theguardian--2020-05-30--George Floyd protests: Minnesota governor urges 'peace at this time' after night of chaos – live

Good morning , and welcome to our coverage of protests in US cities over the death of George Floyd , a 46-year-old African American man who was killed when he was arrested by four Minneapolis police officers and one knelt on his neck .
Floyd ’ s cries of “ I can ’ t breathe ” were reminiscent of the 2014 killing in New York of Eric Garner , a case which fuelled the first wave of Black Lives Matter protests .
A new wave of such protests has now hit the US , from Minneapolis in the north to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ New York and Washington on the east coast to Atlanta in the south .
This morning , Minnesota governor Tim Walz has released a statement on Twitter , saying “ Minnesotans are asking for and deserve confidence that we can respond to this crisis , and we will .
We are continuing to coordinate efforts at the state and local level while accessing resources from across the country to keep our communities safe .
I urge for peace at this time.
” Here ’ s the introduction to our main news report , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other correspondents : Protests over police brutality and the death of George Floyd ignited once again on Friday , as Minneapolis faced another night of chaos and demonstrators clashed with police in cities across the US .
Gatherings were largely peaceful during the day as protesters marched from Los Angeles to New York , but many demonstrations turned volatile as the night wore on .
In Minneapolis , where Floyd died on Monday after an officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes , protesters ignored an 8pm curfew set by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pouring on to the streets for a fourth straight night .
In Atlanta , protesters set a police car ablaze and broke windows at CNN ’ s headquarters , prompting Georgia ’ s governor to declare a state of emergency .
Donald Trump ’ s reaction to the shooting has caused consternation on all sides , many accusing the president of acting only to ratchet up the tension .
On Friday , the president tried to excuse his swiftly infamous “ looting leads to shooting ” tweet , but many saw it as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Trump also expressed his “ deepest condolences and most heartfelt sympathies to the family of George Floyd ” .
Overnight , he turned to electioneering on the back of the protests , riots and looting .
For now , as daylight breaks across America on a warm last weekend in May , things are relatively calm .
We ’ ll be here all day with coverage , Tom Lutz taking over from me at 9am ET .
In the meantime , here ’ s some further reading from Tom McCarthy , our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ changed in six years since the deaths of Eric Garner and Michael Brown … and what hasn ’ t :

31 May 2020 12.16 BST Authorities in Minneapolis deployed the National Guard on Saturday to deal with protests and riots in the city, determined to avoid the scenes of looting and destruction from the night before. Their tactics were aggressive, as this video below shows, with guardsmen marching through residential neighbourhoods ordering people to go inside their homes – and firing non-lethal rounds at them if they failed to comply. This footage, not usually the kind associated with American cities, is being widely shared. National Guard marches through a quiet residential neighborhood in #Minneapolis, screaming at citizens to get inside.
Soldiers stop to point their guns at residents on their balcony.
They yell “LIGHT THEM UP” as they fire riot control rounds at them.pic.twitter.com/NAsCxmeBlp — Chad Loder (@chadloder) May 31, 2020
31 May 2020 11.01 BST Reuters is the latest media outlet to report its staff were attacked by police last night. They’ve just posted this story: Two members of a Reuters TV crew were hit by rubber bullets and injured in Minneapolis on Saturday night when police moved into an area occupied by about 500 protesters in the southwest of the city shortly after the 8 p.m. curfew. Footage taken by cameraman Julio-Cesar Chavez showed a police officer aiming directly at him as police fired rubber bullets and tear gas to disperse the crowd. “A police officer that I’m filming turns around points his rubber-bullet rifle straight at me,” said Chavez. Minutes later, Chavez and Reuters security advisor Rodney Seward were struck by rubber bullets as they took cover at a nearby gas station. On footage captured as they ran for safety, several shots are heard ringing out and Seward yells, “I’ve been hit in the face by a rubber bullet.” Asked about the incident, Minneapolis Police Department spokesman John Elder requested a copy of the video and made no immediate comment. Chavez, one of the journalists, has posted pictures of his injuries. Tonight I was shot in the arm and the back of my neck with rubber bullets in the middle of covering the Minneapolis protests. My security advisor was shot in the face; his gas mask protected him.
Here’s what happened: https://t.co/fwwVLAxFIY
Here’s what it looks like: pic.twitter.com/UwSBqpHv5N — Julio-César Chávez (@JulioCesrChavez) May 31, 2020
Updated at 11.03 BST
31 May 2020 09.58 BST Rioting appears to be ongoing and intense in the Californian city of La Mesa, close to San Diego. A curfew has been imposed but at least two banks and a fire truck have now been set on fire, local media is reporting, with unverified footage on social media indicating the damage may be far more extensive. pic.twitter.com/vcHvytb2U1 — KUSI News (@KUSINews) May 31, 2020 A police officer in the city was put on leave two days ago after footage emerged of him detaining an African American man after twice shoving him onto a bench. The officer claimed he was arresting the man for assault, but there’s no evidence of that on the video that was posted to Instagram this week and quickly amassed more than half a million views.
Updated at 10.07 BST
31 May 2020 09.29 BST We’re getting more information now from Indianapolis, where police are saying three people were shot, one fatally, after peaceful protests there turned violent on Saturday night. Earlier reports had only mentioned the one fatal shooting. It’s still unclear who fired the weapons but police say their officers were not involved. #IMPDNOW: we are investigating multiple shootings Downtown. These are NOT officer-involved incidents. IMPD officers have not fired shots tonight. pic.twitter.com/cnRbrZuFG0 — IMPD (@IMPDnews) May 31, 2020 The Indianapolis Star reported six people were arrested on Saturday night. Overnight curfews were imposed in more than a dozen major American cities including Atlanta, Denver, Los Angeles, Minneapolis and Seattle. More than 1,300 people have been arrested in 16 cities since Thursday, including over 500 Friday in Los Angeles. A man uses a fire extinguisher to protest the death of George Floyd, a handcuffed black man in police custody on Memorial Day in Minneapolis, Friday, May 29, 2020 in Indianapolis. The protest comes after a series of prominent black deaths that have inflamed racial tensions across the United States.(Jenna Watson/The Indianapolis Star via AP) Photograph: Jenna Watson/AP
Updated at 09.31 BST
31 May 2020 08.58 BST Michael Safi Hello, it’s Michael Safi taking over from Sam Levin. It’s 3.55am on the US east coast and 12.55am on west coast, and I’ll be steering you through the next hours as protests appear to quiet down across the country - but continue in parts of Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Sacramento and San Diego. One among the many disturbing features of the unrest of recent days has been attacks on journalists covering the protests and riots. The latest to surface is from Oakland, California, where reporter and photographer Sarah Belle Lin was shot with a paintball round as she was filming protesters running from police. She says she was wearing press accreditation and clearly had her camera out. “I confronted the line of police to inquire who had shot me and why. No one provided me with an identity,” she says. You can see footage of the incident at the end of the video below. Ill post the video below again for you to watch for the exact moment I was shot. pic.twitter.com/7MZUTQdnyN — Sarah Belle Lin (@SarahBelleLin) May 31, 2020 Lin says she’s okay and was able to get home. We’ve collated accounts of journalists being injured and attacked by police tonight in Minneapolis and other US cities here.
31 May 2020 07.31 BST One person killed amid Indianapolis protests, police say One person was killed and two other were shot during protests in downtown Indianapolis, according to a late-night announcement from police chief, Randal Taylor. Officials did not have details on the person who died, any suspects, or the injuries of others shot, the Indianapolis Star reported. The circumstances of the shooting remained largely unclear, though Taylor said police had not fired the shots and were not injured. Police made arrests and deployed teargas during the night, and there were ongoing reports of looting. People protest in Indianapolis. Photograph: Jenna Watson/AP
31 May 2020 07.16 BST There have been a number of new accounts of journalists in Minneapolis getting injured and attacked by police after trying to get out of the way, attempting to follow their order and making clear that they are reporters. Ryan Faircloth, a reporter for the Star Tribune, said officers blew out his car window with some kind of rubber bullet, writing, “The glass shattered into my face and body. I’m bleeding from the side of my face and down my left arm.” He said he was trying to get out of the area when officers fired on his car, causing glass to explode and his vehicle to fill with smoke. Better look at glass in car pic.twitter.com/Aw13CO3Tnq — Ryan Faircloth (@RyanFaircloth) May 31, 2020 Michael Anthony Adams, a reporter with Vice in Minneapolis, tweeted a video that captured him repeatedly shouting that he was press and showing his press ID, at which point an officer forced him on the ground and another one pepper-sprayed him in the face: Police just raided the gas station we were sheltering at. After shouting press multiple times and raising my press card in the air, I was thrown to the ground. Then another cop came up and peppered sprayed me in the face while I was being held down. pic.twitter.com/23EkZIMAFC — Michael Anthony Adams (@MichaelAdams317) May 31, 2020 And here’s more from a Los Angeles Times reporter, whose story of being teargassed we covered earlier: That’s the PG version of my leg courtesy of @MnDPS_MSP still going to report tonight and tomorrow pic.twitter.com/G2kIp00Rf1 — Molly Hennessy-Fiske (@mollyhf) May 31, 2020 State police did not respond to a request for comment on the treatment of journalists.
Updated at 07.18 BST
31 May 2020 06.58 BST The mayor of San Francisco has just announced a curfew, effective immediately until 5am. London Breed also said the National Guard is on standby: New: San Francisco Mayor @LondonBreed says there’ll be a curfew in the city until 5am effective immediately.
Breed says the National Guard is on standby.
“When it crosses the line we have a responsibility to protect our city,” Breed says. — Musadiq Bidar (@Bidar411) May 31, 2020 The late-night announcement came just as California’s governor, Gavin Newsom, declared a state of emergency in Los Angeles, where police have been attempting to enforce a curfew on protesters. The National Guard has already been deployed to LA and the surrounding areas. There are also ongoing reports of looting in Emeryville, near Oakland, where there are a number of chain outlets, including Target, Marshalls, Ross, Best Buy and Guitar Center. Target in Oakland. Photograph: John G Mabanglo/EPA Target announced today that it was temporarily closing a number of stores due to the protests, including a wide range throughout Minnesota, California, Texas and New York.
31 May 2020 06.20 BST Ankita Rao The Guardian’s Ankita Rao, reporting from New York, on the mayor’s controversial late-night statements: Mayor Bill de Blasio took to the podium on Saturday night to tell protestors across the city that they were “heard, loud and clear”. But the response from some New Yorkers made it clear that they felt otherwise. Over the course of two days, thousands of protesters swarmed through the streets of Brooklyn, Manhattan and Queens – holding signs, wearing masks and stopping traffic – to call for justice for the extrajudicial killing of George Floyd, and the countless other black men and women at the hands of the police. The protests were angry yet largely peaceful, but several videos and documentation of police arresting minors, brutalizing protesters and at one point, driving their car into crowds, surfaced as well. One woman was filmed being pushed over by cops, before she went into a seizure and was taken to the hospital. In response, de Blasio’s main message appeared to be to keep the NYPD safe, and that violence against the police would not be tolerated. He told people they had made their point and should go home, and blamed the agitation on outsiders coming to the city. Notably, de Blasio responded to questions about the police vehicle driving into protestors with a flippant, “they shouldn’t have done that” and complained about damaged vehicles. The speech was a stark departure from Keisha Lance Bottoms, the mayor of Atlanta, who described how she felt when she watched Floyd’s killing, saying she “hurt like a mother would hurt” in a speech to her city, or Muriel Bowser, the DC mayor, who called out Donald Trump for hiding “behind his fence afraid” and said she stood with the people exercising their first amendment right. I’m in Brooklyn to talk about tonight’s protests. https://t.co/oBVXGh7JWo — Mayor Bill de Blasio (@NYCMayor) May 31, 2020 De Blasio sounded little like the mayor of a city with a long and bloody history of officers brutalizing people of color. His promise of change was vague and unemotional, and tucked away in the litany of patronizing rhetoric toward city protesters. Some New Yorkers on Twitter slammed his livestream, and called on him to resign. Meanwhile, sirens still blazed throughout Brooklyn, where he was giving the speech, as small fires were set in trash cans. New Yorkers are planning to protest again tomorrow in Queens.
Updated at 06.39 BST
31 May 2020 06.12 BST US prosecutors have filed federal charges against three people in New York, accusing them of using “molotov cocktails” on New York police vehicles during the Friday protests: BREAKING: Three people charged with federal crimes in connection with Molotov cocktail attacks on the NYPD during #GeorgeFloyd protests in NYC Friday night. pic.twitter.com/dyaDJByMit — Pervaiz Shallwani (@Pervaizistan) May 31, 2020 The three were “using and attempting to use improvised incendiary devices” to target police cars, prosecutors alleged in a press release. They were arrested early Saturday morning and will have to make an initial appearance before a judge on Monday. Two of the defendants are accused of throwing a molotov cocktail at an unoccupied, parked police car, and the third allegedly threw something at a car with multiple officers inside, shattering the windows. The announcement did not suggest officers were injured.


theguardian--2020-05-30--Trump has given record proportion of ambassador jobs to his own backers

Donald Trump has gifted a record proportion of ambassadorial posts to political appointees , rewarding wealthy supporters with minimal experience at the expense of career diplomats , according to the latest figures .
About 44 % of US ambassadors nominated by Trump have been political appointees , compared with a historical average of about 30 % , according to the American Foreign Service Association ( AFSA ) .
That percentage is getting higher .
Out of the ambassador nominations so far this year , 57 % have gone to political appointees .
The dramatic increase of top posts being given @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a handbag designer made US ambassador to South Africa last year – could violate the law , which requires most ambassadorial posts to go to state department diplomats , and for ambassadors to have relevant experience .
Brett Bruen , a former US diplomat and former head of global engagement in the White House , said the number of ambassadorial openings for career diplomats was even smaller in the list of job openings being circulated this summer .
The Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs , covering the Americas , has only one ambassadorship @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to foreign service officers , Bruen said .
Citing state department sources , he said that though there were 20 vacancies in Africa this year , the number of ambassador posts in Europe and Asia open to career diplomats was “ dramatically down ” .
The Foreign Service Act of 1980 requires that most ambassadors should be career foreign service officers , that political appointments should be a rarity , and that all appointees should be fully qualified for their positions .
“ We are concerned that the percentage of political appointees is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ history , and also with the number of nominees who do not appear to be qualified for their positions , ” Eric Rubin , the AFSA president , said .
He urged the US Senate to scrutinise the qualifications of nominees with the aim of returning to the historic norm of between 25 % and 35 % of posts being reserved for political appointees .
“ The current percentage of about 45 % is way above historical norms and has a negative impact on our diplomacy and overseas operations , ” Rubin said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ backed Trump ’ s ambassadorial nominations .
A state department spokesperson said : “ This year , like every year , career employees have a number of posts for which they can indicate interest and compete , ” adding the number “ varies from year to year ” .
The practice of giving top diplomatic posts to rich backers came under particular scrutiny during the impeachment crisis , in which Gordon Sondland , a hotelier appointed by Trump as ambassador to the European Union , played a central role in establishing a parallel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his lawyer , Rudy Giuliani .
The Washington Post has described US ambassadorships as “ destination tourism for the mega-rich ” .
Ryan Scoville , an associate law professor at University of Marquette , published a study of political appointee ambassadors last year .
Comparing the Trump administration with the Ronald Reagan era , Scoville found the new appointees were “ inferior in terms of language abilities , prior experience in the receiving state and region , prior experience in foreign policy and prior experience in organizational leadership ” .
On the other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than their Reagan counterparts in campaign contributions .
“ There is an element of being in an election year , when political favours go a long way , ” Bruen said .
He argued the steady rise in the political appointees getting top jobs “ demonstrates a deep distrust on the seventh floor [ the leadership ] of the state department and at the White House , of career foreign service officers ” .
“ They have been systematically shut out of the policy process , they ’ ve been sidelined when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and they have also been forced to bear the brunt of the president ’ s direct wrath , ” Bruen added .

Donald Trump has gifted a record proportion of ambassadorial posts to political appointees, rewarding wealthy supporters with minimal experience at the expense of career diplomats, according to the latest figures.
About 44% of US ambassadors nominated by Trump have been political appointees, compared with a historical average of about 30%, according to the American Foreign Service Association (AFSA). That percentage is getting higher. Out of the ambassador nominations so far this year, 57% have gone to political appointees.
The dramatic increase of top posts being given to wealthy entrepreneurs like Lana Marks – a handbag designer made US ambassador to South Africa last year – could violate the law, which requires most ambassadorial posts to go to state department diplomats, and for ambassadors to have relevant experience.
Brett Bruen, a former US diplomat and former head of global engagement in the White House, said the number of ambassadorial openings for career diplomats was even smaller in the list of job openings being circulated this summer.
The Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, covering the Americas, has only one ambassadorship on the list, Nicaragua, open to foreign service officers, Bruen said. Citing state department sources, he said that though there were 20 vacancies in Africa this year, the number of ambassador posts in Europe and Asia open to career diplomats was “dramatically down”.
The Foreign Service Act of 1980 requires that most ambassadors should be career foreign service officers, that political appointments should be a rarity, and that all appointees should be fully qualified for their positions.
“We are concerned that the percentage of political appointees is higher than at any time in recent history, and also with the number of nominees who do not appear to be qualified for their positions,” Eric Rubin, the AFSA president, said.
He urged the US Senate to scrutinise the qualifications of nominees with the aim of returning to the historic norm of between 25% and 35% of posts being reserved for political appointees.
“The current percentage of about 45% is way above historical norms and has a negative impact on our diplomacy and overseas operations,” Rubin said. The Senate has so far overwhelmingly backed Trump’s ambassadorial nominations.
A state department spokesperson said: “This year, like every year, career employees have a number of posts for which they can indicate interest and compete,” adding the number “varies from year to year”.
The practice of giving top diplomatic posts to rich backers came under particular scrutiny during the impeachment crisis, in which Gordon Sondland, a hotelier appointed by Trump as ambassador to the European Union, played a central role in establishing a parallel policy towards Ukraine run by Trump and his lawyer, Rudy Giuliani.
The Washington Post has described US ambassadorships as “destination tourism for the mega-rich”. Ryan Scoville, an associate law professor at University of Marquette, published a study of political appointee ambassadors last year. Comparing the Trump administration with the Ronald Reagan era, Scoville found the new appointees were “inferior in terms of language abilities, prior experience in the receiving state and region, prior experience in foreign policy and prior experience in organizational leadership”.
On the other hand, Trump appointees paid 15 times more than their Reagan counterparts in campaign contributions.
“There is an element of being in an election year, when political favours go a long way,” Bruen said.
He argued the steady rise in the political appointees getting top jobs “demonstrates a deep distrust on the seventh floor [the leadership] of the state department and at the White House, of career foreign service officers”.
“They have been systematically shut out of the policy process, they’ve been sidelined when issues arose and they had concerns, and they have also been forced to bear the brunt of the president’s direct wrath,” Bruen added.


theguardian--2020-05-30--Supreme court rejects California church appeal on coronavirus service limits

A divided supreme court on Friday rejected an emergency appeal by a California church that challenged state limits on attendance at services that have been imposed to contain the spread of the coronavirus .
Over the dissent of the four more conservative justices , Chief Justice John Roberts joined the four liberals in turning away a request from the South Bay United Pentecostal Church in Chula Vista , California , in the San Diego area .
The church argued that limits on how many people can attend their services violate constitutional guarantees of religious freedom and had been seeking an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The church said it has crowds of 200 to 300 people for its services .
Roberts wrote in a brief opinion that the restriction allowing churches to reopen at 25 % of their capacity , with no more than 100 worshipers at a time , “ appears consistent ” with the first amendment .
Roberts said similar or more severe limits apply to concerts , movies and sporting events “ where large groups of people gather in close proximity for extended periods of time ” .
Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote in dissent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of worship and in favor of comparable secular businesses .
Such discrimination violates the first amendment ” .
Kavanaugh pointed to supermarkets , restaurants , hair salons , cannabis dispensaries and other businesses that are not subject to the same restrictions .
Lower courts in California had previously turned down the churches ’ requests .
The court also rejected an appeal from two churches in the Chicago area that objected to Governor Jay Pritzker ’ s limit of 10 worshipers at religious services .
Before the court acted , Pritzker modified the restrictions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at a time .
There were no recorded dissents .

A divided supreme court on Friday rejected an emergency appeal by a California church that challenged state limits on attendance at services that have been imposed to contain the spread of the coronavirus.
Over the dissent of the four more conservative justices, Chief Justice John Roberts joined the four liberals in turning away a request from the South Bay United Pentecostal church in Chula Vista, California, in the San Diego area.
The church argued that limits on how many people can attend their services violate constitutional guarantees of religious freedom and had been seeking an order in time for services on Sunday. The church said it has crowds of 200 to 300 people for its services.
Roberts wrote in a brief opinion that the restriction allowing churches to reopen at 25% of their capacity, with no more than 100 worshipers at a time, “appears consistent” with the first amendment.
Roberts said similar or more severe limits apply to concerts, movies and sporting events “where large groups of people gather in close proximity for extended periods of time”.
Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote in dissent that the restriction “discriminates against places of worship and in favor of comparable secular businesses. Such discrimination violates the first amendment.”
Kavanaugh pointed to supermarkets, restaurants, hair salons, cannabis dispensaries and other businesses that are not subject to the same restrictions.
Lower courts in California had previously turned down the churches’ requests.
The court also rejected an appeal from two churches in the Chicago area that objected to Governor Jay Pritzker’s limit of 10 worshipers at religious services. Before the court acted, Pritzker modified the restrictions to allow for up to 100 people at a time. There were no recorded dissents.


theguardian--2020-05-30--‘A national crisis’: how the killing of George Floyd is changing US politics

Riots in Minneapolis and across the US triggered by video footage showing George Floyd , a black man , killed under the knee of a police officer , has caused a dramatic shift in the national political debate in America and thrust race to the center of the stage .
Donald Trump and Joe Biden offered divergent responses that point to an even more divisive political debate on race relations and between Democrats and Republicans playing out in the months ahead .
The president , in a tweet in the early hours of Friday , warned that “ when the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Later on Friday the former vice-president in a video address called for national unity and serious police reform , saying : “ This is no time for incendiary tweets .
This is no time to encourage violence .
This is a national crisis , and we need real leadership right now.
” Shortly afterward at a separate press conference in the Rose Garden where the president seemed poised to follow up and further address Floyd ’ s death and the riots , Trump instead announced that the US would withdraw from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mention the riots or Floyd ’ s death .
Meanwhile , Biden revealed he had already spoken to Floyd ’ s grieving family and spoke emotionally of the shock at his killing and society ’ s racial problems .
“ We ’ re a country with an open wound .
None of us any longer can hear the words ‘ I can ’ t breathe ’ and do nothing , ” he said .
The wildly different responses by the two men battling for the White House under the ongoing cloud of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of what exactly the final months of the presidential election will now look like .
But leaders and strategists agree on one thing : the months ahead are likely to be a bareknuckle brawl over what the most pressing problems facing the US are .
“ The question is whether Democrats are going to adjust to the reality of what is going to be a brutal , vicious and mean campaign cycle and if we don ’ t , we ’ re going to lose , ” said the former Atlanta mayor Kasim @ @ @ @ @ @ @ member of the South Carolina house of representatives , said : “ The president usually thrives on culture wars .
But I think this flame is probably going to engulf his presidency.
” Leah Daughtry , a veteran Democratic political operative , warned Trump ’ s late-night tweet on shooting looters was a deliberate attempt to incite his base of supporters rather than push for unity or any kind of de-escalation of tensions .
“ I think the president ’ s tweet does what it ’ s intended to do and [ was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s intended for him to reach … it ’ s clearly intended to incite and engage a particular part of his audience , ” Daughtry said .
On Friday , Minnesota ’ s governor , Tim Walz , visibly frustrated , held an extended press conference where he called for healing and tried to address the long-simmering tensions that have erupted over Floyd ’ s death .
At the same time , Walz also stressed the importance that he and other officials maintain order during the protests .
But that was not the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Delaware senator Chris Coons , a member of the Senate judiciary committee , argued on Fox News that that panel should “ look into the whole string of tragic killings , of incidents that are deeply wounding to our country , of police violence and then of response by communities ” .
Some members of Congress tweeted dismay at the arrest of a CNN crew on Thursday night .
But other lawmakers were silent .
On Friday afternoon , the Senate minority leader , Chuck Schumer , issued a statement bashing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Garden event .
“ Our communities are hurting from senseless murders and years of racism and injustice .
But President Trump is only interested in scapegoating and divisiveness when he should be leading , ” Schumer said .
The lack of anything close to a unified national response highlights the frustration people are feeling , said Wisconsin ’ s lieutenant governor , Mandela Barnes .
“ People are frustrated and rightfully so .
There ’ s a lot of righteous anger out there and a lot of it is from being ignored , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these types of things to continue , ” Barnes said .
“ What it feels like is that it ’ s desensitized people , and I think that it has in a way.
” That ’ s only exacerbated by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic , argued the Democratic activist Abdul El-Sayed .
“ Look , the police have been executing black men in this country for a long time .
We ’ re just now understanding it in the last five to 10 years because everybody ’ s got a camera in their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I think people are sick of it but then it ’ s not just that , it ’ s the fact that you look at Covid-19 , which has been the story for the past four months , rightly so , 100,000 lives lost .
Those lives are disproportionately black folks ’ lives .
As a function of the same exact structural forces that have allowed black people to be executed by law enforcement.
” The intense national focus on Floyd ’ s death and the responses by top political figures comes about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had to do damage control after the former vice-president suggested during an interview that anyone who supported Trump isn ’ t really black .
At the time , it seemed like Biden was at risk of losing some African American support .
But since then that narrative has shifted dramatically .
Jim Clyburn , the highest ranking Democratic member of Congress , said Friday that the riots damaged the Minnesota senator Amy Klobuchar ’ s chances of being picked as Biden ’ s running mate due to her record as a prosecutor in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden should pick an African American woman , which would certainly draw a sharp contrast with Trump .
“ I think right now what you ’ re seeing is black voters get to see how Donald Trump reacts to things like this .
It ’ s a reminder of his history , his history of calling on law enforcement to be more aggressive , to be more brutal in their enforcement of the law , ” said the Democratic strategist Brandon Davis .
Davis added : “ I think in the next several @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be front and center in the conversation .
I think over that time period people are going to see how Joe Biden deals with these issues , how he reacts to these issues , and I think they ’ ll get to see , again , where Donald Trump is.
” This is hardly the first time the country has had to grapple with the dynamics around an African American dying at the hands of the police , but Daughtry suggested that this may be its own unique flashpoint .
“ This feels @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It could be because the world is smaller and information travels more quickly .
But I wonder if it ’ s not the intersection of a president whose rhetoric and demeanor and actions have unleashed a part of America that ’ s been hidden , underground and in the closet for decades .
”

Riots in Minneapolis and across the US triggered by video footage showing George Floyd, a black man, killed under the knee of a police officer, has caused a dramatic shift in the national political debate in America and thrust race to the center of the stage.
Donald Trump and Joe Biden offered divergent responses that point to an even more divisive political debate on race relations and between Democrats and Republicans playing out in the months ahead.
The president, in a tweet in the early hours of Friday, warned that “when the looting starts, the shooting starts”. Later on Friday the former vice-president in a video address called for national unity and serious police reform, saying: “This is no time for incendiary tweets. This is no time to encourage violence. This is a national crisis, and we need real leadership right now.”
Shortly afterward at a separate press conference in the Rose Garden where the president seemed poised to follow up and further address Floyd’s death and the riots, Trump instead announced that the US would withdraw from the World Health Organization.
He did not mention the riots or Floyd’s death.
Meanwhile, Biden revealed he had already spoken to Floyd’s grieving family and spoke emotionally of the shock at his killing and society’s racial problems. “We’re a country with an open wound. None of us any longer can hear the words ‘I can’t breathe’ and do nothing,” he said.
The wildly different responses by the two men battling for the White House under the ongoing cloud of the coronavirus pandemic has left party leaders unsure of what exactly the final months of the presidential election will now look like.
But leaders and strategists agree on one thing: the months ahead are likely to be a bareknuckle brawl over what the most pressing problems facing the US are.
The president usually thrives on culture wars. But I think this flame is probably going to engulf his presidency Bakari Sellers
“The question is whether Democrats are going to adjust to the reality of what is going to be a brutal, vicious and mean campaign cycle and if we don’t, we’re going to lose,” said the former Atlanta mayor Kasim Reed.
Bakari Sellers, a former member of the South Carolina house of representatives, said: “The president usually thrives on culture wars. But I think this flame is probably going to engulf his presidency.”
Leah Daughtry, a veteran Democratic political operative, warned Trump’s late-night tweet on shooting looters was a deliberate attempt to incite his base of supporters rather than push for unity or any kind of de-escalation of tensions.
“I think the president’s tweet does what it’s intended to do and [was] directed to the audience it’s intended for him to reach … it’s clearly intended to incite and engage a particular part of his audience,” Daughtry said.
On Friday, Minnesota’s governor, Tim Walz, visibly frustrated, held an extended press conference where he called for healing and tried to address the long-simmering tensions that have erupted over Floyd’s death. At the same time, Walz also stressed the importance that he and other officials maintain order during the protests.
Protesters gather outside the Hennepin county government center in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on 28 May. Photograph: Eric Miller/Reuters
But that was not the uniform reaction among other major political figures. The Delaware senator Chris Coons, a member of the Senate judiciary committee, argued on Fox News that that panel should “look into the whole string of tragic killings, of incidents that are deeply wounding to our country, of police violence and then of response by communities”.
Some members of Congress tweeted dismay at the arrest of a CNN crew on Thursday night. But other lawmakers were silent.
On Friday afternoon, the Senate minority leader, Chuck Schumer, issued a statement bashing Trump for his “pathetic” Rose Garden event.
“Our communities are hurting from senseless murders and years of racism and injustice. But President Trump is only interested in scapegoating and divisiveness when he should be leading,” Schumer said.
Donald Trump speaks in the Rose Garden at the White House on 29 May. Photograph: Win McNamee/Getty Images
The lack of anything close to a unified national response highlights the frustration people are feeling, said Wisconsin’s lieutenant governor, Mandela Barnes.
“People are frustrated and rightfully so. There’s a lot of righteous anger out there and a lot of it is from being ignored, not taken seriously and the allowing of these types of things to continue,” Barnes said. “What it feels like is that it’s desensitized people, and I think that it has in a way.”
That’s only exacerbated by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, argued the Democratic activist Abdul El-Sayed.
“Look, the police have been executing black men in this country for a long time. We’re just now understanding it in the last five to 10 years because everybody’s got a camera in their pocket,” El-Sayed said. “I think people are sick of it but then it’s not just that, it’s the fact that you look at Covid-19, which has been the story for the past four months, rightly so, 100,000 lives lost. Those lives are disproportionately black folks’ lives. As a function of the same exact structural forces that have allowed black people to be executed by law enforcement.”
There’s a lot of righteous anger out there and a lot of it is from being ignored, not taken seriously and the allowing of these types of things to continue Mandela Barnes
The intense national focus on Floyd’s death and the responses by top political figures comes about a week after Biden’s campaign had to do damage control after the former vice-president suggested during an interview that anyone who supported Trump isn’t really black.
At the time, it seemed like Biden was at risk of losing some African American support. But since then that narrative has shifted dramatically. Jim Clyburn, the highest-ranking black Democratic member of Congress, said Friday that the riots damaged the Minnesota senator Amy Klobuchar’s chances of being picked as Biden’s running mate due to her record as a prosecutor in the city.
Clyburn has argued that Biden should pick an African American woman, which would certainly draw a sharp contrast with Trump.
“I think right now what you’re seeing is black voters get to see how Donald Trump reacts to things like this. It’s a reminder of his history, his history of calling on law enforcement to be more aggressive, to be more brutal in their enforcement of the law,” said the Democratic strategist Brandon Davis.
Davis added: “I think in the next several months this is going to continue to be front and center in the conversation. I think over that time period people are going to see how Joe Biden deals with these issues, how he reacts to these issues, and I think they’ll get to see, again, where Donald Trump is.”
This is hardly the first time the country has had to grapple with the dynamics around an African American dying at the hands of the police, but Daughtry suggested that this may be its own unique flashpoint.
“This feels different,” Daughtry said. “It could be because the world is smaller and information travels more quickly. But I wonder if it’s not the intersection of a president whose rhetoric and demeanor and actions have unleashed a part of America that’s been hidden, underground and in the closet for decades.”


theguardian--2020-05-30--Trump wants America looking at the stars as he drags it through the gutter

Making America great again just wasn ’ t enough .
“ President Trump is making space great again , ” the Republican National Committee declared this week .
Donald Trump returns to Cape Canaveral in Florida on Saturday to witness the rescheduled launch of a SpaceX rocket carrying Nasa astronauts that was delayed by weather three days earlier .
After that anticlimax , the US president will be pinning his hopes on a spectacle loaded with patriotic and political symbolism .
Nine years after the space shuttle program fizzled out under Barack Obama , Trump wants to witness astronauts lift @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The mission , billed as “ Launch America ” , also offers a welcome diversion from the coronavirus pandemic .
Trump may hope that it will boost his optimistic narrative that the country is regaining its swagger – and show him reaching for the stars even as his earthbound rival Joe Biden stews in his basement .
But while the astronauts wear sleek spacesuits and operate touchscreens that point to the future , their adventure is also redolent of the past : nostalgia for an age of perceived American exceptionalism and “ we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Apollo missions to the moon .
In Trump ’ s view , a time when America was “ great ” .
“ Donald Trump is looking for any symbol of hopefulness and finding a symbol for the 1960s of America ’ s successes in space is a way for him to connect with a better time in America and make the argument that he is reviving that better time , ” said Larry Jacobs , director of the Center for the Study of Politics and Governance at the University of Minnesota .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ plant the Stars and Stripes on new worlds , has a natural appeal to a president who likes big shows of national virility , such as military parades and Fourth of July fireworks , and whose stated cultural touchstones – Babe Ruth , Alfred E Neuman , Donna Reed – are from a different era .
During his first year in office , Trump signed a directive for Nasa to work with private sector partners for a human return to the moon , followed by a mission to Mars .
He re-established the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ abolished by President Bill Clinton .
The president has also created the sixth branch of the armed forces , the Space Force .
Receiving its flag earlier this month , he boasted of new military equipment including a “ super-duper missile ” .
The space force has been widely mocked for its likeness to Star Trek and even inspired a Netflix comedy series , starring Steve Carell , that started on Friday .
Trump ’ s political priorities are evident in other ways .
Earlier this month the Reuters news agency reported his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mining on the moon under a new US-sponsored international agreement called the Artemis Accords .
He has eased regulations on private industry space efforts .
The launch of a crew by SpaceX – owned by Elon Musk , also the chief executive of Tesla – will be the first by a private company rather than a national space agency , which is on-brand for a president who came from the business world .
With an eye on the November election , Trump has increasingly sought to downplay the public health toll of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which conveniently happens in the swing state of Florida , could reinforce that message in dramatic fashion .
Jacobs added : “ The whole operation for Donald Trump is to keep your eyeballs moving away from the reality that we ’ re in a pandemic and the economy has collapsed .
Space travel is America ’ s little boy ’ s fascination and , rather than thinking about our current misery , we get to look at the sky and dream of different worlds.
” Space is one of the few domains where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where public goodwill endures .
Last year crowds thronged the National Mall in Washington to watch a sound and light show , designed by artists who worked on the London 2012 Olympic opening ceremony , celebrating the 50th anniversary of the first moon landing .
They saw the Saturn V rocket projected on to the Washington Monument and heard President John F Kennedy ’ s 1962 declaration that is now part of national mythology : “ We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things , not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they are hard.
” Trump , by contrast , sowed confusion when he tweeted last year : “ For all of the money we are spending , NASA should NOT be talking about going to the Moon - We did that 50 years ago .
They should be focused on the much bigger things we are doing , including Mars ( of which the Moon is a part ) , Defense and Science !
” Since the heady days of Apollo , there have been achievements including the Hubble telescope and international space @ @ @ @ @ @ @ become a phrase applied by politicians to almost any endeavor except the moon itself .
Bill Galston , a former policy adviser to President Clinton , recalled : “ I was in high school when Kennedy spoke those words and I can ’ t tell you how different the context was from today or how different the mentality or consciousness of the country was.
” Galston , a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution thinktank in Washington , watched the 1969 moon landing from a US marine base in Vietnam as war raged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ haywire and the country was in a terrible place but , even so , the symbolism of spaceflight was still fresh enough .
I don ’ t think you can bottle that lightning again , especially with the country in the mood and circumstances it ’ s now in.
” Even Trump ’ s evocation of a lost golden age is less innocent than it seems .
Kennedy had little interest in space exploration but , after the Soviet Union launched the first satellite into orbit in 1957 , saw the cold war @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Civil rights protesters marched on Cape Kennedy , as it was then , on the eve of the Apollo 11 launch , arguing that the vast sums spent on the space program could lift millions of African Americans out of poverty .
The musician and poet Gil Scott-Heron ’ s Whitey on the Moon highlighted the disparity .
All 12 people who walked on the moon were white and male .
John Logsdon , a space historian and professor emeritus at George Washington University ’ s Space Policy Institute , recalls that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the time .
“ I lived through it and we didn ’ t perceive ourselves quite in that heroic role .
But Trump is a believer in American exceptionalism and that ’ s been a theme since at least the end of World War Two .
“ It ’ s politically attractive .
Whatever one thinks about Mr Trump , he knows about symbols , he knows about advertising and he knows the kind of themes that are attractive to a broad segment of the population .
I think he has concluded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the things that has those attributes.
” Thus the Trump re-election campaign claimed this week that the Obama-Biden administration neglected Nasa for years and cut its budget , forcing America ’ s space program to rely on Russia .
“ Thanks to President Trump , space exploration is once again a top priority , ” it said .
“ Joe Biden , meanwhile , hasn ’ t said much about the issue , indicating that in a Biden presidency , space exploration would take a back seat to Biden ’ s radical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whether such attack ads will convince voters that Trump has the right stuff remains questionable as the coronavirus focuses attention closer to home .
Bob Shrum , a Democratic strategist and director of the Center for the Political Future at the University of Southern California , said : “ The country would like steady , experienced leadership that listens to science and doesn ’ t grandstand and actually cares when 100,000 people are killed .
Tesla in the sky doesn ’ t make up for 100,000 dead people .
”

Making America great again just wasn’t enough. “President Trump is making space great again,” the Republican National Committee declared this week.
Donald Trump returns to Cape Canaveral in Florida on Saturday to witness the rescheduled launch of a SpaceX rocket carrying Nasa astronauts that was delayed by weather three days earlier.
After that anticlimax, the US president will be pinning his hopes on a spectacle loaded with patriotic and political symbolism. Nine years after the space shuttle program fizzled out under Barack Obama, Trump wants to witness astronauts lift off from American soil once again.
The mission, billed as “Launch America”, also offers a welcome diversion from the coronavirus pandemic. Trump may hope that it will boost his optimistic narrative that the country is regaining its swagger – and show him reaching for the stars even as his earthbound rival Joe Biden stews in his basement.
But while the astronauts wear sleek spacesuits and operate touchscreens that point to the future, their adventure is also redolent of the past: nostalgia for an age of perceived American exceptionalism and “we can do anything” spirit embodied by the Apollo missions to the moon. In Trump’s view, a time when America was “great”.
“Donald Trump is looking for any symbol of hopefulness and finding a symbol for the 1960s of America’s successes in space is a way for him to connect with a better time in America and make the argument that he is reviving that better time,” said Larry Jacobs, director of the Center for the Study of Politics and Governance at the University of Minnesota.
A man adjusts his mask at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, at Cape Canaveral on Thursday. The center reopened today after closing on 16 March due to the coronavirus pandemic. Photograph: Charlie Riedel/AP
Human spaceflight, with the potential to plant the Stars and Stripes on new worlds, has a natural appeal to a president who likes big shows of national virility, such as military parades and Fourth of July fireworks, and whose stated cultural touchstones – Babe Ruth, Alfred E Neuman, Donna Reed – are from a different era.
During his first year in office, Trump signed a directive for Nasa to work with private sector partners for a human return to the moon, followed by a mission to Mars. He re-established the National Space Council, which had been abolished by President Bill Clinton.
The president has also created the sixth branch of the armed forces, the Space Force. Receiving its flag earlier this month, he boasted of new military equipment including a “super-duper missile”. The space force has been widely mocked for its likeness to Star Trek and even inspired a Netflix comedy series, starring Steve Carell, that started on Friday.
Trump’s political priorities are evident in other ways. Earlier this month the Reuters news agency reported his administration is drafting a legal blueprint for mining on the moon under a new US-sponsored international agreement called the Artemis Accords.
He has eased regulations on private industry space efforts. The launch of a crew by SpaceX – owned by Elon Musk, also the chief executive of Tesla – will be the first by a private company rather than a national space agency, which is on-brand for a president who came from the business world.
With an eye on the November election, Trump has increasingly sought to downplay the public health toll of the virus and Saturday’s liftoff, which conveniently happens in the swing state of Florida, could reinforce that message in dramatic fashion.
Jacobs added: “The whole operation for Donald Trump is to keep your eyeballs moving away from the reality that we’re in a pandemic and the economy has collapsed. Space travel is America’s little boy’s fascination and, rather than thinking about our current misery, we get to look at the sky and dream of different worlds.”
Space is one of the few domains where Democrats and Republicans still regularly cooperate and where public goodwill endures. Last year crowds thronged the National Mall in Washington to watch a sound and light show, designed by artists who worked on the London 2012 Olympic opening ceremony, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the first moon landing.
They saw the Saturn V rocket projected on to the Washington Monument and heard President John F Kennedy’s 1962 declaration that is now part of national mythology: “We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard.”
The SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft on a Falcon 9 booster rocket sits at sunrise on Pad39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral on Friday. Photograph: Steve Nesius/Reuters
Trump, by contrast, sowed confusion when he tweeted last year: “For all of the money we are spending, NASA should NOT be talking about going to the Moon - We did that 50 years ago. They should be focused on the much bigger things we are doing, including Mars (of which the Moon is a part), Defense and Science!”
Since the heady days of Apollo, there have been achievements including the Hubble telescope and international space station, but “moonshot” has become a phrase applied by politicians to almost any endeavor except the moon itself. Bill Galston, a former policy adviser to President Clinton, recalled: “I was in high school when Kennedy spoke those words and I can’t tell you how different the context was from today or how different the mentality or consciousness of the country was.”
Galston, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution thinktank in Washington, watched the 1969 moon landing from a US marine base in Vietnam as war raged. “Everything else was going absolutely haywire and the country was in a terrible place but, even so, the symbolism of spaceflight was still fresh enough. I don’t think you can bottle that lightning again, especially with the country in the mood and circumstances it’s now in.”
Even Trump’s evocation of a lost golden age is less innocent than it seems. Kennedy had little interest in space exploration but, after the Soviet Union launched the first satellite into orbit in 1957, saw the cold war imperative of reaching the moon first.
Civil rights protesters marched on Cape Kennedy, as it was then, on the eve of the Apollo 11 launch, arguing that the vast sums spent on the space program could lift millions of African Americans out of poverty. The musician and poet Gil Scott-Heron’s Whitey on the Moon highlighted the disparity. All 12 people who walked on the moon were white and male.
Vice-President Spiro Agnew, right, and former president Lyndon Johnson view the liftoff of Apollo 11 in July 1969. Photograph: Rex Features
John Logsdon, a space historian and professor emeritus at George Washington University’s Space Policy Institute, recalls that the Apollo era did not feel morally superior at the time. “I lived through it and we didn’t perceive ourselves quite in that heroic role. But Trump is a believer in American exceptionalism and that’s been a theme since at least the end of World War Two.
“It’s politically attractive. Whatever one thinks about Mr Trump, he knows about symbols, he knows about advertising and he knows the kind of themes that are attractive to a broad segment of the population. I think he has concluded that a successful space program is one of the things that has those attributes.”
Thus the Trump re-election campaign claimed this week that the Obama-Biden administration neglected Nasa for years and cut its budget, forcing America’s space program to rely on Russia.
“Thanks to President Trump, space exploration is once again a top priority,” it said. “Joe Biden, meanwhile, hasn’t said much about the issue, indicating that in a Biden presidency, space exploration would take a back seat to Biden’s radical, expensive climate change agenda.”
But whether such attack ads will convince voters that Trump has the right stuff remains questionable as the coronavirus focuses attention closer to home. Bob Shrum, a Democratic strategist and director of the Center for the Political Future at the University of Southern California, said: “The country would like steady, experienced leadership that listens to science and doesn’t grandstand and actually cares when 100,000 people are killed. Tesla in the sky doesn’t make up for 100,000 dead people.”


theguardian--2020-05-30--This Is What America Looks Like review: Ilhan Omar inspires – and stays fired up

ew things are more unexpected than a genuinely inspirational memoir by a freshman member of Congress .
If you ’ re looking for the perfect antidote to the perpetual tweetstorm of insanity and hatred from Donald Trump , try this beautiful new book from the Minnesota congresswoman Ilhan Omar .
This migrant from Somalia came from a family of teachers and civil servants who lived in a guarded compound .
Ilhan had a chauffeur to drive her to school .
But all of that disappeared when Somalia was engulfed by civil war .
“ Bullets flew from one side of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Omar writes , “ … directly over our house ” .
The house took direct hits , food became scarce and 350,000 died in the first year of the conflict .
Omar ’ s family was forced to the oceanside town of Kismayo , where she was told that her father and brothers were dead .
But the next day she followed what she thought was her father ’ s voice , “ and toward the end of the stretch where everyone was sleeping , there he was … I put my hand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sure he was real .
And he was.
” Her brothers were alive , too .
They fled to Kenya , where they faced malaria , dysentery and near starvation .
The family survived in a refugee camp for 334,000 people , bartering kidney beans for kerosene and batteries for a radio .
When she needed entertainment , Omar snuck under the barbed wire to walk to a nearby village , where an enterprising Kenyan charged a few shillings to watch movies on his TV .
When six children who were distant relatives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s family looked after them , Ilhan paying special attention to the baby , Umi .
Her father discovered that they could apply through the United Nations to go to Norway , Canada or Sweden .
But the US was his first choice .
“ Only in America you ultimately become an American , ” he said .
“ Everywhere else we will always feel like a guest.
” Miraculously , a year after their first interview they were allowed to apply for America .
Ilhan was upset , partly because the orphans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but the rest of her book is the astonishing story of a voyage from Nairobi to New York to Minnesota , then barely 20 years later to Congress .
The family ’ s first stop was Arlington , Virginia , where the combative Ilhan spent most of her time in detention .
But then she decided , she writes , “ that my education was the one element of my life I had full control over , and given the long hours of studying in detention ” , by the time they moved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a very good student ” .
At her new school , “ Africans fought African Americans over who was blacker .
Muslim kids and white kids fought over US policy in the Middle East .
Latinos against African Americans , Africans against Native Americans.
” But Ilhan began to display her talents as a community organizer .
She joined a group of students determined to “ improve racial and cultural relations ” by founding Unity in Diversity , “ essentially a training program around diverse leadership ” .
Her next stop was North @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told her it was searching for students , offering scholarships and a “ very low cost of living ” .
Back in Minneapolis after graduation , she immersed herself in the Democratic Farmer-Labor party , first working to defeat ballot initiatives to require photo IDs for voters and to outlaw gay marriage .
She figured out a winning narrative : both were threats to freedom and civil liberties , a message that worked with communities of color and white rural Minnesotans .
No anti-marriage equality initiative had ever been beaten until then – @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president .
Omar was elected to the state legislature in 2016 , then to the US Congress in 2018 , as one of the first two Muslim women in the House .
She feared she would be banned from the House floor by an ancient rule barring hats , which would have prevented her wearing her hijab .
Nancy Pelosi fixed the rule .
It ’ s unfortunate that Omar ’ s greatest fame is from a tweet made after Republican leader Kevin McCarthy said he wanted to punish her for her views @ @ @ @ @ @ @ solution .
When she tweeted back about campaign contributions from the Israeli lobby , writing “ it ’ s all about the Benjamins baby ” , the Twitterverse exploded .
She realized her mistake and apologized .
“ I am by nature a starter of fires , ” she writes .
“ My work has been to figure out where I ’ m going to burn down everything around me by adding the fuel of my religion , skin color , gender , or even my tone .
Knowing not just yourself … @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you … is vital to true and lasting progress.
” Last week , such fire-starter impulses re-emerged : Omar expressed support for Tara Reade , who has accused Joe Biden of sexual assault .
Omar conceded that Reade ’ s accusations have not been proven , and said she would still vote for Biden for president .
But she also said it was “ important ” to believe Reade just because she describes herself as a “ survivor ” .
It ’ s “ not my place to litigate her story ” , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , there is another thing that makes Omar the perfect member of Congress for this moment .
“ Recognizing my psychology as a refugee who has seen her home devolve in to chaos basically overnight , ” she writes “ … it ’ s my duty to call out the lack of awareness about the disintegration of civilization that is possible anywhere … it can happen only when nobody is paying attention … or people stop caring.
” When Omar was sworn in to Congress , there was one more big surprise .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ baby from the refugee camp , would make it .
But now “ a beautiful … vibrant , smiling woman ” was standing in front of her .

Few things are more unexpected than a genuinely inspirational memoir by a freshman member of Congress. If you’re looking for the perfect antidote to the perpetual tweetstorm of insanity and hatred from Donald Trump, try this beautiful new book from the Minnesota congresswoman Ilhan Omar.
This migrant from Somalia came from a family of teachers and civil servants who lived in a guarded compound. Ilhan had a chauffeur to drive her to school. But all of that disappeared when Somalia was engulfed by civil war.
“Bullets flew from one side of the conflict to the other,” Omar writes, “… directly over our house”. The house took direct hits, food became scarce and 350,000 died in the first year of the conflict.
Omar’s family was forced to the oceanside town of Kismayo, where she was told that her father and brothers were dead. But the next day she followed what she thought was her father’s voice, “and toward the end of the stretch where everyone was sleeping, there he was … I put my hand on his face, just to make sure he was real. And he was.” Her brothers were alive, too.
They fled to Kenya, where they faced malaria, dysentery and near starvation. The family survived in a refugee camp for 334,000 people, bartering kidney beans for kerosene and batteries for a radio. When she needed entertainment, Omar snuck under the barbed wire to walk to a nearby village, where an enterprising Kenyan charged a few shillings to watch movies on his TV. When six children who were distant relatives lost both their parents, Omar’s family looked after them, Ilhan paying special attention to the baby, Umi.
Her father discovered that they could apply through the United Nations to go to Norway, Canada or Sweden. But the US was his first choice.
“Only in America you ultimately become an American,” he said. “Everywhere else we will always feel like a guest.”
Miraculously, a year after their first interview they were allowed to apply for America. Ilhan was upset, partly because the orphans couldn’t come with them, but the rest of her book is the astonishing story of a voyage from Nairobi to New York to Minnesota, then barely 20 years later to Congress.
The family’s first stop was Arlington, Virginia, where the combative Ilhan spent most of her time in detention. But then she decided, she writes, “that my education was the one element of my life I had full control over, and given the long hours of studying in detention”, by the time they moved on to Minnesota she “had become a very good student”.
At her new school, “Africans fought African Americans over who was blacker. Muslim kids and white kids fought over US policy in the Middle East. Latinos against African Americans, Africans against Native Americans.”
But Ilhan began to display her talents as a community organizer. She joined a group of students determined to “improve racial and cultural relations” by founding Unity in Diversity, “essentially a training program around diverse leadership”.
Her next stop was North Dakota State University, after a friend told her it was searching for students, offering scholarships and a “very low cost of living”. Back in Minneapolis after graduation, she immersed herself in the Democratic Farmer-Labor party, first working to defeat ballot initiatives to require photo IDs for voters and to outlaw gay marriage.
She figured out a winning narrative: both were threats to freedom and civil liberties, a message that worked with communities of color and white rural Minnesotans. No anti-marriage equality initiative had ever been beaten until then – the same year Barack Obama was elected president.
Omar was elected to the state legislature in 2016, then to the US Congress in 2018, as one of the first two Muslim women in the House. She feared she would be banned from the House floor by an ancient rule barring hats, which would have prevented her wearing her hijab. Nancy Pelosi fixed the rule.
It’s unfortunate that Omar’s greatest fame is from a tweet made after Republican leader Kevin McCarthy said he wanted to punish her for her views on Israel, which include a two-state solution. When she tweeted back about campaign contributions from the Israeli lobby, writing “it’s all about the Benjamins baby”, the Twitterverse exploded.
She realized her mistake and apologized.
“I am by nature a starter of fires,” she writes. “My work has been to figure out where I’m going to burn down everything around me by adding the fuel of my religion, skin color, gender, or even my tone. Knowing not just yourself … but also how the world interacts with you … is vital to true and lasting progress.”
Last week, such fire-starter impulses re-emerged: Omar expressed support for Tara Reade, who has accused Joe Biden of sexual assault. Omar conceded that Reade’s accusations have not been proven, and said she would still vote for Biden for president. But she also said it was “important” to believe Reade just because she describes herself as a “survivor”.
It’s “not my place to litigate her story”, she said.
On the other hand, there is another thing that makes Omar the perfect member of Congress for this moment.
“Recognizing my psychology as a refugee who has seen her home devolve in to chaos basically overnight,” she writes “… it’s my duty to call out the lack of awareness about the disintegration of civilization that is possible anywhere … it can happen only when nobody is paying attention … or people stop caring.”
When Omar was sworn in to Congress, there was one more big surprise. She had never believed Umi, the baby from the refugee camp, would make it. But now “a beautiful … vibrant, smiling woman” was standing in front of her.
“I’m the baby,” Umi said.
The congresswoman started to cry.


theguardian--2020-05-30--Jared Kushner is a Know Nothing – not just because he has failed on so many fronts | Sidney Blumenth

Jared Kushner is a Know Nothing – not just because he has failed on so many fronts | Sidney Blumenthal

ared Kushner has let it be known that based on his understanding of American history , the Republican party platform should be drastically reduced from 58 convoluted pages in 2016 to “ a mission statement ” that can fit on a wallet-sized card , along the lines of the platform of 1856 , “ in order to eliminate alienating language ” .
The son-in-law of the president , senior adviser above all senior advisers and de facto campaign manager , has shifted from one earthshaking assignment to the next : chief diplomat to achieve Middle East peace ; chief overseer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Miller ; chief of medical supplies in the coronavirus crisis .
Now a self-designated expert in American history , his attempt to echo the party ’ s first platform is an abrupt effort to smooth over Trump ’ s alienation of large numbers of voters , to airbrush the president ’ s offensive and lethal incompetence , and to justify it all by reference to the origins of the Republican party .
He is abusing the past to distort the present , in order to control the future .
But the past is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The symmetries between the past Kushner seeks to exploit and the discreditable present are striking .
If there is any resemblance of the Trump mutation of the Republican party to any actual party in the election of 1856 it is not to the Republicans .
Nor is it to the Democrats .
Rather , it is to the third party in that campaign , the American party , also known as the Know Nothings , who also had a concise platform .
The original American party sought to protect the purity of white @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of immigration to the United States , which consisted mostly of the Irish and Germans , and to stigmatize a subversive religion .
“ Americans must rule America , ” its platform proclaimed .
Only native-born citizens should be allowed to hold any public office , federal , state or municipal .
Catholics , described in the category of those pledging “ allegiance or obligation of any description to any foreign prince , potentate or power ” , were to be proscribed .
The Know Nothings emerged from the crack-up of the Whig @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of slavery in the territories .
Most regarded themselves as Old Whigs , “ conservatives in principle ” in the words of their party platform .
Their standard-bearer was Millard Fillmore , the last Whig president , a decorous figurehead .
The Democrats nominated James Buchanan , a northern man of southern sympathy , a distinguished former senator from Pennsylvania , the crucial swing state .
Abraham Lincoln , a lifelong Whig , forged the Illinois Republican party in 1856 out of a cacophony of contending factions , including radical abolitionists , Whigs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ immigrants .
Lincoln despised Know Nothingism .
In 1855 , he wrote that if the movement ever won power it would rewrite the Declaration of Independence : “ When the Know-Nothings get control , it will read ‘ all men are created equal , except negroes , and foreigners , and Catholics.
’ When it comes to this I should prefer emigrating to some country where they make no pretense of loving liberty – to Russia , for instance , where despotism can be taken pure , and without the base alloy of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worked to undermine the Know Nothings , break up their party and bring some of its former Whig adherents to his new cause .
In order to hold together their fragile coalition , Lincoln in Illinois and Republicans nationally advanced the singular goal of prohibiting slavery in the territories .
The Republican presidential candidate in 1856 , John C Fremont , was a famous western explorer and senator from California .
Both the “ Americans ” and the Democrats mounted vicious smear campaigns against him : that he was not native-born but of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Catholic .
“ Trial by mud , ” his wife Jessie Benton Fremont called it .
Two years later , running for the Senate , Lincoln declared that immigrants who believe in the Declaration of Independence ’ s precept that “ all men are created equal ” are “ our equals in all things … as though they were blood of the blood , and flesh of the flesh of the men who wrote that Declaration , and so they are .
That is the electric cord in that Declaration that links the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” The 1856 Republican platform may provide another piece of symmetry to the modern day .
Its longest plank listed the trampling of constitutional rights of the antislavery forces in the Kansas territory , including voter suppression , attacks on freedom of the press , instigation of violence , and violence by armed militias .
The Republicans promised to restore the rule of law after the election by bringing members of the current federal administration before the bar of justice for their crimes : “ That all these things have been done with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the present National Administration ; and that for this high crime against the Constitution , the Union , and humanity , we arraign that Administration , the President , his advisers , agents , supporters , apologists , and accessories , either before or after the fact , before the country and before the world ; and that it is our fixed purpose to bring the actual perpetrators of these atrocious outrages and their accomplices to a sure and condign punishment thereafter.
” But the Republicans lost the election of 1856 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ platform stood as a warning of greater danger to come .
After Lincoln ’ s election in 1860 , many of those identified in the first Republican platform as the enemies of democracy , presidential advisers among them , would not accept the result and helped precipitate the civil war .
If Trump loses the election of 2020 , will “ his advisers , agents , supporters , apologists , and accessories ” and “ accomplices ” – including , first and foremost , Jared Kushner – accept the result and its consequences @

Jared Kushner has let it be known that based on his understanding of American history, the Republican party platform should be drastically reduced from 58 convoluted pages in 2016 to “a mission statement” that can fit on a wallet-sized card, along the lines of the platform of 1856, “in order to eliminate alienating language”.
The son-in-law of the president, senior adviser above all senior advisers and de facto campaign manager, has shifted from one earthshaking assignment to the next: chief diplomat to achieve Middle East peace; chief overseer of domestic policy and patron of Stephen Miller; chief of medical supplies in the coronavirus crisis.
Now a self-designated expert in American history, his attempt to echo the party’s first platform is an abrupt effort to smooth over Trump’s alienation of large numbers of voters, to airbrush the president’s offensive and lethal incompetence, and to justify it all by reference to the origins of the Republican party. He is abusing the past to distort the present, in order to control the future. But the past is not as malleable as Fox News.
The symmetries between the past Kushner seeks to exploit and the discreditable present are striking. If there is any resemblance of the Trump mutation of the Republican party to any actual party in the election of 1856 it is not to the Republicans. Nor is it to the Democrats. Rather, it is to the third party in that campaign, the American party, also known as the Know Nothings, who also had a concise platform.
The original American party sought to protect the purity of white native-born Protestants from the first great wave of immigration to the United States, which consisted mostly of the Irish and Germans, and to stigmatize a subversive religion.
“Americans must rule America,” its platform proclaimed. Only native-born citizens should be allowed to hold any public office, federal, state or municipal. Catholics, described in the category of those pledging “allegiance or obligation of any description to any foreign prince, potentate or power”, were to be proscribed.
The Know Nothings emerged from the crack-up of the Whig party over the issue of the extension of slavery in the territories. Most regarded themselves as Old Whigs, “conservatives in principle” in the words of their party platform. Their standard-bearer was Millard Fillmore, the last Whig president, a decorous figurehead. The Democrats nominated James Buchanan, a northern man of southern sympathy, a distinguished former senator from Pennsylvania, the crucial swing state.
Abraham Lincoln, a lifelong Whig, forged the Illinois Republican party in 1856 out of a cacophony of contending factions, including radical abolitionists, Whigs, dissident antislavery Democrats and liberal German immigrants. Lincoln despised Know Nothingism.
In 1855, he wrote that if the movement ever won power it would rewrite the Declaration of Independence: “When the Know-Nothings get control, it will read ‘all men are created equal, except negroes, and foreigners, and Catholics.’ When it comes to this I should prefer emigrating to some country where they make no pretense of loving liberty – to Russia, for instance, where despotism can be taken pure, and without the base alloy of hypocrisy.”
Behind the scenes, Lincoln worked to undermine the Know Nothings, break up their party and bring some of its former Whig adherents to his new cause. In order to hold together their fragile coalition, Lincoln in Illinois and Republicans nationally advanced the singular goal of prohibiting slavery in the territories.
The Republican presidential candidate in 1856, John C Fremont, was a famous western explorer and senator from California. Both the “Americans” and the Democrats mounted vicious smear campaigns against him: that he was not native-born but of foreign birth, illegitimate and a secret Catholic. “Trial by mud,” his wife Jessie Benton Fremont called it.
Two years later, running for the Senate, Lincoln declared that immigrants who believe in the Declaration of Independence’s precept that “all men are created equal” are “our equals in all things … as though they were blood of the blood, and flesh of the flesh of the men who wrote that Declaration, and so they are. That is the electric cord in that Declaration that links the hearts of patriotic and liberty-loving men together.”
A banner for the American party’s 1856 presidential candidate, Millard Fillmore. Photograph: Universal History Archive/UIG via Getty Images
The 1856 Republican platform may provide another piece of symmetry to the modern day. Its longest plank listed the trampling of constitutional rights of the antislavery forces in the Kansas territory, including voter suppression, attacks on freedom of the press, instigation of violence, and violence by armed militias.
The Republicans promised to restore the rule of law after the election by bringing members of the current federal administration before the bar of justice for their crimes: “That all these things have been done with the knowledge, sanction, and procurement of the present National Administration; and that for this high crime against the Constitution, the Union, and humanity, we arraign that Administration, the President, his advisers, agents, supporters, apologists, and accessories, either before or after the fact, before the country and before the world; and that it is our fixed purpose to bring the actual perpetrators of these atrocious outrages and their accomplices to a sure and condign punishment thereafter.”
But the Republicans lost the election of 1856. There were no prosecutions. The early platform stood as a warning of greater danger to come. After Lincoln’s election in 1860, many of those identified in the first Republican platform as the enemies of democracy, presidential advisers among them, would not accept the result and helped precipitate the civil war.
If Trump loses the election of 2020, will “his advisers, agents, supporters, apologists, and accessories” and “accomplices” – including, first and foremost, Jared Kushner – accept the result and its consequences?


theguardian--2020-05-31--George Floyd protests: cities across US announce curfews as tensions rise – live

Minnesota ’ s governor , Tim Walz , blamed “ elements ” of domestic terrorism , ideological extremism and international destabilisation for what he called an assault on Minneapolis .
Black community leaders suggested the destruction was led by white supremacists and anarchists intent on destroying the state .
But if alien revolutionaries could be found among the huge crowds who tore apart shops and businesses along a two-mile stretch of southern Minneapolis following the police killing of George Floyd , there were also plenty of people driven by nothing more than visceral anger and opportunism .
The narrative of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ without truth .
Young white people dressed in black , who at times did not seem to know their way around the city , were among the most aggressive with the police .
They worked in groups , and spray-painted the most political graffiti , beyond the calls for justice for George Floyd or the ubiquitous “ Fuck the police ” .
But blaming ideological agitators is also politically convenient , not least because Walz was severely embarrassed by the failure of the police and national guard to enforce a curfew he said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also untrue .

Sam Levin in Los Angeles (now), and Tom Lutz and Martin Pengelly in New York (earlier)


theguardian--2020-05-30--Trump justice department forces out top FBI lawyer in Flynn case – report

A top FBI lawyer who was criticised on Fox News for his role in the investigation of Michael Flynn has resigned after being asked to do so by senior figures at the Department of Justice , NBC News reported on Saturday .
The FBI confirmed to NBC that Dana Boente , its general counsel and a former acting attorney general , announced his resignation on Friday after a near-40-year career .
NBC cited two sources anonymous sources as saying the decision came from “ Attorney General William Barr ’ s justice department ” .
Boente joined the DoJ in 1984 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the eastern district of Virginia , after being nominated by Barack Obama .
In January 2017 , he briefly served as acting attorney general , after Trump fired Sally Yates , an Obama-era deputy , for refusing to defend an executive order on immigration .
Temporarily overseeing the investigation of Russian election interference , Boente signed a warrant authorising FBI surveillance of Flynn .
The retired general , Donald Trump ’ s first national security adviser , was fired for lying to the vice-president about contacts with the Russian ambassador during the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lying to the FBI about the conversations and cooperated with the special counsel Robert Mueller as he took over the investigation of Russian election interference and links between Trump and Moscow .
Flynn sought to withdraw his guilty plea before sentencing .
Earlier this month , Barr said the justice department would drop the case , although a federal judge put that decision on hold .
On Friday , the same day Boente was forced out of the FBI , Trump ’ s new director of intelligence and Senate Republicans released transcripts of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak .
Opponents of the president said the transcripts proved that Flynn had been treated fairly .
Supporters of Trump said they showed Flynn had been treated unfairly .
As Trump attempts to construct a scandal called “ Obamagate ” , with the surveillance of Flynn at its centre , his administration is releasing material it hopes will put Obama officials in a bad light .
Boente also wrote a leaked memo concerning material put into the public domain about Flynn , which he said was not exculpatory @ @ @ @ @ @ @ views of key Fox News contributors .
On 27 April , the Fox News host Lou Dobbs told viewers : “ Shocking new reports suggest FBI general counsel Dana Boente was acting in coordination with FBI director Christopher Wray to block the release of that evidence that would have cleared General Flynn.
” Trump has reportedly been urged to fire Wray , whom he appointed to replace James Comey , the man he fired in May 2017 in an attempt to close the Russia investigation .
Comey ’ s firing led to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ near-two year investigation without proving criminal conspiracy between Trump and Russia .
Mueller did , however , obtain convictions of Trump aides and say in his report the campaign was receptive to Russian help .
He also laid out extensive evidence of attempts by the president to obstruct his investigation .
Trump has fired or forced out FBI and DoJ figures including Andrew McCabe , Comey ’ s deputy , lawyer Lisa Page and Peter Strzok , an FBI agent who worked on the case .
“ Few people have served so well @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the department , ” he said .
“ Throughout his long and distinguished career as a public servant , Dana has demonstrated a selfless determination to ensure that justice is always served on behalf of our citizens .
”

A top FBI lawyer who was criticised on Fox News for his role in the investigation of Michael Flynn has resigned after being asked to do so by senior figures at the Department of Justice, NBC News reported on Saturday.
The FBI confirmed to NBC that Dana Boente, its general counsel and a former acting attorney general, announced his resignation on Friday after a near-40-year career. NBC cited two sources anonymous sources as saying the decision came from “Attorney General William Barr’s justice department”.
Boente joined the DoJ in 1984 and in 2015 became the US attorney for the eastern district of Virginia, after being nominated by Barack Obama.
In January 2017, he briefly served as acting attorney general, after Trump fired Sally Yates, an Obama-era deputy, for refusing to defend an executive order on immigration.
Temporarily overseeing the investigation of Russian election interference, Boente signed a warrant authorising FBI surveillance of Flynn.
The retired general, Donald Trump’s first national security adviser, was fired for lying to the vice-president about contacts with the Russian ambassador during the presidential transition.
Flynn pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about the conversations and cooperated with the special counsel Robert Mueller as he took over the investigation of Russian election interference and links between Trump and Moscow.
Flynn sought to withdraw his guilty plea before sentencing. Earlier this month, Barr said the justice department would drop the case, although a federal judge put that decision on hold.
On Friday, the same day Boente was forced out of the FBI, Trump’s new director of intelligence and Senate Republicans released transcripts of the calls in question, between Flynn and the then Russian ambassador, Sergey Kislyak.
Opponents of the president said the transcripts proved that Flynn had been treated fairly. Supporters of Trump said they showed Flynn had been treated unfairly.
As Trump attempts to construct a scandal called “Obamagate”, with the surveillance of Flynn at its centre, his administration is releasing material it hopes will put Obama officials in a bad light.
Boente also wrote a leaked memo concerning material put into the public domain about Flynn, which he said was not exculpatory.
Trump is notoriously open to the views of key Fox News contributors.
On 27 April, the Fox News host Lou Dobbs told viewers: “Shocking new reports suggest FBI general counsel Dana Boente was acting in coordination with FBI director Christopher Wray to block the release of that evidence that would have cleared General Flynn.”
Trump has reportedly been urged to fire Wray, whom he appointed to replace James Comey, the man he fired in May 2017 in an attempt to close the Russia investigation.
Comey’s firing led to the appointment of Mueller, who concluded a near-two-year investigation without proving criminal conspiracy between Trump and Russia.
Mueller did, however, obtain convictions of Trump aides and says in his report the campaign was receptive to Russian help. He also laid out extensive evidence of attempts by the president to obstruct his investigation.
Trump has fired or forced out FBI and DoJ figures including Andrew McCabe, Comey’s deputy, lawyer Lisa Page and Peter Strzok, an FBI agent who worked on the case.
On Friday, Wray issued a statement about Boente.
“Few people have served so well in so many critical, high-level roles at the department,” he said. “Throughout his long and distinguished career as a public servant, Dana has demonstrated a selfless determination to ensure that justice is always served on behalf of our citizens.”


theguardian--2020-05-31--George Floyd: police forcefully crack down on protests across US – live

The Guardian ’ s Ankita Rao , reporting from New York , on the mayor ’ s controversial late-night statements : Mayor Bill de Blasio took to the podium on Saturday night to tell protestors across the city that they were “ heard , loud and clear ” .
But the response from some New Yorkers made it clear that they felt otherwise .
Over the course of two days , thousands of protesters swarmed through the streets of Brooklyn , Manhattan and Queens – holding signs , wearing masks and stopping traffic – to call for justice for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the countless other black men and women at the hands of the police .
The protests were angry yet largely peaceful , but several videos and documentation of police arresting minors , brutalizing protesters and at one point , driving their car into crowds , surfaced as well .
One woman was filmed being pushed over by cops , before she went into a seizure and was taken to the hospital .
In response , de Blasio ’ s main message appeared to be to keep the NYPD safe , and that violence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He told people they had made their point and should go home , and blamed the agitation on outsiders coming to the city .
Notably , de Blasio responded to questions about the police vehicle driving into protestors with a flippant , “ they shouldn ’ t have done that ” and complained about damaged vehicles .
The speech was a stark departure from Keisha Lance Bottoms , the mayor of Atlanta , who described how she felt when she watched Floyd ’ s killing , saying she “ hurt like a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to her city , or Muriel Bowser , the DC mayor , who called out Donald Trump for hiding “ behind his fence afraid ” and said she stood with the people exercising their first amendment right .
De Blasio sounded little like the mayor of a city with a long and bloody history of officers brutalizing people of color .
His promise of change was vague and unemotional , and tucked away in the litany of patronizing rhetoric toward city protesters .
Some New Yorkers on Twitter slammed his livestream , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , sirens still blazed throughout Brooklyn , where he was giving the speech , as small fires were set in trash cans .
New Yorkers are planning to protest again tomorrow in Queens .

Michael Safi  (now) and Sam Levin in Los Angeles, Tom Lutz and Martin Pengelly in New York (earlier)