thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-30--Mike Pence Gets A Blunt Reminder After 'Let Their Voices Be Heard' Tweet

Twitter users took Vice President Mike Pence to task on Friday over his tweets about the death of George Floyd ― an unarmed Black man who died on Monday in Minneapolis after a police officer knelt on his neck ― and the protests that have since spread across the country .
“ We have no tolerance for racism in America .
We have no tolerance for violence inspired by racism , ” Pence wrote in one tweet , adding in another : “ We condemn violence against property or persons .
We will always stand for the right of Americans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be heard.
” Our prayers are with the family of George Floyd and our prayers are also with the family of Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia .
We have no tolerance for racism in America .
We have no tolerance for violence inspired by racism .
And , as President Trump said , justice will be served .
— Mike Pence ( @ Mike_Pence ) May 29 , 2020 We believe in law and order in this Country .
We condemn violence against property or persons .
We will always stand for the right @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their voices be heard .
— Mike Pence ( @ Mike_Pence ) May 29 , 2020 Many critics accused Pence of hypocrisy , noting how he walked out of an NFL game between the Indianapolis Colts and the San Francisco 49ers in 2017 in protest of the 49ers players who took a knee during the national anthem .
The athletes were powerfully yet peacefully protesting police brutality and systemic racial injustice , following the lead of former 49er Colin Kaepernick .
Others scolded Pence for putting the word “ property ” before the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : When Mike Pence decided to walk out during a peaceful protest during the national anthem at a Colts game in 2017 , it cost taxpayers $ 325,000 .
https : //t.co/UsR0XfoLiA — Cory Provost ( @ coryprovost ) May 30 , 2020 It 's astounding , and a little insulting , how absolutely apparent the hypocrisy is .
This man staged a walkout ( on taxpayer money ) of a peaceful protest .
They 're not even TRYING anymore .
They think you 're that dumb .
Vote them all out .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ — Lawrence Sonntag ( @ SirLarr ) May 29 , 2020 Property first .
Then people .
I 'm beginning to think we should not put these dudes in positions of unthinkable power https : //t.co/FQvIOSYzRj — Jason ( @ longwall26 ) May 29 , 2020 Is this Mike Pence related in any way to U.S. VP Mike Pence , the hater of peaceful protest by Colin Kaepernick ?
Could n't be .
https : //t.co/FraWZGeYKW — Scott Ostler ( @ scottostler ) May 29 , 2020 You literally stormed out of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ peacefully protest and let their voices be heard .
https : //t.co/spANHxdd1T — Brandon J. Smith ( @ brandonjsmith5 ) May 29 , 2020 Like that time in Indianapolis when you @ mike_pence walked out of the NFL game because some players took a knee during the anthem .
https : //t.co/qRelC1K19f — David Shuster ( @ DavidShuster ) May 30 , 2020

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Twitter users took Vice President Mike Pence to task on Friday over his tweets about the death of George Floyd ― an unarmed Black man who died on Monday in Minneapolis after a police officer knelt on his neck ― and the protests that have since spread across the country.
“We have no tolerance for racism in America. We have no tolerance for violence inspired by racism,” Pence wrote in one tweet, adding in another: “We condemn violence against property or persons. We will always stand for the right of Americans to peacefully protest and let their voices be heard.”
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Our prayers are with the family of George Floyd and our prayers are also with the family of Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia. We have no tolerance for racism in America. We have no tolerance for violence inspired by racism. And, as President Trump said, justice will be served. — Mike Pence (@Mike_Pence) May 29, 2020
We believe in law and order in this Country. We condemn violence against property or persons. We will always stand for the right of Americans to peacefully protest and let their voices be heard. — Mike Pence (@Mike_Pence) May 29, 2020
Many critics accused Pence of hypocrisy, noting how he walked out of an NFL game between the Indianapolis Colts and the San Francisco 49ers in 2017 in protest of the 49ers players who took a knee during the national anthem.
The athletes were powerfully yet peacefully protesting police brutality and systemic racial injustice, following the lead of former 49er Colin Kaepernick.
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Others scolded Pence for putting the word “property” before the word “persons” in his post:
When Mike Pence decided to walk out during a peaceful protest during the national anthem at a Colts game in 2017, it cost taxpayers $325,000. https://t.co/UsR0XfoLiA — Cory Provost (@coryprovost) May 30, 2020
It's astounding, and a little insulting, how absolutely apparent the hypocrisy is.
This man staged a walkout (on taxpayer money) of a peaceful protest.
They're not even TRYING anymore. They think you're that dumb.
Vote them all out. You HAVE to. https://t.co/kLgqlyNtQS — Lawrence Sonntag (@SirLarr) May 29, 2020
LITERALLY PUT PROPERTY BEFORE PERSONS https://t.co/x6z2Qw465W — Johnny McNulty (@JohnnyMcNulty) May 29, 2020
Property first. Then people. I'm beginning to think we should not put these dudes in positions of unthinkable power https://t.co/FQvIOSYzRj — Jason (@longwall26) May 29, 2020
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Is this Mike Pence related in any way to U.S. VP Mike Pence, the hater of peaceful protest by Colin Kaepernick? Couldn't be. https://t.co/FraWZGeYKW — Scott Ostler (@scottostler) May 29, 2020
(Offer not valid if protest takes place during NFL games) https://t.co/YdEthPIfPk — Matthew Gertz (@MattGertz) May 29, 2020
You literally stormed out of a football game because some players tried to peacefully protest and let their voices be heard. https://t.co/spANHxdd1T — Brandon J. Smith (@brandonjsmith5) May 29, 2020
Like that time in Indianapolis when you @mike_pence walked out of the NFL game because some players took a knee during the anthem. https://t.co/qRelC1K19f — David Shuster (@DavidShuster) May 30, 2020
Also Mike Pence: peaceful protest is also bad https://t.co/hNbtOO9IsQ pic.twitter.com/TiZrrCc1h1 — Parker Molloy (@ParkerMolloy) May 29, 2020


thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-30--Rudy Giuliani's Cryptic Single-Character Tweet Sparks All Kinds Of Speculation

Rudy Giuliani sent tweeters into overdrive on Friday night with a single character post on the social media platform : Users immediately scrambled to suggest what the hash symbol could mean .
Some believed it was just another butt-dial from the former New York mayor , who is now President Donald Trump ’ s personal attorney .
Others thought he ’ d been trying to dial into a conference call , proposed hashtags he may have been about to post , referenced Trump ’ s ongoing feud with Twitter and noted the nationwide death toll from the coronavirus pandemic .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s previously struggled with his Apple AirPods ) was the president ’ s former cybersecurity adviser .
Is this how you `` hashtag '' ?
https : //t.co/EYaQHEOMi1 — Dan Sweeney ( @ Daniel_Sweeney ) May 30 , 2020 Trump is threatening legal action against Twitter , but his personal attorney Rudy Giuliani still has n't figured out how to use Twitter : https : //t.co/12uAwNvF7s — Palmer Report ( @ PalmerReport ) May 30 , 2020 Understood Sir .
Initiating the protocols , may God have mercy on us all .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ 30 , 2020 Rudy tried to come up with hashtags listing reasons to re-elect Trump — Mike Dorsey 😷 ( @ DorseyFilm ) May 30 , 2020 Did you just press pound to speak to a Twitter manager ?
— The Hoarse Whisperer ( @ HoarseWisperer ) May 30 , 2020 Guess someone had a conference call to dial into tonight .
https : //t.co/J8smGnKNey — Liz Mair ( @ LizMair ) May 30 , 2020 Let me finish that for you.
# BlackLivesMatter — Liddle ’ Savage ( @ littledeekay ) May @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deaths caused by your friend .
— Ms. Krassenstein ( @ HKrassenstein ) May 30 , 2020 Rudy , this is Twitter , not your telephone https : //t.co/uzXjZGu1Aq — William LeGate ( @ williamlegate ) May 30 , 2020 anyone wan na check and see if a rocket just launched somewhere ?
https : //t.co/hzAdhjR3B9 — RickyFTW ( @ rickyftw ) May 30 , 2020 Hi , you have reached the manager of Twitter .
Please enter your Twitter password and click `` Tweet '' for us to look up your information @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) May 30 , 2020

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Rudy Giuliani sent tweeters into overdrive on Friday night with a single-character post on the social media platform:
# — Rudy W. Giuliani (@RudyGiuliani) May 30, 2020
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Users immediately scrambled to suggest what the hash symbol could mean.
Some believed it was just another butt-dial from the former New York mayor, who is now President Donald Trump’s personal attorney.
Others thought he’d been trying to dial into a conference call, proposed hashtags he may have been about to post, referenced Trump’s ongoing feud with Twitter and noted the nationwide death toll from the coronavirus pandemic.
Many also noted how Giuliani (who’s previously struggled with his Apple AirPods) is the president’s former cybersecurity adviser.
"Press the pound key to leave a message." https://t.co/bcI7193pHK — Kevin Fox 🦊😷 (@kfury) May 30, 2020
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President's cybersecurity expert weighs in https://t.co/hVtvmXNkO1 — Ken Tremendous (@KenTremendous) May 30, 2020
Is this how you "hashtag"? https://t.co/EYaQHEOMi1 — Dan Sweeney (@Daniel_Sweeney) May 30, 2020
Trump is threatening legal action against Twitter, but his personal attorney Rudy Giuliani still hasn't figured out how to use Twitter: https://t.co/12uAwNvF7s — Palmer Report (@PalmerReport) May 30, 2020
Understood Sir. Initiating the protocols, may God have mercy on us all. — pourmecoffee (@pourmecoffee) May 30, 2020
Rudy tried to come up with hashtags listing reasons to re-elect Trump — Mike Dorsey 😷 (@DorseyFilm) May 30, 2020
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& — Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) May 30, 2020
Did you just press pound to speak to a Twitter manager? — The Hoarse Whisperer (@HoarseWisperer) May 30, 2020
Guess someone had a conference call to dial into tonight. https://t.co/J8smGnKNey — Liz Mair (@LizMair) May 30, 2020
Let me finish that for you.#BlackLivesMatter — Liddle’ Savage (@littledeekay) May 30, 2020
The number is 103,923 deaths caused by your friend. — Ms. Krassenstein (@HKrassenstein) May 30, 2020
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Rudy, this is Twitter, not your telephone https://t.co/uzXjZGu1Aq — William LeGate (@williamlegate) May 30, 2020
your best tweet yet — 𝚔𝚎𝚟𝚒𝚗 (@KevINthe406) May 30, 2020
anyone wanna check and see if a rocket just launched somewhere? https://t.co/hzAdhjR3B9 — RickyFTW (@rickyftw) May 30, 2020
#TrumpLiesAmericansDie is what I think you meant. — JRehling (@JRehling) May 30, 2020
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-29--Protests Continue Nationwide Over George Floyd Killing In Minneapolis

Nationwide protests over the killing of George Floyd — the Black man who died Monday after a white Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck — continued Friday evening as Americans demanded that those involved face justice .
Frey said he was “ reeling ” along with the rest of his city , but emphasized that “ there is no honor in burning down your city.
” Major Gen. Jon Jensen announced that the state ’ s National Guard was preparing to deploy 1,700 soldiers .
The action would be the largest deployment within Minnesota in the state ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ York , police were filmed hitting demonstrators with batons and spraying what appeared to be pepper spray , according to reporters on the scene .
A dozen NYPD officers were injured and at least 200 protesters were arrested , WABC-7reported.
, In Atlanta , police also reportedly used tear gas on protesters outside CNN headquarters , where police were barricaded in the entry after some demonstrators shattered glass walls .
Georgia Gov .
Brian Kemp issued a state of emergency around midnight .
The White House went on lockdown as protesters neared Pennsylvania @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Secret Service , CNN reported .
No one was allowed to leave the grounds , including members of the press , as demonstrators clashed with police .
In California , a black Toyota captured on video appeared to deliberately drive into protesters in Bakersfield .
It was spotted later speeding down a road where demonstrators were gathered .
It couldn ’ t immediately be determined if anyone was seriously injured .
In downtown Los Angeles , protesters shut down the 110 Freeway as they chanted , “ I can ’ t breathe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ peace.
” Some clashed with police after a squad car was attacked .
In Louisville , Kentucky , law enforcement shot pepper pellets at a local news crew filming the protest , according to a local newscaster who was hit while reporting live .
Police later apologized and said they would review the incident .
Minneapolis police over previous nights had responded to protests by wearing riot gear and firing tear gas and rubber bullets on demonstrators .
Amid some of the civil unrest on Thursday night , a local police precinct in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other stores were damaged .
The nationwide civil unrest follows a days-long wait for the Friday arrest of Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin .
The white cop pressed his knee into Floyd ’ s neck as he repeatedly said he couldn ’ t breathe .
Floyd , who was handcuffed and unarmed , was being arrested after he was accused of fraud involving a possibly counterfeit $ 20 bill .
Chauvin held his knee on Floyd ’ s neck for nearly nine minutes , according to the complaint filed against him , with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those minutes .
Chauvin is facing charges of third-degree murder and manslaughter .
Floyd ’ s family issued a statement Friday saying they were disappointed authorities didn ’ t seek first-degree murder charges .
The family , calling Chauvin ’ s arrest “ welcome but overdue , ” also demanded that the other three officers present Monday — Thomas Lane , Tou Thao and J. Alexander Kueng — be arrested .
“ The pain that the black community feels over this murder and what it reflects about the treatment of black people in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ onto streets across America , ” the family ’ s attorney Ben Crump wrote in a statement .

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Nationwide protests over the killing of George Floyd — the Black man who died Monday after a white Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck — continued Friday evening as Americans demanded that those involved face justice.
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Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz warned in a press conference early Saturday the situation remains “incredibly dangerous.” Walz said he understood the “rage,” but not the “wanton destruction.” Frey said he was “reeling” along with the rest of his city, but emphasized that “there is no honor in burning down your city.”
Major Gen. Jon Jensen announced that the state’s National Guard was preparing to deploy 1,700 soldiers. The action would be the largest deployment within Minnesota in the state’s history.
At the protest in New York, police were filmed hitting demonstrators with batons and spraying what appeared to be pepper spray, according to reporters on the scene. A dozen NYPD officers were injured and at least 200 protesters were arrested, WABC-7 reported.
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Police in several cities, including Boston and Fort Wayne, Indiana, reportedly fired tear gas to disperse protesters.
In Atlanta, police also reportedly used tear gas on protesters outside CNN headquarters, where police were barricaded in the entry after some demonstrators shattered glass walls. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp issued a state of emergency around midnight.
The White House went on lockdown as protesters neared Pennsylvania Avenue and kicked down barricades guarded by the Secret Service, CNN reported. No one was allowed to leave the grounds, including members of the press, as demonstrators clashed with police.
A 21-year-old man in Detroit was shot and killed just before midnight amid the city’s protests, when an unknown shooter fired into a vehicle with several people inside sitting near a large demonstration. The targets quickly fled on foot and were brought to a hospital, where one was pronounced dead, according to The Detroit News. The shooter’s connection to the victim was not immediately clear.
In California, a black Toyota captured on video appeared to deliberately drive into protesters in Bakersfield. It was spotted later speeding down a road where demonstrators were gathered. It couldn’t immediately be determined if anyone was seriously injured. One Federal Protective Service officer died from gunshot wounds in Oakland. Another was injured, reported KCBS Radio.
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Protesters in Los Angeles shut down the 110 Freeway as they chanted, “I can’t breathe” and “No justice, no peace.” Some clashed with police after a squad car was attacked.
In Houston, almost 200 people were arrested for participating “in unlawful assemblies throughout the day & night,” police tweeted. In Portland, police declared “a riot” and a Chase Bank building was set on fire.
In Louisville, Kentucky, law enforcement shot pepper pellets at a local news crew filming the protest, according to a local newscaster who was hit while reporting live. Police later apologized and said they would review the incident.
BREAKING: Police in Louisville fire rubber bullets at news crews live on television, as protests continue. pic.twitter.com/KYBrvsfXOE — Adam Snider (@AdamSniderNews) May 30, 2020
Demonstrators are on the move, chanting George Floyd’s name and “No Justice, No Peace.” Just passed over the Hennepin Avenue bridge. @kare11 pic.twitter.com/j4FDwNoCKJ — Danny Spewak (@DannySpewak) May 29, 2020
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A lot just popped off at the protest for George Floyd at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Pepper spray, batons, and several arrests. pic.twitter.com/ZuciQA82fe — Jon Campbell (@j0ncampbell) May 29, 2020
Chants of WHO ARE YOU PROTECTING in Brooklyn pic.twitter.com/KPI8aQefkX — Christopher Mathias (@letsgomathias) May 30, 2020
Chicago’s #GeorgeFloyd protest has now taken over Ida B Wells Drive@cbschicago pic.twitter.com/0LPwMtmKxK — Marissa Parra (@MarParNews) May 29, 2020
Driver plows through crowd of protesters blocking road in Bakersfield, California pic.twitter.com/pI8OMneV8H — Art TakingBack 🇺🇸 (@ArtValley818) May 30, 2020
LAPD seen trying to detain protesters after squad car windows smashed, officer attacked downtown https://t.co/uHrpaRp3xm pic.twitter.com/gmxNAdO1uM — KTLA (@KTLA) May 30, 2020
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Video from @KGWNews photographer Richard Gordon shows Chase Bank on fire in downtown Portland. https://t.co/QLnShi8LOf pic.twitter.com/6gmgb1DRgC — KGW News (@KGWNews) May 30, 2020
Minneapolis police over previous nights had responded to protests by wearing riot gear and firing tear gas and rubber bullets on demonstrators. Amid some of the civil unrest on Thursday night, a local police precinct in Minneapolis was burned and a Target and other stores were damaged.
The nationwide civil unrest follows a days-long wait for the Friday arrest of Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin. The white cop pressed his knee into Floyd’s neck as he repeatedly said he couldn’t breathe. Floyd, who was handcuffed and unarmed, was being arrested after he was accused of fraud involving a possibly counterfeit $20 bill. Chauvin held his knee on Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes, according to the complaint filed against him, with Floyd reportedly unresponsive for nearly three of those minutes.
Chauvin is facing charges of third-degree murder and manslaughter. Floyd’s family issued a statement Friday saying they were disappointed authorities didn’t seek first-degree murder charges. The family, calling Chauvin’s arrest “welcome but overdue,” also demanded that the other three officers present Monday — Thomas Lane, Tou Thao and J. Alexander Kueng — be arrested.
“The pain that the black community feels over this murder and what it reflects about the treatment of black people in America is raw and is spilling out onto streets across America,” the family’s attorney Ben Crump wrote in a statement.
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The local NAACP chapter echoed the family’s demands for the arrest of the other officers. “All humanity should be outraged,” Leslie Redmond, president of the Minneapolis NAACP, said Friday.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-30--Michelle Obama: ‘I’m Exhausted By A Heartbreak That Never Seems To Stop’

Former first lady Michelle Obama said it was “ up to all of us — Black , white , everyone ” to root out racism as she responded on social media to the death of George Floyd .
Obama revealed in an Instagram post on Friday that she was “ pained “ and “ exhausted by a heartbreak that never seems to stop , ” noting how “ race and racism is a reality that so many of us grow up learning to just deal with.
” “ Right now it ’ s George , Breonna , and Ahmaud .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and Michael .
It just goes on , and on , and on , ” she wrote “ But if we ever hope to move past it , it can ’ t just be on people of color to deal with it , ” Obama continued .
“ It ’ s up to all of us — Black , white , everyone — no matter how well-meaning we think we might be , to do the honest , uncomfortable work of rooting it out.
” Obama said it “ starts with self-examination @ @ @ @ @ @ @ different from our own ” and “ ends with justice , compassion , and empathy that manifests in our lives and on our streets.
” “ I pray we all have the strength for that journey , just as I pray for the souls and the families of those who were taken from us , ” Obama concluded the post , which featured illustrations by artist Nikkolas Smith .
Floyd , an unarmed Black man , died in Minneapolis on Monday after a police officer knelt on his neck .
Four Minneapolis police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ death , which was captured on camera and sparked protests nationwide .
Former President Barack Obama , meanwhile , said in a statement Friday that “ this shouldn ’ t be ‘ normal ’ in 2020 America.
” “ It ’ s natural to wish for life ‘ to just get back to normal ’ as a pandemic and economic crisis upend everything around us , ” he said .
“ But we have to remember that for millions of Americans being treated differently on account of race is tragically , painfully , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s while dealing with the health care system , or interacting with the criminal justice system , or jogging down the street , or just watching birds in a park .
”

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Former first lady Michelle Obama said it was “up to all of us — Black, white, everyone” to root out racism as she responded on social media to the death of George Floyd.
Obama revealed in an Instagram post on Friday that she was “pained “and “exhausted by a heartbreak that never seems to stop,” noting how “race and racism is a reality that so many of us grow up learning to just deal with.”
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“Right now it’s George, Breonna, and Ahmaud. Before that it was Eric, Sandra, and Michael. It just goes on, and on, and on,” she wrote.
“But if we ever hope to move past it, it can’t just be on people of color to deal with it,” Obama continued. “It’s up to all of us — Black, white, everyone — no matter how well-meaning we think we might be, to do the honest, uncomfortable work of rooting it out.”
Obama said it “starts with self-examination and listening to those whose lives are different from our own” and “ends with justice, compassion, and empathy that manifests in our lives and on our streets.”
“I pray we all have the strength for that journey, just as I pray for the souls and the families of those who were taken from us,” Obama concluded the post, which featured illustrations by artist Nikkolas Smith.
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Check out Obama’s post here:
Floyd, an unarmed Black man, died in Minneapolis on Monday after a police officer knelt on his neck. Four Minneapolis police officers were fired following Floyd’s death, which was captured on camera and sparked protests nationwide.
Officer Derek Chauvin was arrested and charged Friday with third-degree murder and manslaughter.
Former President Barack Obama, meanwhile, said in a statement Friday that “this shouldn’t be ‘normal’ in 2020 America.”
“It’s natural to wish for life ‘to just get back to normal’ as a pandemic and economic crisis upend everything around us,” he said. “But we have to remember that for millions of Americans being treated differently on account of race is tragically, painfully, maddeningly ‘normal’ — whether it’s while dealing with the health care system, or interacting with the criminal justice system, or jogging down the street, or just watching birds in a park.”
My statement on the death of George Floyd: pic.twitter.com/Hg1k9JHT6R — Barack Obama (@BarackObama) May 29, 2020


thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-29--Why Protesters In Minneapolis Are Facing Militarized Law Enforcement

“ The team does not have a vehicle capable of providing any level of ballistic protection which greatly increases the risks during deployments , ” the agency wrote .
Asking for a “ Stryker , Cougar , Caiman , MaxxPro , MRAP , or any similar vehicle ” — all vehicles designed to withstand explosions from landmines or improvised bombs — the agency said its SWAT team could use such a vehicle for “ high-risk warrants , hostage rescue , barricaded suspects , counter-drug activities , counter terrorist incidents , VIP motorcades , and dedicated response to incidents at two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protection of the state Capitol .
The 2012 request was part of a trend that nearly always becomes obvious when officers respond to large-scale protests of police violence .
Across the country , many law enforcement agencies have grown indistinguishable in their tactics or equipment from the military thanks to federal government programs that have flooded local police departments with military equipment .
As a result , critics say , police are more likely to use disproportionate force against ordinary people , and their response to protesters can become dangerous .
The Minnesota @ @ @ @ @ @ @ responding to the Minneapolis protests over the police killing of a Black man .
And like law enforcement agencies before them — in Ferguson , Missouri , and Baton Rouge , Louisiana — some of the officers are outfitted for a battle .
“ We always do this , ” Minneapolis City Council member Jeremiah Ellison said to MPR on Wednesday .
“ We create a barrier , put the police out there , put them in a line , put face masks , depersonalize them , make them look as scary as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ result , and then we want to point the finger at community members.
” One night earlier , hundreds of citizens had gathered in Minneapolis near the spot where 46-year-old George Floyd died in police custody .
Floyd , a Black man , died shortly after a white officer , Derek Chauvin , knelt on his neck while Floyd complained he couldn ’ t breathe .
Bystanders captured the act on video .
The city fired Chauvin earlier this week but did not arrest him until Friday .
He ’ s been charged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Video from a second protest on Thursday evening appeared to show police arbitrarily spraying mace from an SUV as it drove by protesters .
Early Friday morning , Minnesota State Patrol officers in body armor and riot gear swarmed the area around a burning police precinct and arrested members of a CNN camera crew without any obvious cause .
By Friday midday , officers of the Minnesota State Patrol were manning one checkpoint with the kind of heavily armored vehicle the agency once requested from the Pentagon , although the vehicle likely belonged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tough-on-crime policies and militarized police departments have paved the way for increased police contact and tragic violence , ” he wrote in The Washington Post .
“ Reducing the capacity for police to engage in routine and militaristic violence is the only way to break recurring cycles of police killings and the militarized response that protests of them are often met with.
” It ’ s true that the way police came prepared for these protests is part of a pattern .
Six years ago , demonstrations in Ferguson , Missouri , over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ widespread criticism over the militarization of police .
Over several days of protests , officers wearing camouflage stood on top of mine-resistant vehicles and aimed military-style firearms at unarmed protesters .
The Senate held hearings on the militarization of police , where then-Sen. Claire McCaskill ( D-Mo . )
fumed that “ lawful , peaceful protesters did not deserve to be treated like enemy combatants.
” Hundreds of local law enforcement agencies across the country have access to the same kinds of military vehicles , tactical gear and firearms .
For decades , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for local police to obtain military gear to use in the “ war on drugs.
” The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan turbocharged the flow of military gear to small-town police forces as the Pentagon sought new homes for the tons of equipment coming off the battlefield .
Countless departments also spent their own funds to acquire militaristic equipment from private companies .
In the wake of the Ferguson protests , the Obama administration placed restrictions on the most notorious of the federal programs , which had distributed mine-resistant vehicles , bayonets and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Government Accountability Office investigation found that the restrictions were essentially a fiction ; investigators set up a fake police department and , with minimal vetting , were able to obtain a pipe bomb .
As more police agencies militarize , there is evidence that it warps police work itself .
Some research has found that police officers are more fatally violent in precincts that obtain military gear .
An ACLU analysis around the time of the Ferguson protests found that agencies were routinely using armored vehicles and flash-bang grenades to perform low-stakes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ The militarization of American policing is evident in the training that police officers receive , which encourages them to adopt a ‘ warrior ’ mentality and think of the people they are supposed to serve as enemies , as well as in the equipment they use , such as battering rams , flashbang grenades , and APCs , ” the report read .
In 2015 , I obtained the requests that hundreds of police and sheriff departments had made to the Pentagon program , known as the 1033 program , that redistributed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they could use an armored vehicle for low-stakes drug enforcement operations or to police events like college football games and busy beach days .
When I spoke to some of these agencies , many said they liked the vehicles simply because they were free .
In addition to claiming it could use an armored vehicle in terrorist attacks and active shooter situations , the Minnesota State Patrol noted in its request that it was the primary agency charged with “ the protection of the State Capitol Complex.
” The state Capitol also happens @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recent protest — in April , when hundreds of mostly white protesters , including a few who appeared heavily armed , gathered there and outside of Gov .
Tim Walz ’ s residence to protest public health shutdowns over the coronavirus pandemic .

A man rides a bicycle up to a law enforcement checkpoint Friday in Minneapolis. Scott Olson/Getty Images
Long before this week’s clashes between police and demonstrators protesting police brutality, the Minnesota State Patrol made a request that foreshadowed the shape of the chaos.
In a letter to a Pentagon program that repurposes weapons and armored vehicles from foreign wars for domestic police forces, the agency said its SWAT team could use a mine-resistant vehicle for what it referred to not as police work but as “deployments.”
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“The team does not have a vehicle capable of providing any level of ballistic protection which greatly increases the risks during deployments,” the agency wrote. Asking for a “Stryker, Cougar, Caiman, MaxxPro, MRAP, or any similar vehicle” — all vehicles designed to withstand explosions from landmines or improvised bombs — the agency said its SWAT team could use such a vehicle for “high-risk warrants, hostage rescue, barricaded suspects, counter-drug activities, counter terrorist incidents, VIP motorcades, and dedicated response to incidents at two nuclear power plants,” and the protection of the state Capitol.
The 2012 request was part of a trend that nearly always becomes obvious when officers respond to large-scale protests of police violence. Across the country, many law enforcement agencies have grown indistinguishable in their tactics or equipment from the military thanks to federal government programs that have flooded local police departments with military equipment. As a result, critics say, police are more likely to use disproportionate force against ordinary people, and their response to protesters can become dangerous.
The Minnesota State Patrol is one of several agencies responding to the Minneapolis protests over the police killing of a Black man. And like law enforcement agencies before them — in Ferguson, Missouri, and Baton Rouge, Louisiana — some of the officers are outfitted for a battle.
“We always do this,” Minneapolis City Council member Jeremiah Ellison said to MPR on Wednesday. “We create a barrier, put the police out there, put them in a line, put face masks, depersonalize them, make them look as scary as possible, and we always get this result, and then we want to point the finger at community members.”
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One night earlier, hundreds of citizens had gathered in Minneapolis near the spot where 46-year-old George Floyd died in police custody. Floyd, a Black man, died shortly after a white officer, Derek Chauvin, knelt on his neck while Floyd complained he couldn’t breathe. Bystanders captured the act on video. The city fired Chauvin earlier this week but did not arrest him until Friday. He’s been charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.
Minneapolis police officers wore body armor and carried riot gear to face off with visibly unarmed protesters who were wearing T-shirts and carrying signs. After some in the crowd began to break windows and spray graffiti, officers fired tear gas and foam pellets. Nearby buildings and businesses were set on fire during the protests.
Video from a second protest on Thursday evening appeared to show police arbitrarily spraying mace from an SUV as it drove by protesters. Early Friday morning, Minnesota State Patrol officers in body armor and riot gear swarmed the area around a burning police precinct and arrested members of a CNN camera crew without any obvious cause. By Friday midday, officers of the Minnesota State Patrol were manning one checkpoint with the kind of heavily armored vehicle the agency once requested from the Pentagon, although the vehicle likely belonged to the Minnesota National Guard.
Under the headline “Why Does the Minneapolis Police Department Look Like a Military Unit?” civil rights activist and writer Philip V. McHarris directly linked the officers’ posture to the way they use deadly force against ordinary people.
“Tough-on-crime policies and militarized police departments have paved the way for increased police contact and tragic violence,” he wrote in The Washington Post. “Reducing the capacity for police to engage in routine and militaristic violence is the only way to break recurring cycles of police killings and the militarized response that protests of them are often met with.”
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Police at a demonstration Thursday in New York City wore typical uniforms and bike helmets. Lev Radin/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images
It’s true that the way police came prepared for these protests is part of a pattern. Six years ago, demonstrations in Ferguson, Missouri, over the police killing of Michael Brown ignited widespread criticism over the militarization of police. Over several days of protests, officers wearing camouflage stood on top of mine-resistant vehicles and aimed military-style firearms at unarmed protesters. The Senate held hearings on the militarization of police, where then-Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) fumed that “lawful, peaceful protesters did not deserve to be treated like enemy combatants.”
Two years later, police in Baton Rouge came outfitted in riot gear to largely peaceful protests of Alton Sterling’s death in police custody.
Hundreds of local law enforcement agencies across the country have access to the same kinds of military vehicles, tactical gear and firearms. For decades, the federal government has made it possible for local police to obtain military gear to use in the “war on drugs.” The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan turbocharged the flow of military gear to small-town police forces as the Pentagon sought new homes for the tons of equipment coming off the battlefield. Countless departments also spent their own funds to acquire militaristic equipment from private companies.
In the wake of the Ferguson protests, the Obama administration placed restrictions on the most notorious of the federal programs, which had distributed mine-resistant vehicles, bayonets and tanks to small-town police departments. But a Government Accountability Office investigation found that the restrictions were essentially a fiction; investigators set up a fake police department and, with minimal vetting, were able to obtain a pipe bomb.
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As more police agencies militarize, there is evidence that it warps police work itself. Some research has found that police officers are more fatally violent in precincts that obtain military gear. An ACLU analysis around the time of the Ferguson protests found that agencies were routinely using armored vehicles and flash-bang grenades to perform low-stakes tasks such as serving arrest warrants.
Lone activist Ieshia Evans stands her ground while offering her hands for arrest as she is charged by riot police during a July 2016 protest against police brutality in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Evans, a 28-year-old Pennsylvania nurse, traveled to Baton Rouge to protest the death of Alton Sterling, a Black father who was shot at close range by two white police officers. Jonathan Bachman / Reuters
“The militarization of American policing is evident in the training that police officers receive, which encourages them to adopt a ‘warrior’ mentality and think of the people they are supposed to serve as enemies, as well as in the equipment they use, such as battering rams, flashbang grenades, and APCs,” the report read.
In 2015, I obtained the requests that hundreds of police and sheriff departments had made to the Pentagon program, known as the 1033 program, that redistributed mine-resistant vehicles. Dozens of departments said they could use an armored vehicle for low-stakes drug enforcement operations or to police events like college football games and busy beach days. When I spoke to some of these agencies, many said they liked the vehicles simply because they were free.
Among those requests was the Minnesota State Patrol’s for an armored vehicle. It’s not clear if the Pentagon ever honored its request or if the agency obtained military-style gear another way. A spokesperson for the state patrol did not respond to HuffPost’s questions.
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In addition to claiming it could use an armored vehicle in terrorist attacks and active shooter situations, the Minnesota State Patrol noted in its request that it was the primary agency charged with “the protection of the State Capitol Complex.” The state Capitol also happens to have been the site of a recent protest — in April, when hundreds of mostly white protesters, including a few who appeared heavily armed, gathered there and outside of Gov. Tim Walz’s residence to protest public health shutdowns over the coronavirus pandemic.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-29--Maryland's GOP Governor Rips Trump For 'Inciting Violence With Twitter' In Minneapolis

Maryland ’ s Republican governor on Friday slammed President Donald Trump for using Twitter for “ inflammatory rhetoric ” and “ inciting violence ” in Minneapolis amid outrage over the death of African American George Floyd during a violent arrest by four police officers .
Gov .
Larry Hogan criticized the president for turning up the heat when he was asked on NBC ’ s “ Today ” show about Trump ’ s threats amid the protests and mounting turmoil in the city over Floyd ’ s death .
Trump called the protesters “ THUGS ” and warned : “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ starts.
” That ’ s the same threat used by a Miami police chief about young Black men in 1967 .
“ I don ’ t think it ’ s helpful , ” Hogan said of Trump ’ s tweet .
A better tactic is “ lowering the temperature , trying to stop the violence and ... bring about calm and restore peace and law and order.
” “ Inflammatory rhetoric , I just don ’ t think is helpful on either side , ” Hogan said .
“ I do believe you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ order , that you ’ ve got to stop the burning and looting — but inciting violence with Twitter is not the way to go about it.
” Floyd , 46 , was pronounced dead Monday after an arrest for alleged fraud over a possibly counterfeit $ 20 bill .
Video taken by a bystander shows Derek Chauvin , a white police officer , pressing his knee to Floyd ’ s neck as he ’ s restrained on the ground and pleading for he can ’ t breathe .
Chauvin was arrested and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Floyd ’ s death .
The other three officers had not been arrested or charged as of Friday night .
Hogan was governor in 2015 when violence and arson broke out in Baltimore after days of largely peaceful protests triggered by the death of Freddie Gray , who was fatally injured in police custody after an arrest on a minor charge .
None of the police officers charged in Gray ’ s death was convicted .
A Minneapolis prosecutor initially cautioned against a “ rush ” to press charges against police in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pointed to the Gray case .
Hogan said he didn ’ t think it was a “ fair comparison.
” The “ evidence ” in Minneapolis “ seems overwhelming and clear to me , ” he added .
“ You have a video of exactly what happened.
” Trump insisted Friday on Twitter that only “ the haters ” would have trouble with his looting and shooting tweet .
Looting leads to shooting , and that ’ s why a man was shot and killed in Minneapolis on Wednesday night - or look @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 7 people shot .
I don ’ t want this to happen , and that ’ s what the expression put out last night means ... .
— Donald J. Trump ( @ realDonaldTrump ) May 29 , 2020 ... .It was spoken as a fact , not as a statement .
It ’ s very simple , nobody should have any problem with this other than the haters , and those looking to cause trouble on social media .
Honor the memory of George Floyd !
— Donald J. Trump ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @

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Maryland’s Republican governor on Friday slammed President Donald Trump for using Twitter for “inflammatory rhetoric” and “inciting violence” in Minneapolis amid outrage over the death of African American George Floyd during a violent arrest by four police officers.
Gov. Larry Hogan criticized the president for turning up the heat when he was asked on NBC’s “Today” show about Trump’s threats amid the protests and mounting turmoil in the city over Floyd’s death.
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Trump called the protesters “THUGS” and warned: “when the looting starts, the shooting starts.” That’s the same threat used by a Miami police chief about young Black men in 1967.
Twitter posted a warning on the tweet for “glorifying violence.”
“I don’t think it’s helpful,” Hogan said of Trump’s tweet. A better tactic is “lowering the temperature, trying to stop the violence and ... bring about calm and restore peace and law and order.”
“Inflammatory rhetoric, I just don’t think is helpful on either side,” Hogan said. “I do believe you’ve got to have law and order, that you’ve got to stop the burning and looting — but inciting violence with Twitter is not the way to go about it.”
Floyd, 46, was pronounced dead Monday after an arrest for alleged fraud over a possibly counterfeit $20 bill. Video taken by a bystander shows Derek Chauvin, a white police officer, pressing his knee to Floyd’s neck as he’s restrained on the ground and pleading for he can’t breathe.
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Chauvin was arrested and charged Friday with third-degree murder and manslaughter in Floyd’s death. The other three officers had not been arrested or charged as of Friday night.
Hogan was governor in 2015 when violence and arson broke out in Baltimore after days of largely peaceful protests triggered by the death of Freddie Gray, who was fatally injured in police custody after an arrest on a minor charge. None of the police officers charged in Gray’s death was convicted.
A Minneapolis prosecutor initially cautioned against a “rush” to press charges against police in the death of Floyd, and he pointed to the Gray case.
Hogan said he didn’t think it was a “fair comparison.” The “evidence” in Minneapolis “seems overwhelming and clear to me,” he added. “You have a video of exactly what happened.”
Minnesota Public Safety Commissioner John Harrington said Friday that he’d call Floyd’s death a “murder.”
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Trump insisted Friday on Twitter that only “the haters” would have trouble with his looting and shooting tweet.
Looting leads to shooting, and that’s why a man was shot and killed in Minneapolis on Wednesday night - or look at what just happened in Louisville with 7 people shot. I don’t want this to happen, and that’s what the expression put out last night means.... — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 29, 2020
....It was spoken as a fact, not as a statement. It’s very simple, nobody should have any problem with this other than the haters, and those looking to cause trouble on social media. Honor the memory of George Floyd! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 29, 2020


thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-29--In A Bone To Evangelicals, CDC Drops Warning About COVID-19 Risks In Choirs

The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday suddenly dropped its warning about the risk of choirs spreading COVID-19 at religious services after being told to do so by White House officials , The Washington Post reported .
The warning was omitted even though choirs can become “ super-spreader ” events infecting large groups of people at once .
Singing can increase the intensity of “ aerosol emission ” of the coronavirus .
Nearly all 61 members of a choir in Washington state became infected with COVID-19 after a single rehearsal in March , a CDC study found @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just last Friday issued safety guidelines for restarting religious services .
It recommended then that religious communities “ consider suspending or at least decreasing use of choir/musical ensembles and congregant singing , chanting , or reciting during services or other programming.
” ( The original guidelines are available via web archive . )
But a source insisted to NPR that the CDC “ posted the wrong version of the guidance , ” adding : “ The version that is currently up on the website is the version cleared by the White House.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Now the CDC simply urges that faith-based organizations promote “ social distancing at services and other gatherings , ensuring that clergy , staff , choir , volunteers and attendees at the services follow social distancing ... to lessen their risk.
” Communicable disease expert Lea Hamner of Skagit County Public Health , the lead author of the CDC Washington choir report , told NPR she is worried about the changes — and reopening houses of worship .
“ As a public health official , I would strongly encourage that religious services continue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” she wrote in an email .
Large group gatherings should “ not take place unless strict safety measures are put in place such as physical distancing , wearing face coverings or masks , providing tools for excellent hand hygiene , and not attending while ill , ” she added .
President Donald Trump last week deemed houses of worship “ essential places that provide essential services ” that he said must be reopened “ right now.
” He threatened to “ override governors ” if they ignored his demand .
Sources told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shore up support from the religious right , which was beginning to slip away .
The choir changes were also a push by White House officials not to alienate the evangelical community , the Post reported , regardless of increased health risks .
The CDC earlier this month issued a report warning about “ super-spreader ” events where the coronavirus might be “ highly transmissible in certain settings , including group singing events.
” The study detailed the contagion of 52 of 61 singers at a single choir practice in Washington state in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ multiple opportunities for droplet transmission from close contact ... and the act of singing itself might have contributed to SARS-CoV-2 transmission , ” the study noted .
“ Aerosol emission during speech has been correlated with loudness of vocalization , and certain persons , who release an order of magnitude more particles than their peers , have been referred to as super-emitters and have been hypothesized to contribute to super-spreading events .
Members had an intense and prolonged exposure , singing while sitting 6–10 inches from one another , possibly emitting aerosols.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ risk spreading the coronavirus .
A CDC study last week revealed that COVID-19 cases first contracted by a pastor and his wife ended up spreading to 35 others who attended events at their rural Arkansas church .
Three people died .
An additional 26 cases in the community occurred among people who had contact with those who participated in the church events .
One of them also died .
“ This outbreak highlights the potential for widespread transmission of ... the virus that causes COVID-19 , both at group gatherings during church events @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the study warned .
“ These findings underscore the opportunity for faith-based organizations to prevent COVID-19 by following local authorities ’ guidance and the U.S. Government ’ s Guidelines .
”

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The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday suddenly dropped its warning about the risk of choirs spreading COVID-19 at religious services after being told to do so by White House officials, The Washington Post reported.
The warning was omitted even though choirs can become “super-spreader” events infecting large groups of people at once. Singing can increase the intensity of “aerosol emission” of the coronavirus. Nearly all 61 members of a choir in Washington state became infected with COVID-19 after a single rehearsal in March, a CDC study found. Two people died.
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The CDC just last Friday issued safety guidelines for restarting religious services. It recommended then that religious communities “consider suspending or at least decreasing use of choir/musical ensembles and congregant singing, chanting, or reciting during services or other programming.” (The original guidelines are available via web archive.)
The “act of singing may contribute to transmission of COVID-19, possibly through emission of aerosols,” the CDC warned.
But those guidelines suddenly vanished.
Sources told the Post that the CDC was ordered by White House officials to make the change.
But a source insisted to NPR that the CDC “posted the wrong version of the guidance,” adding: “The version that is currently up on the website is the version cleared by the White House.”
The guidelines no longer recommend suspending choirs. Now the CDC simply urges that faith-based organizations promote “social distancing at services and other gatherings, ensuring that clergy, staff, choir, volunteers and attendees at the services follow social distancing ... to lessen their risk.”
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Communicable disease expert Lea Hamner of Skagit County Public Health, the lead author of the CDC Washington choir report, told NPR she is worried about the changes — and reopening houses of worship.
“As a public health official, I would strongly encourage that religious services continue to happen remotely or in cars,” she wrote in an email. Large group gatherings should “not take place unless strict safety measures are put in place such as physical distancing, wearing face coverings or masks, providing tools for excellent hand hygiene, and not attending while ill,” she added.
President Donald Trump last week deemed houses of worship “essential places that provide essential services” that he said must be reopened “right now.” He threatened to “override governors” if they ignored his demand.
Sources told Politico that he made the move to shore up support from the religious right, which was beginning to slip away.
The choir changes were also a push by White House officials not to alienate the evangelical community, the Post reported, regardless of increased health risks.
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The CDC earlier this month issued a report warning about “super-spreader” events where the coronavirus might be “highly transmissible in certain settings, including group singing events.” The study detailed the contagion of 52 of 61 singers at a single choir practice in Washington state in March.
“Choir practice attendees had multiple opportunities for droplet transmission from close contact ... and the act of singing itself might have contributed to SARS-CoV-2 transmission,” the study noted. “Aerosol emission during speech has been correlated with loudness of vocalization, and certain persons, who release an order of magnitude more particles than their peers, have been referred to as super-emitters and have been hypothesized to contribute to super-spreading events. Members had an intense and prolonged exposure, singing while sitting 6–10 inches from one another, possibly emitting aerosols.”
Other events at houses of worship also risk spreading the coronavirus. A CDC study last week revealed that COVID-19 cases first contracted by a pastor and his wife ended up spreading to 35 others who attended events at their rural Arkansas church. Three people died.
An additional 26 cases in the community occurred among people who had contact with those who participated in the church events. One of them also died. “This outbreak highlights the potential for widespread transmission of ... the virus that causes COVID-19, both at group gatherings during church events and within the broader community,” the study warned. “These findings underscore the opportunity for faith-based organizations to prevent COVID-19 by following local authorities’ guidance and the U.S. Government’s Guidelines.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-29--Louisiana Bill Would Mandate 3-Year Minimum Sentence For Trespassing On Fossil Fuel Sites

Leboeuf , a gray-haired woman in her late 60s , was among more than a dozen gathered on a dirt road amid an expansive sugarcane field in St. James Parish , an hour ’ s drive west of New Orleans , that Thursday to protest the construction of a 2,300-acre , $ 9.4 billion petrochemical complex that would double toxic emissions in a region already known as “ Cancer Alley.
” The public health concern was compounded by the desecration of what she declared that day to be “ hallowed ground.
” Her ancestors ― enslaved Black workers ― were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where she stood .
For generations , they tilled and scythed , suffered and died to enrich a local plantation owner and the commodities traders up north .
Even death couldn ’ t stop the indignities .
A petrochemical company had already dug one pipeline through the cemetery a decade ago .
“ These are our loved ones who are responsible for this great nation having free labor to build itself , ” she said , according to a video streamed live on Facebook by RISE St. James , a local faith-based nonprofit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s time they get their due.
” Leboeuf wasn ’ t charged with a crime .
She could have been .
Under a state law enacted two years ago , even gathering near the underground pipeline without permission could have landed her up to five years in prison and $ 1,000 in fines .
Now a new bill hastily making its way through the Louisiana State Legislature would dramatically increase those penalties for trespassing on fossil fuel sites during a state of emergency , setting a mandatory minimum of three years in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a maximum of 15 years , and up to $ 5,000 in fines .
In August 2018 , Louisiana became one of the first states to designate virtually all oil refineries and gas pipelines as “ critical infrastructure , ” threatening protesters who gather near any of its 125,000 miles of oil and gas conduits ― previously a misdemeanor ― with felony charges .
Last Friday , the state House of Representatives approved the new legislation adding penalties for trespassing during a state emergency ― like the order Louisiana is under now in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by a vote of 88 to 8 .
It passed 31-to-0 in the state Senate on Friday .
“ We may be in states of emergency at various levels for the next two years due to COVID-19 , ” said Pam Spees , the senior attorney at the Center for Constitutional Rights who is representing RISE St. James in a lawsuit challenging the existing pipeline law .
“ What ’ s happening is they ’ re being chilled from exercising their rights.
” Militarized police and private security forces brutalized environmentalists and indigenous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the proposed oil pipeline , injuring at least 300 unarmed protesters in one day , including one woman who nearly lost her arm .
The heavily armed security forces reported no such injuries .
Only one example actually involved environmentalists .
During the Dakota Access fight , activists clipped the locks on fenced-in portions of a connected oil pipeline and turned the valves closed , briefly cutting off the flow of oil to refineries .
The demonstrators were arrested and charged under existing laws .
The other five examples had nothing to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mental illness or workplace grievance loosely bound the perpetrators of those incidents , and at least two cases led to convictions under current statutes .
The new bill in Louisiana illustrates how legislation originally meant to protect pipelines benefits plastic and chemical manufacturing , one of the fastest-growing sectors of the fossil fuel industry .
The pipeline that runs under the slave burial ground is not part of the 14-factory complex Taiwanese petrochemical giant Formosa Plastics Corp. proposed building .
But the pipeline ’ s existence offers a legal cudgel to pressure Lavigne @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Campaign filings show the company has not donated to state Rep. Jerome Zeringue , the Republican who sponsored the bill , an analysis by Gibson found .
But Jim Harris , the only lobbyist in Louisiana registered with Formosa this year , represents oil giants Marathon Petroleum , Koch Industries and Valero , all of which lobbied in support of anti-protest bills in other states .
The oil , gas and petrochemical companies contributed $ 16,566 to Zeringue over the past two years , especially in 2019 , the year after he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ month , Formosa ’ s Louisiana subsidiary sent a letter to Lavigne denying her access to the cemetery on the grounds that “ no archeologist has been able to make any affirmative conclusion about the identity or ethnicity of the remains ” discovered on the property , according to a copy of the letter HuffPost reviewed .

Community activist Gail Leboeuf speaks during a December 2019 protest against plans to build a 2,300-acre, 14-factory petrochemical complex in St. James Parish, Louisiana. RISE St. James
On a cool, sunny afternoon last December, Gail Leboeuf thrust her right hand high in the air and sang the opening line to a gospel hymn with such force her microphone growled with distortion.
As she belted “Oh, freedom! Oh, freedom!” she was risking her own.
Leboeuf, a gray-haired woman in her late 60s, was among more than a dozen gathered on a dirt road amid an expansive sugarcane field in St. James Parish, an hour’s drive west of New Orleans, that Thursday to protest the construction of a 2,300-acre, $9.4 billion petrochemical complex that would double toxic emissions in a region already known as “Cancer Alley.” The public health concern was compounded by the desecration of what she declared that day to be “hallowed ground.”
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Her ancestors ― enslaved Black workers ― were buried in unmarked graves not far from where she stood. For generations, they tilled and scythed, suffered and died to enrich a local plantation owner and the commodities traders up north. Even death couldn’t stop the indignities. A petrochemical company had already dug one pipeline through the cemetery a decade ago.
“These are our loved ones who are responsible for this great nation having free labor to build itself,” she said, according to a video streamed live on Facebook by RISE St. James, a local faith-based nonprofit opposing the plastics plant. “It’s time they get their due.”
Leboeuf wasn’t charged with a crime. She could have been. Under a state law enacted two years ago, even gathering near the underground pipeline without permission could have landed her up to five years in prison and $1,000 in fines.
Now a new bill hastily making its way through the Louisiana State Legislature would dramatically increase those penalties for trespassing on fossil fuel sites during a state of emergency, setting a mandatory minimum of three years in prison “at hard labor” and a maximum of 15 years, and up to $5,000 in fines.
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“This is just going back to slavery,” Sharon Lavigne, the founder of RISE St. James, said by phone Friday evening. “These are some dirty dogs. Dirty, dirty dogs.”
In August 2018, Louisiana became one of the first states to designate virtually all oil refineries and gas pipelines as “critical infrastructure,” threatening protesters who gather near any of its 125,000 miles of oil and gas conduits ― previously a misdemeanor ― with felony charges.
Louisiana's 125,000-mile network of pipelines, seen here in an exhibit from a lawsuit challenging the 2018 statute. Louisiana Department of Natural Resources
Last Friday, the state House of Representatives approved the new legislation adding penalties for trespassing during a state emergency ― like the order Louisiana is under now in response to the novel coronavirus pandemic ― by a vote of 88 to 8. It passed 31-to-0 in the state Senate on Friday.
Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards (D) ”will review the bill and make a final decision on if he will sign it soon,” spokeswoman Christina Stephens said by email late Friday.
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The measure would also expand the definition of critical infrastructure to include floodgates, levees and pump stations, essentially applying the law across much of the low-lying coastal state.
“We may be in states of emergency at various levels for the next two years due to COVID-19,” said Pam Spees, the senior attorney at the Center for Constitutional Rights who is representing RISE St. James in a lawsuit challenging the existing pipeline law. “What’s happening is they’re being chilled from exercising their rights.”
In approving the new law, Louisiana would become the fourth state to enact draconian new restrictions on protesting fossil fuel infrastructure since the pandemic began, according to Connor Gibson, a researcher at Greenpeace who tracks critical infrastructure legislation.
In March, Kentucky, South Dakota and West Virginia quietly approved measures to increase the penalties for protesting on fossil fuel companies’ property or broadening the definition of “critical infrastructure.” Alabama earlier this month advanced its own version of the bill.
The legislation is based on proposals the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) — the conservative policy shop funded by big business and right-wing billionaires — began promoting in 2017 in response to the campaign to halt construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline under a water source held sacred by Native Americans.
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Militarized police and private security forces brutalized environmentalists and indigenous activists who camped out at the site of the proposed oil pipeline, injuring at least 300 unarmed protesters in one day, including one woman who nearly lost her arm. The heavily armed security forces reported no such injuries.
That didn’t stop proponents of the ALEC bill from citing the risk of violent protest anyway. In a December 2017 letter urging state legislators to champion the proposal, five energy trade groups and a big oil company listed six examples of threats environmentalists posed to so-called critical infrastructure.
“This is just going back to slavery. These are some dirty dogs. Dirty, dirty dogs.” - Sharon Lavigne, founder of RISE St. James
Only one example actually involved environmentalists. During the Dakota Access fight, activists clipped the locks on fenced-in portions of a connected oil pipeline and turned the valves closed, briefly cutting off the flow of oil to refineries. The demonstrators were arrested and charged under existing laws. The other five examples had nothing to do with environmental concerns. Rather, mental illness or workplace grievance loosely bound the perpetrators of those incidents, and at least two cases led to convictions under current statutes.
But state lawmakers bought the pitch. By last summer, the bill became law in at least six states: Indiana, Louisiana, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota and Texas. Similar bills are pending in Illinois, Minnesota, Mississippi, Ohio and Pennsylvania.
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The new bill in Louisiana illustrates how legislation originally meant to protect pipelines benefits plastic and chemical manufacturing, one of the fastest-growing sectors of the fossil fuel industry. The pipeline that runs under the slave burial ground is not part of the 14-factory complex Taiwanese petrochemical giant Formosa Plastics Corp. proposed building. But the pipeline’s existence offers a legal cudgel to pressure Lavigne and her activist group to back off.
Campaign filings show the company has not donated to state Rep. Jerome Zeringue, the Republican who sponsored the bill, an analysis by Gibson found. But Jim Harris, the only lobbyist in Louisiana registered with Formosa this year, represents oil giants Marathon Petroleum, Koch Industries and Valero, all of which lobbied in support of anti-protest bills in other states. The oil, gas and petrochemical companies contributed $16,566 to Zeringue over the past two years, especially in 2019, the year after he helped pass the original bill.
Neither Harris nor Zeringue responded to requests for comment on Friday.
Last month, Formosa’s Louisiana subsidiary sent a letter to Lavigne denying her access to the cemetery on the grounds that “no archeologist has been able to make any affirmative conclusion about the identity or ethnicity of the remains” discovered on the property, according to a copy of the letter HuffPost reviewed.
“That’s a bunch of bull,” Lavigne said. “We can’t prove it? They can’t prove it’s not our ancestors. They’re just coldhearted people.”
In a statement, Formosa said it “will continue to work with the appropriate agencies... to conduct research on the property to learn more about the identities of the deceased persons and respectfully preserve the remains.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-29--U.S. Asians Pushing Back Against Harassment After Surge Of Attacks

NEW YORK , May 29 ( Reuters ) - A spike in harassment of Asian-Americans since the coronavirus pandemic began has led community activists in the United States to fight back - forming street patrols , rallying on social media , and supporting each other online .
Asians of varying national backgrounds have suffered a surge of attacks this year , which activists linked to the pandemic ’ s emergence in China .
Some said they feared harassment could worsen in a U.S. election year , with U.S.-China tensions ratcheting up over trade , Hong Kong and the coronavirus .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , people who look like Chinese are the enemy .
The economy is tanking , people are dying .
They ’ re angry and fearful and want to take it out on Asian Americans even more , ” said Russell Jeung , professor of Asian-American studies at San Francisco State University .
Nine out of 10 victims were targeted because of their race , with 37 % of incidents taking place in public areas , the organization said .
Verbal harassment and shunning occurred in over 90 % of the cases .
Victims @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spat on , in some 15 % of cases .
Some of the harassment has taken place inside of stores , Jeung said , adding that Stop AAPI Hate is working with retailers to figure out how to ensure safe access for customers .
The New York City Commission on Human Rights this week launched a multilingual campaign to combat COVID-19-related discrimination after it received over 350 such complaints from Feb. 1 to May 15 .
Of these , 133 , or 37 % , targeted Asians .
That compared with just 11 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ same period in 2019 .
In some Chinatowns , volunteer patrols are forming to protect residents and confront harassers .
The Guardian Angels , with patrols in over 130 cities worldwide , are recruiting in U.S. Asian communities for the first time in 41 years .
Members include seniors and women , who are often targets of abuse .
“ Our mission is to observe , record and report , ” said LeannaLouie , a San Francisco businesswoman who started patrol group United Peace Corp .
In eight weeks , it has filed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , auto burglaries , theft and shoplifting , leading to three arrests , she noted .
“ We can break the old habits , old patterns and outdated stereotypes , ” Louie said .
“ We have assisted in aiding the community to step out of the shadows and feel more empowered.
” The San Francisco Police Department has expanded its presence on foot and in cars around the city to act as a deterrent against such crimes , it said in a statement .
In New York , flyers and posters emblazoned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be cruel ” were created by Shirley Ng and her friends for display on Chinatown storefronts , with pointers on how to report a crime .
The campaigns recall the Pan-Asian U.S. civil rights movement in 1982 , when Japan was blamed for the Detroit auto industry ’ s downturn , said Helen Zia , a journalist-activist at the forefront of that wave .
Vincent Chin , a 27-year-old draftsman celebrating his upcoming wedding , was brutally beaten that year by two disgruntled autoworkers and died .
The court sentence of a $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with no jail time , sparked outrage in the community and beyond .
“ When he was attacked and killed it was very clear it was because of what he looked like .
Japan was labeled as the enemy.We ’ re so starkly similar today , ” Zia said .
Hashtags like # RacismIsAVirus and # UnapologeticallyAsian are being shared and printed on T-shirts .
# HATEISAVIRUS , created in late March by three millennials who connected via Instagram , is now a non-profit organization .
It raised $ 16,000 in a virtual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the pandemic , said co-founder Tammy Cho , 25 .

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NEW YORK, May 29 (Reuters) - A spike in harassment of Asian-Americans since the coronavirus pandemic began has led community activists in the United States to fight back - forming street patrols, rallying on social media, and supporting each other online.
Asians of varying national backgrounds have suffered a surge of attacks this year, which activists linked to the pandemic’s emergence in China. Some said they feared harassment could worsen in a U.S. election year, with U.S.-China tensions ratcheting up over trade, Hong Kong and the coronavirus.
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“When China is made the enemy, people who look like Chinese are the enemy. The economy is tanking, people are dying. They’re angry and fearful and want to take it out on Asian Americans even more,” said Russell Jeung, professor of Asian-American studies at San Francisco State University.
Since March 19, over 1,800 cases of harassment related to the coronavirus pandemic have been reported to Stop AAPI Hate, a website Jeung created with two advocacy groups.
Nine out of 10 victims were targeted because of their race, with 37% of incidents taking place in public areas, the organization said. Verbal harassment and shunning occurred in over 90% of the cases. Victims were physically assaulted, or coughed or spat on, in some 15% of cases.
Some of the harassment has taken place inside of stores, Jeung said, adding that Stop AAPI Hate is working with retailers to figure out how to ensure safe access for customers.
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The New York City Commission on Human Rights this week launched a multilingual campaign to combat COVID-19-related discrimination after it received over 350 such complaints from Feb. 1 to May 15. Of these, 133, or 37%, targeted Asians. That compared with just 11 complaints of discrimination targeted atAsians during the same period in 2019.
The FBI has warned of a rise in hate crimes againstAsian-Americans since the coronavirus pandemic began, according to media reports citing internal documents.
SOLIDARITY ON STREETS
In some Chinatowns, volunteer patrols are forming to protect residents and confront harassers. The Guardian Angels, with patrols in over 130 cities worldwide, are recruiting in U.S. Asian communities for the first time in 41 years. Members include seniors and women, who are often targets of abuse.
“It’s boring at home. I might as well do something,” said laid-off dental assistant Sara Chin. The 46-year-old also patrols with New York’s Chinatown Block Watch.
“Our mission is to observe, record and report,” said LeannaLouie, a San Francisco businesswoman who started patrol group United Peace Corp. In eight weeks, it has filed 24 reports, including medical response incidents, auto burglaries, theft and shoplifting, leading to three arrests, she noted.
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“We can break the old habits, old patterns and outdated stereotypes,” Louie said. “We have assisted in aiding the community to step out of the shadows and feel more empowered.”
The San Francisco Police Department has expanded its presence on foot and in cars around the city to act as a deterrent against such crimes, it said in a statement.
In New York, flyers and posters emblazoned with the words “Don’t be cruel” were created by Shirley Ng and her friends for display on Chinatown storefronts, with pointers on how to report a crime.
“I don’t have to wait for support. It’s my community,” said Ng, an events assistant at the Asian American Legal Defense andEducation Fund.
‘STARKLY SIMILAR’
The campaigns recall the Pan-Asian U.S. civil rights movement in 1982, when Japan was blamed for the Detroit auto industry’s downturn, said Helen Zia, a journalist-activist at the forefront of that wave.
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Vincent Chin, a 27-year-old draftsman celebrating his upcoming wedding, was brutally beaten that year by two disgruntled autoworkers and died. The court sentence of a $3,000fine and three years’ probation, with no jail time, sparked outrage in the community and beyond.
“When he was attacked and killed it was very clear it was because of what he looked like. Japan was labeled as the enemy.We’re so starkly similar today,” Zia said.
Tech-savvy millennials are leading today’s social media response.
“My generation has no problem being loud,” digital entrepreneur Bing Chen, 32, said at a virtual rally by non-profit Act To Change on May 18, Vincent Chin’s birthday.
Hashtags like #RacismIsAVirus and #UnapologeticallyAsian are being shared and printed on T-shirts. #HATEISAVIRUS, created in late March by three millennials who connected via Instagram, is now a non-profit organization. It raised $16,000 in a virtual rally last week for small businesses hurt by the pandemic, said co-founder Tammy Cho, 25.
The hashtags “try to capture the rising Asian-American pride that has bubbled to the surface during COVID-19,” said Filipino-American Jeremiah Abraham, who heads Tremendous Communications, a marketing company focused on Asian-American entertainment.
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Broadway actor Diane Phelan cited the #MeToo worldwide campaign against sexual harassment as an inspiration.
“We want to harness the power of social media as the #MeToomovement has, especially when we can’t march and rally,” shesaid.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-30--GOP Effort To Oust Steve King Is Determined Not To Mention His Racism

Tuesday ’ s primary will occur during a period of heightened attention on white supremacy ’ s role in American life .
Protesters in Minneapolis rose up against their police department this week , taking over a precinct building and burning it to the ground , while demonstrations against the killing of George Floyd , a Black man , by a white police officer , have stretched over several days .
President Donald Trump , the leader of the GOP , referred to the demonstrators as “ Thugs.
” Many Iowa voters will vote via absentee ballot , or if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so wearing a mask , precautions meant to guard against the further spread of the coronavirus , which has devastated the U.S. after missteps by the White House , killing a disproportionate number of Black and brown Americans .
“ They won ’ t say it publicly , but you talk to a lot of Republicans in this state privately , and they do think he ’ s a racist , ” Rynard told HuffPost .
“ They ’ re fed up with it .
They just don ’ t have the guts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because they know there ’ s enough Republican voters who either agree with [ King ] or think that aspect of King is overhyped.
” “ They ’ re kind of more just mainstream , very conservative Republicans , but a lot of their policy positions don ’ t differ too much from Steve King ’ s , ” Rynard said of King ’ s primary opponents .
“ It ’ s just their focus and how they talk about things is different than King ’ s obsession with , you know , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is possibly the weakest he ’ s ever been as a candidate .
In 2018 , after a series of stories from HuffPost and other outlets exposed his history of white supremacy , he won reelection in his district , one of the most conservative in the country , by only three points .
( To put this in perspective , Trump won that district by over 20 points in 2016 . )
Two months later , GOP leaders in the House took the rare step of stripping King of all his committee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to The New York Times .
“ White nationalist , white supremacist , Western civilization — how did that language become offensive ?
” King told the paper .
“ Why did I sit in classes teaching me about the merits of our history and our civilization ?
” Feenstra , meanwhile , has over $ 400,000 in campaign cash and has enjoyed the support of flush PACs and other organizations .
Priorities For Iowa spent $ 250,000 on TV ads attacking King .
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce — which has previously @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voting record — has spent another $ 200,000 attacking the congressman .
“ We ’ re focused about jobs and growth , ” he said .
“ That ’ s what the Chamber is all about : governing , jobs and growth , and we just stay in our lane .
Other groups may make those other points , but we think our lane is about his ineffectiveness , getting kicked off the committee , and really not representing the voters in Iowa Four .
”

The Republicans hoping to defeat white supremacist Rep. Steve King in Tuesday’s primary in Iowa all have similar arguments for why King doesn’t deserve a tenth term in Congress. He’s ineffective, they say. Too caustic. A political liability for the party.
What you won’t hear these Republicans argue is that King is racist.
The anti-King television ads currently bombarding voters in Iowa’s conservative 4th Congressional District make no mention of him endorsing white nationalist political candidates, or promoting neo-Nazis on Twitter, or talking about the Great Replacement conspiracy theory.
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“Whatever you think of Steve King, it’s clear he’s no longer effective,” conservative evangelical Christian leader Bob Vander Plaats says at the beginning of one ad released earlier this month. “He can’t deliver for President Trump, and he can’t deliver conservative values.”
The ad — created by a PAC called Priorities for Iowa, run by the former chief of staff of Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds — is part of a larger effort by a powerful coalition of GOP figures to oust King.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, former Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad, a handful of Republican members of the House, GOP operative Karl Rove, and an assortment of conservative groups and PACs have banded together to end King’s two-decade congressional career and install their preferred primary challenger, Randy Feenstra, a former state senator.
But this coordinated GOP effort — which polls show has a shot at succeeding — isn’t really marketing itself as a principled rebuke of King’s bigotry. Neither Feenstra or most of his Republican backers call King racist in public.
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When they argue King is ineffective, pointing to how GOP leadership stripped him of his committee assignments, they don’t dwell on why GOP leadership took those committee seats away in the first place: as punishment for comments King made condoning white supremacy.
Iowa Rep. Steve King is possibly the weakest he’s ever been as a candidate, but the influx of GOP money to his primary opponent isn’t necessarily part of some moral campaign to unseat a racist in Congress. Tom Williams via Getty Images
Tuesday’s primary will occur during a period of heightened attention on white supremacy’s role in American life. Protesters in Minneapolis rose up against their police department this week, taking over a precinct building and burning it to the ground, while demonstrations against the killing of George Floyd, a Black man, by a white police officer, have stretched over several days. President Donald Trump, the leader of the GOP, referred to the demonstrators as “Thugs.”
Many Iowa voters will vote via absentee ballot, or if they vote in person, will do so wearing a mask, precautions meant to guard against the further spread of the coronavirus, which has devastated the U.S. after missteps by the White House, killing a disproportionate number of Black and brown Americans.
According to Pat Rynard, managing editor at the news site Iowa Starting Line, avoiding discussions of white supremacy in the GOP effort to oust King is part of a deliberate strategy.
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“They won’t say it publicly, but you talk to a lot of Republicans in this state privately, and they do think he’s a racist,” Rynard told HuffPost. “They’re fed up with it. They just don’t have the guts to say it that much in person because they know there’s enough Republican voters who either agree with [King] or think that aspect of King is overhyped.”
Another campaign ad, this one produced by a pro-Feenstra PAC called Iowa Four, focuses on an alleged rift between King and Trump, who have had a close relationship.
“President Trump stopped allowing Steve King on Air Force One,” the narrator’s voice states, referring to an incident last year — a few months after King lost his committee seats — when the White House reportedly declined King’s request to fly with the president to a GOP fundraiser in Iowa.
“President Trump doesn’t trust Steve King,” the ad says. “President Trump can count on Randy Feenstra.”
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In January 2019, shortly after Feenstra launched his campaign against King, CNN host Don Lemon pressed him on whether he thought King was racist.
“I think his actions and his comments, they speak for themselves, and each voter has to make that decision as we move forward,” Feenstra said.
“That’s not an answer,” Lemon shot back. “Honestly, I think that’s a cop-out answer. Do you believe or not?”
“I’ll tell you this,” Feenstra responded. “What he said was abhorrent and there’s no place for those types of comments in our society today. There’s no place for that in our nation.”
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Feenstra is one of four Republicans vying to beat King in Tuesday’s primary. There’s been a dearth of polling in the race, but one Public Opinion Strategies poll, conducted for an anti-King group, showed Feenstra leading King 41% to 39%, with three other candidates earning 8% combined.
“They’re kind of more just mainstream, very conservative Republicans, but a lot of their policy positions don’t differ too much from Steve King’s,” Rynard said of King’s primary opponents. “It’s just their focus and how they talk about things is different than King’s obsession with, you know, ethno-nationalism and the culture wars.”
King is possibly the weakest he’s ever been as a candidate. In 2018, after a series of stories from HuffPost and other outlets exposed his history of white supremacy, he won reelection in his district, one of the most conservative in the country, by only three points. (To put this in perspective, Trump won that district by over 20 points in 2016.)
Two months later, GOP leaders in the House took the rare step of stripping King of all his committee assignments as punishment for remarks he made to The New York Times. “White nationalist, white supremacist, Western civilization — how did that language become offensive?” King told the paper. “Why did I sit in classes teaching me about the merits of our history and our civilization?”
Since then, many of King’s powerful GOP allies have abandoned him, and his 2020 reelection campaign has struggled to raise cash. King has yet to run a single TV ad during the primary, and three weeks ago had only about $26,000 cash on hand.
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Feenstra, meanwhile, has over $400,000 in campaign cash and has enjoyed the support of flush PACs and other organizations. Priorities For Iowa spent $250,000 on TV ads attacking King. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce — which has previously bestowed King with awards for his conservative voting record — has spent another $200,000 attacking the congressman.
But this influx of money isn’t necessarily part of some moral campaign to unseat a racist in Congress. Rather, it’s to ensure that Republicans keep their hold on power in Washington.
“You talk to a lot of Republicans in this state privately, and they do think he’s a racist. They’re fed up with it. They just don’t have the guts to say it that much in person.” - Pat Rynard, managing editor at the news site Iowa Starting Line
“Our number one political priority for this cycle is to make sure the Senate stays Republican and [Senator Mitch] McConnell is the leader,” Scott Reed, a strategist at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, explained to HuffPost.
Having a relatively unpopular candidate like King on the ballot this fall in the general election, Reed argued, could depress turnout for Republican Sen. Joni Ernst.
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“Our concern is that he would have been a real albatross around Ernst’s neck,” he said.
Asked about why all the anti-King messaging coming from the Chamber and the GOP didn’t mention King’s racism, Reed demurred.
“We’re focused about jobs and growth,” he said. “That’s what the Chamber is all about: governing, jobs and growth, and we just stay in our lane. Other groups may make those other points, but we think our lane is about his ineffectiveness, getting kicked off the committee, and really not representing the voters in Iowa Four.”
Republican Iowa state Sen. Annette Sweeney, a former King supporter who now supports Feenstra, is also concerned that King could hurt the GOP.
“My primary issue is being able to hold the seat,” Sweeney told The Associated Press. “It makes it more difficult to do that when he’s lost his committees.”
Sweeney, according to the AP, would still only give glancing criticism of King.
“His comments at times were just off the cuff,” she said of King, who has routinely made racist statements about minorities. “Sometimes some of them might have been him trying to be funny or cute, though some weren’t. In fact, some were repulsive.”
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If King holds on and wins Tuesday’s primary, he’ll face a rematch against J.D. Scholten, who’s running unopposed for the Democratic nomination. Scholten has nearly $700,000 cash on hand ahead of the race.
King, meanwhile, recently told a debate audience that he and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy had agreed to a process that would see King reinstated to his committee seats. “I have Kevin McCarthy’s word that that will be my time for exoneration,” King claimed.
McCarthy quickly denied this. “Congressman King’s comments cannot be exonerated and I never said that,” he said.
A few days later, King penned an op-ed in the Sioux City Journal, lashing out at the “billionaire coastal RINO-NeverTrumper, globalist, neocon elites” trying to destroy his campaign.
“We will sprint through the fire together,” King wrote, “re-elect President Trump, take back the House from Nancy Pelosi, and Make America Great Again ... Again!”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-30--Minnesota Gov. Calls For 'Full Mobilization' Of National Guard Amid George Floyd Protests

Minnesota Gov .
Tim Walz has authorized a “ full mobilization ” of the state ’ s National Guard amid increasingly chaotic protests sparked by the police killing of George Floyd .
Seven-hundred Minnesota National Guard members were already on duty as of Friday night , but Walz ’ s Saturday announcement means more than 1,000 additional soldiers and airmen would be activated , the Minnesota National Guard said in a tweet .
Walz characterized the decision as historic in a Saturday press conference , calling it “ an action that has never been taken in the 164-year history of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : Minnesota Gov .
Tim Walz announces he is authorizing `` full mobilization '' of the state 's National Guard .
Walz calls it `` an action that has never been taken in the 164 year history of the Minnesota National Guard . ''
https : //t.co/3y4sSbgNUT pic.twitter.com/nAwsh0T1ge — ABC News ( @ ABC ) May 30 , 2020 His announcement came after days of massive anti-police-brutality protests in Minneapolis sparked by the killing of George Floyd , a Black man , by white police officer Derek Chauvin .
Protests in solidarity , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and racist police incidents nationwide , have broken out across the United States , including in Atlanta ; New York City ; Louisville , Kentucky ; Portland , Oregon ; and Washington , D.C. , among other cities .
Police have fired rubber bullets and tear gas on protesters in Minneapolis , and have also used flash-bang grenades to disperse crowds .
As the situation has grown more chaotic , some protestors have set fires , burning buildings and otherwise damaging property .
At least one person was fatally shot , allegedly by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was looting .
Floyd ’ s excruciating death on Monday was caught on video that showed Chauvin pressing his knee into the neck of Floyd as he repeatedly pleaded that he couldn ’ t breathe .
Chauvin had his knee on Floyd ’ s neck for around nine minutes , with Floyd unresponsive for nearly three .
Floyd was handcuffed , unarmed and was being arrested over an allegation of a possibly counterfeit $ 20 bill .
Chauvin was arrested Friday and charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter .

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Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz has authorized a “full mobilization” of the state’s National Guard amid increasingly chaotic protests sparked by the police killing of George Floyd.
Seven-hundred Minnesota National Guard members were already on duty as of Friday night, but Walz’s Saturday announcement means more than 1,000 additional soldiers and airmen would be activated, the Minnesota National Guard said in a tweet.
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Walz characterized the decision as historic in a Saturday press conference, calling it “an action that has never been taken in the 164-year history of the Minnesota National Guard.”
JUST IN: Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz announces he is authorizing "full mobilization" of the state's National Guard.
Walz calls it "an action that has never been taken in the 164 year history of the Minnesota National Guard." https://t.co/3y4sSbgNUT pic.twitter.com/nAwsh0T1ge — ABC News (@ABC) May 30, 2020
His announcement came after days of massive anti-police-brutality protests in Minneapolis sparked by the killing of George Floyd, a Black man, by white police officer Derek Chauvin. Protests in solidarity, and in response to numerous other violent and racist police incidents nationwide, have broken out across the United States, including in Atlanta; New York City; Louisville, Kentucky; Portland, Oregon; and Washington, D.C., among other cities.
Police have fired rubber bullets and tear gas on protesters in Minneapolis, and have also used flash-bang grenades to disperse crowds. As the situation has grown more chaotic, some protestors have set fires, burning buildings and otherwise damaging property. At least one person was fatally shot, allegedly by a store owner who believed the man was looting.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-30--NYC Transit Union Backs Bus Drivers Who Refuse To Transport Protesters For NYPD

New York City ’ s transit workers ’ union has voiced its support for members who refuse to help the New York Police Department transport protesters to jail in the wake of a viral video that appears to show just that .
As nationwide protests against police brutality and the killing of Minneapolis man George Floyd grew Friday evening , a video circulated showing a crowd cheering as a city bus driver in Brooklyn stood outside his bus with his arms crossed .
Brian Gresko , who tweeted the video along with other footage from the demonstrations , wrote that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drive it ” after police started filling it with arrested protesters .
Police stand among protesters detained on a bus in Brooklyn on May 29 .
Around an hour after Gresko posted the video , Local 100 of the Transport Workers Union of America — which represents tens of thousands of transit workers in New York City ― tweeted its support for any bus drivers refusing to drive people at the behest of the NYPD .
TWU Local 100 Bus Operators do not work for the NYPD .
We transport the working families @ @ @ @ @ @ @ refuse to transport arrested protestors .
@ Josmar_Trujillo @ ClaytonGuse @ CentralLaborNYC @ TwuSamuelsen @ TTDAFLCIO # JusticeForGeorgeFlyod — TWU Local 100 ( @ TWULocal100 ) May 30 , 2020 Patafio told the NYC Metropolitan Transportation Authority that “ our ops won ’ t be used to drive cops around ” and that they were acting “ in solidarity ” with the bus drivers of Minneapolis , he said .
A union representing transit workers in St. Paul and Minneapolis , where protests sparked by the killing of George Floyd have raged for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the right of its members to refuse to transport people for police .
The New York union ’ s stance is “ not an attack ” on the NYPD , Pete Donohue of TWU Local 100′s communications department tweeted Saturday .
“ Transit workers aren ’ t cops or corrections officers and shouldn ’ t be compelled to move prisoners or arrestees , ” he wrote .
“ That ’ s a law enforcement role .
”

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New York City’s transit workers’ union has voiced its support for members who refuse to help the New York Police Department transport protesters to jail in the wake of a viral video that appears to show just that.
Cheers as the bus driver walks off the bus, refusing to drive it #BarclaysCenter #BlackLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/Vk0Rx41eCA — Brian Gresko (@briangresko) May 30, 2020
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As nationwide protests against police brutality and the killing of Minneapolis man George Floyd grew Friday evening, a video circulated showing a crowd cheering as a city bus driver in Brooklyn stood outside his bus with his arms crossed. Brian Gresko, who tweeted the video along with other footage from the demonstrations, wrote that the bus driver was “refusing to drive it” after police started filling it with arrested protesters.
Police stand among protesters detained on a bus in Brooklyn on May 29. AP Photo/Frank Franklin II
Around an hour after Gresko posted the video, Local 100 of the Transport Workers Union of America — which represents tens of thousands of transit workers in New York City ― tweeted its support for any bus drivers refusing to drive people at the behest of the NYPD.
TWU Local 100 Bus Operators do not work for the NYPD. We transport the working families of NYC , all TWU Operators should refuse to transport arrested protestors. @Josmar_Trujillo @ClaytonGuse @CentralLaborNYC @TwuSamuelsen @TTDAFLCIO #JusticeForGeorgeFlyod — TWU Local 100 (@TWULocal100) May 30, 2020
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J.P. Patafio, a TWU Local 100 vice president, made a similar statement to Motherboard.
Patafio told the NYC Metropolitan Transportation Authority that “our ops won’t be used to drive cops around” and that they were acting “in solidarity” with the bus drivers of Minneapolis, he said.
A union representing transit workers in St. Paul and Minneapolis, where protests sparked by the killing of George Floyd have raged for days, issued a statement Thursday asserting the right of its members to refuse to transport people for police.
The New York union’s stance is “not an attack” on the NYPD, Pete Donohue of TWU Local 100′s communications department tweeted Saturday.