thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-23--A Year After Elijah McClain's Death, Activists Want Charges

In the year since Elijah McClain died after being stopped by police in suburban Denver on his way home from a store , the number of people calling for justice to be done in his case has grown to millions of people around the world .
Like his family and activists who have been protesting over the Black man ’ s death from the beginning , they want the three officers charged with killing McClain .
Three Aurora officers , including one involved in the encounter with McClain , were fired and one resigned in July over photos that mocked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ McClain on Aug. 24 , 2019 .
However , the three officers who got into a violent struggle with McClain , a 23-year-old massage therapist , after he questioned why he was being stopped have not faced any discipline for their actions in the encounter itself .
A district attorney said last year he could not pursue criminal charges because an autopsy did not determine how McClain died , but state Attorney General Phil Weiser is looking at whether criminal charges are warranted in the case .
Gov .
Jared Polis ordered him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after outrage over McClain ’ s death grew amid protests over racial injustice following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis .
It ’ s one of several investigations or reviews taking place related to McClain ’ s death , including a health department review of paramedics ’ use of the sedative ketamine on him .
The Aurora Police Department also announced an independent review of its agency this month on the same day that the McClain family filed a civil rights lawsuit accusing the department of a pattern of racism and brutality @ @ @ @ @ @ @ called 911 to report that he was wearing a ski mask and waving his hands and seemed “ sketchy.
” His family said he wore the mask because he had a blood condition that caused him to get cold easily .
Police body-camera video shows an officer getting out of his car , approaching McClain and saying , “ Stop right there .
Stop .
Stop .
...
I have a right to stop you because you ’ re being suspicious.
” Other officers join to restrain McClain , who tells them that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to them and asks them to let him go .
The officers move McClain over the grass in front of an apartment building but what happens next is not clear from the video .
Police have said one of the officers applied the neckhold .
All three of the officers ’ body cameras eventually came off during the struggle but continued to record audio .
An officer says McClain grabbed one of their guns .
McClain can be heard trying to explain himself and sometimes crying out .
“ I ’ m just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , that ’ s all .
That ’ s all I was doing .
I ’ m so sorry .
I have no gun .
I don ’ t do that stuff .
I don ’ t do any fighting .
Why were you attacking me ?
I don ’ t do guns .
I don ’ t even kill flies .
I don ’ t eat meat , ” he said , as the officers talk among themselves .
One officer eventually retrieves his camera , which shows McClain handcuffed and laying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on him .
The leaning officer says , “ Move your camera dude ” but the camera doesn ’ t move and continues to show the scene .
McClain ’ s mother , Sheneen McClain , initially had planned on Sunday to take the same route her son was taking to walk his “ spirit home ” but later cancelled the event , saying in a Facebook post that the event had gotten out of hand .
She was also upset that McClain ’ s pleading words to police have been invoked by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shown up on signs and at protests and were read in an Instagram video by Janelle Monae , Meagan Good , Jonathan Van Ness and others calling on Colorado officials to pursue charges against the officers .
“ IT ’ S NOT OKAY TO REPEAT MY SON ’ S DYING WORDS BECAUSE THATS ALL YOU CAN THINK TO DO .
THINK HARDER !
!
!
!
THAT HURTS ME , ” Sheneen McClain wrote .
She has declined media interviews until the police officers are held accountable .

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In the year since Elijah McClain died after being stopped by police in suburban Denver on his way home from a store, the number of people calling for justice to be done in his case has grown to millions of people around the world.
Like his family and activists who have been protesting over the Black man’s death from the beginning, they want the three officers charged with killing McClain.
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Three Aurora officers, including one involved in the encounter with McClain, were fired and one resigned in July over photos that mocked the neck hold that was used on McClain on Aug. 24, 2019.
However, the three officers who got into a violent struggle with McClain, a 23-year-old massage therapist, after he questioned why he was being stopped have not faced any discipline for their actions in the encounter itself.
Aurora activist Candice Bailey said action, not more dialogue, is what is needed.
“There’s nothing to talk about. We’re at an impasse in the conversation,” she said.
A district attorney said last year he could not pursue criminal charges because an autopsy did not determine how McClain died, but state Attorney General Phil Weiser is looking at whether criminal charges are warranted in the case. Gov. Jared Polis ordered him to look at the case in June after outrage over McClain’s death grew amid protests over racial injustice following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
It’s one of several investigations or reviews taking place related to McClain’s death, including a health department review of paramedics’ use of the sedative ketamine on him. The Aurora Police Department also announced an independent review of its agency this month on the same day that the McClain family filed a civil rights lawsuit accusing the department of a pattern of racism and brutality.
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McClain was stopped because someone had called 911 to report that he was wearing a ski mask and waving his hands and seemed “sketchy.” His family said he wore the mask because he had a blood condition that caused him to get cold easily.
Police body-camera video shows an officer getting out of his car, approaching McClain and saying, “Stop right there. Stop. Stop. ... I have a right to stop you because you’re being suspicious.”
In the video, the officer turns around McClain and repeats, “Stop tensing up” and says, “Relax, or I’m going to have to change this situation.”
Other officers join to restrain McClain, who tells them that he had stopped his music to listen to them and asks them to let him go.
The officers move McClain over the grass in front of an apartment building but what happens next is not clear from the video. Police have said one of the officers applied the neckhold.
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All three of the officers’ body cameras eventually came off during the struggle but continued to record audio. An officer says McClain grabbed one of their guns. McClain can be heard trying to explain himself and sometimes crying out.
“I’m just different. I’m just different, that’s all. That’s all I was doing. I’m so sorry. I have no gun. I don’t do that stuff. I don’t do any fighting. Why were you attacking me? I don’t do guns. I don’t even kill flies. I don’t eat meat,” he said, as the officers talk among themselves.
One officer eventually retrieves his camera, which shows McClain handcuffed and laying on his side as another officer leans on him. The leaning officer says, “Move your camera dude” but the camera doesn’t move and continues to show the scene.
McClain suffered two heart attacks on the way to a hospital and was taken off life support six days later.
The increased spotlight on the case recently has made it more difficult for McClain’s family to grieve his loss.
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McClain’s mother, Sheneen McClain, initially had planned on Sunday to take the same route her son was taking to walk his “spirit home” but later cancelled the event, saying in a Facebook post that the event had gotten out of hand.
She was also upset that McClain’s pleading words to police have been invoked by those protesting his death. They have shown up on signs and at protests and were read in an Instagram video by Janelle Monae, Meagan Good, Jonathan Van Ness and others calling on Colorado officials to pursue charges against the officers.
“IT’S NOT OKAY TO REPEAT MY SON’S DYING WORDS BECAUSE THATS ALL YOU CAN THINK TO DO. THINK HARDER!!!! THAT HURTS ME,” Sheneen McClain wrote. She has declined media interviews until the police officers are held accountable.
Mari Newman, the McClain family’s lawyer, said they welcome support from other people who are sharing the pain and outrage over McClain’s death but do not want to serve as a kind of “masters of ceremony” as they grieve.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-24--Trump Reportedly Considers Fast-Tracking Unproven British Vaccine Before Election

President Donald Trump is considering bypassing standard testing procedures to push an unproven British COVID-19 vaccine in the U.S. in time for the presidential election , the Financial Times reported .
The British vaccine is being developed in partnership between pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca and Oxford University .
Trump is considering pressuring the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to issue an “ emergency use authorization ” for the British vaccine in October , the FT reported , citing unnamed sources .
AstraZeneca said it hasn ’ t discussed such an order with the Trump administration .
Trump , his poll numbers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the coronavirus pandemic , has been touting unproven treatments ahead of the election regardless of the possible health risks .
On Sunday , the eve of the Republican National Convention , he announced his Food and Drug Administration had given emergency approval for blood plasma treatment for COVID-19 patients ― a treatment that hasn ’ t been proven effective in robust clinical trials .
Trump announced the order at a news conference , calling it a “ great thing.
” He promised that “ you ’ ll be hearing ” about vaccines @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appeared relatively safe in a study of 1,000 patients reported in the Lancet late last month— though with several side effects .
But it ’ s still not known if the vaccine will prevent COVID-19 or lessen symptoms .
It could be a number of months before that ’ s determined in larger Phase 3 clinical trials with several thousand volunteers .
Most experts predict a vaccine will be ready next year .
The FDA ’ s emergency blood plasma order was issued a day after Trump accused the agency in a wildly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ deep state conspiracy ” to deliberately sabotage his reelection by not shortcutting approval of COVID-19 vaccines and treatments .
The FDA had initially stalled approving blood plasma as a treatment at the request of top health officials , who cited insufficient evidence that it works .
The FDA must approve drugs or vaccines based on their safety and effectiveness – NOT political pressure from the White House .
The President ’ s dangerous attempt to inject himself into the scientific decisions of @ US_FDA jeopardizes the health & well-being of all Americans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( @ SpeakerPelosi ) August 22 , 2020 White House chief of staff Mark Meadows and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin told top Democrats in a July 30 meeting that Trump is considering fast-tracking the British vaccine , a person briefed on what was said told the Financial Times .
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ( D-Calif. ) warned at the meeting that there could be no “ cutting corners ” on a vaccine that risks safety , according to the source .
A spokesman for Mnuchin denied that the treasury secretary mentioned AstraZenaca or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ experimental vaccine .
Michael Caputo , a spokesperson for Health and Human Services , which includes the FDA , told the Financial Times that it ’ s “ absolutely false ” the FDA would issue an emergency use order for a vaccine before the election .
He called such speculation a “ lurid resistance fantasy.
” Pushing a vaccine before it ’ s supported by scientists at the FDA could trigger a major showdown in the Trump administration .
FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn assured physicians in a conference call earlier this month that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ politics , but that “ all of our decisions will continue to be based on good science.
” Peter Marks , head of the FDA ’ s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research , said this month in a call with officials and pharmaceutical representatives that he would resign if the Trump administration approves a vaccine before it ’ s proven to be safe and effective , Reuters reported .
“ You have to decide where your red line is , and that ’ s my red line , ” Marks said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ quit ] because in doing so , I would indicate to the American public that there ’ s something wrong .
”

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President Donald Trump is considering bypassing standard testing procedures to push an unproven British COVID-19 vaccine in the U.S. in time for the presidential election, the Financial Times reported.
The British vaccine is being developed in partnership between pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca and Oxford University. Trump is considering pressuring the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to issue an “emergency use authorization” for the British vaccine in October, the FT reported, citing unnamed sources. AstraZeneca said it hasn’t discussed such an order with the Trump administration.
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Trump, his poll numbers sagging amid his administration’s mishandling of the coronavirus pandemic, has been touting unproven treatments ahead of the election regardless of the possible health risks.
On Sunday, the eve of the Republican National Convention, he announced his Food and Drug Administration had given emergency approval for blood plasma treatment for COVID-19 patients ― a treatment that hasn’t been proven effective in robust clinical trials. Trump announced the order at a news conference, calling it a “great thing.” He promised that “you’ll be hearing” about vaccines “very soon.”
The British vaccine appeared relatively safe in a study of 1,000 patients reported in the Lancet late last month— though with several side effects. But it’s still not known if the vaccine will prevent COVID-19 or lessen symptoms. It could be a number of months before that’s determined in larger Phase 3 clinical trials with several thousand volunteers. Most experts predict a vaccine will be ready next year.
The FDA’s emergency blood plasma order was issued a day after Trump accused the agency in a wildly paranoid tweet of being part of a “deep state conspiracy” to deliberately sabotage his reelection by not shortcutting approval of COVID-19 vaccines and treatments. The FDA had initially stalled approving blood plasma as a treatment at the request of top health officials, who cited insufficient evidence that it works.
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The FDA must approve drugs or vaccines based on their safety and effectiveness – NOT political pressure from the White House.
The President’s dangerous attempt to inject himself into the scientific decisions of @US_FDA jeopardizes the health & well-being of all Americans. https://t.co/Dt7CBVjX1D — Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) August 22, 2020
White House chief of staff Mark Meadows and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin told top Democrats in a July 30 meeting that Trump is considering fast-tracking the British vaccine, a person briefed on what was said told the Financial Times. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) warned at the meeting that there could be no “cutting corners” on a vaccine that risks safety, according to the source.
A spokesman for Mnuchin denied that the treasury secretary mentioned AstraZenaca or is aware of FDA plans regarding an experimental vaccine.
Michael Caputo, a spokesperson for Health and Human Services, which includes the FDA, told the Financial Times that it’s “absolutely false” the FDA would issue an emergency use order for a vaccine before the election. He called such speculation a “lurid resistance fantasy.”
Pushing a vaccine before it’s supported by scientists at the FDA could trigger a major showdown in the Trump administration. FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn assured physicians in a conference call earlier this month that he won’t be influenced by politics, but that “all of our decisions will continue to be based on good science.”
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Peter Marks, head of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, said this month in a call with officials and pharmaceutical representatives that he would resign if the Trump administration approves a vaccine before it’s proven to be safe and effective, Reuters reported.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-23--Kellyanne Conway To Leave White House At The End Of The Month

Kellyanne Conway , one of President Donald Trump ’ s longest-serving advisers and a stalwart defender of his administration , will leave the White House at the end of the month .
Conway , who serves as a senior adviser , said she made the decision in partnership with her husband to focus on their family .
The Washington Post first reported the news on Sunday evening .
“ We disagree about plenty , ” she said in a statement .
“ But we are united on what matters most : the kids.
” Conway ’ s husband , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ taking a hiatus from his role at the Lincoln Project .
George Conway is a vocal critic of the president and the Lincoln Project has been working to unseat Trump during the November election .
Kellyanne Conway was Trump ’ s third campaign manager and has served in the Trump administration since he first entered office in 2016 .
She has spent the intervening years in an ongoing media blitz , appearing on television to defend almost any controversial White House policy and remaining in the job despite the record rates of turnover @ @ @ @ @ @ @ withstood calls she be fired for repeatedly violating ethics laws .
In 2019 , the Office of Special Counsel called Conway a “ repeat offender ” of the Hatch Act , which prohibits public officials from using their roles for partisan purposes .
The agency urged Conway be fired , saying her “ actions erode the principal foundation of our democratic system — the rule of law.
” In her statement , she said Sunday her time in the White House had been “ heady ” and “ humbling , ” but she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ This is completely my choice and my voice , ” she said , noting she was “ deeply grateful ” to the president .
“ In time , I will announce future plans .
For now , and for my beloved children , it will be less drama , more mama.
” Conway is still slated to speak at the Republican National Convention , which begins this week , on Wednesday .
The dynamic between the Conways had drawn intense scrutiny throughout Trump ’ s administration as George Conway issued increasingly blistering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ times Trump he was “ narcissistic ” and “ unfit for office.
” George Conway , often referred to as Mr. Kellyanne Conway by those who know him , is VERY jealous of his wife ’ s success & angry that I , with her help , didn ’ t give him the job he so desperately wanted .
I barely know him but just take a look , a stone cold LOSER & husband from hell !
— Donald J. Trump ( @ realDonaldTrump ) March 20 , 2019 One of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sparked a social media firestorm last month after sharing searing rebukes of the Trump administration on several platforms .
On Sunday , Claudia Conway said social media had become “ way too much ” and she , too , would take a break from the medium .

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Kellyanne Conway, one of President Donald Trump’s longest-serving advisers and a stalwart defender of his administration, will leave the White House at the end of the month.
Conway, who serves as a senior adviser, said she made the decision in partnership with her husband to focus on their family. The Washington Post first reported the news on Sunday evening.
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“We disagree about plenty,” she said in a statement. “But we are united on what matters most: the kids.”
Conway’s husband, the conservative lawyer George Conway, is also taking a hiatus from his role at the Lincoln Project. George Conway is a vocal critic of the president and the Lincoln Project has been working to unseat Trump during the November election.
I'm Leaving the White House. Gratefully & Humbly.
Here is my statement:https://t.co/MpYxVfrY2N
God Bless You All. — Kellyanne Conway (@KellyannePolls) August 24, 2020
So I’m withdrawing from @ProjectLincoln to devote more time to family matters. And I’ll be taking a Twitter hiatus.
Needless to say, I continue to support the Lincoln Project and its mission. Passionately. — George Conway (@gtconway3d) August 24, 2020
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Kellyanne Conway was Trump’s third campaign manager and has served in the Trump administration since he first entered office in 2016. She has spent the intervening years in an ongoing media blitz, appearing on television to defend almost any controversial White House policy and remaining in the job despite the record rates of turnover inside the administration.
She has also withstood calls she be fired for repeatedly violating ethics laws. In 2019, the Office of Special Counsel called Conway a “repeat offender” of the Hatch Act, which prohibits public officials from using their roles for partisan purposes. The agency urged Conway be fired, saying her “actions erode the principal foundation of our democratic system — the rule of law.”
In her statement, she said Sunday her time in the White House had been “heady” and “humbling,” but she was leaving of her own accord.
“This is completely my choice and my voice,” she said, noting she was “deeply grateful” to the president. “In time, I will announce future plans. For now, and for my beloved children, it will be less drama, more mama.”
Conway is still slated to speak at the Republican National Convention, which begins this week, on Wednesday.
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The dynamic between the Conways had drawn intense scrutiny throughout Trump’s administration as George Conway issued increasingly blistering critiques of the president, saying at times Trump he was “narcissistic” and “unfit for office.”
The president has fired back, calling his aide’s husband a “stone cold LOSER & husband from hell.”
George Conway, often referred to as Mr. Kellyanne Conway by those who know him, is VERY jealous of his wife’s success & angry that I, with her help, didn’t give him the job he so desperately wanted. I barely know him but just take a look, a stone cold LOSER & husband from hell! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 20, 2019
One of the Conways’ teenage daughters, Claudia, sparked a social media firestorm last month after sharing searing rebukes of the Trump administration on several platforms. On Sunday, Claudia Conway said social media had become “way too much” and she, too, would take a break from the medium.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-24--Kenosha, Wisconsin Cops Shoot Black Man In The Back 7 Times In Broad Daylight

KENOSHA , Wis. ( AP ) — Officers deployed tear gas early Monday in an effort to disperse hundreds of people who took to the streets following a police shooting in Kenosha that also drew a harsh rebuke from the governor after a video posted on social media appeared to show officers shoot at a Black man ’ s back seven times as he leaned into a vehicle .
A person was hospitalized in serious condition following a shooting by officers about 5 p.m. Sunday as officers were responding to a “ domestic incident , ” the Kenosha Police Department @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did not provide details about what led to the shooting , but said the person was transported to a hospital in Milwaukee for treatment .
By late Sunday , fires had broken out along some streets , appearing to damage large trucks , as crowds faced off with law enforcement .
Officers in riot gear stood in lines and SWAT vehicles remained on the streets near city buildings despite the declaration of a curfew until 7 a.m .
Tear gas was used to disperse groups of people , according to reporters at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ social media that appeared to show the shooting from across a street , three officers could be seen shouting and pointing their weapons at the man as he walked around the front of a parked SUV .
As the man opened the driver ’ s side door and leaned inside , one officer grabbed his shirt from behind and then fired into the vehicle .
Seven shots could be heard on the video , though it was unclear if more than one officer fired .
The Wisconsin Department of Justice , which is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any details about the involved officers except to say they have been placed on administrative leave .
Following the shooting , social media posts showed neighbors gathering in the surrounding streets and hurling comments at police .
Some could be heard chanting “ no justice , no peace ” while others appeared to throw objects at officers and damage police vehicles .
Later Sunday , in a scene that mirrored the months of protests over racial injustice around the world that have followed the deaths of George Floyd , Breonna Taylor and other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ headed to the Kenosha County Public Safety Building , which authorities mostly blocked off .
Protesters marched along lines of cars honking on their way to the station .
Some police officers were positioned on the roof of the station as people continued toward the building .
The Wisconsin Department of Justice , which is investigating the shooting , did not release any details about the involved officers except to say they have been placed on administrative leave .
Following the shooting , social media posts showed neighbors gathering in the surrounding streets @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could be heard chanting “ no justice , no peace ” while others appeared to throw objects at officers and damage police vehicles .
Later Sunday , in a scene that mirrored the months of protests over racial injustice around the world that have followed the deaths of George Floyd , Breonna Taylor and other Black people killed by police , marchers headed to the Kenosha County Public Safety Building , which authorities mostly blocked off .
Protesters marched along lines of cars honking on their way to the station .
Some police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the station as people continued toward the building .
“ I have said all along that although we must offer our empathy , equally important is our action , ” he said .
“ In the coming days , we will demand just that of elected officials in our state who have failed to recognize the racism in our state and our country for far too long .
”

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KENOSHA, Wis. (AP) — Officers deployed tear gas early Monday in an effort to disperse hundreds of people who took to the streets following a police shooting in Kenosha that also drew a harsh rebuke from the governor after a video posted on social media appeared to show officers shoot at a Black man’s back seven times as he leaned into a vehicle.
A person was hospitalized in serious condition following a shooting by officers about 5 p.m. Sunday as officers were responding to a “domestic incident,” the Kenosha Police Department said in a news release. Police did not provide details about what led to the shooting, but said the person was transported to a hospital in Milwaukee for treatment.
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Kenosha Police said a person was hospitalized in serious condition following a shooting by officers about 5 p.m. CBS Chicago
By late Sunday, fires had broken out along some streets, appearing to damage large trucks, as crowds faced off with law enforcement. Officers in riot gear stood in lines and SWAT vehicles remained on the streets near city buildings despite the declaration of a curfew until 7 a.m. Tear gas was used to disperse groups of people, according to reporters at the scene.
In the video posted on social media that appeared to show the shooting from across a street, three officers could be seen shouting and pointing their weapons at the man as he walked around the front of a parked SUV. As the man opened the driver’s side door and leaned inside, one officer grabbed his shirt from behind and then fired into the vehicle. Seven shots could be heard on the video, though it was unclear if more than one officer fired.
A video posted on social media showed Kenosha, Wisconsin police officers shoot at a man’s back seven times as he leaned into a vehicle. CBS Chicago
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The Wisconsin Department of Justice, which is investigating the shooting, did not release any details about the involved officers except to say they have been placed on administrative leave.
Following the shooting, social media posts showed neighbors gathering in the surrounding streets and hurling comments at police. Some could be heard chanting “no justice, no peace” while others appeared to throw objects at officers and damage police vehicles.
Later Sunday, in a scene that mirrored the months of protests over racial injustice around the world that have followed the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and other Black people killed by police, marchers headed to the Kenosha County Public Safety Building, which authorities mostly blocked off. Protesters marched along lines of cars honking on their way to the station. Some police officers were positioned on the roof of the station as people continued toward the building.
Outside the station, protesters clashed with officers dressed in riot gear that included plastic facemasks and held plastic shields and batons that they occasionally used to push people back.
NEW: Wisconsin governor releases details black man being shot by officers in Kenosha.
“Tonight, Jacob Blake was shot in the back multiple times, in broad daylight...Kathy and I join his family, friends, and neighbors in hoping earnestly that he will not succumb to his injuries.” pic.twitter.com/IhYcEbhpMB — Pervaiz Shallwani (@Pervaizistan) August 24, 2020
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The Wisconsin Department of Justice, which is investigating the shooting, did not release any details about the involved officers except to say they have been placed on administrative leave.
Following the shooting, social media posts showed neighbors gathering in the surrounding streets and hurling comments at police. Some could be heard chanting “no justice, no peace” while others appeared to throw objects at officers and damage police vehicles.
Later Sunday, in a scene that mirrored the months of protests over racial injustice around the world that have followed the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and other Black people killed by police, marchers headed to the Kenosha County Public Safety Building, which authorities mostly blocked off. Protesters marched along lines of cars honking on their way to the station. Some police officers were positioned on the roof of the station as people continued toward the building.
Outside the station, protesters clashed with officers dressed in riot gear that included plastic facemasks and held plastic shields and batons that they occasionally used to push people back.
This is what it looks like at the scene of @KenoshaPolice officer-involved shooting where a large crowd formed with some people getting on top of squads and breaking the windows. #Kenosha @tmj4 pic.twitter.com/NElRFG0vDY — Lauren Linder (@lauren_linder) August 24, 2020
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#BREAKING: Tear gas just deployed by law enforcement at @KenoshaPolice station. This is all in response to a man who police say was seriously injured in an officer-involved shooting this afternoon. @tmj4 #Kenosha pic.twitter.com/zoC8C79ILK — Lauren Linder (@lauren_linder) August 24, 2020
Evers meanwhile indicated an intention to further respond to the shooting.
“I have said all along that although we must offer our empathy, equally important is our action,” he said. “In the coming days, we will demand just that of elected officials in our state who have failed to recognize the racism in our state and our country for far too long.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-24--Ex-RNC Chair Michael Steele Rips Trump Voters: 'You're Getting Punked'

Michael Steele , former chair of the Republican National Committee , had some blunt words for members of the GOP @ @ @ @ @ to support President Donald Trump .
Trump , he said , “ is not now @ @ @ @ @ a Republican.
” Speaking on MSNBC a day before the Republican National Convention , Steele @ @ @ @ @ ’ all want to play this little game that Donald Trump is like you , @ @ @ @ @ You ’ re being played .
You ’ re getting punked .
But what ’ @ @ @ @ @ is you ’ re complicit in your own punking.
” Steele also laughed at the @ @ @ @ @ speak on each night of the event rather than just on the final night as @ @ @ @ @ we stop pretending that this is going to be a Republican National Convention ?
” @ @ @ @ @ is Donald Trump ’ s reality TV moment.
” See Steele ’ s full comments @ @ @ @ @ Important conversations are happening now .
Add your voice !
Join HuffPost Today !

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Michael Steele, former chair of the Republican National Committee, had some blunt words for members of the GOP who voted for and continue to support President Donald Trump.
Trump, he said, “is not now nor has he ever been a Republican.”
Speaking on MSNBC a day before the Republican National Convention, Steele warned:
“All y’all want to play this little game that Donald Trump is like you, you’re stupid. You’re being played. You’re getting punked. But what’s so bad about it is you’re complicit in your own punking.”
Steele also laughed at the idea that Trump intended to speak on each night of the event rather than just on the final night as was traditional.
“Can we stop pretending that this is going to be a Republican National Convention?” he asked. “This is Donald Trump’s reality TV moment.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-23--'Watch Me, Mr. President': Biden Laughs Off Trump's Biggest Lines Of Attack

But Biden chuckled when asked about it by ABC ’ s David Muir .
“ Watch me , Mr. President , watch me , ” he said .
“ Look at us both .
Look at us both , what we say , what we do , what we control , what we know , what kind of shape we ’ re in .
Come on ” Biden said mental acuity is a “ legitimate question ” for any presidential candidate past the age of 70 ( he is 77 ; Trump is 74 ) .
“ But I just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the American people , it ’ s a legitimate question to ask anybody , ” he said .
“ Watch me.
” The Trump campaign has also accused Biden of “ hiding ” in his basement , including in an ad using deceptively manipulated video .
But Biden laughed that off , too , saying he ’ s reached 500 million people without asking his supporters to risk exposure to the coronavirus .
“ Look what happened with his events .
People die .
People get together , they don ’ t wear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” he said .
“ They end up dying , one of his strongest supporters.
” Trump ally and former GOP presidential candidate Herman Cain was hospitalized with the coronavirus less than two weeks after the president ’ s June 20 rally in Tulsa , Oklahoma , then died July 30 .
It ’ s not clear where Cain caught the virus , but the Tulsa Health Department said a surge in cases was likely tied to the event .

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Former Vice President Joe Biden laughed off two of President Donald Trump’s favorite attack lines.
Trump has questioned Biden’s mental fitness, calling him “not all there” and “mentally shot.”
But Biden chuckled when asked about it by ABC’s David Muir.
“Watch me, Mr. President, watch me,” he said. “Look at us both. Look at us both, what we say, what we do, what we control, what we know, what kind of shape we’re in. Come on”
Biden said mental acuity is a “legitimate question” for any presidential candidate past the age of 70 (he is 77; Trump is 74).
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“But I just, only thing I can say to the American people, it’s a legitimate question to ask anybody,” he said. “Watch me.”
EXCLUSIVE: Joe Biden dismisses Pres. Trump's insults about his mental fitness, telling @DavidMuir, "Watch me. Mr. President, watch me."
"The Ticket - The First Interview" airs Sunday night at 8 p.m. on ABC. https://t.co/P1yzcbylcI pic.twitter.com/41DPL1rpUs — ABC News (@ABC) August 23, 2020
The Trump campaign has also accused Biden of “hiding” in his basement, including in an ad using deceptively manipulated video.
But Biden laughed that off, too, saying he’s reached 500 million people without asking his supporters to risk exposure to the coronavirus.
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“Look what happened with his events. People die. People get together, they don’t wear masks, they end up getting COVID,” he said. “They end up dying, one of his strongest supporters.”
Trump ally and former GOP presidential candidate Herman Cain was hospitalized with the coronavirus less than two weeks after the president’s June 20 rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, then died July 30.
It’s not clear where Cain caught the virus, but the Tulsa Health Department said a surge in cases was likely tied to the event.
EXCLUSIVE: @DavidMuir asks Joe Biden, “Can you win a presidential election from home?”
"We will," Biden responds. “It's about being responsible.” https://t.co/btnoohkwg8 pic.twitter.com/AYobpLJ4Ya — ABC News (@ABC) August 24, 2020


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-24--Republicans Jostling For 2024 Presidential Bids Could Face Yet Another Donald Trump

Drew Angerer via Getty Images Donald Trump Jr. tosses hats into the crowd during a rally at Southern New Hampshire University Arena on Feb. 10 in Manchester , New Hampshire .
The GOP is set to officially nominate the president for a second term Monday evening , but some in the party are already looking ahead 48 months , to the election of 2024 .
Arkansas ’ Tom Cotton , Texas ’ Ted Cruz and Missouri ’ s Josh Hawley are just some of the senators thought to be eyeing a bid , as are the two from Florida , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a number of Republican governors .
McDonald said he can easily picture the son trying to succeed his father in office .
“ With the following he has right now ?
No , I would not be surprised , ” McDonald said .
“ He has what it takes , 1,000 % he has what it takes.
” Still , what the president and his family might want and what Republican voters want are likely two different things , said John Ryder , a former top Republican National Committee member from Tennessee .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ was a bad idea and Hillary Clinton was a bad idea , Don Jr. is a bad idea .
The American public is not attracted to dynasties , ” he said .
“ I think that would be very , very difficult to make that case to the American people.
” “ This is the dawn of the age of the imperial Trumps .
He is going to say , ‘ Donald J. Trump Jr. , my son and heir , is the only one who can continue in my footsteps , ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a dynastic political force now .
It ’ s douchebag dynasty of the Trump family.
” The Republican Party was at a crossroads when Trump commandeered it 2016 .
The party had , as pointed out in its own “ autopsy ” of the 2012 defeat of nominee Mitt Romney , lost the popular vote in five of the six most recent presidential elections .
It had recommended an aggressive outreach to Latinos and other minorities to make the party competitive for the day in the not-too-distant future when white people will no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country .
But Trump , a reality TV game show host who had never so much as served in a local precinct when he ran for president against what had been considered a strong field of contenders , instead took the exact opposite approach .
He played to white grievance politics and shouted aloud the racially based appeals that previous Republicans since 1968 had referred to with winks and nods .
Since then , Trump ’ s hold on the party machinery has grown ever more complete .
Republicans live in fear of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disparaging them because of his still-powerful hold over his supporters .
At the local and state party levels , longtime Republican activists have been forced out and replaced by Trump loyalists .
And the RNC has essentially become an arm of Trump ’ s family business and a benefactor to his children .
He added that the Republican senators who have been pandering to Trump ’ s base by speaking like him and praising him are in for a rude surprise .
“ It ’ s a hideous landscape of wannabes who will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ God , ” he said .
“ Just see what happens .
It ’ s a family-centric cult.
” One former White House aide predicted a brutal fight between the wing that has fashioned itself after Trump — Cotton and Hawley , for example — against the more traditional Republicans like Rubio or former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley .
“ I think it goes into a civil war .
They ’ re all going to be at each other ’ s throats , ” he said on condition of anonymity , adding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a serious play for the nomination .
“ I think he ’ s smart enough to stay away from it.
” But an informal White House adviser close to Trump said he definitely could see Trump Jr. jumping in .
“ I think he ’ s really good at it .
I think he ’ s good for the base .
I wouldn ’ t underestimate him in 2024 , ” he said , also on condition of anonymity .
“ What are we going to do , roll in a Pence or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ guy and get our asses kicked ?
So there ’ s a part of me that says , sure , why not .
”

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Donald Trump Jr. tosses hats into the crowd during a rally at Southern New Hampshire University Arena on Feb. 10 in Manchester, New Hampshire. Drew Angerer via Getty Images
PHOENIX, Arizona — As Republicans considering White House runs in a post-Donald Trump world assess one another as potential rivals, there looms one name who could complicate all of their planning: the other Donald Trump.
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The GOP is set to officially nominate the president for a second term Monday evening, but some in the party are already looking ahead 48 months, to the election of 2024. Arkansas’ Tom Cotton, Texas’ Ted Cruz and Missouri’s Josh Hawley are just some of the senators thought to be eyeing a bid, as are the two from Florida, Marco Rubio and Rick Scott, and a number of Republican governors.
But in a party that has become more about Donald Trump than what Republicans used to call guiding principles, the president’s most loyal supporters could well belong to his eldest son, Donald Trump Jr.
At a rally at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum in late February, Trump Jr. and his girlfriend, Kimberly Guilfoyle, were hands down the most popular warmup speakers, even getting a prolonged roar as they walked to and from the camera riser for a pre-rally interview.
When he took the stage a short time later, a chant of “46” arose from the 15,000 — a reference to the president who will follow his father. Trump Jr. smiled but did not try to discourage them.
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“Let’s focus on 2020 first. Eyes on the prize, all right? But thank you,” he said from the stage.
The next day, he and Guilfoyle were at a rally in Las Vegas, again winning over the crowd. “He’s so energetic onstage,” said Nevada Republican Chairman Michael McDonald.
“I’d vote for him in a second,” said Lou Woodward, 57, who runs a construction business in Massachusetts and who saw Trump Jr. warming up the crowd for his father in Manchester, New Hampshire, earlier in February. “If he’s anything like his father, he’ll be fantastic.”
“He’s from the same mold,” said retiree Linda Payette as she waited in the concession line in the Southern New Hampshire University’s hockey arena. “They tell it like it is. They don’t sugarcoat it.”
And since in-person rallies largely ended, Trump Jr. has become even more ubiquitous in the reelection campaign, hosting a weekly livestreamed program and making frequent appearances on Fox News.
McDonald said he can easily picture the son trying to succeed his father in office. “With the following he has right now? No, I would not be surprised,” McDonald said. “He has what it takes, 1,000% he has what it takes.”
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Still, what the president and his family might want and what Republican voters want are likely two different things, said John Ryder, a former top Republican National Committee member from Tennessee. “The same reason that Jeb Bush was a bad idea and Hillary Clinton was a bad idea, Don Jr. is a bad idea. The American public is not attracted to dynasties,” he said. “I think that would be very, very difficult to make that case to the American people.”
Trump Jr., who is 42 and works for his father’s family business, the Trump Organization, declined to answer questions last week. “Go through my guys,” he said, but then refused to say which “guys” he meant and then hung up.
Florida Republican consultant and prominent Trump critic Rick Wilson, though, said party regulars who think they will easily regain control from Trump after he is leaves the White House are delusional.
“This is the dawn of the age of the imperial Trumps. He is going to say, ‘Donald J. Trump Jr., my son and heir, is the only one who can continue in my footsteps,’” he said. “They are a dynastic political force now. It’s douchebag dynasty of the Trump family.”
Trump’s Remake Of The GOP
The Republican Party was at a crossroads when Trump commandeered it 2016. The party had, as pointed out in its own “autopsy” of the 2012 defeat of nominee Mitt Romney, lost the popular vote in five of the six most recent presidential elections. It had recommended an aggressive outreach to Latinos and other minorities to make the party competitive for the day in the not-too-distant future when white people will no longer make up a majority of the country.
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But Trump, a reality TV game show host who had never so much as served in a local precinct when he ran for president against what had been considered a strong field of contenders, instead took the exact opposite approach. He played to white grievance politics and shouted aloud the racially based appeals that previous Republicans since 1968 had referred to with winks and nods.
“Most openly racial campaign by a president since Andrew Johnson,” said Stuart Stevens, a Republican consultant who recently published “It Was All a Lie,” a history of the party’s reliance on Richard Nixon’s “Southern Strategy” over the last half-century. “Trump ran openly on racial grievance. It was expanded beyond the Southern Strategy, as it was hatred and fear of Muslims, Hispanics and Blacks.”
Trump quickly locked up the segment of the Republican primary electorate for whom worries about America’s changing demographics were a major concern – and wound up riding that group to the nomination, as a dozen other more traditional Republicans carved up the remaining voters.
His unexpected win made many of the same party leaders who had signed on to the 2012 “autopsy” decide that perhaps Trump had found a better path to a majority: appealing to white, working-class voters in northern and Midwestern states.
One top RNC official, speaking on condition of anonymity, defended the party’s abandonment under Trump of its long-held principles like free trade and close alliances with NATO. He pointed out that Trump, unlike the previous two Republican nominees, had actually become president. “Our job is to win,” he told HuffPost in 2017. “We won.”
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Since then, Trump’s hold on the party machinery has grown ever more complete. Republicans live in fear of a Trump remark or a Twitter post disparaging them because of his still-powerful hold over his supporters. At the local and state party levels, longtime Republican activists have been forced out and replaced by Trump loyalists. And the RNC has essentially become an arm of Trump’s family business and a benefactor to his children.
A firm owned by Brad Parscale, jointly funded by the RNC and the Trump campaign proper, secretly pays Guilfoyle and Lara Trump, the wife of middle son Eric, $15,000 a month each. The RNC also has been purchasing large quantities of books written by Trump Jr. as premiums to give to donors, earning him many tens of thousands of dollars.
And the party, Trump’s campaign and their two joint fundraising committees have, from the time he took office through June 30, spent $6.9 million at Trump properties — even though they are typically more expensive than competing hotels and resorts in the same area — putting donor money right back into Trump’s cash registers.
When asked, RNC members have told HuffPost they enjoy visiting Trump properties.
“It’s no longer a party. It’s a cult,” said Joe Walsh, a former Republican congressman who ran against Trump for the 2020 nomination.
Another Trump In 2024?
Now, 10 weeks out from Election Day, the Republican Party faces an existential moment. A Trump win will almost certainly consolidate further his hold on the 166-year-old organization and likely make it easier for him to choose his own successor, including his own son.
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“I think Don Jr. would be the favorite for the nomination,” said Stevens, who worked on the presidential campaigns of George W. Bush and Mitt Romney.
Even a Trump loss, though, does not necessarily end his hold over the party. Unlike previous presidents who lost after one term — Democrat Jimmy Carter, Republican George H.W. Bush — there is no indication Trump would simply walk away from politics.
“He will not stop tweeting. He will not stop talking. He will go on Fox all the time, or he will form his own TV network,” Wilson said.
He added that the Republican senators who have been pandering to Trump’s base by speaking like him and praising him are in for a rude surprise. “It’s a hideous landscape of wannabes who will be posting up against the son of God,” he said. “Just see what happens. It’s a family-centric cult.”
One former White House aide predicted a brutal fight between the wing that has fashioned itself after Trump — Cotton and Hawley, for example — against the more traditional Republicans like Rubio or former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley. “I think it goes into a civil war. They’re all going to be at each other’s throats,” he said on condition of anonymity, adding that he doubted Trump Jr. would make a serious play for the nomination. “I think he’s smart enough to stay away from it.”
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But an informal White House adviser close to Trump said he definitely could see Trump Jr. jumping in. “I think he’s really good at it. I think he’s good for the base. I wouldn’t underestimate him in 2024,” he said, also on condition of anonymity. “What are we going to do, roll in a Pence or a Rick Scott or some boring-as-shit white guy and get our asses kicked? So there’s a part of me that says, sure, why not.”
Of course, depending on what happens in November, Trump Jr. is not necessarily the only Donald Trump that might want to run in 2024.
Brian McDowell, who appeared on the third season of President Trump’s reality TV game show “The Apprentice” a decade and a half ago and now sells Trump merchandise at rallies, said the president losing this autumn just means he has the opportunity to run again.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-23--Mark Meadows Refuses To Disavow QAnon After Claiming He Googled It To Find Out What It Is

White House chief of staff Mark Meadows insisted on Fox News Sunday that he hadn ’ t a clue about the dangerous right-wing conspiracy cult QAnon — and had to “ Google [ it ] to figure out what it is.
” “ I don ’ t know anything about it , ” Meadows said , even after his Google research , in a testy exchange with host Chris Wallace .
He then refused to disavow the group , which has been labeled a domestic terror threat in a recent report by the FBI .
He called the issue “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back-and-forth with Wallace during questioning about President Donald Trump ’ s increasing support for the group , whose disciples the president has insisted “ love our country.
” Meadows blasted Wallace ’ s question as “ appalling , ” and declared that it shouldn ’ t be asked with “ all the important things going on.
” Meadows finally insisted : ” I don ’ t see it as a legitimate thing that should be addressed , so we ’ re not going to address it.
” Check out the fireworks in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are happening now .
Add your voice !
Join HuffPost Today !

White House chief of staff Mark Meadows insisted on Fox News Sunday that he hadn’t a clue about the dangerous right-wing conspiracy cult QAnon — and had to “Google [it] to figure out what it is.”
“I don’t know anything about it,” Meadows said, even after his Google research, in a testy exchange with host Chris Wallace. He then refused to disavow the group, which has been labeled a domestic terror threat in a recent report by the FBI. He called the issue “ridiculous.”
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Meadows launched into a heated back-and-forth with Wallace during questioning about President Donald Trump’s increasing support for the group, whose disciples the president has insisted “love our country.”
Meadows blasted Wallace’s question as “appalling,” and declared that it shouldn’t be asked with “all the important things going on.”
Meadows finally insisted: ”I don’t see it as a legitimate thing that should be addressed, so we’re not going to address it.”
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-24--Firefighter Victimized By Looters As Wildfires Ravage California

A firefighter ’ s marked car was burglarized by looters who decided to take advantage of the wildfires devastating California , officials revealed Sunday .
The unidentified firefighter ’ s wallet was stolen and his bank account drained while he directed firefighting crews in Santa Cruz County , Battalion Chief Mark Brunton of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection told reporters Sunday .
Santa Cruz County Sheriff Jim Hart said looters were breaking into empty houses after residents evacuated from the area near the CZU Lightning Complex wildfire , which burned 74,000 acres by Sunday night and killed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % contained .
Hart ’ s officers have already arrested eight suspected looters for allegedly stealing various personal possessions , including guns and an outdoor heating system .
He vowed to pull over anyone who doesn ’ t belong in the communities and arrest them .
“ I have no empathy , I have no patience for somebody who is going to come into our community and steal from people who have been who have been evacuated and victimized and traumatized , ” Hart said at a press conference .
“ We ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the [ district attorney ] and the DA is going to hammer this guy , ” Hart said .
Flames and smoke from the CZU Lightning Complex wildfire turned the sky orange .
( Photo by Shmuel Thaler/MediaNews Group/Santa Cruz Sentinel via Getty Images ) More than 500 wildfires were ignited across California over the past week , triggered by a record-shattering heat wave and some 12,000 lightning strikes .
Tens of thousands of people were under evacuation orders and close to 1 million acres have burned .
The LNU Lightning Complex @ @ @ @ @ @ @ history , burned 348,000 acres in counties north of San Francisco , including Napa and Sonoma , as of Sunday night .
It was 21 % contained .
The SCU Lightning Complex wildfire , the third-largest fire in the state ’ s history , burned more than 344,000 acres by Sunday in San Francisco ’ s East Bay and farther south .
It was just 10 % contained .

A firefighter’s marked car was burglarized by looters who decided to take advantage of the wildfires devastating California, officials revealed Sunday.
The unidentified firefighter’s wallet was stolen and his bank account drained while he directed firefighting crews in Santa Cruz County, Battalion Chief Mark Brunton of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection told reporters Sunday.
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Santa Cruz County Sheriff Jim Hart said looters were breaking into empty houses after residents evacuated from the area near the CZU Lightning Complex wildfire, which burned 74,000 acres by Sunday night and killed one person. It was only 8% contained.
Hart’s officers have already arrested eight suspected looters for allegedly stealing various personal possessions, including guns and an outdoor heating system. He vowed to pull over anyone who doesn’t belong in the communities and arrest them.
“I have no empathy, I have no patience for somebody who is going to come into our community and steal from people who have been who have been evacuated and victimized and traumatized,” Hart said at a press conference.
As for the victimized firefighter, Hart said he’s confident they’ll find the thief.
“We’re going to hand that case over to the [district attorney] and the DA is going to hammer this guy,” Hart said.
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Flames and smoke from the CZU Lightning Complex wildfire turned the sky orange. (Photo by Shmuel Thaler/MediaNews Group/Santa Cruz Sentinel via Getty Images) MediaNews Group/Santa Cruz Sentinel via Getty Images via Getty Images
More than 500 wildfires were ignited across California over the past week, triggered by a record-shattering heat wave and some 12,000 lightning strikes. Tens of thousands of people were under evacuation orders and close to 1 million acres have burned.
The LNU Lightning Complex Fire, the second-largest wildfire in California history, burned 348,000 acres in counties north of San Francisco, including Napa and Sonoma, as of Sunday night. It was 21% contained.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-24--GOP Says It Won’t Have New Party Platform For 2020 Election, Will Just Support Trump

The Republican Party said Sunday it will not adopt a new party platform during the Republican National Convention this week , but instead will “ reassert the Party ’ s strong support for President Donald Trump and his Administration.
” In a brief document , the GOP said it unanimously decided to abandon the traditional process in which parties adopt policy goals their candidates will run on .
“ The RNC has unanimously voted to forego the Convention Committee on Platform , in appreciation of the fact that it did not want a small contingent of delegates formulating a new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the ever-growing Republican movement , ” the party wrote .
“ All platforms are snapshots of the historical contexts in which they are born , and parties abide by their policy priorities , rather than their political rhetoric.
” The remarkable decision comes after the RNC ’ s executive committee initially voted in June to simply adopt the 2016 Republican platform and wait until 2024 to draft a new one .
Trump waded into that vote days later , saying he preferred a “ new and updated Platform ” in “ short form @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pronouncement underscores Trump ’ s firm hold over the GOP .
The president will speak each night during this week ’ s convention as the country reels from the coronavirus pandemic , worsened by the Trump administration ’ s bungling .
While it ’ s unclear what issues the party will tout to voters , the speaker list includes a coterie of staunch Trump allies and family members .
When asked about his goals for a second term on Sunday , Trump told Fox News ’ Steve Hilton he would simply work to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and I would do new things.
” The Democratic Party released its own platform last month and approved it during last week ’ s Democratic National Convention .
Over 91 pages it lays out broader visions for affordable health care , social rights , foreign policy and education .
By comparison , Trump ’ s campaign on Sunday released a bulleted list of 49 goals for his second term that include broad pledges to “ create 10 million new jobs in 10 months , ” “ cut prescription drug prices ” and work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ return to normal in 2021.
” “ President ’ s re-election campaign today released a set of core priorities for a second term under the banner of ‘ Fighting for You !
’ ” the campaign said .
“ President Trump ’ s boundless optimism and certainty in America ’ s greatness is reflected in his second-term goals and stands in stark contrast to the gloomy vision of America projected by Joe Biden and Democrats.
” In Sunday ’ s resolution , the GOP took aim at media attention around its decision to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the press had “ outrageously misrepresented the implications of the RNC not adopting a new platform ” while advocating “ for the failed policies of the Obama-Biden Administration .
”

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The Republican Party said Sunday it will not adopt a new party platform during the Republican National Convention this week, but instead will “reassert the Party’s strong support for President Donald Trump and his Administration.”
In a brief document, the GOP said it unanimously decided to abandon the traditional process in which parties adopt policy goals their candidates will run on.
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“The RNC has unanimously voted to forego the Convention Committee on Platform, in appreciation of the fact that it did not want a small contingent of delegates formulating a new platform without the breadth of perspectives within the ever-growing Republican movement,” the party wrote. “All platforms are snapshots of the historical contexts in which they are born, and parties abide by their policy priorities, rather than their political rhetoric.”
The document continues: “The Republican Party has and will continue to enthusiastically support the President’s America-first agenda.”
The remarkable decision comes after the RNC’s executive committee initially voted in June to simply adopt the 2016 Republican platform and wait until 2024 to draft a new one. Trump waded into that vote days later, saying he preferred a “new and updated Platform” in “short form, if possible.”
The Republican Party has not yet voted on a Platform. No rush. I prefer a new and updated Platform, short form, if possible. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 12, 2020
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Sunday’s pronouncement underscores Trump’s firm hold over the GOP. The president will speak each night during this week’s convention as the country reels from the coronavirus pandemic, worsened by the Trump administration’s bungling. While it’s unclear what issues the party will tout to voters, the speaker list includes a coterie of staunch Trump allies and family members.
When asked about his goals for a second term on Sunday, Trump told Fox News’ Steve Hilton he would simply work to “strengthen what we’ve done and I would do new things.”
The Democratic Party released its own platform last month and approved it during last week’s Democratic National Convention. Over 91 pages it lays out broader visions for affordable health care, social rights, foreign policy and education.
By comparison, Trump’s campaign on Sunday released a bulleted list of 49 goals for his second term that include broad pledges to “create 10 million new jobs in 10 months,” “cut prescription drug prices” and work to eradicate the COVID-19 pandemic and “return to normal in 2021.”
“President’s re-election campaign today released a set of core priorities for a second term under the banner of ‘Fighting for You!’” the campaign said. “President Trump’s boundless optimism and certainty in America’s greatness is reflected in his second-term goals and stands in stark contrast to the gloomy vision of America projected by Joe Biden and Democrats.”
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-24--Protest Erupts After Wisconsin Police Shoot Man From Behind

KENOSHA , Wis. ( AP ) — Officers deployed tear gas early Monday to disperse hundreds of people who took to the streets following a police shooting in Kenosha that also drew a harsh rebuke from the governor after a video posted on social media appeared to show officers shoot at a Black man ’ s back seven times as he leaned into a vehicle .
A person was hospitalized in serious condition following a shooting by officers about 5 p.m. Sunday as officers were responding to a “ domestic incident , ” the Kenosha Police Department said in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which is in the southeastern corner of Wisconsin about 40 miles ( 64 kilometers ) south of Milwaukee and 50 miles ( 80 kilometers ) north of Chicago , did not provide details about what led to the shooting , but said the person was transported to a hospital in Milwaukee for treatment .
By late Sunday , multiple vehicles were set ablaze and windows were smashed along city thoroughfares as crowds faced off with law enforcement .
Officers in riot gear stood in lines and SWAT vehicles remained on the streets @ @ @ @ @ @ @ despite the declaration of an overnight curfew .
Tear gas was used to disperse groups of people , according to reporters at the scene .
In video posted on social media that appeared to show the shooting from across a street , three officers could be seen shouting and pointing their weapons at the man as he walked around the front of a parked SUV .
As the man opened the driver ’ s side door and leaned inside , one officer grabbed his shirt from behind and then fired into the vehicle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the video , though it was unclear if more than one officer fired .
Gov .
Tony Evers on Sunday night condemned the shooting of the man , whom he identified as Jacob Blake , saying in a statement that “ while we do not have all of the details yet , what we know for certain is that he is not the first Black man or person to have been shot or injured or mercilessly killed at the hands of individuals in law enforcement in our state or our country.
” The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ investigating the shooting , did not release any details about the officers who were involved except to say they had been placed on administrative leave .
Following the shooting , social media posts showed neighbors gathering in the surrounding streets and shouting at police .
Some could be heard chanting “ no justice , no peace ” while others appeared to throw objects at officers and damage police vehicles .
Later Sunday , in a scene that mirrored the widespread protests over the police shootings of George Floyd , Breonna Taylor and other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kenosha County Public Safety Building , which houses the police and county sheriff ’ s departments .
Authorities mostly blocked off the building , and some officers were positioned on the roof as protesters marched beside lines of honking cars as they made their way to the building .
“ I have said all along that although we must offer our empathy , equally important is our action , ” he said .
“ In the coming days , we will demand just that of elected officials in our state who have failed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and our country for far too long .
”

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KENOSHA, Wis. (AP) — Officers deployed tear gas early Monday to disperse hundreds of people who took to the streets following a police shooting in Kenosha that also drew a harsh rebuke from the governor after a video posted on social media appeared to show officers shoot at a Black man’s back seven times as he leaned into a vehicle.
A person was hospitalized in serious condition following a shooting by officers about 5 p.m. Sunday as officers were responding to a “domestic incident,” the Kenosha Police Department said in a news release. Police in the city, which is in the southeastern corner of Wisconsin about 40 miles south of Milwaukee and 50 miles north of Chicago, did not provide details about what led to the shooting, but said the person was transported to a hospital in Milwaukee for treatment.
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By late Sunday, multiple vehicles were set ablaze and windows were smashed along city thoroughfares as crowds faced off with law enforcement. Officers in riot gear stood in lines and SWAT vehicles remained on the streets to move people away from city buildings despite the declaration of an overnight curfew. Tear gas was used to disperse groups of people, according to reporters at the scene.
In video posted on social media that appeared to show the shooting from across a street, three officers could be seen shouting and pointing their weapons at the man as he walked around the front of a parked SUV. As the man opened the driver’s side door and leaned inside, one officer grabbed his shirt from behind and then fired into the vehicle. Seven shots could be heard on the video, though it was unclear if more than one officer fired.
Gov. Tony Evers on Sunday night condemned the shooting of the man, whom he identified as Jacob Blake, saying in a statement that “while we do not have all of the details yet, what we know for certain is that he is not the first Black man or person to have been shot or injured or mercilessly killed at the hands of individuals in law enforcement in our state or our country.”
The Wisconsin Department of Justice, which is investigating the shooting, did not release any details about the officers who were involved except to say they had been placed on administrative leave.
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Following the shooting, social media posts showed neighbors gathering in the surrounding streets and shouting at police. Some could be heard chanting “no justice, no peace” while others appeared to throw objects at officers and damage police vehicles.
Later Sunday, in a scene that mirrored the widespread protests over the police shootings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and other Black people, marchers headed to the Kenosha County Public Safety Building, which houses the police and county sheriff’s departments. Authorities mostly blocked off the building, and some officers were positioned on the roof as protesters marched beside lines of honking cars as they made their way to the building.
Outside the station, protesters clashed with officers dressed in riot gear, including plastic face masks, who occasionally used their shields and batons to push people back.
Meanwhile, Evers indicated that he intends to take further action over the shooting.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-24--Storm Marco Closes In On Louisiana As Laura Buffets Cuba

PORT-AU-PRINCE , Haiti ( AP ) — After a day as a hurricane , Tropical Storm Marco approached Louisiana for an expected landfall around midday Monday , while Tropical Storm Laura was forecast to move along Cuba ’ s southern coast during the day before entering the Gulf of Mexico and heading toward the same stretch of U.S. coast later in the week , most likely as a hurricane .
The Gulf Coast braced for a history-making onslaught from the twin storms , with many evacuees recalling the damage caused by Hurricane Katrina in 2005 , when catastrophic flooding breached @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many as 1,800 people died .
“ What we know is there ’ s going to be storm surge from Marco , we know that that water is not going to recede hardly at all before Laura hits , and so we ’ ve not seen this before and that ’ s why people need to be paying particular attention , ” Gov .
John Bel Edwards warned at a Sunday briefing. Laura caused the deaths of at least 11 people in the Dominican Republic and Haiti , while knocking out power and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ share the island of Hispaniola .
Marco had grown into a hurricane early Sunday , but the National Hurricane Center said its sustained winds decreased to 70 mph after nightfall .
The center cautioned that Marco could still cause life-threatening storm surges and dangerous winds along the Gulf Coast .
Here are the Key Messages for Tropical Storm # Laura for your Monday morning .
Interests near the northwestern Gulf Coast should monitor the progress of this system .
The latest forecast is at https : //t.co/tW4KeFW0gB and your U.S. local weather is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hurricane Center ( @ NHC_Atlantic ) August 24 , 2020 Laura caused the deaths of at least 11 people in the Dominican Republic and Haiti , while knocking out power and causing flooding in the two nations that share the island of Hispaniola .
Marco had grown into a hurricane early Sunday , but the National Hurricane Center said its sustained winds decreased to 70 mph after nightfall .
The center cautioned that Marco could still cause life-threatening storm surges and dangerous winds along the Gulf Coast .
Laura was centered about 175 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ morning , and had maximum sustained winds of 65 mph .
It was moving west-northwest at 21 mph and was predicted to strengthen into a hurricane by Tuesday morning as it followed a path likely to take it to the Louisiana coast by Wednesday night , forecasters said .
Haitian civil protection officials said they had received reports a 10-year-old girl was killed when a tree fell on a home in the southern coastal town of Anse-a-Pitres , on the border with the Dominican Republic .
Haiti ’ s prime minister said at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were missing .
In the Dominican Republic , relatives told reporters a collapsed wall killed a mother and her young son .

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PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — After a day as a hurricane, Tropical Storm Marco approached Louisiana for an expected landfall around midday Monday, while Tropical Storm Laura was forecast to move along Cuba’s southern coast during the day before entering the Gulf of Mexico and heading toward the same stretch of U.S. coast later in the week, most likely as a hurricane.
The Gulf Coast braced for a history-making onslaught from the twin storms, with many evacuees recalling the damage caused by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, when catastrophic flooding breached the levees in New Orleans and as many as 1,800 people died.
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“What we know is there’s going to be storm surge from Marco, we know that that water is not going to recede hardly at all before Laura hits, and so we’ve not seen this before and that’s why people need to be paying particular attention,” Gov. John Bel Edwards warned at a Sunday briefing.
Laura caused the deaths of at least 11 people in the Dominican Republic and Haiti, while knocking out power and causing flooding in the two nations that share the island of Hispaniola.
Marco had grown into a hurricane early Sunday, but the National Hurricane Center said its sustained winds decreased to 70 mph after nightfall. The center cautioned that Marco could still cause life-threatening storm surges and dangerous winds along the Gulf Coast.
#Marco has weakened overnight but is still a threat to portions of the northern Gulf Coast. The Monday morning Key Messages are below. The latest storm forecast is at https://t.co/tW4KeFW0gB and your local weather is at https://t.co/SiZo8ohZMN pic.twitter.com/QVhrvRWM1V — National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) August 24, 2020
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Here are the Key Messages for Tropical Storm #Laura for your Monday morning. Interests near the northwestern Gulf Coast should monitor the progress of this system. The latest forecast is at https://t.co/tW4KeFW0gB and your U.S. local weather is at https://t.co/SiZo8ohZMN pic.twitter.com/GDB2RsGd3I — National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) August 24, 2020
Laura caused the deaths of at least 11 people in the Dominican Republic and Haiti, while knocking out power and causing flooding in the two nations that share the island of Hispaniola.
Marco had grown into a hurricane early Sunday, but the National Hurricane Center said its sustained winds decreased to 70 mph after nightfall. The center cautioned that Marco could still cause life-threatening storm surges and dangerous winds along the Gulf Coast.
Marco was centered about 115 miles south-southeast of the mouth of the Mississippi River land heading northwest at 10 mph Monday morning.
Laura was centered about 175 miles east-southeast of Cayo Largo on Monday morning, and had maximum sustained winds of 65 mph. It was moving west-northwest at 21 mph and was predicted to strengthen into a hurricane by Tuesday morning as it followed a path likely to take it to the Louisiana coast by Wednesday night, forecasters said.
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A resident stands on the porch of his home flooded by rains caused by Tropical Storm Laura in Salinas, Puerto Rico, Saturday, Aug. 22, 2020. (AP Photo/Carlos Giusti) ASSOCIATED PRESS
In the wake of Laura’s passage through the Caribbean, authorities on Sunday reported at least 11 deaths.
Haitian civil protection officials said they had received reports a 10-year-old girl was killed when a tree fell on a home in the southern coastal town of Anse-a-Pitres, on the border with the Dominican Republic. Haiti’s prime minister said at least eight other people died and two were missing. In the Dominican Republic, relatives told reporters a collapsed wall killed a mother and her young son.
Hundreds of thousands were without power in the Dominican Republic amid heavy flooding in both countries.
Despite Marco’s weakening, a storm surge warning remained in place from Morgan City, Louisiana, to Ocean Springs, Mississippi. A tropical storm warning included Lake Pontchartrain in Louisiana, and metropolitan New Orleans.
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A storm surge of up to 4 feet was forecast for parts of coastal Louisiana and Mississippi.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-24--Trump’s Handpicked Postal Service Chair Has A Long History Of Voter Suppression

Brendan McDermid / reuters A U.S .
Postal Service worker delivers mail in the Brooklyn borough of New York City on Friday Duncan is now the chair of the Postal Service board of governors , but he previously served as general counsel and then chair of the Republican National Committee from 2002 to 2009 , a time when the committee and its state counterparts oversaw an unprecedented escalation of voter disenfranchisement efforts in swing states .
As it happens , one of the party ’ s favored tactics relied on the U.S. mail .
In 2004 , Republicans in Ohio @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nonforwardable letters and postcards to select voters — particularly minority voters — and used the mail returned as undeliverable to come up with voter registration challenge lists .
The Postal Service group that Duncan has chaired since 2018 , the board of governors , selected Louis DeJoy to be postmaster general after Trump ’ s treasury secretary , Steven Mnuchin , reportedly suggested him strongly .
DeJoy is a Republican megadonor who has given money to Trump and has overseen what voting rights advocates and Democrats said is a mass disenfranchisement campaign against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by mail .
Roughly 80 million voters are expected to do so in the upcoming election , with supporters of Joe Biden planning to vote by mail at a much higher rate than supporters of Trump .
Trump has signaled that he ’ s blocking emergency Postal Service funding in order to thwart an election by mail : “ They need that money in order to make the post office work so it can take all of these millions and millions of ballots , ” Trump said on Aug. 13 .
“ But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two items , that means you can ’ t have universal mail-in voting.
” The agency also warned dozens of states that it would not guarantee its past practice of giving high priority to mail-in ballots , meaning thousands of ballots could arrive at polling places too late to be counted .
“ Your history raises significant concerns about your commitment to ensuring free , fair and accessible voting , ” the group said in a letter .
“ You have demonstrated that you do not have the requisite commitment to preserving our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the USPS Board of Governors , let alone as its chairman , at this critical time.
” The practice the Republican National Committee perfected under Duncan is known as “ voter caging.
” In addition to using bulk-mailing campaigns , state Republican parties used software and dispatched poll watchers to neighborhoods where people of color are in the majority to compile lists of voters vulnerable to having their registrations challenged .
Between 2004 and 2007 , Republicans targeted voters in at least 11 states .
Duncan ’ s role in the voter caging @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the efforts were laundered through state Republican parties , presumably because a prior federal court ruling barred the committee from mounting most kinds of voter registration challenges .
( That ruling was the result of an illegal voter-caging campaign the committee oversaw in the 1980s . )
In 2006 , the House Judiciary Committee subpoenaed Duncan for documents regarding the RNC ’ s role in President George W. Bush ’ s politically motivated firing of nine attorneys general .
At least three of the fired attorneys general were dismissed in part because they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ compiled by Republicans , an inspector general ’ s report later found .
One was replaced by a former Republican National Committee official who worked directly on the voter-caging effort .

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President Donald Trump’s selection for a key Postal Service position, Robert M. Duncan, once had a very different job: steering the Republican Party while it undertook some of its most brazen voter suppression schemes.
Duncan is now the chair of the Postal Service board of governors, but he previously served as general counsel and then chair of the Republican National Committee from 2002 to 2009, a time when the committee and its state counterparts oversaw an unprecedented escalation of voter disenfranchisement efforts in swing states.
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From 2004 to 2006, when Duncan was the committee’s general counsel, party officials challenged the eligibility of at least 77,000 voters, a 2007 report by the nonpartisan group Project Vote found.
As it happens, one of the party’s favored tactics relied on the U.S. mail. In 2004, Republicans in Ohio, Florida and Pennsylvania sent thousands of nonforwardable letters and postcards to select voters — particularly minority voters — and used the mail returned as undeliverable to come up with voter registration challenge lists.
Duncan’s history is the latest alarm bell for those fearful that Trump is attempting to undermine the U.S. Postal Service in order to win reelection.
The Postal Service group that Duncan has chaired since 2018, the board of governors, selected Louis DeJoy to be postmaster general after Trump’s treasury secretary, Steven Mnuchin, reportedly suggested him strongly. DeJoy is a Republican megadonor who has given money to Trump and has overseen what voting rights advocates and Democrats said is a mass disenfranchisement campaign against voters who plan to cast their ballots by mail.
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It was Duncan who raised DeJoy’s name to Mnuchin as a possible candidate for the job, The New York Times reported Saturday.
A White House spokesperson did not respond to HuffPost’s request for comment from Mnuchin.
Roughly 80 million voters are expected to do so in the upcoming election, with supporters of Joe Biden planning to vote by mail at a much higher rate than supporters of Trump.
Trump has signaled that he’s blocking emergency Postal Service funding in order to thwart an election by mail: “They need that money in order to make the post office work so it can take all of these millions and millions of ballots,” Trump said on Aug. 13. “But if they don’t get those two items, that means you can’t have universal mail-in voting.”
DeJoy is the first postmaster general in decades with no prior agency experience. Since his May appointment, DeJoy has slashed overtime hours and ordered the removal of automated mail sorting machines.
The changes are causing unprecedented delays in mail deliveries, according to news reports.
The agency also warned dozens of states that it would not guarantee its past practice of giving high priority to mail-in ballots, meaning thousands of ballots could arrive at polling places too late to be counted.
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In April, one of Duncan’s fellow Postal Service governors resigned from the board in protest, saying that the administration’s “ruinous” policies are intended to warp the mail into a “political tool.”
Accountable.Us, a progressive-leaning government watchdog group, on Monday called on Duncan to resign, given his history of leading the Republican National Committee while it oversaw a large effort to disenfranchise voters.
“Your history raises significant concerns about your commitment to ensuring free, fair and accessible voting,” the group said in a letter. “You have demonstrated that you do not have the requisite commitment to preserving our democracy and have no place serving on the USPS Board of Governors, let alone as its chairman, at this critical time.”
Accountable.us said that Duncan was a member of the Kentucky Republicans’ executive committee at a time when county Republicans dispatched poll watchers to predominantly minority neighborhoods.
A Postal Service spokesman did not respond to HuffPost’s request for comment from Duncan.
The practice the Republican National Committee perfected under Duncan is known as “voter caging.” In addition to using bulk-mailing campaigns, state Republican parties used software and dispatched poll watchers to neighborhoods where people of color are in the majority to compile lists of voters vulnerable to having their registrations challenged. Between 2004 and 2007, Republicans targeted voters in at least 11 states.
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Duncan’s role in the voter caging operation is not clear. Some of the efforts were laundered through state Republican parties, presumably because a prior federal court ruling barred the committee from mounting most kinds of voter registration challenges. (That ruling was the result of an illegal voter-caging campaign the committee oversaw in the 1980s.)
But emails from 2004 that the Florida Republican Party accidentally forwarded to a parody website confirmed that the Republican National Committee was involved. In one email, Florida Republicans sent the committee lists of voters titled “caging.xls” and “caging1.xls.”
Under Duncan, who rose from general counsel to Republican National Committee chair in 2007, the committee also challenged the court decision that blocked it from mounting voter registration challenges.
In 2006, the House Judiciary Committee subpoenaed Duncan for documents regarding the RNC’s role in President George W. Bush’s politically motivated firing of nine U.S. attorneys. At least three of the fired attorneys were dismissed in part because they refused to take up voter fraud cases compiled by Republicans, an inspector general’s report later found. One was replaced by a former Republican National Committee official who worked directly on the voter-caging effort.
The Bush administration said that executive privilege prohibited Duncan from answering the subpoena, and Duncan never did.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-24--John Oliver Shows How Trump Built The Perfect ‘F**king Monument’ To Himself

John Oliver said the latest news about President Donald Trump ’ s border wall is “ stupider than even I thought was possible.
” Last week , Steve Bannon ― Trump ’ s former chief strategist ― and three others were charged with defrauding investors in a scheme to supposedly build a private section of the border wall .
And that ’ s not even the worst of the news .
“ While we predicted the whole thing would be a shambles , the extent to which that ’ s been true even we didn ’ t see coming , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Last Week Tonight ” said on Sunday night .
Oliver then went into the history of the wall , from a “ beauty pageant ” for wall segments to the sections eventually built that are already in danger of falling down .
“ This wall is not a functional barrier , ” Oliver said .
“ If it ’ s anything , it is a fucking monument to Trump ― which actually makes more sense.
” Trump , he said , was obsessed with his legacy to the point where he reportedly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Mt .
Rushmore .
But Oliver said the border wall was a much more fitting legacy .
“ It ’ s destructive , pointless , ineffective , racist , weak and something that the damages of which we ’ re going to have to be dealing with for a very long time , ” he said .

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John Oliver said the latest news about President Donald Trump’s border wall is “stupider than even I thought was possible.”
Last week, Steve Bannon ― Trump’s former chief strategist ― and three others were charged with defrauding investors in a scheme to supposedly build a private section of the border wall. And that’s not even the worst of the news.
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“While we predicted the whole thing would be a shambles, the extent to which that’s been true even we didn’t see coming,” the host of HBO’s “Last Week Tonight” said on Sunday night.
Oliver then went into the history of the wall, from a “beauty pageant” for wall segments to the sections eventually built that are already in danger of falling down.
“This wall is not a functional barrier,” Oliver said. “If it’s anything, it is a fucking monument to Trump ― which actually makes more sense.”
Trump, he said, was obsessed with his legacy to the point where he reportedly asked what it took to be added to Mt. Rushmore. But Oliver said the border wall was a much more fitting legacy.
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“It’s destructive, pointless, ineffective, racist, weak and something that the damages of which we’re going to have to be dealing with for a very long time,” he said.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-24--Santa Clara University Investigating After Black Professor Details Harassment By Campus Security

The president of Santa Clara University in California issued an apology on Sunday and launched an investigation after a Black assistant professor said she and her brother were harassed in a racially motivated encounter with campus security over the weekend .
Danielle Fuentes Morgan , an assistant professor in the university ’ s English department , detailed the incident on Saturday in a 21-part Twitter thread that was retweeted tens of thousands of times .
Morgan said her brother , who was visiting , was sitting outside on campus with his laptop for a work meeting when campus security officers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Then they followed him to the street , she said , where four security cars were present .
She said her brother proceeded to her house .
“ I opened the door and my brother said , “ I ’ m so sorry about this .
They ’ re demanding you come out and vouch for me.
” I , of course , knew exactly who ‘ they ’ were , ” Morgan wrote .
She claimed one officer “ very aggressively ” demanded to see her campus ID “ to prove @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and that you actually live here.
” She said her husband , who is white , told the officer she was not obligated to show it , prompting the officer to call his supervisor .
I asked what the issue was and he said my brother was `` in the bushes '' and it was `` suspicious '' and they thought he may have been homeless .
I asked why I needed to show ID at my own home .
He said `` Well , it 's not your home .
The University @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — Danielle Fuentes Morgan ( @ mos_daf ) August 22 , 2020 I told them that I was one of 7 Black faculty in the College of Arts and Sciences and that our student body population is 2 % Black .
I told them that the anti-Blackness they espouse and practice is part of the reason why .
( 10/n ) — Danielle Fuentes Morgan ( @ mos_daf ) August 22 , 2020 “ My husband told them that this was anti-Black and despicable .
He told them that they don ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Morgan added .
“ He told them they only harass Black students and faculty , and that following him to a second and third location was punitive.
” She said her neighbor then came over and vouched for her living there : My husband asked why they brought four cars .
They said for safety .
He asked for whose safety .
They said `` the officers 's safety . ''
He told them that he did n't care about their safety and was concerned for his brother-in-law 's safety .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( @ mos_daf ) August 22 , 2020 At this point , they told us they did n't have any guns on them , so my brother was n't in danger .
I was aghast that they explained he was n't in danger because they were n't armed , not because he was n't a threat or because they would n't hurt him , but because they COULD N'T .
( 16/n ) — Danielle Fuentes Morgan ( @ mos_daf ) August 22 , 2020 When her husband asked officers how their family @ @ @ @ @ @ @ harassed , Morgan said the officers advised them to “ stay in open spaces.
” “ That answer is unclear and insufficient , and I am concerned now to go back to campus AND to live in this house , ” she said .
SCU President Kevin O ’ Brien has since issued a statement , saying he is “ deeply sorry ” and that an internal investigation was underway : To Professor @ mos_daf and her family : I am deeply sorry for the hurtful incident that happened today @ santaclarauniv .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ efforts to realize a more inclusive , welcoming and safe campus where all are respected and valued .
pic.twitter.com/KCA50RitP4 — Kevin O'Brien , S.J .
( @ kevinobriensj ) August 23 , 2020 “ We are profoundly saddened and angered by this incident and the behavior of these ‘ Safety ’ officers , ” the petition states .
“ At a time when the entire nation is focused on the impact of generations of abuse of communities of color by the police , it is particularly appalling that such an incident took place @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so strongly associated with social justice and equity here in the United States and around the world .
”

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The president of Santa Clara University in California issued an apology on Sunday and launched an investigation after a Black assistant professor said she and her brother were harassed in a racially motivated encounter with campus security over the weekend.
Danielle Fuentes Morgan, an assistant professor in the university’s English department, detailed the incident on Saturday in a 21-part Twitter thread that was retweeted tens of thousands of times.
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Santa Clara University security just harassed me and my brother and forced me (a faculty member) to show my campus ID to prove I live in the house WHERE I OPENED THE DOOR. A thread. (1/n) — Danielle Fuentes Morgan (@mos_daf) August 22, 2020
Morgan said her brother, who was visiting, was sitting outside on campus with his laptop for a work meeting when campus security officers approached and told him to move along. Then they followed him to the street, she said, where four security cars were present. She said her brother proceeded to her house.
“I opened the door and my brother said, “I’m so sorry about this. They’re demanding you come out and vouch for me.” I, of course, knew exactly who ‘they’ were,” Morgan wrote.
She claimed one officer “very aggressively” demanded to see her campus ID “to prove you are who he says you are and that you actually live here.” She said her husband, who is white, told the officer she was not obligated to show it, prompting the officer to call his supervisor.
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When she asked the officer to explain the issue, he claimed her brother was acting “suspicious”:
I asked what the issue was and he said my brother was "in the bushes" and it was "suspicious" and they thought he may have been homeless. I asked why I needed to show ID at my own home. He said "Well, it's not your home. The University owns it." (9/n) — Danielle Fuentes Morgan (@mos_daf) August 22, 2020
I told them that I was one of 7 Black faculty in the College of Arts and Sciences and that our student body population is 2% Black. I told them that the anti-Blackness they espouse and practice is part of the reason why. (10/n) — Danielle Fuentes Morgan (@mos_daf) August 22, 2020
“My husband told them that this was anti-Black and despicable. He told them that they don’t harass anyone white on campus, ever,” Morgan added. “He told them they only harass Black students and faculty, and that following him to a second and third location was punitive.”
She said her neighbor then came over and vouched for her living there:
My husband asked why they brought four cars. They said for safety. He asked for whose safety. They said "the officers's safety." He told them that he didn't care about their safety and was concerned for his brother-in-law's safety. (15/n) — Danielle Fuentes Morgan (@mos_daf) August 22, 2020
At this point, they told us they didn't have any guns on them, so my brother wasn't in danger. I was aghast that they explained he wasn't in danger because they weren't armed, not because he wasn't a threat or because they wouldn't hurt him, but because they COULDN'T. (16/n) — Danielle Fuentes Morgan (@mos_daf) August 22, 2020
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When her husband asked officers how their family should act in order to not be harassed, Morgan said the officers advised them to “stay in open spaces.”
“That answer is unclear and insufficient, and I am concerned now to go back to campus AND to live in this house,” she said.
SCU President Kevin O’Brien has since issued a statement, saying he is “deeply sorry” and that an internal investigation was underway:
To Professor @mos_daf and her family: I am deeply sorry for the hurtful incident that happened today @santaclarauniv.
No work is more important than our efforts to realize a more inclusive, welcoming and safe campus where all are respected and valued. pic.twitter.com/KCA50RitP4 — Kevin O'Brien, S.J. (@kevinobriensj) August 23, 2020
It’s unclear what repercussions the campus security officers might face for the incident. HuffPost has reached out to SCU for comment.
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In a Change.org petition directed at university leadership, faculty and staff members called for an independent investigation, comprehensive review of SCU’s management and culture and consideration of defunding police activity on campus.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-24--Young Woman Who Was Declared Dead Found Breathing At Funeral Home

An emergency room doctor at a nearby hospital declared the woman dead via phone , relying on medical information provided @ @ @ @ @ which is normal procedure , a spokesperson for the Oakland County medical examiner ’ s @ @ @ @ @ The medical examiner determined the woman ’ s body could be released to her family @ @ @ @ @ arrangements with the funeral home .
The city , county and Southfield Fire Department have @ @ @ @ @ The Southfield Fire and Police Departments followed all appropriate city , county and state protocols @ @ @ @ @ , ” fire officials said in a statement .

An emergency room doctor at a nearby hospital declared the woman dead via phone, relying on medical information provided by the fire department, which is normal procedure, a spokesperson for the Oakland County medical examiner’s office told People magazine.
The medical examiner determined the woman’s body could be released to her family, and the family made arrangements with the funeral home. The city, county and Southfield Fire Department have all launched investigations.
“The Southfield Fire and Police Departments followed all appropriate city, county and state protocols and procedures in this case,” fire officials said in a statement.