday , Trump repeated such remarks : “ There ’ s tremendous controversy on mail-in voting .
And I can say this — the Republican Party can not let it happen .
”

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President Donald Trump again railed against states expanding vote-by-mail on Thursday, this time making absurd claims that children “raid” mailboxes and “grab the ballots.”
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“When they send out, like in California, millions and millions of ballots to anybody in California that’s breathing. Anybody that’s breathing gets a ballot,” Trump falsely claimed.
An executive order signed by Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom earlier this month requires the state to mail a ballot to every registered voter in California before the Nov. 3 election. As in other states seeking to expand mail-in voting for the 2020 election, the move came amid public health concerns over in-person voting further spreading the coronavirus.
After a reporter pushed back on the president’s remarks, Trump piled on more fallacies:
“Oh really? So when [Newsom] sends out 28 million ballots in all the mailboxes, and kids go and they raid the mailboxes, and they hand them to people that are signing the ballots down the end of the street, which is happening. They grab the ballots,” Trump said, without evidence. “You don’t think that happens? There’s ballot harvesting.”
“You don’t think they rip them out of mailboxes? It’s all the time, you read about it, you can read about it. Take a look,” the president added.
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There have been no reports that children stealing ballots out of mailboxes has been a problem for mail-in voting. As for “ballot harvesting,” it’s worth noting that the president himself used the process when he used an intermediary to vote by mail as an absentee in Florida’s March primary.
The White House didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
President Trump: "Anybody in California that breathing gets a ballot."
Reporter: "Mr. President, that's not true." pic.twitter.com/OjfccRD6EU — The Hill (@thehill) May 28, 2020
This isn’t the first time Trump has gone after California specifically to make false claims about supposed widespread voter fraud. During the 2016 presidential election and again ahead of the 2018 midterm election, Trump claimed that millions of people voted illegally in California — but the president has failed to substantiate these allegations with any evidence, even though he empaneled a national commission in 2017-2018 to investigate his voter fraud claims.
Trump has repeatedly suggested that Republicans would lose out if the electorate were expanded through the use of mail-in ballots, saying on “Fox & Friends” last month that if Democratic proposals on voting went through, “you’d never have a Republican elected in this country again.”
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-28--Fox News' Neil Cavuto Reminds Viewers Why Twitter Needs To Fact-Check Trump

Neil Cavuto on Thursday reeled over President Donald Trump ’ s attempt to crack down on Twitter because it offered a fact-check on his tweets .
The Fox News host said Trump ’ s claims could be characterized as an “ outright lie ” and deserved to be checked .
Earlier , Trump signed an executive order designed to lessen liability protections for social media sites .
It was an apparent punishment for Twitter after it flagged his tweets that said mail-in voting would be “ substantially fraudulent.
” Twitter also provided a collection of reports debunking his assertions .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ free speech ” and , at Thursday ’ s signing , threatened to shut down Twitter if his lawyers could find a way .
Cavuto expressed concern that , “ whatever your opinions on the left or right , ” it was significant that the president saw fit to try to regulate or even shut down Twitter for correcting his misinformation .
“ He was being policed on that because he was wrong .
He was being policed on that because he said millions of ‘ illegals ’ were getting ballots when that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cavuto said .
“ So this isn ’ t a left-right issue .
That was not the case .
That was a wrong fact , that was a misstatement .
Some have said it was an outright lie.
” Cavuto also broke down Trump ’ s “ outrageous comments ” suggesting MSNBC host Joe Scarborough had killed somebody , referring to a vile conspiracy theory Trump has embraced in an effort to debase his outspoken media critic .
“ That was something too that had to be fact-checked .
It wasn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
That was something that was incumbent upon anyone to check comments that were deemed outrageous , ” he said .
Cavuto risks escalating tensions with the president , who last week had several outbursts over a smattering of unfavorable coverage from the network that typically has his back .
Last Monday , after Cavuto called out Trump ’ s dangerous claim he ’ s taking the anti-malaria drug hydroxychloroquine as a preventative treatment for COVID-19 , Trump raged at Fox News until the weekend , blasting Cavuto and others as “ garbage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going downhill and failing to help his reelection bid .

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Neil Cavuto on Thursday reeled over President Donald Trump’s attempt to crack down on Twitter because it offered a fact-check on his tweets. The Fox News host said Trump’s claims could be characterized as an “outright lie” and deserved to be checked.
Earlier, Trump signed an executive order designed to lessen liability protections for social media sites. It was an apparent punishment for Twitter after it flagged his tweets that said mail-in voting would be “substantially fraudulent.” Twitter also provided a collection of reports debunking his assertions.
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Trump decried the move as “stifling free speech” and, at Thursday’s signing, threatened to shut down Twitter if his lawyers could find a way.
Cavuto expressed concern that, “whatever your opinions on the left or right,” it was significant that the president saw fit to try to regulate or even shut down Twitter for correcting his misinformation.
“He was being policed on that because he was wrong. He was being policed on that because he said millions of ‘illegals’ were getting ballots when that simply was not the case,” Cavuto said. “So this isn’t a left-right issue. That was not the case. That was a wrong fact, that was a misstatement. Some have said it was an outright lie.”
Cavuto also broke down Trump’s “outrageous comments” suggesting MSNBC host Joe Scarborough had killed somebody, referring to a vile conspiracy theory Trump has embraced in an effort to debase his outspoken media critic.
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“That was something too that had to be fact-checked. It wasn’t just a left or right thing here. That was something that was incumbent upon anyone to check comments that were deemed outrageous,” he said.
Cavuto risks escalating tensions with the president, who last week had several outbursts over a smattering of unfavorable coverage from the network that typically has his back. Last Monday, after Cavuto called out Trump’s dangerous claim he’s taking the anti-malaria drug hydroxychloroquine as a preventative treatment for COVID-19, Trump raged at Fox News until the weekend, blasting Cavuto and others as “garbage,” and accusing the network of going downhill and failing to help his reelection bid.