theguardian--2020-06-19--Juneteenth: US celebrates end of slavery as Trump claims to have made holiday 'famous'– live

The stone obelisk was lifted from its base with straps amid jeers and chants of “ Just drop it !
” from onlookers , who were kept a safe distance by sheriff ’ s deputies .
DeKalb County spent several years trying to rid itself of the Lost Cause monument erected by the United Daughters of the Confederacy in 1908 .
A marker added last September says the monument was erected to “ glorify the ‘ lost cause ’ of the Confederacy ” and has “ bolstered white supremacy and faulty history.
” Mawuli Davis , a driving force behind @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , watched with others as the obelisk was slowly lowered onto its side and slid to a waiting flatbed truck .
Davis ’ organization , the Beacon Hill Black Alliance for Human Rights , held a demonstration in front of the monument just a day earlier , pleading for its removal .
“ This feels great .
This is a people ’ s victory .
All of our young people from Decatur High School that made this happen .
All of these organizers , everybody came together , ” Davis said .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ victory for this country .
This is an example of what can happen when people work together .
”

20 Jun 2020 03.16 BST Recap Here’s what’s happened: Across the nation, people rallied, celebrated, marched and protested in commemoration of Juneteenth . In Oakland, dockworkers and longshoremen marched with thousands and shut down a port. In Harlem, there was meditation, tap dancing, and singing, in addition to speeches. In Tulsa, hundreds gathered in Greenwood — the site of one of the most horrific acts of racist violence in the US — to remember and celebrate emancipation.
. In Oakland, dockworkers and longshoremen marched with thousands and shut down a port. In Harlem, there was meditation, tap dancing, and singing, in addition to speeches. In Tulsa, hundreds gathered in Greenwood — the site of one of the most horrific acts of racist violence in the US — to remember and celebrate emancipation. Tula is also where Donald Trump is holding his first rally since coronavirus closed down the nation. Top members of Trump’s coronavirus task force warned of safety risks of holding a large-scale indoor event, but White House is forging ahead anyway. The Oklahoma Supreme Court blocked a bid to postpone the event due to coronavirus concerns.
Top members of Trump’s coronavirus task force warned of safety risks of holding a large-scale indoor event, but White House is forging ahead anyway. The Oklahoma Supreme Court blocked a bid to postpone the event due to coronavirus concerns. One of the Louisville police officers involved in the death or Breonna Taylor has been fired . Activists are calling for all the officers to be fired and charged in her death. According to the termination later, officer Brett Hankison “displayed an extreme indifference to the value of human life” when he shot Taylor
. Activists are calling for all the officers to be fired and charged in her death. According to the termination later, officer Brett Hankison “displayed an extreme indifference to the value of human life” when he shot Taylor Officers chased, shot and killed a security guard at an auto repairs shop in Los Angeles on Thursday. Andres Guardado was 18. On Wednesday, Los Angeles deputies also shot and killed Terron Jammal Boone, 31, who the half brother of Robert Fuller, who [was] discovered hanging from a tree on 10 June.
Andres Guardado was 18. On Wednesday, Los Angeles deputies also shot and killed Terron Jammal Boone, 31, who the half brother of Robert Fuller, who [was] discovered hanging from a tree on 10 June. Trump threatened “protesters, anarchists, agitators, looters or lowlifes” who attend his rally in Tulsa on Saturday, warning that they will be treated more harshly. He tweeted the threat, even though protest is protected by the First Amendment.
Updated at 03.17 BST
20 Jun 2020 02.56 BST Here are a few more images and videos from around the country. Los Angeles: It's going down in Leimert Park. Music, dancing, food and a lot of good energy. #JuneteenthDay @LATACO pic.twitter.com/DhKgfobRCC — Lexis-Olivier Ray (@ShotOn35mm) June 20, 2020 Baltimore: Jarell Johnson sings a song during a Juneteenth Celebration in Baltimore, Maryland. Photograph: J Countess/Getty Images Seattle: People gathered at Jimi Hendrix Park during the “Juneteenth Freedom March and Celebration” event in Seattle. Photograph: Jason Redmond/AFP/Getty Images Juneteenth Celebrated In Cities Across America
SEATTLE, WA - JUNE 19: Latio Cosmos (L), who recently graduated from Seattle University with a degree in public affairs, participates in the Juneteenth Freedom March and Celebration on June 19, 2020 in Seattle, Washington. Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, when a Union general read orders in Galveston, Texas stating all enslaved people in Texas were free according to federal law. (Photo by Karen Ducey/Getty Images) Photograph: Karen Ducey/Getty Images
20 Jun 2020 02.13 BST In Philadelphia, Black Lives Matter activists organized a “Jawnteenth”* celebration. Demonstrators demanded a dismantling of the police department and freedom for political prisoners. Black cowboys joined a gathering West Philadelphia’s Malcolm X park, as did a drum line. “We’re riding for the cause, Black lives does matter, we love being Black,” Al Lynch, sitting atop a horse named AJB Classic Babe, told WHYY. The #Juneteenth drum line rallied in the intersection before leading the march back into Malcolm X Park: pic.twitter.com/zWI19lQxF2 — Unicorn Riot (@UR_Ninja) June 19, 2020 *For those who aren’t familiar, here’s an explanation of the uniquely Philadelphian word “jawn”.
20 Jun 2020 01.43 BST In Tulsa, hundreds gathered in Greenwood, Tulsa – the site of one of the most horrific acts of racist violence in US history – to celebrate Juneteenth. #JUNETEENTH2020 in Greenwood, Tulsa pic.twitter.com/M1eWziEngD — Oliver Laughland (@oliverlaughland) June 19, 2020 Al Sharpton, who was there to address the crowd, told reporters that “Juneteenth is both a celebration and a reminder, a commemoration. It reminds us that it took almost three years after the signing of the emancipation proclamation for people in Texas to even know that slavery was over.” “So it is only proper for me to be here to show everyone how far we have come and how far we have yet to go,” he said. “We must understand the litany of pain that Black Americans have suffered.”
Updated at 01.47 BST
20 Jun 2020 01.21 BST A number of redactions from the Mueller report have been revealed The Department of Justice has removed a number of redactions from Robert Mueller’s report on Russian interference in the 2016 elections, in response to Freedom of Information Act lawsuits. The newly uncovered sections of the report suggest that Mueller mulled whether Donald Trump lied. In written responses to Mueller’s questions, Trump said he didn’t remember discussing WikiLeaks with his friend and former campaign adviser Roger Stone. But sources close to Trump recalled conversations in which they discussed the topic. “It is possible that, by the time the President submitted his written answers two years after the relevant events had occurred, he no longer had clear recollections of his discussions,” the report reads. “But the President’s conduct could also be viewed as reflecting his awareness that [Roger] Stone could provide evidence that would run counter to the President’s denials and would link the President to Stone’s efforts to reach out to WikiLeaks.” Stone was involved in efforts to contact Wikileaks and obtain Hillary Clinton’s emails and other documents that could to boost Trump’s chances of winning the election.
Updated at 02.45 BST
19 Jun 2020 00.27 BST The Department of Homeland Security sent helicopters, airplanes and drones to 15 cities where demonstrators were protesting police brutality, and logged at least 270 hours of surveillance, the New York Times reports based on Customs and Border Protection data. More from the Times: The department’s dispatching of unmanned aircraft over protests in Minneapolis last month sparked a congressional inquiry and widespread accusations that the federal agency had infringed on the privacy rights of demonstrators. But that was just one piece of a nationwide operation that deployed resources usually used to patrol the U.S. border for smugglers and illegal crossings. Aircraft filmed demonstrations in Dayton, Ohio; New York City; Buffalo and Philadelphia, among other cities, sending video footage in real time to control centers managed by Air and Marine Operations, a branch of Customs and Border Protection. The footage was then fed into a digital network managed by the Homeland Security Department, called “Big Pipe,” which can be accessed by other federal agencies and local police departments for use in future investigations, according to senior officials with Air and Marine Operations.
19 Jun 2020 00.23 BST More images from Washington, DC: A group of people throw colorful powder near Black Lives Matter Plaza. Photograph: Sarah Silbiger/Getty Images People dance to Go-go music. Photograph: Sarah Silbiger/Getty Images The crowd gathered at Black Lives Matter Plaza, near the White House, during celebrations to observe Juneteenth. Photograph: Michael Reynolds/EPA
19 Jun 2020 00.12 BST The Associated Press has amended its influential, widely used style guide to capitalize Black. AP’s style is now to capitalize Black in a racial, ethnic or cultural sense, conveying an essential and shared sense of history, identity and community among people who identify as Black, including those in the African diaspora and within Africa. — APStylebook (@APStylebook) June 19, 2020 More from the AP: The change conveys “an essential and shared sense of history, identity and community among people who identify as Black, including those in the African diaspora and within Africa,” John Daniszewski, AP’s vice president of standards, said in a blog post Friday. “The lowercase black is a color, not a person.” The news organization will also now capitalize Indigenous in reference to original inhabitants of a place.


theguardian--2020-06-19--How coronavirus has created a new split in American life

When Carol Zernial passes by Mexican restaurants and grocery stores in San Antonio , Texas , they seem packed , with “ literally no parking places ” .
But she hasn ’ t been tempted to dine out , nor has she ventured down a grocery aisle since March .
She does want a haircut , and she ’ s struck a deal with her hairdresser : they ’ ll do a trim outside , under a tree , in their masks , baking in the south Texas heat .
“ You think , ‘ Wow , this is really @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Zernial said .
“ And I can tell you , I have had actual nightmares , I have had sleepless nights worrying about haircut , no haircut.
” Two Americas have emerged from the coronavirus pandemic : one where protesters cry out , armed , for a return to normalcy , and another which shies away , concerned that the virus is still raging .
Zernial ’ s trepidation stands in stark contrast with the teeming bars and pool parties that have become symbolic of much of the United States ’ devil-may-care @ @ @ @ @ @ @ swathe of southern states like Texas that have embraced reopening their economies .
But even as those mask-flouting crowds go viral , a second contingent watches , shocked , from a safe distance .
“ We admire our individual freedoms , but the individual freedoms do not outweigh the common good , ” Zernial said .
“ Those are the words that I would like to hear from our leaders , is that they ’ re all looking out for the common good.
” Instead , officials have offloaded that social responsibility onto @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , beer gardens and theme parks are among a cornucopia of hands-on attractions in certain parts of the country that have permission to welcome back customers , despite more than 116,000 deaths in the US attributed to the virus .
“ People are seeing this as a personal decision , and it ’ s based on our own personal risk tolerance , ” said Irwin Redlener , director of the National Center for Disaster Preparedness and a professor of public health and pediatrics at Columbia University .
“ That ’ s not public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ your risk should not be my risk.
” As Beth Harris watches cases tick ever upward in her North Carolina county , she ’ s concerned for those who don ’ t have the privilege to work from home .
She expressed irritation with her Facebook friends who rattle off lines such as “ you only live once ” or “ I can ’ t breathe in the mask , so I ’ m not gon na wear it ” .
“ People say , ‘ freedom , I need my freedom , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Harris said .
Although a definitive cause-and-effect can ’ t be scientifically proven just yet , the timing of states reopening , then experiencing a surge in coronavirus cases suggests the two are intertwined , said Eve Wittenberg , a senior research scientist for the Center for Health Decision Science at the Harvard T H Chan School of Public Health .
After revelers flocked to beaches and bars over Memorial Day weekend , average daily new Covid-19 infections spiked in 21 states and nationally last week , according to the Washington Post @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Florida , North Carolina and Oregon , hospitalizations have trended upward as well .
Some politicians are hitting the brakes .
But under pressure to revive a wheezing economy , others are charging full steam ahead with reopening .
“ I think there ’ s a big component of politics , and the public health response has become politicized , which means anything from wearing a mask to any of these restrictions now have this political layer on it , ” said Wittenberg .
Whiplashed by the US government ’ s mixed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for guidance .
Harris stocked up on vegetarian staples after hearing about food shortages from a friend in northern Italy .
In Palo Alto , California , Sarah Liang has been watching Taiwan and Germany , where officials have been more successful in culling infections .
Nadine Herbst started paying attention to the pandemic back in January because of her husband ’ s work contacts in China .
From her home in Austin , she watched as her friend in Valencia , Spain , went into a far more stringent lockdown , where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ I kind of am trying to have a global view of what ’ s happening , to see how we press forward .
And maybe that ’ s why I ’ m more cautious than most people are , ” Herbst said .
She ’ s still unwilling to eat inside a restaurant , partially because the dining experience of masked waiters and spread-out tables seems almost apocalyptic to her .
But after weeks in isolation , she and her family have started to re-emerge for haircuts or to hang out with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ much that she ’ s no longer afraid ; she just knows she can ’ t live behind closed doors forever .
“ We ’ re still being careful .
You know , we ’ re still making calculated choices , ” Herbst said .
A few states over , in California , Liang described a far more stagnant scene , where she has barely noticed any difference , other than a slight increase in traffic , despite the state ’ s phased reopening .
As soon as masks became a recommended safeguard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her orbit started wearing them on walks .
She still jogs past them with a 6ft berth .
Other communities aren ’ t so circumspect , despite facing the same existential threat , albeit potentially on a smaller scale .
“ The reality is that Covid-19 is now in big cities , suburbs , small cities , ” said Marcia Ory , a professor at the Texas A & M School of Public Health .
In Johnson City , Tennessee , Elizabeth Tetrick is taking extra care so she can safely help her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cancer .
Compared to the rest of America , she doubts her family ’ s reaction to the public health crisis has been especially conservative .
They ’ ve celebrated special occasions outside at restaurants , and her eight-year-old daughter goes on playdates hiking or to the zoo .
But she ’ s stopped shopping at certain local grocery stores , where people eyed her strangely for even donning a mask .
“ I don ’ t think there ’ s a lot of fear in the community anymore , and there ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of leadership on the topic , ” she said .
When Zernial drives north to the panhandle from San Antonio to visit her elderly father , she sees fewer and fewer people using masks or keeping their distance .
“ I certainly never expected to live through a pandemic .
And then to have a pandemic and have a lack of political will … to make tough decisions , or to at least enforce the basics , the wearing of a mask , ” she said .
“ We should all be able @ @ @ @ @ @ @

When Carol Zernial passes by Mexican restaurants and grocery stores in San Antonio, Texas, they seem packed, with “literally no parking places”. But she hasn’t been tempted to dine out, nor has she ventured down a grocery aisle since March.
She does want a haircut, and she’s struck a deal with her hairdresser: they’ll do a trim outside, under a tree, in their masks, baking in the south Texas heat.
“You think, ‘Wow, this is really stupid. This is unnecessary,’” Zernial said. “And I can tell you, I have had actual nightmares, I have had sleepless nights worrying about haircut, no haircut.”
Two Americas have emerged from the coronavirus pandemic: one where protesters cry out, armed, for a return to normalcy, and another which shies away, concerned that the virus is still raging.
Zernial’s trepidation stands in stark contrast with the teeming bars and pool parties that have become symbolic of much of the United States’ devil-may-care attitude toward Covid-19, especially across a swathe of southern states like Texas that have embraced reopening their economies.
But even as those mask-flouting crowds go viral, a second contingent watches, shocked, from a safe distance.
“We admire our individual freedoms, but the individual freedoms do not outweigh the common good,” Zernial said. “Those are the words that I would like to hear from our leaders, is that they’re all looking out for the common good.”
Instead, officials have offloaded that social responsibility onto constituents. Day spas, movie theaters, beer gardens and theme parks are among a cornucopia of hands-on attractions in certain parts of the country that have permission to welcome back customers, despite more than 116,000 deaths in the US attributed to the virus.
The reality is that Covid-19 is now in big cities, suburbs, small cities Marcia Ory
“People are seeing this as a personal decision, and it’s based on our own personal risk tolerance,” said Irwin Redlener, director of the National Center for Disaster Preparedness and a professor of public health and pediatrics at Columbia University. “That’s not public health, because in public health, your risk should not be my risk.”
As Beth Harris watches cases tick ever upward in her North Carolina county, she’s concerned for those who don’t have the privilege to work from home. She expressed irritation with her Facebook friends who rattle off lines such as “you only live once” or “I can’t breathe in the mask, so I’m not gonna wear it”.
“People say, ‘freedom, I need my freedom,’ but with freedom comes responsibility,” Harris said.
Although a definitive cause-and-effect can’t be scientifically proven just yet, the timing of states reopening, then experiencing a surge in coronavirus cases suggests the two are intertwined, said Eve Wittenberg, a senior research scientist for the Center for Health Decision Science at the Harvard T H Chan School of Public Health.
After revelers flocked to beaches and bars over Memorial Day weekend, average daily new Covid-19 infections spiked in 21 states and nationally last week, according to the Washington Post. In places as disparate as Texas, North Carolina and Oregon, hospitalizations have trended upward as well.
Some politicians are hitting the brakes. But under pressure to revive a wheezing economy, others are charging full steam ahead with reopening.
“I think there’s a big component of politics, and the public health response has become politicized, which means anything from wearing a mask to any of these restrictions now have this political layer on it,” said Wittenberg.
Whiplashed by the US government’s mixed messaging, some Americans have looked abroad for guidance. Harris stocked up on vegetarian staples after hearing about food shortages from a friend in northern Italy. In Palo Alto, California, Sarah Liang has been watching Taiwan and Germany, where officials have been more successful in culling infections.
Miami Beach in Florida last week. Photograph: Michele Eve Sandberg/Rex/Shutterstock
Nadine Herbst started paying attention to the pandemic back in January because of her husband’s work contacts in China. From her home in Austin, she watched as her friend in Valencia, Spain, went into a far more stringent lockdown, where helicopters supposedly monitored rooftops for fraternization.
“I kind of am trying to have a global view of what’s happening, to see how we press forward. And maybe that’s why I’m more cautious than most people are,” Herbst said.
She’s still unwilling to eat inside a restaurant, partially because the dining experience of masked waiters and spread-out tables seems almost apocalyptic to her. But after weeks in isolation, she and her family have started to re-emerge for haircuts or to hang out with friends. It’s not so much that she’s no longer afraid; she just knows she can’t live behind closed doors forever.
“We’re still being careful. You know, we’re still making calculated choices,” Herbst said.
A few states over, in California, Liang described a far more stagnant scene, where she has barely noticed any difference, other than a slight increase in traffic, despite the state’s phased reopening. As soon as masks became a recommended safeguard, the majority of the people in her orbit started wearing them on walks. She still jogs past them with a 6ft berth.
Other communities aren’t so circumspect, despite facing the same existential threat, albeit potentially on a smaller scale.
“The reality is that Covid-19 is now in big cities, suburbs, small cities,” said Marcia Ory, a professor at the Texas A&M School of Public Health.
In Johnson City, Tennessee, Elizabeth Tetrick is taking extra care so she can safely help her father, who was recently diagnosed with cancer. Compared to the rest of America, she doubts her family’s reaction to the public health crisis has been especially conservative.
They’ve celebrated special occasions outside at restaurants, and her eight-year-old daughter goes on playdates hiking or to the zoo. But she’s stopped shopping at certain local grocery stores, where people eyed her strangely for even donning a mask.
“I don’t think there’s a lot of fear in the community anymore, and there’s not a strong, unified voice of leadership on the topic,” she said.
When Zernial drives north to the panhandle from San Antonio to visit her elderly father, she sees fewer and fewer people using masks or keeping their distance.
“I certainly never expected to live through a pandemic. And then to have a pandemic and have a lack of political will … to make tough decisions, or to at least enforce the basics, the wearing of a mask,” she said. “We should all be able to get comfortable with that.”


theguardian--2020-06-19--Amy Klobuchar rules herself out as possible Biden running mate

Amy Klobuchar has withdrawn from consideration to be Joe Biden ’ s running mate , urging the presumptive Democratic nominee to choose a woman of color instead .
The Minnesota senator ’ s prospects of running as vice president alongside Biden faded after the police killing of George Floyd in the state she represents sparked a nationwide reckoning over police brutality and systematic racism in the US .
“ I think this is a moment to put a woman of color on that ticket , ” Klobuchar said on MSNBC .
“ If you want to heal this nation right @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but our nation this is sure a hell of a way to do it.
” Biden had already signalled that he ’ s likely to choose a woman of color .
And in April , more than 200 black women leaders and activists within the Democratic party signed an open letter calling on Biden to choose a black woman , noting that “ the road to the White House is powered by black women and black women are the key to a Democratic victory in 2020 ” .
Klobuchar , a white , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contend with her past as a prosecutor in the county that includes Minneapolis , where George Floyd was killed .
During her tenure , Klobuchar declined to prosecute police accused of using excessive force against black suspects .
More than two dozen mostly black and minority people died during encounters with police .
Klobuchar , 60 , was among a large field of Democrats who had sought the 2020 presidential nomination , running as a pragmatic Midwesterner who had passed over 100 bills .
She dropped out and threw her support behind Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tuesday ” contests after struggling to win support from black voters , who remain crucial to Democratic victories .
Her best finish of the primary was in overwhelmingly white New Hampshire , where she came in third .
The senator had to cancel one of her final campaign rallies after Black Lives Matter and other activists took the stage in Minnesota to protest her handling as prosecutor of a murder case that sent a black teenager to prison for life .
Representative James Clyburn of South Carolina , a Biden ally and highest-ranking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the days after Floyd ’ s death that “ this is very tough timing ” for Klobuchar .
During the 11th Democratic presidential debate , after Klobuchar had dropped out , Biden explicitly committed to picking a woman as vice president and nominating the first African American woman to the supreme court .
Klobuchar , who has been an enthusiastic campaign surrogate for Biden , indicated she will continue to support him .
In the interview with MSNBC , Klobuchar brushed aside the suggestion that her record as a prosecutor would have affected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s running mate .
“ I think I could have functioned fine , ” she said .
“ There ’ s a lot of untruths out there about my record and now is not the time to debate them.
” After the interview aired , senior Biden adviser Symone Sanders indicated that she expected Klobuchar back on the campaign trail .

Amy Klobuchar has withdrawn from consideration to be Joe Biden’s running mate, urging the presumptive Democratic nominee to choose a woman of color instead.
The Minnesota senator’s prospects of running as vice president alongside Biden faded after the police killing of George Floyd in the state she represents sparked a nationwide reckoning over police brutality and systematic racism in the US.
“I think this is a moment to put a woman of color on that ticket,” Klobuchar said on MSNBC. “If you want to heal this nation right now, my party, yes, but our nation this is sure a hell of a way to do it.”
Biden had already signalled that he’s likely to choose a woman of color. And in April, more than 200 black women leaders and activists within the Democratic party signed an open letter calling on Biden to choose a black woman, noting that “the road to the White House is powered by black women and black women are the key to a Democratic victory in 2020”.
Klobuchar, a white, moderate Democrat, has recently had to contend with her past as a prosecutor in the county that includes Minneapolis, where George Floyd was killed. During her tenure, Klobuchar declined to prosecute police accused of using excessive force against black suspects. More than two dozen mostly black and minority people died during encounters with police.
Klobuchar, 60, was among a large field of Democrats who had sought the 2020 presidential nomination, running as a pragmatic Midwesterner who had passed over 100 bills. She dropped out and threw her support behind Biden before the crucial 3 March “Super Tuesday” contests after struggling to win support from black voters, who remain crucial to Democratic victories. Her best finish of the primary was in overwhelmingly white New Hampshire, where she came in third.
The senator had to cancel one of her final campaign rallies after Black Lives Matter and other activists took the stage in Minnesota to protest her handling as prosecutor of a murder case that sent a black teenager to prison for life.
BREAKING: Sen. Klobuchar announces she is withdrawing from consideration to be Joe Biden's vice presidential choice: "I think this is a moment to put a woman of color on that ticket." pic.twitter.com/xk4zZIP7Yd — MSNBC (@MSNBC) June 19, 2020
Representative James Clyburn of South Carolina, a Biden ally and highest-ranking black person in Congress, said in the days after Floyd’s death that “this is very tough timing” for Klobuchar.
During the 11th Democratic presidential debate, after Klobuchar had dropped out, Biden explicitly committed to picking a woman as vice president and nominating the first African American woman to the supreme court.
Klobuchar, who has been an enthusiastic campaign surrogate for Biden, indicated she will continue to support him. In the interview with MSNBC, Klobuchar brushed aside the suggestion that her record as a prosecutor would have affected her ability to function as Biden’s running mate.
“I think I could have functioned fine,” she said. “There’s a lot of untruths out there about my record and now is not the time to debate them.”
After the interview aired, senior Biden adviser Symone Sanders indicated that she expected Klobuchar back on the campaign trail.


theguardian--2020-06-19--Twitter flags doctored video tweeted by Trump about 'racist baby' as manipulated media

Twitter has flagged a video tweeted by Donald Trump , which contained a fake CNN news segment about a “ racist baby ” , adding a warning label that the post contained manipulated media .
The video , which had been doctored to make it appear as if it were a CNN broadcast , features two toddlers running and includes a fake graphic that reads “ Terrified todler ( sic ) runs from racist baby ” .
The clip later accuses “ fake news ” of spreading misinformation .
Twitter added a label to the video , which was tweeted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , marking it as manipulated .
Earlier in the day , Facebook removed Trump campaign ads that prominently featured a Nazi symbol .
This latest move from Twitter comes after Trump signed an executive order last month designed to narrow protections for social media companies over the content posted on their platforms .
Although Twitter had taken a largely hands-off approach to the president ’ s controversial tweets , in recent weeks the company began adding a label that fact-checked misinformation amplified by the US president , as well as a note cautioning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ company ’ s policy prohibits sharing videos that have been “ deceptively altered ” , which is what earned the video sourced from a pro-Trump meme creator a warning label .
The platform previously enforced the policy when the White House social media director , Dan Scavino , posted a manipulated video that made it appear as if Joe Biden had endorsed Trump .
Later on Thursday night , the president posted another video , which included another apparently manipulated CNN clip .
The video again accuses journalists of amplifying fake news , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump supporter chased after an Uber driver .
It features CNN White House correspondent Jim Acosta speaking to the camera , with a fake chyron that reads : “ Trumps Fault ?
White Man in MAGA Hat Attacks Black Uber Driver.
” The manipulated toddler video shared by the president remained unlabelled on Facebook .
Earlier this month , Facebook employees staged a virtual “ walkout ” over CEO Mark Zuckerberg ’ s decision to leave up a post from Trump that appeared to encourage violence against demonstrators protesting police brutality .
Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ looting starts , the shooting starts ” , which dates back to the civil rights era , when it was used by a segregationist politician and white police chief justifying a crackdown against protestors .
Twitter hid the message behind a grey box .
Twitter previously labeled a Trump post about fraudulent mail-in ballots with a message that reads , “ Get the facts about mail-in ballots ” , and redirected the public to news articles fact-checking Trump ’ s false claims .
The social network has also removed Trump tweets for copyright @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an advert featuring music from the film Dark Knight Rises and in a video set to the song Photograph by the band Nickelback .

Twitter has flagged a video tweeted by Donald Trump, which contained a fake CNN news segment about a “racist baby”, adding a warning label that the post contained manipulated media.
The video, which had been doctored to make it appear as if it were a CNN broadcast, features two toddlers running and includes a fake graphic that reads “Terrified todler [sic] runs from racist baby”. The clip later accuses “fake news” of spreading misinformation.
Twitter added a label to the video, which was tweeted by Trump late on Thursday evening, marking it as manipulated. Earlier in the day, Facebook removed Trump campaign ads that prominently featured a Nazi symbol.
This latest move from Twitter comes after Trump signed an executive order last month designed to narrow protections for social media companies over the content posted on their platforms.
Although Twitter had taken a largely hands-off approach to the president’s controversial tweets, in recent weeks the company began adding a label that factchecked misinformation amplified by the US president, as well as a note cautioning that a post glorified violence.
The company’s policy prohibits sharing videos that have been “deceptively altered”, which is what earned the video sourced from a pro-Trump meme creator a warning label. The platform previously enforced the policy when the White House social media director, Dan Scavino, posted a manipulated video that made it appear as if Joe Biden had endorsed Trump.
Later on Thursday night, the president posted another video, which included another apparently manipulated CNN clip. The video again accuses journalists of amplifying fake news, and misconstruing what happened when a white Trump supporter chased after an Uber driver. It features the CNN White House correspondent, Jim Acosta, speaking to the camera, with a fake chyron that reads: “Trumps Fault? White Man in MAGA Hat Attacks Black Uber Driver.”
The manipulated toddler video shared by the president remained unlabelled on Facebook. Earlier this month, Facebook employees staged a virtual “walkout” over CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s decision to leave up a post from Trump that appeared to encourage violence against demonstrators protesting against police brutality. Trump invoked the phrase, “when the looting starts, the shooting starts”, which dates back to the civil rights era, when it was used by a segregationist politician and white police chief justifying a crackdown against protesters. Twitter hid the message behind a grey box.
Twitter previously labeled a Trump post about fraudulent mail-in ballots with a message that reads, “Get the facts about mail-in ballots”, and redirected the public to news articles factchecking Trump’s false claims.
The social network has also removed Trump tweets for copyright infringement after Trump used unlicensed music in an advert featuring music from the film Dark Knight Rises and in a video set to the song Photograph by the band Nickelback.


theguardian--2020-06-19--Why is Trump's comeback rally in Tulsa: the site of a massacre?

The president ’ s decision to hold his first rally since the coronavirus lockdown in Tulsa , Oklahoma , has @ @ @ @ @ city was home to one of America ’ s worst ever acts of racial violence @ @ @ @ @ marked in recent Black Lives Matter protests , and Oklahoma is now seeing a new @ @ @ @ @ So why has Trump chosen Tulsa ?
Donald Trump will hold his first election rally @ @ @ @ @ Tulsa , Oklahoma on Saturday .
As thousands of his supporters descend on an indoor @ @ @ @ @ has been widely criticised for risking a new rise in Covid-19 infections as well as @ @ @ @ @ Guardian ’ s Oliver Laughland joins Anushka Asthana from Tulsa where he has been speaking @ @ @ @ @ ’ s rally .
He looks back to 1921 and the site of one of @ @ @ @ @ violence in US history .

Presented by Anushka Asthana with Oliver Laughland; produced by Mythili Rao and Nicholas Cox; executive producers Nicole Jackson and Phil Maynard

The president’s decision to hold his first rally since the coronavirus lockdown in Tulsa, Oklahoma, has ignited fresh controversy. The city was home to one of America’s worst ever acts of racial violence in 1921, a moment marked in recent Black Lives Matter protests, and Oklahoma is now seeing a new wave of coronavirus infections. So why has Trump chosen Tulsa?
Donald Trump will hold his first election rally since the coronavirus lockdown in Tulsa, Oklahoma on Saturday. As thousands of his supporters descend on an indoor sports arena, the event has been widely criticised for risking a new rise in Covid-19 infections as well as stoking racial tensions.
The Guardian’s Oliver Laughland joins Anushka Asthana from Tulsa. Oliver looks back to 1921, where Greenwood, Tulsa was the site of one of the worst episodes of racial violence in US history. He discusses why Trump chose to hold his comeback rally in this location. We also hear from Brenda Alford, whose grandfather’s business was burned to the ground in 1921 and Andre Harris, brother of Eric Harris, an unarmed 44-year-old African American man who was shot and killed by a white reserve sheriff’s deputy, Robert Bates in 2015. Harris points out that just as in 1921 when the sheriff’s office conscripted members of a lynch mob to wreak havoc in Greenwood, it was a volunteer white officer that killed his brother.
Clips from: Fox News, CBS 60 Minutes, CBS Evening News, KJHR-TV Tulsa Channel 2, HBO, CNN, NBC Today Show, TMJ4 Milwaukee News, ABC News, ABC-15 Phoenix


theguardian--2020-06-19--Trump again threatens to cut China ties after US official ruled it out

Donald Trump has renewed his threat to cut ties with China , a day after his diplomats held high-level talks with Beijing and his top US trade negotiator said severing the trade relationship was not a viable option .
The conflicting stances emerged as Washington questioned China ’ s credibility on accurately reporting the new Covid-19 cluster in Beijing .
Trump wrote on social media that the US “ certainly does maintain a policy option , under various conditions , of a complete decoupling from China .
Thank you !
” .
Trump said he was responding to comments by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who has been at the forefront of trade negotiations with Beijing .
Lighthizer told a congressional committee on Wednesday that China so far had been living up to the terms of a “ phase one ” trade agreement that eased the dispute , and that decoupling the two economic giants was now impossible .
“ Do I think that you can sit down and decouple the United States economy from the Chinese economy ?
” Lighthizer said .
“ No , I think that was a policy option years ago .
I don @ @ @ @ @ @ @ … reasonable policy option at this point.
” Lighthizer said he expected to see more supply chains moving to the United States because of tax and regulatory changes , but also noted that the US-China trade deal would result in significant positive changes and increased Chinese purchases of US goods and services .
In his post , Trump attempted to let his trade official off the hook : “ It was not Ambassador Lighthizer ’ s fault ( yesterday in Committee ) in that perhaps I didn ’ t make myself clear.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of friction between the world ’ s two largest economies , including trade , China ’ s moves to impose new security legislation on Hong Kong , and the coronavirus .
On Thursday the US questioned China ’ s credibility on reporting fresh coronavirus cases in Beijing and called for neutral observers to assess the extent of the outbreak .
China has locked down parts of the capital as it seeks to prevent a second wave of Covid-19 , reporting 158 cases since a fresh cluster was detected last week .
On Wednesday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pompeo , an outspoken critic of China , urged greater transparency during talks in Hawaii with the senior Chinese official Yang Jiechi .
Afterwards the US diplomat David Stilwell , who accompanied Pompeo , described relations between the two countries as tense .
On the Beijing outbreak he said : “ I would hope that their numbers and their reporting are more accurate than what we saw in the case of Wuhan and other places in the PRC , but that remains to be seen .
“ As far as numbers , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the ground to get confirmation ” in Beijing , Stilwell said .
On the trade deal , Stilwell said : “ The Chinese have recommitted to that numerous times … and they insist that they will follow through .
“ If they come to the table with a reasonable proposal , the US is obviously going to treat it reasonably and look for ways to work toward a positive outcome , ” he said .
However he described relations as “ intense ” and said the Chinese delegation had not been “ forthcoming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gone to “ great effort to provide an environment for candid and productive discussions ” .
“ The actions that we ’ ve seen out of the PRC of late … have been not really constructive as we look at India , the South China Sea , Hong Kong issues.
” China described the Hawaii talks as “ constructive ” but its foreign ministry said Yang told Pompeo that Washington needed to respect Beijing ’ s positions on key issues and halt its interference in matters such as Hong Kong , Taiwan and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

Donald Trump has renewed his threat to cut ties with China, a day after his diplomats held high-level talks with Beijing and his top US trade negotiator said severing the trade relationship was not a viable option.
The conflicting stances emerged as Washington questioned China’s credibility on accurately reporting the new Covid-19 cluster in Beijing.
Trump wrote on social media that the US “certainly does maintain a policy option, under various conditions, of a complete decoupling from China. Thank you!”.
Trump said he was responding to comments by his trade representative, Robert Lighthizer, who has been at the forefront of trade negotiations with Beijing.
Lighthizer told a congressional committee on Wednesday that China so far had been living up to the terms of a “phase one” trade agreement that eased the dispute, and that decoupling the two economic giants was now impossible.
“Do I think that you can sit down and decouple the United States economy from the Chinese economy?” Lighthizer said. “No, I think that was a policy option years ago. I don’t think it’s a … reasonable policy option at this point.”
Lighthizer said he expected to see more supply chains moving to the United States because of tax and regulatory changes, but also noted that the US-China trade deal would result in significant positive changes and increased Chinese purchases of US goods and services.
In his post, Trump attempted to let his trade official off the hook: “It was not Ambassador Lighthizer’s fault (yesterday in Committee) in that perhaps I didn’t make myself clear.”
The contradictory positions come amid multiple points of friction between the world’s two largest economies, including trade, China’s moves to impose new security legislation on Hong Kong, and the coronavirus.
On Thursday the US questioned China’s credibility on reporting fresh coronavirus cases in Beijing and called for neutral observers to assess the extent of the outbreak.
China has locked down parts of the capital as it seeks to prevent a second wave of Covid-19, reporting 158 cases since a fresh cluster was detected last week.
On Wednesday the US secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, an outspoken critic of China, urged greater transparency during talks in Hawaii with the senior Chinese official Yang Jiechi.
Afterwards the US diplomat David Stilwell, who accompanied Pompeo, described relations between the two countries as tense. On the Beijing outbreak he said: “I would hope that their numbers and their reporting are more accurate than what we saw in the case of Wuhan and other places in the PRC, but that remains to be seen.
“As far as numbers, it would be good to have folks on the ground to get confirmation” in Beijing, Stilwell said.
On the trade deal, Stilwell said: “The Chinese have recommitted to that numerous times … and they insist that they will follow through.
“If they come to the table with a reasonable proposal, the US is obviously going to treat it reasonably and look for ways to work toward a positive outcome,” he said.
However he described relations as “intense” and said the Chinese delegation had not been “forthcoming”, adding that the US had gone to “great effort to provide an environment for candid and productive discussions”.
“The actions that we’ve seen out of the PRC of late … have been not really constructive as we look at India, the South China Sea, Hong Kong issues.”
China described the Hawaii talks as “constructive” but its foreign ministry said Yang told Pompeo that Washington needed to respect Beijing’s positions on key issues and halt its interference in matters such as Hong Kong, Taiwan and Xinjiang, while working to repair relations.


theguardian--2020-06-19--Democrats and Republicans react to John Bolton's bombshell book on Trump – video

Political figures have criticised Donald Trump ’ s former national security adviser , John Bolton , for his new book @ @ @ @ @ Happened , which makes a series of explosive claims about the US president .
Democrat @ @ @ @ @ Nancy Pelosi , echoed Bolton in saying Trump was 'unfit ' to be president but @ @ @ @ @ loyalty over patriotism' • John Bolton ’ s bombshell Trump book : eight of its @ @ @ @ @ battles to halt memoir as Bolton calls president 'not fit for office '

Political figures have criticised Donald Trump’s former national security adviser, John Bolton, for his new book, The Room Where It Happened, which makes a series of explosive claims about the US president.
Democrat speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, echoed Bolton in saying Trump was 'unfit' to be president but added that the Republican 'chose loyalty over patriotism'


theguardian--2020-06-20--Juneteenth: rallies and celebrations across America commemorate end of slavery – live

As the Covid-19 virus continues to spread unevenly across the world , politicians and opinion pages in the US are already blaming new cases of coronavirus on mass demonstrations against police violence and racism .
The protests are a visible example of public crowds , and the ideal scapegoat for problems that are far more complex .
Some leaders have treated them with overt hostility .
But have protests really played a critical role in spreading new cases of coronavirus ?
The best science suggests probably not a lot .
Let me be clear : I ’ m not minimising @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic .
Indeed , there is almost nothing we do at the moment that doesn ’ t carry some risk of contagion , and it is undoubtedly true that they will lead to some new cases .
But the big question is by how much , and whether there are ways to minimise this risk .
Here , the answer is largely in favour of the outdoor protests over other large gatherings planned , such as indoor campaign rallies .
The evidence is becoming clear that wearing a mask can substantially lower the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
We are seeing more and more masks worn by protesters .
A second feature of gatherings that affects the spread of the virus is whether they happen outdoors or indoors .
Here , too , research suggests that outdoor activities are much safer than indoor ones .
Finally , although this is more preliminary , evidence suggests that if you ’ re going to be in a crowd , a mobile one is better than a stationary one .
None of these three aspects will protect you from infection definitively – but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ risk reduction .
And compared with the risk of catching Covid-19 that is present in many jobs or other activities , such as working in meat-packing plants , outdoor protests are likely to be much safer– especially if we carry out testing , which can quickly reveal if the virus is spreading among protesters , as Massachusetts has done recently .

Maanvi Singh (now), Lauren Gambino and Martin Pengelly (earlier)


theguardian--2020-06-19--Coronavirus taskforce officials advised against Trump's Tulsa rally – report

Top public health officials in Donald Trump ’ s coronavirus taskforce warned the US president about holding a mass public rally in Tulsa , Oklahoma , this weekend because of the health risks of the coronavirus , it has been reported .
NBC News said that both Dr Anthony Fauci , America ’ s top infectious disease expert , and the taskforce ’ s response coordinator , Dr Deborah Birx , had raised concerns about the wisdom of such a large event in the middle of a pandemic that remains undefeated .
The TV network reported the two experts had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the past week – but to no avail .
The news comes as officials at the Oklahoma arena where Trump plans to hold his first in-person rally since the Covid-19 pandemic hit the US have asked the president ’ s campaign for a written plan to keep attendees safe .
The 19,000-seat BOK Center in Tulsa will host the rally on Saturday night , marking Trump ’ s return to active campaigning in the 2020 election .
The rally will take place amid national protests over police brutality and systemic racism , having @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a clash with the Juneteenth holiday , which commemorates the end of slavery in America .
On Twitter on Friday , Trump said : “ Any protesters , anarchists , agitators , looters or lowlifes who are going to Oklahoma please understand , you will not be treated like you have been in New York , Seattle , or Minneapolis .
It will be a much different scene !
” The remark was criticized for conflating peaceful protests with outbreaks of violence in the weeks since George Floyd , an African American man @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
At a White House briefing , press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said Trump did not mean “ any protesters ” and was only referring to violent actors and looters .
Tulsa implemented a curfew for protesters around the event , but most concern has focused on the effect of the event itself , an hours-long indoor rally amid what could be Oklahoma ’ s first large coronavirus outbreak .
More than 9,300 people in the state have tested positive for the coronavirus since March , nearly 2,000 in Tulsa , according to a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ least 366 people have died from the disease in Oklahoma , including 65 in Tulsa .
The BOK Center said in a statement it had asked the Trump campaign for “ a written plan detailing the steps the event will institute for health and safety , including those related to social distancing ” .
The center said it made the request in light of “ recent reports of increases in coronavirus cases ” from the Tulsa health department , and “ the state of Oklahoma ’ s encouragement for event organizers to follow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we could postpone this to a time when the virus isn ’ t as large a concern as it is today , ” Tulsa health director Bruce Dart told Tulsa World newspaper last week .
“ It ’ s an honor for Tulsa to have a sitting president want to come and visit our community , but not during a pandemic.
” The Trump campaign claims more than one million people have requested tickets for the event , although the president and his aids have a history of inflating rally attendance .
Some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the streets since at least Wednesday .
Trump heralded such enthusiasm on Friday , adding : “ My campaign hasn ’ t started yet .
It starts on Saturday night in Oklahoma !
” Trump is behind challenger Joe Biden in polling nationally and in most battleground states .
Oklahoma is safely Republican .
The Trump campaign has committed to checking the temperature of every rally attendee , and providing masks and hand sanitizer as they enter the building .
All attendees are also being asked to sign liability waivers .
The BOK @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and customers , and plans to have workers disinfect surfaces throughout the event .
On Friday , the Oklahoma supreme court on Friday rejected a legal request to require everyone attending the rally to wear a face mask and maintain social distancing inside the arena .
Masks have become a subject of partisan rancor across the US , with Trump and his supporters publicly eschewing them and Republican governors undermining health officials ’ calls for “ universal ” masking .
In just one recent instance , in Nebraska , Republican governor Pete Ricketts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attendees to wear masks .
If they did , towns could be cut out of $ 100m in federal Covid-19 response aid .
At the White House briefing , McEnany said she did not plan to wear a mask at the rally in Tulsa .
America ’ s top infectious disease expert , Dr Anthony Fauci , meanwhile , said he would not attend an in-person rally , like Tulsa , at this point in the pandemic .
“ Personally , I would not , ” he told the Daily Beast .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this week , “ Outside is better than inside , no crowd is better than crowd …crowd is better than big crowd .
”

Top public health officials in Donald Trump’s coronavirus taskforce warned the US president about holding a mass public rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, this weekend because of the health risks of the coronavirus, it has been reported.
NBC News said that both Dr Anthony Fauci, America’s top infectious disease expert, and the taskforce’s response coordinator, Dr Deborah Birx, had raised concerns about the wisdom of such a large event in the middle of a pandemic that remains undefeated.
The TV network reported the two experts had “both vocalized concerns internally” in the past week – but to no avail.
The news comes as officials at the Oklahoma arena where Trump plans to hold his first in-person rally since the Covid-19 pandemic hit the US have asked the president’s campaign for a written plan to keep attendees safe.
The 19,000-seat BOK Center in Tulsa will host the rally on Saturday night, marking Trump’s return to active campaigning in the 2020 election.
The rally will take place amid national protests over police brutality and systemic racism, having been moved back a day to avoid a clash with the Juneteenth holiday, which commemorates the end of slavery in America.
On Twitter on Friday, Trump said: “Any protesters, anarchists, agitators, looters or lowlifes who are going to Oklahoma please understand, you will not be treated like you have been in New York, Seattle, or Minneapolis. It will be a much different scene!”
The remark was criticized for conflating peaceful protests with outbreaks of violence in the weeks since George Floyd, an African American man, was killed by police in Minneapolis.
At a White House briefing, the press secretary, Kayleigh McEnany, said Trump did not mean “any protesters” and was only referring to violent actors and looters.
Tulsa implemented a curfew for protesters around the event, but most concern has focused on the effect of the event itself, an hours-long indoor rally amid what could be Oklahoma’s first large coronavirus outbreak.
More than 9,300 people in the state have tested positive for the coronavirus since March, nearly 2,000 in Tulsa, according to a tracker from Johns Hopkins University. At least 366 people have died from the disease in Oklahoma, including 65 in Tulsa.
The BOK Center said in a statement it had asked the Trump campaign for “a written plan detailing the steps the event will institute for health and safety, including those related to social distancing”.
The center said it made the request in light of “recent reports of increases in coronavirus cases” from the Tulsa health department, and “the state of Oklahoma’s encouragement for event organizers to follow CDC guidelines”.
“I wish we could postpone this to a time when the virus isn’t as large a concern as it is today,” Tulsa’s health director, Bruce Dart, told Tulsa World newspaper last week. “It’s an honor for Tulsa to have a sitting president want to come and visit our community, but not during a pandemic.”
The Trump campaign claims more than 1 million people have requested tickets for the event, although the president and his aids have a history of inflating rally attendance.
Some people have nonetheless been camping out on the streets since at least Wednesday. Trump heralded such enthusiasm on Friday, adding: “My campaign hasn’t started yet. It starts on Saturday night in Oklahoma!”
Trump is behind challenger Joe Biden in polling nationally and in most battleground states. Oklahoma is safely Republican.
The Trump campaign has committed to checking the temperature of every rally attendee, and providing masks and hand sanitizer as they enter the building. All attendees are also being asked to sign liability waivers.
The BOK Center has installed plexiglass between food vendors and customers, and plans to have workers disinfect surfaces throughout the event.
On Friday, the Oklahoma supreme court on Friday rejected a legal request to require everyone attending the rally to wear a face mask and maintain social distancing inside the arena. Masks have become a subject of partisan rancor across the US, with Trump and his supporters publicly eschewing them and Republican governors undermining health officials’ calls for “universal” masking.
In just one recent instance, in Nebraska, the Republican governor, Pete Ricketts, told local courthouses they could not require attendees to wear masks. If they did, towns could be cut out of $100m in federal Covid-19 response aid.
At the White House briefing, McEnany said she did not plan to wear a mask at the rally in Tulsa.
America’s top infectious disease expert, Dr Anthony Fauci, meanwhile, said he would not attend an in-person rally, like Tulsa, at this point in the pandemic.
“Personally, I would not,” he told the Daily Beast. In terms of spreading Covid-19, Fauci said this week, “Outside is better than inside, no crowd is better than crowd …crowd is better than big crowd.”


theguardian--2020-06-19--White House defends Bolton hiring as Trump administration tries to block book

As a federal judge considered the Trump administration ’ s attempt to block a book by John Bolton which has held the president up to global ridicule and scorn , the president ’ s press secretary defended the decision to hire the national security adviser in the first place .
At a White House briefing , an NBC News reporter quoted Donald Trump ’ s own insults about Bolton and other former top aides when he asked : “ Why does the president keep hiring people who are dumb as a rock , overrated , way over their heads , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kayleigh McEnany said , “ makes hiring decisions based on the fact that he likes to have countervailing viewpoints … he likes the model of having a ‘ team of rivals ’ like what we saw in President Lincoln ’ s administration ” .
Abraham Lincoln , the 16th president , famously filled his cabinet with men who coveted the top job – the secretary of state William Seward , treasury secretary and future supreme court justice Salmon P Chase and attorney general Edward Bates among them – before winning the civil war @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , has abused his ex-hires including secretary of state Rex Tillerson , defense secretary Jim Mattis and attorney general Jeff Sessions in similar terms to those quoted at Friday ’ s briefing .
He currently presides over a catastrophic pandemic , a cratered economy and widespread civil unrest over racism and police brutality .
“ Sometimes those rivals prove those labels to be true , ” McEnany said of the insults , “ and that ’ s particularly true in the case of John Bolton , who repeatedly praised the president then turned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a former ambassador to the United Nations and leading foreign policy hawk , was Trump ’ s third national security adviser .
He worked at the White House from April 2018 to September 2019 , when he resigned and Trump claimed to have fired him .
He did not comply with a House subpoena during impeachment proceedings and was not called as a witness by the Republican-held Senate , before it acquitted the president of abusing his power in attempts to have Ukraine produce dirt on his political rivals .
He has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Room Where It Happened , excerpts of which have been widely published this week , since the Department of Justice ( DoJ ) filed suit in federal court in Washington DC .
The excerpts have proved tremendously embarrassing to Trump , detailing what Bolton says is impeachable conduct , for example in asking China to help secure his re-election , and depicting a president ignorant of basic geopolitical realities , like not understanding Finland was an independent country .
Bolton told ABC News on Thursday Trump is not “ fit for office ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to carry out the job ” .
An extensive interview is due to run on Sunday night .
The book is due in stores on 23 June .
In return , Trump has abused Bolton as a “ whacko ” who nobody liked , claiming his former aide ’ s allegations are untrue but also that his book should be suppressed as it contains classified information .
Publisher Simon & Schuster and lawyers for Bolton have countered that classified information was removed in coordination with the administration .
Some such information has leaked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ court judge Royce Lamberth was hearing the DoJ ’ s case .
Writers groups filed briefs in support of Bolton .
“ Pen America supports the first amendment right of public employees to produce works that are critical of the government , and of readers to receive their unique perspective unfettered by government censorship , ” one brief said .
The Pen brief also noted the vetting process and said : “ It is not difficult to see what is going on .
The president is employing the apparatus of the federal government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ freedom of speech , and pursue his political interests in an election year.
” The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press also filed a brief , with the Association of American Publishers , Dow Jones , the New York Times and the Washington Post .
Most observers do not expect Bolton ’ s book to be blocked .
The attorney Ted Boutros , who worked on the Pen brief , said : “ The supreme court has never upheld a prior restraint on speech about matters of public concern , nor should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ case.
” Cases cited included New York Times Co v United States , the landmark 1971 supreme court ruling which said the Nixon administration could not block the publication of the Pentagon Papers , a secret report about the Vietnam war .
In a statement , Nora Benavidez , Pen America ’ s director of US free expression programmes , said : “ We know the president has a penchant for lobbing attacks at those whose commentary he wants to suppress .
It ’ s why we sued President Trump in 2018 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pattern of targeting reporters whose coverage he dislikes.
” Bolton also details comments by Trump in which the president said some reporters should be imprisoned or executed .
Trump books have become big business , ever since the publication of Michael Wolff ’ s Fire and Fury in January 2018 .
Then , after the Guardian published excerpts , the president threatened to go to court .
Publisher Henry Holt & Co responded by rushing the book to stores .
Simon & Schuster has also announced the July publication of Too Much and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the World ’ s Most Dangerous Man , a book by Trump ’ s niece .
The publisher says Mary L Trump will describe “ a nightmare of traumas , destructive relationships , and a tragic combination of neglect and abuse ” that explain the inner workings of “ one of the world ’ s most powerful and dysfunctional families ” .
Trump has reportedly mused about suing to stop that book .
According to the Daily Beast , nearly 20 years ago Mary Trump , a clinical psychologist , signed a non-disclosure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and her relationship with Donald Trump and his siblings .
• None This article was amended on 19 June 2020 to correct Mary Trump ’ s job title .

As a federal judge considered the Trump administration’s attempt to block a book by John Bolton which has held the president up to global ridicule and scorn, the president’s press secretary defended the decision to hire the national security adviser in the first place.
At a White House briefing, an NBC News reporter quoted Donald Trump’s own insults about Bolton and other former top aides when he asked: “Why does the president keep hiring people who are dumb as a rock, overrated, way over their heads, whacko and incompetent?”
Trump, Kayleigh McEnany said, “makes hiring decisions based on the fact that he likes to have countervailing viewpoints … he likes the model of having a ‘team of rivals’ like what we saw in President Lincoln’s administration”.
Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president, famously filled his cabinet with men who coveted the top job – the secretary of state William Seward, treasury secretary and future supreme court justice Salmon P Chase and attorney general Edward Bates among them – before winning the civil war and abolishing slavery.
Trump, meanwhile, has abused his ex-hires including the secretary of state Rex Tillerson, defense secretary Jim Mattis and attorney general Jeff Sessions in similar terms to those quoted at Friday’s briefing. He currently presides over a catastrophic pandemic, a cratered economy and widespread civil unrest over racism and police brutality.
“Sometimes those rivals prove those labels to be true,” McEnany said of the insults, “and that’s particularly true in the case of John Bolton, who repeatedly praised the president then turned [on him].”
Bolton, a former ambassador to the United Nations and leading foreign policy hawk, was Trump’s third national security adviser. He worked at the White House from April 2018 to September 2019, when he resigned and Trump claimed to have fired him.
He did not comply with a House subpoena during impeachment proceedings and was not called as a witness by the Republican-held Senate, before it acquitted the president of abusing his power in attempts to have Ukraine produce dirt on his political rivals.
He has now written a tell-all book, The Room Where It Happened, excerpts of which have been widely published this week, since the Department of Justice (DoJ) filed suit in federal court in Washington DC.
The excerpts have proved tremendously embarrassing to Trump, detailing what Bolton says is impeachable conduct, for example in asking China to help secure his re-election, and depicting a president ignorant of basic geopolitical realities, like not understanding Finland was an independent country.
Bolton told ABC News on Thursday Trump is not “fit for office” and does not have “the competence to carry out the job”. An extensive interview is due to run on Sunday night. The book is due in stores on 23 June.
In return, Trump has abused Bolton as a “whacko” who nobody liked, claiming his former aide’s allegations are untrue but also that his book should be suppressed as it contains classified information.
Publisher Simon & Schuster and lawyers for Bolton have countered that classified information was removed in coordination with the administration. Some such information has leaked.
In Washington on Friday, district court judge Royce Lamberth was hearing the DoJ’s case. Writers’ groups filed briefs in support of Bolton.
“Pen America supports the first amendment right of public employees to produce works that are critical of the government, and of readers to receive their unique perspective unfettered by government censorship,” one brief said.
The Pen brief also noted the vetting process and said: “It is not difficult to see what is going on. The president is employing the apparatus of the federal government to punish his political enemies, thwart freedom of speech, and pursue his political interests in an election year.”
The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press also filed a brief, with the Association of American Publishers, Dow Jones, the New York Times and the Washington Post.
Most observers do not expect Bolton’s book to be blocked. The attorney Ted Boutros, who worked on the Pen brief, said: “The supreme court has never upheld a prior restraint on speech about matters of public concern, nor should the district court do so in this case.”
Cases cited included New York Times Co v United States, the landmark 1971 supreme court ruling which said the Nixon administration could not block the publication of the Pentagon Papers, a secret report about the Vietnam war.
In a statement, Nora Benavidez, Pen America’s director of US free expression programmes, said: “We know the president has a penchant for lobbing attacks at those whose commentary he wants to suppress. It’s why we sued President Trump in 2018, as he has engaged in an unconstitutional pattern of targeting reporters whose coverage he dislikes.”
Bolton also details comments by Trump in which the president said some reporters should be imprisoned or executed.
Trump books have become big business, ever since the publication of Michael Wolff’s Fire and Fury in January 2018. Then, after the Guardian published excerpts, the president threatened to go to court. Publisher Henry Holt & Co responded by rushing the book to stores.
Simon & Schuster has also announced the July publication of Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World’s Most Dangerous Man, a book by Trump’s niece.
The publisher says Mary L Trump will describe “a nightmare of traumas, destructive relationships, and a tragic combination of neglect and abuse” that explain the inner workings of “one of the world’s most powerful and dysfunctional families”.
Trump has reportedly mused about suing to stop that book. According to the Daily Beast, nearly 20 years ago Mary Trump, a clinical psychologist, signed a non-disclosure agreement regarding litigation over a family will and her relationship with Donald Trump and his siblings.


theguardian--2020-06-19--On eve of Trump visit, Tulsa still haunted by memory of white supremacist massacre

Brenda Alford stood at the spot where her grandfather ’ s business was burned to the ground .
It was 99 years ago , on 31 May 1921 , when a horde of white people in the city of Tulsa , Oklahoma raided the prospering black neighbourhood of Greenwood , firing indiscriminately on hundreds of black civilians and torching the businesses , homes , hotels , churches and cinemas in what was then known as “ Black Wall Street ” .
It was an episode of white supremacist terror that has haunted this city ever since .
“ I do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , her feet inches from a black plaque , embedded in the concrete to mark the place where her grandfather ’ s shoe store “ Nails Brothers Shoes ” once stood .
Now there is just an empty lot that sits in front of a highway .
“ Because of the positivity they [ my grandparents ] instilled in us growing up… they had every reason to be angry , to raise us to be negative people .
But they didn ’ t. ” Alford had not known about the 1921 Tulsa Race @ @ @ @ @ @ @ both her grandparents had passed away .
But she heard fragments of their memories ; from her grandmother describing how she hid under a church “ for some reason ” , to other elders pointing to a local cemetery as the place “ they ” dumped the bodies .
But descriptions of the massacre itself were never forthcoming .
Most of those black bodies , up to 300 people murdered in one of the most horrific single acts of racist violence in American history , have never been found .
Alford now chairs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them .
But as the coronavirus pandemic struck the United States in early March , meticulously negotiated plans to excavate at a local cemetery were put on indefinite hold .
Alford ’ s family did return and attempted to rebuild .
But looking at Tulsa now , beyond Greenwood ’ s black plaques in the concrete , its brightly coloured murals and ornate memorial parks , the economic legacy of the massacre and decades of disenfranchisement in the aftermath is an inescapable reality .
Tulsa is a hyper segregated city , where Greenwood @ @ @ @ @ @ @ northern section , that is mostly black , and the most prosperous southern sections , which are mostly white .
34 % of black people here live in poverty , compared with 13 % of white people , according to Human Rights Watch .
African Americans are more than twice as likely to be arrested than white people .
It is this harsh end of the criminal justice system that has brought race relations in Tulsa into sharp national focus in recent years .
‘ Don ’ t come on this weekend and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for black people in this state ’ The city continues to endure the pandemic , as Covid-19 cases in Oklahoma begin to surge once more .
But while the search for these victims of the massacre is postponed by the virus , it has not prevented Donald Trump from visiting Tulsa .
The Trump campaign is scheduled to hold its first rally since the coronavirus pandemic struck on Saturday , a day after the nation marks “ Juneteenth ” to commemorate the emancipation of slaves in Texas ( slavery was not abolished nationwide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the year ) .
And the rally comes as the country continues to grapple with a renewed call for police reform in the wake of George Floyd ’ s death in Minneapolis , and just a few weeks after the 99th anniversary of the Tulsa Massacre .
The decision to hold a rally here has outraged many in the African American community .
It has seen some of those associated with bipartisan efforts to enshrine the history and lessons of the Tulsa massacre into popular consciousness , speaking out in frustration .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ themselves , ” said Oklahoma state senator Kevin Matthews , chair of the Tulsa Race Massacre Centennial Commission and one of only two African American senators in the state .
“ If it were an accident then you could correct that .
If you didn ’ t intend it , then don ’ t come on this weekend and interrupt one of the most sacred holidays for black people in this state … it ’ s purposeful when you plan for people and not with them.
” “ If you are an elected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ respect us – then listen to us , ” he said .
No black American was ever compensated for their losses .
No white American was ever charged The massacre of 1921 occurred at the height of Jim Crow racial segregation in the deep south and midwestern United States .
It was sparked by clashes between a white lynch mob that formed outside Tulsa ’ s county jail demanding custody of a 19-year-old African American named Dick Rowland – falsely accused of sexually assaulting a young white woman – and a small group @ @ @ @ @ @ @ defend him .
It quickly descended into nearly 24 hours of bloody chaos , where a thriving community of around 10,000 black people saw their lives and livelihoods destroyed by conscripted whites acting on behalf of the state .
No black American was ever compensated for their losses .
No white American was ever charged over the incident .
It was referred to as a “ race riot ” rather than a massacre until last decade .
“ To have to lose everything the way they did , ” said Brenda Alford , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for it , was a situation that was horrible .
They lost their economic base and it was never replaced.
” State-based brutality against black residents continues to this day , with many noting the parallels between past and present .
In May 2015 , an unarmed 44-year-old African American man named Eric Harris was shot and killed by a white reserve sheriff ’ s deputy , Robert Bates .
Bates , who was 73 , was an untrained volunteer allowed to participate in an undercover sting and claimed he accidentally shot Harris @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a taser .
Body camera footage captured Harris ’ s last moments .
As he writhed in pain and complained he was losing his breath , another officer involved in the arrest said : “ Fuck your breath.
” Bates served less than two years in prison for manslaughter .
On a scorching afternoon this week Andre Harris , Eric ’ s brother , described watching the video 1,000 times in an effort to connect himself with his brother ’ s last seconds alive .
His profound grief also connected him to history @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as in 1921 when the sheriff ’ s office conscripted members of a lynch mob to wreak havoc in Greenwood , it was a volunteer white officer that killed his brother .
“ Such disrespect for human life , ” he said with reference to both events .
A year later , in the same city , 40-year-old Terrence Crutcher would become the next unarmed black man to die at the hands of police in Tulsa .
The white officer who opened fire was acquitted at trial .
Andre Harris has planned a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to avoid Donald Trump ’ s trip to his city .
“ I ’ m getting out to the nearest ocean and I ’ m going to pray , ” he said .
“ I ’ m tired of feeling that negative energy.
” On the 99th anniversary of the massacre , an act of violence ’ At the BOK center in downtown Tulsa , around 70 Donald Trump supporters have been camped out since the beginning of the week in a bid to secure a spot at the rally .
Some wore @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flag , a symbol of America ’ s slave owning past .
Concrete blocks have been erected at major intersections .
On Thursday night , Tulsa ’ s mayor announced a night time curfew in the city as concerns around unrest continue to mount .
City public health officials have urged the campaign to postpone , citing fears of the uncontrollable spread of virus among attendees .
Trump ’ s strategic communications director Marc Lotter , who strolled among supporters earlier in the week , flanked by two private security guards , argued @ @ @ @ @ @ @ example of democracy ” .
He declined to answer if the president would accept moral responsibility should any rally goer contract the virus .
Pastor Mareo Johnson is founder of the Black Lives Matter Tulsa chapter and a principle organizer of the counter demonstration planned for Saturday evening .
The chapter was created in the wake of Terrence Crutcher ’ s death in 2016 .
Crutcher was a personal friend of Johnson ’ s .
The city , he claimed , has come close to major unrest on a number of occasions in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protesters , out to peacefully memorialize the death of George Floyd , were injured after a truck drove into a march also held to mark the 99th anniversary of the Tulsa massacre .
But Johnson described , with sincerity , his intention for Saturday ’ s action .
“ The main purpose is to create an atmosphere of solidarity , of unity , of love from all races , all walks of life and backgrounds , ” he said .
“ This is not us against them .
This is not us being @ @ @ @

Brenda Alford stood at the spot where her grandfather’s business was burned to the ground.
It was 99 years ago, on 31 May 1921, when a horde of white people in the city of Tulsa, Oklahoma, raided the prospering black neighbourhood of Greenwood, firing indiscriminately on hundreds of black civilians and torching the businesses, homes, hotels, churches and cinemas in what was then known as “Black Wall Street”. It was an episode of white supremacist terror that has haunted this city ever since.
“I do not feel anger,” Alford said, her feet inches from a black plaque, embedded in the concrete to mark the place where her grandfather’s shoe store “Nails Brothers Shoes” once stood. Now there is just an empty lot that sits in front of a highway. “Because of the positivity they [my grandparents] instilled in us growing up … they had every reason to be angry, to raise us to be negative people. But they didn’t.”
Alford had not known about the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre until later in life, after both her grandparents had passed away. But she heard fragments of their memories; from her grandmother describing how she hid under a church “for some reason”, to other elders pointing to a local cemetery as the place “they” dumped the bodies. But descriptions of the massacre itself were never forthcoming.
Brenda Nails Alford at the Ellis Walker Woods Memorial in Historic Greenwood District three days before the Trump Pence Rally on Saturday. Photograph: Vanessa Charlot/The Guardian
Most of those black bodies, up to 300 people murdered in one of the most horrific single acts of racist violence in American history, have never been found. Alford now chairs the local committee overseeing the search for them. But as the coronavirus pandemic struck the United States in early March, meticulously negotiated plans to excavate at a local cemetery were put on indefinite hold.
Alford’s family did return and attempted to rebuild. But looking at Tulsa now, beyond Greenwood’s black plaques in the concrete, its brightly coloured murals and ornate memorial parks, the economic legacy of the massacre and decades of disenfranchisement in the aftermath is an inescapable reality.
Tulsa is a hyper-segregated city, where Greenwood now marks the borderline between the poorer northern section, that is mostly black, and the most prosperous southern sections, which are mostly white. Thirty-four per cent of black people here live in poverty, compared with 13% of white people, according to Human Rights Watch. African Americans are more than twice as likely to be arrested than white people.
It is this harsh end of the criminal justice system that has brought race relations in Tulsa into sharp national focus in recent years.
map Guardian graphic | Source: 2013 - 2017 5-year American Community Survey (ACS) estimates
‘Don’t come on this weekend and interrupt one of the most sacred holidays for black people in this state’
The city continues to endure the pandemic, as Covid-19 cases in Oklahoma begin to surge once more. But while the search for these victims of the massacre is postponed by the virus, it has not prevented Donald Trump from visiting Tulsa.
The Trump campaign is scheduled to hold its first rally since the coronavirus pandemic struck on Saturday, a day after the nation marks “Juneteenth” to commemorate the emancipation of slaves in Texas (slavery was not abolished nationwide until the 13th amendment was passed later in the year). And the rally comes as the country continues to grapple with a renewed call for police reform in the wake of George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis, and just a few weeks after the 99th anniversary of the Tulsa Massacre.
The decision to hold a rally here has outraged many in the African American community. It has seen some of those associated with bipartisan efforts to enshrine the history and lessons of the Tulsa massacre into popular consciousness, speaking out in frustration.
Oklahoma state senator Kevin Matthews is one of only two African American senators in the state. He represents the Greenwood district and is chair of the Tulsa Race Massacre Centennial Commission. Photograph: Vanessa Charlot/The Guardian
“I think his actions speak for themselves,” said the Oklahoma state senator Kevin Matthews, chair of the Tulsa Race Massacre Centennial Commission and one of only two African American senators in the state. “If it were an accident then you could correct that. If you didn’t intend it, then don’t come on this weekend and interrupt one of the most sacred holidays for black people in this state … it’s purposeful when you plan for people and not with them.”
“If you are an elected official for everyone, and if you respect us – then listen to us,” he said.
No black American was ever compensated for their losses. No white American was ever charged
The massacre of 1921 occurred at the height of Jim Crow racial segregation in the deep south and midwestern United States. It was sparked by clashes between a white lynch mob that formed outside Tulsa’s county jail demanding custody of a 19-year-old African American named Dick Rowland – falsely accused of sexually assaulting a young white woman – and a small group of armed black people who came to defend him. It quickly descended into nearly 24 hours of bloody chaos, where a thriving community of about 10,000 black people saw their lives and livelihoods destroyed by conscripted whites acting on behalf of the state.
No black American was ever compensated for their losses. No white American was ever charged over the incident. It was referred to as a “race riot” rather than a massacre until last decade.
Smoke rises from buildings during the 1921 massacre in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Photograph: Library Of Congress/Reuters
“To have to lose everything the way they did,” said Brenda Alford, “and not to receive any restitution for it, was a situation that was horrible. They lost their economic base and it was never replaced.”
State-based brutality against black residents continues to this day, with many noting the parallels between past and present.
Andre Harris, brother of Eric Harris. Photograph: Vanessa Charlot/The Guardian
In May 2015, an unarmed 44-year-old African American man named Eric Harris was shot and killed by a white reserve sheriff’s deputy, Robert Bates. Bates, who was 73, was an untrained volunteer allowed to participate in an undercover sting and claimed he accidentally shot Harris after firing his personal revolver instead of a Taser.
Body-camera footage captured Harris’s last moments. As he writhed in pain and complained he was losing his breath, another officer involved in the arrest said: “Fuck your breath.”
Bates served less than two years in prison for manslaughter.
On a scorching afternoon this week Andre Harris, Eric’s brother, described watching the video 1,000 times in an effort to connect himself with his brother’s last seconds alive. His profound grief also connected him to history, and he pointed out that just as in 1921 when the sheriff’s office conscripted members of a lynch mob to wreak havoc in Greenwood, it was a volunteer white officer that killed his brother.
“Such disrespect for human life,” he said with reference to both events.
A year later, in the same city, 40-year-old Terrence Crutcher would become the next unarmed black man to die at the hands of police in Tulsa. The white officer who opened fire was acquitted at trial.
Andre Harris has planned a road trip to Los Angeles this weekend to avoid Donald Trump’s trip to his city. “I’m getting out to the nearest ocean and I’m going to pray,” he said. “I’m tired of feeling that negative energy.”
On the 99th anniversary of the massacre, an act of violence’
At the BOK center in downtown Tulsa, about 70 Donald Trump supporters have been camped out since the beginning of the week in a bid to secure a spot at the rally. Some wore hats and pins depicting the Confederate battle flag, a symbol of America’s slaveowning past. Concrete blocks have been erected at major intersections. On Thursday night, Tulsa’s mayor announced a nighttime curfew in the city as concerns around unrest continue to mount. City public health officials have urged the campaign to postpone, citing fears of the uncontrollable spread of virus among attendees.
Trump’s strategic communications director, Marc Lotter, who strolled among supporters earlier in the week, flanked by two private security guards, argued that the rally was “a great example of democracy”. He declined to answer if the president would accept moral responsibility should any rally-goer contract the virus.
A Trump supporter in front of the BOK Center in Tulsa three days before the Trump rally. Photograph: Vanessa Charlot/The Guardian
Pastor Mareo Johnson is founder of the Black Lives Matter Tulsa chapter and a principle organizer of the counter demonstration planned for Saturday evening. The chapter was created in the wake of Terrence Crutcher’s death in 2016. Crutcher was a personal friend of Johnson’s.
The city, he claimed, has come close to major unrest on a number of occasions in recent years. Earlier this month three protesters, out to peacefully memorialize the death of George Floyd, were injured after a truck drove into a march also held to mark the 99th anniversary of the Tulsa massacre.
But Johnson described, with sincerity, his intention for Saturday’s action. “The main purpose is to create an atmosphere of solidarity, of unity, of love from all races, all walks of life and backgrounds,” he said. “This is not us against them. This is not us being at war.”


theguardian--2020-06-20--Associated Press changes influential style guide to capitalize 'Black'

The Associated Press has changed its influential writing style guide to capitalize the “ b ” in the term Black when referring to people in a racial , ethnic or cultural context , weighing in on a hotly debated issue .
The change conveys “ an essential and shared sense of history , identity and community among people who identify as Black , including those in the African diaspora and within Africa , ” said John Daniszewski , AP ’ s vice-president of standards .
“ The lowercase black is a color , not a person.
” The news organization @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to original inhabitants of a place .
Daniszewski said the revisions aligned with long-standing identifiers such as Latino , Asian American and Native American .
He said the decision followed more than two years of research and debate among AP journalists and outside groups and thinkers .
“ Our discussions on style and language consider many points , including the need to be inclusive and respectful in our storytelling and the evolution of language , ” he wrote .
“ We believe this change serves those ends.
” The AP said it expects @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on whether to capitalize the term white .
Among the considerations are what that change might mean outside the US .
Debate over capitalization of Black accelerated in many US newsrooms in recent weeks as journalists grappled with massive protests and sweeping changes in the aftermath of George Floyd ’ s death at the hands of police .
The Los Angeles Times , USA Today and NBC News last week embraced capitalization , and the National Association of Black Journalists urged other news organizations to follow .
The AP Stylebook of usage policies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with many news organizations , government and public relations agencies using it as a guide .
The death of Floyd , a Black man who died after a white Minneapolis police officer pressed a knee to his neck , sparked nationwide protests and lent momentum to a variety of social changes , from police reform and the public removal of Confederate statues and flags to the capitalization of Black .
“ It ’ s certainly long overdue , ” said Doris Truong , director of training and diversity at the Poynter Institute , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s something that people who are Black have been calling for for a long time.
” It ’ s also a relatively simple step for news organizations dealing anew with many complex issues , such as whether their journalists can be opinionated on social media or march in Black Lives Matter demonstrations .
Nearly a century ago , sociologist WEB DuBois waged a letter-writing campaign to get newspapers to capitalize Negro , saying a lowercase “ n ” was a sign of disrespect and racism .
The New York Times took his advice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of recognition and respect for those who had spent generations in “ the lower case ” .
Negro fell out of fashion with the Black Power movement of the 1960s , coming to symbolize subservience .
African American was often used , but is not always accurate as some Black people do not trace their lineage to Africa .
One Black communications professional who published an open letter to the AP earlier this week calling for the capitalization said he was pleased the change happened on Juneteenth , which commemorates when the last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 155 years ago .
“ Not having a capital letter has felt disrespectful , ” said David Lanham , director of communications for the Brooking Institution ’ s Metropolitan Policy Program .
“ There is a shared cultural identity with Black Americans and that goes through our shared experiences .
That also goes to the lack of geographic history as a result of slavery.
” The Seattle Times and Boston Globe both changed their practices to capitalize Black late last year .
The Globe explained that the word has evolved from a description @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to signify a race and culture , and deserves the upper case treatment much the way other ethnic terms do .
Lanham , who spearheaded an internal process to capitalize Black at Brookings last year , said he expects AP ’ s shift will lead many other news organizations and other groups to make a similar change .
“ Knowing how closely their Stylebook is viewed as the Bible for journalism , this is now the big domino to fall , ” he said .

The Associated Press has changed its influential writing style guide to capitalize the “b” in the term Black when referring to people in a racial, ethnic or cultural context, weighing in on a hotly debated issue.
The change conveys “an essential and shared sense of history, identity and community among people who identify as Black, including those in the African diaspora and within Africa,” said John Daniszewski, AP’s vice-president of standards. “The lowercase black is a color, not a person.”
The news organization will also now capitalize Indigenous in reference to original inhabitants of a place.
Daniszewski said the revisions aligned with long-standing identifiers such as Latino, Asian American and Native American. He said the decision followed more than two years of research and debate among AP journalists and outside groups and thinkers.
“Our discussions on style and language consider many points, including the need to be inclusive and respectful in our storytelling and the evolution of language,” he wrote. “We believe this change serves those ends.”
The AP said it expects to make a decision within a month on whether to capitalize the term white. Among the considerations are what that change might mean outside the US.
Debate over capitalization of Black accelerated in many US newsrooms in recent weeks as journalists grappled with massive protests and sweeping changes in the aftermath of George Floyd’s death at the hands of police.
The Los Angeles Times, USA Today and NBC News last week embraced capitalization, and the National Association of Black Journalists urged other news organizations to follow.
The AP Stylebook of usage policies is highly influential in the industry, with many news organizations, government and public relations agencies using it as a guide.
The death of Floyd, a Black man who died after a white Minneapolis police officer pressed a knee to his neck, sparked nationwide protests and lent momentum to a variety of social changes, from police reform and the public removal of Confederate statues and flags to the capitalization of Black.
“It’s certainly long overdue,” said Doris Truong, director of training and diversity at the Poynter Institute, a journalism thinktank. “It’s something that people who are Black have been calling for for a long time.”
It’s also a relatively simple step for news organizations dealing anew with many complex issues, such as whether their journalists can be opinionated on social media or march in Black Lives Matter demonstrations.
Nearly a century ago, sociologist WEB DuBois waged a letter-writing campaign to get newspapers to capitalize Negro, saying a lowercase “n” was a sign of disrespect and racism. The New York Times took his advice in 1930, calling it an act of recognition and respect for those who had spent generations in “the lower case”.
Negro fell out of fashion with the Black Power movement of the 1960s, coming to symbolize subservience. African American was often used, but is not always accurate as some Black people do not trace their lineage to Africa.
One Black communications professional who published an open letter to the AP earlier this week calling for the capitalization said he was pleased the change happened on Juneteenth, which commemorates when the last enslaved African Americans learned they were free 155 years ago.
“Not having a capital letter has felt disrespectful,” said David Lanham, director of communications for the Brooking Institution’s Metropolitan Policy Program.
“There is a shared cultural identity with Black Americans and that goes through our shared experiences. That also goes to the lack of geographic history as a result of slavery.”
The Seattle Times and Boston Globe both changed their practices to capitalize Black late last year. The Globe explained that the word has evolved from a description of a person’s skin color to signify a race and culture, and deserves the upper case treatment much the way other ethnic terms do.
Lanham, who spearheaded an internal process to capitalize Black at Brookings last year, said he expects AP’s shift will lead many other news organizations and other groups to make a similar change.
“Knowing how closely their Stylebook is viewed as the Bible for journalism, this is now the big domino to fall,” he said.