theroot--2020-05-18--Former Georgia District Attorney Calls Out Prosecutor Who Botched Ahmaud Arbery Investigation: 'It S

Former Georgia District Attorney Calls Out Prosecutor Who Botched Ahmaud Arbery Investigation: 'It Stinks to High Heaven'

For more than two months after Travis and Gregory Michael confronted Ahmaud Arbery on a quiet suburban street outside of Brunswick , Ga. , law enforcement officials either backed away from the case or found that no crime had been committed .
It wasn ’ t until cell phone footage of Arbery ’ s killing on Feb. 23 went viral that the case , seemingly frozen , began to move .
But as the horrific video showing Arbery ’ s final moments was viewed millions of times around the world , many wondered : Could what the McMichaels did—ambushing a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , then shooting him three times in broad daylight—actually be legal ?
According to the second prosecutor who took the Arbery case , Waycross County District Attorney George Barnhill , it was .
In a letter in which Barnhill recused himself from the case and offered recommendations on how to proceed on it , the DA cited Georgia ’ s citizen ’ s arrest and self-defense laws .
According to him , Arbery ’ s killing was well within the confines of Georgia law .
But that view is far from universal—in fact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ GBI ) has called upon the Department of Justice to probe how the Glynn County Police Department and local prosecutors handled with the Arbery case between February and early May .
The Root spoke to attorney Robert James last Friday to get a clearer understanding of what the law actually permitted the McMichaels to do , why Barnhill ’ s letter was so egregious , and what to expect next in Arbery ’ s murder case .
James worked as a prosecutor for a total of 17 years , with six years of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ DeKalb County , which includes parts of metro Atlanta and Decatur .
[ This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity . ]
The Root : There ’ s been a lot of talk about citizen ’ s arrest and self-defense statutes in Georgia , especially since the second prosecutor to look at this case , Brunswick District Attorney George Barnhill , said there was no standing to arrest the McMichaels .
You have a different take on what those statutes actually allow you to do .
Attorney Robert James : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allows citizens to arrest people and detain them until the police get there in two different scenarios : The first one is a standard scenario of a shopkeeper or a loss prevention officer or a store detective , that if you see a crime taking place and have firsthand knowledge of it , then you ’ re able to stop that person and detain that person until the police get there .
It doesn ’ t have to be shoplifting or stealing .
If you see an assault , if you walk out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ man assaulting a woman in a parking lot and you intervene , you don ’ t have to let that individual go .
You can hold that individual until the police get there .
The other scenario is if you do not see the crime happening , but you see an individual fleeing and you want to chase that individual and keep them from fleeing .
In that scenario , you can only chase that individual down if you have reasonable grounds of suspicion of a felony that has been committed .
So @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the individual has committed a felony .
Well , entering onto a construction site that is open—and it ’ s important that it ’ s open—in and of itself is not a felony .
As a matter of fact , it ’ s not even a misdemeanor .
The only way it becomes a misdemeanor is if you are entering that property for unlawful purposes , which would be criminal trespass , or if you destroy something while you ’ re on the property , or if the owner has given you previous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to leave and you don ’ t leave , which is not the case here .
Just because you say someone is a burglary suspect doesn ’ t necessarily mean that they are .
You have to have facts and circumstances that you can articulate , just like any police officer , as to why you stopped an individual for a crime .
And so [ people who do citizen ’ s arrests ] are held to the same standard as police officers are .
When you look at the video [ of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the evidence is to the contrary .
They weren ’ t even there watching him on that site .
There ’ s no evidence that when [ Arbery ] left the property , as you can see on the tape , there ’ s no evidence he was carrying copper pipes or construction equipment .
[ Arbery ] running down the street alone , even if [ the McMichaels ] confuse it with “ flight ” as opposed to a jog , is not enough to confront somebody with weapons in that scenario @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lot of focus on Greg McMichael , in particular , because of his background working for the Brunswick County DA and for the Glynn County Police .
What do you think it says about him that he was , in your estimation , erroneously citing these statutes as reasons why he was acting within the terms of the law ?
RJ : It says that he essentially is grasping at straws ; he ’ s looking for some defense .
Perhaps in his mind , it was self-defense .
But , you know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this point .
Whether he thought he was acting in the boundaries of the law or not really is immaterial when you look at charging someone .
Now , his background as a DA ’ s investigator and police officer , you would think that there wouldn ’ t be such a gross misapplication of the law in this case .
You would think that [ he ] would understand the basic principle that you can ’ t chase someone down the street with a gun , block their path and confront them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that would lead one to believe [ the suspect ] has committed a felony .
TR : You ’ ve said in the past that you know DA George Barnhill personally .
What do you think about him basically falling in line with McMichael ’ s reasoning ?
RJ : It stinks .
I ’ ve dealt with several police officers and some of them knew the law better than others .
Some of them , unfortunately , didn ’ t know the law at all .
Police officers are just like any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some that are highly competent and really know their stuff , and then I ’ ve had some that were just not up to standard .
But Mr. Barnhill has been applying the laws in [ Waycross ] County for several decades .
He knows the law .
His erroneous recommendation , his wrong recommendation to the police chief not to arrest [ the McMichaels ] , I do not believe that was based on ignorance of the law .
I do not believe it was based on his lack of competence when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the law .
And so it begs the question : What would cause him to make such a terrible recommendation to the police chief ?
One answer is a personal relationship with [ the McMichaels ] , the fact that he knows them .
TR : As a former DA , is there pressure to side with law enforcement in cases like these ?
What are the things a DA is considering on a relationship level ?
RJ : Well , there ’ s always pressure as the DA ( laughs ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enforcement , it ’ s from the community .
I dealt with police shootings during the time that I was DA—more than any other DA in the state of Georgia , with the exception of maybe Paul Howard , who was the Fulton County DA .
There ’ s always pressure .
There ’ s pressure from the police , even if it ’ s subtle—sometimes , not so subtle—to decide in a way that ’ s favorable to them .
And when you don ’ t , you get slammed in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sorts of names .
But there ’ s also pressure from the community , from the African American community , to find in a way that they agree with and that they perceive as justice .
The reality is that you ’ re supposed to do what ’ s right .
You ’ re supposed to exercise your judgment and apply the law without fear or favor or affection .
And if you can not do that , then you ’ re supposed to conflict out of the case and get out .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ percolating up now between the Glynn County Police Department and the Brunswick District Attorney ’ s Office , both of whom are pointing the finger at each other about why arrests weren ’ t made earlier .
Have you been following that ?
RJ : I ’ ve been following it some .
The question is , who do you believe ?
Ultimately , the police can arrest anyone they want to arrest .
It ’ s not like on television , like Law and Order , when we tell them what to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time that you can ’ t tell them what to do .
But practically , in a high profile case like this , they seek the DA ’ s advice because they ’ re not lawyers .
So they ’ ll treat the DA ’ s office not as their bosses , but more like in-house legal counsel .
They ’ ll call and they will ask , ‘ What should we do ?
’ And 99.9 percent of the time , they ’ re going to follow the DA ’ s advice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disturbed by the letter DA Barnhill wrote after he had conflicted out of the case [ Barnhill ’ s letter recommended that no charges be pressed against the McMichaels ] .
Because , quite candidly , any police department ’ s going to follow that advice from the DA .
TR : So the phrase you ’ ve used , “ conflicted out ” — RJ : Let me kind of take you through that pretty quickly : The process is when you get a case where you believe you have a conflict @ @ @ @ @ @ @ number of reasons , but primarily it ’ s because the person you ’ re prosecuting or who is a victim in the case , you have a personal relationship with or they have a personal relationship with someone in your office .
Once you take your hands off that case , you are then not supposed to do anything to influence it , because the state attorney general then sends that case to a new prosecutor to prosecute .
TR : So that letter Barnhill sent was kind of a step over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t “ kind of ” a step .
It was a huge step over the norm .
I have been through that process personally , several times .
And I can tell you , I never , ever told the attorney general I had a conflict in a case , then turned around and tried to influence what happened in the case .
That stinks to high heaven .
It is a huge red flag .
It ’ s extremely inappropriate because if you have a conflict , you shouldn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then you turn around and give advice on the most important thing a police chief can do , which is to make a decision whether or not to arrest .
I think any DA in the country will tell you it ’ s inappropriate .
TR : There ’ s lots of moving parts to cases like these , especially ones that become internationally relevant , as this one has .
What sort of things are you keeping your eyes on as things continue to develop ?
RJ : There are two different @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the process , just how it flows .
So , first of all , whether or not the [ new ] prosecutor that ’ s been appointed , Joyette Holmes , the current Cobb County DA—whether she ’ s going to present a case to the grand jury and when .
It will not be before June 12th because the state Supreme Court has a COVID-19 stay on all those types of proceedings .
But how long after June 12th is it going to take ?
I ’ ve been [ down @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s probably five hours from my house here in metro Atlanta .
It ’ s a completely different region of the state— [ I wonder ] whether or not a local grand jury is actually going to return an indictment .
And then the other question is , if they get an indictment , whether or not they can get a conviction .
There are a lot of hurdles those prosecutors , the prosecutors that are involved in the case , have to jump before they get to what I consider justice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The other aspect , which has emerged fairly recently , are the investigations into the previous prosecutors that were involved : how they made decisions , whether or not they told the attorney general everything when they were conflicting out of cases and accepting those cases .
That ’ s something that ’ s gotten pretty interesting here in Georgia , because the attorney general , Chris Carr , has also asked the GBI to investigate them .
This is not just a scenario where justice means holding the people that shot Ahmaud @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scenario where justice could also mean discovering whether or not there was a cover-up that was motivated by personal relationships , that was motivated by race , and whether or not people actually lied and manipulated the system to get the result that they gained initially— [ a non-arrest ] —that would have stuck had that video not been released .
TR : Finally , as you mentioned , Cobb County DA Joyette Holmes has an incredible amount of pressure on her with this case .
And it ’ s kind of interesting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there ’ s the case of Breonna Taylor in Kentucky .
We ’ re seeing , within the same week , these high profile cases being shifted to black prosecutors .
Can you speak to that—what kind of pressure are black prosecutors , in particular , facing when they take on these kinds of closely-followed , racially divisive cases ?
RJ : Look , being a black prosecutor is hard .
Oftentimes , it puts at odds with the nerve center and the heart of your entire community—particularly if you make a decision @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and pastors , and people at mom and pop shops feel .
Some days you ’ re a hero ; other days you ’ re a villain .
I don ’ t foresee a scenario where [ Joyette ] is going to have to make a tough decision about whether or not to prosecute the case , because it ’ s so obvious .
I ’ ve had those cases where it ’ s a really close call and you ’ ve got to make a decision that you believe is just , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not going to be happy .
Your community .
And you ’ ve got to go back to church .
You ’ ve got to go back and get your hair cut , your nails done , or whatever in that community , and people are going to look at you sideways .
It ’ s not like that for white folks .
They ’ ve got to go through [ the black community ] to get elected , but they don ’ t live there .
But in this case , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ absence of any probable cause or reasonable suspicion that Mr. Arbery was committing a felony on that property .
And you can ’ t claim self-defense when you start the confrontation by confronting somebody with a weapon [ as Travis McMichael did ] .
Joyette is a great attorney .
She ’ s a good prosecutor .
And she ’ s going to do her best .
It ’ s going to be tough because this case is not in Atlanta .
This case is not in DeKalb .
This case is in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to see what happens and whether or not a grand jury is going to do the right thing , and ultimately , whether or not a jury of 12 people , if it gets to them , is going to do the right thing .
This is eerily similar to the Trayvon Martin case , and we saw the result there once it got to a jury .

For more than two months after Travis and Gregory Michael confronted Ahmaud Arbery on a quiet suburban street outside of Brunswick, Ga., law enforcement officials either backed away from the case or found that no crime had been committed.
It wasn’t until cell phone footage of Arbery’s killing on Feb. 23 went viral that the case, seemingly frozen, began to move. But as the horrific video showing Arbery’s final moments was viewed millions of times around the world, many wondered: Could what the McMichaels did—ambushing a person they suspected of being a burglar, then shooting him three times in broad daylight—actually be legal? According to the second prosecutor who took the Arbery case, Waycross County District Attorney George Barnhill, it was.
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In a letter in which Barnhill recused himself from the case and offered recommendations on how to proceed on it, the DA cited Georgia’s citizen’s arrest and self-defense laws. According to him, Arbery’s killing was well within the confines of Georgia law.
But that view is far from universal—in fact, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) has called upon the Department of Justice to probe how the Glynn County Police Department and local prosecutors handled with the Arbery case between February and early May.
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The Root spoke to attorney Robert James last Friday to get a clearer understanding of what the law actually permitted the McMichaels to do, why Barnhill’s letter was so egregious, and what to expect next in Arbery’s murder case.
James worked as a prosecutor for a total of 17 years, with six years of experience as an elected district attorney representing DeKalb County, which includes parts of metro Atlanta and Decatur.
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[This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.]
The Root: There’s been a lot of talk about citizen’s arrest and self-defense statutes in Georgia, especially since the second prosecutor to look at this case, Brunswick District Attorney George Barnhill, said there was no standing to arrest the McMichaels. You have a different take on what those statutes actually allow you to do.
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Attorney Robert James: The Georgia Citizen’s Arrest Law allows citizens to arrest people and detain them until the police get there in two different scenarios: The first one is a standard scenario of a shopkeeper or a loss prevention officer or a store detective, that if you see a crime taking place and have firsthand knowledge of it, then you’re able to stop that person and detain that person until the police get there.
It doesn’t have to be shoplifting or stealing. If you see an assault, if you walk out of your job and you see a man assaulting a woman in a parking lot and you intervene, you don’t have to let that individual go. You can hold that individual until the police get there.
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The other scenario is if you do not see the crime happening, but you see an individual fleeing and you want to chase that individual and keep them from fleeing. In that scenario, you can only chase that individual down if you have reasonable grounds of suspicion of a felony that has been committed. So you have to have something to believe the individual has committed a felony. Well, entering onto a construction site that is open—and it’s important that it’s open—in and of itself is not a felony. As a matter of fact, it’s not even a misdemeanor. The only way it becomes a misdemeanor is if you are entering that property for unlawful purposes, which would be criminal trespass, or if you destroy something while you’re on the property, or if the owner has given you previous notice not to enter or tells you to leave and you don’t leave, which is not the case here.
Just because you say someone is a burglary suspect doesn’t necessarily mean that they are. You have to have facts and circumstances that you can articulate, just like any police officer, as to why you stopped an individual for a crime. And so [people who do citizen’s arrests] are held to the same standard as police officers are.
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When you look at the video [of Arbery at the construction site], the evidence is to the contrary. They weren’t even there watching him on that site. There’s no evidence that when [Arbery] left the property, as you can see on the tape, there’s no evidence he was carrying copper pipes or construction equipment.
[Arbery] running down the street alone, even if [the McMichaels] confuse it with “flight” as opposed to a jog, is not enough to confront somebody with weapons in that scenario.
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TR: There’s a lot of focus on Greg McMichael, in particular, because of his background working for the Brunswick County DA and for the Glynn County Police. What do you think it says about him that he was, in your estimation, erroneously citing these statutes as reasons why he was acting within the terms of the law?
RJ: It says that he essentially is grasping at straws; he’s looking for some defense. Perhaps in his mind, it was self-defense. But, you know, it’s almost cliché at this point. Whether he thought he was acting in the boundaries of the law or not really is immaterial when you look at charging someone.
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Now, his background as a DA’s investigator and police officer, you would think that there wouldn’t be such a gross misapplication of the law in this case. You would think that [he] would understand the basic principle that you can’t chase someone down the street with a gun, block their path and confront them if you can’t articulate anything that would lead one to believe [the suspect] has committed a felony.
TR: You’ve said in the past that you know DA George Barnhill personally. What do you think about him basically falling in line with McMichael’s reasoning?
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RJ: It stinks. I’ve dealt with several police officers and some of them knew the law better than others. Some of them, unfortunately, didn’t know the law at all. Police officers are just like any other profession: you’ve got some that are highly competent and really know their stuff, and then I’ve had some that were just not up to standard.
But Mr. Barnhill has been applying the laws in [Waycross] County for several decades. He knows the law. His erroneous recommendation, his wrong recommendation to the police chief not to arrest [the McMichaels], I do not believe that was based on ignorance of the law. I do not believe it was based on his lack of competence when it comes to [ the] interpretation of the law. And so it begs the question: What would cause him to make such a terrible recommendation to the police chief? One answer is a personal relationship with [the McMichaels], the fact that he knows them.
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I never, ever told the attorney general I had a conflict in a case, then turned around and tried to influence what happened in the case. That stinks to high heaven. It is a huge red flag.
TR: As a former DA, is there pressure to side with law enforcement in cases like these? What are the things a DA is considering on a relationship level?
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RJ: Well, there’s always pressure as the DA (laughs). It’s not just law enforcement, it’s from the community. I dealt with police shootings during the time that I was DA—more than any other DA in the state of Georgia, with the exception of maybe Paul Howard, who was the Fulton County DA. There’s always pressure.
There’s pressure from the police, even if it’s subtle—sometimes, not so subtle—to decide in a way that’s favorable to them. And when you don’t, you get slammed in the police blogs and you get called all sorts of names. But there’s also pressure from the community, from the African American community, to find in a way that they agree with and that they perceive as justice.
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The reality is that you’re supposed to do what’s right. You’re supposed to exercise your judgment and apply the law without fear or favor or affection. And if you cannot do that, then you’re supposed to conflict out of the case and get out.
TR: There’s some stuff percolating up now between the Glynn County Police Department and the Brunswick District Attorney’s Office, both of whom are pointing the finger at each other about why arrests weren’t made earlier. Have you been following that?
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RJ: I’ve been following it some. The question is, who do you believe? Ultimately, the police can arrest anyone they want to arrest. It’s not like on television, like Law and Order, when we tell them what to do. They remind prosecutors all the time that you can’t tell them what to do. But practically, in a high profile case like this, they seek the DA’s advice because they’re not lawyers. So they’ll treat the DA’s office not as their bosses, but more like in-house legal counsel.
They’ll call and they will ask, ‘What should we do?’ And 99.9 percent of the time, they’re going to follow the DA’s advice. Which is why I was really disturbed by the letter DA Barnhill wrote after he had conflicted out of the case [Barnhill’s letter recommended that no charges be pressed against the McMichaels]. Because, quite candidly, any police department’s going to follow that advice from the DA.
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TR: So the phrase you’ve used, “conflicted out”—
RJ: Let me kind of take you through that pretty quickly: The process is when you get a case where you believe you have a conflict, and it could be for any number of reasons, but primarily it’s because the person you’re prosecuting or who is a victim in the case, you have a personal relationship with or they have a personal relationship with someone in your office. Once you take your hands off that case, you are then not supposed to do anything to influence it, because the state attorney general then sends that case to a new prosecutor to prosecute.
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TR: So that letter Barnhill sent was kind of a step over the norm?
RJ: It wasn’t “kind of” a step. It was a huge step over the norm. I have been through that process personally, several times. And I can tell you, I never, ever told the attorney general I had a conflict in a case, then turned around and tried to influence what happened in the case. That stinks to high heaven. It is a huge red flag. It’s extremely inappropriate because if you have a conflict, you shouldn’t be doing anything in the first place—but then you turn around and give advice on the most important thing a police chief can do, which is to make a decision whether or not to arrest. I think any DA in the country will tell you it’s inappropriate.
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This is not just a scenario where justice means holding the people that shot Ahmaud Arbery accountable. It’s a scenario where justice could also mean discovering whether or not there was a cover-up that was motivated by personal relationships, that was motivated by race, and whether or not people actually lied and manipulated the system
TR: There’s lots of moving parts to cases like these, especially ones that become internationally relevant, as this one has. What sort of things are you keeping your eyes on as things continue to develop?
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RJ: There are two different things. One is the practical part of the process, just how it flows. So, first of all, whether or not the [new] prosecutor that’s been appointed, Joyette Holmes, the current Cobb County DA—whether she’s going to present a case to the grand jury and when. It will not be before June 12th because the state Supreme Court has a COVID-19 stay on all those types of proceedings. But how long after June 12th is it going to take?
I’ve been [down to Brunswick] several times. It’s probably five hours from my house here in metro Atlanta. It’s a completely different region of the state—[I wonder] whether or not a local grand jury is actually going to return an indictment. And then the other question is, if they get an indictment, whether or not they can get a conviction. There are a lot of hurdles those prosecutors, the prosecutors that are involved in the case, have to jump before they get to what I consider justice, which would be a conviction.
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The other aspect, which has emerged fairly recently, are the investigations into the previous prosecutors that were involved: how they made decisions, whether or not they told the attorney general everything when they were conflicting out of cases and accepting those cases. That’s something that’s gotten pretty interesting here in Georgia, because the attorney general, Chris Carr, has also asked the GBI to investigate them.
This is not just a scenario where justice means holding the people that shot Ahmaud Arbery accountable. It’s a scenario where justice could also mean discovering whether or not there was a cover-up that was motivated by personal relationships, that was motivated by race, and whether or not people actually lied and manipulated the system to get the result that they gained initially—[a non-arrest]—that would have stuck had that video not been released.
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TR: Finally, as you mentioned, Cobb County DA Joyette Holmes has an incredible amount of pressure on her with this case. And it’s kind of interesting because, at the same time, there’s the case of Breonna Taylor in Kentucky. We’re seeing, within the same week, these high profile cases being shifted to black prosecutors. Can you speak to that—what kind of pressure are black prosecutors, in particular, facing when they take on these kinds of closely-followed, racially divisive cases?
RJ: Look, being a black prosecutor is hard. Oftentimes, it puts at odds with the nerve center and the heart of your entire community—particularly if you make a decision that is contrary to how activists, and pastors, and people at mom and pop shops feel. Some days you’re a hero; other days you’re a villain.
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I don’t foresee a scenario where [Joyette] is going to have to make a tough decision about whether or not to prosecute the case, because it’s so obvious. I’ve had those cases where it’s a really close call and you’ve got to make a decision that you believe is just, but you know the black community is not going to be happy. Your community. And you’ve got to go back to church. You’ve got to go back and get your hair cut, your nails done, or whatever in that community, and people are going to look at you sideways. It’s not like that for white folks. They’ve got to go through [the black community] to get elected, but they don’t live there.
But in this case, it is so obvious. There is the absence of any probable cause or reasonable suspicion that Mr. Arbery was committing a felony on that property. And you can’t claim self-defense when you start the confrontation by confronting somebody with a weapon [as Travis McMichael did].
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Joyette is a great attorney. She’s a good prosecutor. And she’s going to do her best. It’s going to be tough because this case is not in Atlanta. This case is not in DeKalb. This case is in Brunswick.
We’ll just have to see what happens and whether or not a grand jury is going to do the right thing, and ultimately, whether or not a jury of 12 people, if it gets to them, is going to do the right thing. This is eerily similar to the Trayvon Martin case, and we saw the result there once it got to a jury.


theroot--2020-05-18--Texas Was One of the First States to Reopen. It Just Had Its Largest Single-Day Jump In COVID-19 Cas

Texas Was One of the First States to Reopen. It Just Had Its Largest Single-Day Jump In COVID-19 Cases

Raise your hand if you thought that opening up states while the pitbull of viruses was still off its leash was a good idea .
Great , I now know which one of y ’ all is Republican because only a Trump voter who believes in the Space Force would agree with such stupidity .
Or a Texas government official , because they were all “ yeehaw ” to get the economy upright by reopening the state and now they ’ ve reportedly had 1,801 new coronavirus cases , “ marking the state ’ s largest single-day jump since the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Hill reports .
Also , most Texans are assholes , I mean contrarians , which is basically just an asshole .
Scientists , whose jobs are to study shit the rest of us don ’ t know shit about , have told us that this shit doesn ’ t make any sense , but Trump , aka Chevy Jesus , has said differently and , in turn , mad people are getting the C -19 .
According to the Hill , “ The Texas Department of State Health Services said 734 of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Randall counties.
” “ These counties ’ new cases are largely from targeted testing of employees at meat plants in the area .
More test results from plants are expected , ” it tweeted .
Texas has reported 46,999 confirmed COVID-19 cases in total and has confirmed 28 million assholes who dress like cowboys whether they actually are or not .

Raise your hand if you thought that opening up states while the pitbull of viruses was still off its leash was a good idea. Great, I now know which one of y’all is Republican because only a Trump voter who believes in the Space Force would agree with such stupidity.
Or a Texas government official, because they were all “yeehaw” to get the economy upright by reopening the state and now they’ve reportedly had 1,801 new coronavirus cases, “marking the state’s largest single-day jump since the start of the coronavirus crisis,” the Hill reports.
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Also, most Texans are assholes, I mean contrarians, which is basically just an asshole. Scientists, whose jobs are to study shit the rest of us don’t know shit about, have told us that this shit doesn’t make any sense, but Trump, aka Chevy Jesus, has said differently and, in turn, mad people are getting the C -19.
According to the Hill, “The Texas Department of State Health Services said 734 of the new cases are from Potter and Randall counties.”
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“These counties’ new cases are largely from targeted testing of employees at meat plants in the area. More test results from plants are expected,” it tweeted.
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Texas has reported 46,999 confirmed COVID-19 cases in total and has confirmed 28 million assholes who dress like cowboys whether they actually are or not.


theroot--2020-05-18--Love, Lockdown Style: Elaine Welteroth's Chic Stoop Wedding Nailed the Social Distance Ceremony

A global pandemic has derailed the wedding plans of many engaged couples this year , but love wouldn ’ t let bestselling author , fashion editor and Project Runway judge Elaine Welteroth and her musician fiancé , Jonathan Singletary wait .
With a pivot that prioritized safety , the Brooklyn-based couple found a ridiculously romantic and very neighborly way to still marry on their chosen date , May 10 , while respecting the rules of social distancing .
The former Teen Vogue editor-in-chief and her groom first met as adolescents in their Bay Area church in the late ’ 90s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s adopted city of New York in 2013 , the two met again and instantly clicked , eventually becoming engaged in December of 2016 .
“ He tasted my fried chicken .
The rest is history !
” Welteroth told American Vogue , which published the details of the couple ’ s engagement and wedding , as well as an extensive photo montage .
The nuptials took place on a very special date , as the couple initially planned to wed at a family friend ’ s Northern California estate on Mother ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ date—May 10 , 2020—they really started to get excited .
“ There was so much symbolism in this sequence of numbers [ 5-10-20 ] that only come together once in a lifetime , ” Elaine explains .
“ Also , it fell on a Sunday—the day we met as kids and saw each other every week growing up .
But it wasn ’ t just any Sunday , it would be Mother ’ s Day !
” ... “ It all felt divinely orchestrated .
So , we leaned into all that meaning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the wedding.
” The creative brief was for it to be “ an elevated—literally , by the hills of Mount Diablo—Sunday-gospel-brunch wedding with elegantly plated soul food and a festive black-tie dress code.
” Clearly , the coronavirus outbreak had other plans , and the couple reluctantly realized they ’ d have to pivot from the glamorous ceremony they ’ d planned in detail with celebrity planner Mindy Weiss .
“ [ B ] oth of us realized that we actually felt more ‘ married ’ to our date and to each other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exciting plans , ” Welteroth told Vogue , later adding : “ So I woke up one day and walked into Jonathan ’ s home studio and said , ‘ I am marrying you on 5-10-20 .
It may have to be right here on our stoop .
And I might be in sweats .
But we are still doing this , come hell or high water.
’ ” She may have meant it as a joke , but the couple ’ s stoop ultimately became the ideal wedding venue as Welteroth and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on their Brooklyn block .
“ I woke up one morning with this whole vision of how we could do it , ” Welteroth explained .
“ In my mind , I saw the faces of people we love from afar surrounding us on iPhone screens and a small group of our local friends in white lining the sidewalk with gloves and masks on .
I envisioned transforming our stoop into an altar glowing with pretty lighting and gorgeous florals .
I had no idea if any of this was even possible in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I was excited about having a new wedding vision to work towards.
” With help from floral designer Lewis Miller Design and a talented inner circle , the couple ’ s city-perfect ceremony and socially distanced block party-style reception centered around their flower-festooned Brooklyn stoop , which had become a precious spot while sheltering in place .
“ For New Yorkers without rooftop access , a backyard , or a weekend home upstate to escape to , a stoop becomes your coveted slice of outdoor space—your one refuge for fresh air and sunlight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we need to clear our heads and get out of the house , we sit—or dance—on our stoop together.
” “ The neighbors next door and the little kids across the street started coming outside to dance with us from their stoops , ” she added .
“ It brought us all so much joy to smile , and wave , and dance—together , apart—with neighbors who had been merely strangers to us before the quarantine.
” Appropriately , the neighborhood was also on hand to celebrate the couple ’ s marriage , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , founding pastor of the South Bay Community Church , the home church their families share in California .
And though the venue might ’ ve been unconventional ( let ’ s call it something new ) , at least a few aspects of the traditional ceremony remained : in addition to the luscious florals ( which included something blue ) , Welteroth wore a 3-year-old white gown from her own closet ( something old ) , paired with her mother ’ s wedding veil ( something borrowed ) .
“ Since the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was , ‘ Do the best you can with what you have , ’ I decided to not overthink my dress , ” she explained .
Doing her own makeup in the backseat of a car and styling her hair via a live tutorial from celebrity hairstylist and good friend Vernon François ( who ’ d been booked to do her hair for the big day ) , Welteroth rocked braids and bohemian waves as she walked down a Soul Train-inspired , safe social distance-marked sidewalk “ aisle ” to meet her groom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suggestion to create a ‘ Soul Train aisle ’ by inviting our live guests to stand in two lines—spaced out over 10 feet apart—on our sidewalk , ” said Welteroth .
“ Boom .
Just like that , I got my aisle !
And anyone who knows me knows how much I love a Soul Train line , so it was my literal dream come true to get married in one.
” In addition to 200 guests via Zoom , friends in attendance included Lupita Nyong ’ o , supermodel and Project Runway @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( who helped capture the day ) , and close friend and designer Aurora James of luxury footwear label Brothers Vellies ( who custom-designed Welteroth ’ s white woven leather , ankle-wrapped heels ) .
Each guest was furnished with a white parasol , mask and gloves , bubbles , flower seeds , mini tambourines and brownies made from a family recipe—and each was paired with a “ FaceTime buddy ” they were responsible for during the ceremony .
“ Each person in the aisle became a physical portal for our closest loved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ And in doing so , the people we love most made new connections with each other .
It was really , really special , and so emotional for everyone.
” After the ceremony , Brooklyn-based musician Adeline Bolden deejayed a socially distant street party , where the bride and groom , who ’ d shared their wedding party playlist beforehand , dropped it low at a safe distance from their guests .
“ All while maintaining the necessary socially responsible distance , we wanted to give our whole block a reason @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the world around us , ” Welteroth explained , later recalling the moment a police van cruised past the party : “ [ W ] hen they saw that everyone was wearing masks and maintaining a safe social distance , they passed by without stopping—and the entire block went into an uproar ... Then the DJ started our first dance song over , by Snoh Aalegra [ “ Find Someone Like You ” ] , and we got to do it over , the way we planned—this time with all the love and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on .
It was nothing short of magical .
”

Maiysha Kai on The Glow Up, shared by Maiysha Kai to The Root

A global pandemic has derailed the wedding plans of many engaged couples this year, but love wouldn’t let bestselling author, fashion editor and Project Runway judge Elaine Welteroth and her musician fiancé, Jonathan Singletary wait. With a pivot that prioritized safety, the Brooklyn-based couple found a ridiculously romantic and very neighborly way to still marry on their chosen date, May 10, while respecting the rules of social distancing.
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The former Teen Vogue editor-in-chief and her groom first met as adolescents in their Bay Area church in the late ’90s. When Singletary relocated to Welteroth’s adopted city of New York in 2013, the two met again and instantly clicked, eventually becoming engaged in December of 2016.
“He tasted my fried chicken. The rest is history!” Welteroth told American Vogue, which published the details of the couple’s engagement and wedding, as well as an extensive photo montage. The nuptials took place on a very special date, as the couple initially planned to wed at a family friend’s Northern California estate on Mother’s Day.
Once they selected the date—May 10, 2020—they really started to get excited. “There was so much symbolism in this sequence of numbers [5-10-20] that only come together once in a lifetime,” Elaine explains. “Also, it fell on a Sunday—the day we met as kids and saw each other every week growing up. But it wasn’t just any Sunday, it would be Mother’s Day!” ... “It all felt divinely orchestrated. So, we leaned into all that meaning and wove it into every aspect of the wedding.” The creative brief was for it to be “an elevated—literally, by the hills of Mount Diablo—Sunday-gospel-brunch wedding with elegantly plated soul food and a festive black-tie dress code.”
Advertisement Advertisement
Clearly, the coronavirus outbreak had other plans, and the couple reluctantly realized they’d have to pivot from the glamorous ceremony they’d planned in detail with celebrity planner Mindy Weiss.
“[B]oth of us realized that we actually felt more ‘married’ to our date and to each other than we did to our big, exciting plans,” Welteroth told Vogue, later adding: “So I woke up one day and walked into Jonathan’s home studio and said, ‘I am marrying you on 5-10-20. It may have to be right here on our stoop. And I might be in sweats. But we are still doing this, come hell or high water.’”
Advertisement
She may have meant it as a joke, but the couple’s stoop ultimately became the ideal wedding venue as Welteroth and Singletary pivoted to a #LoveLockdown-themed ceremony on their Brooklyn block.
“I woke up one morning with this whole vision of how we could do it,” Welteroth explained. “In my mind, I saw the faces of people we love from afar surrounding us on iPhone screens and a small group of our local friends in white lining the sidewalk with gloves and masks on. I envisioned transforming our stoop into an altar glowing with pretty lighting and gorgeous florals. I had no idea if any of this was even possible in the middle of a pandemic, but I was excited about having a new wedding vision to work towards.”
Advertisement
With help from floral designer Lewis Miller Design and a talented inner circle, the couple’s city-perfect ceremony and socially distanced block party-style reception centered around their flower-festooned Brooklyn stoop, which had become a precious spot while sheltering in place.
Advertisement
“For New Yorkers without rooftop access, a backyard, or a weekend home upstate to escape to, a stoop becomes your coveted slice of outdoor space—your one refuge for fresh air and sunlight,” Welteroth explained. “Whenever we need to clear our heads and get out of the house, we sit—or dance—on our stoop together.”
“The neighbors next door and the little kids across the street started coming outside to dance with us from their stoops,” she added. “It brought us all so much joy to smile, and wave, and dance—together, apart—with neighbors who had been merely strangers to us before the quarantine.”
Advertisement
Appropriately, the neighborhood was also on hand to celebrate the couple’s marriage, performed via Zoom by Dr. Stanley Long, founding pastor of the South Bay Community Church, the home church their families share in California. And though the venue might’ve been unconventional (let’s call it something new), at least a few aspects of the traditional ceremony remained: in addition to the luscious florals (which included something blue), Welteroth wore a 3-year-old white gown from her own closet (something old), paired with her mother’s wedding veil (something borrowed).
Advertisement
“Since the mantra we set for our stoop wedding was, ‘Do the best you can with what you have,’ I decided to not overthink my dress,” she explained.
Doing her own makeup in the backseat of a car and styling her hair via a live tutorial from celebrity hairstylist and good friend Vernon François (who’d been booked to do her hair for the big day), Welteroth rocked braids and bohemian waves as she walked down a Soul Train-inspired, safe social distance-marked sidewalk “aisle” to meet her groom.
Advertisement
“It was Jonathan’s suggestion to create a ‘Soul Train aisle’ by inviting our live guests to stand in two lines—spaced out over 10 feet apart—on our sidewalk,” said Welteroth. “Boom. Just like that, I got my aisle! And anyone who knows me knows how much I love a Soul Train line, so it was my literal dream come true to get married in one.”
In addition to 200 guests via Zoom, friends in attendance included Lupita Nyong’o, supermodel and Project Runway host Karlie Kloss, photographer Micaiah Carter (who helped capture the day), and close friend and designer Aurora James of luxury footwear label Brothers Vellies (who custom-designed Welteroth’s white woven leather, ankle-wrapped heels). Each guest was furnished with a white parasol, mask and gloves, bubbles, flower seeds, mini tambourines and brownies made from a family recipe—and each was paired with a “FaceTime buddy” they were responsible for during the ceremony.
Advertisement
“Each person in the aisle became a physical portal for our closest loved ones from afar,” Welteroth explained. “And in doing so, the people we love most made new connections with each other. It was really, really special, and so emotional for everyone.”
Advertisement
After the ceremony, Brooklyn-based musician Adeline Bolden deejayed a socially distant street party, where the bride and groom, who’d shared their wedding party playlist beforehand, dropped it low at a safe distance from their guests.
“All while maintaining the necessary socially responsible distance, we wanted to give our whole block a reason to dance despite all the devastation in the world around us,” Welteroth explained, later recalling the moment a police van cruised past the party: “[W]hen they saw that everyone was wearing masks and maintaining a safe social distance, they passed by without stopping—and the entire block went into an uproar...Then the DJ started our first dance song over, by Snoh Aalegra [“Find Someone Like You”], and we got to do it over, the way we planned—this time with all the love and energy of our whole community cheering us on. It was nothing short of magical.”


theroot--2020-05-18--Treat Your Face to 30% off Select Mask Products at the SkinStore for One More Day

An actual tenant of self-care is faces masks .
It ’ s true !
Look at any definition of self-care and it ’ s there .
Ok .
It may not be .
Truth is there is no right or wrong way to treat yourself on self-care day but you can do it in a fun way .
Until tomorrow the SkinStore is giving you 30 % off a selection of face mask products and there are some great companies in this sale .
Just use code MASK30 at check out .
I am a huge fan of Tony Moly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this realm .
The P eaches and R oses set has six items for $ 10 less with the code .
Snow Fox is a company right on the heels of them and has been growing in popularity .
Their Arctic Breeze set is a great purchase to grab before summer as it helps cool and calms the skin after a sunburn .
Dr. Hauschka ’ s products have been in rotation for me for years and this fi rming mask is excellent if you have a few lines you want to have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sale ends tomorrow and there ’ s free shipping on all orders over $ 49 .

Sheilah Villari on Kinja Deals, shared by Gabe Carey to The Root

30% off Select Masks | SkinStore | Use Code MASK30
An actual tenant of self-care is faces masks. It’s true! Look at any definition of self-care and it’s there. Ok. It may not be. Truth is there is no right or wrong way to treat yourself on self-care day but you can do it in a fun way. Until tomorrow the SkinStore is giving you 30% off a selection of face mask products and there are some great companies in this sale . Just use code MASK30 at check out .
I am a huge fan of Tony Moly, their masks are absolutely tops in this realm. The P eaches and R oses set has six items for $10 less with the code. Snow Fox is a company right on the heels of them and has been growing in popularity . Their Arctic Breeze set is a great purchase to grab before summer as it helps cool and calms the skin after a sunburn . Dr. Hauschka’s products have been in rotation for me for years and this fi rming mask is excellent if you have a few lines you want to have magically disappear for a few hours.
Sale ends tomorrow and there’s free shipping on all orders over $49.


theroot--2020-05-18--Republican State Lawmaker in Alaska Compares COVID-19 Precautions to the Holocaust, Says Hitler Was

Republican State Lawmaker in Alaska Compares COVID-19 Precautions to the Holocaust, Says Hitler Was No White Supremacist

Of all the strange hills people choose to die on , the “ coronavirus protections are like Nazi Germany ” hill has to be among the most absurd .
One Alaska lawmaker sent an email to dozens of his colleagues expressing that ridiculous comparison and then doubled down on his rhetoric with an equally preposterous claim that Adolph Hitler was no white supremacist .
The Washington Post reports that Republican Rep. Ben Carpenter wrote to 39 of his fellow lawmakers expressing his concerns over a requirement that legislators returning to Alaska ’ s state capital wear stickers that indicate they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are cleared for entrance into the building .
“ If my sticker falls off , do I get a new one or do I get public shaming , too ?
” Carpenter wrote .
“ Are the stickers available as a yellow Star of David ?
” Several representatives responded to Carpenter ’ s email with appropriate scorn while others defended him .
The Alaskan Landmine shared some of the replies .
“ This is disgusting .
Keep your Holocaust jokes to yourself , ” Democratic Rep. Grier Hopkins , who is Jewish @ @ @ @ @ @ @ replied to Hopkins in defense of Carpenter with some “ white people want to be oppressed so bad ” nonsense .
“ This is no joke .
We should all be concerned about the implications of being labeled as ‘ non compliant ’ or wearing a badge of ‘ compliance , ’ ” Vance wrote .
Hopkins shot back at Vance saying , “ Putting people at risk because someone doesn ’ t want to get a medical test to make sure they ’ re not carrying a disease that will kill others @ @ @ @ @ @ @ targeting a group of people for genocide through hatred and ignorance.
” “ That was a flippant , ignorant and disgusting remark , ” he continued .
“ If someone wants to comment about their constitutional rights , fine .
We can disagree about that .
But do NOT joke about how testing for a virus equates to genocide.
” Unfortunately , no amount of logic can dissuade the privileged from pretending to be oppressed , and in an interview , Carpenter backed his bullshit argument with more bullshit .
“ Can you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ totally out of the realm of possibility that COVID-19 patients will be rounded up and taken somewhere ?
” Carpenter said , which makes me ask : “ Do ... do you mean like a hospital ?
” “ People want to say Hitler was a white supremacist , ” he continued .
“ No .
He was fearful of the Jewish nation , and that drove him into some unfathomable atrocities.
” Clearly , Carpenter has no idea what white supremacy actually is or that being “ fearful ” of certain groups @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said groups are pretty basic tenets of white supremacist activity .
Hopkins echoed similar sentiments in an interview saying , “ If those people were not white supremacists , well , I guess I don ’ t know what a white supremacist looks like , ” according to the Post .
Carpenter attempted to clarify his remarks in an interview with the Anchorage Daily News .
“ The point was that it was fear that drove him , ” he said .
“ The attention of his fear was undesirables , including Jews @ @ @ @ @ @ @ PEOPLE FOLLOWED HIM.
” What Carpenter doesn ’ t seem to get is that , in this instance , the only thing “ undesirable ” —besides right-wing idiots who specialize in false equivalency arguments—is the virus and the only thing people are “ following ” is public health guidelines .

Of all the strange hills people choose to die on, the “coronavirus protections are like Nazi Germany” hill has to be among the most absurd. One Alaska lawmaker sent an email to dozens of his colleagues expressing that ridiculous comparison and then doubled down on his rhetoric with an equally preposterous claim that Adolph Hitler was no white supremacist.
The Washington Post reports that Republican Rep. Ben Carpenter wrote to 39 of his fellow lawmakers expressing his concerns over a requirement that legislators returning to Alaska’s state capital wear stickers that indicate they’ve been tested for COVID-19 and are cleared for entrance into the building.
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“If my sticker falls off, do I get a new one or do I get public shaming, too?” Carpenter wrote. “Are the stickers available as a yellow Star of David?”
Several representatives responded to Carpenter’s email with appropriate scorn while others defended him. The Alaskan Landmine shared some of the replies.
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“This is disgusting. Keep your Holocaust jokes to yourself,” Democratic Rep. Grier Hopkins, who is Jewish, wrote.
Republican Rep. Sarah Vance replied to Hopkins in defense of Carpenter with some “white people want to be oppressed so bad” nonsense.
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“This is no joke. We should all be concerned about the implications of being labeled as ‘non compliant’ or wearing a badge of ‘compliance,’” Vance wrote.
Hopkins shot back at Vance saying, “Putting people at risk because someone doesn’t want to get a medical test to make sure they’re not carrying a disease that will kill others is NOT the same as labeling and targeting a group of people for genocide through hatred and ignorance.”
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“That was a flippant, ignorant and disgusting remark,” he continued. “If someone wants to comment about their constitutional rights, fine. We can disagree about that. But do NOT joke about how testing for a virus equates to genocide.”
Unfortunately, no amount of logic can dissuade the privileged from pretending to be oppressed, and in an interview, Carpenter backed his bullshit argument with more bullshit.
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“Can you or I—can we even say it is totally out of the realm of possibility that COVID-19 patients will be rounded up and taken somewhere?” Carpenter said, which makes me ask: “Do...do you mean like a hospital?”
“People want to say Hitler was a white supremacist,” he continued. “No. He was fearful of the Jewish nation, and that drove him into some unfathomable atrocities.”
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Clearly, Carpenter has no idea what white supremacy actually is or that being “fearful” of certain groups and committing “unfathomable atrocities” against said groups are pretty basic tenets of white supremacist activity.
Hopkins echoed similar sentiments in an interview saying, “If those people were not white supremacists, well, I guess I don’t know what a white supremacist looks like,” according to the Post.
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Carpenter attempted to clarify his remarks in an interview with the Anchorage Daily News.
“The point was that it was fear that drove him,” he said. “The attention of his fear was undesirables, including Jews. And the larger point is that PEOPLE FOLLOWED HIM.”
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What Carpenter doesn’t seem to get is that, in this instance, the only thing “undesirable”—besides right-wing idiots who specialize in false equivalency arguments—is the virus and the only thing people are “following” is public health guidelines.


theroot--2020-05-18--Andrea Askowitz Invents New Level of Whiteness, Writes the Worst Essay You'll Ever Read

Eons from now , when the planet is a barren wasteland scorched by solar flares and sheathed by Amazon Hub lockers , several of our evolved descendants will leave their homes on Lunar Outpost X Æ A-12 to return to Earth on an artifact-finding mission .
And they will discover , amongst the ruins , a pristine copy of Andrea Askowitz ’ s “ My family are the rule-breaking , lockdown-flouting entitled Americans you ’ ve heard about during the coronavirus pandemic ” etched into uranium—a method physicists used to preserve it after declaring it the single whitest substance that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 2020 , we haven ’ t invented the words yet to describe Askowitz ’ s piece .
“ Aggressively alabaster ” works in a pinch , but even that is woefully insufficient .
It ’ s an event horizon of bottomless whiteness .
It begins with the sort of seemingly innocuous whiteness that these sort of personal essays often drip with .
It doesn ’ t scream ‘ white !
’ as much as it whispers it in your ear , like a secret amongst friends .
It requires a special brand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the lines “ spend a year in Spain ” and “ see the world ” and “ learn to live less like spoiled Americans ” in the same sentence without a hint of irony .
In most essays , this would be the whitest paragraph .
But it gets whiter .
Andrea Askowitz is a conjurer .
I can picture the man Askowitz refers to here .
He ’ s bearded , he makes a living selling artisanal blades of grass , he wears cargo shorts in 30-degree weather , he buys clothes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tame Impala now because “ Kevin Parker has gone corporate.
” But somehow , he ’ s the least douchiest person in this exchange .
Andrea Askowitz is a magician .
My kids and I stayed inside our 1,000-square foot apartment for 46 days .
When the Spanish government announced schools would not re-open , we got one of the few flights out , first to London , then Miami .
We hadn ’ t seen Vicky in eight weeks .
Vicky picked us up from the airport and the four of us @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mom ’ s beach house in Key Largo , an hour south of our house in Miami .
We knew Key Largo wasn ’ t letting tourists in .
We weren ’ t tourists , exactly .
We had a note from my mom , plus two utility bills , and passed through the checkpoint , no problem .
The kids and I would quarantine for 14 days .
To stay safe , Vicky drove back to Miami .
We ’ re seven paragraphs in , and Askowitz has already shared that she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ three separate homes that she and her family could ’ ve stayed safely in without endangering the lives of dozens of people .
Also , when I bought a house in 2018 , I needed to provide proof of four years of income , handwritten notes from former and current employers , my driver ’ s license , tax returns , college transcripts , six strands of armpit hair , and a video recording of me singing Radiohead ’ s “ Talk Show Host ” —and my first loan application still got denied @ @ @ @ @ @ @ through a government barricade during a global pandemic with a note from her mom .
Andrea Askowitz is Typhoid Mary .
Four days later , Vicky headed from Miami to Key Largo because the kids and I had coronavirus tests scheduled and we only had one car .
Maybe we could have taken an Uber to get the test .
The truth was , we wanted to be together .
Then Vicky called , crying .
She ’ d been stopped at the checkpoint .
I had only heard her cry like that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — when her mom died .
She said , “ The police are not letting me through.
” An hour later Vicky called again , still crying .
“ I told them I left the kids alone in the house .
They ’ re escorting me home .
You have to hide.
” My son , Sebastian , who ’ s 11 , and I ran around the house looking for a hiding place .
The bathroom ?
The utility closet ?
Sebastian kept a lookout from the window .
He yelled , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” and I slid under the bed .
It was tight .
The slats were an inch from my face .
One was splitting .
One heavy man and I ’ d be crushed .
Under the bed might not have been the smartest idea , but I could see into the hallway .
I could see if the cop came into the room .
Would they see me ?
One of the problems I had with Spike Lee ’ s She Hate Me is that it felt like three different movies crammed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ much plot .
I felt that way again when reading the quoted passage .
There ’ s just too much whiteness happening here for me to accurately process it all .
It ’ s whiteness bukkake , and you need some protective gear to finish it .
But indulge me for a moment and picture , like I ’ m picturing , Typhoid Andrea frantically sprinting through her mom ’ s beach house while looking for a hideout from the po-po .
“ What about the pantry ?
?
?
” Sebastian offers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Andrea screams back .
“ The loft pantry !
!
!
” Sebastian answers , as Andrea sprints up the floating staircase , past the moon room , and opens the pantry door—only to discover that it ’ s filled with cans of oat milk .
“ Fuck !
!
!
” she howls , as she slams the door .
But then reopens it and takes a can with her to stay hydrated .
Andrea Askowitz is not dehydrated at least .
I ’ m trying to imagine a black parent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ commands to police officers , but my nose keeps bleeding .
Maybe the air in this room is dry or something .
I don ’ t know .
Andrea Askowitz is a genie .
It took Vicky hours to relax .
She told me the story .
She told my mom , her brother , her sister .
She had her story down .
She said , “ They held me for an hour .
It was police brutality .
The cop at the checkpoint looked at my paperwork and told me to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ came through four days ago with my kids .
He said , ‘ You should not have been let through ; turn around.
’ I pulled over .
I wasn ’ t going to leave .
I said I needed to speak to a deputy .
I said I left my kids alone .
The deputy told me to shut up .
That ’ s when I started crying .
I said I went out to run errands .
I tried to show him the plastic drawers I just bought at Walmart .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He said , ‘ Listen , lady , I ’ ve been here 13 hours listening to bulls**t stories like yours.
’ ” Vicky told me this is when she got hysterical .
She was impersonating a single mom , separated from her children .
She believed her story so completely ; she felt justified She didn ’ t leave and finally they relented .
A cop escorted her to make sure her story was true .
The deputy was a bully .
He was that guy who got a taste of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the world .
But he was also doing a worthy job , which was to keep coronavirus out of the Florida Keys .
Again , Andrea Askowitz has done a magic trick .
Through sheer will and unprecedented whiteness , she ’ s managed to write an essay that has me rooting for the police .
When that cop said “ Listen , lady , I ’ ve been here 13 hours listening to bullshit stories like yours ” I wanted to find him and hug him and take him for a beer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I ’ d say : “ You think Vicky ’ s story was bad ?
Wait till you read her wife ’ s essay.
” And then we ’ d laugh and we ’ d cry—Oh , the sweet sadness of our tears !
—and I ’ d drive him home .
Also , “ They held me for an hour .
It was police brutality.
” is such a perfect phrase that I want to bronze it and sleep with it .
Not in a sexual way , though .
I just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ m in bed .
And maybe take it with me on walks to the park to feed the ducks .
We can quarantine together .
Maybe binge watch Ozark or Hannibal .
Can an essay be an emotional support animal ?
Andrea Askowitz is a matchmaker .
The essay concludes with Typhoid Andrea reminding us that she thoroughly sucks and could ’ ve easily killed dozens of people .
But now , my thoughts are with the hundreds of writers and journalists and editors and others who make a living on words @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic .
Countless jobs lost because of a global tragedy exacerbated by a lack of empathy and conscientiousness , but a publication still thought it wise to commission Andrea Askowitz to chronicle how deep her void is , too .
That this was able to happen is all you need to know about ... anything now , really .
Andrea Askowitz is a white American .

Damon Young on Very Smart Brothas, shared by Damon Young to The Root

Eons from now, when the planet is a barren wasteland scorched by solar flares and sheathed by Amazon Hub lockers, several of our evolved descendants will leave their homes on Lunar Outpost X Æ A-12 to return to Earth on an artifact-finding mission. And they will discover, amongst the ruins, a pristine copy of Andrea Askowitz’s “My family are the rule-breaking, lockdown-flouting entitled Americans you’ve heard about during the coronavirus pandemic” etched into uranium—a method physicists used to preserve it after declaring it the single whitest substance that has ever existed.
Unfortunately today, in 2020, we haven’t invented the words yet to describe Askowitz’s piece. “Aggressively alabaster” works in a pinch, but even that is woefully insufficient. It’s an event horizon of bottomless whiteness.
Advertisement
It begins with the sort of seemingly innocuous whiteness that these sort of personal essays often drip with. It doesn’t scream ‘white!’ as much as it whispers it in your ear, like a secret amongst friends.
In August 2019, my kids and I moved to Madrid. Our plan was to spend a year in Spain; learn Spanish; see the world; learn to live less like spoiled Americans.
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It requires a special brand of American-brand whiteness and privilege to include the lines “spend a year in Spain” and “see the world” and “learn to live less like spoiled Americans” in the same sentence without a hint of irony. In most essays, this would be the whitest paragraph. But it gets whiter. Andrea Askowitz is a conjurer.
A few weeks after lockdown began, on a food run, I spotted an American man I knew from my Spanish class. He carried a canvas grocery bag over his shoulder, but showed me it was empty. He told me he went out twice a day. “Sometimes I just walk,” he said. “I just want to.” I stood back six feet. I wanted to ask, “What makes you think you’re so special?” But I knew. This man typified American entitlement. I was angry. I was also jealous.
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I can picture the man Askowitz refers to here. He’s bearded, he makes a living selling artisanal blades of grass, he wears cargo shorts in 30-degree weather, he buys clothes at Whole Foods, and he hates Tame Impala now because “Kevin Parker has gone corporate.” But somehow, he’s the least douchiest person in this exchange. Andrea Askowitz is a magician.
My kids and I stayed inside our 1,000-square foot apartment for 46 days. When the Spanish government announced schools would not re-open, we got one of the few flights out, first to London, then Miami. We hadn’t seen Vicky in eight weeks. Vicky picked us up from the airport and the four of us put masks on and drove to my mom’s beach house in Key Largo, an hour south of our house in Miami. We knew Key Largo wasn’t letting tourists in. We weren’t tourists, exactly. We had a note from my mom, plus two utility bills, and passed through the checkpoint, no problem. The kids and I would quarantine for 14 days. To stay safe, Vicky drove back to Miami.
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We’re seven paragraphs in, and Askowitz has already shared that she has access to (at least) three separate homes that she and her family could’ve stayed safely in without endangering the lives of dozens of people.
Also, when I bought a house in 2018, I needed to provide proof of four years of income, handwritten notes from former and current employers, my driver’s license, tax returns, college transcripts, six strands of armpit hair, and a video recording of me singing Radiohead’s “Talk Show Host”—and my first loan application still got denied. Andrea Askowitz was able to pass through a government barricade during a global pandemic with a note from her mom. Andrea Askowitz is Typhoid Mary.
Four days later, Vicky headed from Miami to Key Largo because the kids and I had coronavirus tests scheduled and we only had one car. Maybe we could have taken an Uber to get the test. The truth was, we wanted to be together. Then Vicky called, crying. She’d been stopped at the checkpoint. I had only heard her cry like that one other time during our 12-year marriage — when her mom died. She said, “The police are not letting me through.”
An hour later Vicky called again, still crying. “I told them I left the kids alone in the house. They’re escorting me home. You have to hide.”
My son, Sebastian, who’s 11, and I ran around the house looking for a hiding place. The bathroom? The utility closet? Sebastian kept a lookout from the window. He yelled, “I see the police car,” and I slid under the bed. It was tight. The slats were an inch from my face. One was splitting. One heavy man and I’d be crushed. Under the bed might not have been the smartest idea, but I could see into the hallway. I could see if the cop came into the room. Would they see me?
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One of the problems I had with Spike Lee’s She Hate Me is that it felt like three different movies crammed into one. It was just too much plot. I felt that way again when reading the quoted passage. There’s just too much whiteness happening here for me to accurately process it all. It’s whiteness bukkake, and you need some protective gear to finish it.
But indulge me for a moment and picture, like I’m picturing, Typhoid Andrea frantically sprinting through her mom’s beach house while looking for a hideout from the po-po.
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“What about the pantry???” Sebastian offers. “Which pantry???” Andrea screams back. “The loft pantry!!!” Sebastian answers, as Andrea sprints up the floating staircase, past the moon room, and opens the pantry door—only to discover that it’s filled with cans of oat milk. “Fuck!!!” she howls, as she slams the door. But then reopens it and takes a can with her to stay hydrated.
Andrea Askowitz is not dehydrated at least.
It got hot under the bed. Claustrophobic. I couldn’t move my neck. I heard the front door open. The kids ran out. I hoped they’d do what I told them: “Do not let anyone in the house, not even a cop. Do not tell them I’m here. Just say hi to Mami Vicky.” I heard voices. I heard footsteps. Minutes later, Vicky and the kids came upstairs. The cop was gone. The coast was clear.
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I’m trying to imagine a black parent instructing their 11-year-old black son to give commands to police officers, but my nose keeps bleeding. Maybe the air in this room is dry or something. I don’t know. Andrea Askowitz is a genie.
It took Vicky hours to relax. She told me the story. She told my mom, her brother, her sister. She had her story down. She said, “They held me for an hour. It was police brutality. The cop at the checkpoint looked at my paperwork and told me to make a U-turn. I said I came through four days ago with my kids. He said, ‘You should not have been let through; turn around.’ I pulled over. I wasn’t going to leave. I said I needed to speak to a deputy. I said I left my kids alone. The deputy told me to shut up. That’s when I started crying. I said I went out to run errands. I tried to show him the plastic drawers I just bought at Walmart. But he was not interested in evidence. He said, ‘Listen, lady, I’ve been here 13 hours listening to bulls**t stories like yours.’” Vicky told me this is when she got hysterical. She was impersonating a single mom, separated from her children. She believed her story so completely; she felt justified She didn’t leave and finally they relented. A cop escorted her to make sure her story was true. The deputy was a bully. He was that guy who got a taste of power and then imagined himself king of the world. But he was also doing a worthy job, which was to keep coronavirus out of the Florida Keys.
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Again, Andrea Askowitz has done a magic trick. Through sheer will and unprecedented whiteness, she’s managed to write an essay that has me rooting for the police. When that cop said “Listen, lady, I’ve been here 13 hours listening to bullshit stories like yours” I wanted to find him and hug him and take him for a beer. And during our beer summit, I’d say: “You think Vicky’s story was bad? Wait till you read her wife’s essay.” And then we’d laugh and we’d cry—Oh, the sweet sadness of our tears!—and I’d drive him home.
Also, “They held me for an hour. It was police brutality.” is such a perfect phrase that I want to bronze it and sleep with it. Not in a sexual way, though. I just want to hold it close while I’m in bed. And maybe take it with me on walks to the park to feed the ducks. We can quarantine together. Maybe binge watch Ozark or Hannibal. Can an essay be an emotional support animal? Andrea Askowitz is a matchmaker.
The truth is, we were the exact people the cops wanted to keep out. We had been in one of the most infected cities in one of the most infected countries in the world. We rode two airplanes; walked through three airports. Two of us were children, currently considered vectors. But we disregarded the rules because… well, because we wanted to. We’ve been together a week now. Our tests came back negative, and still a county health official calls every day to make sure we haven’t developed symptoms. They are doing an excellent job keeping the community safe. My official told me they only have 89 cases in a population of 75,000. She also told me the checkpoints are overwhelmed with people trying to sneak in with fake IDs and fantastic stories. I didn’t tell her that was us.
The essay concludes with Typhoid Andrea reminding us that she thoroughly sucks and could’ve easily killed dozens of people. But now, my thoughts are with the hundreds of writers and journalists and editors and others who make a living on words and have been laid off during the pandemic. Countless jobs lost because of a global tragedy exacerbated by a lack of empathy and conscientiousness, but a publication still thought it wise to commission Andrea Askowitz to chronicle how deep her void is, too.
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That this was able to happen is all you need to know about...anything now, really. Andrea Askowitz is a white American.


theroot--2020-05-18--Social Studies: The New Negro Spiritual

Social Studies: The New Negro Spiritual

As we begin to flesh out this social studies feature , we heard through the grapevine ( not The Grapevine ) that many of you were wondering what the hell we were trying to do with this series .
It is just a listicle meant for clicks ?
Is it a list of memes ?
Throughout the history of this country , black people have taken the tools that they were handed and built new forms of communication .
We flipped Victorian-era Christian hymns into negro spirituals that contained secret messages to freedom .
We took the orchestral instruments they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ jazz .
We took spray paint and turntables and made it into hip hop .
And then came the i nternet .
After Al Gore invented the internet , my nigga Tom from Myspace ( who remains one of my top eight homies ) created social media .
The black people found out about it and the rest was history .
Technically , Blackplanet was the first Black Twitter .
And one day , you ’ re gon na find out who actually invented Twitter and say : “ I knew that shit.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ staff at The Root receives tweets , links and social media posts from friends , Hoteps , aunts and coworkers all day every day .
Sometimes it ’ s a link to a long read that was interesting .
Other times , it ’ s a funny meme that will brighten your day .
Other times , it ’ s a news story from your mother about a story that has been around since 1997 .
Your white coworkers wouldn ’ t get the joke or understand why the article was so white @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re black .
For instance , I find it hilarious that white people have absolutely no idea what this tweet is about : Meanwhile , black people are like : Former NBA star Gilbert Arenas supposedly hit on a $ 300,000 ticket after a random man at a gas station gave him the numbers to play .
Arenas says he returned to the station the next day to share the winnings with the man .
Has anyone forgotten that Gilbert Arenas shit in his teammate ’ s shoes ?
Here ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will do to you : And here is our Karen clip of the day : What is the opposite of a Karen ?
Perhaps is it this : You know Amy Klobuchar went full Karen when she saw this .
I ’ m sure she asked to speak to Joe Biden ’ s campaign manager .
Whenever anyone over the age of 50 begins to trend on Black Twitter , I am afraid to click on the link .
When I saw Tom Joyner trending this morning , I began to weep because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the greatest entertainers of of my generation ( the generation that listened to music on the radio ) .
I suspect that there is a collective consciousness among black people because , as I was working around the house yesterday , I swear the theme song from Tom Joyner ’ s pseudo-soap opera “ It ’ s Your World ” was playing in my head .
And now you have to hear it too .
Also , is Tom Joyner in the Top 5 most blackfamous people of all time ?
Here ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the black internet , distilled into 20 seconds .
First of all , why is she doing this with a drumstick ?
Maybe it ’ s just me , but I feel like legs are the Ben Carson of chicken parts .
It ’ s dark meat , but not really .
Curiously , my prejudice against chicken legs does not extend to the leg quarter .
Leg quarters are damn near too black .
I know leg quarters are technically half drumstick .
But for me , leg quarters are New Edition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I don ’ t mind it by itself , but I ’ m not necessarily checking for it .
And everyone knows the thigh is Bobby Brown .
Sometimes , Black Twitter will make you sad .
So , to cheer you up , here ’ s one of the forgotten sketches from the funniest show of all time :

As we begin to flesh out this social studies feature, we heard through the grapevine (not The Grapevine) that many of you were wondering what the hell we were trying to do with this series. Is it just a listicle meant for clicks? Is it a list of memes?
Nah, it’s black history.
Throughout the history of this country, black people have taken the tools that they were handed and built new forms of communication. We flipped Victorian-era Christian hymns into negro spirituals that contained secret messages to freedom. We took the orchestral instruments they used for classical music and and created jazz. We took spray paint and turntables and made it into hip- hop.
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And then came the internet.
After Al Gore invented the internet, my nigga Tom from MyS pace (who remains one of my top eight homies) created social media. The black people found out about it and the rest was history. Technically, Blackplanet was the first Black Twitter. And one day, you’re gonna find out who actually invented Twitter and say: “I knew that shit.”
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Like many of you, the staff at The Root receives tweets, links and social media posts from friends, Hoteps, aunts and coworkers all day every day. Sometimes it’s a link to a long read that was interesting. Other times, it’s a funny meme that will brighten your day. Other times, it’s a news story from your mother about a story that has been around since 1997.
Your white coworkers wouldn’t get the joke or understand why the article was so white. But you would. Because you’re black.
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That’s Social Studies.
For instance, I find it hilarious that white people have absolutely no idea what this tweet is about:
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Meanwhile, black people are like:
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Former NBA star Gilbert Arenas supposedly hit on a $300,000 ticket after a random man at a gas station gave him the numbers to play. Arenas says he returned to the station the next day to share the winnings with the man.
Here’s my question:
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Has anyone forgotten that Gilbert Arenas shit in his teammate’s shoes?
Never forget.
Here’s what too much time on white Twitter will do to you:
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And here is our Karen clip of the day:
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What is the opposite of a Karen?
Perhaps is it this:
You know Amy Klobuchar went full Karen when she saw this. I’m sure she asked to speak to Joe Biden’s campaign manager.
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Whenever anyone over the age of 50 begins to trend on Black Twitter, I am afraid to click on the link. When I saw Tom Joyner trending this morning, I began to weep because I assume we had lost one of the greatest entertainers of of my generation (the generation that listened to music on the radio).
Luckily, I was wrong:
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I suspect that there is a collective consciousness among black people because, as I was working around the house yesterday, I swear the theme song from Tom Joyner’s pseudo-soap opera “It’s Your World” was playing in my head.
And now you have to hear it too.
Also, is Tom Joyner in the Top 5 most blackfamous people of all time?
Here’s my list:
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This video is the black internet, distilled into 20 seconds.
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First of all, why is she doing this with a drumstick? Maybe it’s just me, but I feel like legs are the Ben Carson of chicken parts. It’s dark meat, but not really. Curiously, my prejudice against chicken legs does not extend to the leg quarter. Leg quarters are damn near too black.
I know leg quarters are technically half drumstick. But for me, leg quarters are New Edition and the drumstick is Ralph Tresvant. I don’t mind it by itself, but I’m not necessarily checking for it.
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And everyone knows the thigh is Bobby Brown.
Sometimes, Black Twitter will make you sad.
Like this:
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So, to cheer you up, here’s one of the forgotten sketches from the funniest show of all time:


theroot--2020-05-18--Be Among the First to Grab an Additional 50% off Sale Items at Anthropologie

Starting today Anthropologie is giving you an additional 50 % off everything in their sale section .
There are almost @ @ @ @ @ is sure to catch your eye .
Accessories are really a category where this company @ @ @ @ @ of sunnies to stock up on for summer .
And you know I ’ m @ @ @ @ @ hat from them .
This baby blue fedora ends up at $ 15 .
Plenty @ @ @ @ @ and decor in the home goods section to spruce up your house for cheap .
@ @ @ @ @ $ 20 with this discount .
Expect things to move fast in this sale as @ @ @ @ @ unreal .
Free shipping on orders over $ 50 and the discount appears once the @ @ @ @ @ .

Sheilah Villari on Kinja Deals, shared by Ignacia to The Root

Additional 50% off Sale Items | Anthropologie
Starting today Anthropologie is giving you an additional 50% off everything in their sale section. There are almost 1,400 items here so something is sure to catch your eye.
Accessories are really a category where this company shines and there are loads of sunnies to stock up on for summer. And you know I’m a sucker for a good hat from them. This baby blue fedora ends up at $15. Plenty of pillows, rugs, and decor in the home goods section to spruce up your house for cheap. Even dresses are starting at $20 with this discount. Expect things to move fast in this sale as some of the prices are unreal.
Free shipping on orders over $50 and the discount appears once the items are in your cart.


theroot--2020-05-18--Kansas City Police Officers Charged With Assault a Year After Brutal Arrest of Black Trans Woman

Two police officers in Kansas City , Mo.
, are finally facing assault charges for using excessive force on a black transgender woman , including slamming her face into the concrete in an incident that was captured on video a year ago .
Prosecutors indicted Matthew Brummett and Charles Prichard on a misdemeanor charge of fourth-degree assault last Friday .
The Kansas City Police Department had initially declined to pursue charges against the officers who were seen on video kneeing 30-year-old Breona Hill in the face , torso and ribs while she cried and moaned in pain , according to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who was shot and killed last October in an unrelated shooting , had reportedly been involved in a dispute at a beauty supply store that led the store owner to call 911 .
A man who was driving by at the time said he saw an officer punch a woman and began recording video footage of the arrest with his phone .
The video shows Officer Brummett twice slam Ms. Hill ’ s face to the sidewalk before dropping his knee onto her neck and right shoulder , a sequence of events that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ statements ” about the arrest , the prosecutor ’ s office said .
Chief Rick Smith of the Kansas City Police Department said in a statement on Friday that the two officers had been placed on “ administrative assignment until the outcome of the proceedings.
” Investigators in the Police Department found no probable cause to conclude that the law had been broken , he said .
In a statement released on Friday , Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker said her office was forced to bring the case to a grand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because the KCPD refused to file charges against them .
“ Several years ago , my office shifted our policy so we only engaged the grand jury on cases where a credibility determination must be made , ” Baker said .
“ This case is particularly disappointing that my office was prevented from filing the charge independent of a Grand Jury.
” Thankfully , the members of the jury did not agree with President of the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge No .
99 Brad Lemon , who called the misdemeanor charges against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ department ’ s internal investigation determined that Hill “ purposefully struck her head against the concrete.
” Black transgender women continue to be the target of violence .
According to the Human Rights Campaign , Hill was one of at least 22 transgender or gender non-conforming people who were killed in 2019 .

Two police officers in Kansas City, Mo., are finally facing assault charges for using excessive force on a black transgender woman, including slamming her face into the concrete in an incident that was captured on video a year ago.
Prosecutors indicted Matthew Brummett and Charles Prichard on a misdemeanor charge of fourth-degree assault last Friday. The Kansas City Police Department had initially declined to pursue charges against the officers who were seen on video kneeing 30-year-old Breona Hill in the face, torso and ribs while she cried and moaned in pain, according to the New York Times.
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Hill, who was shot and killed last October in an unrelated shooting, had reportedly been involved in a dispute at a beauty supply store that led the store owner to call 911.
From NYT:
A man who was driving by at the time said he saw an officer punch a woman and began recording video footage of the arrest with his phone. The video shows Officer Brummett twice slam Ms. Hill’s face to the sidewalk before dropping his knee onto her neck and right shoulder, a sequence of events that was “in contrast to the officers’ statements” about the arrest, the prosecutor’s office said. Chief Rick Smith of the Kansas City Police Department said in a statement on Friday that the two officers had been placed on “administrative assignment until the outcome of the proceedings.” Investigators in the Police Department found no probable cause to conclude that the law had been broken, he said.
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In a statement released on Friday, Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker said her office was forced to bring the case to a grand jury for the cops to be indicted because the KCPD refused to file charges against them.
“Several years ago, my office shifted our policy so we only engaged the grand jury on cases where a credibility determination must be made,” Baker said. “This case is particularly disappointing that my office was prevented from filing the charge independent of a Grand Jury.”
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Thankfully, the members of the jury did not agree with President of the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge No. 99 Brad Lemon, who called the misdemeanor charges against the two officers unjustified because the police department’s internal investigation determined that Hill “purposefully struck her head against the concrete.”
Black transgender women continue to be the target of violence. According to the Human Rights Campaign, Hill was one of at least 22 transgender or gender non-conforming people who were killed in 2019.


theroot--2020-05-18--The Most Grossly Incompetent President Just Fixed His Anus-Shaped Mouth to Come for Obama

He ’ s not the future , he ’ s like Future the rapper .
He ’ s the disgruntled ex who is watching his former lady move on with Russell Wilson , aka President Obama .
It ’ s why he can ’ t keep the former president ’ s name out of his mouth .
Obama is beloved by America and well , President Trump is beloved by people who can ’ t get enough of Golden Corral ’ s all-you-can-eat buffet .
Obama has literally tried his best to ignore Future ’ s attempts to rile him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ say his name and dodges questions about him .
But when COVID-19 hit like the Trump administration of viruses and people started dying , Obama ’ s hand was forced to call the president of disgruntled exes and his minions dofusses or dofusi ( as I ’ m not sure the plural of doofus . )
“ All those adults that you used to think were in charge and knew what they were doing ?
It turns out that they don ’ t have all the answers , ” the former president said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of “ Graduate Together : America Honors the High School Class of 2020 , ” CNN reports .
“ A lot of them aren ’ t even asking the right questions .
So , if the world ’ s going to get better , it ’ s going to be up to you.
” He added : “ Doing what feels good , what ’ s convenient , what ’ s easy—that ’ s how little kids think .
Unfortunately , a lot of so-called grownups , including some with fancy titles and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is why things are so screwed up , ” Obama said .
“ I hope that instead , you decide to ground yourself in values that last , like honesty , hard work , responsibility , fairness , generosity , respect for others.
” This was like the time a rumor started that Russell Wilson told Future he can keep his child support money because Future Jr. is good over here .
On Sunday , Trump went into his sack full of names and called Obama ... wait for it….keep waiting….
“ grossly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ That ’ s the best the president of people who like to bash Obama could come up with .
And it ’ s an insult considering it ’ s coming from the president who has literally botched America ’ s handling of the coronavirus pandemic .
In all fairness , Trump didn ’ t just run up to reporters and call Obama grossly incompetent , he was asked about Obama ’ s comments to which he replied , “ Look , he was an incompetent president .
That ’ s all I can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sure , the Russell Wilson of presidents is the one that has the game fucked up .

President Donald Trump is Future.
He’s not the future, he’s like Future the rapper.
He’s the disgruntled ex who is watching his former lady move on with Russell Wilson, aka President Obama. It’s why he can’t keep the former president’s name out of his mouth.
Obama is beloved by America and well, President Trump is beloved by people who can’t get enough of Golden Corral’s all-you-can-eat buffet.
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Obama has literally tried his best to ignore Future’s attempts to rile him up. He won’t even say his name and dodges questions about him. But when COVID-19 hit like the Trump administration of viruses and people started dying, Obama’s hand was forced to call the president of disgruntled exes and his minions dofusses or dofusi (as I’m not sure the plural of doofus.)
“All those adults that you used to think were in charge and knew what they were doing? It turns out that they don’t have all the answers,” the former president said during Saturday night’s special broadcast of “Graduate Together: America Honors the High School Class of 2020,” CNN reports. “A lot of them aren’t even asking the right questions. So, if the world’s going to get better, it’s going to be up to you.”
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He added: “Doing what feels good, what’s convenient, what’s easy—that’s how little kids think. Unfortunately, a lot of so-called grownups, including some with fancy titles and important jobs, still think that way—which is why things are so screwed up,” Obama said. “I hope that instead, you decide to ground yourself in values that last, like honesty, hard work, responsibility, fairness, generosity, respect for others.”
This was like the time a rumor started that Russell Wilson told Future he can keep his child support money because Future Jr. is good over here.
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On Sunday, Trump went into his sack full of names and called Obama...wait for it….keep waiting….“grossly incompetent.” That’s it. That’s the best the president of people who like to bash Obama could come up with. And it’s an insult considering it’s coming from the president who has literally botched America’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic.
In all fairness, Trump didn’t just run up to reporters and call Obama grossly incompetent, he was asked about Obama’s comments to which he replied, “Look, he was an incompetent president. That’s all I can say. Grossly incompetent.”
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From Politico:
In April, 20.5 million Americans lost their jobs and unemployment was at 14.7 percent. As states ease coronavirus restrictions, the spread continues: There are nearly 1.5 million cases and more than 89,000 deaths in the U.S. The Trump administration has been criticized for a delayed response to the outbreak and a lack of organization in providing tests and medical supplies.
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But, sure, the Russell Wilson of presidents is the one that has the game fucked up.


theroot--2020-05-20--Black and Latino Businesses Disproportionately Denied Pandemic Relief Loans, New Survey Finds

The Paycheck Protection Program , part of the Coronavirus Aid , Relief and Economic Security ( CARES ) Act , is supposed to provide financial assistance for small business owners who are struggling to stay in business due to the pandemic .
A new survey shows that black and Latino businesses have been largely ignored by the PPP and other programs and haven ’ t had the same access to the help that other businesses have received .
From the New York Times : The survey , conducted by the Global Strategy Group for two equal-rights organizations , Color of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 500 business owners and 1,200 workers from April 30 to last Monday .
Just 12 percent of the owners who applied for aid from the Small Business Administration — most of them seeking loans in the $ 650 billion paycheck program — reported receiving what they had asked for , while 26 percent said they had received only a fraction of what they had requested .
Nearly half of all owners said they anticipated having to permanently close in the next six months .
By comparison , in a survey of small businesses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to May 2 , three-quarters said they had asked for a loan and 38 percent of them said they had received one .
“ If we don ’ t get policies to protect these communities , we will lose a generation of black and brown businesses , which will have deep impacts on our entire country ’ s economy , ” Color of Change president Rashad Robinson said , according to the Times .
In April , The Root reported that the Small Business Administration came under heavy criticism for allowing large businesses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ receive PPP money while smaller businesses were finding it difficult to get loans and grants .
It isn ’ t much of a surprise that minority-owned businesses are disproportionately affected by the discrepancy , but the GSG survey ’ s findings have prompted Color of Change and other equal-rights advocacy groups to push for initiatives that assure those businesses get fair access to the next wave of PPP funding .
Those initiatives include reserving $ 60 billion in funding for small banks and nonprofit lenders—which the study suggests are more likely to work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ larger banks—and making “ direct payments to businesses ’ employees through payroll processors or other means , ” the Times reports .

The Paycheck Protection Program, part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, is supposed to provide financial assistance for small business owners who are struggling to stay in business due to the pandemic. A new survey shows that black and Latino businesses have been largely ignored by the PPP and other programs and haven’t had the same access to the help that other businesses have received.
From the New York Times:
The survey, conducted by the Global Strategy Group for two equal-rights organizations, Color of Change and UnidosUS, included interviews with 500 business owners and 1,200 workers from April 30 to last Monday. Just 12 percent of the owners who applied for aid from the Small Business Administration — most of them seeking loans in the $650 billion paycheck program — reported receiving what they had asked for, while 26 percent said they had received only a fraction of what they had requested. Nearly half of all owners said they anticipated having to permanently close in the next six months. By comparison, in a survey of small businesses by the Census Bureau from April 26 to May 2, three-quarters said they had asked for a loan and 38 percent of them said they had received one.
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“If we don’t get policies to protect these communities, we will lose a generation of black and brown businesses, which will have deep impacts on our entire country’s economy,” Color of Change president Rashad Robinson said, according to the Times.
In April, The Root reported that the Small Business Administration came under heavy criticism for allowing large businesses such as chain restaurants and hotels to receive PPP money while smaller businesses were finding it difficult to get loans and grants. It isn’t much of a surprise that minority-owned businesses are disproportionately affected by the discrepancy, but the GSG survey’s findings have prompted Color of Change and other equal-rights advocacy groups to push for initiatives that assure those businesses get fair access to the next wave of PPP funding.
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Those initiatives include reserving $60 billion in funding for small banks and nonprofit lenders—which the study suggests are more likely to work with black and Latino business owners than larger banks—and making “direct payments to businesses’ employees through payroll processors or other means,” the Times reports.