thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-31--Chris Wallace Challenges Lara Trump On Possible White House 'Super-Spreader' Night

While the campaign encourages people “ to spread themselves out , ” Trump said there ’ s nothing anyone can do if Trump fans “ always rush towards the front of the stage ” because “ they want to be around this president .
They “ pack themselves in , ” Trump said , insisting that “ we always encourage people to follow the guidelines.
” “ But look , at a certain point in this country , I think we all have to recognize that people want to get back to normal , ” she continued .
“ And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s going to a Trump rally that does that , but we are always following the guidelines.
” Wallace suggested that one thing the campaign could do is space chairs six feet apart , as health experts advise .
“ The fact is you did stack the chairs right next to each other , ” Wallace said .
“ Some health officials say this has the potential to be a super-spreader event.
” Instead of responding to that point , Trump attacked protesters who she said failed to maintain a safe social distance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that everybody plays by the same rules or we have to stop talking about it , ” she demanded .
Four people who attended the first night of the GOP convention in Charlotte , North Carolina , have already tested positive for COVID-19 .

Chris Wallace held Lara Trump’s feet to the fire Sunday over the lack of COVID-19 health safety measures on the final night of the Republican National Convention outside the White House last week.
Nearly 1,500 people sat in chairs shoulder-to-shoulder on the White House South Lawn to hear President Donald Trump’s acceptance speech, and almost no one wore face masks, ignoring health guidelines established by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Participants said they weren’t even checked for or asked about COVID-19 symptoms, including coughing, before they were allowed to enter the grounds.
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Lara Trump, campaign adviser and wife of the president’s middle son, Eric, shrugged off concerns — and any responsibility if attendees contracted COVID-19 as a result.
“People packed in, very few masks, no social distancing,” Wallace described the night in his interview with Trump on “Fox News Sunday.” “Lara, is the president just going to ignore the public health guidelines?” he asked, referring to the many expected rallies and meetings the president is planning for the coming weeks.
While the campaign encourages people “to spread themselves out,” Trump said there’s nothing anyone can do if Trump fans “always rush towards the front of the stage” because “they want to be around this president. They “pack themselves in,” Trump said, insisting that “we always encourage people to follow the guidelines.”
“But look, at a certain point in this country, I think we all have to recognize that people want to get back to normal,” she continued. “And you know what? Maybe it’s going to a Trump rally that does that, but we are always following the guidelines.”
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Wallace suggested that one thing the campaign could do is space chairs six feet apart, as health experts advise.
“The fact is you did stack the chairs right next to each other,” Wallace said. “Some health officials say this has the potential to be a super-spreader event.”
Instead of responding to that point, Trump attacked protesters who she said failed to maintain a safe social distance.
“We either have to say that everybody plays by the same rules or we have to stop talking about it,” she demanded.
Four people who attended the first night of the GOP convention in Charlotte, North Carolina, have already tested positive for COVID-19.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-31--Trump Defends Kyle Rittenhouse's Deadly Shooting: 'They Attacked Him'

“ He was trying to get away from them , I guess ... and he fell , ” Trump claimed , citing videos of the Rittenhouse attack .
“ And then they very violently attacked him.
” Rittenhouse , who lives 20 miles away in Antioch , Illinois , was among a number of vigilantes who came to the Kenosha protest with firearms , claiming they wanted to “ protect ” public property .
Videos filmed at the protest show a person who appears to be Rittenhouse carrying a semiautomatic rifle .
The gunman trips and then can be seen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He then walks to police officers with his hands raised as bystanders yell to police that people were shot .
Protests first broke out in Kenosha after police shot Blake at least seven times in his back on Aug. 23 as he walked away from officers and toward a parked SUV that had his three children inside .
The shooting left Blake paralyzed from the waist down .
A video of the encounter went viral , drawing even more protesters and counterprotesters , and along with them looters and armed vigilantes to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s death .
The week after the Kenosha protesters were fatally shot , Trump would not comment publicly on Rittenhouse or the victims , even as he complained of the violence happening at anti-racism protests across the country , including ongoing ones in Minneapolis , New York City and Portland , Oregon .
He accused Biden of using “ Mafia talking points ” to incite the unrest and falsely claimed that Biden had not spoken out against the rioting and looting that has taken place during some of the protests .
“ Rioting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protesting .
Setting fires is not protesting .
None of this is protesting .
It ’ s lawlessness , plain and simple , ” Biden said .
“ Violence will not bring change .
It will only bring destruction .
It ’ s wrong in every way.
” Trump also defended a large caravan of Trump supporters and Patriot Prayer members , a far-right group , that drove through Portland on Saturday .
Videos show that some people in the caravan brought paintball guns and pepper spray , which they used on counterprotesters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ event in Portland , Aaron J. Danielson , who has been identified as a “ friend ” of the Patriot Prayer group , was fatally shot .
When asked by reporters why he was not condemning his own supporters who brought paintball guns to the Portland demonstration , Trump insisted that they brought them to defend themselves .
Biden released his own statement on Monday night , urging Trump to join him in plainly denouncing all types of violence at protests .
Biden accused Trump of being “ too scared ” to call @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tonight , the president declined to rebuke violence .
He wouldn ’ t even repudiate one of his supporters who is charged with murder because of his attacks on others , ” Biden said .
“ He is too weak , too scared of the hatred he has stirred to put an end to it.
” “ So once again , I urge the president to join me in saying that while peaceful protest is a right — a necessity — violence is wrong , period , ” Biden added .
“ No @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what political affiliation they have .
Period .
”

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Donald Trump defended Kyle Rittenhouse, the 17-year-old Trump supporter who fatally shot two people in Kenosha, Wisconsin, last week. The president also blamed the civil unrest on “left-wing political violence.”
Speaking at a White House coronavirus update, Trump called Rittenhouse’s attack at a Black Lives Matter demonstration, held days after Kenosha police wounded Jacob Blake, an unarmed Black father, an “interesting situation.”
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“He was trying to get away from them, I guess ... and he fell,” Trump claimed, citing videos of the Rittenhouse attack. “And then they very violently attacked him.”
The president claimed that the teenager, who was carrying an assault-style rifle, “probably would’ve been killed.”
“He was in very big trouble. He probably would’ve been killed, but it’s under investigation,” Trump said.
Rittenhouse, who lives in Antioch, Illinois, was among a number of vigilantes who came to the Kenosha protest with firearms, claiming they wanted to “protect” public property.
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Videos filmed at the protest show a person who appears to be Rittenhouse carrying a semiautomatic rifle. The gunman trips and then can be seen shooting at two protesters who confront him. He then walks to police officers with his hands raised as bystanders yell to police that people were shot.
Anthony Huber, 26, and Joseph Rosenbaum, 36, died in the shooting. A volunteer medic, 26-year-old Gaige Grosskreutz, was wounded in the arm.
Protests first broke out in Kenosha after police shot Blake at least seven times in his back on Aug. 23 as he walked away from officers and toward a parked SUV that had his three children inside. The shooting left Blake paralyzed from the waist down.
A video of the encounter went viral, drawing even more protesters and counterprotesters, and along with them looters and armed vigilantes to Kenosha.
The week after the Kenosha protesters were fatally shot, Trump would not comment publicly on Rittenhouse or the victims, even as he complained of the violence happening at anti-racism protests across the country, including ongoing ones in Minneapolis, New York City and Portland, Oregon.
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On Monday, Trump spent most of the White House news conference blaming Democrats, Democratic state leaders and his presidential opponent, Joe Biden, for the civil unrest.
He accused Biden of using “Mafia talking points” to incite the unrest and falsely claimed that Biden had not spoken out against the rioting and looting that has taken place during some of the protests.
At a campaign event in Pittsburgh earlier Monday, Biden had condemned those acts and clashes between anti-racism activists and Trump supporters.
“Rioting is not protesting. Looting is not protesting. Setting fires is not protesting. None of this is protesting. It’s lawlessness, plain and simple,” Biden said. “Violence will not bring change. It will only bring destruction. It’s wrong in every way.”
Trump also defended a large caravan of Trump supporters and Patriot Prayer members, a far-right group, that drove through Portland on Saturday. Videos show that some people in the caravan brought paintball guns and pepper spray, which they used on counterprotesters.
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On the night of the pro-Trump event in Portland, Aaron J. Danielson, who has been identified as a “friend” of the Patriot Prayer group, was fatally shot.
When asked by reporters why he was not condemning his own supporters who brought paintball guns to the Portland demonstration, Trump insisted that they brought them to defend themselves.
“Paint is a defensive mechanism,” Trump said. “Paint is not bullets.”
Biden released his own statement on Monday night, urging Trump to join him in plainly denouncing all types of violence at protests. Biden accused Trump of being “too scared” to call for the violence to end.
“Tonight, the president declined to rebuke violence. He wouldn’t even repudiate one of his supporters who is charged with murder because of his attacks on others,” Biden said. “He is too weak, too scared of the hatred he has stirred to put an end to it.”
“So once again, I urge the president to join me in saying that while peaceful protest is a right — a necessity — violence is wrong, period,” Biden added. “No matter who does it, no matter what political affiliation they have. Period.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-31--White House Says Trump Won't Comment On Kyle Rittenhouse

White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany reaffirmed Monday that President Donald Trump won ’ t yet comment on Kyle Rittenhouse , the teenager charged with fatally shooting two protesters in Kenosha , Wisconsin .
“ The president is not going to again weigh in on that , ” McEnany told a reporter who asked if Trump condemned Rittenhouse ’ s actions .
“ You can ask him this evening .
He may weigh in further , but at the moment he ’ s not weighing in to that.
” Rittenhouse , a 17-year-old from Illinois , has been charged with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ three demonstrators , killing two of them , who were protesting police brutality after police shot Jacob Blake , a 29-year-old Black man in Kenosha .
Trump said Sunday that he would eventually have a comment on the matter .
“ That ’ s under investigation right now , and they ’ ll be reporting back to me over the next 24 hours , 48 hours maybe max , and we ’ ll have a comment about it , ” he told reporters .
The president , however , did appear to take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ damaged buildings and other property as they take to the streets , but the demonstrations have been otherwise peaceful .
“ It ’ s a great state , Wisconsin , great state , and they should not have to put up with what they went through , ” Trump said .
“ So the National Guard has done a fantastic job.
” Donald Trump Jr. , the president ’ s son , is pushing the narrative that Rittenhouse was only attempting to safeguard the community .
He retweeted a post on Friday claiming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to “ protect businesses and offer medical support to people , even the rioters ” ― even though there ’ s no evidence he provided “ medical support ” to anyone .

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White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany reaffirmed Monday that President Donald Trump won’t yet comment on Kyle Rittenhouse, the teenager charged with fatally shooting two protesters in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
“The president is not going to again weigh in on that,” McEnany told a reporter who asked if Trump condemned Rittenhouse’s actions. “You can ask him this evening. He may weigh in further, but at the moment he’s not weighing in to that.”
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Rittenhouse, a 17-year-old from Illinois, has been charged with homicide. He is accused of shooting three demonstrators, killing two of them, who were protesting police brutality after police shot Jacob Blake, a 29-year-old Black man in Kenosha.
Trump said Sunday that he would eventually have a comment on the matter.
“That’s under investigation right now, and they’ll be reporting back to me over the next 24 hours, 48 hours maybe max, and we’ll have a comment about it,” he told reporters.
The president, however, did appear to take a jab at protesters. Some have damaged buildings and other property as they take to the streets, but the demonstrations have been otherwise peaceful.
“It’s a great state, Wisconsin, great state, and they should not have to put up with what they went through,” Trump said. “So the National Guard has done a fantastic job.”
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-31--Maryland State Official Fired For Supporting Kenosha Shooting Suspect On Facebook

Maryland Gov .
Larry Hogan ’ s ( R ) administration dismissed a top official for a series of social media posts in which he expressed his support for the teen suspect in last week ’ s Kenosha , Wisconsin , shootings .
Arthur “ Mac ” Love IV had served as deputy director of the Governor ’ s Office of Community Initiatives since 2015 .
On Saturday , screenshots of posts that Love had reportedly made to a Facebook group called Inside Maryland Politics under the name “ Mac Love ” began circulating on Twitter and other social media @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , one of Love ’ s posts showed an image of Kenosha shooting suspect Kyle Rittenhouse cleaning graffiti with the caption , “ I ’ m grateful that conservatives are rallying behind this kid .
He genuinely seems like a good person.
” On Twitter , Maryland State Delegate Eric Luedtke ( D ) called for Love ’ s firing Saturday alongside a screenshot of one of the offending posts .
This is one of the FB posts by Governor Hogan 's Deputy Director of Community Initiatives .
Who oversees - I 'm @ @ @ @ @ @ @ American History and Culture .
Fire him , @ GovLarryHogan , and issue the Exec Order on use of force you should 've issued months ago .
pic.twitter.com/uNh62cAbtD — Delegate Eric Luedtke ( @ EricLuedtke ) August 29 , 2020 Steve McAdams , who is the executive director for the Governor ’ s Office of Community Initiatives , confirmed in a Monday email sent to HuffPost that he ’ d “ relieved ” Love of his duties over the weekend .
“ These divisive images and statements are inconsistent with the mission and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Initiatives , ” McAdams said .
Kevin Craft , who has served administrative director of the Governor ’ s Commission on African Affairs , would assume Love ’ s duties “ effective immediately , ” he added .
Shareese Churchill , a spokeswoman for Hogan , echoed those sentiments in a separate statement also sent to HuffPost .
“ These posts are obviously totally inappropriate , ” she wrote .
“ We fully support the immediate actions taken by Director McAdams to address this matter.
” Speaking to The Washington Post Sunday , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about his termination through cable news before receiving official word that morning , but otherwise declined to comment .
“ There ’ s a lot more to say and that I ’ d love to say , ” he said .
“ But I don ’ t know if I ’ m allowed to.
” Rittenhouse , 17 , was arrested last week after allegedly opening fire on a group of protesters responding to the police shooting of Jacob Blake , a Black Wisconsin man .
The Illinois native faces multiple felony charges @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deaths of Anthony Huber , 26 , and Joseph Rosenbaum , 36 .
Gaige Grosskreutz , 26 , was also allegedly shot in the arm by Rittenhouse , but is expected to survive .

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Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan’s (R) administration dismissed a top official for a series of social media posts in which he expressed his support for the teen suspect in last week’s Kenosha, Wisconsin, shootings.
Arthur “Mac” Love IV had served as deputy director of the Governor’s Office of Community Initiatives since 2015.
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On Saturday, screenshots of posts that Love had reportedly made to a Facebook group called Inside Maryland Politics under the name “Mac Love” began circulating on Twitter and other social media platforms.
According to the Baltimore Sun, one of Love’s posts showed an image of Kenosha shooting suspect Kyle Rittenhouse cleaning graffiti with the caption, “I’m grateful that conservatives are rallying behind this kid. He genuinely seems like a good person.”
On Twitter, Maryland State Delegate Eric Luedtke (D) called for Love’s firing Saturday alongside a screenshot of one of the offending posts.
This is one of the FB posts by Governor Hogan's Deputy Director of Community Initiatives.
Who oversees - I'm not kidding - the Commission on African American History and Culture.
Fire him, @GovLarryHogan, and issue the Exec Order on use of force you should've issued months ago. pic.twitter.com/uNh62cAbtD — Delegate Eric Luedtke (@EricLuedtke) August 29, 2020
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Steve McAdams, who is the executive director for the Governor’s Office of Community Initiatives, confirmed in a Monday email sent to HuffPost that he’d “relieved” Love of his duties over the weekend.
“These divisive images and statements are inconsistent with the mission and core values of the Office of Community Initiatives,” McAdams said.
Kevin Craft, who has served administrative director of the Governor’s Commission on African Affairs, would assume Love’s duties “effective immediately,” he added.
Shareese Churchill, a spokeswoman for Hogan, echoed those sentiments in a separate statement also sent to HuffPost.
“These posts are obviously totally inappropriate,” she wrote. “We fully support the immediate actions taken by Director McAdams to address this matter.”
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Speaking to The Washington Post Sunday, Love said he’d first learned about his termination through cable news before receiving official word that morning, but otherwise declined to comment.
“There’s a lot more to say and that I’d love to say,” he said. “But I don’t know if I’m allowed to.”
Rittenhouse, 17, was arrested last week after allegedly opening fire on a group of protesters responding to the police shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black Wisconsin man. The Illinois native faces multiple felony charges, including first-degree murder, in the deaths of Anthony Huber, 26, and Joseph Rosenbaum, 36.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-31--U.S. Faces A ‘Perfect Storm’ Of Political Violence Heading Into November Election

Photo : Nathan Howard/Getty Images A Portland police officer points a less-lethal weapon at anti-police protesters a day after political violence left one person dead , on Aug. 30 , 2020 , in Portland , Oregon .
Law enforcement and other authorities used force while intervening in nearly 400 Black Lives Matter protests since police killed George Floyd in May , according to new data that paints the clearest portrait yet of the historic unrest that ’ s swept across the U.S. this summer .
Figures from the U.S. Crisis Monitor offer a bleak forecast of escalating political violence heading @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the protests have been nonviolent , police or other authorities intervened in about 725 Black Lives Matter protests in the U.S. between May 24 and Aug. 22 , sometimes using force — including tear gas , rubber bullets , or beating demonstrators with batons , data shows .
There were also over 100 instances of government violence directed against the media during this period .
On top of that , the Crisis Monitor ― a joint effort of the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project , a nongovernmental organization , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ― identified over 100 instances of non-state actors , including at least 20 distinct far-right militia groups , intervening in Black Lives Matter demonstrations , sometimes violently , since May 24 .
“ I think we have all of the pieces at hand to make a perfect storm , so to speak , as we march closer and closer to the election , ” said Dr. Roudabeh Kishi , the director of research and innovation for ACLED ’ s U.S. Crisis Monitor .
There were nearly 11,000 demonstrations in the U.S. between May @ @ @ @ @ @ @ terrifying instances of state repression , including the violent removal of protesters outside the White House to make room for a presidential photo-op , and the abduction of protesters by federal agents into unmarked vans driving around Portland , Oregon .
There have also been increasing instances of far-right vigilantes confronting left-wing protesters .
In the past week , three people have been shot and killed at demonstrations .
Last Tuesday in Kenosha , Wisconsin , a 17-year-old , marching with a local group of armed vigilantes , allegedly shot and killed two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ On Saturday , a member of the far-right group Patriot Prayer , which is known for violently attacking leftists in the northwestern U.S. , was shot and killed during a pro-Trump demonstration in Portland .
“ We ’ re seeing increased violence , like in the streets , within demonstrations .
We ’ re seeing increased heavy-handedness by the state , ” Kishi told HuffPost .
“ We ’ re seeing increased proliferation of groups like militias that are taking up arms , some of whom are becoming violent , like we just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , when the U.S. was experiencing a wave of unrest over the horrific abuses of immigrants at government detention camps , police or government forces only intervened in about 2 % of demonstrations , Kishi said .
This July , those forces clamped down on 9 % of protests .
Kishi said these trends , combined with hostile rhetoric from the White House and the way social media platforms allow extremists to mobilize , make her very worried about the coming months .
Right-wing groups have organized about 360 demonstrations in opposition to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ banner of “ Blue Lives Matter.
” Some demonstrations were also organized in support of President Donald Trump or Confederate statues .
This adds to recent findings from the Centre for Analysis of the Radical Right , which identified nearly 500 incidents of vigilantes or far-right activists confronting Black Lives Matter demonstrators since May .
It ’ s this type of messaging from the White House , in support of state repression of protests and tacit tolerance of far-right vigilantes , that has Kishi and the team at ACLED so worried .

A Portland police officer points a less-lethal weapon at anti-police protesters a day after political violence left one person dead, on Aug. 30, 2020, in Portland, Oregon. Photo:Nathan Howard/Getty Images
Law enforcement and other authorities used force while intervening in nearly 400 Black Lives Matter protests since police killed George Floyd in May, according to new data that paints the clearest portrait yet of the historic unrest that’s swept across the U.S. this summer.
Figures from the U.S. Crisis Monitor offer a bleak forecast of escalating political violence heading into a contentious election. While most of the protests have been nonviolent, police or other authorities intervened in about 725 Black Lives Matter protests in the U.S. between May 24 and Aug. 22, sometimes using force — including tear gas, rubber bullets, or beating demonstrators with batons, data shows. There were also over 100 instances of government violence directed against the media during this period.
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On top of that, the Crisis Monitor ― a joint effort of the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project, a nongovernmental organization, and the Bridging Divides Initiative at Princeton University ― identified over 100 instances of non-state actors, including at least 20 distinct far-right militia groups, intervening in Black Lives Matter demonstrations, sometimes violently, since May 24.
There were also dozens of cases of individual perpetrators, some linked to white supremacist groups like the KKK, driving vehicles into Black Lives Matter demonstrators.
And things could get worse.
“I think we have all of the pieces at hand to make a perfect storm, so to speak, as we march closer and closer to the election,” said Dr. Roudabeh Kishi, the director of research and innovation for ACLED’s U.S. Crisis Monitor.
There were nearly 11,000 demonstrations in the U.S. between May 24 and Aug. 22 ― accompanied by terrifying instances of state repression, including the violent removal of protesters outside the White House to make room for a presidential photo-op, and the abduction of protesters by federal agents into unmarked vans driving around Portland, Oregon. There have also been increasing instances of far-right vigilantes confronting left-wing protesters.
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In the past week, three people have been shot and killed at demonstrations. Last Tuesday in Kenosha, Wisconsin, a 17-year-old, marching with a local group of armed vigilantes, allegedly shot and killed two anti-racist protesters and severely injured another. On Saturday, a member of the far-right group Patriot Prayer, which is known for violently attacking leftists in the northwestern U.S., was shot and killed during a pro-Trump demonstration in Portland.
Another long, hot summer in America: The Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project identified nearly 11,000 demonstrations in the U.S. between May 24 and Aug. 22, 2020. ACLED
“We’re seeing increased violence, like in the streets, within demonstrations. We’re seeing increased heavy-handedness by the state,” Kishi told HuffPost. “We’re seeing increased proliferation of groups like militias that are taking up arms, some of whom are becoming violent, like we just saw in Kenosha.”
There’s been a sharp increase in the state cracking down on protests when compared to last year, Kishi said.
In July 2019, when the U.S. was experiencing a wave of unrest over the horrific abuses of immigrants at government detention camps, police or government forces only intervened in about 2% of demonstrations, Kishi said. This July, those forces clamped down on 9% of protests.
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Kishi said these trends, combined with hostile rhetoric from the White House and the way social media platforms allow extremists to mobilize, make her very worried about the coming months.
Right-wing groups have organized about 360 demonstrations in opposition to Black Lives Matter, often under the banner of “Blue Lives Matter.” Some demonstrations were also organized in support of President Donald Trump or Confederate statues.
All told, according to ACLED’s data, over 40 of those right-wing demonstrations have resulted in violence since May.
This adds to recent findings from the Centre for Analysis of the Radical Right, which identified nearly 500 incidents of vigilantes or far-right activists confronting Black Lives Matter demonstrators since May.
Those incidents include 64 cases of simple assault, 38 cases of vigilantes driving cars into demonstrators, and nine times that shots were fired at protesters.
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At least six left-wing protesters have been shot during the demonstrations, three of whom died.
The president, meanwhile, has attempted to make “law and order” a central pillar of his campaign, in part by signaling his opposition to the nationwide protests.
On Sunday, Trump lashed out against “antifa” and Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler.
“The people of Portland won’t put up with no safety any longer,” Trump tweeted. “The Mayor is a FOOL. Bring in the National Guard!”
Also Monday, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany refused to say whether the president would condemn the killing of two protesters in Kenosha.
It’s this type of messaging from the White House, in support of state repression of protests and tacit tolerance of far-right vigilantes, that has Kishi and the team at ACLED so worried.
“I think as you’re closer to November, this hyperpolarization is kind of coming to a front,” Kishi said.
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The weeks immediately before and after the election could be particularly fraught, Kishi warned, pointing to the possibility of widespread voter suppression and growing uncertainty about whether Americans will accept the election’s results.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-31--White House Posts Fake Video Of Joe Biden 'Sleeping' During TV Interview

A video manipulated to make it appear as if Joe Biden were sleeping during a TV interview is being condemned by , of all people , Harry Belafonte .
White House deputy chief of staff Dan Scavino posted a faked video Sunday night on Twitter that showed the former vice president appearing to be sound asleep and snoring as an interview was set to begin .
However , the video is faked , with Biden ’ s face digitally place on Belafonte ’ s body , according to CBS Sacramento anchor John Dabkovich , who said he was in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This is fake .
You know how I know ?
I was the coanchor in studio .
We were interviewing Harry Belafonte .
https : //t.co/gPRU9JGyI7 — John Dabkovich ( @ JohnDabkovich ) August 31 , 2020 A YouTube clip of the original Belafonte interview shows the footage used for Scavino ’ s manipulated tweet took place in October 2011 .
The interviewer can be heard referring to “ Harry.
” Although Twitter has labeled Scavino ’ s tweet as “ manipulated media , ” it remains on the site .
HuffPost reached @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he did not immediately respond .
Many Twitter users have condemned Scavino ’ s stunt , but none more forcefully than singer and actor Belafonte , who has long fought for civil rights .
Harry Belafonte on the manipulated video featuring him tweeted by Scavino , a dep WH chief of staff : “ They keep stooping lower and lower .
A technical glitch in an interview I did 9 years ago now becomes another one of their lies , more of their fake news ... ” 1/ — Maggie Haberman ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ ...
I beg every sane American-please vote them out .
I knew many who gave their life for the right to vote .
Never has it been so vital to exercise that right.
” — Maggie Haberman ( @ maggieNYT ) August 31 , 2020 Important conversations are happening now .
Add your voice !
Join HuffPost Today !

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A video manipulated to make it appear as if Joe Biden were sleeping during a TV interview is being condemned by, of all people, Harry Belafonte.
White House deputy chief of staff Dan Scavino posted a faked video Sunday night on Twitter that showed the former vice president appearing to be sound asleep and snoring as an interview was set to begin.
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However, the video is faked, with Biden’s face digitally place on Belafonte’s body, according to CBS Sacramento anchor John Dabkovich, who said he was in the studio when the interview took place.
This is fake. You know how I know? I was the coanchor in studio.
We were interviewing Harry Belafonte. https://t.co/gPRU9JGyI7 — John Dabkovich (@JohnDabkovich) August 31, 2020
A YouTube clip of the original Belafonte interview shows the footage used for Scavino’s manipulated tweet took place in October 2011. The interviewer can be heard referring to “Harry.”
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Although Twitter has labeled Scavino’s tweet as “manipulated media,” it remains on the site.
HuffPost reached out to Scavino for comment, but he did not immediately respond.
Many Twitter users have condemned Scavino’s stunt, but none more forcefully than singer and actor Belafonte, who has long fought for civil rights.
Harry Belafonte on the manipulated video featuring him tweeted by Scavino, a dep WH chief of staff: “They keep stooping lower and lower. A technical glitch in an interview I did 9 years ago now becomes another one of their lies, more of their fake news...” 1/ — Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) August 31, 2020


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-31--DNC Speaker Ady Barkan Demands Apology After GOP Rep. Posts Doctored Video

The second-ranking Republican in the House of Representatives triggered outrage Sunday after tweeting a doctored video that manipulated the words of progressive activist Ady Barkan .
The video posted by Rep. Steve Scalise ( R-La . )
included a portion of Barkan ’ s videotaped interview with Joe Biden that aired at the Democratic National Convention this month , but was altered to make it appear that the Democratic presidential nominee supports defunding police departments .
He doesn ’ t .
“ These are not my words , ” Barkan , who has Lou Gehrig ’ s disease and uses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ I have lost my ability to speak , but not my agency or my thoughts.
” Barkan accused Scalise and his team of exploiting him for “ your own political gain , ” adding : “ You owe the entire disability community an apology.
” .
@ SteveScalise , These are not my words .
I have lost my ability to speak , but not my agency or my thoughts .
You and your team have doctored my words for your own political gain .
Please remove this video immediately .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ apology .
https : //t.co/N6G5RgMXlO — Ady Barkan ( @ AdyBarkan ) August 30 , 2020 “ While Joe Biden clearly said ‘ yes , ’ twice , to the question of his support to redirect money away from police , we will honor the request of [ Barkan ] and remove the portion of his interview from our video , ” Scalise tweeted .
The congressman could potentially face the threat of censure from the House for violating its Code of Official Conduct , which prohibits posting falsified media to manipulate an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden , Barkan discussed the possibility of redirecting some funding for armed policing to services like mental health counseling .
He asked Biden : “ Do we agree that we can redirect some of the funding ?
” Biden responded : “ Yes , absolutely.
” Biden has clarified , however , that redirecting funds is not the same as defunding police .
In the manipulated clip that Scalise posted , Barkan appears to ask Biden about redirecting “ some of the funding for police ?
” The final two words actually come @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Donald Trump and GOP lawmakers continue to falsely insist that Biden supports defunding police .
Trump was caught off guard in an interview last month when he insisted to Chris Wallace on Fox News that Biden aimed to defund the police and had said so in a position paper .
Yet Trump was unable to find such a statement after hunting for it .
In fact , Biden proposes increasing funding for police departments that meet certain standards .
Critics on Twitter — including Biden and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ( D-Calif. ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who co-founded the Be a Hero political action committee with Barkan , called the manipulation “ horrific.
” Another critic called it “ truly scuzzy.
” Let me be clear .
@ AdyBarkan uses assistive technology to speak and navigate the world .
I 've seen how hard it is .
I 've seen him lose his ability to speak .
What he says matters .
His words are his own .
To change his words like this is horrific .
Take it down .
Apologize .
https : //t.co/l1iTzNRRMn — Liz - @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) August 30 , 2020 What 's amazing is your spin ... Why do n't you own what happened , and acknowledge that your team changed the words because they could .
You abused the fact ady uses the voice of `` Microsoft Dave '' , and you changed his words ... .
This is not an apology , this is a slimy back up .
https : //t.co/R8tcX7mjhF — Liz - We 're doing it ( @ lizjaff ) August 31 , 2020 .
@ SteveScalise tried to steal @ AdyBarkan ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ votes to repeal or undermine Americans ’ health care .
Now , he ’ s trying to steal Ady ’ s words by lying .
Congressman Scalise must take his doctored video down and apologize immediately .
https : //t.co/sWlufPsazf — Nancy Pelosi ( @ SpeakerPelosi ) August 30 , 2020 This is so wrong on so many levels , but so on brand for someone in the GOP .
I ’ m a retired speech language pathologist .
It ’ s like they are taking his voice and human agency for independent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
— AM Halo ( @ emmalinesadie ) August 30 , 2020

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The second-ranking Republican in the House of Representatives triggered outrage Sunday after tweeting a doctored video that manipulated the words of progressive activist Ady Barkan.
The video posted by Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.) included a portion of Barkan’s videotaped interview with Joe Biden that aired at the Democratic National Convention this month, but was altered to make it appear that the Democratic presidential nominee supports defunding police departments. He doesn’t.
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“These are not my words,” Barkan, who has Lou Gehrig’s disease and uses voice assistive technology, tweeted at Scalise. “I have lost my ability to speak, but not my agency or my thoughts.”
Twitter labeled the video as “manipulated media” on Sunday following complaints.
Barkan accused Scalise and his team of exploiting him for “your own political gain,” adding: “You owe the entire disability community an apology.”
.@SteveScalise,
These are not my words.
I have lost my ability to speak, but not my agency or my thoughts.
You and your team have doctored my words for your own political gain.
Please remove this video immediately. You owe the entire disability community an apology. https://t.co/N6G5RgMXlO — Ady Barkan (@AdyBarkan) August 30, 2020
Scalise finally removed the tweet Sunday night — but only after defending it.
“While Joe Biden clearly said ‘yes,’ twice, to the question of his support to redirect money away from police, we will honor the request of [Barkan] and remove the portion of his interview from our video,” Scalise tweeted.
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The congressman could potentially face the threat of censure from the House for violating its Code of Official Conduct, which prohibits posting falsified media to manipulate an election.
In his real interview with Biden, Barkan discussed the possibility of redirecting some funding for armed policing to services like mental health counseling. He asked Biden: “Do we agree that we can redirect some of the funding?” Biden responded: “Yes, absolutely.” Biden has clarified, however, that redirecting funds is not the same as defunding police.
In the manipulated clip that Scalise posted, Barkan appears to ask Biden about redirecting “some of the funding for police?” The final two words actually come from elsewhere in the video.
President Donald Trump and GOP lawmakers continue to falsely insist that Biden supports defunding police. Trump was caught off guard in an interview last month when he insisted to Chris Wallace on Fox News that Biden aimed to defund the police and had said so in a position paper. Yet Trump was unable to find such a statement after hunting for it. In fact, Biden proposes increasing funding for police departments that meet certain standards.
Scalise’s video was an attempt to manipulate the record on Biden’s position.
Critics on Twitter — including Biden and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) — were stunned. Liz Jaff, who co-founded the Be a Hero political action committee with Barkan, called the manipulation “horrific.” Another critic called it “truly scuzzy.”
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Let me be clear. @AdyBarkan uses assistive technology to speak and navigate the world. I've seen how hard it is. I've seen him lose his ability to speak. What he says matters. His words are his own.
To change his words like this is horrific.
Take it down. Apologize. https://t.co/l1iTzNRRMn — Liz - We're doing it (@lizjaff) August 30, 2020
What's amazing is your spin... Why don't you own what happened, and acknowledge that your team changed the words because they could. You abused the fact ady uses the voice of "Microsoft Dave", and you changed his words.... This is not an apology, this is a slimy back up. https://t.co/R8tcX7mjhF — Liz - We're doing it (@lizjaff) August 31, 2020
This video is doctored — and a flagrant attempt to spread misinformation at the expense of a man who uses assistive technology.
It should be removed. Now. https://t.co/Bnv5H2NhZT — Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) August 30, 2020
.@SteveScalise tried to steal @AdyBarkan’s health care with more than 60 votes to repeal or undermine Americans’ health care.
Now, he’s trying to steal Ady’s words by lying.
Congressman Scalise must take his doctored video down and apologize immediately. https://t.co/sWlufPsazf — Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) August 30, 2020
This is not surprising, but it is sickening. ALS already stole @AdyBarkan’s voice, GOP propagandists don’t get to take it too. https://t.co/bbFRJDyxqM — Rachael King (@rachael_scar) August 30, 2020
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Steve Scalise @SteveScalise should be censured by Congress and forced to resign.
This loathsome manipulation of Ady’s voice for political gain is simply unconscionable.
And then Scalise defended it. — mollyswordmcdonough 🌊 (@mollysmcdonough) August 30, 2020
.@SteveScalise this is unconscionable. You need to apologize to @AdyBarkan now and then go think long and hard through your life choices. — ilyseh (@ilyseh) August 30, 2020
This is so wrong on so many levels, but so on brand for someone in the GOP. I’m a retired speech language pathologist. It’s like they are taking his voice and human agency for independent speech away. I am just livid. — AM Halo (@emmalinesadie) August 30, 2020
That is horrible & exploitive. Absolutely disgusting if some pathic anonymous troll pulled a stunt like this, but this is unacceptable for a representative of the people. It's truely loathsome & unforgivable for someone who purportedly cares about ALS patients/disabled community. — Tracy Lou (@TracyLou3) August 30, 2020
Hayley Miller contributed reporting.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-31--Appeals Court Again Rules Out House Subpoena For Former White House Counsel

ASSOCIATED PRESS In this Sept. 27 , 2018 , file photo , then-White House counsel Don McGahn listens as Supreme court nominee Brett Kavanaugh testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington .
WASHINGTON ( AP ) — A federal appeals court panel on Monday again threw out a lawsuit by House Democrats to compel former White House counsel Don McGahn to appear before a congressional committee .
In a 2-1 ruling , U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit held that the House of Representatives lacks the authority under the Constitution or federal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ subpoena against an executive branch official .
The latest decision comes weeks after the full appeals court rejected the panel ’ s initial ruling that would have ended the court fight over whether McGahn must testify before the House Judiciary Committee as part of its investigation of potential obstruction of justice by President Donald Trump during special counsel Robert Mueller ’ s Russia investigation .
Court cases over the testimony of presidential advisers are rare because the White House and Congress typically reach an agreement .
But Trump directed McGahn not to appear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enforce the subpoena that was first issued in April 2019 .
With time running out on the current House session , which ends on Jan. 3 , the prospect that McGahn would have to testify already was remote .
House lawmakers had sought McGahn ’ s testimony because he was a vital witness for Mueller , whose report detailed the president ’ s outrage over the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election and Trump ’ s efforts to curtail it .

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WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal appeals court panel on Monday again threw out a lawsuit by House Democrats to compel former White House counsel Don McGahn to appear before a congressional committee.
In a 2-1 ruling, U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit held that the House of Representatives lacks the authority under the Constitution or federal law to ask courts to enforce a subpoena against an executive branch official.
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The latest decision comes weeks after the full appeals court rejected the panel’s initial ruling that would have ended the court fight over whether McGahn must testify before the House Judiciary Committee as part of its investigation of potential obstruction of justice by President Donald Trump during special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation.
In this Sept. 27, 2018, file photo, then-White House counsel Don McGahn listens as Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington. ASSOCIATED PRESS
Court cases over the testimony of presidential advisers are rare because the White House and Congress typically reach an agreement. But Trump directed McGahn not to appear and the Democratic-controlled House filed suit to enforce the subpoena that was first issued in April 2019.
With time running out on the current House session, which ends on Jan. 3, the prospect that McGahn would have to testify already was remote.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-31--Steve Scalise Defends His Use Of Altered Biden Interview With Activist

Rep. Steve Scalise ( R-La . )
defended using a video from the Democratic National Convention which was edited deceptively to make it appear as if Joe Biden said he supported defunding police departments — which the Democratic presidential nominee does not .
During an interview with “ Fox & Friends ” on Monday , Scalise said that the video “ shouldn ’ t have been edited ” but claimed that the message of the doctored video was still accurate .
“ Look , it shouldn ’ t have been edited , ” Scalise told the show ’ s anchors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the comments were always about , in fact , twice in that interview he asked Joe Biden if he was for redirecting money away from police .
And in both times , Joe Biden said yes.
” “ If you ’ re a police officer and they ’ re redirecting money away from you , it ’ s going to make it harder for police officers to do their job , ” he said .
In the doctored video shared by Scalise , progressive activist Ady Barkan , who has Lou Gehrig @ @ @ @ @ @ @ technology to speak , appears to ask Biden if he would agree to “ redirect some of the funding for police.
” The words “ for police ” were cut from another part of the interview and added to Barkan ’ s original question : “ Do we agree that we can redirect some of that funding ?
” .
@ SteveScalise , These are not my words .
I have lost my ability to speak , but not my agency or my thoughts .
You and your team have doctored my words @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remove this video immediately .
You owe the entire disability community an apology .
https : //t.co/N6G5RgMXlO — Ady Barkan ( @ AdyBarkan ) August 30 , 2020 In Biden ’ s original interview with Barkan , the two had a more general discussion on police reform and redirecting funding for armed police officers to other social services , including mental health and social services — which is different than completely defunding police departments altogether .
After Barkan ’ s interview with the former vice president was published , Biden later clarified that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ We don ’ t have to defund the police departments , we have to make sure they meet minimum basic standards of decency , ” the Democratic presidential nominee told reporters on the day his interview with Barakan aired , according to The Associated Press .
“ Biden supports the urgent need for reform — including funding for public schools , summer programs , and mental health and substance abuse treatment separate from funding for policing — so that officers can focus on the job of policing , ” Andrew Bates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Barkan called on Scalise to take down the doctored video and called on the Republican to apologize to the disability community .
“ I have lost my ability to speak , but not my agency or my thoughts , ” Barkan tweeted .
“ You and your team have doctored my words for your own political gain .
”

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Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.) defended using a video from the Democratic National Convention which was edited deceptively to make it appear as if Joe Biden said he supported defunding police departments — which the Democratic presidential nominee does not.
During an interview with “Fox & Friends” on Monday, Scalise said that the video “shouldn’t have been edited” but claimed that the message of the doctored video was still accurate.
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“Look, it shouldn’t have been edited,” Scalise told the show’s anchors. “But at the same time, the comments were always about, in fact, twice in that interview he asked Joe Biden if he was for redirecting money away from police. And in both times, Joe Biden said yes.”
Scalise also inaccurately suggested that “redirecting” funding and “defunding” police departments are “the same thing.”
“If you’re a police officer and they’re redirecting money away from you, it’s going to make it harder for police officers to do their job,” he said.
In the doctored video shared by Scalise, progressive activist Ady Barkan, who has Lou Gehrig’s disease and uses voice assistive technology to speak, appears to ask Biden if he would agree to “redirect some of the funding for police.”
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Biden replied: “Yes, absolutely.”
The words “for police” were cut from another part of the interview and added to Barkan’s original question: “Do we agree that we can redirect some of that funding?”
.@SteveScalise,
These are not my words.
I have lost my ability to speak, but not my agency or my thoughts.
You and your team have doctored my words for your own political gain.
Please remove this video immediately. You owe the entire disability community an apology. https://t.co/N6G5RgMXlO — Ady Barkan (@AdyBarkan) August 30, 2020
In Biden’s original interview with Barkan, the two had a more general discussion on police reform and redirecting funding for armed police officers to other social services, including mental health and social services — which is different than completely defunding police departments altogether.
After Barkan’s interview with the former vice president was published, Biden later clarified that he does not support defunding the police.
“We don’t have to defund the police departments, we have to make sure they meet minimum basic standards of decency,” the Democratic presidential nominee told reporters on the day his interview with Barakan aired, according to The Associated Press.
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Biden’s campaign also told AP that Biden supported police reform so officers could focus more on “policing.”
“Biden supports the urgent need for reform — including funding for public schools, summer programs, and mental health and substance abuse treatment separate from funding for policing — so that officers can focus on the job of policing,” Andrew Bates, Biden’s spokesperson, said.
Barkan called on Scalise to take down the doctored video and called on the Republican to apologize to the disability community.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-31--Joe Biden Condemns Violence At Protests: 'Rioting Is Not Protesting'

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden forcefully condemned violence and looting after another weekend of deadly clashes between protesters , supporters of President Donald Trump and police officers in several U.S. cities .
“ Rioting is not protesting .
Looting is not protesting .
Setting fires is not protesting .
None of this is protesting .
It ’ s lawlessness , plain and simple .
... Violence will not bring change .
It will only bring destruction .
It ’ s wrong in every way , ” Biden said during a speech in Pittsburgh Monday .
Biden also pushed back on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to paint of him as being soft on crime and of being beholden to the far-left elements of his party .
The monthslong protests against racial injustice and police brutality that began earlier this summer after the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis were fueled again this month after Jacob Blake was shot seven times in the back by a Kenosha , Wisconsin , police officer .
A man was shot and killed in downtown Portland , Oregon , Saturday night after a large group of Trump supporters and members of a violent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ through the city .
Videos posted online showed fights breaking out between Trump supporters and the protesters .
Trump tweeted “ Rest In Peace ” about the man killed Saturday .
Last week , prosecutors charged a 17-year-old for shooting three people , killing two , during protests against police brutality in Kenosha after joining up with a group of vigilantes seeking to “ protect ” public property .
Minneapolis was hit by a second wave of looting last week , and businesses reported storefronts burned in Portland and Kenosha over the weekend @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to turn to images of violent protests in U.S. cities in an attempt to fire up his supporters — and , more important , make suburban voters who may not personally like the president hold their nose and vote for him anyway .
Biden rejected that characterization on Monday by once again accusing Trump of stoking flames of racial discord in order to bolster his reelection chances in November .
“ This president long ago forfeited any moral leadership in this country .
He can ’ t stop the violence — because for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden said in his speech .
“ He may believe mouthing the words ‘ law and order ’ makes him strong , but his failure to call on his own supporters to stop acting as an armed militia in this country shows you how weak he is.
” “ Does anyone believe there will be less violence in America if Donald Trump is reelected ?
” Biden added .
Biden tried to turn the tables on Trump by calling him out for remaining silent on the actions of Kyle Rittenhouse , the teen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Trump ’ s “ failure to call on his own supporters to stop acting as an armed militia shows how weak he is , ” Biden said .
Asked Monday during a press briefing whether Trump condemns the actions of Rittenhouse , White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said , “ The president is not going to weigh in on that .
”

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Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden forcefully condemned violence and looting after another weekend of deadly clashes between protesters, supporters of President Donald Trump and police officers in several U.S. cities.
“Rioting is not protesting. Looting is not protesting. Setting fires is not protesting. None of this is protesting. It’s lawlessness, plain and simple. ... Violence will not bring change. It will only bring destruction. It’s wrong in every way,” Biden said during a speech in Pittsburgh Monday.
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“We must not burn. We have to build,” the former vice president added.
Biden also pushed back on the image Trump and Republicans have tried to paint of him as being soft on crime and of being beholden to the far-left elements of his party.
“Ask yourself: Do I look like a radical socialist with a soft spot for rioting? Really?” Biden asked.
The monthslong protests against racial injustice and police brutality that began earlier this summer after the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis were fueled again this month after Jacob Blake was shot seven times in the back by a Kenosha, Wisconsin, police officer.
A man was shot and killed in downtown Portland, Oregon, Saturday night after a large group of Trump supporters and members of a violent far-right group drove a caravan of cars through the city. Videos posted online showed fights breaking out between Trump supporters and the protesters. Trump tweeted “Rest In Peace” about the man killed Saturday.
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Last week, prosecutors charged a 17-year-old for shooting three people, killing two, during protests against police brutality in Kenosha after joining up with a group of vigilantes seeking to “protect” public property.
Minneapolis was hit by a second wave of looting last week, and businesses reported storefronts burned in Portland and Kenosha over the weekend.
Trump’s campaign has sought to turn to images of violent protests in U.S. cities in an attempt to fire up his supporters — and, more important, make suburban voters who may not personally like the president hold their nose and vote for him anyway.
Biden rejected that characterization on Monday by once again accusing Trump of stoking flames of racial discord in order to bolster his reelection chances in November.
“This president long ago forfeited any moral leadership in this country. He can’t stop the violence — because for years he has fomented it,” Biden said in his speech. “He may believe mouthing the words ‘law and order’ makes him strong, but his failure to call on his own supporters to stop acting as an armed militia in this country shows you how weak he is.”
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“Does anyone believe there will be less violence in America if Donald Trump is reelected?” Biden added.
Biden tried to turn the tables on Trump by calling him out for remaining silent on the actions of Kyle Rittenhouse, the teen charged for killing two protesters in Kenosha. Trump’s “failure to call on his own supporters to stop acting as an armed militia shows how weak he is,” Biden said.
Asked Monday during a press briefing whether Trump condemns the actions of Rittenhouse, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said, “The president is not going to weigh in on that.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-31--Appeals Court Keeps Michael Flynn Case Alive, Won't Order Dismissal

The decision keeps the matter at least temporarily alive and rebuffs efforts by both Flynn ’ s lawyers and the Justice Department to force the prosecution to be dropped without any further inquiry from the judge , who has for months declined to dismiss it .
The ruling represents the latest development in a criminal case that has taken unusual twists and turns over the last year and prompted a separation of powers clash between a veteran federal judge and the Trump administration .
The conflict arose in May when the Justice Department moved to dismiss the prosecution despite Flynn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the FBI about his contacts with the Russian ambassador during the presidential transition period .
But U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan , signaling his skepticism at the government ’ s unusual motion , refused to immediately grant the request and instead appointed a retired federal judge to argue against the Justice Department ’ s position .
His lawyers then sought to bypass Sullivan and obtain a order from the federal appeals court that would have required the judge to immediately force the judge to dismiss the case .
At issue before the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to grant the Justice Department ’ s dismissal request without even holding a hearing to scrutinize the basis for the motion .
“ We have no trouble answering that question in the negative , ” the court wrote in an unsigned opinion for the eight judges in the majority .
In a concurring opinion , U.S. District Judge Thomas Griffith wrote that the court ’ s opinion did not involve the merits of the Justice Department ’ s prosecution of Flynn or its decision to abandon the case .
Rather , he said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one .
“ Today we reach the unexceptional yet important conclusion that a court of appeals should stay its hand and allow the district court to finish its work rather than hear a challenge to a decision not yet made , ” Griffith said .
“ That is a policy the federal courts have followed since the beginning of the Republic.
” He said it was very possible that Sullivan could wind up granting the Justice Department ’ s dismissal request and that it would be “ highly unusual if it did not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prerogative to direct and control prosecutions and the district court ’ s limited discretion ” in cases that prosecutors want dropped .
The Flynn prosecution was a signature criminal case in special counsel Robert Mueller ’ s investigation into ties between the 2016 Trump campaign and Russia .
Flynn was the only person charged in the Mueller investigation who had served in the White House and he agreed months into the investigation to cooperate with the authorities in hopes of receiving a lighter sentence .
He was questioned by the FBI at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s inauguration , about his conversations with the then-Russian ambassador to the U.S. pertaining to sanctions that had just been imposed by the Obama administration for election interference .
The conversation alarmed law enforcement and intelligence officials who were already investigating whether the Trump campaign had coordinated with Russia to sway the presidential election in Trump ’ s favor .
They were puzzled by the White House ’ s public insistence that Flynn and the diplomat had not discussed sanctions .
But the Justice Department argued in May that the FBI had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conversation , which Attorney General William Barr has described as fully appropriate for an incoming national security adviser to have had .

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal appeals court in Washington declined Monday to order the dismissal of the Michael Flynn prosecution, permitting a judge to scrutinize the Justice Department’s request to dismiss its case against President Donald Trump’s former national security adviser.
The decision keeps the matter at least temporarily alive and rebuffs efforts by both Flynn’s lawyers and the Justice Department to force the prosecution to be dropped without any further inquiry from the judge, who has for months declined to dismiss it. The ruling represents the latest development in a criminal case that has taken unusual twists and turns over the last year and prompted a separation of powers clash between a veteran federal judge and the Trump administration.
The conflict arose in May when the Justice Department moved to dismiss the prosecution despite Flynn’s own guilty plea to lying to the FBI about his contacts with the Russian ambassador during the presidential transition period. But U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan, signaling his skepticism at the government’s unusual motion, refused to immediately grant the request and instead appointed a retired federal judge to argue against the Justice Department’s position.
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His lawyers then sought to bypass Sullivan and obtain a order from the federal appeals court that would have required the judge to immediately force the judge to dismiss the case.
At issue before the court was whether Sullivan could be forced to grant the Justice Department’s dismissal request without even holding a hearing to scrutinize the basis for the motion.
“We have no trouble answering that question in the negative,” the court wrote in an unsigned opinion for the eight judges in the majority.
In a concurring opinion, U.S. District Judge Thomas Griffith wrote that the court’s opinion did not involve the merits of the Justice Department’s prosecution of Flynn or its decision to abandon the case. Rather, he said the question was a much more simple one.
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“Today we reach the unexceptional yet important conclusion that a court of appeals should stay its hand and allow the district court to finish its work rather than hear a challenge to a decision not yet made,” Griffith said. “That is a policy the federal courts have followed since the beginning of the Republic.”
He said it was very possible that Sullivan could wind up granting the Justice Department’s dismissal request and that it would be “highly unusual if it did not, given the Executive’s constitutional prerogative to direct and control prosecutions and the district court’s limited discretion” in cases that prosecutors want dropped.
Two judges, Neomi Rao and Karen LeCraft Henderson, each wrote dissenting opinions arguing that Sullivan had overstepped his bounds by keeping alive a case that the Justice Department sought to have dismissed.
The Flynn prosecution was a signature criminal case in special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into ties between the 2016 Trump campaign and Russia. Flynn was the only person charged in the Mueller investigation who had served in the White House and he agreed months into the investigation to cooperate with the authorities in hopes of receiving a lighter sentence.
He was questioned by the FBI at the White House, just days after Trump’s inauguration, about his conversations with the then-Russian ambassador to the U.S. pertaining to sanctions that had just been imposed by the Obama administration for election interference. The conversation alarmed law enforcement and intelligence officials who were already investigating whether the Trump campaign had coordinated with Russia to sway the presidential election in Trump’s favor. They were puzzled by the White House’s public insistence that Flynn and the diplomat had not discussed sanctions.
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But the Justice Department argued in May that the FBI had insufficient basis to interrogate Flynn about that conversation, which Attorney General William Barr has described as fully appropriate for an incoming national security adviser to have had.
____


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-31--Massachusetts’ Senate Primary Has Totally Scrambled Democratic Politics

MediaNews Group/Boston Herald via Getty Images via Getty Images Sen. Ed Markey talks with the media while campaigning on Aug. @ @ @ @ @ .
He faces Rep. Joe Kennedy III in the Democratic Senate primary on Tuesday .
@ @ @ @ @ of these communities has asked me why I ’ m running ” “ All I @ @ @ @ @ my record ” “ It ’ s time to start asking what your country can @ @ @ @

LAWRENCE, Mass. – The yell came clear from the 10th story of an apartment building at the intersection of Essex and Broadway in this heavily Latino, working-class city: “KENNEDY! KENNEDY!”
Massachusetts Rep. Joe Kennedy III, sporting a shock of red hair that makes it clear that yes, that man on your sidewalk is, in fact, a member of America’s most famous political dynasty, looked up and yelled back, asking the woman in Spanish if she planned to vote. Yes, she responded, for him.
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It was the type of scene — a working-class immigrant pledging their vote to a Kennedy in a Democratic Primary — that has powered the family’s political pursuits for more than a century, from Honey Fitz’s first term as mayor of Boston in 1910 all the way through Joe Kennedy III’s first election to the House in 2012.
But Kennedy’s challenge to Democratic Sen. Ed Markey, a race Kennedy was once a near-lock to win, is now providing that dynasty with its biggest test in decades, threatening the Kennedy family with their first ever loss in a Massachusetts statewide race. The contest has scrambled the ideological and generational fissures in the Democratic Party, with the resulting mixture spitting out leads for Markey as the pair headed into the final weekend of campaigning.
It’s a race between two men with widely overlapping voting records and shared positions on key issues that has somehow become an ideological showdown. Kennedy, 39, wants to be the young changemaker candidate. But it’s Markey, the septuagenarian with the backing of progressive firebrands like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and the youth-led climate group Sunrise Movement, who has become an icon for Generation Z.
The two have divided Democratic congressional leaders: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is backing Kennedy, Chuck Schumer is defending Markey. (Most House members have followed Pelosi, senators have stuck with Schumer.)
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And the fight has somehow turned nasty, despite almost everyone involved in the campaigns, and most of the voting public, claiming to have respect for both men running.
There are obvious differences between Markey and Kennedy: One’s a senior citizen, the other’s a millennial; one comes from a working-class background, one is a descendent of the most prominent American political dynasty; one was almost immediately sent into the political spotlight, while the other toiled on congressional backbenches for decades, only leaping to the Senate in a low-profile special election in 2013.
But in a party that often hypes its gender and racial diversity, both are white men. And ― despite the efforts of both campaigns to portray the other as a traitor to the cause of progressivism ― there isn’t too much ideological daylight between their campaign platforms.
But even more than an ideological battle, the race has become a fight over who a senator should be and what they should do. Markey argues his unglamourous work helping cities and towns, combined with his long history of environmental activism culminating in the Green New Deal, has delivered for the state. Kennedy argues Markey has been too low-profile, especially on issues involving racial justice, and is not the type of national leader that Democratic senators from Massachusetts are expected to be — i.e. Kennedys, Elizabeth Warren or John Kerry.
“Everyone asked, ‘Why is Joe Kennedy running against Ed Markey?’ A good chunk of this is going to be, ‘Why should Ed Markey be reelected?’” said Mary Anne Marsh, a Democratic strategist in the state.
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“No one in any of these communities has asked me why I’m running”
Kennedy talks to workers participating in the nationwide Strike for Black Lives on July 20. Brian Snyder / reuters
The first question ― why is Kennedy challenging Markey? ― is one that’s hung over the race, with Kennedy struggling to answer it on occasion. Markey supporters have accused him of wasting precious political money, time and energy on his personal glory.
“There is absolute talent that Joe Kennedy has, but a lot of us are struggling with the rationale,” said Mark DiSalvo, a longtime member of the Massachusetts Democratic Party Committee and strong Markey supporter. “Why do any of us who are active in Massachusetts politics have to be wasting one second of our time and organizing effort and money at swapping out a skilled senator when that time could be spent on defeating Donald Trump, or knocking doors in Maine to flip the United States Senate?”
Kennedy has ultimately settled on the idea that Markey — who was the subject of a 2017 Boston Magazine profile that asked, “Is Ed Markey really the best we can do?” — is not living up to the standard set by famed Massachusetts senators of the past, a cohort that happens to include two of Kennedy’s blood relatives.
“I believe we — Massachusetts, the Democratic Party, the country — need to get an awful lot more out of the seat, because being a senator from Massachusetts comes with an extraordinary platform and political capital that particularly at this time needs to be used,” Kennedy said in an interview with HuffPost. “And I don’t think Senator Markey is doing all that he can in order to use that as effectively as we’ve got to.”
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His uncle, Ted Kennedy, wrote and passed landmark legislation on health care and immigration. John Kerry led crusading investigations of international corruption, became a presidential nominee and then secretary of state. Elizabeth Warren is one of the leaders of the Democratic Party’s progressive wing.
Markey responded to this critique incredulously, noting his leading role in promoting the Green New Deal alongside Ocasio-Cortez. “What does Kennedy — what issue does he lead on nationally?” he asked. “What is that issue?”
“The Green New Deal is great,” Kennedy said, noting that he is also a co-sponsor of the legislation. “The senator’s been in office for 47 years, the Green New Deal was filed 18 months ago.”
Kennedy ticked off the ways Markey isn’t living up to the standard: He lives primarily in Washington, D.C.; he’s been missing votes recently; and he has not become a leader in the party nationally ― Kennedy is quick to note that he campaigned in 20 states during the 2018 midterm election cycle, compared to zero for Markey.
In response Markey ticked off an even longer list of legislation he’s worked on in his life: a push to bring competition into the cable television industry, his campaign to freeze nuclear weapons development; the cap and trade bill that was the closest Congress ever got to seriously confronting climate change.
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These speeches are well rehearsed, and this back and forth has become familiar: Kennedy attempts to paint Markey as a nobody, and Markey rattles of things he’s done over 40 years in office.
In the final days of the race, Kennedy has zeroed in on racial justice, hammering Markey in ways reminiscent of progressive attacks on Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden during the primary campaign, noting a string of ugly votes and positions from across Markey’s long time in office: supporting a constitutional amendment to ban school desegregation via busing; voting for an amendment blocking the IRS from denying tax-exempt status to Bob Jones University, which banned interracial dating; voting for the crime bill in the 1990s.
“He can’t point to a seminal achievement on this issue,” Kennedy said, noting that Markey has released a list of more than 40 pieces of signature legislation, none of which deal directly with race. “I don’t think he’s somehow going to become a racial justice champion.”
Markey admitted he’s taken some bad votes, but race, he said, is at the center of every major piece of legislation he’s pushed, from getting internet access into schools and libraries through the 1996 telecommunications law to the Green New Deal.
On Thursday, Kennedy campaigned with New York Rep. Adriano Espaillat in Lawrence and Chelsea, two of Massachusetts’ “gateway cities” — racially diverse mid-size cities that have struggled as the state’s economy has shifted away from industry and towards technology. Both are among the localities in the state hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic. (Lawrence, in particular, has a significant population of Dominican immigrants. Espaillat was born in the Dominican Republic.)
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But Kennedy’s message isn’t simply aimed at driving up turnout among the Black, Latino and Asian voters who live in those communities. It’s also aimed at persuading the more upscale liberal voters whose increased interest in racial justice has reshaped Democratic politics in recent years. Those voters also happen to be Markey’s base.
“Around this state, a lot of people have asked me why I’m running in this race,” Kennedy said at a press conference in Chelsea, before ticking off a list of diverse cities where he had campaigned in recent days and adding, “No one in any of these communities has asked me why I’m running.”
“All I can do is run on my record”
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and Markey hold a news conference for their proposed Green New Deal in February 2019. Markey's reelection campaign has run an ad touting Ocasio-Cortez's endorsement of him throughout the state. Jonathan Ernst / Reuters
At the start of the summer, Markey wasn’t interested in reflecting, at least not publicly, on why he suddenly found himself in real danger of losing his Senate seat.
“All I can do is run on my record,” Markey told HuffPost in late June. Pressed, he said only, “My opponent has the right to run.”
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Markey hasn’t always been as kind. He and his allies have brushed past the blemishes his record has accumulated (including a vote for the Iraq War) and worked to portray Markey as a leftist champion in a strictly ideological battle, calling Kennedy a “progressive in name only.”
In his stump speech, Markey emphasizes his late-in-the-life transition to progressive star, repeatedly name-dropping Ocasio-Cortez and Massachusetts Rep. Ayanna Pressley, two prominent progressives who upset incumbent congressmen in 2018. He surely mentions intersectionality more than any other 74-year-old white man in the United States. The Markey campaign has aired an ad featuring Ocasio-Cortez speaking direct to the camera thousands of times in the state.
“The problems we are facing today of systemic injustice and inequality require strong, progressive leaders,” Ocasio-Cortez says in the ad. “And Ed Markey is that champion.”
The Sunrise Movement, a group of young climate activists, has played a central role in rebranding Markey as a progressive leader and building up an army of digital activists meme-ing, tweeting and fundraising on his behalf. Mailers from the progressive group Indivisible Action play up his endorsements from Ocasio-Cortez and Warren. (Warren has endorsed Markey, but has avoided directly criticizing Kennedy, a former law student of hers. Both men endorsed her presidential bid.)
But Markey is not exclusively backed by earnest young leftists. Many of his supporters have known him from his decades in Congress, and are the type of state legislators and local officials who progressives would dismiss as irrelevant party hacks in a different race. Even Kennedy conceded that had the Massachusetts Democratic Party held its convention as scheduled (it was canceled due to the pandemic), Markey would have won its endorsement in a landslide.
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And Markey mixes his ideological pitch with a biographical one. Campaigning in Melrose last week, Markey ticked off the various blue-collar jobs he held in high school and while attending Boston College: He worked for a candy factory, delivered mail one Christmas, and drove an ice cream truck over a summer. He never mentioned Kennedy by name, but it wasn’t hard to see the contrast with his more privileged opponent.
Markey has also played up his humble background as a Malden, Massachusetts, native in television ads. But he hasn’t been able to crack Kennedy’s advantage among working-class voters in public polling. (Support among the state’s labor base is split; most of the building unions are backing Kennedy, while the teacher’s unions and service workers have backed Markey.)
Still, it has some effect. Melrose Mayor Paul Brodeur, in an interview after Markey’s appearance, said he had been torn between Kennedy and Markey when the younger man first entered the race. But he endorsed Markey in part because his rags-to-Congress story reminded him of his own family’s journey.
“That synergy resonates for me,” Brodeur said.
But Markey is also arguing he’s been quietly delivering for Massachusetts voters for decades, even if they never heard about it, or forgot about it. His campaign has highlighted Markey’s own forays into the national spotlight, most of which ― a massive rally in Central Park on nuclear disarmament, a speech at the Democratic National Convention on climate change ― came decades ago.
But they’re also making localized arguments: When Markey campaigned in the suburb of Woburn, those who spoke before him highlighted his work to get funds for the cleanup of a toxic waste site nearby, noting it was now an office park that helped keep property taxes low. The campaign is aggressively highlighting a website it designed that lays out how Markey has helped each of the state’s 351 municipalities.
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“It’s time to start asking what your country can do for you”
Kennedy’s fate isn’t sealed. The coronavirus pandemic has led Massachusetts to adopt mail-in voting on a mass scale for the first time, and no one is quite sure how record-high turnout will reshape the Democratic primary electorate in the state. But momentum has definitely shifted toward Markey, and the days of a near-certain Kennedy win are long gone.
If there was a moment that cemented the narrative shift in the race, it was the release of a Markey campaign video on Aug. 13. Much of the video was Markey campaign boilerplate ― progressive policies, working-class biography ― but the final line was the equivalent of a declaration of war in Massachusetts politics.
“With all due respect, it’s time to start asking what your country can do for you,” Markey said, turning the most famous piece of Kennedy family rhetoric on its head.
When the government abandons its people, it’s up to us to rise up and make a revolution. We’re fighting for dignity, for justice, and for our future. Join us at https://t.co/NY8pZcBcFE. #GreenNewDealmaker pic.twitter.com/4V558XjrVw — Ed Markey (@EdMarkey) August 13, 2020
It kicked off a firestorm. Kennedy’s campaign accused Markey of disrespecting one of the most important families in Democratic politics, highlighting memes from Markey supporters mocking the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. And Pelosi cited the line when explaining why she endorsed Kennedy — an endorsement that is appearing in ads from Kennedy’s campaign and a super PAC backing him.
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“I wasn’t too happy with some of the assault that I saw made on the Kennedy family,” she told The Washington Post last week, adding that she “felt an imperative to” endorse him.
Disrespectful or not, it was a quote that inadvertently summed up Markey’s message to the voters of Massachusetts. It was a rebuke of the Kennedy model of senator; an argument that you don’t need to be at the center of the national debate or deliver world-famous speeches or run for president in order to be an effective legislator.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-31--FBI To Help Portland Police Investigate Fatal Shooting At Pro-Trump Caravan

Two federal agencies are stepping in to help local police investigate a fatal shooting that took place after a large group of right-wing supporters of President Donald Trump and members of a violent far-right group drove a caravan of cars through Portland , Oregon .
A spokesperson for Attorney General William Barr said Sunday that agents with the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol , Tobacco , Firearms and Explosives were currently in Portland “ actively offering support and resources ” to police .
The shooting took place on Saturday night after the caravan , which was led by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ through Portland and was met with counterprotesters , according to The Associated Press .
The Oregonian estimated that there were nearly 1,000 cars in the caravan .
At times during the demonstration , members of the caravan used paintball guns to shoot at counterprotesters , who threw objects at the cars , according to reports .
Event organizers reportedly urged attendees to bring firearms with them but not display them openly .
Portland police said the victim was found with a gunshot wound to the chest in the city ’ s downtown .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ name of the victim , Patriot Prayer founder Joey Gibson described him as a “ friend and supporter ” of the far-right group , The Oregonian reported .
Portland police said in a statement Sunday that they were still in the initial stages of the investigation and urged the public not to make any conclusions about the shooting .
They called for witnesses to come forward and for people to turn in video of the shooting .
“ It is still early in this investigation , and I ask everyone to give the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before drawing conclusions about what took place , ” police chief Chuck Lovell said in the statement .
“ If anyone can provide information about this case , I ask them to please reach out to our detectives .
This violence is completely unacceptable and we are working diligently to find and apprehend the individual or individuals responsible.
” Patriot Prayer has traveled to Portland multiple times in the last three years to hold pro-Trump demonstrations that have led to violent clashes with anti-fascist activists .
Trump did not offer such a tribute @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were fatally shot less than a week earlier by a teenage supporter of the president in Kenosha , Wisconsin .
Those victims were protesting the police shooting of Jacob Blake , a Black man left paralyzed by seven gunshots .
In a televised statement on Sunday , Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler , a Democrat , accused Trump of creating “ hate and division ” in America , which he said fueled the violence in his city .
“ You ’ ve tried to divide us more than any other figure in modern history @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stop the violence that you helped create , ” Wheeler said .
... .He tried mixing with the Agitators and Anarchists and they mocked him .
He would like to blame me and the Federal Government for going in , but he hasn ’ t seen anything yet .
We have only been there with a small group to defend our U.S .
Courthouse , because he couldn ’ t do it ... .
— Donald J. Trump ( @ realDonaldTrump ) August 30 , 2020 There have also been anti-racism protests and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ part of the wave of demonstrations that have taken place across the country since the death of George Floyd , who died after a police officer kneeled on his neck during an arrest in May .

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Two federal agencies are stepping in to help local police investigate a fatal shooting that took place after a large group of right-wing supporters of President Donald Trump and members of a violent far-right group drove a caravan of cars through Portland, Oregon.
A spokesperson for Attorney General William Barr said Sunday that agents with the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were currently in Portland “actively offering support and resources” to police.
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The @FBI and @ATFHQ are assisting the Portland Police Dept in the investigation of the death of the individual who was shot and killed in Portland last night. Agents there are actively offering support and resources. — Kerri Kupec DOJ (@KerriKupecDOJ) August 30, 2020
The shooting took place on Saturday night after the caravan, which was led by the right-wing political group Patriot Prayer, drove through Portland and was met with counterprotesters, according to The Associated Press. The Oregonian estimated that there were nearly 1,000 cars in the caravan.
At times during the demonstration, members of the caravan used paintball guns to shoot at counterprotesters, who threw objects at the cars, according to reports. Event organizers reportedly urged attendees to bring firearms with them but not display them openly.
Portland police said the victim was found with a gunshot wound to the chest in the city’s downtown. While officials haven’t released the name of the victim, Patriot Prayer founder Joey Gibson described him as a “friend and supporter” of the far-right group, The Oregonian reported.
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Portland police said in a statement Sunday that they were still in the initial stages of the investigation and urged the public not to make any conclusions about the shooting. They called for witnesses to come forward and for people to turn in video of the shooting.
“It is still early in this investigation, and I ask everyone to give the detectives time to do their important work before drawing conclusions about what took place,” police chief Chuck Lovell said in the statement. “If anyone can provide information about this case, I ask them to please reach out to our detectives. This violence is completely unacceptable and we are working diligently to find and apprehend the individual or individuals responsible.”
Patriot Prayer has traveled to Portland multiple times in the last three years to hold pro-Trump demonstrations that have led to violent clashes with anti-fascist activists.
Rest In Peace Jay! https://t.co/j6FYxIygmh — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 30, 2020
Trump paid tribute to the victim, who was identified in a tweet on Sunday.
Trump did not offer such a tribute on Twitter for the two people who were fatally shot less than a week earlier by a teenage supporter of the president in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Those victims were protesting the police shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black man left paralyzed by seven gunshots.
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In a televised statement on Sunday, Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler, a Democrat, accused Trump of creating “hate and division” in America, which he said fueled the violence in his city.
“You’ve tried to divide us more than any other figure in modern history. And now you want me to stop the violence that you helped create,” Wheeler said.
Trump responded in a tweet, threatening to send more federal law enforcement to Oregon.
Ted Wheeler, the wacky Radical Left Do Nothing Democrat Mayor of Portland, who has watched great death and destruction of his City during his tenure, thinks this lawless situation should go on forever. Wrong! Portland will never recover with a fool for a Mayor.... — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 30, 2020
....He tried mixing with the Agitators and Anarchists and they mocked him. He would like to blame me and the Federal Government for going in, but he hasn’t seen anything yet. We have only been there with a small group to defend our U.S. Courthouse, because he couldn’t do it.... — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 30, 2020
There have also been anti-racism protests and related civil unrest in Portland, as part of the wave of demonstrations that have taken place across the country since the death of George Floyd, who died after a police officer kneeled on his neck during an arrest in May.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-31--House Committee Prepares Subpoena For Postal Service Head Louis DeJoy

House Oversight and Reform Committee Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney ( D-N.Y. ) stated her intent to issue a subpoena for Postmaster General Louis DeJoy , requiring him to produce documents related to recent Postal Service changes that have resulted in mail delays that could potentially threaten mail-in voting in November .
Maloney ’ s subpoena comes after DeJoy failed to provide documents to Maloney ’ s committee after appearing for a hearing on Aug. 24 .
She previously requested DeJoy produce documents by Aug. 26 to explain the removal of mail sorting machines from post offices across the country , provide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and detail any conversations with the White House or President Donald Trump ’ s reelection campaign , among other things .
This subpoena covers these document requests and more , including details about how $ 10 billion in coronavirus relief allocated to the Postal Service was spent and plans related to delivering mail-in ballots for the general election .
Since DeJoy became postmaster general in June , the Postal Service has seen an increasing deterioration in its delivery capabilities , in part due to a new delivery schedule he implemented that cut overtime @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , even if the mail was not loaded .
Simultaneously , post offices began dismantling hundreds of automated mail sorting machines .
These changes came as Trump said that he didn ’ t want to fund the post office because he opposes mail voting .
“ Now they need that money in order to make the post office work so it can take all of these millions and millions of ballots , ” Trump said on Aug. 13 .
“ But if they don ’ t get those two items , that means @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voting.
” That opposition is part of Trump ’ s open campaign to undermine the democratic process in November and win reelection without having all the votes counted .
DeJoy said that he was responsible for the delivery schedule change , but denied responsibility for the removal of mail sorting machines during his testimony before both the House Oversight and Reform Committee and the Senate Homeland Security and Government Reform Committee .
While he said he would halt any additional changes that he aims to make to the Postal Service until after the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ no intention ” of restoring the disabled sorting machines or any other service reductions that he ordered .
In addition to the subpoena issued to DeJoy and the Postal Service , Maloney also sent a letter to Postal Service Board of Governors Chairman Robert M. Duncan , asking for documents previously requested by other members of Congress .
Under Duncan , who also chairs a pro-Trump super PAC , the Board of Governors has refused to comply with document requests from members of Congress based on a memo issued by Trump ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ basis of which has been questioned by Sen. Chuck Grassley ( R-Iowa ) , among others .
Based on a certain interpretation of the Freedom of Information Act , the memo suggests that agencies do not need to comply with document requests from Congress unless they come from a sitting committee chair .
But that act explicitly excludes Congress from limitations on document requests , as every member of Congress is a constitutional officer in their own right and their requests for documents are not made under that act .

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House Oversight and Reform Committee Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.) stated her intent to issue a subpoena for Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, requiring him to produce documents related to recent Postal Service changes that have resulted in mail delays that could potentially threaten mail-in voting in November.
Maloney’s subpoena comes after DeJoy failed to provide documents to Maloney’s committee after appearing for a hearing on Aug. 24. She previously requested DeJoy produce documents by Aug. 26 to explain the removal of mail sorting machines from post offices across the country, provide analyses of truck delivery schedule changes, and detail any conversations with the White House or President Donald Trump’s reelection campaign, among other things.
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This subpoena covers these document requests and more, including details about how $10 billion in coronavirus relief allocated to the Postal Service was spent and plans related to delivering mail-in ballots for the general election.
Since DeJoy became postmaster general in June, the Postal Service has seen an increasing deterioration in its delivery capabilities, in part due to a new delivery schedule he implemented that cut overtime and required trucks to leave on time, even if the mail was not loaded. Simultaneously, post offices began dismantling hundreds of automated mail sorting machines.
These changes came as Trump said that he didn’t want to fund the post office because he opposes mail voting.
“Now they need that money in order to make the post office work so it can take all of these millions and millions of ballots,” Trump said on Aug. 13. “But if they don’t get those two items, that means you can’t have universal mail-in voting.”
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That opposition is part of Trump’s open campaign to undermine the democratic process in November and win reelection without having all the votes counted.
Postmaster General Louis DeJoy testified during a House Oversight and Reform Committee hearing on the Postal Service on Aug. 24. ASSOCIATED PRESS
DeJoy said that he was responsible for the delivery schedule change, but denied responsibility for the removal of mail sorting machines during his testimony before both the House Oversight and Reform Committee and the Senate Homeland Security and Government Reform Committee.
While he said he would halt any additional changes that he aims to make to the Postal Service until after the election, he also declared he had “no intention” of restoring the disabled sorting machines or any other service reductions that he ordered.
In addition to the subpoena issued to DeJoy and the Postal Service, Maloney also sent a letter to Postal Service Board of Governors Chairman Robert M. Duncan, asking for documents previously requested by other members of Congress.
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Under Duncan, who also chairs a pro-Trump super PAC, the Board of Governors has refused to comply with document requests from members of Congress based on a memo issued by Trump’s Office of Legal Counsel, the basis of which has been questioned by Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), among others.
Based on a certain interpretation of the Freedom of Information Act, the memo suggests that agencies do not need to comply with document requests from Congress unless they come from a sitting committee chair. But that act explicitly excludes Congress from limitations on document requests, as every member of Congress is a constitutional officer in their own right and their requests for documents are not made under that act.