thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-16--'This S**t Is Going To Kill Us': Harrison Ford Calls Out Leaders Who Deny Climate Change

The actor who played Han Solo and Indiana Jones blasted world leaders for failing to take action against a threat greater than the “ Star Wars ” Empire or rival archaeologists : climate change .
“ The climate crisis is real — the weight of scientific evidence is overwhelming , ... but evidence can be ignored .
It can be manipulated , ” Harrison Ford told Time magazine .
“ Leaders who choose to make climate change a divisive issue do it to protect the entrenched economic interests who profit from behavior that destroys our planet .
It ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It needs to stop .
...
This shit is going to kill us.
” Ford , the vice chair of the nonprofit environmental group Conservation International , also lent his voice to “ The Most Critical Action , ” a video the group released on Thursday .
“ Storms , floods , droughts and fires are destroying our homes , ” Ford said in the video .
“ A pandemic threatens our lives , is decimating our economies and laying bare the depths of social inequality .
The necessary foundation of our lives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
... We are watching that foundation crumble .
Irresponsible human activity is limiting the ability of the natural world to provide what we need to survive .
You can ’ t eat politics .
You can ’ t breath ideology .
We have people in leadership positions who refuse to accept objective science .
They are robbing us of the ability to collaborate , to compromise , to move forward.
” The video tells viewers that the “ most critical action you can take is to vote ” and argues that they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to save nature .
Mainstream audiences know Ford best for his roles in movie blockbusters such as “ Star Wars.
” But the 78-year-old actor has been a passionate environmental activist for years .
He won the Jane Alexander Global Wildlife Ambassador Award in 2018 .
President Donald Trump — who has frequently dismissed climate change as a legitimate threat — said in 2015 that one of his favorite movie performances was Ford ’ s terrorist-fighting commander in chief in the 1997 film “ Air Force One.
” Ford was not impressed .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Ford responded shortly afterward .
“ It ’ s not like this in real life .
But how would you know ?
”

LOADING ERROR LOADING
The actor who played Han Solo and Indiana Jones blasted world leaders for failing to take action against a threat greater than the “Star Wars” Empire or rival archaeologists: climate change.
“The climate crisis is real — the weight of scientific evidence is overwhelming, ... but evidence can be ignored. It can be manipulated,” Harrison Ford told Time magazine. “Leaders who choose to make climate change a divisive issue do it to protect the entrenched economic interests who profit from behavior that destroys our planet. It’s selfish. It’s short-sighted. It needs to stop. ... This shit is going to kill us.”
Advertisement
Ford, the vice chair of the nonprofit environmental group Conservation International, also lent his voice to “The Most Critical Action,” a video the group released on Thursday.
“Storms, floods, droughts and fires are destroying our homes,” Ford said in the video. “A pandemic threatens our lives, is decimating our economies and laying bare the depths of social inequality. The necessary foundation of our lives is a vital, healthy natural world. ... We are watching that foundation crumble. Irresponsible human activity is limiting the ability of the natural world to provide what we need to survive. You can’t eat politics. You can’t breath ideology. We have people in leadership positions who refuse to accept objective science. They are robbing us of the ability to collaborate, to compromise, to move forward.”
The video tells viewers that the “most critical action you can take is to vote” and argues that they most rise above political ideology and vote to save nature.
Advertisement
Mainstream audiences know Ford best for his roles in movie blockbusters such as “Star Wars.” But the 78-year-old actor has been a passionate environmental activist for years. He won the Jane Alexander Global Wildlife Ambassador Award in 2018.
President Donald Trump — who has frequently dismissed climate change as a legitimate threat — said in 2015 that one of his favorite movie performances was Ford’s terrorist-fighting commander in chief in the 1997 film “Air Force One.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-16--Thousands Of Mail-In Ballots Delayed In Ohio, Pennsylvania After Printing Company Fiasco

A printing company in Ohio has come under scrutiny after promising to create and send tens of thousands of absentee ballots to voters in Ohio and Pennsylvania — and then failing to deliver many of these ballots on time .
Midwest Direct , a Cleveland-based mailing company , was contracted by dozens of overwhelmed counties in Ohio and Pennsylvania to help them fulfill the unusually large need for absentee ballots this year .
According to the Times , several of the affected counties are now desperately seeking alternatives to ensure voters get their ballots on time .
“ They overpromised @ @ @ @ @ @ @ director of the Butler County Board of Elections , told the Times .
“ We would get different answers from different people we talked to .
Was I happy with it ?
No , I was not.
” “ Given the political tone of the land , we had hoped vendors that were selected based on their merit would perform of their merit , ” Gerken said during a Wednesday news conference , according to WTVG-TV .
“ This one hasn ’ t done that.
” In a statement published Thursday , Midwest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ workers were putting in overtime to ensure that ballots are getting “ into the hands of voters quickly and accurately.
” “ As county boards of election throughout the country began to prepare for the 2020 election , they realized the demand for mail-in ballots would exceed the demand that occurred during the 2016 election .
To meet that demand , sixteen counties in Ohio and two counties in Western Pennsylvania hired our firm to help expedite the ballot distribution process , ” the company wrote , adding that it bought extra equipment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deluge of ballots .
“ It is fair to say today that no one ― not the various boards of elections , not Ohio ’ s Secretary of State , not our company ― anticipated the staggering volume of mail-in ballot requests that has actually occurred , ” the company said .
“ One of our counties , for instance , told us to expect 40,000 to 70,000 mail-in ballot requests .
To date , we have processed 95,000 requests for that county alone .
With another 14,000 ballots requested from the county @ @ @ @ @ @ @ us from the counties were not what ended up as the reality.
” NEW : A Cleveland company that agreed to print absentee ballots for dozens of counties in OH and PA is 10 days late in getting them to voters .
The company 's owners are Trump supporters and flew a Trump flag at their HQ .
https : //t.co/tAsKXQlOJL — Reid J. Epstein ( @ reidepstein ) October 16 , 2020 It added , however , that “ there is no evidence Midwest Direct has done anything improper with the ballots @ @

LOADING ERROR LOADING
A printing company in Ohio has come under scrutiny after promising to create and send tens of thousands of absentee ballots to voters in Ohio and Pennsylvania — and then failing to deliver many of these ballots on time.
Midwest Direct, a Cleveland-based mailing company, was contracted by dozens of overwhelmed counties in Ohio and Pennsylvania to help them fulfill the unusually large need for absentee ballots this year.
Advertisement
In Pennsylvania’s Allegheny County, more than 28,000 ballots were sent to the wrong addresses, Newsweek reported.
According to the Times, several of the affected counties are now desperately seeking alternatives to ensure voters get their ballots on time.
“They overpromised and underdelivered,” Diane Noonan, director of the Butler County Board of Elections, told the Times. “We would get different answers from different people we talked to. Was I happy with it? No, I was not.”
Advertisement
Lucas County Commissioner Pete Gerken said he was similarly disappointed with Midwest Direct.
“Given the political tone of the land, we had hoped vendors that were selected based on their merit would perform of their merit,” Gerken said during a Wednesday news conference, according to WTVG-TV. “This one hasn’t done that.”
In a statement published Thursday, Midwest Direct acknowledged the delays but said its workers were putting in overtime to ensure that ballots are getting “into the hands of voters quickly and accurately.”
“As county boards of election throughout the country began to prepare for the 2020 election, they realized the demand for mail-in ballots would exceed the demand that occurred during the 2016 election. To meet that demand, sixteen counties in Ohio and two counties in Western Pennsylvania hired our firm to help expedite the ballot distribution process,” the company wrote, adding that it bought extra equipment and hired additional staff to manage the deluge of ballots.
But Midwest Direct said even these measures weren’t sufficient to handle the “staggering” demand.
“It is fair to say today that no one ― not the various boards of elections, not Ohio’s Secretary of State, not our company ― anticipated the staggering volume of mail-in ballot requests that has actually occurred,” the company said. “One of our counties, for instance, told us to expect 40,000 to 70,000 mail-in ballot requests. To date, we have processed 95,000 requests for that county alone. With another 14,000 ballots requested from the county this week. The estimates provided to us from the counties were not what ended up as the reality.”
NEW: A Cleveland company that agreed to print absentee ballots for dozens of counties in OH and PA is 10 days late in getting them to voters.
The company's owners are Trump supporters and flew a Trump flag at their HQ. https://t.co/tAsKXQlOJL — Reid J. Epstein (@reidepstein) October 16, 2020
Advertisement
According to the Times, Midwest Direct’s owners ― brothers Richard and James Gebbie ― are self-declared supporters of President Donald Trump.
A “Trump 2020” flag was photographed flying in front of the company’s headquarters this summer, the paper noted.
It added, however, that “there is no evidence Midwest Direct has done anything improper with the ballots.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-16--Black DEA Recruits Accuse Instructors Of Calling Them 'Monkeys'

“ We were like , ‘ It ’ s 2019 .
That shouldn ’ t even be a thing that we ’ re dealing with , ’ ” said Derek Moise , who did not hear the noises himself but recalled the discomfort they caused his fellow Black trainees who did .
“ Everybody knows what those sounds and noises stand for.
” As the DEA continues a decades-long struggle to diversify its ranks , it has received a string of recent complaints describing a culture of racial discrimination at its training academy in which minorities are singled out , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a higher standard than their white counterparts , according to interviews with former recruits and law enforcement officials and records obtained by The Associated Press .
In one case , a Black recruit was told his skin color made him a surefire candidate for undercover work .
In another , a Hispanic woman , chatting in Spanish with a fellow trainee , was admonished to “ speak English , you are in the United States.
” At least two of the complaints prompted internal DEA investigations , one of which remains ongoing .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ made public , offer a rare window into the frustration minorities have voiced about their treatment at DEA since the filing of a 1977 civil rights lawsuit that remains unresolved despite a series of court orders governing the agency ’ s hiring and promotion practices .
Last year , a federal judge ruled that DEA had run afoul of court orders intended to remove subjectivity from agent promotions .
“ DEA takes allegations of misconduct very seriously and will not tolerate discriminatory behavior of any kind , ” the agency said in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recruiting , retaining and promoting a workforce that reflects the diversity of our country and the people we serve.
” In the case of the firing range instructor making “ monkey noises , ” at least two Black trainees raised their concerns to a DEA supervisor , who sent them up the chain of command , prompting Special Agent Jay Mortenson to be removed from his post on the firing range .
But to the disappointment of the recruits , he was not disciplined before retiring .
The DEA told AP the instructor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leadership learned of the alleged “ inappropriate behavior.
” The agency said it has “ no authority to pursue an administrative action ” because its internal affairs arm , the Office of Professional Responsibility , was still investigating when Mortenson retired last year .
His retirement ended that probe .
“ They weren ’ t going to let me graduate and become an agent no matter what , ” said Theo Brown , a Black recruit from Marietta , Georgia , who contends he was unfairly dismissed in early 2018 .
“ They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fail you at something subjective , and it ’ s basically your word against theirs.
” Brown said he was pepper-sprayed three times in a single training exercise while other trainees were sprayed once .
It got to the point , he said , that other trainees didn ’ t want to work near him because of the “ special attention ” he was receiving .
More recently , the DEA opened an internal investigation into claims brought by Saudhy Bliss , a Hispanic woman from Orlando , Florida , who says she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after being treated in a “ hostile manner.
” She alleges she was called a “ f—-up ” in front of her colleagues , “ required to drag a 220-pound-plus male across a great distance ” and even struck in the forehead by a simulation round that caused her to bleed profusely .
“ There is compelling evidence that a number of the individuals assigned to train this particular class were openly discriminatory towards African-Americans , Hispanics and female trainees , ” Bliss ’ attorney , Louis F. Robbio , wrote in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s acting administrator , referring as well to the incident involving the monkey noises on the firing range .
Moise says he never tried drugs and stayed out of trouble because he always planned to apply for DEA .
But from the moment he arrived at the academy , he said , it was clear he would be judged on a different scale .
Moise said he ultimately was dismissed after instructors determined he used excessive force by firing one too many rounds at an assailant during a simulation .
At the same @ @ @ @ @ @ @ graduated white trainees who , instead of saving their partner in the same simulation , “ threw their gun under the bed and just froze .
”

LOADING ERROR LOADING
At the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Training Academy in Virginia last year, an instructor on the firing range called out a name that was shared by two trainees, one Black and one white.
When both responded, the white instructor clarified, “I meant the monkey.”
That behavior, as alleged in an internal complaint, didn’t stop there. The instructor also was accused of going on the loudspeaker in the tower of the outdoor firing range to taunt black trainees by making “monkey noises.”
Advertisement
“We were like, ‘It’s 2019. That shouldn’t even be a thing that we’re dealing with,’” said Derek Moise, who did not hear the noises himself but recalled the discomfort they caused his fellow Black trainees who did. “Everybody knows what those sounds and noises stand for.”
As the DEA continues a decades-long struggle to diversify its ranks, it has received a string of recent complaints describing a culture of racial discrimination at its training academy in which minorities are singled out, derided with insults and consistently held to a higher standard than their white counterparts, according to interviews with former recruits and law enforcement officials and records obtained by The Associated Press.
In one case, a Black recruit was told his skin color made him a surefire candidate for undercover work. In another, a Hispanic woman, chatting in Spanish with a fellow trainee, was admonished to “speak English, you are in the United States.” At least two of the complaints prompted internal DEA investigations, one of which remains ongoing.
The complaints, which are not typically made public, offer a rare window into the frustration minorities have voiced about their treatment at DEA since the filing of a 1977 civil rights lawsuit that remains unresolved despite a series of court orders governing the agency’s hiring and promotion practices. Last year, a federal judge ruled that DEA had run afoul of court orders intended to remove subjectivity from agent promotions.
Advertisement
Like other federal law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, the DEA has struggled to fill its ranks with minorities. Of the agency’s 4,400 special agents, just 8% are Black and 10% are Hispanic.
The DEA said it could not immediately provide a racial breakdown of recent graduates of the Quantico, Virginia, academy, which puts through multiple classes a year of about 50 to 60 trainees each.
“DEA takes allegations of misconduct very seriously and will not tolerate discriminatory behavior of any kind,” the agency said in a statement. “DEA is committed to recruiting, retaining and promoting a workforce that reflects the diversity of our country and the people we serve.”
In the case of the firing range instructor making “monkey noises,” at least two Black trainees raised their concerns to a DEA supervisor, who sent them up the chain of command, prompting Special Agent Jay Mortenson to be removed from his post on the firing range. But to the disappointment of the recruits, he was not disciplined before retiring.
The DEA told AP the instructor was “promptly reassigned” after agency leadership learned of the alleged “inappropriate behavior.” The agency said it has “no authority to pursue an administrative action” because its internal affairs arm, the Office of Professional Responsibility, was still investigating when Mortenson retired last year. His retirement ended that probe.
Advertisement
Contacted by AP by telephone, Mortenson called the allegations “incorrect” but said “I’m not going to talk to you about it” before hanging up.
The recruits who originally accused Mortenson are still employed by the DEA and not permitted to speak publicly about the incidents.
Former recruits who spoke to AP said racism permeated their time at the academy from their first day of basic training, alleging exceptions were routinely made for underperforming white trainees while Blacks were held to an appreciably higher standard.
“They weren’t going to let me graduate and become an agent no matter what,” said Theo Brown, a Black recruit from Marietta, Georgia, who contends he was unfairly dismissed in early 2018. “They put you in situations where they can fail you at something subjective, and it’s basically your word against theirs.”
Brown said he was pepper-sprayed three times in a single training exercise while other trainees were sprayed once. It got to the point, he said, that other trainees didn’t want to work near him because of the “special attention” he was receiving.
Advertisement
Academy instructors maintained Brown fell short short in several disciplines, citing his “lack of enthusiasm” and issues with his report writing, according to DEA records. They denied that discrimination played a role in his dismissal.
More recently, the DEA opened an internal investigation into claims brought by Saudhy Bliss, a Hispanic woman from Orlando, Florida, who says she was dismissed from the academy last year after being treated in a “hostile manner.” She alleges she was called a “f—-up” in front of her colleagues, “required to drag a 220-pound-plus male across a great distance” and even struck in the forehead by a simulation round that caused her to bleed profusely.
DEA instructors said Bliss was dismissed for failing handgun qualifications and raid trainings.
“There is compelling evidence that a number of the individuals assigned to train this particular class were openly discriminatory towards African-Americans, Hispanics and female trainees,” Bliss’ attorney, Louis F. Robbio, wrote in a letter last year to the DEA’s acting administrator, referring as well to the incident involving the monkey noises on the firing range.
Moise, who earned a master’s degree in criminology and played wide receiver at Florida Atlantic University, said he wanted to work for the DEA from the time he was 6 years old when he witnessed a drug raid at a neighbor’s home in Miami.
“My mom felt that much more comfortable letting me play outside after that,” he recalled. “I saw those yellow DEA letters and thought they were the coolest people on Earth.”
Advertisement
Moise says he never tried drugs and stayed out of trouble because he always planned to apply for DEA. But from the moment he arrived at the academy, he said, it was clear he would be judged on a different scale.
Moise said he ultimately was dismissed after instructors determined he used excessive force by firing one too many rounds at an assailant during a simulation. At the same time, he said, the academy graduated white trainees who, instead of saving their partner in the same simulation, “threw their gun under the bed and just froze.”
“There was never any praise for anything that we did as minorities, and we were always being made examples of,” said Moise, who has since taken a state government job. “You can’t tell me that there’s not more Black people who qualify.”
___


thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-16--Tennessee GOP Lawmaker Says ‘Inner City’ Obesity Caused By ‘Fried Chicken’

Todd Gardenhire , a Republican state senator in Tennessee , has come under scrutiny this week for suggesting during a TV interview that “ inner city ” obesity is caused , in part , by “ fried chicken.
” Gardenhire , who ’ s previously made headlines for his inflammatory rhetoric , spoke to local channel WTVC-TV via video conference on Thursday about the need for healthier food options in his district .
“ The obesity rate in the inner city is bigger than anywhere else , ” said Gardenhire , who represents most of Hamilton and Bradley Counties , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Because ... they go to a 7-Eleven or a convenience store and there ’ s fried chicken so they get them fried chicken on the way home and eat dinner on that .
That ’ s the worst thing you can eat .
I mean it ’ s good , I love fried chicken , but that ’ s the worst thing you can do.
” CONTROVERSIAL COMMENTS : While talking about adding grocery stores to # CHA 's food deserts , TN State Sen. Todd Gardenhire told @ JoshRoe people in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ eating fried chicken .
MORE : https : //t.co/0eyjnVpkUs FULL INTERVIEW : https : //t.co/telUN3GkKI pic.twitter.com/WLU4qnogi0 — WTVC NewsChannel 9 ( @ newschannelnine ) October 16 , 2020 Gardenhire , who is white , is running for reelection , and is facing Democrat Glenn Scruggs , Chattanooga ’ s assistant police chief .
Scruggs , who is Black , blasted Gardenhire ’ s comments , saying in a Friday statement that “ contrary to Gardenhire ’ s statements , health concerns are not limited to urban areas .
These issues affect all Tennesseans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ race.
” Yesterday an interview with my opponent , Todd Gardenhire , was released .
Throughout the video , Gardenhire made many unsubstantiated claims and reinforced divisive rhetoric .
Please see my response below .
pic.twitter.com/Gjr93NYSXQ — Glenn Scruggs ( @ GlennforSenate ) October 16 , 2020 Fred Fletcher , Chattanooga ’ s former chief of police who has endorsed Scruggs , also skewered Gardenhire for his remarks , calling them “ bigoted ” and “ inflammatory.
” Gardenhire is no stranger to controversy .
In 2015 , he was criticized for calling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ asshole ” after the activist challenged the lawmaker on his vote to deny 280,000 state residents access to health care .
A few days later , Gardenhire made headlines again when he told state legislators that it was harder for men to get vasectomies than for women to get abortions .

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Todd Gardenhire, a Republican state senator in Tennessee, has come under scrutiny this week for suggesting during a TV interview that “inner city” obesity is caused, in part, by “fried chicken.”
Gardenhire, who’s previously made headlines for his inflammatory rhetoric, spoke to local channel WTVC-TV via video conference on Thursday about the need for healthier food options in his district.
Advertisement
“The obesity rate in the inner city is bigger than anywhere else,” said Gardenhire, who represents most of Hamilton and Bradley Counties, including the city of Chattanooga. “Because ... they go to a 7-Eleven or a convenience store and there’s fried chicken so they get them fried chicken on the way home and eat dinner on that. That’s the worst thing you can eat. I mean it’s good, I love fried chicken, but that’s the worst thing you can do.”
CONTROVERSIAL COMMENTS: While talking about adding grocery stores to #CHA's food deserts, TN State Sen. Todd Gardenhire told @JoshRoe people in the inner city are obese because they keep eating fried chicken.
MORE: https://t.co/0eyjnVpkUs
FULL INTERVIEW: https://t.co/telUN3GkKI pic.twitter.com/WLU4qnogi0 — WTVC NewsChannel 9 (@newschannelnine) October 16, 2020
Gardenhire, who is white, is running for reelection, and is facing Democrat Glenn Scruggs, Chattanooga’s assistant police chief.
Scruggs, who is Black, blasted Gardenhire’s comments, saying in a Friday statement that “contrary to Gardenhire’s statements, health concerns are not limited to urban areas. These issues affect all Tennesseans, rural or urban, regardless of race.”
Advertisement
Yesterday an interview with my opponent, Todd Gardenhire, was released. Throughout the video, Gardenhire made many unsubstantiated claims and reinforced divisive rhetoric. Please see my response below. pic.twitter.com/Gjr93NYSXQ — Glenn Scruggs (@GlennforSenate) October 16, 2020
Fred Fletcher, Chattanooga’s former chief of police who has endorsed Scruggs, also skewered Gardenhire for his remarks, calling them “bigoted” and “inflammatory.”
Gardenhire is no stranger to controversy. In 2015, he was criticized for calling an advocate for Medicaid expansion an “asshole” after the activist challenged the lawmaker on his vote to deny 280,000 state residents access to health care.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-16--'Cheer' Star Jerry Harris To Remain Jailed On Child Porn Charges

CHICAGO ( AP ) — “ Cheer ” star Jerry Harris will remain in jail while awaiting trial on child pornography charges , a federal judge in Chicago said Friday .
Attorneys for Harris , who appears in the Netflix documentary series , had asked that he be released and confined at home under strict conditions .
But a judge said evidence offered by prosecutors “ overwhelmingly supports detention.
” U.S. Magistrate Judge Heather McShain said it would be “ virtually impossible ” to ensure Harris doesn ’ t use the internet .
Harris , 21 , of Naperville , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pornography .
Harris admitted to FBI agents that he had asked a teenager to send him photos and videos of the boy ’ s genitals and buttocks via Snapchat , according to a criminal complaint filed by prosecutors .
He also admitted to requesting and receiving photographs of 10 to 15 other children , according to the complaint .
Four women had promised to monitor Harris if he were released from jail .
But McShain said Harris would remain locked up .
“ Upon learning of the investigation , ( Harris ) dumped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and continued with his same course of conduct , ” McShain said .
“ That reveals behavior that the defendant can not or is unwilling to control.
” “ Cheer ” follows the competitive cheerleading team at Navarro College in Corsicana , Texas .

LOADING ERROR LOADING
CHICAGO (AP) — “Cheer” star Jerry Harris will remain in jail while awaiting trial on child pornography charges, a federal judge in Chicago said Friday.
Attorneys for Harris, who appears in the Netflix documentary series, had asked that he be released and confined at home under strict conditions. But a judge said evidence offered by prosecutors “overwhelmingly supports detention.”
Advertisement
U.S. Magistrate Judge Heather McShain said it would be “virtually impossible” to ensure Harris doesn’t use the internet.
Harris, 21, of Naperville, was charged in September with producing child pornography.
Harris admitted to FBI agents that he had asked a teenager to send him photos and videos of the boy’s genitals and buttocks via Snapchat, according to a criminal complaint filed by prosecutors.
He also admitted to requesting and receiving photographs of 10 to 15 other children, according to the complaint.
Four women had promised to monitor Harris if he were released from jail. But McShain said Harris would remain locked up.
Advertisement
“Upon learning of the investigation, (Harris) dumped his cellphone, obtained a new cellphone and continued with his same course of conduct,” McShain said. “That reveals behavior that the defendant cannot or is unwilling to control.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-16--15 Amazing Photos You Missed This Week

15 Amazing Photos You Missed This Week

We ’ re highlighting exceptional photos from around the world for the week that ended Friday .
Check them out @ @ @ @ @ of the Kibera area of Nairobi , Kenya , form a human chain to pass @ @ @ @ @ that gutted shantees in the Maranatha area of the sprawling slum that started at dusk @ @ @ @ @ via Getty Images )

We’re highlighting exceptional photos from around the world for the week that ended Friday.
Check them out below.
Above: Residents of the Kibera area of Nairobi, Kenya, form a human chain to pass water to extinguish a fire that gutted shantees in the Maranatha area of the sprawling slum that started at dusk Wednesday. (Gordwin Odhiambo/AFP via Getty Images)


thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-17--Resurgence Of COVID-19 Sparks New Wave Of Restrictions Across Europe

BERLIN ( AP ) — Chancellor Angela Merkel urged Germans to come together as they did in the spring to slow the spread of the coronavirus as the country posted another daily record of new cases Saturday .
“ Difficult months are ahead of us , ” she said in her weekly video podcast .
“ How winter will be , how our Christmas will be , that will all be decided in these coming days and weeks , and it will be decided by our behavior.
” In Paris and eight other French cities , restaurants , bars , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forced to close no later than 9 p.m. to try to reduce contact among people .
The country was deploying 12,000 extra police officers to enforce the new rules .
In Northern Ireland a “ circuit breaker ” lockdown lasting four weeks came into force Friday in an attempt to quickly tamp down the spread of the virus .
All pubs and restaurants must close except for takeaway services , and schools will close for two weeks for an extended half-term holiday .
Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg joined the list of top @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus , and was quarantined though he showed no symptoms , his office told Austria ’ s APA news agency .
He called off trips next week to Britain , Denmark , Greece and Cyprus .
In Germany , which was widely lauded for being able to rapidly slow the spread of the pandemic when it first broke out , the numbers have been climbing rapidly recently .
Like most countries , Germany has been grappling with how to keep schools and businesses open , while trying to prevent people from coming into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ What brought us so well through the first half year of the pandemic ?
” she asked .
“ It was that we stood together and obeyed the rules out of consideration and common sense .
This is the most effective remedy we currently have against the pandemic and it is more necessary now than ever.
” The measures were taken after Lombardy , Italy ’ s most populous region , once again become the most affected in the COVID-19 resurgence , adding more than 2,000 infections a day .
Hospitals are coming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ filling up .
The new measures allow only table service for bars from 6 p.m. , ban takeout alcohol sales from that time and prohibit all consumption of booze in public spaces , an effort to eliminate crowds from forming in piazzas with takeout drinks .
“ The situation is critical thanks to the morons , because I call them morons , who have not respected the rules , ” said resident Mario Massenzi .
“ And if we fall back into the same situation as in March , we are finished .
@

LOADING ERROR LOADING
BERLIN (AP) — Chancellor Angela Merkel urged Germans to come together as they did in the spring to slow the spread of the coronavirus as the country posted another daily record of new cases Saturday.
“Difficult months are ahead of us,” she said in her weekly video podcast. “How winter will be, how our Christmas will be, that will all be decided in these coming days and weeks, and it will be decided by our behavior.”
Advertisement
Meanwhile, new restrictions went into effect in several other European nations in an effort to staunch the resurgence of the pandemic.
In Paris and eight other French cities, restaurants, bars, movie theaters and other establishments were being forced to close no later than 9 p.m. to try to reduce contact among people. The country was deploying 12,000 extra police officers to enforce the new rules.
In Britain, a three-tier regional approach to battle the pandemic introduced by Prime Minister Boris Johnson this week went into effect, with each level bringing in progressively tighter restrictions.
On Saturday, tier-2 cities like London and York were subject to a ban on socializing with people from other households indoors, while the county of Lancashire joined Liverpool in tier 3 with the tightest restrictions.
Advertisement
Among other things, that means pubs have been forced to close and socialization with others is banned even in many outdoor settings.
In Northern Ireland a “circuit breaker” lockdown lasting four weeks came into force Friday in an attempt to quickly tamp down the spread of the virus. All pubs and restaurants must close except for takeaway services, and schools will close for two weeks for an extended half-term holiday.
Data from Friday showed that a further 136 people died in the U.K. within 28 days of testing positive for coronavirus, bringing the total official toll to 43,429.
On Friday, the World Health Organization warned that intensive care units in a number of European cities could reach maximum capacity in the coming weeks if the number of infections is not slowed.
Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg joined the list of top politicians who have tested positive for the virus, and was quarantined though he showed no symptoms, his office told Austria’s APA news agency. He called off trips next week to Britain, Denmark, Greece and Cyprus.
Advertisement
The Vatican, meantime, said someone who lives in the same Vatican hotel as Pope Francis tested positive for coronavirus, adding to the 11 cases of COVID-19 among the Swiss Guards who protect him.
In Germany, which was widely lauded for being able to rapidly slow the spread of the pandemic when it first broke out, the numbers have been climbing rapidly recently.
On Saturday, the country’s disease control center, the Robert Koch Institute, reported 7,830 cases overnight, a new record.
Like most countries, Germany has been grappling with how to keep schools and businesses open, while trying to prevent people from coming into close contact with one another.
Germany has registered a total of 356,387 coronavirus cases, though a relatively low 9,767 deaths.
With the numbers again rising, however, Merkel urged Germans to avoid unnecessary travel, cancel parties and remain at home whenever it is possible.
Advertisement
“What brought us so well through the first half year of the pandemic?” she asked. “It was that we stood together and obeyed the rules out of consideration and common sense. This is the most effective remedy we currently have against the pandemic and it is more necessary now than ever.”
In the neighboring Czech Republic, the number of new infections surpassed 10,000 for the first time, surging to 11,105 on Friday, the Health Ministry said.
That was almost 1,400 more than the previous record set a day earlier and the country has now registered a total of 160,112 cases, including 1,283 deaths.
After a series of new restrictive measures adopted by the government to slow down the surge, Health Minister Roman Prymula said he still expects a rise of those testing positive for about two weeks.
Italy’s northern Lombardy region, where the European coronavirus outbreak began in late February, has taken new measures to contain rebounding infections, limiting bar service and alcohol sales, banning contact sports and closing bingo parlors.
Advertisement
The regional government late Friday also called for high schools to adopt hybrid schedules, with students alternating in-person with online learning.
The measures were taken after Lombardy, Italy’s most populous region, once again become the most affected in the COVID-19 resurgence, adding more than 2,000 infections a day. Hospitals are coming under strain and intensive care units are filling up.
The new measures allow only table service for bars from 6 p.m., ban takeout alcohol sales from that time and prohibit all consumption of booze in public spaces, an effort to eliminate crowds from forming in piazzas with takeout drinks.
Italy’s other hardest-hit region, southern Campania, has taken similarly strict measures, including a shutdown of schools for two weeks. After parents protested, the regional governor backed off Friday and allowed daycare centers to remain open.
In the capital, Rome, residents grumbled as numbers climbed, fearing a return to the strict country-wide restrictions that were imposed when the virus was spreading out of control.
Advertisement
“The situation is critical thanks to the morons, because I call them morons, who have not respected the rules,” said resident Mario Massenzi. “And if we fall back into the same situation as in March, we are finished.”
―


thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-17--New Zealand's Jacinda Ardern Storms To Landslide Re-Election Victory

Now Ardern , who made a name for herself by crushing COVID-19 in the country and healing the nation after a massacre of Muslims by a white supremacist , faces a challenge to show her leadership extends beyond crisis management and kindness .
Her Labour Party won a landslide victory in the general election , a resounding mandate that ushers in New Zealand ’ s first purely left-leaning government in decades and may allow her to form a single-party government .
The win is also the reward for Ardern ’ s leadership through a series of extraordinary events that shaped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s massacre of 51 worshippers at two Christchurch mosques and the eruption of the White Island volcano , which killed 21 .
Despite promising a transformational term in 2017 , Ardern ’ s affordable housing program was set back by blunders , plans for a capital gains tax that would have addressed the growing rich-poor divide were scrapped , and her government fell woefully short of its goal to reduce child poverty .
“ I think it ’ s fair to say they have not achieved what they had hoped to achieve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Director at Wellington economic think tank BERL .
“ There are many disappointed with the pace of change.
” Ardern , raised a Mormon by her mother and police officer father , left the church over its stance on LGBTQ people in the early 2000s and has since described herself as agnostic .
Asked by a television presenter , hours after being appointed Labour leader in 2017 , whether she planned to have children , Ardern said it was “ totally unacceptable in 2017 to say that women should have to answer that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in fact have a baby daughter in June 2018 , eight months after becoming prime minister - only the second elected leader to give birth while in office , after Pakistan ’ s Benazir Bhutto .
Many took her pregnancy and maternity leave in office as symbolizing progress for women leaders .
Within three months of arriving in the world , her daughter Neve Te Aroha was at the U.N. General Assembly in New York with her mother .
Helen Clark , a former New Zealand prime minister for whom Ardern worked after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a refreshing and sharp point of difference in a world where news is dominated by utterances of populist and authoritarian leaders .
“ Jacinda Ardern can be best compared with the three Scandinavian women prime ministers who are from the center-left , ” said Clark , co-chair of a World Health Organization panel on the global COVID-19 response .
“ All of them have led good responses to the pandemic , putting health security first and communicating in an empathetic way with the public in each of their countries.
” Last year Ardern @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Christchurch attacks , which she labeled terrorism .
She wore a hijab as she met the Muslim community the next day , telling them the country was “ united in grief.
” At the U.N. General Assembly , Ardern , asked world leaders : “ What if we no longer see ourselves based on what we look like , what religion we practice , or where we live ... but by what we value ?

LOADING ERROR LOADING
WELLINGTON, Oct 17 (Reuters) - Jacinda Ardern turned speaking from the heart and smiling through adversity into a winning formula for a blowout re-election as New Zealand’s leader on Saturday.
Now Ardern, who made a name for herself by crushing COVID-19 in the country and healing the nation after a massacre of Muslims by a white supremacist, faces a challenge to show her leadership extends beyond crisis management and kindness.
Advertisement
Her Labour Party won a landslide victory in the general election, a resounding mandate that ushers in New Zealand’s first purely left-leaning government in decades and may allow her to form a single-party government.
"Tonight's result has been strong and it is clear that Labour will lead the government for the next three years."
Labour leader Jacinda Ardern has delivered her victory speech to a rapturous audience.
More updates here: https://t.co/OFJsmy9Jl9 pic.twitter.com/qgmdtGOY2R — RNZ (@radionz) October 17, 2020
The win is also the reward for Ardern’s leadership through a series of extraordinary events that shaped her first three-year term: the gunman’s massacre of 51 worshippers at two Christchurch mosques and the eruption of the White Island volcano, which killed 21.
“Be strong, be kind,” New Zealand’s youngest prime minister in more than a century repeated through these dramatic events, her empathetic leadership and crisis management skills often masking her government’s shortcomings.
Advertisement
Ardern’s left-leaning government will face a looming economic hangover from COVID-19, a deep plunge in output and surge in debt after her strict lockdowns, a worsening housing crisis and a growing divide between rich and poor.
Despite promising a transformational term in 2017, Ardern’s affordable housing program was set back by blunders, plans for a capital gains tax that would have addressed the growing rich-poor divide were scrapped, and her government fell woefully short of its goal to reduce child poverty.
Even on climate change, which Ardern called “my generation’s nuclear-free moment,” progress has been incremental.
“I think it’s fair to say they have not achieved what they had hoped to achieve,” said Ganesh Nana, Research Director at Wellington economic think tank BERL. “There are many disappointed with the pace of change.”
REFRESHING CHANGE
Ardern burst onto the global scene in 2017 when she became the world’s youngest female head of government at the age of 37.
Advertisement
She became a global icon in a rise dubbed “Jacinda-mania,“ as she campaigned passionately for women’s rights and an end to child poverty and economic inequality in the island nation.
Ardern, raised a Mormon by her mother and police officer father, left the church over its stance on LGBTQ people in the early 2000s and has since described herself as agnostic.
Asked by a television presenter, hours after being appointed Labour leader in 2017, whether she planned to have children, Ardern said it was “totally unacceptable in 2017 to say that women should have to answer that question in the workplace.”
Ardern did in fact have a baby daughter in June 2018, eight months after becoming prime minister - only the second elected leader to give birth while in office, after Pakistan’s Benazir Bhutto.
Many took her pregnancy and maternity leave in office as symbolizing progress for women leaders. Within three months of arriving in the world, her daughter Neve Te Aroha was at the U.N. General Assembly in New York with her mother.
Advertisement
Ardern is feted globally as part of a new wave of progressive and young leaders that include France’s Emmanuel Macron and Canada’s Justin Trudeau.
Helen Clark, a former New Zealand prime minister for whom Ardern worked after university, said the young leader represents a refreshing and sharp point of difference in a world where news is dominated by utterances of populist and authoritarian leaders.
“Jacinda Ardern can be best compared with the three Scandinavian women prime ministers who are from the center-left,” said Clark, co-chair of a World Health Organization panel on the global COVID-19 response.
“All of them have led good responses to the pandemic, putting health security first and communicating in an empathetic way with the public in each of their countries.”
CHRISTCHURCH
Last year Ardern received worldwide praise for her response to the Christchurch attacks, which she labeled terrorism. She wore a hijab as she met the Muslim community the next day, telling them the country was “united in grief.”
Advertisement
She delivered a ban on semiautomatic firearms and other gun curbs, a stark contrast to the United States, where lawmakers and activists have struggled to address gun violence despite numerous mass shootings.
At the U.N. General Assembly, Ardern, asked world leaders: “What if we no longer see ourselves based on what we look like,what religion we practice, or where we live ... but by what we value?


thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-17--Georgia State Rep. Crowd-Surfs Over Maskless Trump Supporters At President's Rally

Georgia state Rep. Vernon Jones ( D ) showed scant regard for coronavirus safety measures on Friday when he crowd-surfed over maskless Donald Trump supporters during the president ’ s crowded campaign rally in Macon .
Jones , a Democrat who has endorsed Trump in the 2020 election , also did not wear a mask , ignoring guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — which also advise only small gatherings and social distancing .
Georgia state Rep. Vernon Jones crowd-surfed during a campaign rally for President Donald Trump at Middle Georgia Regional Airport in Macon , Georgia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Twitter , where critics pointed out how the United States currently appears to be experiencing another peak of daily infections .
Others criticized Trump for holding the rally ( and others in recent days ) in the middle of the pandemic .
COVID-19 has now killed almost 220,000 Americans and sickened upwards of 8 million more , including the president , who was hospitalized for three days in early October .
But Jones remained defiant , boasting in one tweet that “ this # trumptrain is about to steam roll ” over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with @ realDonaldTrump # deplorables and # PeacefulProtesters in Macon , GA .
Put Georgia in the win column .
We were seven thousand plus strong .
This # trumptrain is about to steam roll over corrupt @ JoeBiden , # fakeliberalnews , and the @ DNC # FeelTheVern !
pic.twitter.com/tNx87wfEEI — Vernon Jones ( @ RepVernonJones ) October 17 , 2020 In another post , he wrote : “ Yes , I surfed that crowd !
To the haters - stay mad !
You ’ ll be even more mad come November @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Savannah Morning News in 2008 said Jones described himself as “ an independent thinker and a conservative Democrat who supports faith-based initiatives , tough immigration laws and fiscal responsibility.
” He voted twice for George W. Bush , the story noted .
As a Democratic politician , Jones announced his support for Trump earlier this year and even stumped for the president at the Republican National Convention in August .
In his convention address , Jones accused fellow Democrats of not wanting “ Black people to leave their mental plantation .
”

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Georgia state Rep. Vernon Jones (D) showed scant regard for coronavirus safety measures on Friday when he crowd-surfed over maskless Donald Trump supporters during the president’s crowded campaign rally in Macon.
Jones, a Democrat who has endorsed Trump in the 2020 election, also did not wear a mask, ignoring guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — which also advise only small gatherings and social distancing.
Advertisement
Georgia state Rep. Vernon Jones crowd-surfed during a campaign rally for President Donald Trump at Middle Georgia Regional Airport in Macon, Georgia. ASSOCIATED PRESS
Jones faced backlash for the stunt on Twitter, where critics pointed out how the United States currently appears to be experiencing another peak of daily infections. Others criticized Trump for holding the rally (and others in recent days) in the middle of the pandemic.
COVID-19 has now killed almost 220,000 Americans and sickened upwards of 8 million more, including the president, who was hospitalized for three days in early October.
But Jones remained defiant, boasting in one tweet that “this #trumptrain is about to steam roll” over Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden.
Advertisement
In another post, he wrote: “Yes, I surfed that crowd! To the haters - stay mad! You’ll be even more mad come November 3rd!”
Yes, I surfed that crowd!
To the haters - stay mad! You’ll be even more mad come November 3rd! — Vernon Jones (@RepVernonJones) October 17, 2020
An article published by the Savannah Morning News in 2008 said Jones described himself as “an independent thinker and a conservative Democrat who supports faith-based initiatives, tough immigration laws and fiscal responsibility.” He voted twice for George W. Bush, the story noted.
As a Democratic politician, Jones announced his support for Trump earlier this year and even stumped for the president at the Republican National Convention in August. In his convention address, Jones accused fellow Democrats of not wanting “Black people to leave their mental plantation.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-17--Erin Burnett Dismantles One Of Donald Trump’s Most Repeated Lies About COVID-19

Erin Burnett on Friday debunked one of President Donald Trump ’ s most repeated and dangerous lies about the coronavirus pandemic — that the United States is “ rounding the turn ” on the public health crisis .
Trump has publicly claimed “ for months and months and months ” that the outbreak is almost over , noted the host of CNN ’ s “ Outfront.
” But Burnett reminded viewers that there was currently “ no end to the virus ’ spread ” as America is now entering a new peak of cases .
COVID-19 has now killed more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of 8 million .
“ He ’ s been saying we ’ re rounding the turn for months and months and months and it hasn ’ t been true yet , ” said Burnett , pointing to the more than 800 deaths that were reported Thursday and the fact that multiple states are now reporting record hospitalizations from COVID-19 .
While Trump has in public repeatedly downplayed the threat of the coronavirus , which hospitalized him for three days earlier this month , in private he has acknowledged its “ deadly ” threat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2020 reelection campaign rallies in recent days , where many of his supporters have been pictured standing side by side and not wearing masks .
Check out the full segment and explainer here : Pres .
Trump continues to say “ we are rounding the turn ” on the coronavirus pandemic , even as Covid-19 cases in the US hit 8 million .
@ ErinBurnett : “ He ’ s been saying we 're rounding the turn for…months and months and months , and it has n't been true yet.
” https : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) October 17 , 2020

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Erin Burnett on Friday debunked one of President Donald Trump’s most repeated and dangerous lies about the coronavirus pandemic — that the United States is “rounding the turn” on the public health crisis.
Trump has publicly claimed “for months and months and months” that the outbreak is almost over, noted the host of CNN’s “Outfront.”
Advertisement
But Burnett reminded viewers that there was currently “no end to the virus’ spread” as America is now entering a new peak of cases. COVID-19 has now killed more than 217,000 people nationwide and infected upwards of 8 million.
“He’s been saying we’re rounding the turn for months and months and months and it hasn’t been true yet,” said Burnett, pointing to the more than 800 deaths that were reported Thursday and the fact that multiple states are now reporting record hospitalizations from COVID-19.
While Trump has in public repeatedly downplayed the threat of the coronavirus, which hospitalized him for three days earlier this month, in private he has acknowledged its “deadly” threat. The president has held multiple crowded 2020 reelection campaign rallies in recent days, where many of his supporters have been pictured standing side by side and not wearing masks.
Check out the full segment and explainer here:
Pres. Trump continues to say “we are rounding the turn” on the coronavirus pandemic, even as Covid-19 cases in the US hit 8 million.@ErinBurnett: “He’s been saying we're rounding the turn for…months and months and months, and it hasn't been true yet.” https://t.co/6FRFp3lmCV pic.twitter.com/Shy9BEn0aU — OutFrontCNN (@OutFrontCNN) October 17, 2020


thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-17--Former Trump Exec Alleges Yet More Examples Of His Early Racism In New Book Excerpt

A former top executive in the Trump Organization has detailed yet more alleged examples of Donald Trump ’ s early racist , misogynist and anti-Semitic behavior in excerpts from her upcoming tell-all book about her time working for the president .
Barbara Res , who was vice president in charge of construction at the Trump family company , recalls her former boss ’ s offensive comments about Black people , women and Jews in passages from “ Tower of Lies : What My 18 Years of Working With Donald Trump Reveals About Him ” that were obtained and published by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Bigotry and bias control Donald ’ s view of the world , ” Res wrote in her book , which will be released Tuesday .
In one passage , Res recalled Trump ’ s anger at seeing a Black man working on the construction of Trump Tower ; Trump didn ’ t want people thinking his flagship building on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan was being built by Black people , alleged Res .
Trump also cracked a Holocaust-themed joke in front of Jewish executives and routinely spoke in meetings about women ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also claimed that Trump once ordered her to fire a woman just because she was pregnant .
While Res ’ book is one of many memoirs from former Trump associates and allies that have documented the president ’ s alleged offensive behavior throughout his career , Trump campaign communications director Tim Murtaugh dismissed her claims .
“ This is transparently a disgruntled former employee packaging a bunch of lies in a book to make money , ” he told the Times .
Res has been a persistent thorn in her former employee ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , claiming Trump lied about almost dying in a helicopter crash and tried to illegally ban Braille from the elevator button panel in Trump Tower .

LOADING ERROR LOADING
A former top executive in the Trump Organization has detailed yet more alleged examples of Donald Trump’s early racist, misogynist and anti-Semitic behavior in excerpts from her upcoming tell-all book about her time working for the president.
Advertisement
“Bigotry and bias control Donald’s view of the world,” Res wrote in her book, which will be released Tuesday.
In one passage, Res recalled Trump’s anger at seeing a Black man working on the construction of Trump Tower; Trump didn’t want people thinking his flagship building on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan was being built by Black people, alleged Res.
Trump also cracked a Holocaust-themed joke in front of Jewish executives and routinely spoke in meetings about women’s looks, Res said. She also claimed that Trump once ordered her to fire a woman just because she was pregnant.
While Res’ book is one of many memoirs from former Trump associates and allies that have documented the president’s alleged offensive behavior throughout his career, Trump campaign communications director Tim Murtaugh dismissed her claims.
Advertisement
“This is transparently a disgruntled former employee packaging a bunch of lies in a book to make money,” he told the Times.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-17--A World Away From Trump: Obama Photog's New Documentary Moves People To Tears

Barack Obama ’ s White House photographer touched the hearts of viewers with in his new documentary about an administration that feels like lifetimes ago .
The moving photos by Pete Souza in the “ The Way I See It , ” a documentary produced by MSNBC and Focus Features that aired on the network Friday , triggered reactions on Twitter from tears to yearning to nostalgia .
Photos in the film show a tearful Obama embracing the parents of Sandy Hook victims , playing basketball with his daughters , letting a young Black boy touch his head to compare @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the Oval Office grasping a baby in a costume with floppy ears .
Souza was the official photographer for both Obama and Ronald Reagan — presidents , he said , who “ respected the dignity of the office.
” They also made themselves available to Souza and his camera for the sake of history .
That ’ s something Donald Trump does not do , Souza said ; Trump often only agrees to pose for staged images .
“ We need authentic moments for history , ” Souza said Friday in an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ I always looked at my job as : Just hang around .
Hang around and be there when things are happening , and photograph as they ’ re happening .
Don ’ t direct anything , don ’ t stage anything .
You either get it or you don ’ t. ” .
@ PeteSouza was always there to document every moment of my presidency , from high-stakes meetings with world leaders to quiet mornings reading briefing memos .
The @ WayISeeItFilm is one to watch—and a reminder to get registered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ https : //t.co/XdZz4dh82T pic.twitter.com/sMzf6cpRVw — Barack Obama ( @ BarackObama ) October 16 , 2020 Twitter followers who watched the documentary totally got what Souza was going for .
This is my favorite .
It shows how far we 've come and how far we have to go .
pic.twitter.com/mVnVz0BmTM — Individual 1 ( @ WildlyLiberal ) October 17 , 2020 # SHADE Watching @ PeteSouza on @ MSNBC OMG don ’ t know when I ’ ve been so overcome with emotions 😀😢🙂😭Hadn ’ t cried this much in a long time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was wonderful & moving .
You ROCK !
💙👊🏽✊🏽 # TheWayISeeIt pic.twitter.com/S6uAA9HGxM — agave corn 💙 # VOTEBLUE # CloseTheTrumpCamps ( @ agavecorn ) October 17 , 2020 President Obama ’ s desperate embrace of his daughter , Malia upon first seeing her after he heard the tragic news of Sandy Hook .
💔 # TheWayISeeIt # IMissObama pic.twitter.com/ll7CXGxRC4 — Tessa ( @ smileitstess ) October 17 , 2020 Truly one of the most moving images from @ BarackObama 's presidency .
What do you miss most about the Obama years ?
# @ @ @ @ @ @ @ GeorgeTakei ) October 17 , 2020 The montage of President Obama and his daughters is too much 😭 .
This photo in particular ...
I gasped .
Again , thank you @ PeteSouza # TheWayISeeIt pic.twitter.com/iTXfPeqkJz — Katelyn Moga Gesing ( @ mogakm ) October 17 , 2020 Photographer @ PeteSouza is showing what happened when @ BarackObama went to Newtown , Connecticut after the Sandy Hook shooting and cared for the bereaved parents .
😭😭😭 Remember when we had a President capable of empathy ?
# TheWayISeeIt pic.twitter.com/uq4ia6GzM7 — Vonnie 🌿 We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ October 17 , 2020 Watching # TheWayISeeIt with my six-year-old and during the section on Sandy Hook she asks , “ Were those little kids like me ?
My size ?
” How heartbreaking and absurd we continue to not act on such unnecessary violence and death .
# GunViolence pic.twitter.com/mh2Ew6o3Z5 — Timothy J. Shaffer ( @ timothyjshaffer ) October 17 , 2020 Over 145,000 Americans have died from gun violence during Donald Trump ’ s administration .
Juxtapose his callous indifference with President Obama , who said Congress ’ s refusal to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ regret .
# TheWayISeeIt pic.twitter.com/xNuQsrC1ZI — Shannon Watts ( @ shannonrwatts ) October 17 , 2020 # TheWayISeeIt shows the kindness of @ BarackObama & it reveals the character a President needs to have .
We need a kind , decent man or woman in that position .
“ There is no substitute for empathy .
It is a foundational relationship between human beings.
” - a Sandy Hook Father — yvette nicole brown ( @ YNB ) October 17 , 2020 Watching the incredible @ PeteSouza relate his time in the Obama @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I miss having a president who cares about us .
His family .
Sandy Hook .
Allies .
“ There is no substitute for empathy.
” - # DavidWheeler Please vote.
# BidenHarris2020 pic.twitter.com/1ivx9IYuDt — 🎃✨Oh For Crissakes , # VoteEarly !
🛹🥁✨ ( @ lisareynaloe ) October 17 , 2020

Barack Obama’s White House photographer touched the hearts of viewers with in his new documentary about an administration that feels like lifetimes ago.
The moving photos by Pete Souza in the “The Way I See It,” a documentary produced by MSNBC and Focus Features that aired on the network Friday, triggered reactions on Twitter from tears to yearning to nostalgia.
Advertisement
Photos in the film show a tearful Obama embracing the parents of Sandy Hook victims, playing basketball with his daughters, letting a young Black boy touch his head to compare haircuts, and lying on his back in the Oval Office grasping a baby in a costume with floppy ears.
Souza was the official photographer for both Obama and Ronald Reagan — presidents, he said, who “respected the dignity of the office.” They also made themselves available to Souza and his camera for the sake of history. That’s something Donald Trump does not do, Souza said; Trump often only agrees to pose for staged images.
“We need authentic moments for history,” Souza said Friday in an interview with MSNBC’s Joy Reid. “I always looked at my job as: Just hang around. Hang around and be there when things are happening, and photograph as they’re happening. Don’t direct anything, don’t stage anything. You either get it or you don’t.”
.@PeteSouza was always there to document every moment of my presidency, from high-stakes meetings with world leaders to quiet mornings reading briefing memos. The @WayISeeItFilm is one to watch—and a reminder to get registered and make a plan to vote. https://t.co/XdZz4dh82T pic.twitter.com/sMzf6cpRVw — Barack Obama (@BarackObama) October 16, 2020
Advertisement
Twitter followers who watched the documentary totally got what Souza was going for.
This is my favorite. It shows how far we've come and how far we have to go. pic.twitter.com/mVnVz0BmTM — Individual 1 (@WildlyLiberal) October 17, 2020
#SHADE Watching @PeteSouza on @MSNBC OMG don’t know when I’ve been so overcome with emotions 😀😢🙂😭Hadn’t cried this much in a long time. Thank you, Pete. This was wonderful & moving. You ROCK! 💙👊🏽✊🏽 #TheWayISeeIt pic.twitter.com/S6uAA9HGxM — agave corn 💙 #VOTEBLUE #CloseTheTrumpCamps (@agavecorn) October 17, 2020
Advertisement
President Obama’s desperate embrace of his daughter, Malia upon first seeing her after he heard the tragic news of Sandy Hook. 💔#TheWayISeeIt #IMissObama pic.twitter.com/ll7CXGxRC4 — Tessa (@smileitstess) October 17, 2020
Me: I can’t miss President Obama any more than I already do...
Pete Souza: Wanna bet?
🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺 #TheWayISeeIt pic.twitter.com/BnpnGU8CYD — WellTheTruthIs (@truth_well) October 17, 2020
Truly one of the most moving images from @BarackObama's presidency. What do you miss most about the Obama years? #TheWayISeeIt pic.twitter.com/B9IfqK88zu — George Takei (@GeorgeTakei) October 17, 2020
The montage of President Obama and his daughters is too much 😭. This photo in particular...I gasped. Again, thank you @PeteSouza #TheWayISeeIt pic.twitter.com/iTXfPeqkJz — Katelyn Moga Gesing (@mogakm) October 17, 2020
Advertisement
Photographer @PeteSouza is showing what happened when @BarackObama went to Newtown, Connecticut after the Sandy Hook shooting and cared for the bereaved parents. 😭😭😭
Remember when we had a President capable of empathy? #TheWayISeeIt pic.twitter.com/uq4ia6GzM7 — Vonnie 🌿 We are all Siblings (@VonnieCalland) October 17, 2020
Watching #TheWayISeeIt with my six-year-old and during the section on Sandy Hook she asks, “Were those little kids like me? My size?” How heartbreaking and absurd we continue to not act on such unnecessary violence and death. #GunViolence pic.twitter.com/mh2Ew6o3Z5 — Timothy J. Shaffer (@timothyjshaffer) October 17, 2020
Over 145,000 Americans have died from gun violence during Donald Trump’s administration. Juxtapose his callous indifference with President Obama, who said Congress’s refusal to act after Sandy Hook is his greatest regret. #TheWayISeeIt pic.twitter.com/xNuQsrC1ZI — Shannon Watts (@shannonrwatts) October 17, 2020
The way I see it, Pete Souza is a national treasure. Very emotional documentary indeed. #TheWayISeeIt #MSNBC #PeteSouza @PeteSouza44 pic.twitter.com/r2pofwgCBC — The Honorable Grandma Voting For #BidenHarris (@JoeKamalaTicket) October 17, 2020
Advertisement
#TheWayISeeIt shows the kindness of @BarackObama & it reveals the character a President needs to have.
We need a kind, decent man or woman in that position.
“There is no substitute for empathy. It is a foundational relationship between human beings.”
- a Sandy Hook Father — yvette nicole brown (@YNB) October 17, 2020


thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-17--Trump 'Came After Our Family,' Says Alexander Vindman's Angry Wife In A Lincoln Project Ad

President Donald Trump “ came after our family , ” the angry wife of decorated Iraq war veteran Alexander Vindman said Friday in a dramatic new political ad .
“ The first time I felt threatened was just after Alex ’ s testimony ” against Trump at the House impeachment hearings late last year , Rachel Vindman revealed in the ad created by The Lincoln Project and VoteVets .
That was the case even though her husband put his life on the line in combat and suffered a serious injury in a bomb explosion .
“ The most powerful man @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” she said of Trump .
“ But what happened to us can happen to anyone.
” Vindman , then an Army lieutenant colonel , moved listeners in his opening remarks before his testimony at the hearings in November 2019 , when he made a statement assuring his father : “ Dad ... do not worry , I will be fine for telling the truth.
” Vindman testified that Trump in a phone call more than a year ago attempted to leverage U.S. military aid to pressure Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against Democratic presidential rival Joe Biden .
Vindman , then the head of European affairs for the White House National Security Council , listened to the call between the presidents as part of his job .
“ I suspected it was illegal , but I knew immediately that it was wrong and my duty was to report it , ” he told NBC News last month .
He told The Atlantic that he found it “ repulsive and un-American ” for a U.S. president “ to try to get a leg up by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” on a rival politician .
The Vindman family has received “ thousands of letters in support ” of her husband ’ s testimony , Rachel Vindman said in the ad .
“ America is so much better than Donald Trump.
” But she warned : “ He can cost this nation so much more in four more years.
” The ad ends with a recording of Alexander Vindman ’ s last line of his opening remarks at the impeachment hearing : “ Here , right matters.
” Lt. Col. Vindman ends his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his dad fleeing the Soviet Union for the US : `` Do not worry , I will be fine for telling the truth '' pic.twitter.com/5eMgI7MaSd — BuzzFeed News ( @ BuzzFeedNews ) November 19 , 2019 Just three months after his testimony , Vindman was ejected from his National Security Council position because of what he believes was an order directly from Trump , and was ignominiously escorted from the White House .
Trump has insulted and vilified Vindman , which the combat vet characterized as a “ campaign of bullying , intimidation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” his career in the armed forces .
Vindman retired from the military in July after 21 years in the Army .
Trump was impeached by the House , but the Senate , without hearings , voted against his removal from office in February .
We want to know what you ’ re hearing on the ground from the candidates .
If you get any interesting ― or suspicious !
― campaign mailers , robocalls or hear anything else you think we should know about , email us at scoops @ huffpost.com .

President Donald Trump “came after our family,” the angry wife of decorated Iraq war veteran Alexander Vindman said Friday in a dramatic new political ad.
“The first time I felt threatened was just after Alex’s testimony” against Trump at the House impeachment hearings late last year, Rachel Vindman revealed in the ad created by The Lincoln Project and VoteVets. That was the case even though her husband put his life on the line in combat and suffered a serious injury in a bomb explosion.
Advertisement
“The most powerful man in the world came after our family,” she said of Trump. “But what happened to us can happen to anyone.”
Vindman, then an Army lieutenant colonel, moved listeners in his opening remarks before his testimony at the hearings in November 2019, when he made a statement assuring his father: “Dad ... do not worry, I will be fine for telling the truth.”
Vindman testified that Trump in a phone call more than a year ago attempted to leverage U.S. military aid to pressure Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to come up with dirt Trump could use against Democratic presidential rival Joe Biden.
Vindman, then the head of European affairs for the White House National Security Council, listened to the call between the presidents as part of his job. “I suspected it was illegal, but I knew immediately that it was wrong and my duty was to report it,” he told NBC News last month.
He told The Atlantic that he found it “repulsive and un-American” for a U.S. president “to try to get a leg up by pressuring a foreign leader to get dirt” on a rival politician.
The Vindman family has received “thousands of letters in support” of her husband’s testimony, Rachel Vindman said in the ad. “America is so much better than Donald Trump.”
But she warned: “He can cost this nation so much more in four more years.”
The ad ends with a recording of Alexander Vindman’s last line of his opening remarks at the impeachment hearing: “Here, right matters.”
Lt. Col. Vindman ends his opening remarks by telling the story of his dad fleeing the Soviet Union for the US: "Do not worry, I will be fine for telling the truth" pic.twitter.com/5eMgI7MaSd — BuzzFeed News (@BuzzFeedNews) November 19, 2019
Just three months after his testimony, Vindman was ejected from his National Security Council position because of what he believes was an order directly from Trump, and was ignominiously escorted from the White House.
Advertisement
Trump has insulted and vilified Vindman, which the combat vet characterized as a “campaign of bullying, intimidation, and retaliation” that “destroyed” his career in the armed forces. Vindman retired from the military in July after 21 years in the Army.
Vindman has called Trump Russian President Vladimir Putin’s “useful idiot,” who is serving the interests of the Kremlin.
Trump was impeached by the House, but the Senate, without hearings, voted against his removal from office in February.
We want to know what you’re hearing on the ground from the candidates. If you get any interesting ― or suspicious! ― campaign mailers, robocalls or hear anything else you think we should know about, email us at scoops@huffpost.com.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-16--Promises, Promises: Trump Says Maybe He'll 'Have To Leave The Country' If He Loses

President Donald Trump hinted Friday that his future address could be much farther from the White House than he initially anticipated .
He told supporters at a Georgia rally that he might have to leave the country if he loses to his Democratic rival , Joe Biden .
“ Running against the worst candidate in the history of presidential politics puts pressure on me , ” Trump said .
“ Could you imagine if I lose ?
My whole life , what am I gon na do ?
I ’ m gon na say I lost to the worst candidate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ m not gon na feel so good .
Maybe I ’ ll have to leave the country ?
I don ’ t know.
” Twitter critics thought that was an excellent idea .
`` Maybe I 'll have to leave the country .
I do n't know . ''
-- Trump on what could happen if he loses to Biden pic.twitter.com/NGrXDwjaSd — Aaron Rupar ( @ atrupar ) October 17 , 2020 Hes not gon na like Moscow when he realizes vlad does n't have anymore use for him .
— The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ October 17 , 2020 It ’ s wicked cold there , and the former KGB poisons people who outlive their usefulness .
So there ’ s that .
— CatMom ( @ Catmom7114 ) October 17 , 2020 I 'll bet his bags are already packed , and he 's got a flight plan to a country that has no extradition treaty with the US .
— EBHarrington ( @ EBHarrington ) October 17 , 2020 I ’ m Canadian .
We may have to build a wall to keep him out if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — Joel Klebanoff ( @ JoelKlebanoff ) October 17 , 2020 It 's not like we 'd lose a whole lot of tax revenue if he left .
— Sarah McDermott ( @ skmcdermott ) October 17 , 2020 We want to know what you ’ re hearing on the ground from the candidates .
If you get any interesting ― or suspicious !
― campaign mailers , robocalls or hear anything else you think we should know about , email us at scoops @ huffpost.com .

President Donald Trump hinted Friday that his future address could be much farther from the White House than he initially anticipated.
He told supporters at a Georgia rally that he might have to leave the country if he loses to his Democratic rival, Joe Biden.
Advertisement
“Running against the worst candidate in the history of presidential politics puts pressure on me,” Trump said. “Could you imagine if I lose? My whole life, what am I gonna do? I’m gonna say I lost to the worst candidate in the history of politics. I’m not gonna feel so good. Maybe I’ll have to leave the country? I don’t know.”
Twitter critics thought that was an excellent idea.
"Maybe I'll have to leave the country. I don't know." -- Trump on what could happen if he loses to Biden pic.twitter.com/NGrXDwjaSd — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 17, 2020
Fkn gooooooooo — 🦋🌸 𝔐𝔢𝔩𝔦𝔰𝔰𝔞 🌸🦋 (@MeliMels99) October 17, 2020
Advertisement
Hes not gonna like Moscow when he realizes vlad doesn't have anymore use for him. — The Columbo527 aka Uncle (@MagnaPopaTude) October 17, 2020
It’s wicked cold there, and the former KGB poisons people who outlive their usefulness. So there’s that. — CatMom (@Catmom7114) October 17, 2020
I'll bet his bags are already packed, and he's got a flight plan to a country that has no extradition treaty with the US. — EBHarrington (@EBHarrington) October 17, 2020
I’m Canadian. We may have to build a wall to keep him out if Trump decides to leave your country. — Joel Klebanoff (@JoelKlebanoff) October 17, 2020
Advertisement
It's not like we'd lose a whole lot of tax revenue if he left. — Sarah McDermott (@skmcdermott) October 17, 2020
He won’t be allowed to leave the country. — ⭐ Merrill - sheltering at home ⭐ (@MerrillLynched) October 17, 2020
We want to know what you’re hearing on the ground from the candidates. If you get any interesting ― or suspicious! ― campaign mailers, robocalls or hear anything else you think we should know about, email us at scoops@huffpost.com.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-16--DOJ's Antifa Push Spurs Trump Appointee To Charge A Band's Bassist Over A Bag Of Weed

Nevertheless , law enforcement officers raided his home on June 2 .
Things were pretty tense in the country at the time , and the Trump administration was making a massive push to go after “ antifa.
” Trump was tweeting that he was going to declare antifa a terrorist organization and said he was going to “ activate ” Attorney General William Barr “ very strongly.
” Barr ― who helped instigate a violent crackdown on a group of peaceful demonstrators at the White House on June 1 ― declared that violence “ instigated and carried out by Antifa @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the rioting is domestic terrorism and will be treated accordingly.
” Federal prison riot officers deployed by Barr to respond to protests were on their way to the nation ’ s capital .
Law enforcement departments across the country were on edge .
FBI special agents were even interviewing protesters arrested on curfew violations .
“ He has always wanted to get into politics so he can change the world for the better , ” Harris said .
“ He sees so many people suffering , so many people that have fell through @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about their own pockets than they do the American people .
This is the whole purpose of the band .
To bring awareness .
Granted , we never expected this kind of attention , but there needs to be change .
”

LOADING ERROR LOADING
A top federal prosecutor appointed by President Donald Trump held a news conference this week to announce that the “outstanding investigative work” of federal and state law enforcement officers had resulted in a federal felony charge against a 29-year-old bassist in an anarcho-punk band over a bag of weed.
Justin Coffman and his friends and family in Jackson, Tennessee, think that U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant, a Trump appointee, is trying to make an example out of a Trump opponent. Coffman joined Black Lives Matter protests, belonged to a rock band with an anarchist theme and posted memes poking fun at what he saw as Republicans’ overblown concerns about the loosely organized anti-fascist movement known as “antifa.”
Advertisement
U.S. Attorney Michael Dunavant with President Donald Trump, who appointed him. White House Photo by Shealah Craighead via Twitter
The law enforcement investigation into Coffman began in the days after George Floyd’s death on May 25. Coffman, like millions of Americans, was outraged that Minneapolis police had choked the life out of the 46-year-old Black man.
“It broke his heart,” Leah Harris, Coffman’s girlfriend, told HuffPost. “It truly disgusted him.”
“It’s just ridiculous that people put in positions of authority could do that,” Coffman told HuffPost in a phone interview from the Tennessee jail where he’s being held on state and local charges. “You literally had people there videoing him telling [the officer] to stop... There’s no reason for him to keep doing that [unless] he wanted to harm the person.”
Justin Coffman at a protest against police brutality after the May 25 death of George Floyd. Courtesy of Leah Harris
Advertisement
Floyd’s death sparked demonstrations and sporadic violence in cities across the nation. But Jackson, a city of about 65,000 with a median household income of less than $40,000, wasn’t exactly a hotbed of civil disorder. There was a peaceful demonstration on May 30, and the city’s mayor issued a statement saying city officials were “disgusted by the atrocious actions of the officers responsible” for Floyd’s death and that Jackson officials would “diligently work to make certain nothing like this will happen in our city.” Several other protests in the city remained peaceful.
Coffman joined Jackson’s peaceful protests. He even posted on Facebook that he was impressed by how the Jackson Police Department responded to demonstrations in the city.
“Was out in Jackson yesterday and it’s good to see the mayor and the police chief out among the people and talking to them instead of the police attacking people and inciting riots,” Coffman wrote June 1.
But it was another Facebook post that would get Coffman into trouble. On May 28, he posted three images on Facebook ― photographs that were taken before Floyd’s death sparked unrest across the nation ― that showed him posing in front of a Jackson Police Department transport van holding a fake Molotov cocktail. That bottle, Coffman said, was an antique liquor bottle filled with a mixture of apple cider vinegar and water.
The photos, as clearly evident in the Facebook post, were staged. The caption included the quote “You will bathe in the flames born from your hatred,” which Coffman said was a lyric from a song he was working on for his band, The Gunpowder Plot.
Advertisement
Images posted on The Gunpowder Plot's Facebook page led to a federal charge against the band's bassist. The Gunpowder Plot / Facebook
“Last year, everyone was sharing the ‘V for Vendetta’ stuff on Nov. 5,” Coffman, who won “bassist of the year” at the 2018 Tennessee Music Awards, said. “I just posted, I was, like, ’Hey, I think The Gunpowder Plot would be a cool band name,” playing off the name of the infamous Nov. 5, 1605, assassination attempt in England.
A couple of friends put him in touch with other musicians, and they formed a three-piece band. “It’s basically theater,” Coffman said.
After his post sparked controversy, Coffman tried to make it clear that the photos were artistic in nature. “I don’t know who needs to hear this but we’re a band, not a terrorist organization. Stop calling and wasting them people’s time,” read one post on the band’s page.
Nevertheless, law enforcement officers raided his home on June 2. Things were pretty tense in the country at the time, and the Trump administration was making a massive push to go after “antifa.” Trump was tweeting that he was going to declare antifa a terrorist organization and said he was going to “activate” Attorney General William Barr “very strongly.” Barr ― who helped instigate a violent crackdown on a group of peaceful demonstrators at the White House on June 1 ― declared that violence “instigated and carried out by Antifa and other similar groups in connection with the rioting is domestic terrorism and will be treated accordingly.” Federal prison riot officers deployed by Barr to respond to protests were on their way to the nation’s capital. Law enforcement departments across the country were on edge. FBI special agents were even interviewing protesters arrested on curfew violations.
Advertisement
The raid on Coffman’s home, authorities allege, turned up a couple of legal guns, the mock Molotov cocktail used in the photo shoot and 24 grams of weed. (That’s about a Ziploc sandwich bag’s worth of marijuana, less than half of the 2-ounce limit on personal possession in Washington, D.C.)
The FBI special agent who interviewed him after the raid, Coffman said, didn’t really seem to care about the bag of marijuana that law enforcement allegedly found in his home.
“He wasn’t even worried about none of that,” Coffman said. “He really didn’t say anything.” The agent, speaking to Coffman on the porch of his home, was more interested in his political beliefs.
“He started telling me all these things, like, ‘You’re a bass player,’ blah, blah, blah. ‘You don’t seem like a bad guy.’” Coffman said.
Advertisement
“He was asking me if I was ‘antifa’ and all that bullshit, which I’m not,” Coffman said. “He was trying to see if I was a part of any of that so he could use me as a fucking inside person, I guess.”
Justin Coffman, the bassist in a punk rock band, is facing felony charges after posting posed images from an album photo shoot. Courtesy of Leah Harris
The feds didn’t plan to arrest Coffman that day. But the marijuana gave local police a reason to lock Coffman up.
“I was talking to the [FBI] dude, and the local [police] walked up and said we’ve got to take you in for the marijuana,” Coffman said. Coffman was out of jail the next day, but the raid was a major setback. He was evicted from his home, lost his job at Old Navy and had to move in with family.
Over the next few months, the FBI special agent would call Coffman every once in a while with questions. The FBI special agent told him to “just answer whenever I call you, and you don’t have to worry about stuff,” Coffman said. The agent would ask about who was out at protests Coffman had attended. One problem: Jackson isn’t exactly a haven for anti-fascists.
Advertisement
“There ain’t none of them in Jackson,” Coffman said.
Coffman thought he would be able to put things behind him. But he was working the cash register at a Circle K gas station this week and law enforcement officers placed him under arrest.
The federal charge Coffman faces makes it illegal for a drug user to possess a weapon. There are untold numbers of gun owners in the country who also smoke marijuana, even more so now when a number of states have legalized weed. But the charge is rarely deployed by federal prosecutors, although it has been used against a handful of potentially dangerous white supremacists whose conduct didn’t present any obvious violation of federal law.
It’s not clear precisely why the federal government moved against Coffman when it did. But the federal affidavit was dated Sept. 10, the same week that Barr told the nation’s federal prosecutors to seek charges in connection with protests whenever possible, as reported by The Wall Street Journal. The case was unsealed this week after a Tennessee grand jury returned an indictment against Coffman on state charges, including one that claims Coffman’s possession of an antique liquor bottle containing apple cider vinegar and water amounts to a “hoax device.”
Tennessee law defines a “hoax device” as “any device that reasonably appears to be or is purported to be an explosive or incendiary device and is intended to cause alarm or reaction of any type by an official of a public safety agency or a volunteer agency organized to deal with emergencies.” But there’s an exception under the law when the device was used “in a manner reasonably related to a lawful dramatic performance.” A photo shoot for an album cover for a band with a theatrical motif would seem to qualify.
“A lawful dramatic performance. How about a picture that’s taken to make a point on Facebook?” said Lucian Pera, a Tennessee lawyer who has worked on First Amendment cases.
Advertisement
“There are First Amendment implications here, without any doubt,” Pera said. “I don’t understand why anyone is wasting their time on this.”
Pera said it’s unsurprising that Dunavant would be part of this type of case, calling him a “fairly aggressive U.S. attorney.”
“It is not a shock to me that Dunavant would be a U.S. attorney who would be motivated to act in response” to Barr’s request for a crackdown, Pera said.
Dunavant is a former elected district attorney, and his politics often shine through in a way that would have been striking to see from any U.S. attorney during President Barack Obama’s administration. He’s unabashedly “tough on crime” and an unflinching critic of criminal justice reformers.
“The U.S. does have a very large prison population: not because too many innocent people are incarcerated; but because too many people commit serious, usually violent crimes,” Dunavant wrote in one tweet. “That’s why most people are imprisoned in America. Period. Full stop.”
Advertisement
Dunavant even attacked Alice Johnson, the former federal prisoner who was pardoned by Trump after Kim Kardashian came across a video about Johnson on her Twitter feed. Johnson had been serving a life sentence for involvement in a Memphis drug trafficking organization.
“Motivated now by continued greed for money, fame and celebrity, the defendant seeks to throw off the pesky burden of supervised release,” Dunavant wrote in a court filing last year, according to The Washington Post. “Uninformed members of the public continue to celebrate her criminality.”
Dunavant, who posted a photo of himself holding a “Make America Safe Again” sign at a 2018 Trump campaign rally in Tennessee, has written about the need to “Back the Blue,” writing that bringing attention to law enforcement successes and encouraging citizens to support police officers is “one of the highest callings” of his job.
“All too often critics of law enforcement talk about police officers like they are the problem, instead of the solution to crime,” Dunavant has written. “Those who feel sorry for criminals and seek to excuse or even celebrate their lawless, antisocial and immoral behavior now engage in dangerous rhetoric to encourage people to ‘resist’ all forms of authority, including law enforcement.”
Advertisement
Dunavant declined HuffPost’s request for an interview about Coffman’s case.
“Because the matter is still an ongoing investigation and criminal prosecution, I cannot comment further regarding the details of the allegations contained in the federal criminal complaint, which has now been unsealed and is a public record,” Dunavant said in a statement to HuffPost. “Therefore, I must respectfully decline a request for an interview at this time.”
Many politically appointed U.S. attorneys like Dunavant see their time in the Justice Department as a path to elected office. In 2016, Dunavant supported now-Rep. David Kustoff (R-Tenn.), who preceded Dunavant as U.S. attorney for Tennesee’s western district during the George W. Bush administration.
As Dunavant telegraphs his future, Coffman’s future seems pretty uncertain. He and his family members are dealing with the fallout of Dunavant’s actions.
Coffman, his girlfriend and cousin say he had a pretty rough go of things in life. His mother died in a car crash when he was young, and his father has long been absent. His aunt took him in and raised him.
Robert Joe Haynes, Coffman’s cousin, said they grew up like brothers. But their politics were pretty far apart. Haynes is a Republican, although he’s lukewarm on Trump these days. He’s also a supporter of law enforcement and said he doesn’t understand why they had to take this case so far.
Advertisement
“I’m one for tough love... if I have family that’s in jail and they deserve to be there, then that’s on them,” Haynes said. But Coffman, he said, doesn’t deserve this at all.
“I think they’re just trying to make an example out of him,” Haynes said. “But I believe it’s going to backfire on them.”
Haynes called the charges “absurd” and “way overblown.” He understands why police would have to investigate but said they should’ve dropped the matter once it was clear it was a photo shoot for an album cover and not a threat.
“There was no harm at all,” Haynes said. “They’re just trying to find anything and everything they can to charge him with.”
Haynes did say he wishes that Coffman had cleared the photo shoot with police before it happened, which might’ve avoided all this trouble.
Advertisement
“If he had run it by them, or he had run it by me, I could’ve called the sheriff and asked him, and they probably could’ve set it up to make a photo shoot,” Haynes said. “I believe it was kinda dumb the way he went by it, but I don’t believe that it should’ve led to all this.”
Justin Coffman with his award as bassist of the year in Tennessee. Courtesy of Leah Harris
Haynes said he thinks the Justice Department is trying to scare everyone by charging his cousin. “They’re trying to keep anybody else from standing up against them or saying anything about them,” Haynes said.
Haynes said the local media coverage has been particularly bad.
“It seems like they’re trying to portray him as a terrorist, pretty much. That’s going to go blow up the courthouse,” Haynes said. “It’s just somebody in a band trying to take a picture, trying to stand up for different communities.”
He also said it was important to note the region’s gun culture, saying that two guns is considered a small collection in Jackson.
Advertisement
“Everybody in Jackson owns guns,” Haynes said. “Every friend I’ve got has eight or 10 guns at least.”
Haynes said he believes Coffman’s tough life is the reason he’s so willing to stand up for others.
“He’s been through a lot,” Haynes said. “He don’t wanna see nobody go through what he had to go through, and they’re throwing the book at him for trying to stand up for what he believes in.”
Coffman said his bond was set at $50,000, meaning he would have to pay a bail bondsman $5,000 to secure his release on the state charges. Haynes said they were trying to raise money and see if a bondsman would accept any of Coffman’s guitars as collateral. (Even then, Coffman might still be held on the federal charge, depending on whether federal prosecutors move to detain him ahead of trial.)
Harris, Coffman’s girlfriend, has set up a GoFundMe account to raise money for legal representation. On it, she writes about how Coffman used the fake “Molotov cocktail” as a centerpiece when they had dinner.
Justin Coffman at dinner with his girlfriend where the table is set with the "Molotov cocktail" as a centerpiece. Leah Harris
Advertisement
Harris said that Coffman is a Christian of Jewish ancestry and that his political views ― small government, antiwar, anti-corruption ― aligned most closely with Jo Jorgensen, the 2020 Libertarian Party’s presidential candidate.
“He has always wanted to get into politics so he can change the world for the better,” Harris said. “He sees so many people suffering, so many people that have fell through the cracks because the government cares more about their own pockets than they do the American people. This is the whole purpose of the band. To bring awareness. Granted, we never expected this kind of attention, but there needs to be change.”
Harris said she met Coffman on the music scene last year. She wasn’t interested in romance at first. She had just gotten out of a relationship and was about to start nursing school. But they got to talking and had “deep, profound, meaningful” talks. She started “falling for his heart,” she said.
“He was different. He was respectful,” Harris said. “He is the most patient, caring, funny, lovable man I have ever been with.”
Coffman’s art and lyrics, said Harris, are the last things the federal government should be investigating when there are real evil people in the world.
Advertisement


thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-17--Trump Is 'Helping To Crowdsource Domestic Terrorism,' Warns Former DHS Official

Miles Taylor , the chief of staff of the Department of Homeland Security until 2019 , has accused President Donald Trump of “ helping to crowdsource domestic terrorism ” with his refusal to denounce the conspiracy theory QAnon .
Taylor on Friday told CNN ’ s Chris Cuomo that the president ― who declined to condemn QAnon during his NBC town hall Thursday ― was well aware of how easy it was “ for this rhetoric to jump the tracks to violence ” because DHS had repeatedly conveyed the danger to the White House during Taylor ’ s two-and-a-half years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ isn ’ t the Donald Trump presidency anymore , ” said Taylor .
“ It has become the Alex Jones Infowars presidency , ” referencing the far-right conspiracy theorist who last year lost a legal battle after claiming the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre was a hoax .
Taylor later explained why Trump ’ s promotion of baseless conspiracy theories like QAnon ― which centers on the idea that the president is secretly working to stop a pedophile ring of high-ranking Democrats and celebrities ― was “ the thing we feared so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it was their wildest dream that the president of the United States would embrace these conspiracy theories , ” Taylor explained .
“ Because they knew it would divide Americans , it would damage our democracy and it would weaken the United States on the world stage.
” “ The President of the United States is helping to crowdsource domestic terrorism in the United States .
He ’ s got nearly 90 million Twitter followers .
He peddles these conspiracy theories.
” - Former senior Trump administration official Miles Taylor on Trump not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( @ CuomoPrimeTime ) October 17 , 2020

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Miles Taylor, the chief of staff of the Department of Homeland Security until 2019, has accused President Donald Trump of “helping to crowdsource domestic terrorism” with his refusal to denounce the conspiracy theory QAnon.
Taylor on Friday told CNN’s Chris Cuomo that the president ― who declined to condemn QAnon during his NBC town hall Thursday ― was well aware of how easy it was “for this rhetoric to jump the tracks to violence” because DHS had repeatedly conveyed the danger to the White House during Taylor’s two-and-a-half years in the Trump administration.
Advertisement
“This isn’t the Donald Trump presidency anymore,” said Taylor. “It has become the Alex Jones Infowars presidency,” referencing the far-right conspiracy theorist who last year lost a legal battle after claiming the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre was a hoax.
Taylor later explained why Trump’s promotion of baseless conspiracy theories like QAnon ― which centers on the idea that the president is secretly working to stop a pedophile ring of high-ranking Democrats and celebrities ― was “the thing we feared so much.”
“Because our adversaries, it was their wildest dream that the president of the United States would embrace these conspiracy theories,” Taylor explained. “Because they knew it would divide Americans, it would damage our democracy and it would weaken the United States on the world stage.”
“The President of the United States is helping to crowdsource domestic terrorism in the United States. He’s got nearly 90 million Twitter followers. He peddles these conspiracy theories.” - Former senior Trump administration official Miles Taylor on Trump not denouncing QAnon pic.twitter.com/H3Ocb8oRDR — Cuomo Prime Time (@CuomoPrimeTime) October 17, 2020