thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-20--Tulsa Health Official Has A Stark Wake-Up Call For People Attending Trump Rally

People attending President Donald Trump ’ s indoor campaign rally in Tulsa , Oklahoma , on Saturday should self-isolate for two weeks following the event , the city ’ s top health official has urged .
Bruce Dart , executive director of the Tulsa Health Department , told CNN ’ s Don Lemon on Friday that attendees should also get tested for the coronavirus at least a week after attending the event at the 19,000-capacity BOK Center .
“ We do know that there ’ s going to be people , probably , who are incubating or infected at this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ warned elsewhere in the interview that , with confirmed coronavirus case numbers now rising in the state , “ we ’ re coming up on a perfect storm of disease transmission and frankly , it ’ s a perfect storm that Tulsa can ’ t afford.
” Dart also broadly agreed with a CNN model that suggested some 800 to 1,000 people could become infected as a direct result of the rally .
“ We ’ re not only afraid for Tulsans and Oklahomans , we ’ re afraid for anyone outside the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said .
`` We 're coming up on a perfect storm of disease transmission and frankly , it 's a perfect storm that Tulsa ca n't afford . ''
- Dr. Bruce Dart , executive director of the Tulsa Health Department , on President Trump 's upcoming campaign rally in Tulsa , Oklahoma .
https : //t.co/in2nfziLIq pic.twitter.com/DVqvY2rwq6 — CNN Tonight ( @ CNNTonight ) June 20 , 2020 “ I know so many people are over COVID , but COVID is not over , ” he warned , asking people to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and socially distance in a bid to slow the spread of the contagion .
Trump himself , however , has reportedly said he won ’ t wear a mask during the rally because “ I don ’ t feel that I ’ m in danger , ” per Axios .
People attending the rally have been told , via a waiver on the Trump campaign ’ s website , that they can ’ t sue if they become infected there .
The campaign said it would check people ’ s temperatures on their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ face masks and hand sanitizer .

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People attending President Donald Trump’s indoor campaign rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on Saturday should self-isolate for two weeks following the event, the city’s top health official has urged.
Bruce Dart, executive director of the Tulsa Health Department, told CNN’s Don Lemon on Friday that attendees should also get tested for the coronavirus at least a week after attending the event at the 19,000-capacity BOK Center.
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“We do know that there’s going to be people, probably, who are incubating or infected at this event,” said Dart.
He warned elsewhere in the interview that with confirmed coronavirus case numbers now rising in the state, “we’re coming up on a perfect storm of disease transmission and frankly, it’s a perfect storm that Tulsa can’t afford.”
Dart also broadly agreed with a CNN model that suggested some 800 to 1,000 people could become infected as a direct result of the rally.
“We’re not only afraid for Tulsans and Oklahomans, we’re afraid for anyone outside the state who attends this rally,” he said.
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Check out the interview here:
"We're coming up on a perfect storm of disease transmission and frankly, it's a perfect storm that Tulsa can't afford." - Dr. Bruce Dart, executive director of the Tulsa Health Department, on President Trump's upcoming campaign rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma. https://t.co/in2nfziLIq pic.twitter.com/DVqvY2rwq6 — CNN Tonight (@CNNTonight) June 20, 2020
Dart on Wednesday urged the Trump campaign to postpone the rally.
“I know so many people are over COVID, but COVID is not over,” he warned, asking people at the very least to wear masks and socially distance in a bid to slow the spread of the contagion.
Trump himself, however, has reportedly said he won’t wear a mask during the rally because “I don’t feel that I’m in danger,” per Axios.
People attending the rally have been told, via a waiver on the Trump campaign’s website, that they can’t sue if they become infected there.
The campaign said it would check people’s temperatures on their entrance to the venue and hand out face masks and hand sanitizer.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-19--Dr. Anthony Fauci Warned White House That Tulsa Rally Would Be Dangerous: Report

Top infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci warned White House officials of the serious health risks posed by the massive Trump rally in Tulsa , Oklahoma , this Saturday , NBC News reported on Friday .
Dr. Deborah Birx , the COVID-19 response coordinator of President Donald Trump ’ s coronavirus task force , also raised concerns about the rally , two sources familiar with the discussions told NBC .
As many as 19,000 people could be crammed into a Tulsa arena while others are expected to crowd outside .
It may be the largest national gathering held in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , with few to no health protections required .
NBC reported that Trump and his campaign advisers have responded to health experts ’ warnings by saying that participants choose to “ assume a personal risk ” by attending the event , and “ that is part of life.
” ( That is not true , however , of everyone who will later come into contact with those rally attendees . )
In a legal disclaimer on the registration web page for the rally , participants are warned that catching COVID-19 is “ an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and they must agree not to sue the president if they contract the disease .
Trump has done away with coronavirus briefings in which health experts speak directly to the public about COVID-19 .
But Fauci has been vocal in several media interviews about the continuing deadly risk of contracting the disease , especially in mass gatherings .
When The Daily Beast asked in an interview Tuesday if he would attend such a rally , Fauci responded : “ Of course not , ” citing the danger .
Last week , he said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ setting remains “ risky ” and “ a danger ” — and noted that Americans should avoid all big gatherings , period .
The Trump rally is going ahead despite a record spike in COVID-19 cases in Oklahoma , with a concentration of new cases in Tulsa .
There was a 100 % spike in Tulsa County just this week , the highest in the state .
Bruce Dart , executive director of the Tulsa Health Department , pleaded with the Trump campaign in vain on Wednesday to postpone the event .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to require everyone at the rally to wear a face mask or maintain six feet of social distancing , which is recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
In another COVID-19 warning , Fauci told CNN Thursday that the National Football League season can ’ t safely get underway unless players are tested daily and are “ essentially in a bubble , ” insulated from the community .
Trump ’ s increasingly dismissive attitude about Fauci ’ s expertise was apparent on Twitter when he snapped back Friday that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the NFL , ” before throwing in a barb about players ’ peaceful protests against police brutality .
Tony Fauci has nothing to do with NFL Football .
They are planning a very safe and controlled opening .
However , if they don ’ t stand for our National Anthem and our Great American Flag , I won ’ t be watching !
!
!
— Donald J. Trump ( @ realDonaldTrump ) June 19 , 2020

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Top infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci warned White House officials of the serious health risks posed by the massive Trump rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, this Saturday, NBC News reported on Friday.
Dr. Deborah Birx, the COVID-19 response coordinator of President Donald Trump’s coronavirus task force, also raised concerns about the rally, two sources familiar with the discussions told NBC.
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As many as 19,000 people could be crammed into a Tulsa arena while others are expected to crowd outside. It may be the largest national gathering held in the U.S. during the COVID-19 crisis to date, with few to no health protections required.
NBC reported that Trump and his campaign advisers have responded to health experts’ warnings by saying that participants choose to “assume a personal risk” by attending the event, and “that is part of life.” (That is not true, however, of everyone who will later come into contact with those rally attendees.)
In a legal disclaimer on the registration web page for the rally, participants are warned that catching COVID-19 is “an inherent risk” of attending the event and they must agree not to sue the president if they contract the disease.
Trump has done away with coronavirus briefings in which health experts speak directly to the public about COVID-19. But Fauci has been vocal in several media interviews about the continuing deadly risk of contracting the disease, especially in mass gatherings.
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When The Daily Beast asked in an interview Tuesday if he would attend such a rally, Fauci responded: “Of course not,” citing the danger. Last week, he said on ABC News that any large group setting remains “risky” and “a danger” — and noted that Americans should avoid all big gatherings, period.
The Trump rally is going ahead despite a record spike in COVID-19 cases in Oklahoma, with a concentration of new cases in Tulsa. There was a 100% spike in Tulsa County just this week, the highest in the state. Bruce Dart, executive director of the Tulsa Health Department, pleaded with the Trump campaign in vain on Wednesday to postpone the event.
The Oklahoma Supreme Court rejected a request Friday to require everyone at the rally to wear a face mask or maintain six feet of social distancing, which is recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In another COVID-19 warning, Fauci told CNN Thursday that the National Football League season can’t safely get underway unless players are tested daily and are “essentially in a bubble,” insulated from the community.
Trump’s increasingly dismissive attitude about Fauci’s expertise was apparent on Twitter when he snapped back Friday that “Tony Fauci has nothing to do with the NFL,” before throwing in a barb about players’ peaceful protests against police brutality.
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Tony Fauci has nothing to do with NFL Football. They are planning a very safe and controlled opening. However, if they don’t stand for our National Anthem and our Great American Flag, I won’t be watching!!! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 19, 2020


thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-20--Trump's 'Racist' Toddler Video Removed By Facebook, Twitter After Parent Complains

A “ manipulated ” video featuring two toddlers posted by President Donald Trump to make an ugly political point has been removed by both Facebook and Twitter after a parent of one of the children accused Trump of violating copyright law .
The original film , posted a year ago , features two little boys , one white and the other Black , running down a sidewalk to hug each other .
The video was mangled to show just a portion of the video when the boys take off down the street with the Black toddler running ahead of his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the video reads : “ Terrified todler runs from racist baby ” — with “ toddler ” misspelled .
A message at the end of the video reads : “ America is not the problem .
Fake news is.
” Ironically , it was the president ’ s post that was fake .
The twisted video was posted to Trump ’ s Twitter and Facebook accounts .
Jukin Media , a company that represents creators of videos , including the parent who owns the original video , issued a statement that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the film .
“ After our review , we believe that his unauthorized usage of the content is a clear example of copyright infringement without valid fair use or other defense , ” it added .
The statement also noted : “ In no way do we support or condone the manipulated video or the message it conveys.
” Michael Cisneros , the Manhattan father of one of the toddlers , wrote in a Facebook post Thursday night responding to the video posted by Trump : “ HE WILL NOT TURN THIS LOVING @ @ @ @ @ @ @ AGENDA !
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
” Cisneros said last year he posted the film to social media because he thought it was a beautiful moment to post amid racism and hate in the world , CNN reported .
Facebook spokesperson Andy Stone told HuffPost in an email : “ We received a copyright complaint from the rights holder of this video under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act and have removed the post.
” A Twitter spokesperson explained : “ Per our copyright policy , we respond to valid copyright @ @ @ @ @ @ @ owner or their authorized representatives.
” The altered video posted by Trump was reportedly created by Carpe Donktum , a notorious pro-Trump meme maker .
Trump posted the video amid anti-racism protests across the country in the wake of the death of George Floyd during a brutal arrest by Minneapolis cops .
The message seems to mock the idea that racism exists — and to scold CNN , yet again , for “ fake news.
” On Thursday , Facebook removed nearly 100 ads that featured Nazi iconography and were published on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reelection campaign the previous day .
The ads included inverted triangles , which Nazis used to identify political prisoners in concentration camps .
The toddler video had more than 20 million views on Twitter and 4 million views on Facebook before it was taken down .

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A “manipulated” video featuring two toddlers posted by President Donald Trump to make an ugly political point has been removed by both Facebook and Twitter after a parent of one of the children accused Trump of violating copyright law.
The video was initially marked Friday by Twitter as “manipulated media.”
The original film, posted a year ago, features two little boys, one white and the other Black, running down a sidewalk to hug each other. The video was mangled to show just a portion of the video when the boys take off down the street with the Black toddler running ahead of his white friend. A fake CNN chyron with the video reads: “Terrified todler runs from racist baby” — with “toddler” misspelled.
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A message at the end of the video reads: “America is not the problem. Fake news is.” Ironically, it was the president’s post that was fake. The twisted video was posted to Trump’s Twitter and Facebook accounts.
Jukin Media, a company that represents creators of videos, including the parent who owns the original video, issued a statement that the president did not have permission to use the film.
“After our review, we believe that his unauthorized usage of the content is a clear example of copyright infringement without valid fair use or other defense,” it added. The statement also noted: “In no way do we support or condone the manipulated video or the message it conveys.”
Statement from Jukin Media Regarding the President's 'Manipulated Media' Tweet pic.twitter.com/8zepXNNhsH — Jukin Media (@JukinMedia) June 19, 2020
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Michael Cisneros, the Manhattan father of one of the toddlers, wrote in a Facebook post Thursday night responding to the video posted by Trump: “HE WILL NOT TURN THIS LOVING, BEAUTIFUL VIDEO TO FURTHER HIS HATE AGENDA!! !! !! !!”
Cisneros said last year he posted the film to social media because he thought it was a beautiful moment to post amid racism and hate in the world, CNN reported.
It wasn’t immediately clear if Cisneros was the parent represented by Junkin.
Facebook spokesperson Andy Stone told HuffPost in an email: “We received a copyright complaint from the rights holder of this video under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act and have removed the post.”
A Twitter spokesperson explained: “Per our copyright policy, we respond to valid copyright complaints sent to us by a copyright owner or their authorized representatives.”
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The altered video posted by Trump was reportedly created by Carpe Donktum, a notorious pro-Trump meme maker. Trump posted the video amid anti-racism protests across the country in the wake of the death of George Floyd during a brutal arrest by Minneapolis cops. The message seems to mock the idea that racism exists — and to scold CNN, yet again, for “fake news.”
On Thursday, Facebook removed nearly 100 ads that featured Nazi iconography and were published on the social media platform by Trump’s reelection campaign the previous day. The ads included inverted triangles, which Nazis used to identify political prisoners in concentration camps.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-20--Robert E. Lee Statue Sleeps With The Fishes In Jim Carrey’s New Cartoon

Jim Carrey marked Juneteenth by sending a statue of Robert E. Lee to the bottom of the ocean .
The @ @ @ @ @ a very long line of politically charged cartoons on Twitter Friday .
Of the Confederate @ @ @ @ @ “ Here ’ s to finding a more appropriate place for Robert E. Lee.
” @ @ @ @ @ ’ s to finding a more appropriate place for Robert E. Lee .
; ^P @ @ @ @ @ @ JimCarrey ) June 20 , 2020 The “ Kidding ” star shared the picture @ @ @ @ @ removal of monuments honoring racist historical figures .
Earlier this month , a statue of @ @ @ @ @ did actually temporarily end up in a river in Bristol , southwest England .
Its @ @ @ @ @ River Avon during a Black Lives Matter protest inspired the street artist Banksy to come @ @ @ @ @ its replacement .

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Jim Carrey marked Juneteenth by sending a statue of Robert E. Lee to the bottom of the ocean.
Artistically, at least.
The actor posted his latest in a very long line of politically charged cartoons on Twitter Friday.
Of the Confederate general, Carrey wrote: “Here’s to finding a more appropriate place for Robert E. Lee.”
Happy Juneteenth everyone! Here’s to finding a more appropriate place for Robert E. Lee. ;^P pic.twitter.com/RnSMwhOcrb — Jim Carrey (@JimCarrey) June 20, 2020
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The “Kidding” star shared the picture amid growing calls for the removal of monuments honoring racist historical figures.
Earlier this month, a statue of British slave trader Edward Colston did actually temporarily end up in a river in Bristol, England.
Its toppling and tossing into the River Avon during a Black Lives Matter protest inspired the street artist Banksy to come up with a suggestion for its replacement.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-19--50 Years After MLK, Pastors Lead A New Poor People's Campaign

More than 50 years after the Rev .
Martin Luther King Jr. called for a Poor People ’ s March on Washington to demand economic justice , two pastors are attempting to revive King ’ s efforts for a new era ― using the technology available today to highlight the injustices currently plaguing the most vulnerable Americans .
Rev .
William Barber II and Rev .
Liz Theoharis are leading “ The Mass Poor People ’ s Assembly and Moral March on Washington ” on Saturday .
The assembly seeks to challenge what the pastors call the “ interlocking evils @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ecological devastation , militarism and religious nationalism ― all of which they believe have the heaviest toll on poor people .
The event was initially supposed to gather people in person in the nation ’ s capital , but it was moved online in recent months , in light of the COVID-19 pandemic .
It will feature testimonies from people typically relegated to the margins of society ― service workers from the Midwest who have worked during the coronavirus pandemic without personal protective equipment , residents of Louisiana ’ s “ Cancer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Apache elder trying to stop the government from destroying his sacred site in Arizona , and families devastated by police brutality .
Theoharis told HuffPost that the movement ’ s demands are “ radical , bold and visionary ” because she believes that ’ s “ exactly what the nation needs.
” She pointed to how the government could afford to give coronavirus bailouts to corporations while millions of Americans still don ’ t have health insurance and while stimulus checks aren ’ t reaching people who are too poor to file taxes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Right now , people are very aware that the institutions that are supposed to be there to serve are failing people and are making people fend for themselves , ” she said .
“ It ’ s not that we have a scarcity of resources , it ’ s not that things have to be the way that they are .
It ’ s that there ’ s a scarcity right now of political will.
” “ So what do you do in the face of that ?
You build power among @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be able to change that will and make the power structures prioritize people , to lift from the bottom , which raises everybody up , ” she added .
King is remembered across the political spectrum for the pivotal role he played in securing civil rights for Black Americans .
The leader ’ s more controversial positions ― on redistributing wealth , calling out the failures of capitalism , ending war ― don ’ t get as much attention .
Nevertheless , in the final months of his life , King was actively @ @ @ @ @ @ @ justice are intricately tied .
In the fall of 1967 , King and fellow activists started planning for a Poor People ’ s Campaign and march on Washington to challenge elected officials to address the economic inequalities faced by poor Americans .
King ’ s vision for the march was for poor protesters from all backgrounds to join forces in demanding an “ economic bill of rights ” that would direct government funds toward full employment , a guaranteed annual income , more low-income housing and other anti-poverty programs .
His goal for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gulf between promise and fulfillment , to call attention to the gap between the dream and the realities , to make the invisible visible.
” King was assassinated before he could see that march come to fruition .
The Poor People ’ s Campaign continued under the leadership of another civil rights leader , the Rev .
Ralph Abernathy .
Thousands of protesters occupied the National Mall for 42 days during May and June of 1968 , using a temporary encampment called “ Resurrection City ” as a base from which to petition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on June 19 with more than 50,000 people marching for economic justice .
There have been other civil rights marches on Washington since 1968 , but Saturday ’ s event is unique in its attempt to expand and adapt King ’ s goals to current crises ― and to build an even broader coalition .
Theoharis said that the modern Poor People ’ s Campaign has spent two years building momentum through state and local organizers .
The goals of the movement now include highlighting the injustices faced by Muslims , undocumented immigrants @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The organizers are also calling out Christians for focusing on issues like prayer in school , abortion rights and gun rights while ignoring poverty , health care and other crises facing poor Americans .
The initiative has found support among a broad range of religious leaders and faith-based advocacy groups ― evangelicals , Episcopalians , Roman Catholics , Methodists , Jews , Muslims , Hindus , Unitarian-Universalists .
Activists who were part of the original Poor People ’ s Campaign will be participating in Saturday ’ s event , Theoharis said .
Celebrities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ former Vice President Al Gore have signed up to introduce speakers at the rally , who will then testify about their personal experiences with poverty .

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More than 50 years after the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. called for a Poor People’s March on Washington to demand economic justice, two pastors are attempting to revive King’s efforts for a new era ― using the technology available today to highlight the injustices currently plaguing the most vulnerable Americans.
Rev. William Barber II and Rev. Liz Theoharis are leading “The Mass Poor People’s Assembly and Moral March on Washington” on Saturday. The assembly seeks to challenge what the pastors call the “interlocking evils” of systemic racism, wealth inequality, ecological devastation, militarism and religious nationalism ― all of which they believe have the heaviest toll on poor people.
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The event was initially supposed to gather people in person in the nation’s capital, but it was moved online in recent months, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. It will feature testimonies from people typically relegated to the margins of society ― service workers from the Midwest who have worked during the coronavirus pandemic without personal protective equipment, residents of Louisiana’s “Cancer Alley” fighting corporate polluters, an Apache elder trying to stop the government from destroying his sacred site in Arizona, and families devastated by police brutality.
The Revs. William J. Barber II and Liz Theoharis, co-chairs of the Poor People's Campaign, hope to challenge "interlocking evils." Mark Humphrey/Associated Press
Organizers have come up with a broad list of progressive demands for elected officials. Those demands include blocking new pipelines and refineries, bolstering voting rights and access, reforming the immigration system, providing free tuition at public universities, ensuring living wages for all, enacting single-payer universal health care and banning assault rifles.
Theoharis told HuffPost that the movement’s demands are “radical, bold and visionary” because she believes that’s “exactly what the nation needs.” She pointed to how the government could afford to give coronavirus bailouts to corporations while millions of Americans still don’t have health insurance and while stimulus checks aren’t reaching people who are too poor to file taxes, the homeless and undocumented immigrants.
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“Right now, people are very aware that the institutions that are supposed to be there to serve are failing people and are making people fend for themselves,” she said. “It’s not that we have a scarcity of resources, it’s not that things have to be the way that they are. It’s that there’s a scarcity right now of political will.”
“So what do you do in the face of that? You build power among the people that are most impacted to be able to change that will and make the power structures prioritize people, to lift from the bottom, which raises everybody up,” she added.
Organizers of Saturday’s online assembly have deliberately modeled it after King’s 1968 Poor People’s Campaign ― echoing not just his title but also his goals.
King is remembered across the political spectrum for the pivotal role he played in securing civil rights for Black Americans. The leader’s more controversial positions ― on redistributing wealth, calling out the failures of capitalism, ending war ― don’t get as much attention. Nevertheless, in the final months of his life, King was actively promoting his belief that racial and economic justice are intricately tied.
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In the fall of 1967, King and fellow activists started planning for a Poor People’s Campaign and march on Washington to challenge elected officials to address the economic inequalities faced by poor Americans. King’s vision for the march was for poor protesters from all backgrounds to join forces in demanding an “economic bill of rights” that would direct government funds toward full employment, a guaranteed annual income, more low-income housing and other anti-poverty programs.
An estimated 50,000 people joined in support of the Poor People's Campaign in Washington, D.C., on June 19, 1968. Arnold Sachs/Pictorial Parade/Archive Photos/Getty Images
His goal for the demonstration was to “dramatize the gulf between promise and fulfillment, to call attention to the gap between the dream and the realities, to make the invisible visible.”
King was assassinated before he could see that march come to fruition. The Poor People’s Campaign continued under the leadership of another civil rights leader, the Rev. Ralph Abernathy. Thousands of protesters occupied the National Mall for 42 days during May and June of 1968, using a temporary encampment called “Resurrection City” as a base from which to petition various government agencies. The campaign culminated on June 19 with more than 50,000 people marching for economic justice.
Solidarity Day at the Poor People's Campaign on June 19, 1968, on the National Mall. Henry Burroughs/Associated Press
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There have been other civil rights marches on Washington since 1968, but Saturday’s event is unique in its attempt to expand and adapt King’s goals to current crises ― and to build an even broader coalition.
Theoharis said that the modern Poor People’s Campaign has spent two years building momentum through state and local organizers. The goals of the movement now include highlighting the injustices faced by Muslims, undocumented immigrants, LGBTQ people and disabled Americans. The organizers are also calling out Christians for focusing on issues like prayer in school, abortion rights and gun rights while ignoring poverty, health care and other crises facing poor Americans.
The initiative has found support among a broad range of religious leaders and faith-based advocacy groups ― evangelicals, Episcopalians, Roman Catholics, Methodists, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Unitarian-Universalists. Activists who were part of the original Poor People’s Campaign will be participating in Saturday’s event, Theoharis said. Celebrities including Wanda Sykes and Jane Fonda and former Vice President Al Gore have signed up to introduce speakers at the rally, who will then testify about their personal experiences with poverty.
Organizers are “fully recognizing that we are in a different moment than in 1968,” Theoharis said. Wealth inequality has increased, the pandemic has exposed issues around public health and America is grappling with the prevalence of police violence, she said.
“We’re not just commemorating or building what [Dr. King] was calling for back then,” she said. “We would have to build a poor people’s campaign today even if he had never.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-20--Trump Fires U.S. Attorney Who Led Probes Of The President's Men

“ I learned in a press release from the Attorney General tonight that I was ‘ stepping down ’ as United States Attorney .
I have not resigned , and have no intention of resigning , my position , ” Berman said Friday .
In his announcement of the firing , Barr claimed Berman was trying to create a “ public spectacle.
” “ Unfortunately , with your statement of last night , you have chosen public spectacle over public service , ” Barr said in a statement Saturday .
“ Because you have declared that you have no intention @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President to remove you as of today , and he has done so.
” Barr ’ s letter to Berman essentially conceded his public statement had misled the public , writing that “ While we advised the public that you would leave the U.S. Attorney ’ s office in two weeks , I still hoped that your departure could be amicable.
” Barr also wrote that he had authorized DOJ Inspector General Michael Horowitz to review claims of improper influence on ongoing cases .
Berman was investigating Rudy Giuliani , Trump ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ukraine to aid Trump ’ s reelection campaign .
In his own statement , Berman said he would be leaving his position “ effective immediately.
” Deputy U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss will now become the acting U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York .
That ’ s a change from Barr ’ s original plan , which was to appoint the U.S. attorney for the District of New Jersey to the position on an acting basis .
Berman said in his statement that Strauss is the “ smartest , most principled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have ever had the privilege of working.
” The replacement of Berman came about very quickly .
A source told HuffPost that Berman had sent a message to employees about COVID-19 safety precautions on Thursday .
Despite Barr ’ s letter specifically saying he was acting under the orders of the president , Trump told reporters outside the White House Saturday afternoon that he was “ not involved ” in the decision .
“ That ’ s [ Barr ’ s ] department , not my department , ” Trump said .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him , I ’ m not involved .
”

“I learned in a press release from the Attorney General tonight that I was ‘stepping down’ as United States Attorney. I have not resigned, and have no intention of resigning, my position,” Berman said Friday.
In his announcement of the firing, Barr claimed Berman was trying to create a “public spectacle.”
“Unfortunately, with your statement of last night, you have chosen public spectacle over public service,” Barr said in a statement Saturday. “Because you have declared that you have no intention of resigning, I have asked the President to remove you as of today, and he has done so.”
Barr’s letter to Berman essentially conceded his public statement had misled the public, writing that “While we advised the public that you would leave the U.S. Attorney’s office in two weeks, I still hoped that your departure could be amicable.”
Barr also wrote that he had authorized DOJ Inspector General Michael Horowitz to review claims of improper influence on ongoing cases.
Berman was investigating Rudy Giuliani, Trump’s personal attorney, for his work in Ukraine to aid Trump’s reelection campaign.
In his own statement, Berman said he would be leaving his position “effective immediately.”
Deputy U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss will now become the acting U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York. That’s a change from Barr’s original plan, which was to appoint the U.S. attorney for the District of New Jersey to the position on an acting basis. Berman said in his statement that Strauss is the “smartest, most principled, and effective lawyer with whom I have ever had the privilege of working.”
The replacement of Berman came about very quickly. A source told HuffPost that Berman had sent a message to employees about COVID-19 safety precautions on Thursday.
Despite Barr’s letter specifically saying he was acting under the orders of the president, Trump told reporters outside the White House Saturday afternoon that he was “not involved” in the decision.
“That’s [Barr’s] department, not my department,” Trump said. “So that’s really up to him, I’m not involved.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-20--Police Arrest Peaceful Protester Sitting Alone By Trump Rally Venue

At the request of President Donald Trump ’ s campaign staff , police in Tulsa , Oklahoma , arrested a single peaceful protester in a black “ I Can ’ t Breathe ” T-shirt who was sitting outside the venue where Trump is expected to hold a rally on Saturday .
Officers could be seen grabbing the protester by her armpits shortly before noon before dragging her off .
She was accused of trespassing , though she said that she had a ticket to the rally .
Officers tried to persuade Buck to leave by herself before she was “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the department said in a statement .
“ Officers at the location , particularly in the ‘ Sterile ’ area , will remove individuals only at the direction of Campaign Staff , ” police said .
The incident was broadcast live by an MSNBC news crew that had set up near the entrance of the city ’ s BOK Center , where Trump supporters were already streaming in .
“ I ’ ve done nothing .
I have tickets to this event , ” Buck could be heard telling officers at one point @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cruiser , Buck told reporters she had come to show support for the nationwide protests against police brutality and racism that have gone on for weeks .
Trump on Friday issued a threat to “ protesters , anarchists , agitators , looters or lowlifes who are going to Oklahoma ” in an apparent attempt to discourage dissenters .
“ [ P ] lease understand , you will not be treated like you have been in New York , Seattle , or Minneapolis .
It will be a much different scene !
” Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ particularly in New York ― have come under harsh criticism for using excessive force against protesters who have carried out demonstrations largely without violence .
A new wave of Black Lives Matter demonstrations was sparked by the death last month of George Floyd , a Black man who died after a Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck .
Floyd is just one in a long series of Black people and people of color who have been killed by police departments that critics argue have been overfunded and underscrutinized for decades .
Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 7 p.m. local time at the city ’ s BOK Center , despite warnings from public health experts that a rally in the middle of a pandemic could result in a spike in cases of COVID-19 , the disease caused by the coronavirus .
The president , however , apparently hopes to reignite support for his reelection bid .
Polls have shown Trump ’ s popularity slipping because of his botched handling of both the coronavirus crisis and the protests .
The rally was moved from Friday because it fell on Juneteenth , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the last slaves in the United States .

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At the request of President Donald Trump’s campaign staff, police in Tulsa, Oklahoma, arrested a single peaceful protester in a black “I Can’t Breathe” T-shirt who was sitting outside the venue where Trump is expected to hold a rally on Saturday.
Officers could be seen grabbing the protester by her armpits shortly before noon before dragging her off. She was accused of trespassing, though she said that she had a ticket to the rally.
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The Tulsa Police Department said that the woman, a Tulsa resident named Sheila Buck, was in a secure area accessible only by ticketholders.
Officers tried to persuade Buck to leave by herself before she was “transported to booking for obstruction,” the department said in a statement.
“Officers at the location, particularly in the ‘Sterile’ area, will remove individuals only at the direction of Campaign Staff,” police said.
The incident was broadcast live by an MSNBC news crew that had set up near the entrance of the city’s BOK Center, where Trump supporters were already streaming in.
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“I’ve done nothing. I have tickets to this event,” Buck could be heard telling officers at one point.
As police escorted Buck to a cruiser, Buck told reporters she had come to show support for the nationwide protests against police brutality and racism that have gone on for weeks.
"Somebody has to do this."
A peaceful protester is arrested outside the location President Trump's rally will be held in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on Saturday. pic.twitter.com/Nj23OgyOvX — MSNBC (@MSNBC) June 20, 2020
Trump on Friday issued a threat to “protesters, anarchists, agitators, looters or lowlifes who are going to Oklahoma” in an apparent attempt to discourage dissenters. “[P]lease understand, you will not be treated like you have been in New York, Seattle, or Minneapolis. It will be a much different scene!” Trump tweeted.
Police across the country ― particularly in New York ― have come under harsh criticism for using excessive force against protesters who have carried out demonstrations largely without violence.
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A new wave of Black Lives Matter demonstrations was sparked by the death last month of George Floyd, a Black man who died after a Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck. Floyd is just one in a long series of Black people and people of color who have been killed by police departments that critics argue have been overfunded and underscrutinized for decades.
Trump is set to begin his rally at 7 p.m. local time at the city’s BOK Center, despite warnings from public health experts that a rally in the middle of a pandemic could result in a spike in cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.
The president, however, apparently hopes to reignite support for his reelection bid. Polls have shown Trump’s popularity slipping because of his botched handling of both the coronavirus crisis and the protests.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-20--Florida Governor Ripped For Trying To Pin COVID-19 Spike On Hispanic Workers

Angry health experts and worker advocates fired back Friday after Florida Gov .
Ron DeSantis ( R ) said that “ overwhelmingly Hispanic ” day laborers and agricultural workers are a key driver of a record spike in the state ’ s COVID-19 cases .
DeSantis , who was one of the last governors in the nation to issue a statewide stay-at-home order and one of the first to reopen the economy , told reporters Tuesday that the surge was mostly among nursing homes , construction workers and other day laborers and farmworkers .
Last week he said that “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ve seen is in agricultural communities.
” “ Some of these guys go to work in a school bus , and they ’ re are all just packed there like sardines , going across Palm Beach County or some of these other places , and there ’ s just all these opportunities to have transmission , ” DeSantis said Tuesday .
Check out his comments concerning the “ overwhelmingly Hispanic ” workers in the video below at the 10:00 and 23:30 marks .
He was fact-checked by Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of farmworkers left the state weeks ago after harvests , and that cases are spiking in nonagricultural areas , The Tampa Bay Times reported .
Farmworker advocates ripped the governor for a racist blame-the-victims strategy in a state where employers are required to provide few protections for farmworkers and Florida has offered little outreach to a vulnerable population with poor access to health care and hygienic living conditions .
Antonio Tovar , executive director of the Farmworker Association of Florida , blasted the comments as “ shameful , ” and told The News @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 50 groups had begged the governor for help for the community back in April .
“ From day one we asked for help for farmworkers , none came , ” Lourdes Villanueva , the director of farmworker advocacy for Redlands Christian Migrant Association , told The Tampa Bay Times .
“ It ’ s always about blaming the less fortunate and the ones that can not defend themselves.
” The Florida Health Department reported 3,207 new cases of the coronavirus on Thursday , marking the largest daily increase since early March .
As @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 85,000 cases and at least 3,061 deaths .
The recent spike is triggering concerns that Florida could become the new American epicenter for the virus .
The state health department did not provide data , case ZIP codes or maps to the Miami Herald to supply evidence backing the governor ’ s claim that COVID-19 is highest in Florida ’ s agricultural communities , the Herald reported .
Franco Ripple , a spokesman for the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services , accused the governor of “ cherry-picking data ” to scapegoat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new cases since June 10 has occurred in counties where there is little agriculture , Ripple noted , according to the Herald .
“ Naming rural and farm communities as a main driver ” of the disease is “ not accurate , ” he said .
DeSantis last week seemed to downplay the growing number of cases in the state by noting that they were appearing largely in specific communities , such as among farmworkers — and in nursing homes .
He jokingly referred to Florida in April as “ God ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ number of elderly residents in the state , who are particularly vulnerable to the coronavirus .

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Angry health experts and worker advocates fired back Friday after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) said that “overwhelmingly Hispanic” day laborers and agricultural workers are a key driver of a record spike in the state’s COVID-19 cases.
DeSantis, who was one of the last governors in the nation to issue a statewide stay-at-home order and one of the first to reopen the economy, told reporters Tuesday that the surge was mostly among nursing homes, construction workers and other day laborers and farmworkers. Last week he said that “the No. 1 outbreak we’ve seen is in agricultural communities.”
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“Some of these guys go to work in a school bus, and they’re are all just packed there like sardines, going across Palm Beach County or some of these other places, and there’s just all these opportunities to have transmission,” DeSantis said Tuesday.
Check out his comments concerning the “overwhelmingly Hispanic” workers in the video below at the 10:00 and 23:30 marks.
He was fact-checked by Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried, a Democrat, who said the majority of farmworkers left the state weeks ago after harvests, and that cases are spiking in nonagricultural areas, The Tampa Bay Times reported.
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Farmworker advocates ripped the governor for a racist blame-the-victims strategy in a state where employers are required to provide few protections for farmworkers and Florida has offered little outreach to a vulnerable population with poor access to health care and hygienic living conditions.
Antonio Tovar, executive director of the Farmworker Association of Florida, blasted the comments as “shameful,” and told The News Service in Florida that a coalition of 50 groups had begged the governor for help for the community back in April.
“From day one we asked for help for farmworkers, none came,” Lourdes Villanueva, the director of farmworker advocacy for Redlands Christian Migrant Association, told The Tampa Bay Times. “It’s always about blaming the less fortunate and the ones that cannot defend themselves.”
The Florida Health Department reported 3,207 new cases of the coronavirus on Thursday, marking the largest daily increase since early March. As of Thursday, Florida has recorded over 85,000 cases and at least 3,061 deaths. The recent spike is triggering concerns that Florida could become the new American epicenter for the virus.
The state health department did not provide data, case ZIP codes or maps to the Miami Herald to supply evidence backing the governor’s claim that COVID-19 is highest in Florida’s agricultural communities, the Herald reported.
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Franco Ripple, a spokesman for the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, accused the governor of “cherry-picking data” to scapegoat farmworkers. Much of the rise in new cases since June 10 has occurred in counties where there is little agriculture, Ripple noted, according to the Herald. “Naming rural and farm communities as a main driver” of the disease is “not accurate,” he said.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-20--Judge Rejects White House Request To Block John Bolton's New Book

“ While Bolton ’ s unilateral conduct raises grave national security concerns , the government has not established that an injunction is an appropriate remedy , ” Lamberth wrote .
The new book details a laundry list of corruption and ineptitude within the Trump administration .
Bolton alleges that Trump sought help from China to win reelection , offered to help Turkey ’ s leader avoid a Justice Department probe , had a fraught relationship with the U.K. and had little knowledge of world events , among other things .
“ We ’ ve never seen such a senior former @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was fundamentally unfit and unethical and ignorant and therefore incapable of doing the job , ” Max Boot , a conservative commentator for The Washington Post , said of the book .
For all his new candor about what goes on in the White House , Bolton was largely silent while playing an active role in the Trump administration .
And when he was called upon by House Democrats to testify during Trump ’ s impeachment probe , he refused .
That hasn ’ t stopped Bolton from saying more should have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ explosive details about the Trump administration have trickled out from Bolton ’ s upcoming book , the president has attacked Bolton as a “ washed up guy ” and a “ wacko.
” Following Saturday ’ s latest blow to Trump , the president predictably rushed to Twitter to air his grievances .
Bolton “ must pay a very big price for this , as others have before him , ” Trump threatened .
“ This should never [ sic ] to happen again !
!
!
”

“While Bolton’s unilateral conduct raises grave national security concerns, the government has not established that an injunction is an appropriate remedy,” Lamberth wrote.
The new book details a laundry list of corruption and ineptitude within the Trump administration. Bolton alleges that Trump sought help from China to win reelection, offered to help Turkey’s leader avoid a Justice Department probe, had a fraught relationship with the U.K. and had little knowledge of world events, among other things.
“We’ve never seen such a senior former official saying that the president they served was fundamentally unfit and unethical and ignorant and therefore incapable of doing the job,” Max Boot, a conservative commentator for The Washington Post, said of the book.
For all his new candor about what goes on in the White House, Bolton was largely silent while playing an active role in the Trump administration. And when he was called upon by House Democrats to testify during Trump’s impeachment probe, he refused. That hasn’t stopped Bolton from saying more should have been done during the impeachment probe.
As explosive details about the Trump administration have trickled out from Bolton’s upcoming book, the president has attacked Bolton as a “washed up guy” and a “wacko.”
Following Saturday’s latest blow to Trump, the president predictably rushed to Twitter to air his grievances.
Bolton “must pay a very big price for this, as others have before him,” Trump threatened. “This should never [sic] to happen again!!!”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-20--The Coronavirus Pandemic Doesn't Care That We're All Bored With It

From President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence ’ s ludicrous assertions that the novel coronavirus pandemic is no big deal anymore to crowded bars in Arizona and block parties in New York City , it sure seems like Americans are ready to move on from the public health emergency that has dominated our lives since March .
Yes , the daily count of new infections and deaths has fallen since its peak in April and May .
New York City no longer is in full crisis as the epicenter of the outbreak in the U.S. Stay-at-home orders have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Whether the crest we ’ re now riding is the continuation of the “ first wave ” that began in January or the onset of a “ second wave ” is a semantic difference that utterly doesn ’ t matter .
The pandemic is ongoing .
It will not go away just because we ’ re weary .
Political leaders , especially ― but not exclusively ― Republicans like Trump , Arizona Gov .
Doug Ducey , Florida Gov .
Ron DeSantis and Texas Gov .
Greg Abbott , are plainly prioritizing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be bad enough , except the GOP has also politicized basic safety precautions like social distancing and mask-wearing , putting the party ’ s own supporters at the greatest risk .
It ’ s telling that while Trump is going ahead with a huge indoor rally in Tulsa , Oklahoma , on Saturday despite pleading from city health officials amid a major spike in COVID-19 , his campaign is trying to indemnify itself against lawsuits from attendees who become ill .
This has been Trump ’ s playbook from the beginning : downplay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ while quietly acknowledging its severity .
And if he cares at all about the health of his supporters ― or anyone else ― there ’ s no evidence to be found of it .
Republican governors have followed his lead .
Nebraska Gov .
Pete Ricketts notified counties in the state that they wouldn ’ t be eligible for financial aid if they imposed mask requirements in government buildings .
In Texas , Abbott has rebuffed pleas from mayors to allow them to mandate masks in public .
DeSantis is plowing ahead with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sharp rise in infections .
This isn ’ t just about the politicians or even one political party , though .
The decisions individual Americans make about how to behave are arguably an even bigger factor .
It ’ s a political choice to allow restaurants and bars to open for outdoor seating .
It ’ s a personal choice to go to them , to not employ sensible social distancing and to leave your face uncovered .
The pain Americans are suffering because of this outbreak is very real .
The many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or ended would be enough to illustrate that .
But millions are out of work , and unemployment benefits are close to running out .
Businesses are shuttered .
Schools are closed .
Essential workers risk their health to commute to their jobs .
Those working from home have to juggle their jobs and their family obligations .
Families and friends are separated from each other .
Whether you live alone or with others , isolation takes a heavy toll on your mental health .
There is no coronavirus vaccine .
There is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we have at our disposal are the same ones everybody is fed up with .
Staying at home .
Hand-washing .
Social distancing .
Face covering .
If we abandon those , it ’ s going to get worse .
The past few months have felt like eons .
But the truly terrifying thing is that if we continue on this path toward pretending the pandemic is over , the nightmare will last even longer .
Is that really what we want ?

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From President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence’s ludicrous assertions that the novel coronavirus pandemic is no big deal anymore to crowded bars in Arizona and block parties in New York City, it sure seems like Americans are ready to move on from the public health emergency that has dominated our lives since March.
Yes, the daily count of new infections and deaths has fallen since its peak in April and May. New York City no longer is in full crisis as the epicenter of the outbreak in the U.S. Stay-at-home orders have caused pain and inconvenience to virtually everyone.
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We may be finished with the coronavirus, but the virus isn’t finished with us.
Whether the crest we’re now riding is the continuation of the “first wave” that began in January or the onset of a “second wave” is a semantic difference that utterly doesn’t matter. The pandemic is ongoing. It will not go away just because we’re weary.
Political leaders, especially ― but not exclusively ― Republicans like Trump, Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, are plainly prioritizing money over human lives. That would be bad enough, except the GOP has also politicized basic safety precautions like social distancing and mask-wearing, putting the party’s own supporters at the greatest risk.
It’s telling that while Trump is going ahead with a huge indoor rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on Saturday despite pleading from city health officials amid a major spike in COVID-19, his campaign is trying to indemnify itself against lawsuits from attendees who become ill.
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This has been Trump’s playbook from the beginning: downplay the risks of the coronavirus in public while quietly acknowledging its severity. And if he cares at all about the health of his supporters ― or anyone else ― there’s no evidence to be found of it.
Republican governors have followed his lead. Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts notified counties in the state that they wouldn’t be eligible for financial aid if they imposed mask requirements in government buildings. In Texas, Abbott has rebuffed pleas from mayors to allow them to mandate masks in public. DeSantis is plowing ahead with Florida’s rapid reopening despite a sharp rise in infections.
This isn’t just about the politicians or even one political party, though. The decisions individual Americans make about how to behave are arguably an even bigger factor. It’s a political choice to allow restaurants and bars to open for outdoor seating. It’s a personal choice to go to them, to not employ sensible social distancing and to leave your face uncovered.
The pain Americans are suffering because of this outbreak is very real. The many lives that COVID-19 has interrupted, ruined or ended would be enough to illustrate that.
But millions are out of work, and unemployment benefits are close to running out. Businesses are shuttered. Schools are closed. Essential workers risk their health to commute to their jobs. Those working from home have to juggle their jobs and their family obligations. Families and friends are separated from each other. Whether you live alone or with others, isolation takes a heavy toll on your mental health.
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It’s all horrible. These things are all true, and they all hurt. They also don’t matter to the virus.
The coronavirus doesn’t care that you want to hold a political rally.
The coronavirus doesn’t care that you’re worried about reelection.
The coronavirus doesn’t care that your business closed or you lost your job.
The coronavirus doesn’t care that schools are closed.
The coronavirus doesn’t care that you’re a Republican or a Democrat.
The coronavirus doesn’t care where you live.
The coronavirus doesn’t care that you miss your family and friends.
The coronavirus doesn’t care that your kids are driving you crazy.
The coronavirus doesn’t care that your children are miserable.
The coronavirus doesn’t care that the weather is nice.
The coronavirus doesn’t care how long it’s been since you had sex.
The coronavirus doesn’t care how bad your hair looks.
There is no coronavirus vaccine. There is no COVID-19 cure. The only tools we have at our disposal are the same ones everybody is fed up with. Staying at home. Hand-washing. Social distancing. Face covering. If we abandon those, it’s going to get worse.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-20--Joe Biden Raised More Money Than Donald Trump For The First Time In May

“ President Trump ’ s consistent leadership and unprecedented actions during this challenging time has undoubtedly resonated with the American @ @ @ @ @ Committee Chair Ronna McDaniel said .
“ Support across the country continues to pour in @ @ @ @ @ an unparalleled operation that will deliver victories up and down the ballot in November.
” @ @ @ @ @ manager Rufus Gifford poured cold water on RNC communications about the month ’ s record @ @ @ @ @ you would claim a ‘ record for the month ’ of May when you get @ @ @ @ @ month , ” Gifford wrote on Twitter .

“President Trump’s consistent leadership and unprecedented actions during this challenging time has undoubtedly resonated with the American people,” Republican National Committee Chair Ronna McDaniel said. “Support across the country continues to pour in, helping us to build an unparalleled operation that will deliver victories up and down the ballot in November.”
Biden’s deputy campaign manager Rufus Gifford poured cold water on RNC communications about the month’s record haul.
“Hilarious that you would claim a ‘record for the month’ of May when you get outraised in that very same month,” Gifford wrote on Twitter.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-20--Mick Mulvaney Spectacularly Self-Owns With His 'One Criticism' Of Donald Trump

Former acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney was mocked on social media Friday after he revealed the “ one criticism ” he could have of President Donald Trump .
“ If there was one criticism that I would level against the president , is that he didn ’ t hire very well , ” Mulvaney , who is now the U.S. special envoy to Northern Ireland , told CNN ’ s “ New Day ” while defending Trump from the slew of criticism he has faced from former top-ranking officials in his administration .
Twitter users pointed out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ perform three roles in the White House .
“ [ Trump ] didn ’ t hire very well .
He did not have experience at running government , and didn ’ t know how to put together a team that could work well with him , ” former acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney tells @ jimsciutto about the President ’ s appointees .
pic.twitter.com/eAtMJwRnFW — New Day ( @ NewDay ) June 19 , 2020 Trump “ did not have experience at running government and didn ’ t know how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work well with him , ” said Mulvaney .
Mulvaney later argued that many of the former officials who have criticized Trump — such as former Defense Secretary James Mattis and former White House chief of staff John Kelly ― “ are folks who are either in the military or actively involved in the military.
” “ Military personality is just not the type that works well with Donald Trump , who ’ s a small businessman who ’ s done extraordinarily well , ” Mulvaney claimed .
Mulvaney served as acting White @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to March 2020 , as the director of the Office of Management and Budget from February 2017 to March 2020 and as the acting director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau from November 2017 to December 2018 .
The consensus among many Twitter users was that he self-owned with his comments : Self-indicting aka self-own aka own goal plus the 3fer obituary on Trump .
-did n't hire very well -did not have experience running government -did n't know how to put together a team https : //t.co/xzzyxAUDro — Shadow Cloud ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @

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Former acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney was mocked on social media Friday after he revealed the “one criticism” he could have of President Donald Trump.
“If there was one criticism that I would level against the president, is that he didn’t hire very well,” Mulvaney, who is now the U.S. special envoy to Northern Ireland, told CNN’s “New Day” while defending Trump from the slew of criticism he has faced from former top-ranking officials in his administration.
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Twitter users pointed out that Mulvaney was hired by Trump to perform three roles in the White House.
Check out the video here:
“[Trump] didn’t hire very well. He did not have experience at running government, and didn’t know how to put together a team that could work well with him,” former acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney tells @jimsciutto about the President’s appointees. pic.twitter.com/eAtMJwRnFW — New Day (@NewDay) June 19, 2020
Trump “did not have experience at running government and didn’t know how to put together a team that could work well with him,” said Mulvaney.
Mulvaney later argued that many of the former officials who have criticized Trump — such as former Defense Secretary James Mattis and former White House chief of staff John Kelly ― “are folks who are either in the military or actively involved in the military.”
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“Military personality is just not the type that works well with Donald Trump, who’s a small businessman who’s done extraordinarily well,” Mulvaney claimed.
Mulvaney served as acting White House chief of staff from January 2019 to March 2020, as the director of the Office of Management and Budget from February 2017 to March 2020 and as the acting director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau from November 2017 to December 2018.
The consensus among many Twitter users was that he self-owned with his comments:
Mick Mulvaney with the unwitting self-own there—lol. — Barbara Walsh (@AtreiyaN7) June 19, 2020
1) This level of self-own from Mulvaney is devastating.
2) Hiring is arguably the most important part of the presidency! https://t.co/fr2oOwelMv — KendrickVonderschmit (@Kendrickvonder) June 19, 2020
Kind of an epic self-own for Mulvaney. — Devin’s 🐮 Udders Are Long, Steep & Very Slippery (@maryangelafitz) June 19, 2020
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Self-indicting aka self-own aka own goal plus the 3fer obituary on Trump.
-didn't hire very well
-did not have experience running government
-didn't know how to put together a team https://t.co/xzzyxAUDro — Shadow Cloud (@Panawahpskek) June 19, 2020


thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-20--3 Congressional Races To Watch In New York's Democratic Primary

The elections also stand to test the effects of a reinvigorated Black Lives Matter movement after George Floyd ’ s death in police custody in Minneapolis last month and the political effect of the COVID-19 pandemic in one of its global epicenters .
The novel coronavirus outbreak and the accompanying economic fallout could both spark interest in newcomers and depress turnout , despite the availability of absentee voting in the state for all those who want to use it .
The Foreign Affairs Chief Fighting For His Political Life The parallels to Ocasio-Cortez ’ s race could not be starker @ @ @ @ @ @ @ behind Ocasio-Cortez ’ s big win , recruited Bowman to run .
Engel , like former Rep. Joe Crowley , is a white representative of a district that is now mostly Black and Latino ( though Engel has the endorsement of the Congressional Black Caucus PAC ) .
And just as Ocasio-Cortez shamed Crowley for failing to keep a home in the district , Bowman , who is Black , has made hay out of Engel riding out the height of the pandemic in his home in a Maryland suburb of Washington .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ with a hot mic moment at a news conference on the social unrest when he explained his request to speak by saying , “ If I didn ’ t have a primary , I wouldn ’ t care.
” The Battle To Block An Anti-Gay Evangelical Pastor In recent weeks , national Democrats have begun publicly fretting about the possibility that a divided field would enable Díaz , an anti-LGBTQ abortion rights opponent , to emerge from the pack .
Díaz , a cowboy hat-wearing evangelical pastor , has left a trail of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ course of his career in public life .
The City Council dissolved a committee he ran in 2019 as punishment for his claiming that the council was “ controlled by the homosexual community.
” During the 2016 presidential primary , he hosted Sen. Ted Cruz ( R-Texas ) in the Bronx ; he now says he has not yet decided whether he will vote for President Donald Trump in November .
But Díaz , who also served in the state Senate from 2003 to 2017 , enjoys high name recognition in the district @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the ballot without the suffix “ Sr. , ” raising the prospect that voters may confuse him with his son , Ruben Díaz Jr. , a mainstream Democrat who is the Bronx borough president .
A poll conducted by the think tank Data for Progress found Díaz leading Torres within the margin of error and with a plurality of voters still undecided .
For progressives , the preferred alternatives to Díaz are Torres and López , both of whom grew up in poverty in the Bronx .
Torres , who identifies as Afro-Latino @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Black man in Congress , has made improving the conditions in public housing developments of the kind where he was raised a priority on the council .
Lately , he has touted his work trying to rein in police abuses as well , such as 2017 legislation he introduced requiring NYPD officers to identify themselves more thoroughly during a police stop and provide an explanation for the stop .
Torres has raised the most money in the field by a long shot and has racked up the most endorsements , including from major @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Congressional Hispanic Caucus PAC ― some of which are spending independently on his behalf .
Sean McElwee , a co-founder of Data for Progress , has encouraged progressives to rally behind Torres as the best shot at defeating Díaz , noting that López picked up 2 percentage points in the poll his firm ran .
In New York ’ s 17th Congressional District , which includes Rockland County and upper Westchester north of New York City , House Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Nita Lowey ’ s retirement has sparked a brawl for the Democratic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the fight for New York ’ s 15th .
Lowey has represented the lower Hudson Valley in Congress since 1989 , and her departure creates a rare opportunity for the party ’ s up-and-comers to get in on a safe Democratic seat .
In a field of seven candidates , the top contenders are state Sen. David Carlucci , former Pentagon official Evelyn Farkas , former federal prosecutor Adam Schleifer and attorney Mondaire Jones .

Middle school principal Jamaal Bowman represents the progressive wing's strongest shot at unseating another incumbent Democrat. Jeenah Moon/Getty Images
New York primary voters head to the polls on Tuesday, and the hottest contests are once again on the Democratic side.
A host of Democratic congressional primaries in and around New York City will test the endurance of the progressive wave that sent Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to Congress in 2018 and the resilience of one of the strongest Democratic Party machines in the country.
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Candidates on the left of the party are seeking to oust several aging incumbents of varied ideological leanings and contest open House seats where they have historically had greater luck.
Overall, the 2020 election cycle has been disappointing for the Democratic Party’s progressive wing. The left’s two preferred presidential candidates, Sens. Bernie Sanders (Vt.) and Elizabeth Warren (Mass.), lost to former Vice President Joe Biden. And progressive challengers have thus far ousted only one incumbent Democrat in Congress.
A few key races provide progressives a chance to snap their losing streak ― or for the Democratic establishment to maintain its successful record. One factor that could help down-ballot progressive candidates is that Sanders will remain on the presidential primary ballot after a court battle successfully overturned the New York State Board of Elections’ efforts to cancel the presidential primary entirely.
The elections also stand to test the effects of a reinvigorated Black Lives Matter movement after George Floyd’s death in police custody in Minneapolis last month and the political effect of the COVID-19 pandemic in one of its global epicenters. The novel coronavirus outbreak and the accompanying economic fallout could both spark interest in newcomers and depress turnout, despite the availability of absentee voting in the state for all those who want to use it.
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Rep. Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.), a 16-term incumbent, has elicited criticism from Jamaal Bowman for his absence from the district during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Samuel Corum/Getty Images
The Foreign Affairs Chief Fighting For His Political Life
Middle school principal Jamaal Bowman represents progressives’ strongest shot at knocking out another incumbent. Rep. Eliot Engel (D) has represented neighborhoods and towns on either side of New York City’s northern border since 1989. Virtually every big-name progressive ― from Sanders to Ocasio-Cortez ― has lined up behind Bowman, 44, while Engel, 73, has amassed his own formidable show of establishment support, including from Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (N.Y.), House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) and 2016 presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, who made Engel her first endorsement this election cycle.
The parallels to Ocasio-Cortez’s race could not be starker. Justice Democrats, the left-wing group behind Ocasio-Cortez’s big win, recruited Bowman to run. Engel, like former Rep. Joe Crowley, is a white representative of a district that is now mostly Black and Latino (though Engel has the endorsement of the Congressional Black Caucus PAC). And just as Ocasio-Cortez shamed Crowley for failing to keep a home in the district, Bowman, who is Black, has made hay out of Engel riding out the height of the pandemic in his home in a Maryland suburb of Washington. Engel drew more attention to the issue with a hot mic moment at a news conference on the social unrest when he explained his request to speak by saying, “If I didn’t have a primary, I wouldn’t care.”
Engel, a member of the business-friendly New Democrat Coalition and recipient of corporate PAC donations, has a relatively progressive record on domestic policy. He is a co-sponsor of the resolution endorsing the Green New Deal and the legislation that would create a “Medicare for All” single-payer health care system.
But the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee is considerably more moderate on foreign policy. He voted for the Iraq War, opposed the Iran nuclear deal and spoke up against the Obama administration’s criticism of the Israeli government for allowing West Bank settlements to expand.
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Indeed, Engel’s staunch defense of an increasingly right-wing Israeli government’s right to conduct its affairs free from additional U.S. pressure, at a time when other Democrats have taken a more critical approach to the U.S. ally, is part of why hawkish pro-Israel groups are spending so much money to help him win.
A victory for Engel would demonstrate the continued strength of the bipartisan, pro-Israel consensus, and the limits of the left’s power, even amid the historic Black Lives Matter movement’s protests.
A win for Bowman, by contrast, would strike fear into the hearts of Democratic incumbents; add another independent, progressive voice to a House Democratic Caucus, where they are in short supply; and show that, with the right candidate, the left is capable of gaining traction among Black voters who have often stuck with establishment Democrats.
Bowman, who also supports a Green New Deal and Medicare for All, has responded to the eruption of Black Lives Matter protests by recounting his own experience of police brutality at age 11 and embracing the call to “defund the police,” which he defines as reinvesting resources in jobs and social programs that prevent crime.
“The whole country is rising up because we’re tired of waiting,” he said during a June 10 debate.
New York City Councilman Ruben Díaz Sr. leads a rally to protest the punishment he received for anti-gay remarks last year. Democrats fear a divided field could hand him a House seat. Andrew Lichtenstein via Getty Images
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The Battle To Block An Anti-Gay Evangelical Pastor
When Rep. José Serrano announced he was retiring from New York’s 15th Congressional District, an impoverished stretch of the central and South Bronx that ranks as one of the most Democratic House seats in the country, it sparked a mad dash to succeed him.
The main contenders in a field that includes at least 11 Democrats with some money in their coffers are housing activist Samelys López; New York City Councilmen Ritchie Torres, Ydanis Rodriguez and Ruben Díaz Sr.; state Assemblyman Michael Blake; and former City Council President Melissa Mark-Viverito.
In recent weeks, national Democrats have begun publicly fretting about the possibility that a divided field would enable Díaz, an anti-LGBTQ abortion rights opponent, to emerge from the pack. Díaz, a cowboy hat-wearing evangelical pastor, has left a trail of offensive remarks and outrageous incidents over the course of his career in public life. The City Council dissolved a committee he ran in 2019 as punishment for his claiming that the council was “controlled by the homosexual community.” During the 2016 presidential primary, he hosted Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) in the Bronx; he now says he has not yet decided whether he will vote for President Donald Trump in November.
But Díaz, who also served in the state Senate from 2003 to 2017, enjoys high name recognition in the district. And his name will appear on the ballot without the suffix “Sr.,” raising the prospect that voters may confuse him with his son, Ruben Díaz Jr., a mainstream Democrat who is the Bronx borough president. A poll conducted by the think tank Data for Progress found Díaz leading Torres within the margin of error and with a plurality of voters still undecided.
If Díaz wins the primary, effectively ensuring him a seat in Congress, he is liable to be an unpredictable force for Democratic leadership for at least one term. Assuming, as some experts predict, New York loses a House seat following the 2020 census, eliminating Díaz’s seat would be an easy choice for the state’s Democratic-run legislature.
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Still, his election would be a monumental missed opportunity for the progressive wing, which rarely gets the chance to compete for an open seat in such a solidly blue district.
For progressives, the preferred alternatives to Díaz are Torres and López, both of whom grew up in poverty in the Bronx. Torres, who identifies as Afro-Latino and would be the first openly gay Black man in Congress, has made improving the conditions in public housing developments of the kind where he was raised a priority on the council. Lately, he has touted his work trying to rein in police abuses as well, such as 2017 legislation he introduced requiring NYPD officers to identify themselves more thoroughly during a police stop and provide an explanation for the stop.
Torres has raised the most money in the field by a long shot and has racked up the most endorsements, including from major labor unions, LGBTQ groups and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus PAC ― some of which are spending independently on his behalf. Sean McElwee, a co-founder of Data for Progress, has encouraged progressives to rally behind Torres as the best shot at defeating Díaz, noting that López picked up 2 percentage points in the poll his firm ran.
But from the perspective of New York City’s nascent socialist left and some other progressive activists, Torres’s record has some disqualifying characteristics. The councilman defends Israel with a passion generally wielded by more moderate Democrats and has received generous donations from leading figures in New York City’s real-estate and financial sectors. Some police reform advocates contend that the measures he introduced, which passed only narrowly, were inadequate.
López, an active member of the Democratic Socialists of America, has the endorsements of New York City DSA, the Working Families Party, Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez. She has endorsed a local initiative to cancel rent during the pandemic, a $20-an-hour federal minimum wage and the movement to “defund the police.”
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López’s campaign rejects Data for Progress’s poll, and López warns people against underestimating her. “I know what it’s like to be dismissed, I know what it’s like to not be taken seriously, as a formerly homeless Latina,” she told the socialist news outlet Current Affairs.
If elected, attorney Mondaire Jones would be the first openly gay Black man in Congress. A crowded field could redound to his benefit. Mondaire Jones for Congress
Scramble In The Suburbs
In New York’s 17th Congressional District, which includes Rockland County and upper Westchester north of New York City, House Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Nita Lowey’s retirement has sparked a brawl for the Democratic nomination that is nearly as contentious as the fight for New York’s 15th. Lowey has represented the lower Hudson Valley in Congress since 1989, and her departure creates a rare opportunity for the party’s up-and-comers to get in on a safe Democratic seat. In a field of seven candidates, the top contenders are state Sen. David Carlucci, former Pentagon official Evelyn Farkas, former federal prosecutor Adam Schleifer and attorney Mondaire Jones.
Jones, who initially ran as a progressive primary challenger against Lowey, is the left’s preferred choice in the race. Short of unseating an incumbent like Engel, Jones represents one of the progressive Democrats’ brightest hopes of adding a member to the small bloc of left-wing House members willing to occasionally defy Democratic leadership to advance its policy agenda. Jones, who emerged from an impoverished childhood to graduate from Harvard Law School, supports Medicare for All, free public college and the Green New Deal. Along with Torres, he would also be Congress’s first openly gay Black man.
His stalwart policy positions and personal story have elicited backing from a who’s who of progressive lawmakers, including Sanders, Ocasio-Cortez and the Congressional Progressive Caucus. But Jones’s experience in the world of corporate law ― which he says sharpened his understanding of big business’s power ― and his embrace of affluent suburban priorities like the reinstatement of the state and local tax deduction, may make him palatable to mainstream liberals in wealthier pockets of the district. It can’t hurt that, like Bowman and Torres, he won the endorsement of the New York Times editorial board.
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Jones’s best shot at victory is the rancor between candidates like Farkas and Schleifer, who have been competing for their share of more moderate voters. Farkas enjoys the backing of the deep-pocketed, pro-choice group EMILY’s List; Schleifer, whose father founded a multibillion-dollar pharmaceutical company, has spent $3.7 million of his own fortune.
A less attractive possibility for the left is the prospect that Carlucci, a household name in the district, benefits from his rivals’ infighting enough to prevail. Until 2018, Carlucci was a member of the renegade Independent Democratic Conference, which helped keep Republicans in control of the state Senate, effectively blocking a slew of progressive legislation from coming up for a vote.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-20--Twin Trump 'Bunker Baby' Balloons Make The Scene Ahead Of Tulsa Rally

A popular guests at protests against President Donald Trump — “ Baby Trump ” and “ Bunker Baby ” balloons— made the scene Saturday ahead of the president ’ s campaign rally in Tulsa , Oklahoma .
The two 20-foot-high helium-filled balloons of a diapered , petulant Trump floated near The Shrine , a live music venue some 2 miles south of Tulsa ’ s BOK Center arena , site of the rally .
Kajeer Yar , one of the owners of The Shrine , said it was the first time that the two famous balloons appeared in the same @ @ @ @ @ @ @ balloons appeared over labels reading “ Baby Trump ” and “ Bunker Baby.
” The balloons appeared as part of a fundraiser that brought in close to $ 12,000 to help restore the historic Vernon African Methodist Episcopal Church .
The church is the only building left in the historic Black neighborhood targeted in the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre in which a white mob killed about 300 Black residents , the Tulsa World reported .
Organizers hope to raise a total of $ 1 million to restore the church .
“ The president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to his base and not to those who aren ’ t necessarily predisposed to his points of view on issues such as immigration , social justice and , frankly , wealth distribution , ” Yar told the Tulsa World .
“ We think the balloon calls to mind the childish nature of governance through partisanship.
” Check out more of Yar ’ s thoughts in the video above .
Below , the pastor of the historic Vernon AME Church talks about Tulsa , the massacre and Donald Trump , whom he called “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ concerns of the African American community .
”

A popular guests at protests against President Donald Trump — “Baby Trump” and “Bunker Baby” balloons— made the scene Saturday ahead of the president’s campaign rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
The two 20-foot-high helium-filled balloons of a diapered, petulant Trump floated near The Shrine, a live music venue some 2 miles south of Tulsa’s BOK Center arena, site of the rally.
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Kajeer Yar, one of the owners of The Shrine, said it was the first time that the two famous balloons appeared in the same city for a single event. The balloons appeared over labels reading “Baby Trump” and “Bunker Baby.”
The balloons appeared as part of a fundraiser that brought in close to $12,000 to help restore the historic Vernon African Methodist Episcopal Church. The church is the only building left in the historic Black neighborhood targeted in the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre in which a white mob killed about 300 Black residents, the Tulsa World reported. Organizers hope to raise a total of $1 million to restore the church.
“The president of the United States has governed solely to his base and not to those who aren’t necessarily predisposed to his points of view on issues such as immigration, social justice and, frankly, wealth distribution,” Yar told the Tulsa World. “We think the balloon calls to mind the childish nature of governance through partisanship.”
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Check out more of Yar’s thoughts in the video above.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-20--How We Can Reform Police Unions To Address Systemic Racism

The political power of police unions has helped them secure strong job protections ― too strong , reform proponents said .
Collective bargaining agreements for police often have provisions that erase disciplinary records after a certain period of time , grant police broad access to investigative files in misconduct cases and have an appeals process that can get officers rehired after unjustified shootings .
One idea that seems to be gaining more currency is restricting what police unions can legally bargain for .
That would basically mean rewriting state laws so that police unions have little or no say in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dramatically reduce their power at the bargaining table , leaving them to haggle over wages and benefits but not much else .
Such an idea seemed radical just a few years ago , said Stephen Rushin , who teaches criminal law at Loyola University Chicago and has spent years analyzing police union contracts .
But that is no longer the case .
“ I ’ ve been surprised to see the receptivity of some folks of that idea now , ” he said .
“ I think that ’ s possible.
” But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Taking away police unions ’ ability to bargain over discipline does not necessarily make it easier to fire bad officers : It just leaves the disciplinary process to statutes .
In fact , that is already the case in many jurisdictions where police unions have no hand in use-of-force policies .
Stripping away collective bargaining rights for police also presents a risk to other public sector workers .
The concerns about police unions coming from the progressive left echo the laments often made by the right about teacher unions , said Martin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Chicago-Kent College of Law .
After all , conservatives who have led a legal assault on public sector bargaining argue that teacher unions exist to protect bad teachers .
Bargaining With The Community , Not Against It Rather than strip away bargaining rights from police unions , Malin said reform proponents might consider expanding the universe of what those unions bargain for .
In general , employers have to discuss only certain mandatory subjects , such as wages and other working conditions .
But there could be a way to bring broader @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Malin pointed to teacher unions .
In recent years such unions have launched bold strikes and wrested wins on matters that are not normally on the bargaining table , such as smaller class sizes and green space for schools ― things that everyone wants , not just teachers .
The concept is known as bargaining for the common good .
By working together , unions and community groups can advance common goals that benefit both workers and the people they serve .
A clear example would be how the wave of teacher strikes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ funding in many districts .
Aligning with the community on such issues has helped teacher unions dispel the stereotype that all they care about are raises and seniority .
Bargaining for the common good is a central feature of Clean Slate , a sweeping proposal for labor law reform that the Harvard Law School ’ s Labor and Worklife Program is spearheading .
The professors leading that , Benjamin Sachs and Sharon Block , said communities could be looking at ways to apply the concept to law enforcement in order to curb killings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leading another project to brainstorm ideas for reforming police unions .
Of course , plenty of police unions may not willingly bargain in the interest of reform supporters .
In that case , maybe they could be forced to ― either by opening up bargaining sessions to public oversight or by formally giving community groups a seat at the table when unions hammer out contracts with cities .
Restricting police unions ’ rights or ceding bargaining power to community groups would require a lot of political will .
Although change is coming fast @ @ @ @ @ @ @ city council members recently pledged to disband the police department , both Democratic and Republican officials in most cities have historically been loath to challenge police unions on reform .
Both police unions and cities have been acting rationally in the way they bargain contracts , said Catherine Fisk , a professor at the University of California , Berkeley , School of Law .
When the money isn ’ t there for raises , cities sometimes offer disciplinary protections instead .
It makes sense for the union to accept those , and it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them , since the liabilities that municipalities face for police misconduct aren ’ t as great as they should be , she said .
Fisk and legal scholar L. Song Richardson advocated the concept in 2017 , well before the current protests , in part because it seemed modest enough to be politically feasible .
Fisk said she believes there must be officers who want to change the system .
After all , many officers of color said they share protesters ’ goal to end racism in policing .

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The weeks of outrage after a white Minneapolis police officer killed George Floyd have made police reform feel more urgent and achievable than ever. As city and state officials across the country debate how to prevent police brutality, law enforcement unions have emerged as a key impediment to reform.
The political power of police unions has helped them secure strong job protections ― too strong, reform proponents said. Collective bargaining agreements for police often have provisions that erase disciplinary records after a certain period of time, grant police broad access to investigative files in misconduct cases and have an appeals process that can get officers rehired after unjustified shootings.
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Other unionized public sector employees — such as teachers, firefighters and sanitation workers — often benefit from similar protections in their collective bargaining agreements. But those workers typically don’t end up shooting and killing Black citizens in the course of their jobs.
So what might reforming police unions actually look like?
Limiting Police Collective Bargaining Rights
One idea that seems to be gaining more currency is restricting what police unions can legally bargain for. That would basically mean rewriting state laws so that police unions have little or no say in the disciplinary process. Doing so could dramatically reduce their power at the bargaining table, leaving them to haggle over wages and benefits but not much else.
Such an idea seemed radical just a few years ago, said Stephen Rushin, who teaches criminal law at Loyola University Chicago and has spent years analyzing police union contracts. But that is no longer the case. “I’ve been surprised to see the receptivity of some folks of that idea now,” he said. “I think that’s possible.”
But the concept has shortcomings, Rushin said. Taking away police unions’ ability to bargain over discipline does not necessarily make it easier to fire bad officers: It just leaves the disciplinary process to statutes. In fact, that is already the case in many jurisdictions where police unions have no hand in use-of-force policies.
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If nothing changes in the political dynamic between the union and local government, then police officers who abuse their powers may still remain on the job, he said.
“How can we be sure those new rules are going to be better? Do the politics change?” Rushin asked.
“Bringing community groups into the bargaining process is something definitely worth considering.” - Benjamin Sachs, Clean Slate
Stripping away collective bargaining rights for police also presents a risk to other public sector workers. The concerns about police unions coming from the progressive left echo the laments often made by the right about teacher unions, said Martin Malin, a labor law professor at the Chicago-Kent College of Law. After all, conservatives who have led a legal assault on public sector bargaining argue that teacher unions exist to protect bad teachers.
“The parallels between those two camps are very, very striking,” Malin said.
Bargaining With The Community, Not Against It
Rather than strip away bargaining rights from police unions, Malin said reform proponents might consider expanding the universe of what those unions bargain for. In general, employers have to discuss only certain mandatory subjects, such as wages and other working conditions. But there could be a way to bring broader community concerns into play.
Again, Malin pointed to teacher unions. In recent years such unions have launched bold strikes and wrested wins on matters that are not normally on the bargaining table, such as smaller class sizes and green space for schools ― things that everyone wants, not just teachers.
Advertisement
The concept is known as bargaining for the common good. By working together, unions and community groups can advance common goals that benefit both workers and the people they serve. A clear example would be how the wave of teacher strikes that started in 2018 helped increase school funding in many districts. Aligning with the community on such issues has helped teacher unions dispel the stereotype that all they care about are raises and seniority.
Bargaining for the common good is a central feature of Clean Slate, a sweeping proposal for labor law reform that the Harvard Law School’s Labor and Worklife Program is spearheading. The professors leading that, Benjamin Sachs and Sharon Block, said communities could be looking at ways to apply the concept to law enforcement in order to curb killings and address racism. They are now leading another project to brainstorm ideas for reforming police unions.
“The problem is not public sector unions,” Block said. “The problem is police unions, and the lack of accountability structures that police unions have negotiated.”
Of course, plenty of police unions may not willingly bargain in the interest of reform supporters. In that case, maybe they could be forced to ― either by opening up bargaining sessions to public oversight or by formally giving community groups a seat at the table when unions hammer out contracts with cities.
“Bringing community groups into the bargaining process is something definitely worth considering, … the idea being that certain collective bargaining processes have such profound impacts on the community,” Sachs said. “The argument for it seems pretty clear.”
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Police at a protest in Brooklyn, New York, earlier this month. Erik McGregor via Getty Images
Creating Alternative Unions
Restricting police unions’ rights or ceding bargaining power to community groups would require a lot of political will. Although change is coming fast to places such as Minneapolis, where city council members recently pledged to disband the police department, both Democratic and Republican officials in most cities have historically been loath to challenge police unions on reform.
Both police unions and cities have been acting rationally in the way they bargain contracts, said Catherine Fisk, a professor at the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law. When the money isn’t there for raises, cities sometimes offer disciplinary protections instead. It makes sense for the union to accept those, and it makes sense for the city to offer them, since the liabilities that municipalities face for police misconduct aren’t as great as they should be, she said.
“[The police] should be thinking about how to save themselves from complicity in criminal cases.” - Catherine Fisk, University of California, Berkeley, School of Law
Fisk said police unions employ sophisticated negotiators who will find ways to work around new limits on their bargaining powers. Instead, she has proposed giving them some competition.
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Labor relations in the U.S. are carried out under an “exclusive representation” system, meaning one union represents everyone in a bargaining unit. But Fisk said laws can be changed to empower other, smaller unions that challenge the status quo within the police department.
That could take the form of, say, a Black Lives Matter caucus within a police department discussing use-of-force reforms with the city. The idea is to empower officers who are concerned about excessive force and might be part of a solution.
“It would create incentives, or some leverage within the police department and within the rank and file, to highlight problems in the disciplinary system and try to make an end run around union leadership that has decided for whatever reason to oppose reform,” she said.
Fisk and legal scholar L. Song Richardson advocated the concept in 2017, well before the current protests, in part because it seemed modest enough to be politically feasible. Fisk said she believes there must be officers who want to change the system. After all, many officers of color said they share protesters’ goal to end racism in policing.
Given the possibility of working alongside an officer such as Derek Chauvin, who put his knee to Floyd’s neck for nearly 8 minutes*, Fisk said police reform eventually becomes a matter of self-preservation for officers themselves.
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“They should be thinking about how to save themselves from complicity in criminal cases,” Fisk said.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-20--After Weeks Of Anticipation, Trump Rally Crowd Underwhelms

“ Any protesters , anarchists , agitators , looters or lowlifes who are going to Oklahoma please understand , you will not be treated like you have been in New York , Seattle , or Minneapolis , ” the president tweeted Friday .
“ It will be a much different scene !
” Bracing for potential violence at the Trump event , Tulsa Mayor G.T .
Bynum issued an executive order on Thursday declaring a civil emergency ahead of the rally .
Bynum said the city expected tens of thousands of people to flock to the vicinity of the event @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who have been involved in destructive and violent behavior in other States ” and who were planning on traveling to Tulsa “ for purposes of causing unrest in and around the city.
” On Saturday afternoon , a peaceful protester wearing an “ I Can ’ t Breathe ” T-shirt was arrested by Tulsa police outside the BOK Center at the behest of Trump ’ s campaign staff .
“ I Can ’ t Breathe ” has become a rallying cry for protesters calling for the end of racism and police brutality following @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a Black man in Minneapolis who uttered those words as a white police officer knelt on his neck , leading to his death .

“Any protesters, anarchists, agitators, looters or lowlifes who are going to Oklahoma please understand, you will not be treated like you have been in New York, Seattle, or Minneapolis,” the president tweeted Friday. “It will be a much different scene!”
Bracing for potential violence at the Trump event, Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum issued an executive order on Thursday declaring a civil emergency ahead of the rally. Bynum said the city expected tens of thousands of people to flock to the vicinity of the event, including “individuals from organized groups who have been involved in destructive and violent behavior in other States” and who were planning on traveling to Tulsa “for purposes of causing unrest in and around the city.”
On Saturday afternoon, a peaceful protester wearing an “I Can’t Breathe” T-shirt was arrested by Tulsa police outside the BOK Center at the behest of Trump’s campaign staff. “I Can’t Breathe” has become a rallying cry for protesters calling for the end of racism and police brutality following the death last month of George Floyd, a Black man in Minneapolis who uttered those words as a white police officer knelt on his neck, leading to his death.