theguardian--2020-09-01--Trump blames racism in policing on 'bad apples' during visit to Kenosha

Donald Trump brought his politics of division to Kenosha , Wisconsin , planting himself firmly on the side of law enforcement rather than civil rights protesters during a contentious visit to the city .
The US president insisted that racial injustice in policing is due to “ bad apples ” rather than being “ systemic ” and that a silent majority of Kenosha residents are most concerned about “ law and order ” rather than racism .
Kenosha became the latest flashpoint in a long summer of unrest in America after Jacob Blake , an African American man , was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ police as he tried to enter his vehicle .
Three nights of protests set off more than 30 fires and culminated in a 17-year-old militia supporter allegedly shooting and killing two demonstrators – an act that Trump has pointedly failed to condemn .
Since then , marches organized both by police sympathizers and Blake ’ s family have been peaceful with no vandalism .
But , critics say , Trump has seized on vivid TV pictures for political gain with no intention of healing or unifying .
On Tuesday , the Blake family @ @ @ @ @ @ @ site with a DJ playing music and tables set up so people could register to vote , get a haircut , take a coronavirus test or write a messages to put in Blake ’ s hospital room .
The president was not invited .
Trump ’ s motorcade passed crowds of demonstrators , some holding pro-Trump signs , others jeering while carrying placards that read Black Lives Matter .
Under heavy police guard , including several armored vehicles , Trump toured the charred remains of a block including a furniture shop that was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the attorney general , William Barr , and the acting homeland security secretary , Chad Wolf , Trump hosted a meeting at a high school of community and business leaders , law enforcement officials and pastors against a backdrop of photos showing vandalism .
“ We have to condemn the dangerous anti-police rhetoric , ” Trump said .
“ It ’ s getting more and more , it ’ s very unfair .
You have some bad apples , we all know that , and those will be taken care of through the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be easy on them either.
” Other officers “ choke ” under “ tremendous pressure ” , he added .
“ They may be there for 15 years and have a spotless record , and all of sudden they ’ re faced with a decision , you have a quarter of a second , quarter of a second to make a decision .
And if they make a wrong decision , one way or the other , they ’ re either dead , or they ’ re in big trouble.
” He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ TV interview on Monday night when he compared such “ choking ” incidents to a golfer crumbling under pressure on an important putt .
Trump told the meeting that “ violent mobs ” in Kenosha damaged or demolished at least 25 businesses , burned down public buildings and threw bricks at police officers .
“ These are not acts of peaceful protest but , really , domestic terror , ” he said .
He pledged the federal government will provide $ 1m to police , nearly $ 4m to small businesses for their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statewide for public safety .
One reporter noted there have been countless peaceful protests and asked Trump bluntly if he believes systemic racism is a problem in America .
The president declined to say so , replying : “ You just keep getting back to the opposite subject .
We should talk about the kind of violence that we ’ ve seen in Portland and here and other places.
” “ It ’ s tremendous violence .
You always give it to the other side , ‘ Well , what do you think @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fact is we ’ ve seen tremendous violence and we will put it out very , very quickly if given the chance , and that ’ s what this is all about.
” Trump added : “ I keep hearing about peaceful protests .
I hear it about it everything and then I come into an area like this and I see the town is burned down.
” Trump said he declined to meet with Blake family during the visit because they wanted to have a lawyer present .
Asked what he would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ I feel terribly for anybody that goes through that .
As you know , it ’ s under investigation .
It ’ s a big thing happening right now ... and I hope they come up with the right answer.
” Assailed by the Covid-19 pandemic and economic disarray , “ law and order ” is seen a valuable distraction for Trump ’ s re-election campaign .
He again blamed Democratic politicians for encouraging agitators and anarchists in Kenosha and several other cities .
On Monday his Democratic opponent , Joe Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the president : “ He may believe mouthing the words law and order makes him strong , but his failure to call on his own supporters to stop acting as an armed militia in this country shows you how weak he is .
”

Donald Trump brought his politics of division to Kenosha, Wisconsin, planting himself firmly on the side of law enforcement rather than civil rights protesters during a contentious visit to the city.
The US president insisted that racial injustice in policing is due to “bad apples” rather than being “systemic” and that a silent majority of Kenosha residents are most concerned about “law and order” rather than racism.
Kenosha became the latest flashpoint in a long summer of unrest in America after Jacob Blake, an African American man, was shot seven times in the back by police as he tried to enter his vehicle. Three nights of protests set off more than 30 fires and culminated in a 17-year-old militia supporter allegedly shooting and killing two demonstrators – an act that Trump has pointedly failed to condemn.
Since then, marches organized both by police sympathizers and Blake’s family have been peaceful with no vandalism. But, critics say, Trump has seized on vivid TV pictures for political gain with no intention of healing or unifying.
On Tuesday, the Blake family held a community gathering at the shooting site with a DJ playing music and tables set up so people could register to vote, get a haircut, take a coronavirus test or write a messages to put in Blake’s hospital room. The president was not invited.
Trump’s motorcade passed crowds of demonstrators, some holding pro-Trump signs, others jeering while carrying placards that read Black Lives Matter. Under heavy police guard, including several armored vehicles, Trump toured the charred remains of a block including a furniture shop that was burned down.
Trump supporters and protesters watch as the motorcade carrying Donald Trump passes by in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Photograph: Scott Olson/Getty Images
Then, flanked by the attorney general, William Barr, and the acting homeland security secretary, Chad Wolf, Trump hosted a meeting at a high school of community and business leaders, law enforcement officials and pastors against a backdrop of photos showing vandalism.
“We have to condemn the dangerous anti-police rhetoric,” Trump said. “It’s getting more and more, it’s very unfair. You have some bad apples, we all know that, and those will be taken care of through the system, and nobody’s going to be easy on them either.”
Other officers “choke” under “tremendous pressure”, he added. “They may be there for 15 years and have a spotless record, and all of sudden they’re faced with a decision, you have a quarter of a second, quarter of a second to make a decision. And if they make a wrong decision, one way or the other, they’re either dead, or they’re in big trouble.”
He avoided repeating a slip made in a TV interview on Monday night when he compared such “choking” incidents to a golfer crumbling under pressure on an important putt.
Trump told the meeting that “violent mobs” in Kenosha damaged or demolished at least 25 businesses, burned down public buildings and threw bricks at police officers. “These are not acts of peaceful protest but, really, domestic terror,” he said.
He pledged the federal government will provide $1m to police, nearly $4m to small businesses for their recovery efforts and a further $42m statewide for public safety.
One reporter noted there have been countless peaceful protests and asked Trump bluntly if he believes systemic racism is a problem in America. The president declined to say so, replying: “You just keep getting back to the opposite subject. We should talk about the kind of violence that we’ve seen in Portland and here and other places.”
A demonstrator holds a sign in front of the Kenosha courthouse on 1 September 2020. Photograph: Kerem Yucel/AFP/Getty Images
“It’s tremendous violence. You always give it to the other side, ‘Well, what do you think about this or that?’ The fact is we’ve seen tremendous violence and we will put it out very, very quickly if given the chance, and that’s what this is all about.”
Trump added: “I keep hearing about peaceful protests. I hear about it everything and then I come into an area like this and I see the town is burned down.”
Trump had said he declined to meet with the Blake family during the visit because they wanted to have a lawyer present.
Asked what he would say to them, he replied: “I feel terribly for anybody that goes through that. As you know, it’s under investigation. It’s a big thing happening right now … and I hope they come up with the right answer.”
During his visit to Kenosha on Tuesday, the president was not heard to mention Jacob Blake’s name in his public addresses.
Assailed by the Covid-19 pandemic and economic disarray, “law and order” is seen a valuable distraction for Trump’s re-election campaign. He again blamed Democratic politicians for encouraging agitators and anarchists in Kenosha and several other cities.
On Monday his Democratic opponent, Joe Biden, issued a forceful rebuttal, saying of the president: “He may believe mouthing the words law and order makes him strong, but his failure to call on his own supporters to stop acting as an armed militia in this country shows you how weak he is.”


theguardian--2020-09-01--Jacob Blake family reject 'orange man in the White House' as Trump tours nearby

As Donald Trump toured parts of the Wisconsin city of Kenosha on Tuesday – against the wishes of local government officials – the family of Jacob Blake , the young Black father now paralyzed after being shot by city police , had a message for the visiting US president .
Justin Blake , Jacob ’ s uncle , kicked off a community party on the same Kenosha block where his nephew was shot multiple times in the back by a police officer .
The shooting triggered yet another harsh examination of US police practices and led to the gun deaths @ @ @ @ @ @ @ white militia supporter last week .
“ We ’ re not going to let anyone smudge my nephew ’ s name , ” said Justin Blake , as Trump held court elsewhere with local law enforcement and criticized the protesters who had taken to streets after the shooting .
“ We don ’ t have any words for the orange man in the White House , ” Blake added .
Trump ’ s visit came to a town at the center of US politics following Blake ’ s shooting , the nights of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and finally the deaths of two protesters allegedly at the hands of Kyle Rittenhouse , who now stands charged with murder .
Trump had billed his trip to Kenosha as a unifying move , but Blake ’ s family declined to meet with him and his schedule was dominated by meetings with local police officials and business leaders .
He toured damaged property and paid far more attention to the destruction than to the police shooting that preceded it .
To many residents , especially Black citizens , Trump ’ s visit was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , John Antaramian , and Wisconsin governor , Tony Evers , who had asked the president not to come .
At the local courthouse , about 100 Trump supporters and a similar number of Black Lives Matter supporters traded chants back and forth .
About 50 yards away , members of the national guard sat laughing and joking behind the courthouse wall .
Jacob Ansari , a 42-year-old IT security adviser , wore a shirt depicting the Republican party being thrown into the trash .
He said : “ The president has no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He ’ s riling up his supporters and bringing in all these people who aren ’ t wearing masks and who have the potential to incite more violence.
” He added : “ People frame everything around broken windows and property , and not the actual human lives that are being hurt by bad cops and white supremacists .
I think we all need to come out and stand up in this moment and say that none of this is OK.
It ’ s not OK for the president to come out and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Others agreed , saying that Trump ’ s visit was hardly likely to calm the situation in town , especially as it brought many Trump supporters out into the streets and came after widespread support for the shooter among Republicans and conservatives .
“ Trump coming here is counter-productive , because he essentially endorsed the armed assassin who came in here .
That ’ s patently racist , ” said Mike Edwards , who lives in nearby New Glarus .
“ Rioting gives the movement a black eye , but I hope that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I hope Kenosha motivates people to come out to the polls and vote him out.
” Trump ’ s motorcade had passed a mix of supporters on the drive into town , many of whom were holding American flags , and also protesters , some carrying signs that read Black Lives Matter .
As a massive police presence , complete with several armored vehicles , secured the area , barricades were set up along several of the city ’ s major thoroughfares to keep onlookers some distance from the passing presidential vehicles @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two elderly women , Joyce and Kathy , who declined to give their last names .
They said they had lived in Kenosha for 60 years and had sat outside the local courthouse since 9.30am in support of the president and wearing Maga hats and Trump T-shirts .
“ We love Trump coming in here !
The ones who are against him , there ’ s nothing to do to satisfy them .
But those of us who love him , he ’ s coming in here to help us and support us @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it better for all of us , ” said Joyce .
Kathy added : “ People have a right to protest .
It ’ s not all bad , but it ’ s stirring up more trouble and promoting more violence .
I wish they would just listen to what Trump ’ s trying to do .
He has done so much good for our country.
” Meanwhile , back at the block party , Blake ’ s uncle Justin had one parting comment for Trump from a family and a community still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of their own .
“ Keep your disrespect and foul language away from our family , ” he said .

As Donald Trump toured parts of the Wisconsin city of Kenosha on Tuesday – against the wishes of local government officials – the family of Jacob Blake, the young Black father now paralyzed after being shot by city police, had a message for the visiting US president.
Justin Blake, Jacob’s uncle, kicked off a community party on the same Kenosha block where his nephew was shot multiple times in the back by a police officer. The shooting triggered yet another harsh examination of US police practices and led to the gun deaths of two protesters, killed by a white militia supporter last week.
“We’re not going to let anyone smudge my nephew’s name,” said Justin Blake, as Trump held court elsewhere with local law enforcement and criticized the protesters who had taken to streets after the shooting.
“We don’t have any words for the orange man in the White House,” Blake added.
Trump’s visit came to a town at the center of US politics following Blake’s shooting, the nights of protest and vandalism that it triggered, and finally the deaths of two protesters allegedly at the hands of Kyle Rittenhouse, who now stands charged with murder.
Trump had billed his trip to Kenosha as a unifying move, but Blake’s family declined to meet with him and his schedule was dominated by meetings with local police officials and business leaders. He toured damaged property and paid far more attention to the destruction than to the police shooting that preceded it.
To many residents, especially Black citizens, Trump’s visit was roundly unwelcome, echoing the local mayor, John Antaramian, and Wisconsin governor, Tony Evers, who had asked the president not to come. At the local courthouse, about 100 Trump supporters and a similar number of Black Lives Matter supporters traded chants back and forth. About 50 yards away, members of the national guard sat laughing and joking behind the courthouse wall.
Jacob Ansari, a 42-year-old IT security adviser, wore a shirt depicting the Republican party being thrown into the trash. He said: “The president has no business being here and inflaming tension. He’s riling up his supporters and bringing in all these people who aren’t wearing masks and who have the potential to incite more violence.”
He added: “People frame everything around broken windows and property, and not the actual human lives that are being hurt by bad cops and white supremacists. I think we all need to come out and stand up in this moment and say that none of this is OK. It’s not OK for the president to come out and whip up his potentially violent supporters.”
Protesters oppose a Trump supporter during a demonstration against police brutality in Kenosha on Tuesday. Photograph: Kerem Yucel/AFP/Getty Images
Others agreed, saying that Trump’s visit was hardly likely to calm the situation in town, especially as it brought many Trump supporters out into the streets and came after widespread support for the shooter among Republicans and conservatives.
“Trump coming here is counter-productive, because he essentially endorsed the armed assassin who came in here. That’s patently racist,” said Mike Edwards, who lives in nearby New Glarus.
“Rioting gives the movement a black eye, but I hope that people can see the frustrations behind it. I hope Kenosha motivates people to come out to the polls and vote him out.”
Trump’s motorcade had passed a mix of supporters on the drive into town, many of whom were holding American flags, and also protesters, some carrying signs that read Black Lives Matter. As a massive police presence, complete with several armored vehicles, secured the area, barricades were set up along several of the city’s major thoroughfares to keep onlookers some distance from the passing presidential vehicles.
Among those waiting for Trump were two elderly women, Joyce and Kathy, who declined to give their last names. They said they had lived in Kenosha for 60 years and had sat outside the local courthouse since 9.30am in support of the president and wearing Maga hats and Trump T-shirts.
“We love Trump coming in here! The ones who are against him, there’s nothing to do to satisfy them. But those of us who love him, he’s coming in here to help us and support us. He’s going to make it better for all of us,” said Joyce.
Kathy added: “People have a right to protest. It’s not all bad, but it’s stirring up more trouble and promoting more violence. I wish they would just listen to what Trump’s trying to do. He has done so much good for our country.”
Meanwhile, back at the block party, Blake’s uncle Justin had one parting comment for Trump from a family and a community still grieving over the horrific injuries to one of their own.
“Keep your disrespect and foul language away from our family,” he said.


theguardian--2020-09-01--Trump arrives in Kenosha with Bill Barr as he pushes law-and-order message

Donald Trump arrived in Kenosha , Wisconsin , on Tuesday with his attorney general , Bill Barr , in tow .
The president is pushing a “ law and order ” message as he campaigns for re-election .
On his way to the Wisconsin city , which has seen protests over a police shooting of an African American man , he tweeted that he would “ thank law enforcement and the national guard for a job well done .
The violence stopped six days ago , the moment the guard entered the picture .
Thank you !
” On arrival @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ron Johnson , Trump said : “ We ’ ll have plenty to talk about.
” Before his visit , the president defended a teenager who shot two anti-racism protesters dead in the city last week .
He also compared the actions of a white Kenosha police officer who fired seven shots at a black man , hitting him four times in the back , to a golfer choking on a putt .
The Democratic governor of Wisconsin and the mayor of Kenosha both urged Trump to stay away from the city , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shooting last month of Jacob Blake by officer Rusten Sheskey .
Partially paralyzed , Blake remains in the hospital .
As Trump flew in , reverberations continued from an interview with Fox News ’ Laura Ingraham on Monday night in which he compared Sheskey to a golfer missing a putt .
“ Shooting the guy – shooting the guy in the back many times , I mean , couldn ’ t you have done something different , couldn ’ t you have wrestled him ?
” Trump said .
“ You know , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ might ’ ve been going for a weapon and you know , there ’ s a whole big thing there .
But they choke .
Just like in a golf tournament .
They miss a 3ft putt.
” Ingraham , a prominent Trump supporter who spoke at the 2016 Republican convention , cut the president off abruptly .
“ You ’ re not comparing it to golf , because that ’ s what the media would say , ” she said .
Trump did not plan to meet with family members of Blake @ @ @ @ @ @ @ emerged as a powerful voice for justice in the shooting .
Sheskey is on administrative leave and has not been charged with a crime .
“ President Trump is a racist who stokes racial tensions , ” Justin Blake , the victim ’ s uncle , told CNN .
“ He has been stirring racial tensions since he got in the White House .
Why , as Jacob ’ s uncle , would I want to talk to him ?
Our focus is on Jacob and healing the community.
” Trump planned to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House said .
But Trump ’ s critics said he was traveling to Wisconsin in an effort to do more damage , hoping to inflame racial tensions and twist the nature of anti-racism protests in an effort to scare white suburban voters into a stampede in his direction .
In Pittsburgh on Monday , the Democratic nominee , Joe Biden , asked : “ Does anyone believe there will be less violence in America if Donald Trump is re-elected ?
We need justice in America .
We need safety in America .
We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that , under Donald Trump , have kept multiplying.
” Two days after protests in Kenosha began , the teenager Kyle Rittenhouse came to the scene with a semi-automatic rifle and shot two people dead , prosecutors say .
But in remarks at the White House on Monday , Trump refused to condemn the gunman .
“ We ’ re looking at all of it , ” he said .
“ And that was an interesting situation .
You saw the same tape as I saw .
And he was trying to get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it looks like .
And he fell , and then they very violently attacked him .
And it was something that we ’ re looking at right now and it ’ s under investigation.
” The first person Rittenhouse killed was shot in the back , prosecutors say .
Rittenhouse has been charged with first-degree intentional homicide and reckless homicide .
“ I am concerned your presence will only hinder our healing , ” Evers wrote .
“ I am concerned your presence will only delay our work to overcome division and move @ @ @ @ @ @ @ John Antaramian , said Trump ’ s timing was wrong .
“ It just seemed to me and I think others that it would be better for us to be able to pull together , let the community get together and actually heal up the process of what ’ s going on , ” Antaramian told reporters .
“ So it would have been nice if it had waited a while a little longer down the road.
” Trump showed in his interview with Ingraham that his conspiracy-mindedness is not limited to protests @ @ @ @ @ @ @ controlled by secret forces and that the federal government was investigating a plane “ almost completely loaded with thugs , wearing these dark uniforms , black uniforms with gear ” .
Trump appeared to be riffing on a viral Facebook post from 1 June that falsely claimed a group of men in black attire – associated with the anti-fascist movement – flew from Seattle , Washington , to Boise , Idaho , NBC News reported .
Nothing about the Facebook post was true , but the president made it the centerpiece of wild @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He ’ s not controlling anything , ” Trump said of Biden .
“ They control ... ” ” Who do you think is pulling Biden ’ s strings ?
” Ingraham asked .
“ Is it former Obama people ?
” Trump said it was “ People that you ’ ve never heard of , people that are in the dark shadows , people that are – ” Ingraham interjected , asking : “ What does that mean ?
That sounds like a conspiracy theory .
Dark shadows .
What is that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t heard of , ” Trump said .
“ They ’ re , they ’ re people that are on the streets , they ’ re people that are controlling the streets .
We had somebody get on a plane from a certain city this weekend , and in the plane it was almost completely loaded with thugs , wearing these dark uniforms , black uniforms with gear , and this and that .
They ’ re on a plane – ” Ingraham interjected again , asking : “ Where was this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you some time , ” Trump said .
“ But it ’ s under investigation right now .
”

Tom McCarthy national affairs correspondent

Donald Trump arrived in Kenosha, Wisconsin, on Tuesday with his attorney general, Bill Barr, in tow.
The president is pushing a “law and order” message as he campaigns for re-election. On his way to the Wisconsin city, which has seen protests over a police shooting of an African American man, he tweeted that he would “thank law enforcement and the national guard for a job well done. The violence stopped six days ago, the moment the guard entered the picture. Thank you!”
On arrival, greeted by the Republican Wisconsin senator Ron Johnson, Trump said: “We’ll have plenty to talk about.”
Before his visit, the president defended a teenager who shot two anti-racism protesters dead in the city last week. He also compared the actions of a white Kenosha police officer who fired seven shots at a black man, hitting him four times in the back, to a golfer choking on a putt.
The Democratic governor of Wisconsin and the mayor of Kenosha both urged Trump to stay away from the city, where many have marched to protest the shooting last month of Jacob Blake by officer Rusten Sheskey. Partially paralyzed, Blake remains in the hospital.
As Trump flew in, reverberations continued from an interview with Fox News’ Laura Ingraham on Monday night in which he compared Sheskey to a golfer missing a putt.
“Shooting the guy – shooting the guy in the back many times, I mean, couldn’t you have done something different, couldn’t you have wrestled him?” Trump said.
“You know, I mean, in the meantime he might’ve been going for a weapon and you know, there’s a whole big thing there. But they choke. Just like in a golf tournament. They miss a 3ft putt.”
Ingraham, a prominent Trump supporter who spoke at the 2016 Republican convention, cut the president off abruptly.
“You’re not comparing it to golf, because that’s what the media would say,” she said.
“I’m saying people choke,” Trump replied. “People choke.”
Trump did not plan to meet with family members of Blake, whose father Jacob Blake Sr has emerged as a powerful voice for justice in the shooting. Sheskey is on administrative leave and has not been charged with a crime.
“President Trump is a racist who stokes racial tensions,” Justin Blake, the victim’s uncle, told CNN. “He has been stirring racial tensions since he got in the White House. Why, as Jacob’s uncle, would I want to talk to him? Our focus is on Jacob and healing the community.”
Trump planned to “survey damage”, the White House said. But Trump’s critics said he was traveling to Wisconsin in an effort to do more damage, hoping to inflame racial tensions and twist the nature of anti-racism protests in an effort to scare white suburban voters into a stampede in his direction.
In Pittsburgh on Monday, the Democratic nominee, Joe Biden, asked: “Does anyone believe there will be less violence in America if Donald Trump is re-elected? We need justice in America. We need safety in America. We’re facing multiple crises, crises that, under Donald Trump, have kept multiplying.”
Two days after protests in Kenosha began, the teenager Kyle Rittenhouse came to the scene with a semi-automatic rifle and shot two people dead, prosecutors say. But in remarks at the White House on Monday, Trump refused to condemn the gunman.
01:00 Donald Trump appears to defend Kenosha gunman – video
“We’re looking at all of it,” he said. “And that was an interesting situation. You saw the same tape as I saw. And he was trying to get away from them, I guess; it looks like. And he fell, and then they very violently attacked him. And it was something that we’re looking at right now and it’s under investigation.”
The first person Rittenhouse killed was shot in the back, prosecutors say. Rittenhouse has been charged with first-degree intentional homicide and reckless homicide.
Wisconsin’s governor, Tony Evers, asked Trump to stay away.
“I am concerned your presence will only hinder our healing,” Evers wrote. “I am concerned your presence will only delay our work to overcome division and move forward together.”
The Kenosha mayor, John Antaramian, said Trump’s timing was wrong.
“It just seemed to me and I think others that it would be better for us to be able to pull together, let the community get together and actually heal up the process of what’s going on,” Antaramian told reporters.
“So it would have been nice if it had waited a while a little longer down the road.”
Trump showed in his interview with Ingraham that his conspiracy-mindedness is not limited to protests. He announced that Biden was being controlled by secret forces and that the federal government was investigating a plane “almost completely loaded with thugs, wearing these dark uniforms, black uniforms with gear”.
Trump appeared to be riffing on a viral Facebook post from 1 June that falsely claimed a group of men in black attire – associated with the anti-fascist movement – flew from Seattle, Washington, to Boise, Idaho, NBC News reported. Nothing about the Facebook post was true, but the president made it the centerpiece of wild accusations about his political opponent.
“He’s not controlling anything,” Trump said of Biden. “They control ...”
”Who do you think is pulling Biden’s strings?” Ingraham asked. “Is it former Obama people?”
Trump said it was “People that you’ve never heard of, people that are in the dark shadows, people that are –”
Ingraham interjected, asking: “What does that mean? That sounds like a conspiracy theory. Dark shadows. What is that?”
“People that you haven’t heard of,” Trump said. “They’re, they’re people that are on the streets, they’re people that are controlling the streets. We had somebody get on a plane from a certain city this weekend, and in the plane it was almost completely loaded with thugs, wearing these dark uniforms, black uniforms with gear, and this and that. They’re on a plane –”
Ingraham interjected again, asking: “Where was this?”
“I’ll tell you some time,” Trump said. “But it’s under investigation right now.”


theguardian--2020-09-01--How 'law and order' politics could dominate the 2020 election | Geoffrey Kabaservice

For months , many Americans had feared that clashes between demonstrators , counter-demonstrators , and police eventually would end in tragedy .
Now it has .
Three Black Lives Matter protesters were shot and two were killed in Kenosha , Wisconsin , last week , followed by the shooting death of a right-wing counter-protester in Portland , Oregon .
The rise of street battles between armed political factions irresistibly calls to mind similar conflicts that led to the demise of the Weimar Republic .
The comparison is overdrawn , but the street brawling has coincided with a spike in violent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and arson that have overlapped with nonviolent demonstrations against police brutality .
The voters ’ interpretation of why this apparent breakdown in public order has occurred , and who is to blame for it , may well determine the outcome of this year ’ s elections .
The present rise in violence has to be seen in the context of a historic rise in US crime from the late 1950s through the early 1990s , followed by an equally historic fall .
During the years when crime was in the ascent , conservative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from exploiting fears of crime .
“ Law and order ” politics inevitably had a racial dimension , since African Americans disproportionately were both victims and arrested for violent crime , and the massive riots of the 1960s in nearly all cases were sparked by minorities reacting against police abuses .
Democrats paid a high political price for crime .
Then as now , most cities were run by Democrats , and trust in urban governments cratered when they seemed unable to fulfill their most basic duty of protecting the lives and property @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mutual sympathies and solidarities on which liberalism depends , particularly in riot-scarred urban areas that hemorrhaged population following the riots .
The exodus of white working-class voters from the Democratic party accelerated when progressives dismissed their crime fears .
The voters who became Reagan Democrats also deeply resented progressive arguments that minimized the suffering of crime victims and seemed to excuse criminals for their actions by emphasizing their deprived upbringings .
Violent crime peaked in the modern era in 1991 , when the violent crime rate was roughly double what it is now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ causes of its decline .
The tough-on-crime efforts of New Democrats like Bill Clinton and Joe Biden helped the party reverse the perception that it had moved too far from the political center .
But mass incarceration – which accelerated in part due to the Biden-authored 1994 crime bill – took a heavy toll on African American communities without having a directly observable impact on crime reduction .
The more important causes of the great urban crime decline of the past three decades , according to sociologists like Patrick Sharkey , were the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ data available to police forces , and the increase in population density that was itself the product of decreasing crime .
Murders in New York City decreased from over 2,000 a year in the early 1990s to 311 in 2019 ; similar declines took place in most urban areas across the country .
In 1992 , 83 % of Americans felt the system was “ not tough enough ” on crime ; by 2016 , that sentiment had fallen to 45 % .
It certainly was what underlay the bipartisan efforts toward criminal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of voting rights to former felons in Florida and other states as well as passage of the First Step Act , which enabled sentencing reforms and modest reductions in incarcerations .
The pandemic ’ s onset led to an upsurge of homicides in many cities , for reasons that are still unclear but may be related to a decline in arrests for weapons possession .
New York City police chief Terence Monahan may have been giving vent to his officers ’ conservative grievances against progressive mayor Bill de Blasio when he claimed that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of recently mandated restrictions on use of force .
But it ’ s undeniable that shooting incidents in New York City soared by 130 % in June compared to the previous year , and by 177 % in July .
Obviously we are nowhere near the peaks of the early ’ 90s .
But the recent increase in the incidence of crime is not only worrisome in itself ; it inspires fears that the low-crime era may be coming to an end .
The rise in crime coincided with the nationwide protests for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ publicized examples of police and white vigilante violence against unarmed black men and women .
The vast majority of these protests were peaceful , but some were accompanied by opportunistic outbreaks of looting and arson when rioters outnumbered the police .
Other protests devolved into property destruction of police stations , court houses , and other symbols of institutional authority as well as violent attacks on the police themselves .
Some of this property destruction has been linked to people loosely affiliated with Antifa or anarchist groups .
In some cases , protesters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in other cases not .
The pandemic also sparked protests against business closures and mask-wearing by conservatives , mostly white and pro-Trump , some of them associated with militias and other gun-toting groups .
Some of these protests drew in members of alt-right groups like the Proud Boys and Patriot Prayer , which for years have battled Antifa and other left-wing groups .
In Kenosha , where Black Lives Matter protests erupted after police shot an unarmed black man at close range , a self-styled militia group used social media to summon armed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them was Kyle Rittenhouse , who at 17 years old was too young to legally possess the AR-15 style rifle he brought to Kenosha .
Grainy and poorly focused cell phone videos captured footage of Rittenhouse apparently shooting to death two left-wing protesters and wounding a third , under circumstances that may or may not have been self-defense .
Several days later , a convoy of right-wingers in Portland rolled through the downtown taunting and skirmishing with Black Lives Matter and left-wing protesters .
Hours later , one of the Patriot Prayer supporters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not clear what political benefit or damage from the mayhem in Kenosha and Portland will accrue to Biden or Trump .
Since it ’ s occurring on Trump ’ s watch , one might think that voters would blame him .
But Trump apparently is staking the success of his campaign on the claim that the present political violence is only a foretaste of a complete collapse in public order under President Biden .
Trump doesn ’ t have much else to run on .
His administration ’ s incompetent response to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will end his term with the worst record for new job creation of any modern American president , has shattered his claim to superior economic stewardship .
But since Democratic mayors and administrators run most of the large cities where crime is up and demonstrations have run amok , he might make a plausible case with suburban swing voters that Democrats can ’ t be trusted to maintain order – particularly if they can envision the unrest spreading to their neighborhoods .
National approval for Black Lives Matter peaked in early June and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are capitalizing on progressive statements that echo the kind of soft-on-crime rhetoric that led to Democrats losing elections in past decades , including calls to defund the police and the claim that looting is a form of protest , or reparations , or ( in the words of the author of a recent book ) a “ joyous and liberatory ” communal celebration .
And Trump ’ s adviser Kellyanne Conway has boasted that “ chaos and anarchy ” boost the president ’ s re-election odds , since voters presumably will favor the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as they did in the last days of Weimar , one might add .
Joe Biden , so far , has avoided the trap Republicans hope to set for him .
He has consistently opposed defunding the police .
In a recent speech in Pittsburgh , he condemned the urban unrest in forceful terms , insisting that rioting and looting are lawlessness , not an acceptable way of bringing change : “ It will only bring destruction .
It ’ s wrong in every way.
” Biden also blamed Trump for increasing racial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his armed supporters as a sign of weakness .
At the same time , Biden has also insisted on the necessity of constructive , nonviolent protest against systemic racism and police brutality .
Can Biden allay middle-class fears of violence without alienating his party ’ s progressives ?
Time , and the unpredictable unfolding of this season of protest and counter-protest , will supply the answer .
• None Geoffrey Kabaservice is the director of political studies at the Niskanen Center in Washington , DC as well as the author of Rule and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Destruction of the Republican Party

For months, many Americans had feared that clashes between demonstrators, counter-demonstrators, and police eventually would end in tragedy. Now it has. Three Black Lives Matter protesters were shot and two were killed in Kenosha, Wisconsin, last week, followed by the shooting death of a right-wing counter-protester in Portland, Oregon.
The rise of street battles between armed political factions irresistibly calls to mind similar conflicts that led to the demise of the Weimar Republic. The comparison is overdrawn, but the street brawling has coincided with a spike in violent crime as well as outbreaks of looting and arson that have overlapped with nonviolent demonstrations against police brutality. The voters’ interpretation of why this apparent breakdown in public order has occurred, and who is to blame for it, may well determine the outcome of this year’s elections.
The present rise in violence has to be seen in the context of a historic rise in US crime from the late 1950s through the early 1990s, followed by an equally historic fall. During the years when crime was in the ascent, conservative Republicans from Richard Nixon onward benefited politically from exploiting fears of crime. “Law and order” politics inevitably had a racial dimension, since African Americans disproportionately were both victims and arrested for violent crime, and the massive riots of the 1960s in nearly all cases were sparked by minorities reacting against police abuses.
The present rise in violence has to be seen in the context of a historic rise in US crime from the late 1950s through the early 1990s, followed by an equally historic fall
Democrats paid a high political price for crime. Then as now, most cities were run by Democrats, and trust in urban governments cratered when they seemed unable to fulfill their most basic duty of protecting the lives and property of its citizens. Crime dissolved the mutual sympathies and solidarities on which liberalism depends, particularly in riot-scarred urban areas that hemorrhaged population following the riots. The exodus of white working-class voters from the Democratic party accelerated when progressives dismissed their crime fears. The voters who became Reagan Democrats also deeply resented progressive arguments that minimized the suffering of crime victims and seemed to excuse criminals for their actions by emphasizing their deprived upbringings.
Violent crime peaked in the modern era in 1991, when the violent crime rate was roughly double what it is now. There is no consensus about the causes of its decline. The tough-on-crime efforts of New Democrats like Bill Clinton and Joe Biden helped the party reverse the perception that it had moved too far from the political center. But mass incarceration – which accelerated in part due to the Biden-authored 1994 crime bill – took a heavy toll on African American communities without having a directly observable impact on crime reduction. The more important causes of the great urban crime decline of the past three decades, according to sociologists like Patrick Sharkey, were the unheralded actions of community groups, better data available to police forces, and the increase in population density that was itself the product of decreasing crime.
Murders in New York City decreased from over 2,000 a year in the early 1990s to 311 in 2019; similar declines took place in most urban areas across the country. In 1992, 83% of Americans felt the system was “not tough enough” on crime; by 2016, that sentiment had fallen to 45% . It certainly was what underlay the bipartisan efforts toward criminal justice reform that resulted in the restoration of voting rights to former felons in Florida and other states as well as passage of the First Step Act, which enabled sentencing reforms and modest reductions in incarcerations.
The pandemic’s onset led to an upsurge of homicides in many cities, for reasons that are still unclear but may be related to a decline in arrests for weapons possession. New York City police chief Terence Monahan may have been giving vent to his officers’ conservative grievances against progressive mayor Bill de Blasio when he claimed that they are afraid to make arrests because of recently mandated restrictions on use of force. But it’s undeniable that shooting incidents in New York City soared by 130% in June compared to the previous year, and by 177% in July.
Murders in NYC decreased from over 2,000 a year in the early 1990s to 311 in 2019; similar declines took place in most urban areas across the country
Obviously we are nowhere near the peaks of the early ’90s. But the recent increase in the incidence of crime is not only worrisome in itself; it inspires fears that the low-crime era may be coming to an end.
The rise in crime coincided with the nationwide protests for criminal justice reform that followed several widely publicized examples of police and white vigilante violence against unarmed black men and women. The vast majority of these protests were peaceful, but some were accompanied by opportunistic outbreaks of looting and arson when rioters outnumbered the police. Other protests devolved into property destruction of police stations, court houses, and other symbols of institutional authority as well as violent attacks on the police themselves. Some of this property destruction has been linked to people loosely affiliated with Antifa or anarchist groups. In some cases, protesters discouraged the property destruction and arson, in other cases not.
The pandemic also sparked protests against business closures and mask-wearing by conservatives, mostly white and pro-Trump, some of them associated with militias and other gun-toting groups. Some of these protests drew in members of alt-right groups like the Proud Boys and Patriot Prayer, which for years have battled Antifa and other left-wing groups.
In Kenosha, where Black Lives Matter protests erupted after police shot an unarmed black man at close range, a self-styled militia group used social media to summon armed vigilantes to the city. One of them was Kyle Rittenhouse, who at 17 years old was too young to legally possess the AR-15 style rifle he brought to Kenosha. Grainy and poorly focused cell phone videos captured footage of Rittenhouse apparently shooting to death two left-wing protesters and wounding a third, under circumstances that may or may not have been self-defense.
Several days later, a convoy of right-wingers in Portland rolled through the downtown taunting and skirmishing with Black Lives Matter and left-wing protesters. Hours later, one of the Patriot Prayer supporters was fatally shot.
It’s not clear what political benefit or damage from the mayhem in Kenosha and Portland will accrue to Biden or Trump. Since it’s occurring on Trump’s watch, one might think that voters would blame him. But Trump apparently is staking the success of his campaign on the claim that the present political violence is only a foretaste of a complete collapse in public order under President Biden.
It’s not clear what political benefit or damage from the mayhem in Kenosha and Portland will accrue to Biden or Trump
Trump doesn’t have much else to run on. His administration’s incompetent response to the pandemic, and the likelihood that he will end his term with the worst record for new job creation of any modern American president, has shattered his claim to superior economic stewardship. But since Democratic mayors and administrators run most of the large cities where crime is up and demonstrations have run amok, he might make a plausible case with suburban swing voters that Democrats can’t be trusted to maintain order – particularly if they can envision the unrest spreading to their neighborhoods. National approval for Black Lives Matter peaked in early June and has fallen ever since.
Already Republicans are capitalizing on progressive statements that echo the kind of soft-on-crime rhetoric that led to Democrats losing elections in past decades, including calls to defund the police and the claim that looting is a form of protest, or reparations, or (in the words of the author of a recent book) a “joyous and liberatory” communal celebration. And Trump’s adviser Kellyanne Conway has boasted that “chaos and anarchy” boost the president’s re-election odds, since voters presumably will favor the stronger and more authoritarian leader – much as they did in the last days of Weimar, one might add.
Joe Biden, so far, has avoided the trap Republicans hope to set for him. He has consistently opposed defunding the police. In a recent speech in Pittsburgh, he condemned the urban unrest in forceful terms, insisting that rioting and looting are lawlessness, not an acceptable way of bringing change: “It will only bring destruction. It’s wrong in every way.” Biden also blamed Trump for increasing racial unrest and cast his refusal to condemn his armed supporters as a sign of weakness. At the same time, Biden has also insisted on the necessity of constructive, nonviolent protest against systemic racism and police brutality.
Can Biden allay middle-class fears of violence without alienating his party’s progressives? Time, and the unpredictable unfolding of this season of protest and counter-protest, will supply the answer.


theguardian--2020-09-02--Nancy Pelosi in face covering row after salon visit

Nancy Pelosi has been photographed in a San Francisco hair salon without a face covering , breaking the city ’ s coronavirus prevention rules .
Footage captured on a security camera obtained by Fox News , showed the Democrat House speaker without a mask as she walked through the salon .
Salons in San Francisco have been closed during the coronavirus pandemic , with limited outdoor operations beginning only on Tuesday .
The footage , showing Pelosi walking through the eSalon with a face mask around her neck , was filmed during an appointment on Monday .
Pelosi has regularly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the guidelines intended to limit the spread of coronavirus .
Salon owner , Erica Kious , said one of her hairstylists who rents a chair at the business had opened it especially for Pelosi ’ s appointment .
“ It was a slap in the face that she went in , you know , that she feels that she can just go and get her stuff done while no one else can go in , and I can ’ t work , ” Kious told Fox News .
“ We have been shut @ @ @ @ @ @ @ me , but most of the small businesses and I just can ’ t – it ’ s a feeling – a feeling of being deflated , helpless and honestly beaten down , ” she added .
Kious said that according to her interpretation of the coronavirus safety precautions blow-drying hair was prohibited for salons .
She added : “ I have been fighting for six months for a business that took me 12 years to build to reopen , ” she said .
“ I am a single mom , I have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no income.
” “ We ’ re supposed to look up to this woman , right ?
It is just disturbing.
” A spokesman for Pelosi , Drew Hammill , responded that the Californian congresswoman had not realised she was breaking her home city ’ s virus prevention rules .
“ This business offered for the speaker to come in on Monday and told her they were allowed by the city to have one customer at a time in the business , ” spokesman Drew Hammill said in a statement .
He added @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rules as presented to her by this establishment .
”

Nancy Pelosi has claimed to have been “set up”, after she was photographed in a San Francisco hair salon without a face covering, breaking the city’s coronavirus prevention rules.
“I take responsibility for trusting the word of the neighborhood salon that I’ve been to many times,” the House speaker said on Wednesday afternoon, as reported by the San Francisco Chronicle. “It was a setup, and I take responsibility for falling for a setup.”
Salons in San Francisco have been closed during the coronavirus pandemic, with limited outdoor operations beginning only on Tuesday.
Security camera footage obtained by Fox News showed Pelosi, the House speaker and the most powerful Democrat in Washington, walking through the e Salon SF with a mask around her neck. The footage was filmed on Monday.
Pelosi has regularly told US citizens to wear masks and follow guidelines intended to limit the spread of coronavirus.
The salon’s owner, Erica Kious, said one of her hairstylists who rented a chair at the business opened it specially for Pelosi’s appointment.
00:15 CCTV footage shows Nancy Pelosi not wearing mask in hair salon – video
“It was a slap in the face that she went in, you know, that she feels that she can just go and get her stuff done while no one else can go in, and I can’t work,” Kious told Fox News.
“We have been shut down for so long, not just me, but most of the small businesses and I just can’t – it’s a feeling … of being deflated, helpless and honestly beaten down.”
Kious said that according to her interpretation of coronavirus safety precautions, blow-drying hair was prohibited.
“I have been fighting for six months for a business that took me 12 years to build to reopen,” she said. “I am a single mom, I have two small children, and I have no income. We’re supposed to look up to this woman, right? It is just disturbing.”
A spokesman for Pelosi, Drew Hammill, said: “This business offered for the speaker to come in on Monday and told her they were allowed by the city to have one customer at a time in the business.
“The speaker complied with the rules as presented to her by this establishment.”
Donald Trump weighed in, tweeting that Pelosi was “being decimated for having a beauty parlor opened, when all others are closed, and for not wearing a mask – despite constantly lecturing everyone else”.
Trump has recommended that people wear masks and has occasionally worn one himself. He has also resisted calls for a national mask mandate and last week staged a Republican convention at which coronavirus prevention measures were at best inconsistently observed.
Pelosi, who has called Trump’s stance on masks “cowardly”, fired back.
“I think that this salon owes me an apology for setting me up,” she said, adding that she had been “inundated” with comments from people in the hair service industry, thanking her “for calling attention to this” and saying “We need to get back to work”.
“Many [are] annoyed at the setup,” she said, “that was there for a purpose that has nothing to do with ending the crisis.”
Pelosi said she had worn her mask round her neck because she had “just had my hair washed. I don’t wear a mask when I’m washing my hair. Do you wear a mask when you’re washing your hair? I always wear a mask … And that picture is when I just came out of the bowl.”


theguardian--2020-09-02--Trump blames racism in policing on 'bad apples' during visit to Kenosha

Donald Trump brought his politics of division to Kenosha , Wisconsin , planting himself firmly on the side of law enforcement rather than civil rights protesters during a contentious visit to the city .
The US president insisted that racial injustice in policing is due to “ bad apples ” rather than being “ systemic ” and that a silent majority of Kenosha residents are most concerned about “ law and order ” rather than racism .
Kenosha became the latest flashpoint in a long summer of unrest in America after Jacob Blake , an African American man , was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ police as he tried to enter his vehicle .
Three nights of protests set off more than 30 fires and culminated in a 17-year-old militia supporter allegedly shooting and killing two demonstrators – an act that Trump has pointedly failed to condemn .
Since then , marches organized both by police sympathizers and Blake ’ s family have been peaceful with no vandalism .
But , critics say , Trump has seized on vivid TV pictures for political gain with no intention of healing or unifying .
On Tuesday , the Blake family @ @ @ @ @ @ @ site with a DJ playing music and tables set up so people could register to vote , get a haircut , take a coronavirus test or write a messages to put in Blake ’ s hospital room .
The president was not invited .
Trump ’ s motorcade passed crowds of demonstrators , some holding pro-Trump signs , others jeering while carrying placards that read Black Lives Matter .
Under heavy police guard , including several armored vehicles , Trump toured the charred remains of a block including a furniture shop that was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the attorney general , William Barr , and the acting homeland security secretary , Chad Wolf , Trump hosted a meeting at a high school of community and business leaders , law enforcement officials and pastors against a backdrop of photos showing vandalism .
“ We have to condemn the dangerous anti-police rhetoric , ” Trump said .
“ It ’ s getting more and more , it ’ s very unfair .
You have some bad apples , we all know that , and those will be taken care of through the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be easy on them either.
” Other officers “ choke ” under “ tremendous pressure ” , he added .
“ They may be there for 15 years and have a spotless record , and all of sudden they ’ re faced with a decision , you have a quarter of a second , quarter of a second to make a decision .
And if they make a wrong decision , one way or the other , they ’ re either dead , or they ’ re in big trouble.
” He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ TV interview on Monday night when he compared such “ choking ” incidents to a golfer crumbling under pressure on an important putt .
Trump told the meeting that “ violent mobs ” in Kenosha damaged or demolished at least 25 businesses , burned down public buildings and threw bricks at police officers .
“ These are not acts of peaceful protest but , really , domestic terror , ” he said .
He pledged the federal government will provide $ 1m to police , nearly $ 4m to small businesses for their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statewide for public safety .
One reporter noted there have been countless peaceful protests and asked Trump bluntly if he believes systemic racism is a problem in America .
The president declined to say so , replying : “ You just keep getting back to the opposite subject .
We should talk about the kind of violence that we ’ ve seen in Portland and here and other places.
” “ It ’ s tremendous violence .
You always give it to the other side , ‘ Well , what do you think @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fact is we ’ ve seen tremendous violence and we will put it out very , very quickly if given the chance , and that ’ s what this is all about.
” Trump added : “ I keep hearing about peaceful protests .
I hear about it everything and then I come into an area like this and I see the town is burned down.
” Trump had said he declined to meet with the Blake family during the visit because they wanted to have a lawyer present .
Asked what he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : “ I feel terribly for anybody that goes through that .
As you know , it ’ s under investigation .
It ’ s a big thing happening right now … and I hope they come up with the right answer.
” During his visit to Kenosha on Tuesday , the president was not heard to mention Jacob Blake ’ s name in his public addresses .
Assailed by the Covid-19 pandemic and economic disarray , “ law and order ” is seen a valuable distraction for Trump ’ s re-election campaign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ encouraging agitators and anarchists in Kenosha and several other cities .
On Monday his Democratic opponent , Joe Biden , issued a forceful rebuttal , saying of the president : “ He may believe mouthing the words law and order makes him strong , but his failure to call on his own supporters to stop acting as an armed militia in this country shows you how weak he is .
”


theguardian--2020-09-02--First Thing: Trump denies police racism is 'systemic' on Kenosha visit

Good morning .
Trump blamed discriminatory policing on “ bad apples ” , and denied it was “ systemic ” , as he visited Kenosha , Wisconsin .
Kenosha has been the site of daily anti-racism protests since police shot and paralysed Jacob Blake , an African American man , as he was getting into his vehicle with his three children inside .
Speaking on the visit on Tuesday , which local officials had repeatedly asked him to cancel , Trump also claimed that the majority of Kenosha residents were more concerned about “ law and order ” than racism @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dangerous anti-police rhetoric ” , he said , describing it as “ very unfair ” .
Jacob Blake ’ s family said they “ don ’ t have any words for the orange man in the White House ” , and declined to meet the president , instead hosting a community event .
Trump has rejected global cooperation on a coronavirus vaccine … because it ’ s led by WHO The US government has said it will not join a global initiative to develop a vaccine for coronavirus and equitably distribute it to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ co-led by the World Health Organization .
The WHO announced last month that more than 170 countries were in talks to participate in Covax , which aims to accelerate the development and testing of a vaccine and distribute it equally .
In a statement , a White House spokesperson said the US would “ not be constrained by multilateral organizations influenced by the corrupt World Health Organization and China ” .
August has been the deadliest month so far in the coronavirus pandemic for many states in the US , including Idaho , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last month .
• None Pregnant women hospitalised with coronavirus are less likely to show symptoms but may have a higher risk of being admitted to intensive care , a study of more than 11,000 pregnant women has found .
• None When will a coronavirus vaccine be ready ?
Check the progress of vaccines in development around the world .
Melania Trump has been accused of using a private email while in the White House The First Lady used private email and messaging to discuss official business while in the White House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ adviser has alleged .
The claims aren ’ t the first to be levied at members of the Trump family – last year , the House Oversight Committee last year issued subpoenas for personal emails and text messages sent on business matters by Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner .
During the 2016 election campaign , Donald Trump repeatedly claimed that his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton should be prosecuted over her use of a private email server , giving rise to the infamous “ lock her up ” chant .
• None Sarah Sanders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has revealed the president told her to ‘ go to North Korea and take one for the team ’ after the country ’ s supreme leader Kim Jong-un allegedly winked at her during a summit in Singapore in 2018 .
• None A senior justice department official and Trump nominee for a lifetime appointment as a judge was involved in the removal of a prosecutor in Texas who repeatedly raised concerns about the safety of migrant children after being separated from their parents , in 2017 .
The Russian agency that interfered with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fake left-wing news publication , with hoax editors who had AI-generated photos , Facebook has said .
PeaceData.net , an English and Arabic-language website that claims to be a “ global news organization ” , had about 14,000 followers .
Many of the fake editorial staff had Twitter and LinkedIn profiles .
Twitter announced on Tuesday it had suspended five accounts associated with PeaceData for “ platform manipulation that we can reliably attribute to Russian state actors ” .
It also hired unwitting freelance reporters .
• None The satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Prophet Muhammad ahead of the start of a trial of suspected accomplices of the terrorist gunmen who killed 12 people in an attack on its offices in 2015 .
• None A 105-year-old woman is leading the call for reparations for the 1921 Tulsa race massacre , in which hundreds were killed when white mobs burned down a black neighbourhood .
Lessie Benningfield Randle is one of the two known survivors of the massacre still alive , and is the lead plaintiff on a lawsuit filed on Tuesday .
• None Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to win control of the family firm , court documents allege , shedding new light on how Louis DeJoy came to control the company that made him wealthy and enabled him to become a top Republican donor .
• None Has Oatly gone sour ?
The popular oat milk brand is facing a backlash from climate and political activists after its connections to a private equity firm headed by the Trump donor Stephen Schwarzman , which has been linked to deforestation in the Amazon , were uncovered .
How the Amazon was ‘ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ devastating fires that caused global outrage , the rainforest is again suffering catastrophic blazes , and the total CO2 released from the wildfires has already surpassed last year .
Critics blame Brazil ’ s president , Jair Bolsonaro .
The true story of Nxivm Nxivm made headlines as a cult where sexual abuse , including branding initials on to women ’ s crotches , was rife .
In the run-up a new documentary series on the group , former members speak to the Guardian .
Opinion : ‘ Law and order ’ has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it work in 2020 ?
As Trump tries desperately to make the 2020 election about unrest on the streets of the US , Geoffrey Kabaservice looks back at how crime rates have impacted politics , from the 1950s to today .
Last Thing : Pilots reported someone flying a jetpack near LA airport this weekend It may sound pie in the sky , but both the US Federal Aviation Administration and the FBI are investigating reports made by airline pilots that someone flew a jetpack near Los Angeles international airport this weekend .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ final approaches to the airport around 6.35pm ( PDT ) on Sunday , and said the individual was at a similar altitude as the planes .
First Thing is delivered to thousands of inboxes every weekday .
If you ’ re not already signed up , subscribe now .

Good morning. Trump blamed discriminatory policing on “bad apples”, and denied it was “systemic”, as he visited Kenosha, Wisconsin. Kenosha has been the site of daily anti-racism protests since police shot and paralysed Jacob Blake, an African American man, as he was getting into his vehicle with his three children inside.
01:08 'It's called choking': Donald Trump blames racist policing on 'bad apples' – video
Speaking on the visit on Tuesday, which local officials had repeatedly asked him to cancel, Trump also claimed that the majority of Kenosha residents were more concerned about “law and order” than racism. “We have to condemn the dangerous anti-police rhetoric”, he said, describing it as “very unfair”. Jacob Blake’s family said they “don’t have any words for the orange man in the White House”, and declined to meet the president, instead hosting a community event.
Trump has rejected global cooperation on a coronavirus vaccine … because it’s led by WHO
One global health expert said the US refusal was a ‘real blow’ to the global effort to secure a vaccine. Photograph: Anton Vaganov/Reuters
The US government has said it will not join a global initiative to develop a vaccine for coronavirus and equitably distribute it to participating countries, because the plan is co-led by the World Health Organization. The WHO announced last month that more than 170 countries were in talks to participate in Covax, which aims to accelerate the development and testing of a vaccine and distribute it equally.
In a statement, a White House spokesperson said the US would “not be constrained by multilateral organizations influenced by the corrupt World Health Organization and China”. August has been the deadliest month so far in the coronavirus pandemic for many states in the US, including Idaho, where the number of deaths nearly doubled last month.
Pregnant women hospitalised with coronavirus are less likely to show symptoms but may have a higher risk of being admitted to intensive care, a study of more than 11,000 pregnant women has found.
When will a coronavirus vaccine be ready? Check the progress of vaccines in development around the world.
Melania Trump has been accused of using a private email while in the White House
Stephanie Winston Wolkoff told the Washington Post she had communicated with the First Lady multiple times a day on private channels. Photograph: Drew Angerer/Getty
The First Lady used private email and messaging to discuss official business while in the White House, her estranged friend and former senior adviser has alleged. The claims aren’t the first to be levied at members of the Trump family – last year, the House Oversight Committee last year issued subpoenas for personal emails and text messages sent on business matters by Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner.
During the 2016 election campaign, Donald Trump repeatedly claimed that his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton should be prosecuted over her use of a private email server, giving rise to the infamous “lock her up” chant.
Sarah Sanders : Trump’s former press secretary has revealed the president told her to ‘go to North Korea and take one for the team’ after the country’s supreme leader Kim Jong-un allegedly winked at her during a summit in Singapore in 2018.
A senior justice department official and Trump nominee for a lifetime appointment as a judge was involved in the removal of a prosecutor in Texas who repeatedly raised concerns about the safety of migrant children after being separated from their parents, in 2017.
Facebook says Russia created a fake left-wing news outlet
PeaceData portrayed the US as ‘war-mongering and law-breaking abroad while being racked by racism, Covid-19, and cutthroat capitalism at home’, according to the report by Facebook. Photograph: Dado Ruvić/Reuters
The Russian agency that interfered with the 2016 US election also created a fake left-wing news publication, with hoax editors who had AI-generated photos, Facebook has said.
PeaceData.net, an English and Arabic-language website that claims to be a “global news organization”, had about 14,000 followers. Many of the fake editorial staff had Twitter and LinkedIn profiles. Twitter announced on Tuesday it had suspended five accounts associated with PeaceData for “platform manipulation that we can reliably attribute to Russian state actors”. It also hired unwitting freelance reporters.
In other news…
In an editorial accompanying the republication of the cartoons, Charlie Hebdo’s director, Laurent ‘Riss’ Sourisseau, wrote: ‘We will never lie down. We will never give up.’ Photograph: Mohammed Badra/EPA
The satiric al newspaper Charlie Hebdo is set to republish controversial cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad ahead of the start of a trial of suspected accomplices of the terrorist gunmen who killed 12 people in an attack on its offices in 2015.
A 105-year-old woman is leading the call for reparations for the 1921 Tulsa race massacre , in which hundreds were killed when white mobs burned down a black neighbourhood. Lessie Benningfield Randle is one of the two known survivors of the massacre still alive, and is the lead plaintiff on a lawsuit filed on Tuesday.
Trump’s postmaster general ousted his brother to win control of the family firm , court documents allege, shedding new light on how Louis DeJoy came to control the company that made him wealthy and enabled him to become a top Republican donor.
Has Oatly gone sour? The popular oat milk brand is facing a backlash from climate and political activists after its connections to a private equity firm headed by the Trump donor Stephen Schwarzman, which has been linked to deforestation in the Amazon, were uncovered.
Great reads
The Amazon suffered colossal damage after last year’s fires. Photograph: Joedson Alves/EPA
How the Amazon was ‘condemned to destruction’
A year after devastating fires that caused global outrage, the rainforest is again suffering catastrophic blazes, and the total CO2 released from the wildfires has already surpassed last year. Critics blame Brazil’s president, Jair Bolsonaro.
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theguardian--2020-09-02--Revealed: Trump nominee had role in removing prosecutor opposed to family separations

A senior justice department official who has been nominated by Donald Trump to serve in a lifetime appointment as a judge was involved in the removal of a prosecutor in Texas in 2017 after he repeatedly raised concerns about migrant children who could not be located after being separated from their parents .
The incident , which was documented in private memos and emails seen by the Guardian , shows that a justice department prosecutor named Joshua Stern told colleagues he was “ disturbed ” by the separation of children from their parents after the Trump administration implemented a “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who were entering the country illegally in the western district of Texas .
The policy led to the separation of about 1,550 children from their parents , hundreds of whom have still not been reunited .
Stern , a former marine corporal , was removed from his temporary detail in Texas in September 2017 , about two weeks after an official there contacted Iris Lan , a senior official working in the office of the deputy attorney general in Washington , complaining that Stern was “ somewhat difficult to deal with ” and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ committed to the program ” , according to the documents .
Lan , a respected career official whose work on immigration has not previously been reported in detail , has been nominated by the Trump administration to fill a lifetime seat in the district court of the southern district of New York , one of the most prestigious judicial appointments .
She has not yet been confirmed by the Senate but is described as highly competent and apolitical by some people who know her .
It is not clear whether Lan privately supported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ separation policy – or whether she believed it was simply her role to execute it in her job as associate deputy attorney general .
However , her apparent involvement in Stern ’ s removal raises thorny new questions about whether longtime career officials in the Trump administration such as Lan fulfilled their moral and legal obligations when they helped administer the White House ’ s most controversial policies , including those that have since been deemed to be illegal .
“ The country will hopefully never forget the horrors of the Trump administration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even career people will be asked what they did to prevent it , ” said Lee Gelernt , a senior immigration lawyer with the American Civil Liberties Union ( ACLU ) .
One person familiar with the matter said that Lan was also regularly invited to immigration meetings at the White House in 2017 and 2018 that were chaired by Stephen Miller , a senior White House official who is known to espouse white nationalist views .
The DoJ declined to comment .
The White House declined to comment .
The pilot program @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Texas in July 2017 called for the criminal prosecution of all migrants who entered the US illegally , including the parents of young children , in a region that included El Paso and parts of New Mexico .
Under the Obama administration , such families were usually either put on parole to await their immigration hearings , or were detained together .
Defence lawyers who work in the western district of Texas told the Guardian that they were never formally alerted in the summer of 2017 that the US border patrol was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sudden spike in arrests .
In an abrupt and noticeable change , lawyers said , migrant clients in that period were often hysterical and inconsolable because they did not know where their children had been taken .
Some lawyers described searching through their clients ’ legal paperwork to find out where their children were , but not finding any acknowledgment or information about the minors .
Hundreds of the children who were separated were under the age of five .
Attorney Rebecca Reyes recalled the moment in 2017 when she witnessed about 12 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ entering the US illegally being held in a single cell .
All of them were crying .
“ And I said ‘ wait a minute , ladies , you are going to be in and out.
’ And they are all crying and saying , ‘ where are our kids ?
’ It was really emotional .
In most of these cases , they [ US law enforcement authorities ] didn ’ t even document that they had come with children , ” Reyes said .
The Trump administration ’ s “ zero-tolerance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ border states in 2018 .
It led to the separation of about 3,000 additional children from their parents .
The policy was ended six weeks later , when Trump – facing intense congressional and legal pressure – signed an executive order calling for the separation policy to end .
Emails seen by the Guardian show that a DoJ official in Texas named Jose Gonzalez sent a memo to Richard Durbin , the then-acting US attorney in the western district , in September 2017 , which outlined concerns about Stern .
He was one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lawyers loaned out to Texas from the Department of Justice in Washington – to assist in the prosecution of immigration cases .
Gonzalez claimed that some of the attorneys who worked with Stern were having to accompany him to court to ensure that cases he was handling were not getting “ unnecessarily prolonged ” .
Stern , the memo said , was “ particularly disturbed ” by cases in which defendants could not locate their children , and was telling other prosecutors that he believed the parents in the cases were “ often @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ He informed us that he contacted agencies so that he could assist the defense with the process to locate the children , ” the memo said .
Durbin forwarded the memo to Lan and said in an email that Stern had been “ somewhat difficult to deal with ” .
He added : “ More important , his supervisors in El Paso have expressed concern that he is less than fully committed to the program .
He seems to have some ambivalence about the government ’ s position in the misdemeanor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ issues that the defense is not interested in.
” Durbin , who said his office lacked confidence in Stern , said he was seeking to release Stern from his detail and asked Lan whether that posed a problem to the DoJ in Washington .
Emails show that Lan , who was responsible for the detailee program , said she was not sure about the “ usual protocol ” and wanted to share the memo with another colleague , Monty Wilkinson , and get his “ take ” before “ we proceed ” .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ saying that he and Durbin had talked and that Durbin would send more “ specific examples ” to him .
Stern was sent a termination letter that ended his El Paso posting on 20 September 2017 , two weeks after concerns were first raised with Lan and other officials in Washington .
He is no longer working at the DoJ .
Stern declined multiple requests for comment .
Lan did not respond to an email seeking comment .
A DoJ spokeswoman said : “ Ms Lan received the memo because of her role @ @ @ @ @ @ @ She does not handle personnel matters .
She did not review the memo and was not involved with the matter .
She routed it , as consistent with her role.
” The DoJ declined to comment on questions about whether Stern ’ s concerns about missing children were ever discussed by Lan or whether any action was taken at the time .
Families who were separated from their children on the southern border in 2017 or 2018 can find an organization that might be able to help here .

A senior justice department official who has been nominated by Donald Trump to serve in a lifetime appointment as a judge was involved in the removal of a prosecutor in Texas in 2017 after he repeatedly raised concerns about migrant children who could not be located after being separated from their parents.
The incident, which was documented in private memos and emails seen by the Guardian, shows that a justice department prosecutor named Joshua Stern told colleagues he was “disturbed” by the separation of children from their parents after the Trump administration implemented a “pilot program” to criminally prosecute migrants who were entering the country illegally in the western district of Texas.
The policy led to the separation of about 1,550 children from their parents, hundreds of whom have still not been reunited.
Stern, a former marine corporal, was removed from his temporary detail in Texas in September 2017, about two weeks after an official there contacted Iris Lan, a senior official working in the office of the deputy attorney general in Washington, complaining that Stern was “somewhat difficult to deal with” and appeared to be “less than fully committed to the program”, according to the documents.
Lan, a respected career official whose work on immigration has not previously been reported in detail, has been nominated by the Trump administration to fill a lifetime seat in the district court of the southern district of New York, one of the most prestigious judicial appointments.
She has not yet been confirmed by the Senate but is described as highly competent and apolitical by some people who know her.
It is not clear whether Lan privately supported or criticised the administration’s child separation policy – or whether she believed it was simply her role to execute it in her job as associate deputy attorney general. However, her apparent involvement in Stern’s removal raises thorny new questions about whether longtime career officials in the Trump administration such as Lan fulfilled their moral and legal obligations when they helped administer the White House’s most controversial policies, including those that have since been deemed to be illegal.
A message placed by protesters during rally against the separation of immigrant families, 30 June 2018, outside the Ice detention facility in Los Angeles. Photograph: Mark Ralston/AFP/Getty Images
“The country will hopefully never forget the horrors of the Trump administration’s family separation practice and eventually even career people will be asked what they did to prevent it,” said Lee Gelernt, a senior immigration lawyer with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).
One person familiar with the matter said that Lan was also regularly invited to immigration meetings at the White House in 2017 and 2018 that were chaired by Stephen Miller, a senior White House official who is known to espouse white nationalist views. The DoJ declined to comment. The White House declined to comment.
The pilot program put in place in the western district of Texas in July 2017 called for the criminal prosecution of all migrants who entered the US illegally, including the parents of young children, in a region that included El Paso and parts of New Mexico. Under the Obama administration, such families were usually either put on parole to await their immigration hearings, or were detained together.
Defence lawyers who work in the western district of Texas told the Guardian that they were never formally alerted in the summer of 2017 that the US border patrol was changing tactics, but many noticed a sudden spike in arrests.
In an abrupt and noticeable change, lawyers said, migrant clients in that period were often hysterical and inconsolable because they did not know where their children had been taken.
Some lawyers described searching through their clients’ legal paperwork to find out where their children were, but not finding any acknowledgment or information about the minors. Hundreds of the children who were separated were under the age of five.
Attorney Rebecca Reyes recalled the moment in 2017 when she witnessed about 12 women who had been arrested for allegedly entering the US illegally being held in a single cell. All of them were crying.
“And I said ‘wait a minute, ladies, you are going to be in and out.’ And they are all crying and saying, ‘where are our kids?’ It was really emotional. In most of these cases, they [US law enforcement authorities] didn’t even document that they had come with children,” Reyes said.
The Trump administration’s “zero-tolerance” policy was extended to all southern border states in 2018. It led to the separation of about 3,000 additional children from their parents. The policy was ended six weeks later, when Trump – facing intense congressional and legal pressure – signed an executive order calling for the separation policy to end.
Emails seen by the Guardian show that a DoJ official in Texas named Jose Gonzalez sent a memo to Richard Durbin, the then-acting US attorney in the western district, in September 2017, which outlined concerns about Stern. He was one of about 20 “detailees” – lawyers loaned out to Texas from the Department of Justice in Washington – to assist in the prosecution of immigration cases.
Central American asylum seekers wait as US border patrol agents take them into custody on 12 June 2018 near McAllen, Texas. Photograph: John Moore/Getty Images
Gonzalez claimed that some of the attorneys who worked with Stern were having to accompany him to court to ensure that cases he was handling were not getting “unnecessarily prolonged”. Stern, the memo said, was “particularly disturbed” by cases in which defendants could not locate their children, and was telling other prosecutors that he believed the parents in the cases were “often fleeing violence in their home countries”.
“He informed us that he contacted agencies so that he could assist the defense with the process to locate the children,” the memo said.
Durbin forwarded the memo to Lan and said in an email that Stern had been “somewhat difficult to deal with”. He added: “More important, his supervisors in El Paso have expressed concern that he is less than fully committed to the program. He seems to have some ambivalence about the government’s position in the misdemeanor immigration prosecutions and tends to raise defensive issues that the defense is not interested in.”
Durbin, who said his office lacked confidence in Stern, said he was seeking to release Stern from his detail and asked Lan whether that posed a problem to the DoJ in Washington. Emails show that Lan, who was responsible for the detailee program, said she was not sure about the “usual protocol” and wanted to share the memo with another colleague, Monty Wilkinson, and get his “take” before “we proceed”.
Wilkinson responded to Lan and Durbin, saying that he and Durbin had talked and that Durbin would send more “specific examples” to him.
Stern was sent a termination letter that ended his El Paso posting on 20 September 2017, two weeks after concerns were first raised with Lan and other officials in Washington. He is no longer working at the DoJ.
Stern declined multiple requests for comment. Lan did not respond to an email seeking comment.
A DoJ spokeswoman said: “Ms Lan received the memo because of her role as a liaison to US attorneys. She does not handle personnel matters. She did not review the memo and was not involved with the matter. She routed it, as consistent with her role.” The DoJ declined to comment on questions about whether Stern’s concerns about missing children were ever discussed by Lan or whether any action was taken at the time.
Families who were separated from their children on the southern border in 2017 or 2018 can find an organization that might be able to help here.