thetennesseestar--2020-08-07--Portland Police, Protesters Clash for Second Consecutive Night

PORTLAND , Oregon ( AP ) — Police and protesters in Portland , Oregon , have clashed for the second night in a row and the city ’ s police chief says the ongoing violence is harming the city ’ s image .
The high-profile clashes outside a U.S. courthouse in Portland , Oregon , have largely stopped since Democratic Gov .
Kate Brown reached a deal that called for the draw down of federal agents sent by the Trump administration to protect the building .
But the turmoil on the streets has continued miles away from the Mark O.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to defund the local police force get into confrontations with officers late at night .
Police respond by declaring the events riots — allowing them to use tear gas and other non lethal efforts to disperse the crowds .
Officers Wednesday night clashed with protesters outside a precinct station six miles ( 10 kilometers ) from the courthouse after they removed what they initially believed was an explosive device but later determined was not explosive .
Police said the protesters started a fire , spray painted over security cameras , shined green lasers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ media outlets reported that protesters pulled away plywood covering the front doors of the precinct building and slammed them with rocks and other objects , In protests that started Tuesday night and lasted into early Wednesday morning , officers made three arrests after demonstrators set fires , erected barricades in a street and tried to break into the police union headquarters , Portland media outlets reported .
Police said someone also fired a gun during that night of unrest and that a pickup truck accelerated into the crowd while pushing an unoccupied motorcycle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was injured in either incident .
Police have interviewed the driver of the truck but so far have made no arrests .
Police did not use tear gas during the demonstration .
Meanwhile , city officials said they are starting to monitor for any potential long-term pollution from tear gas that was released by federal agents night after night near the courthouse before those protests ended last week in an area about a mile ( 1.6 kilometers ) from the Willamette River .
Police Chief Chuck Lovell , who is Black , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the protests and the resources needed to police them were hurting what he called the “ beautiful , vibrant city ” of Portland .
Police have arrested more than 400 people since late May , he said .
U.S. agents arrested at least 94 people on federal charges through July 30 .
“ This is not forwarding the goals of things that are going to lead to better outcomes for people of color , ” Lovell said .
“ This movement is very powerful and I feel like the violence has taken @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of concerning way.
” He added : “ I think it ’ s really dependent on Portland as a community to really say we ’ re not going to tolerate this.
” The Portland protests have happened for 69 consecutive days since George Floyd was killed by police in Minneapolis .
The clashes prompted President Donald Trump to send federal agents from U.S. Customs and Border Protection , U.S .
Marshals Service and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to guard the courthouse — a move that was intended to quell the unrest but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ point for the protests each night .
Demonstrators tossed fireworks , flares , rocks , ball bearings and bottles at the federal agents and used power tools to try to bring down a fence protecting the courthouse .
U.S. agents responded each night with multiple rounds of tear gas , pepper balls and rubber bullets in an escalation of violence that led to injuries to demonstrators and federal agents .
On Wednesday , the city cleaned out six storm drains near the federal courthouse where the tear gas was used almost every night @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sediment in the drains to test for zinc , lead , copper and chromium — all found in tear gas — as officials worried about chemical residue washing off trees , grass and office buildings and making its way to the river .
Portland will test water flows into the river after the next big rainstorm .
“ We know that a certain amount of these chemicals have settled into the city ’ s storm drains .
We are going to remove as much as possible to prevent that material from being flushed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Matt Criblez , the city ’ s environmental services compliance manager .
Gillian Flaccus is a reporter for The Associated Press .
AP writer Keith Ridler in Boise , Idaho , contributed to this report .
About the Headline Photo : Protesters gather at Peninsula Park in north Portland , Ore. , on their way to the Portland Police Association building late Tuesday , Aug. 4 , 2020 .
A riot was declared early Wednesday during demonstrations in Portland after authorities said people set fires and barricaded public roadways .
( Dave Killen @ @ @ @ @

by Gillian Flaccus
PORTLAND, Oregon (AP) — Police and protesters in Portland, Oregon, have clashed for the second night in a row and the city’s police chief says the ongoing violence is harming the city’s image.
The high-profile clashes outside a U.S. courthouse in Portland, Oregon, have largely stopped since Democratic Gov. Kate Brown reached a deal that called for the draw down of federal agents sent by the Trump administration to protect the building.
But the turmoil on the streets has continued miles away from the Mark O. Hatfield Federal Courthouse, as demonstrators rallying to defund the local police force get into confrontations with officers late at night. Police respond by declaring the events riots — allowing them to use tear gas and other non lethal efforts to disperse the crowds.
Officers Wednesday night clashed with protesters outside a precinct station six miles (10 kilometers) from the courthouse after they removed what they initially believed was an explosive device but later determined was not explosive.
Police said the protesters started a fire, spray painted over security cameras, shined green lasers and other lights at officers. Several media outlets reported that protesters pulled away plywood covering the front doors of the precinct building and slammed them with rocks and other objects,
In protests that started Tuesday night and lasted into early Wednesday morning, officers made three arrests after demonstrators set fires, erected barricades in a street and tried to break into the police union headquarters, Portland media outlets reported.
Police said someone also fired a gun during that night of unrest and that a pickup truck accelerated into the crowd while pushing an unoccupied motorcycle in front of it.
No one was injured in either incident. Police have interviewed the driver of the truck but so far have made no arrests. Police did not use tear gas during the demonstration.
Meanwhile, city officials said they are starting to monitor for any potential long-term pollution from tear gas that was released by federal agents night after night near the courthouse before those protests ended last week in an area about a mile (1.6 kilometers) from the Willamette River.
Police Chief Chuck Lovell, who is Black, said he was concerned that the national attention on the protests and the resources needed to police them were hurting what he called the “beautiful, vibrant city” of Portland. Police have arrested more than 400 people since late May, he said. U.S. agents arrested at least 94 people on federal charges through July 30.
“This is not forwarding the goals of things that are going to lead to better outcomes for people of color,” Lovell said. “This movement is very powerful and I feel like the violence has taken away from it in a really kind of concerning way.”
He added: “I think it’s really dependent on Portland as a community to really say we’re not going to tolerate this.”
The Portland protests have happened for 69 consecutive days since George Floyd was killed by police in Minneapolis.
The clashes prompted President Donald Trump to send federal agents from U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Marshals Service and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to guard the courthouse — a move that was intended to quell the unrest but instead reinvigorated demonstrators and created a focal point for the protests each night.
Demonstrators tossed fireworks, flares, rocks, ball bearings and bottles at the federal agents and used power tools to try to bring down a fence protecting the courthouse. U.S. agents responded each night with multiple rounds of tear gas, pepper balls and rubber bullets in an escalation of violence that led to injuries to demonstrators and federal agents.
On Wednesday, the city cleaned out six storm drains near the federal courthouse where the tear gas was used almost every night.
Workers have taken samples from the sediment in the drains to test for zinc, lead, copper and chromium — all found in tear gas — as officials worried about chemical residue washing off trees, grass and office buildings and making its way to the river. Portland will test water flows into the river after the next big rainstorm.
“We know that a certain amount of these chemicals have settled into the city’s storm drains. We are going to remove as much as possible to prevent that material from being flushed into the Willamette River,” said Matt Criblez, the city’s environmental services compliance manager.
– – –
Gillian Flaccus is a reporter for The Associated Press. AP writer Keith Ridler in Boise, Idaho, contributed to this report.
About the Headline Photo: Protesters gather at Peninsula Park in north Portland, Ore., on their way to the Portland Police Association building late Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2020. A riot was declared early Wednesday during demonstrations in Portland after authorities said people set fires and barricaded public roadways.(Dave Killen /The Oregonian via AP)


thetennesseestar--2020-08-07--New York Attorney General Files Lawsuit Seeking Dissolution of National Rifle Association

New York Attorney General Letitia James filed a lawsuit Thursday that seeks to have the National Rifle Association dissolved , saying the gun rights organization has been engaging in “ illegal conduct ” by funneling charitable donations to its leaders .
James accuses longtime NRA leader Wayne LaPierre and a number of other executives at the nonprofit advocacy organization of diverting “ millions of dollars away from the charitable mission of the organization for personal use by senior leadership , awarding contracts to the financial gain of close associates and family , and appearing to dole out lucrative no-show contracts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their silence and continued loyalty.
” The lawsuit specifically names the NRA , LaPierre , former treasurer and chief financial officer Wilson “ Woody ” Phillips , former chief of staff and the executive director of general operations Joshua Powell , and corporate secretary and general counsel John Frazer .
They are accused of causing the organization to lose more than $ 64 million over the course of three years through the alleged acts .
In a statement in response to word of the lawsuit , the NRA accused James and her office @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rights .
The organization also announced that it was countersuing the state .
“ This was a baseless , premeditated attack on our organization and the Second Amendment freedoms it fights to defend , ” the NRA said .
“ You could have set your watch by it : the investigation was going to reach its crescendo as we move into the 2020 election cycle .
It ’ s a transparent attempt to score political points and attack the leading voice in opposition to the leftist agenda .
This has been a power @ @ @ @ @ @ @ desperate move that is part of a rank political vendetta.
” The NRA is in the news frequently as the leading advocacy group in the U.S. when it comes to Second Amendment rights .
To supporters , it is a staunch defender of the rights of ordinary Americans to bear arms ; its detractors have accused the NRA of bearing partial responsibility for mass shootings they say are uncommon in other countries .
“ The NRA ’ s influence has been so powerful that the organization went unchecked for decades while top executives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” James , a first-term Democrat , said Thursday .
“ The NRA is fraught with fraud and abuse , which is why , today , we seek to dissolve the NRA , because no organization is above the law.
” The lawsuit was filed in State Supreme Court in Manhattan .
The NRA has been beset by leadership battles in recent years .
Former NRA President Oliver North lost a power struggle with LaPierre in 2019 amid accusations by North the organization ’ s funds were being misspent .
The attorney general @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Powell and Frazer of using the powerful charity for their own personal ends .
“ They overrode and evaded internal controls to allow themselves , their families , favored board members , employees , and vendors to benefit through reimbursed expenses , related party transactions , excess compensation , side deals , and waste of charitable assets without regard to the NRA ’ s best interests , ” a news release from James ’ office states .
Ahead of a trip to Ohio on Thursday , President Donald Trump expressed dismay at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ I just heard about that , that ’ s a very terrible thing that just happened , ” said Trump , who was recently endorsed for reelection by the NRA .
“ I think the NRA should move to Texas and lead a very good and beautiful life … or to another state of their choosing.
” Dave Lemery is a veteran journalist with more than 20 years of experience .
He was the editor of Suburban Life Media when its flagship newspaper was named best weekly in Illinois , and he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Indiana , Idaho and New York .
Lemery is an editor for The Center Square .
Photo “ Wayne LaPierre ” by Gage Skidmore .
CC BY-SA 2.0 .

by Dave Lerney
New York Attorney General Letitia James filed a lawsuit Thursday that seeks to have the National Rifle Association dissolved, saying the gun rights organization has been engaging in “illegal conduct” by funneling charitable donations to its leaders.
James accuses longtime NRA leader Wayne LaPierre and a number of other executives at the nonprofit advocacy organization of diverting “millions of dollars away from the charitable mission of the organization for personal use by senior leadership, awarding contracts to the financial gain of close associates and family, and appearing to dole out lucrative no-show contracts to former employees in order to buy their silence and continued loyalty.”
The lawsuit specifically names the NRA, LaPierre, former treasurer and chief financial officer Wilson “Woody” Phillips, former chief of staff and the executive director of general operations Joshua Powell, and corporate secretary and general counsel John Frazer.
They are accused of causing the organization to lose more than $64 million over the course of three years through the alleged acts.
In a statement in response to word of the lawsuit, the NRA accused James and her office of trying to roll back gun ownership rights. The organization also announced that it was countersuing the state.
“This was a baseless, premeditated attack on our organization and the Second Amendment freedoms it fights to defend,” the NRA said. “You could have set your watch by it: the investigation was going to reach its crescendo as we move into the 2020 election cycle. It’s a transparent attempt to score political points and attack the leading voice in opposition to the leftist agenda. This has been a power grab by a political opportunist – a desperate move that is part of a rank political vendetta.”
The NRA is in the news frequently as the leading advocacy group in the U.S. when it comes to Second Amendment rights. To supporters, it is a staunch defender of the rights of ordinary Americans to bear arms; its detractors have accused the NRA of bearing partial responsibility for mass shootings they say are uncommon in other countries.
“The NRA’s influence has been so powerful that the organization went unchecked for decades while top executives funneled millions into their own pockets,” James, a first-term Democrat, said Thursday. “The NRA is fraught with fraud and abuse, which is why, today, we seek to dissolve the NRA, because no organization is above the law.”
The lawsuit was filed in State Supreme Court in Manhattan.
The NRA has been beset by leadership battles in recent years. Former NRA President Oliver North lost a power struggle with LaPierre in 2019 amid accusations by North the organization’s funds were being misspent.
The attorney general’s lawsuit accuses LaPierre, Phillips, Powell and Frazer of using the powerful charity for their own personal ends.
“They overrode and evaded internal controls to allow themselves, their families, favored board members, employees, and vendors to benefit through reimbursed expenses, related party transactions, excess compensation, side deals, and waste of charitable assets without regard to the NRA’s best interests,” a news release from James’ office states.
Ahead of a trip to Ohio on Thursday, President Donald Trump expressed dismay at word of the lawsuit being filed.
“I just heard about that, that’s a very terrible thing that just happened,” said Trump, who was recently endorsed for reelection by the NRA. “I think the NRA should move to Texas and lead a very good and beautiful life … or to another state of their choosing.”
– – –
Dave Lemery is a veteran journalist with more than 20 years of experience. He was the editor of Suburban Life Media when its flagship newspaper was named best weekly in Illinois, and he has worked at papers in South Carolina, Indiana, Idaho and New York. Lemery is an editor for The Center Square.
Photo “Wayne LaPierre” by Gage Skidmore. CC BY-SA 2.0.


thetennesseestar--2020-08-07--Commentary: Who Killed George Floyd?

Commentary: Who Killed George Floyd?

In the death of George Floyd , the State of Minnesota has charged former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin with second-degree murder and former officers Thomas Lane , J. Alexander Kueng , and Tou Thao with aiding and abetting that murder .
But , as will be shown in detail below , the physical , scientific , and electronically recorded evidence in the case overwhelmingly and conclusively proves that these defendants are not guilty of the charges and , in fact , played no material role in bringing about Floyd ’ s death .
Instead , the evidence proves that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , George Floyd was well on his way to dying from a self-administered drug overdose .
Moreover , far from publicly , brazenly , and against their own self-interest slowly and sadistically killing Floyd in broad daylight before civilian witnesses with video cameras , the evidence proves that the defendants exhibited concern for Floyd ’ s condition and twice called for emergency medical services to render aid to him .
Strange behavior , indeed , for supposedly brutal law officers allegedly intent on causing him harm .
Similarly , the evidence recorded by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conclusively establishes that Floyd repeatedly complained that he couldn ’ t breathe before the police restrained him on the ground .
As documented by Floyd ’ s autopsy and toxicology reports , his breathing difficulty was caused not by a knee on his neck or pressure on his back , but by the fact that he had in his bloodstream over three times the potentially lethal limit of fentanyl , a powerful and dangerous pain medication known to shut down the respiratory system and cause coma and death .
He also had in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which can cause paranoia , respiratory distress , coma , and death .
Beyond those findings , his autopsy disclosed no physical injuries that could in any way account for his demise .
The transcript of the video footage from the camera worn by Officer Thomas Lane combined with the transcript of the video from Officer Alexander Kueng ’ s camera lay out on a second-by-second basis all that transpired in their presence from the time they arrived on the scene through Lane ’ s ambulance trip with Floyd to the hospital @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kueng were told by a person identified as “ Speaker 1 ” that a man in the “ blue [ Mercedes ] Benz ” parked in front of “ Cup Foods ” had passed “ a fake [ $ 20 ] bill.
” As the officers approached the car , they observed concerning movements in the front seat by the person later identified as Floyd .
Lane drew his sidearm and ordered Floyd approximately seven times to show his hands .
Once Floyd finally placed his hands on the steering wheel , Lane @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continued to plead with Lane not to shoot him despite Lane ’ s repeated assurances that he was not going to shoot .
After he exited the car , Floyd was non-compliant and continued to resist and move about until he was handcuffed and seated on the sidewalk .
Lane and Kueng questioned Floyd and the other two occupants of the car concerning Floyd ’ s behavior and whether he might be under the influence of drugs .
As the officers tried to move Floyd to a police car , the following exchange @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are these exchanges : As the officers continued their efforts to get Floyd into the police car , he continued to resist and repeatedly insisted that he was “ claustrophobic.
” Floyd hit his head on the car ’ s window and suffered a minor cut .
Consequently , the police placed a “ Code 2 ” call for Emergency Medical Services to tend to the wound .
And then , after Kueng told him once again to “ take a seat ” in the squad car , Floyd announced , “ I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t breathe Mr .
Officer !
Please !
Please !
” And then , this was said : Let ’ s hit the pause button and consider the evidence so far .
Floyd was incoherent , acting erratically , non-compliant , and foaming at the mouth .
He was having trouble walking and standing up .
He wanted to lie on the ground .
But , while still upright , he complained three times that he was “ claustrophobic , ” seven times that he “ can ’ t breathe , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to die.
” And Speaker 9 exclaimed that Floyd looked like he was about to have a “ heart attack.
” All of this happened before he was on the ground and immobilized by the police .
Nevertheless , as he continued to resist and behave irrationally , his condition deteriorated and his complaints of being unable to breathe increased in frequency even though no one was applying force of any kind to his neck or compressing his back or chest .
After Floyd was on the ground , he continued to move @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t breathe .
Lane was near Floyd ’ s feet , Kueng at the middle of Floyd ’ s body , and Chauvin at his back and head with his knee on Floyd ’ s neck .
Thao : Is he high on something ?
Lane : He wouldn ’ t get out of the car .
He wasn ’ t following instructions .
[ crosstalk ] … Floyd : Please , I can ’ t breathe .
Please man .
Please man !
Thao : Do you have EMS [ Emergency Medical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : Ah code 2 , we can probably step it up then .
You got it ?
[ crosstalk ] Floyd : I can ’ t breathe .
I can ’ t breathe .
Ah !
I ’ ll probably just die this way .
Lane : He ’ s got to be on something .
Speaker 9 : Well get up and get in the car , man .
Get up and get in the car .
Speaker 9 : Let him get in the car .
Lane : We found a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be something else , there might be like PCP or something .
Is that shaking of the eyes right is PCP ?
Lane : Where their eyes like shake back and forth really fast ?
Floyd : I ’ m through , I ’ m through .
I ’ m claustrophobic .
My stomach hurts .
My neck hurts .
Everything hurts .
I need some water or something , please .
Please ?
I can ’ t breathe officer .
Floyd : You ’ re going to kill me , man .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ yelling , it takes a heck of a lot of oxygen to talk .
Floyd : Come on , man .
Oh , oh .
[ crosstalk ] I can not breathe .
I can not breathe .
Ah !
They ’ ll kill me .
They ’ ll kill me .
I can ’ t breathe .
I can ’ t breathe .
Oh !
Speaker 8 : We tried that for 10 minutes .
Floyd : Ah !
Ah !
Please .
Please .
Please .
Lane : Should we roll @ @ @ @ @ @ @ No , he ’ s staying put where we got him .
Lane : Okay .
I just worry about the excited delirium or whatever .
Chauvin : That ’ s why we got the ambulance coming .
As Floyd continued to shout that he couldn ’ t breathe and called for his mother , a radio transmission was recorded saying that the ambulance was approximately four blocks away .
When it arrived , Lane got in the ambulance and helped to give Floyd CPR on the way to the hospital .
Before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scene , let ’ s take a look at Floyd ’ s 20-page autopsy and toxicology report .
The autopsy report by the Hennepin County Medical Examiner ’ s Office is titled “ CARDIOPULMONARY ARREST COMPLICATING LAW ENFORCEMENT SUBDUAL , RESTRAINT , AND NECK COMPRESSION.
” Strangely enough , the report , which thoroughly sets forth in detail all physical and toxicological findings , makes no other mention of the purported cause of death .
In fact , the first iteration of the report didn ’ t even mention “ law enforcement subdual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” and the criminal complaint filed by prosecutors stated that the autopsy “ revealed no physical findings that support a diagnosis of traumatic asphyxia or strangulation.
” Moreover , prior to issuing the autopsy report , the Hennepin County Medical Examiner preliminarily found that the “ autopsy revealed no physical findings that support a diagnosis of traumatic asphyxia or strangulation .
Mr. Floyd had underlying health conditions including coronary artery disease and hypertensive heart disease .
The combined effects of Mr. Floyd being restrained by the police , his underlying health conditions and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contributed to his death.
” ( Emphasis added . )
These preliminary findings by the Medical Examiner were incorporated in the Statement of Probable Cause attached to the arrest warrant for Officer Chauvin , which was filed on May 29 , 2020 .
This date is significant because , as you will see , neither the Medical Examiner nor the prosecutors had yet received Floyd ’ s toxicology report .
That report was issued by NMS Labs of Horsham , Pennsylvania , on May 31 , 2020 .
In short , Chauvin was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to second-degree murder by Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison ) without the benefit of a complete and competent investigation of all the relevant facts and circumstances of Floyd ’ s death .
Apparently dissatisfied with the Hennepin County Medical Examiner ’ s findings , the Floyd ’ s family attorney had a re-autopsy performed by Dr. Michael Baden* , the former Chief Medical Examiner of New York City , and Dr. Allecia Wilson of the University of Michigan .
In announcing the re-autopsy findings , Dr. Wilson stated that she and Dr. Baden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and based on that , yes our findings do differ [ from those of the Hennepin County Medical Examiner ] .
Some of the information that I read from that complaint states that there was no evidence of traumatic asphyxia .
This is the point in which we do disagree .
There is evidence in this case of mechanical or traumatic asphyxia.
” However , Dr. Wilson conceded that they did not have access to toxicology results , tissue samples , or some organs , but added that those items “ are not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the re-autopsy .
The re-autopsy concluded that , even without physical evidence of traumatic asphyxia , such as broken bones in the neck , the compression on Floyd ’ s neck and chest still caused his death by depriving his brain of blood and oxygen and his lungs of air .
Dr. Baden stated that the pressure was not visibly supported by autopsy because the pressure applied by the police had been released by the time the body was examined .
Noting that “ the video is real , ” Dr. Baden added @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Floyd ’ s face and shoulder showed how hard police had pressed him against the pavement .
Dr. Wilson also referenced this “ physical evidence that there was pressure applied to his [ Floyd ’ s ] neck.
” After Drs .
Baden and Wilson concluded that Floyd ’ s death was “ a homicide due to the way he was being subdued , ” the Hennepin County Medical Examiner then amended his report to include the reference to “ complicating law enforcement subdual , restraint , and neck compression.
” With @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Wilson , however , they rendered their opinion as to the cause of death without , by their own admission , having considered the results of Floyd ’ s toxicology screen .
If they had , they would have seen that , at the time of death , Floyd was under the influence of a lethal overdose of fentanyl , which , according to the toxicology report , is a rapid-acting synthetic morphine substitute “ reported to be 80 to 200 times as potent as morphine , ” as well as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also cause convulsions , circulatory collapse , coma , and death .
But before we get to the details of Floyd ’ s tox screen , let ’ s consider the following autopsy findings by the Hennepin County Medical Examiner : • No injuries of anterior muscles of neck or laryngeal structures • No chest wall soft tissue injuries , rib fractures ( other than a single rib fracture from CPR ) , vertebral column in juries , or visceral injuries • Incision and subcutaneous dissection of posterior and lateral neck , shoulders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ negative for occult trauma .
Some commentators have attached great importance to the finding of no “ facial , oral or conjunctival petechiae , ” which are small red or purple hemorrhages that can result from asphyxiation such as would occur if pressure was applied to block the flow of blood to the brain .
However , while these petechiae can result when that happens , their absence does not necessarily prove that no such compression occurred .
Instead , the more pertinent question is whether Chauvin ’ s kneeling on one side @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the blood flow through both carotid arteries to his brain .
The carotids are located on each side of the neck , and people can live with only one functioning carotid artery .
This raises the question as to whether Chauvin ’ s direct application of pressure to only one side of Floyd ’ s neck cut off the carotid artery on the other side of his neck .
Moreover , in regard to Chauvin ’ s possible criminal intent or purported desire to harm Floyd , Minnesota police are trained to use @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which is defined in the official training literature as “ compressing one or both sides of a person ’ s neck with an arm or leg , without applying direct pressure to the trachea or airway ( front of the neck ) .
” The video of Chauvin kneeling on the side of Floyd ’ s neck appears in all respects to be a textbook application of this officially approved technique .
Put another way , by the training that they had received , the police defendants would have no reason to believe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s neck was either causing serious harm or anything other than the approved standard operating procedure .
We know from the video transcripts that Floyd , in addition to complaining about being unable to breathe while he was still upright , repeated that complaint for a matter of minutes while he was on the ground and being restrained by police .
But Floyd remained conscious and complaining for several minutes .
How can that be if Chauvin ’ s knee had cut off the flow of blood to Floyd ’ s brain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the flow of blood and oxygen to Floyd ’ s brain , he would have lost consciousness within seconds , not minutes .
( See Nichols , Larry , Law Enforcement Patrol Operations : Police Systems and Practices , McCutcheon Publishing Company , 1995 . )
So why couldn ’ t Floyd breathe , and how did he die ?
The clear answers to those questions are to be found in his toxicology report , which overwhelmingly and unerringly supports the conclusion that Floyd ’ s breathing difficulties and death were the direct @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fentanyl mixed with methamphetamine .
When Floyd arrived at the hospital , his blood was drawn .
According to the toxicology report , postmortem testing of that blood established the presence of , among other drugs , “ Fentanyl 11 ng/mL ” ( nanograms per milliter ) .
In that regard , tucked away in the report ’ s “ Reference Comments ” is this : “ Signs associated with fentanyl toxicity include severe respiratory depression , seizures , hypotension , coma and death .
In fatalities from fentanyl , blood concentrations are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as 3 ng/mL.
” Got that ?
According to the toxicology report , which is central to the prosecution ’ s case , at 11 ng/mL , Floyd had over three times the potentially lethal 3 ng/mL dose of fentanyl in his bloodstream when he arrived unresponsive at the hospital .
Similarly , the toxicology report also disclosed the presence of methamphetamine , which it states is “ capable of causing hallucinations , aggressive behavior and irrational reactions ” as well as “ restlessness , confusion , hallucinations , circulatory collapse and convulsions.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ sections of the toxicology report to Mount Rushmore–size proportions , hang them on the courtroom wall , and read them every five minutes to the jury .
They more than explain Floyd ’ s bizarre behavior , inability to stand , difficulty walking , and complaints about being unable to breathe while sitting , standing , and lying on the ground .
Moreover , according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , among the most common characteristics of a fentanyl overdose is “ foaming at the mouth … and confusion or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” ( emphasis added ) .
In short , Floyd ’ s foaming at the mouth , incoherence , physical incapacity , non-compliant behavior , breathing difficulty , and rapid downward spiral into unconsciousness and death are fully explained by the toxicological evidence that he had ingested a massively lethal overdose of fentanyl mixed with a smaller dose of similarly dangerous and debilitating methamphetamine .
In other words , by the time he first encountered the police , Floyd had already rendered himself a dead man walking and was only minutes away from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Floyd ?
He did .
The only crime here has been the prosecution ’ s shockingly incompetent investigation of Floyd ’ s death .
In charging and continuing to prosecute these defendants , Minnesota ’ s attorney general has failed to take into account the most important and material evidence in the case , i.e.
, the fact that Floyd ’ s inability to breathe started while he was still upright and mobile and the scientific proof that his death was the direct and inescapable result of a massively fatal overdose of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , in the words of the toxicology report , “ severe respiratory depression , seizures , hypotension , coma and death.
” The proof of the defendants ’ innocence is undeniable .
But given the violence and rioting that has followed in the wake of Floyd ’ s death , will it be possible for these defendants to receive justice ?
In other words , will there be a judge or jury with enough integrity and courage to defy the mob and , in recognition of the clear and overwhelming exculpatory evidence , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ * In the interests of full disclosure , I have known Dr. Baden for over 40 years .
He has testified as an expert on behalf of my clients in a number of cases and is a person of great integrity , skill , charm , and learning .
George Parry is a former federal and state prosecutor who practices law in Philadelphia and blogs at knowledgeisgood.net .

by George Parry
In the death of George Floyd, the State of Minnesota has charged former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin with second-degree murder and former officers Thomas Lane, J. Alexander Kueng, and Tou Thao with aiding and abetting that murder. But, as will be shown in detail below, the physical, scientific, and electronically recorded evidence in the case overwhelmingly and conclusively proves that these defendants are not guilty of the charges and, in fact, played no material role in bringing about Floyd’s death.
Instead, the evidence proves that, when he first encountered the police, George Floyd was well on his way to dying from a self-administered drug overdose. Moreover, far from publicly, brazenly, and against their own self-interest slowly and sadistically killing Floyd in broad daylight before civilian witnesses with video cameras, the evidence proves that the defendants exhibited concern for Floyd’s condition and twice called for emergency medical services to render aid to him. Strange behavior, indeed, for supposedly brutal law officers allegedly intent on causing him harm.
Similarly, the evidence recorded by the body cameras worn by the police conclusively establishes that Floyd repeatedly complained that he couldn’t breathe before the police restrained him on the ground. As documented by Floyd’s autopsy and toxicology reports, his breathing difficulty was caused not by a knee on his neck or pressure on his back, but by the fact that he had in his bloodstream over three times the potentially lethal limit of fentanyl, a powerful and dangerous pain medication known to shut down the respiratory system and cause coma and death. He also had in his system a lesser dose of methamphetamine, which can cause paranoia, respiratory distress, coma, and death.
Beyond those findings, his autopsy disclosed no physical injuries that could in any way account for his demise.
The transcript of the video footage from the camera worn by Officer Thomas Lane combined with the transcript of the video from Officer Alexander Kueng’s camera lay out on a second-by-second basis all that transpired in their presence from the time they arrived on the scene through Lane’s ambulance trip with Floyd to the hospital.
Upon their arrival, Lane and Kueng were told by a person identified as “Speaker 1” that a man in the “blue [Mercedes] Benz” parked in front of “Cup Foods” had passed “a fake [$20] bill.” As the officers approached the car, they observed concerning movements in the front seat by the person later identified as Floyd.
Lane drew his sidearm and ordered Floyd approximately seven times to show his hands. Once Floyd finally placed his hands on the steering wheel, Lane holstered his weapon. Nevertheless, Floyd continued to plead with Lane not to shoot him despite Lane’s repeated assurances that he was not going to shoot.
After he exited the car, Floyd was non-compliant and continued to resist and move about until he was handcuffed and seated on the sidewalk.
Lane and Kueng questioned Floyd and the other two occupants of the car concerning Floyd’s behavior and whether he might be under the influence of drugs.
As the officers tried to move Floyd to a police car, the following exchange occurred:
Lane to Floyd: What, are you on something right now? Floyd: No, nothing. Kueng: Because you are acting a little erratic. Lane: Let’s go. Let’s go. Floyd: I’m scared, man. Lane: Let’s go. Kueng: You got foam around your mouth, too? Floyd: Yes, I was just hooping earlier. Lane: Let’s go. Floyd: Man, all right let me calm down now. I’m feeling better now. Lane: Keep walking. Floyd: Can you do me one favor, man? Lane: No, when we get to the car. Let’s get to the car, man, come on. Kueng: Stop moving around. Floyd: Oh man, God don’t leave me man. Please man, please man. Lane to Kueng: Here. I want to watch that car [the blue Mercedes Benz] too, so just get him in [the police car]. Kueng to Floyd: Stand up, stop falling down! Stay on your feet and face the car door! Floyd: I’m claustrophobic man, please man, please.
Later in the video transcripts are these exchanges:
Floyd: Please, man. Don’t leave me by myself man, I’m just claustrophobic, that’s it. Lane: Well, you’re still going in the [police] car. *** Kueng to Floyd: Why are you having trouble walking? Floyd: Because officer [inaudible] Lane: I’ll roll the windows down, okay? *** Kueng to Floyd at the door to the squad car: Take a seat! Floyd: Y’all I’m going to die in here! I’m going to die, man! Kueng: You need to take a seat right now! Floyd: And I just had COVID man, I don’t want to go back to that. Lane: Okay, I’ll roll the windows down. Hey, listen! Floyd: Dang, man. Lane: Listen! Floyd: I’m not that kind of guy. Lane: I’ll roll the windows down if you put your legs in [the squad car] all right? I’ll put the air on. *** Speaker 9 [civilian] to Floyd: Quit resisting bro. Floyd: I don’t want to win. I’m claustrophobic, and I got anxiety, I don’t want to do nothing to them! Lane: I’ll roll the window down. Floyd: I’m scared as fuck man. Speaker 9: That’s okay [inaudible] Floyd: [inaudible] when I start breathing it’s going to go off on me, man. Lane: Pull your legs in. Floyd: Okay, okay, let me count to three and then I’m going in please. Speaker 9: You can’t win!
As the officers continued their efforts to get Floyd into the police car, he continued to resist and repeatedly insisted that he was “claustrophobic.” Floyd hit his head on the car’s window and suffered a minor cut. Consequently, the police placed a “Code 2” call for Emergency Medical Services to tend to the wound.
And then, after Kueng told him once again to “take a seat” in the squad car, Floyd announced, “I can’t choke, I can’t breathe Mr. Officer! Please! Please!”
And then, this was said:
Floyd: I want to lay on the ground. I want to lay on the ground. I want to lay on the ground! Lane: You’re getting in the squad [car]. Floyd: I want to lay on the ground! I’m going down, I’m going down, I’m going down. Kueng: Take a squat (sic). Floyd: I’m going down. Speaker 9: Bro, you about to have a heart attack and shit man, get in the car! Floyd: I know I can’t breathe. I can’t breathe. [crosstalk] Lane: Get him on the ground. Floyd: Let go of me man, I can’t breathe. I can’t breathe. Lane: Take a seat. Floyd: Please man listen to me. Officer Chauvin: Is he going to jail? Floyd: Please listen to me. Kueng: He’s under arrest right now for forgery. [inaudible] what’s going on. Floyd: Forgery for what? For what? Lane: Let’s take him out [of the squad car] and just MRT [Maximal Restraint Technique by which a suspect’s feet are “hobbled” to his waist]. Floyd: I can’t fucking breathe man. I can’t fucking breathe. Kueng: Here. Come on out [of the squad car]! Floyd: [inaudible] Thank you. Thank you. Officer Thao: Just lay him on the ground.
Let’s hit the pause button and consider the evidence so far. Floyd was incoherent, acting erratically, non-compliant, and foaming at the mouth. He was having trouble walking and standing up. He wanted to lie on the ground. But, while still upright, he complained three times that he was “claustrophobic,” seven times that he “can’t breathe,” and twice that he was “going to die.” And Speaker 9 exclaimed that Floyd looked like he was about to have a “heart attack.”
All of this happened before he was on the ground and immobilized by the police. Nevertheless, as he continued to resist and behave irrationally, his condition deteriorated and his complaints of being unable to breathe increased in frequency even though no one was applying force of any kind to his neck or compressing his back or chest.
After Floyd was on the ground, he continued to move about and say that he couldn’t breathe. Lane was near Floyd’s feet, Kueng at the middle of Floyd’s body, and Chauvin at his back and head with his knee on Floyd’s neck.
Thao: Is he high on something? Kueng: I’m assuming so, we found a pipe. Lane: He wouldn’t get out of the car. He wasn’t following instructions. [crosstalk] … Floyd: Please, I can’t breathe. Please man. Please man! Thao: Do you have EMS [Emergency Medical Services] coming code 3? Lane: Ah code 2, we can probably step it up then. You got it? [crosstalk] Floyd: Please, man! Thao: Relax! Floyd: I can’t breathe. Kueng: You’re fine, you’re talking fine. Lane: Your talken (sic), Deep breath. Floyd: I can’t breathe. I can’t breathe. Ah! I’ll probably just die this way. Thao: Relax. Floyd: I can’t breathe my face. Lane: He’s got to be on something. Thao: What are you on? Floyd: I can’t breathe. Please, [inaudible] I can’t breathe. Shit. Speaker 9: Well get up and get in the car, man. Get up and get in the car. Floyd: I will. I can’t move. Speaker 9: Let him get in the car. Lane: We found a weed pipe on him, there might be something else, there might be like PCP or something. Is that shaking of the eyes right is PCP? Floyd: My knees, my neck. Lane: Where their eyes like shake back and forth really fast? Floyd: I’m through, I’m through. I’m claustrophobic. My stomach hurts. My neck hurts. Everything hurts. I need some water or something, please. Please? I can’t breathe officer. Chauvin: Then stop talking, stop yelling. Floyd: You’re going to kill me, man. Chauvin: Then stop talking, stop yelling, it takes a heck of a lot of oxygen to talk. Floyd: Come on, man. Oh, oh. [crosstalk] I cannot breathe. I cannot breathe. Ah! They’ll kill me. They’ll kill me. I can’t breathe. I can’t breathe. Oh! Speaker 8: We tried that for 10 minutes. Floyd: Ah! Ah! Please. Please. Please. Lane: Should we roll him on his side? Chauvin: No, he’s staying put where we got him. Lane: Okay. I just worry about the excited delirium or whatever. Chauvin: That’s why we got the ambulance coming.
As Floyd continued to shout that he couldn’t breathe and called for his mother, a radio transmission was recorded saying that the ambulance was approximately four blocks away. When it arrived, Lane got in the ambulance and helped to give Floyd CPR on the way to the hospital.
Before we discuss further what happened at the scene, let’s take a look at Floyd’s 20-page autopsy and toxicology report.
The autopsy report by the Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office is titled “CARDIOPULMONARY ARREST COMPLICATING LAW ENFORCEMENT SUBDUAL, RESTRAINT, AND NECK COMPRESSION.” Strangely enough, the report, which thoroughly sets forth in detail all physical and toxicological findings, makes no other mention of the purported cause of death. In fact, the first iteration of the report didn’t even mention “law enforcement subdual, restraint, and neck compression,” and the criminal complaint filed by prosecutors stated that the autopsy “revealed no physical findings that support a diagnosis of traumatic asphyxia or strangulation.”
Moreover, prior to issuing the autopsy report, the Hennepin County Medical Examiner preliminarily found that the “autopsy revealed no physical findings that support a diagnosis of traumatic asphyxia or strangulation. Mr. Floyd had underlying health conditions including coronary artery disease and hypertensive heart disease. The combined effects of Mr. Floyd being restrained by the police, his underlying health conditions and any potential intoxicants in his system likely contributed to his death.” (Emphasis added.)
These preliminary findings by the Medical Examiner were incorporated in the Statement of Probable Cause attached to the arrest warrant for Officer Chauvin, which was filed on May 29, 2020. This date is significant because, as you will see, neither the Medical Examiner nor the prosecutors had yet received Floyd’s toxicology report. That report was issued by NMS Labs of Horsham, Pennsylvania, on May 31, 2020.
In short, Chauvin was charged with third-degree murder (later raised to second-degree murder by Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison) without the benefit of a complete and competent investigation of all the relevant facts and circumstances of Floyd’s death.
Apparently dissatisfied with the Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s findings, the Floyd’s family attorney had a re-autopsy performed by Dr. Michael Baden*, the former Chief Medical Examiner of New York City, and Dr. Allecia Wilson of the University of Michigan.
In announcing the re-autopsy findings, Dr. Wilson stated that she and Dr. Baden “have seen accounts from the complaint and based on that, yes our findings do differ [from those of the Hennepin County Medical Examiner]. Some of the information that I read from that complaint states that there was no evidence of traumatic asphyxia. This is the point in which we do disagree. There is evidence in this case of mechanical or traumatic asphyxia.”
However, Dr. Wilson conceded that they did not have access to toxicology results, tissue samples, or some organs, but added that those items “are not likely to change” the results of the re-autopsy.
The re-autopsy concluded that, even without physical evidence of traumatic asphyxia, such as broken bones in the neck, the compression on Floyd’s neck and chest still caused his death by depriving his brain of blood and oxygen and his lungs of air. Dr. Baden stated that the pressure was not visibly supported by autopsy because the pressure applied by the police had been released by the time the body was examined. Noting that “the video is real,” Dr. Baden added that the abrasions on the left side of Floyd’s face and shoulder showed how hard police had pressed him against the pavement. Dr. Wilson also referenced this “physical evidence that there was pressure applied to his [Floyd’s] neck.”
After Drs. Baden and Wilson concluded that Floyd’s death was “a homicide due to the way he was being subdued,” the Hennepin County Medical Examiner then amended his report to include the reference to “complicating law enforcement subdual, restraint, and neck compression.”
With all due respect to Drs. Baden and Wilson, however, they rendered their opinion as to the cause of death without, by their own admission, having considered the results of Floyd’s toxicology screen. If they had, they would have seen that, at the time of death, Floyd was under the influence of a lethal overdose of fentanyl, which, according to the toxicology report, is a rapid-acting synthetic morphine substitute “reported to be 80 to 200 times as potent as morphine,” as well as a lesser dose of methamphetamine, which can also cause convulsions, circulatory collapse, coma, and death.
But before we get to the details of Floyd’s tox screen, let’s consider the following autopsy findings by the Hennepin County Medical Examiner:
No life-threatening injuries identified
No facial, oral, mucosal, or conjunctival petechiae No injuries of anterior muscles of neck or laryngeal structures No scalp soft tissue, skull or brain injuries No chest wall soft tissue injuries, rib fractures (other than a single rib fracture from CPR), vertebral column in juries, or visceral injuries Incision and subcutaneous dissection of posterior and lateral neck, shoulders, back, flanks, and buttocks negative for occult trauma.
Some commentators have attached great importance to the finding of no “facial, oral or conjunctival petechiae,” which are small red or purple hemorrhages that can result from asphyxiation such as would occur if pressure was applied to block the flow of blood to the brain. However, while these petechiae can result when that happens, their absence does not necessarily prove that no such compression occurred.
Instead, the more pertinent question is whether Chauvin’s kneeling on one side of Floyd’s neck cut off the blood flow through both carotid arteries to his brain. The carotids are located on each side of the neck, and people can live with only one functioning carotid artery. This raises the question as to whether Chauvin’s direct application of pressure to only one side of Floyd’s neck cut off the carotid artery on the other side of his neck.
Moreover, in regard to Chauvin’s possible criminal intent or purported desire to harm Floyd, Minnesota police are trained to use a “neck restraint” technique, which is defined in the official training literature as “compressing one or both sides of a person’s neck with an arm or leg, without applying direct pressure to the trachea or airway (front of the neck).” The video of Chauvin kneeling on the side of Floyd’s neck appears in all respects to be a textbook application of this officially approved technique. Put another way, by the training that they had received, the police defendants would have no reason to believe that Chauvin’s kneeling on Floyd’s neck was either causing serious harm or anything other than the approved standard operating procedure.
We know from the video transcripts that Floyd, in addition to complaining about being unable to breathe while he was still upright, repeated that complaint for a matter of minutes while he was on the ground and being restrained by police. But Floyd remained conscious and complaining for several minutes. How can that be if Chauvin’s knee had cut off the flow of blood to Floyd’s brain? If the police had cut off the flow of blood and oxygen to Floyd’s brain, he would have lost consciousness within seconds, not minutes. (See Nichols, Larry, Law Enforcement Patrol Operations: Police Systems and Practices, McCutcheon Publishing Company, 1995.)
So why couldn’t Floyd breathe, and how did he die? The clear answers to those questions are to be found in his toxicology report, which overwhelmingly and unerringly supports the conclusion that Floyd’s breathing difficulties and death were the direct and undeniable result of his ingestion of fentanyl mixed with methamphetamine.
When Floyd arrived at the hospital, his blood was drawn. According to the toxicology report, postmortem testing of that blood established the presence of, among other drugs, “Fentanyl 11 ng/mL” (nanograms per milliter). In that regard, tucked away in the report’s “Reference Comments” is this: “Signs associated with fentanyl toxicity include severe respiratory depression, seizures, hypotension, coma and death. In fatalities from fentanyl, blood concentrations are variable and have been reported as low as 3 ng/mL.”
Got that? According to the toxicology report, which is central to the prosecution’s case, at 11 ng/mL, Floyd had over three times the potentially lethal 3 ng/mL dose of fentanyl in his bloodstream when he arrived unresponsive at the hospital.
Similarly, the toxicology report also disclosed the presence of methamphetamine, which it states is “capable of causing hallucinations, aggressive behavior and irrational reactions” as well as “restlessness, confusion, hallucinations, circulatory collapse and convulsions.”
Defense counsel should blow up those sections of the toxicology report to Mount Rushmore–size proportions, hang them on the courtroom wall, and read them every five minutes to the jury. They more than explain Floyd’s bizarre behavior, inability to stand, difficulty walking, and complaints about being unable to breathe while sitting, standing, and lying on the ground.
Moreover, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, among the most common characteristics of a fentanyl overdose is “foaming at the mouth … and confusion or strange behavior before the person became unresponsive” (emphasis added). In short, Floyd’s foaming at the mouth, incoherence, physical incapacity, non-compliant behavior, breathing difficulty, and rapid downward spiral into unconsciousness and death are fully explained by the toxicological evidence that he had ingested a massively lethal overdose of fentanyl mixed with a smaller dose of similarly dangerous and debilitating methamphetamine. In other words, by the time he first encountered the police, Floyd had already rendered himself a dead man walking and was only minutes away from expiring.
So, who killed George Floyd? He did.
The only crime here has been the prosecution’s shockingly incompetent investigation of Floyd’s death. In charging and continuing to prosecute these defendants, Minnesota’s attorney general has failed to take into account the most important and material evidence in the case, i.e., the fact that Floyd’s inability to breathe started while he was still upright and mobile and the scientific proof that his death was the direct and inescapable result of a massively fatal overdose of a powerful and dangerous drug known to cause, in the words of the toxicology report, “severe respiratory depression, seizures, hypotension, coma and death.”
The proof of the defendants’ innocence is undeniable. But given the violence and rioting that has followed in the wake of Floyd’s death, will it be possible for these defendants to receive justice? In other words, will there be a judge or jury with enough integrity and courage to defy the mob and, in recognition of the clear and overwhelming exculpatory evidence, set these wrongfully accused men free.
* In the interests of full disclosure, I have known Dr. Baden for over 40 years. He has testified as an expert on behalf of my clients in a number of cases and is a person of great integrity, skill, charm, and learning.
– – –
George Parry is a former federal and state prosecutor who practices law in Philadelphia and blogs at knowledgeisgood.net.


thetennesseestar--2020-08-07--Trump Bans Dealings with Chinese Owners of TikTok, WeChat

NEW YORK , New York ( AP ) — President Donald Trump on Thursday ordered a sweeping but unspecified ban on dealings with the Chinese owners of consumer apps TikTok and WeChat , although it remains unclear if he has the legal authority to actually ban the apps from the U.S .
The twin executive orders — one for each app — take effect in 45 days .
They call on the Commerce Secretary to define the banned dealings by that time .
While the wording of the orders is vague , some experts said it appears intended to bar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Google app stores , which could effectively remove them from distribution in the U.S. “ This is an unprecedented use of presidential authority , ” Eurasia Group analyst Paul Triolo said in an email .
At a minimum , he said , the orders appear to “ constitute a ban on the ability of U.S. app stores run by Apple and Google to include either mobile app after 45 days.
” Triolo said the orders may face legal challenges and warned that Beijing is likely to “ react harshly , at least rhetorically.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ authority from the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and the National Emergencies Act .
The Trump administration has railed against the threat from China , and both Republican and Democratic lawmakers have also raised concerns about TikTok , including censorship , misinformation campaigns , the safety of user data and children ’ s privacy .
But the administration has provided no specific evidence that TikTok has made U.S. users ’ data available to the Chinese government .
Instead , officials point to the hypothetical threat that lies in the Chinese government ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Earlier in the week , Trump threatened a deadline of Sept. 15 to “ close down ” TikTok unless Microsoft or another company acquires it .
On Wednesday , U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced an expansion of the U.S. crackdown on Chinese technology to include barring Chinese apps from U.S. app stores , citing alleged security threats and calling out TikTok and WeChat by name .
TikTok and Microsoft had no immediate replies to queries .
Tencent declined to comment .
Leading mobile security experts say TikTok is no more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and monitoring of user activity than U.S. apps owned by Facebook and Google .
“ I am the first to yell from the rooftops when there is a glaring privacy issue somewhere .
But we just have not found anything we could call a smoking gun in TikTok , ” mobile security expert Will Strafach told The Associated Press last month after examining the app .
Strafach is CEO of Guardian , which provides a firewall for Apple devices .
The order doesn ’ t seem to ban Americans from using TikTok , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ technology ethics at the University of Notre Dame .
She added that such an order would be nearly impossible to enforce in the first place .
“ If goal is to get teenagers to stop using TikTok , I ’ m not sure an executive order will stop them , ” she said .
“ Every teenager knows how to use a VPN ( a virtual private network ) .
They will just pretend they are in Canada.
” TikTok is a video-sharing app that ’ s widely popular among young people in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ owned by the Chinese company ByteDance , which operates a separate version for the Chinese market .
TikTok insists it does not store U.S. user information in China and would not share it with the Chinese government .
TikTok says it has 100 million U.S. users and hundreds of millions globally .
According to research firm App Annie , TikTok saw 50 million weekly active users in the U.S. during the week of July 19 , the latest available figure .
That ’ s up 75 % from the first week of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Weixin in China are hugely popular messaging apps ; many Chinese expatriates use WeChat to stay in touch with friends and family back home .
WeChat also says it doesn ’ t share data with the Chinese government and never has , and does not store international user data in China .
U.S. user data is stored in Canada .
The order against Tencent could have ramifications for users beyond WeChat , which is crucial for personal communications and organizations that do business with China .
Tencent also owns parts or all of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ publisher of Fortnite , a major video game hit , and Riot Games , which is behind League of Legends .
Tali Arbel is a reporter with The Associated Press .
AP reporters Barbara Ortutay in Oakland , Calif. , Mae Anderson in New York , Frank Bajak in Boston and Zen Soo in Hong Kong contributed to this article .

by Tali Arbel
NEW YORK, New York (AP) — President Donald Trump on Thursday ordered a sweeping but unspecified ban on dealings with the Chinese owners of consumer apps TikTok and WeChat, although it remains unclear if he has the legal authority to actually ban the apps from the U.S.
The twin executive orders — one for each app — take effect in 45 days. They call on the Commerce Secretary to define the banned dealings by that time. While the wording of the orders is vague, some experts said it appears intended to bar the popular apps from the Apple and Google app stores, which could effectively remove them from distribution in the U.S.
“This is an unprecedented use of presidential authority,” Eurasia Group analyst Paul Triolo said in an email. At a minimum, he said, the orders appear to “constitute a ban on the ability of U.S. app stores run by Apple and Google to include either mobile app after 45 days.”
Triolo said the orders may face legal challenges and warned that Beijing is likely to “react harshly, at least rhetorically.” Trump’s orders cited legal authority from the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and the National Emergencies Act.
The Trump administration has railed against the threat from China, and both Republican and Democratic lawmakers have also raised concerns about TikTok, including censorship, misinformation campaigns, the safety of user data and children’s privacy. But the administration has provided no specific evidence that TikTok has made U.S. users’ data available to the Chinese government. Instead, officials point to the hypothetical threat that lies in the Chinese government’s ability to demand cooperation from Chinese companies.
Earlier in the week, Trump threatened a deadline of Sept. 15 to “close down” TikTok unless Microsoft or another company acquires it. On Wednesday, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced an expansion of the U.S. crackdown on Chinese technology to include barring Chinese apps from U.S. app stores, citing alleged security threats and calling out TikTok and WeChat by name.
TikTok and Microsoft had no immediate replies to queries. Tencent declined to comment.
Leading mobile security experts say TikTok is no more intrusive in its harvesting of user data and monitoring of user activity than U.S. apps owned by Facebook and Google.
“I am the first to yell from the rooftops when there is a glaring privacy issue somewhere. But we just have not found anything we could call a smoking gun in TikTok,” mobile security expert Will Strafach told The Associated Press last month after examining the app. Strafach is CEO of Guardian, which provides a firewall for Apple devices.
The order doesn’t seem to ban Americans from using TikTok, said Kirsten Martin, a professor of technology ethics at the University of Notre Dame. She added that such an order would be nearly impossible to enforce in the first place.
“If goal is to get teenagers to stop using TikTok, I’m not sure an executive order will stop them,” she said. “Every teenager knows how to use a VPN (a virtual private network). They will just pretend they are in Canada.”
TikTok is a video-sharing app that’s widely popular among young people in the U.S. and elsewhere. It is owned by the Chinese company ByteDance, which operates a separate version for the Chinese market. TikTok insists it does not store U.S. user information in China and would not share it with the Chinese government.
TikTok says it has 100 million U.S. users and hundreds of millions globally. According to research firm App Annie, TikTok saw 50 million weekly active users in the U.S. during the week of July 19, the latest available figure. That’s up 75% from the first week of the year.
WeChat and its sister app Weixin in China are hugely popular messaging apps; many Chinese expatriates use WeChat to stay in touch with friends and family back home. WeChat also says it doesn’t share data with the Chinese government and never has, and does not store international user data in China. U.S. user data is stored in Canada.
The order against Tencent could have ramifications for users beyond WeChat, which is crucial for personal communications and organizations that do business with China. Tencent also owns parts or all of major game companies like Epic Games, publisher of Fortnite, a major video game hit, and Riot Games, which is behind League of Legends.
– – –
Tali Arbel is a reporter with The Associated Press. AP reporters Barbara Ortutay in Oakland, Calif., Mae Anderson in New York, Frank Bajak in Boston and Zen Soo in Hong Kong contributed to this article.


thetennesseestar--2020-08-07--DFL Files Campaign Finance Complaint Against Ilhan Omar’s Challenger Melton-Meaux

Minnesota ’ s Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party ( DFL ) filed a complaint against Democratic challenger Antone Melton-Meaux , claiming that his campaign created LLCs to shield the identity of several consultants and donors .
The DFL filed the complaint exactly one week before the upcoming primary on August 11 .
The DFL ’ s complaint refers to the disclosure requirements outlined in the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 , citing emails from Milton-Meaux ’ s campaign and a MinnPost article as their main evidence .
Three LLCs are named as Respondents .
“ The campaign of Ilhan Omar ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the DFL Party by apparently working with vendors to set up mysterious shell companies to hide millions of dollars in spending , ” said Martin .
“ Not only did those shell companies appear to have failed to file taxes , but the campaign illegally failed to disclose where the money is going .
It appears they are illegally paying campaign vendors off-the-books and admitting to it.
” Melton-Meaux responded to the filing in a press release Tuesday evening , calling the complaint “ a frivolous and baseless claim.
” The candidate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Scott Thomas stating that the DFL ’ s complaint holds no weight .
“ The complaint by the DFL would be rejected by the FEC because it lacks merit .
LLCs are recognized legal entities under the law that provide liability protections , protect separate personal assets of those who form them , and provide bank privacy and tax benefits as well.
” Thomas also claimed that LLCs at issue are common to many candidates and party committee campaign finance reports .
“ The LLCs receiving payments were legitimate entities , and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” he said .
The DFC ’ s filing comes shortly after the FEC ’ s report that Melton-Meaux raised nearly seven times more than Omar in 2020 ’ s second quarter .
The primary election is scheduled for next Tuesday , from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Corinne Murdock is a reporter at The Minnesota Sun and the Star News Network .
Follow her latest on Twitter , or email tips to [ email protected ] .
Photo “ Antone Melton-Meaux ” by Antone Melton-Meaux .

Minnesota’s Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party (DFL) filed a complaint against Democratic challenger Antone Melton-Meaux, claiming that his campaign created LLCs to shield the identity of several consultants and donors. The DFL filed the complaint exactly one week before the upcoming primary on August 11.
The DFL’s complaint refers to the disclosure requirements outlined in the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971, citing emails from Milton-Meaux’s campaign and a MinnPost article as their main evidence. Three LLCs are named as Respondents.
A press release by the DFL quotes Party Chairman Ken Martin disavowing Melton-Meaux’s candidacy.
“The campaign of Ilhan Omar’s primary opponent has gone against the values of the DFL Party by apparently working with vendors to set up mysterious shell companies to hide millions of dollars in spending,” said Martin. “Not only did those shell companies appear to have failed to file taxes, but the campaign illegally failed to disclose where the money is going. It appears they are illegally paying campaign vendors off-the-books and admitting to it.”
Melton-Meaux responded to the filing in a press release Tuesday evening, calling the complaint “a frivolous and baseless claim.” The candidate included the testimony of retired FEC chairman Scott Thomas stating that the DFL’s complaint holds no weight.
“The complaint by the DFL would be rejected by the FEC because it lacks merit. LLCs are recognized legal entities under the law that provide liability protections, protect separate personal assets of those who form them, and provide bank privacy and tax benefits as well.”
Thomas also claimed that LLCs at issue are common to many candidates and party committee campaign finance reports.
“The LLCs receiving payments were legitimate entities, and the described purposes for the payments were accurate,” he said.
The DFC’s filing comes shortly after the FEC’s report that Melton-Meaux raised nearly seven times more than Omar in 2020’s second quarter.
The primary election is scheduled for next Tuesday, from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
– – –
Corinne Murdock is a reporter at The Minnesota Sun and the Star News Network. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Antone Melton-Meaux” by Antone Melton-Meaux.


thetennesseestar--2020-08-07--500 Twin Cities Healthcare Workers Test Negative for COVID-19

The University of Minnesota released a report Thursday in which all 500 Twin Cities healthcare workers tested in their study were negative for COVID-19 .
Their test subjects were the healthcare workers who have been tending to patients for months .
Considering the recent surge of cases , this is good news for the frontlines .
Ryan Demmer , the lead author of the study and School of Public Health associate professor , said the results indicate that transmission rates are lower for healthcare workers than originally thought .
“ While we still need to ensure that healthcare workers have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ results suggest that proper PPE ( personal protective equipment ) use can minimize risk .
The results also minimize concerns about the risk of acquiring COVID-19 via asymptomatic transmission from healthcare workers to patients.
” According to the report summary , the study was conducted over a period of eight weeks .
Researchers intended to track any changes in the infection rates among healthcare workers , as well as asymptomatic or presymptomatic spread .
Demmer and his colleagues concluded that these findings indicate a low infection rate among healthcare workers – less than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ report why their findings might constitute a different answer than the state ’ s health department .
“ If you look at state health department data on who is testing positive , five or ten percent are healthcare workers , which makes it look like there ’ s a higher burden among healthcare workers .
While this is still likely true , it could be an overestimate because healthcare workers are also more likely to be tested.
” Demmer added that the precautions taken for healthcare workers are proving effective .
In their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his team plan on testing the same group of healthcare workers for COVID-19 antibodies .
Currently , Twin Cities metro and meat processing facilities have the most confirmed cases .
There are now 18,641 confirmed cases and 828 deaths for the coronavirus in Hennepin County .
Corinne Murdock is a reporter at The Minnesota Sun and the Star News Network .
Follow her latest on Twitter , or email tips to [ email protected ] .

The University of Minnesota released a report Thursday in which all 500 Twin Cities healthcare workers tested in their study were negative for COVID-19. Their test subjects were the healthcare workers who have been tending to patients for months.
Considering the recent surge of cases, this is good news for the frontlines.
Ryan Demmer, the lead author of the study and School of Public Health associate professor, said the results indicate that transmission rates are lower for healthcare workers than originally thought.
“While we still need to ensure that healthcare workers have plenty of personal protection equipment, the results suggest that proper PPE (personal protective equipment) use can minimize risk. The results also minimize concerns about the risk of acquiring COVID-19 via asymptomatic transmission from healthcare workers to patients.”
According to the report summary, the study was conducted over a period of eight weeks. Researchers intended to track any changes in the infection rates among healthcare workers, as well as asymptomatic or presymptomatic spread.
Demmer and his colleagues concluded that these findings indicate a low infection rate among healthcare workers – less than one percent. He explained in the report why their findings might constitute a different answer than the state’s health department.
“If you look at state health department data on who is testing positive, five or ten percent are healthcare workers, which makes it look like there’s a higher burden among healthcare workers. While this is still likely true, it could be an overestimate because healthcare workers are also more likely to be tested.”
Demmer added that the precautions taken for healthcare workers are proving effective. In their next phase of research, Demmer and his team plan on testing the same group of healthcare workers for COVID-19 antibodies.
Currently, Twin Cities metro and meat processing facilities have the most confirmed cases. There are now 18,641 confirmed cases and 828 deaths for the coronavirus in Hennepin County.
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Corinne Murdock is a reporter at The Minnesota Sun and the Star News Network. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to [email protected].


thetennesseestar--2020-08-07--Judge Rules Last Call Order Can Stay in Place During Lawsuit

A judge ruled Wednesday that the 10 p.m. last call order will stay in place during a lawsuit to determine it ’ s legality , according to WTRF .
NBC reported that a lawsuit filed by a number of Ohio restaurants and bars sought an emergency restraining order against the state ’ s order .
The Ohio Liquor Control Board approved the emergency order at Governor Mike DeWine ’ s request , which mandated bars and restaurants to cut off liquor sales at 10 p.m .
This emergency order went into effect last weekend .
Ed Hastie , an attorney @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the law was discriminatory and that it targeted a very small portion of the restaurant industry , according to NBC4i .
He also said most bars and restaurants are already following the governor ’ s Dine Safe Ohio Order .
DeWine acknowledged that most bars are compliant at a press conference recently .
“ This last week our Ohio investigative unit found bars where no social distancing safety measures were in place .
The patrons were packed on outside patios , and a dance floor was packed shoulder to shoulder .
Actors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there is , however , an inherent problem connected with bars , ” the governor stated , according to WHIO .
Marrion Little , an attorney representing Ohio , defended the order saying “ the federal government ’ s position is , bars should be closed .
DeWine ’ s position is , we are going to do the best to keep the bars open .
However , we have to make some , I think , modest compromises , ” reports WLWT .
In a separate report , NBC stated that DeWine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be allowed to serve alcohol in a take out only capacity .
Ben Kolodny is a reporter at The Ohio Star and the Star News Network .
You can follow Ben on Twitter .
Tips can be sent to [ email protected ]

A judge ruled Wednesday that the 10 p.m. last call order will stay in place during a lawsuit to determine it’s legality, according to WTRF.
NBC reported that a lawsuit filed by a number of Ohio restaurants and bars sought an emergency restraining order against the state’s order. The Ohio Liquor Control Board approved the emergency order at Governor Mike DeWine’s request, which mandated bars and restaurants to cut off liquor sales at 10 p.m. This emergency order went into effect last weekend.
Ed Hastie, an attorney representing the bars and restaurants, argued that the law was discriminatory and that it targeted a very small portion of the restaurant industry, according to NBC4i. He also said most bars and restaurants are already following the governor’s Dine Safe Ohio Order.
DeWine acknowledged that most bars are compliant at a press conference recently.
“This last week our Ohio investigative unit found bars where no social distancing safety measures were in place. The patrons were packed on outside patios, and a dance floor was packed shoulder to shoulder. Actors like this are in fact outliers, there is, however, an inherent problem connected with bars,” the governor stated, according to WHIO.
Marrion Little, an attorney representing Ohio, defended the order saying “the federal government’s position is, bars should be closed. DeWine’s position is, we are going to do the best to keep the bars open. However, we have to make some, I think, modest compromises,” reports WLWT.
In a separate report, NBC stated that DeWine said that bars and restaurants would still be allowed to serve alcohol in a take out only capacity.
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Ben Kolodny is a reporter at The Ohio Star and the Star News Network. You can follow Ben on Twitter. Tips can be sent to [email protected]


thetennesseestar--2020-08-07--Minnesota Unemployment Drops Beneath 305,000 Claims

New unemployment claims in Minnesota reported for the week ending August 1 continue to dip slightly under the previous week ’ s numbers .
According to data compiled by the U.S. Department of Labor , Minnesota registered 12,659 new unemployment claims for the week ending August 1 , a drop of 2,652 new claims for the week ending July 25 , during which the state added 15,311 new claims .
The state ’ s total unemployment stands at 301,819 , 3,711 claims less than the prior week ’ s 305,530 adjusted tally .
According to the DOL , the largest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ending July 25 were in Virginia ( +5,020 ) , Nevada ( +2,842 ) , Missouri ( +2,606 ) , Indiana ( +2,218 ) , and New Jersey ( +2,141 ) , while the largest decreases were in California ( -44,941 ) , Georgia ( -37,329 ) , Florida ( -17,514 ) , Louisiana ( -13,568 ) , and Texas ( -11,104 ) .
In the week ending August 1 , the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 1,186,000 , a decrease of 249,000 from the previous week ’ s revised @ @ @ @ @ @ @ level was revised up by 1,000 from 1,434,000 to 1,435,000 .
The 4-week moving average was 1,337,750 , a decrease of 31,000 from the previous week ’ s revised average .
The previous week ’ s average was revised up by 250 from 1,368,500 to 1,368,750 .
The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 11.0 percent for the week ending July 25 , a decrease of 0.6 percentage point from the previous week ’ s unrevised rate .
The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending July 25 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the previous week ’ s revised level .
Bruce Walker is a regional editor at The Center Square .
He previously worked as editor at the Mackinac Center for Public Policy ’ s MichiganScience magazine and The Heartland Institute ’ s InfoTech & Telecom News .

by Bruce Walker
New unemployment claims in Minnesota reported for the week ending August 1 continue to dip slightly under the previous week’s numbers.
According to data compiled by the U.S. Department of Labor, Minnesota registered 12,659 new unemployment claims for the week ending August 1, a drop of 2,652 new claims for the week ending July 25, during which the state added 15,311 new claims.
The state’s total unemployment stands at 301,819, 3,711 claims less than the prior week’s 305,530 adjusted tally.
According to the DOL, the largest increases in initial claims for the week ending July 25 were in Virginia (+5,020), Nevada (+2,842), Missouri (+2,606), Indiana (+2,218), and New Jersey (+2,141), while the largest decreases were in California (-44,941), Georgia (-37,329), Florida (-17,514), Louisiana (-13,568), and Texas (-11,104).
In the week ending August 1, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 1,186,000, a decrease of 249,000 from the previous week’s revised level. The previous week’s level was revised up by 1,000 from 1,434,000 to 1,435,000. The 4-week moving average was 1,337,750, a decrease of 31,000 from the previous week’s revised average. The previous week’s average was revised up by 250 from 1,368,500 to 1,368,750.
The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 11.0 percent for the week ending July 25, a decrease of 0.6 percentage point from the previous week’s unrevised rate. The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending July 25 was 16,107,000, a decrease of 844,000 from the previous week’s revised level.
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Bruce Walker is a regional editor at The Center Square. He previously worked as editor at the Mackinac Center for Public Policy’s MichiganScience magazine and The Heartland Institute’s InfoTech & Telecom News.


thetennesseestar--2020-08-07--Proposal to Disband the Minneapolis Police Blocked

The Minneapolis Charter Council on Wednesday blocked the controversial ballot proposal to disband the police .
In a 10-5 vote , the city ’ s Charter Council opted to take an extra 90 days to review the proposal .
This means that voters will not have the opportunity to vote on the proposal in November .
In an online meeting , the Charter Commission members complained that the new measure was vague , might run afoul of state law , and put the council in charge of the proposed department , according to Forbes .
The proposal sought to replace @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with a Department of Community Safety and Violence Prevention , Fox News reports .
The ballot proposal called for a restart to law enforcement in Minneapolis with the new department taking a “ holistic , public health-oriented approach ” to public safety services .
It is unclear what such an approach would look like , or even if a division of police would be maintained at all .
The proposal stated that the Council could have a division of law enforcement services , but does it is not required .
It is unclear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a chance to vote on the proposal .
This proposal came after weeks of rioting sparked by George Floyd ’ s death .
In recent months , a movement to defund and disband police departments has spread across the nation .
Several major cities are moving forward with their proposals to defund their police departments .
The Seattle City Council has pledged to cut it ’ s police force ’ s budget by 50 % , according to King 5 , an NBC affiliate .
Also , the New York Police Department will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for its 2021 budget , reports USA Today .
Ben Kolodny is a reporter at The Ohio Star and the Star News Network .
You can follow Ben on Twitter .
Tips can be sent to [ email protected ] Photo “ Minneapolis Police Officer ” by Tony Webster .
CC BY 2.0 .

The Minneapolis Charter Council on Wednesday blocked the controversial ballot proposal to disband the police.
In a 10-5 vote, the city’s Charter Council opted to take an extra 90 days to review the proposal. This means that voters will not have the opportunity to vote on the proposal in November. In an online meeting, the Charter Commission members complained that the new measure was vague, might run afoul of state law, and put the council in charge of the proposed department, according to Forbes.
The proposal sought to replace the city’s existing law enforcement with a Department of Community Safety and Violence Prevention, Fox News reports.
The ballot proposal called for a restart to law enforcement in Minneapolis with the new department taking a “holistic, public health-oriented approach” to public safety services. It is unclear what such an approach would look like, or even if a division of police would be maintained at all.
The proposal stated that the Council could have a division of law enforcement services, but does it is not required.
It is unclear if or when Minneapolis voters will get a chance to vote on the proposal.
This proposal came after weeks of rioting sparked by George Floyd’s death. In recent months, a movement to defund and disband police departments has spread across the nation.
Several major cities are moving forward with their proposals to defund their police departments. The Seattle City Council has pledged to cut it’s police force’s budget by 50%, according to King 5, an NBC affiliate. Also, the New York Police Department will lose around a billion dollars in funding for its 2021 budget, reports USA Today.
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Ben Kolodny is a reporter at The Ohio Star and the Star News Network. You can follow Ben on Twitter. Tips can be sent to [email protected]
Photo “Minneapolis Police Officer” by Tony Webster. CC BY 2.0.


thetennesseestar--2020-08-07--Ohio Gov. DeWine Tests Positive for the Coronavirus on His Way to Meet President Donald Trump

Governor Mike DeWine was headed to Cleveland to meet President Trump who is visiting the state today .
During his ride to the Burke Lakefront Airport , he took a rapid response test which returned a positive result for the coronavirus .
DeWine is headed back to Columbus after his positive test .
Currently , the 73-year-old has not experienced any symptoms , according to the Governor ’ s statement .
The positive test raises several questions , the most apparent is whether the positive test result is accurate .
The gold standard in COVID-19 testing is the molecular test @ @ @ @ @ @ @ test with rapid return technology , which does not detect the COVID-19 virus , instead the test measures viral proteins – a less accurate measure of infection .
Earlier in the week Governor DeWine discussed the state ’ s need to ramp rapid testing to alleviate a burden on state labs working to process nearly 20,000 tests a day .
The tradeoff favoring speed opens the door for increased false positives associated with antigen tests .
When DeWine and First Lady Fran get back to Ohio ’ s capital , they will both @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will follow COVID-19 ’ s protocol and quarantine for two weeks , DeWine ’ s statement says .
DeWine ’ s positive test was made public around 12:45 p.m. , which happened just before Trump left for Ohio , according to The Hill .
Judd Deere , a White House spokesman , tweeted that Trump wished DeWine a “ speedy and full recovery ” and commended the governor for the work he has done in Ohio .
Ohio Lt .
Governor Jon Husted who also went to greet the president took a coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
DeWine is the second governor who has tested positive for the coronavirus .
In July , Oklahoma Gov .
Kevin Stitt tested positive for the Chinese virus .
As governor , DeWine has been one of the most aggressive governors at getting people to wear face coverings .
On July 23 , DeWine implemented a statewide mask mandate for all Ohio residents .
“ Our preliminary data indicate that the rate of increase in new cases has slowed in the high-risk counties where masks are already mandated , so we are cautiously @ @ @ @ @ @ @ right direction , ” DeWine said .
“ We believe that requiring masks statewide will make a significant difference and will be key to making sure other counties do not progress to a higher level of increased spread.
” This week , DeWine extended his mask mandate to all K-12 students , who will now need to wear a face covering in class .
The Ohio Star requested further comment from the Governor ’ s Press Secretary Dan Tierney , but received no response before press time .
The Office of the Governor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will hold a briefing Thursday at 4:30 p.m.. Zachery Schmidt is the digital editor of Star News Digital Media .
If you have any tips , email Zachery at [ email protected ] .
Follow Zachery on Twitter @ zacheryschmidt2 .
Background Photo ” Burke Lakefront Airport ” by Michael Barera .
CC BY-SA 4.0 .

Governor Mike DeWine was headed to Cleveland to meet President Trump who is visiting the state today. During his ride to the Burke Lakefront Airport, he took a rapid response test which returned a positive result for the coronavirus.
DeWine is headed back to Columbus after his positive test. Currently, the 73-year-old has not experienced any symptoms, according to the Governor’s statement.
The positive test raises several questions, the most apparent is whether the positive test result is accurate. The gold standard in COVID-19 testing is the molecular test. The rapid test is an antigen test with rapid return technology, which does not detect the COVID-19 virus, instead the test measures viral proteins – a less accurate measure of infection.
Earlier in the week Governor DeWine discussed the state’s need to ramp rapid testing to alleviate a burden on state labs working to process nearly 20,000 tests a day. The tradeoff favoring speed opens the door for increased false positives associated with antigen tests.
When DeWine and First Lady Fran get back to Ohio’s capital, they will both take another coronavirus test.
The governor will follow COVID-19’s protocol and quarantine for two weeks, DeWine’s statement says.
Governor DeWine has tested positive for #COVID19. He has no symptoms at this time. Full statement below. pic.twitter.com/WnkmoGxR2m — Governor Mike DeWine (@GovMikeDeWine) August 6, 2020
DeWine’s positive test was made public around 12:45 p.m., which happened just before Trump left for Ohio, according to The Hill.
Judd Deere, a White House spokesman, tweeted that Trump wished DeWine a “speedy and full recovery” and commended the governor for the work he has done in Ohio.
The President wishes Governor DeWine a speedy and full recovery and commends the job he’s doing for the great state of Ohio. https://t.co/NYj9I9bBIz — Judd Deere (@JuddPDeere45) August 6, 2020
Ohio Lt. Governor Jon Husted who also went to greet the president took a coronavirus test and his results came back negative.
DeWine is the second governor who has tested positive for the coronavirus. In July, Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt tested positive for the Chinese virus.
As governor, DeWine has been one of the most aggressive governors at getting people to wear face coverings. On July 23, DeWine implemented a statewide mask mandate for all Ohio residents.
“Our preliminary data indicate that the rate of increase in new cases has slowed in the high-risk counties where masks are already mandated, so we are cautiously optimistic that things are heading in the right direction,” DeWine said. “We believe that requiring masks statewide will make a significant difference and will be key to making sure other counties do not progress to a higher level of increased spread.”
This week, DeWine extended his mask mandate to all K-12 students, who will now need to wear a face covering in class.
The Ohio Star requested further comment from the Governor’s Press Secretary Dan Tierney, but received no response before press time. The Office of the Governor has issued a media advisory that DeWine will hold a briefing Thursday at 4:30 p.m..
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Zachery Schmidt is the digital editor of Star News Digital Media. If you have any tips, email Zachery at [email protected]. Follow Zachery on Twitter @zacheryschmidt2.
Background Photo ” Burke Lakefront Airport” by Michael Barera. CC BY-SA 4.0.


thetennesseestar--2020-08-07--GOP Voters Choose Bill Hagerty Over Manny Sethi in Primary Election

GALLATIN , Tennessee — By a large margin , Tennessee Republicans elected Bill Hagerty their nominee in Thursday ’ s GOP primary to compete against a Democrat in November ’ s general election .
Hagerty and Sethi competed against one another to replace the retiring U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander ( R-TN ) .
As of press time Thursday night , Hagerty had 326,246 votes to opponent Manny Sethi ’ s 252,603 votes , a margin of 50 percent to 39 percent , according to the Tennessee Secretary of State ’ s website .
Thirteen other Republican candidates trailed behind the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( R-TN ) , U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton ( R-AR ) , and U.S. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann ( R-TN-03 ) flanked Hagerty as he delivered his victory speech at his campaign headquarters in Gallatin .
“ I am looking forward to this fight , and there couldn ’ t be more at stake right now , ” Hagerty said .
“ We ’ ve got to stand up to the radicals in Washington that want to push us off a cliff into socialism .
I look forward to fighting for the things that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , if elected , his top priorities include , among other things , confirming Constitutionalist judges , fighting for the Second Amendment , fighting for life , and standing up for law enforcement and the military .
Hagerty also said he wants to stand up to China .
“ We all know that China unleashed this pandemic on the world .
On our nation , ” Hagerty said .
“ We ’ ve had loved ones that have lost their lives .
We have many more that have lost their jobs .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ account .
I look forward to doing just that .
I know how to hit China where it hurts .
I want to make ‘ Made in the USA ’ the theme of America again.
” Hagerty also said he and U.S. President Donald Trump spoke by phone before Hagerty took to the stage to deliver his victory speech .
As The Tennessee Star reported , Trump endorsed Hagerty ’ s candidacy several times .
Hagerty thanked his political team , his campaign volunteers , and his interns for helping him .
Chris @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tennessee Star .
Follow Chris on Facebook .
Email tips to [ email protected ]

GALLATIN, Tennessee — By a large margin, Tennessee Republicans elected Bill Hagerty their nominee in Thursday’s GOP primary to compete against a Democrat in November’s general election.
Hagerty and Sethi competed against one another to replace the retiring U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN).
As of press time Thursday night, Hagerty had 326,246 votes to opponent Manny Sethi’s 252,603 votes, a margin of 50 percent to 39 percent, according to the Tennessee Secretary of State’s website. Thirteen other Republican candidates trailed behind the two men.
U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR), and U.S. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann (R-TN-03) flanked Hagerty as he delivered his victory speech at his campaign headquarters in Gallatin.
“I am looking forward to this fight, and there couldn’t be more at stake right now,” Hagerty said.
“We’ve got to stand up to the radicals in Washington that want to push us off a cliff into socialism. I look forward to fighting for the things that Tennessee values most.”
Hagerty said that, if elected, his top priorities include, among other things, confirming Constitutionalist judges, fighting for the Second Amendment, fighting for life, and standing up for law enforcement and the military.
Hagerty also said he wants to stand up to China.
“We all know that China unleashed this pandemic on the world. On our nation,” Hagerty said.
“We’ve had loved ones that have lost their lives. We have many more that have lost their jobs. The time has come to hold them to account. I look forward to doing just that. I know how to hit China where it hurts. I want to make ‘Made in the USA’ the theme of America again.”
Hagerty also said he and U.S. President Donald Trump spoke by phone before Hagerty took to the stage to deliver his victory speech. As The Tennessee Star reported, Trump endorsed Hagerty’s candidacy several times.
Hagerty thanked his political team, his campaign volunteers, and his interns for helping him.
“They made over 2 million voter contacts,” Hagerty said.
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Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star. Follow Chris on Facebook. Email tips to [email protected]