csmonitor--2020-07-22--Africa douses a fire over the Nile’s waters

Africa ’ s ability to resolve its internal disputes took a big step this week .
Egypt and Sudan agreed to continue seeking an accord with Ethiopia over its new hydropower dam on the Blue Nile River – a vital water source for all three .
Merely agreeing to more talks might not seem like progress .
Yet with Egypt making threats against its upstream neighbor , leaders of the 53-nation African Union stepped in as mediators and skillfully relieved the tension .
Preventing conflicts on the continent has become the AU ’ s prime focus .
The dam is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ethiopia began filling its reservoir in mid-July to capture runoff during the rainy season despite a breakdown of negotiations a week earlier .
Within days Sudan and Egypt reported lower flow levels in the Nile , a potential problem for agricultural irrigation and other water needs .
Resolving the dispute could set a model for Africa in how to share its abundant natural resources .
Both climate change and population growth are straining the environment .
Africans need a shift in perspective away from a fear of scarcity and toward a wise and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Cooperation is not a zero-sum game , ” said Rosemary DiCarlo , United Nations under-secretary-general for political and peace-building affairs , after a round of talks among the three nations earlier this year .
“ It is the key to a successful collective effort to reduce poverty and increase growth , thus delivering on the development potential of the region.
” Ethiopia announced plans to build the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam in 2011 , just as pro-democracy protests gripped Egypt and as Sudan was breaking apart after decades of civil war @ @ @ @ @ @ @ three countries managed in fits and starts to resolve most of their differences .
The key unresolved issues include a legal framework for settling disputes , a water-sharing agreement during prolonged droughts , and the schedule for filling the dam , which could take up to seven years .
Ethiopia says that when it is finished and filled , the dam will produce enough electricity to accelerate economic growth within and across its borders .
Sudan and Egypt , however , claim there are too many uncertainties .
Any agreement would depend on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ run high .
In addition , northeast Africa is subject to severe droughts , political fragmentation , and increasing competition from foreign rivals such as Turkey and Saudi Arabia .
One way to set aside those fears is to look at examples of resource-sharing in Africa and elsewhere .
An informal pact among Somalia , Ethiopia , Kenya , and Uganda , for example , allows domestic animals to graze across borders .
This has eased tensions and hardship in herding communities .
Despite the threats and the breakdowns in the dialogue over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Shoukry nonetheless acknowledged “ the undeniable truth of our commonality and camaraderie ” earlier this year .
He recognized the dam as an opportunity to “ chart a new course of peace and prosperity for our peoples.
” That may have been an acknowledgment that Ethiopia ’ s dam , now mostly built and holding back water , is an undeniable reality .
The courage on all sides to embrace cooperation , combined with more efficient use of their waters , could turn resource-sharing into a lasting framework for peace .

Africa’s ability to resolve its internal disputes took a big step this week. Egypt and Sudan agreed to continue seeking an accord with Ethiopia over its new hydropower dam on the Blue Nile River – a vital water source for all three.
Merely agreeing to more talks might not seem like progress. Yet with Egypt making threats against its upstream neighbor, leaders of the 53-nation African Union stepped in as mediators and skillfully relieved the tension. Preventing conflicts on the continent has become the AU’s prime focus.
The dam is the largest hydropower project in Africa. Ethiopia began filling its reservoir in mid-July to capture runoff during the rainy season despite a breakdown of negotiations a week earlier. Within days Sudan and Egypt reported lower flow levels in the Nile, a potential problem for agricultural irrigation and other water needs.
Resolving the dispute could set a model for Africa in how to share its abundant natural resources. Both climate change and population growth are straining the environment. Africans need a shift in perspective away from a fear of scarcity and toward a wise and cooperative approach to land and water supplies.
“Cooperation is not a zero-sum game,” said Rosemary DiCarlo, United Nations under-secretary-general for political and peace-building affairs, after a round of talks among the three nations earlier this year. “It is the key to a successful collective effort to reduce poverty and increase growth, thus delivering on the development potential of the region.”
Ethiopia announced plans to build the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam in 2011, just as pro-democracy protests gripped Egypt and as Sudan was breaking apart after decades of civil war. Since then, negotiators from all three countries managed in fits and starts to resolve most of their differences. The key unresolved issues include a legal framework for settling disputes, a water-sharing agreement during prolonged droughts, and the schedule for filling the dam, which could take up to seven years.
Ethiopia says that when it is finished and filled, the dam will produce enough electricity to accelerate economic growth within and across its borders. Sudan and Egypt, however, claim there are too many uncertainties. Any agreement would depend on stability in Ethiopia, where ethnic tensions run high. In addition, northeast Africa is subject to severe droughts, political fragmentation, and increasing competition from foreign rivals such as Turkey and Saudi Arabia.
One way to set aside those fears is to look at examples of resource-sharing in Africa and elsewhere. An informal pact among Somalia, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Uganda, for example, allows domestic animals to graze across borders. This has eased tensions and hardship in herding communities.
Get stories that
empower and uplift daily. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy Already a subscriber? Log in to hide ads.
Despite the threats and the breakdowns in the dialogue over the dam, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry nonetheless acknowledged “the undeniable truth of our commonality and camaraderie” earlier this year. He recognized the dam as an opportunity to “chart a new course of peace and prosperity for our peoples.”
That may have been an acknowledgment that Ethiopia’s dam, now mostly built and holding back water, is an undeniable reality. The courage on all sides to embrace cooperation, combined with more efficient use of their waters, could turn resource-sharing into a lasting framework for peace.


csmonitor--2020-07-22--They’ve faced brutal cops abroad. Now they’re advising US protesters.

This information sharing was both needed and necessary for people on the ground , given the extent of injuries in the U.S. , says Dr. Michele Heisler of Physicians for Human Rights .
“ In terms of projectile injuries , we ’ ve already documented about a hundred or more quite serious cases.
” It is a sort of switch for the U.S. , which is usually in the position of observer of violent police action globally .
But when human rights protests came to the U.S. – along with police action to halt them – a transnational movement of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rana Nazzal , whose Twitter thread on identifying police weapons went viral , it started with a phone call from a friend in New York who was being fired at with tear gas and had no time to research what to do .
Ms. Nazzal , who spent many years joining organized protests in the Palestinian territories , gave him quick tips on keeping safe , but then decided to make it public .
As cities across the United States erupted with protesters demonstrating against the killings of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the internet was erupting , too : with advice .
As cities across the United States erupted with protesters demonstrating against the killings of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd and demanding an end to police brutality , on the internet , Twitter was erupting , too : with advice .
“ Tips , if not wearing a gas mask … rubbing a pinch of salt around eyes , helps combat the impact of the smoke .
... Take care , stay safe & keep reporting .
Love from Kashmir.
” “ In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fire is identify the type of weapons israeli cops/soldiers are holding .
This defines your strategy for resisting + trying to be safe.
” “ israeli soldiers sometimes use stun grenades to thin out a crowd & then go in & arrest people .
They know that people with experience won ’ t run from stun grenades .
Keep that in mind because israel trains US police & they may be using same strategies.
” From the identification of weapons to protecting one ’ s self when shot at , users from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Hong Kong , gave advice on each and every aspect of demonstrating against brutal police states and keeping safe when in the midst of chaos .
It is a sort of switch for the U.S. , which is usually in the position of observer – and sometimes supplier – of violent police action globally .
But as the number of protests around the world have risen in recent years , as people have taken to the streets to demand rights and freedoms , so too has a transnational movement of information sharing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ safety .
And when those protests came to the U.S. – along with police action to halt them – the movement came with them .
Law enforcement around the world is increasingly responding to popular protests with crowd-control weapons ( CCWs ) , according to the U.S. nongovernmental organization Physicians for Human Rights ( PHR ) .
“ The proliferation of CCWs without adequate regulation , training , monitoring and/or accountability , has led to the widespread and routine use or misuse of these weapons , resulting in injury , disability , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2016 report .
In 2019 , analysts at Allied Market Research found that the world ’ s nonlethal weapons market – that is , weapons frequently used in law enforcement – could be worth more than $ 9.6 billion by 2022 .
For Rana Nazzal , whose Twitter thread on identifying police weapons went viral , it started with a phone call from a friend in New York who was being fired at with tear gas and had no time to research what to do .
Ms. Nazzal , who spent many years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ organized protests in the Palestinian territories and is currently doing her master ’ s in Toronto , gave him quick tips on keeping safe , but then decided to take it one step further .
While worried for her safety in sharing all that she knew , Ms. Nazzal also felt a powerful sense of urgency .
“ In Palestine , we usually keep [ protester identities and knowledge of weaponry ] under wraps , ” she says .
“ I ’ ve still never touched a weapon ; I don ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now I can identify by looking or hearing the sound .
It was one of the things that took me the longest to learn and when I did , it was life-changing.
” Ms. Nazzal was able to identify this weaponry used against U.S. protesters because many of the weapons , especially the tear gas , bought by Israel and seen in protests in the Palestinian territories , are U.S.-made .
Protesters in the U.S. were able to look at the weapons being fired at them and using Ms. Nazzal ’ s posts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make educated guesses about next steps during the demonstrations .
This information sharing was needed for people on the ground , given that the extent of injuries in the U.S. was comparable to other demonstrations around the world , according to Dr. Michele Heisler , PHR medical director and University of Michigan professor of internal medicine and public health .
“ Right now we ’ re systematically documenting specific cases of injuries but certainly in terms of projectile injuries , we ’ ve already documented about a hundred or more quite serious cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comparable.
” Some of the cases PHR has documented include a reporter in Louisville , Kentucky , who was hit by a pepper ball while on live television , delivered by an officer who appeared to be aiming directly at her , and a police officer in New York City who pulled down the face mask of a protester who already had his hands up , and shot pepper spray directly into his face .
A new view of the U.S. Sagar Kaul , co-founder of fact-checking platform Metafact and an expert in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Kashmir Valley and is married to a U.S. citizen .
He was 11 years old when the insurgency started in India-controlled Kashmir , and he says he never thought he would ever witness police agencies in the U.S. in their full tactical gear using crowd-control measures the way he saw during protests in Kashmir .
“ Foreign policies of the U.S. were always criticized , but domestic problems never found a way into the mainstream media outside the country , ” he says .
“ It ’ s only now that we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ affected a large population of the country.
” For protesters and the people who have been advising them , there has been a marked shift not just in the way the protests are seen around the world , but the boldness of the protesters themselves .
“ We ’ re seeing a lot more civil unrest that ’ s going beyond what you ’ d usually see at a protest , especially a big one , ” says Ms. Nazzal .
The civilian movements in the U.S. seem to be evolving rapidly , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , such as in Hong Kong , where protesters wore generic black clothing to conceal their identities .
It has been surprising , for many from Kashmir to Brazil , to see such violence being committed against American citizens on U.S. soil by their own police .
“ I think we assume that since the U.S. is a developed country , the rights of its citizens to protest wouldn ’ t be dealt with by bringing in national guards firing tear gas and rubber bullets , and injuring a large number of protesters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The perception of the U.S. as a superpower has definitely changed over the years .
”

This information sharing was both needed and necessary for people on the ground, given the extent of injuries in the U.S., says Dr. Michele Heisler of Physicians for Human Rights. “In terms of projectile injuries, we’ve already documented about a hundred or more quite serious cases.”
It is a sort of switch for the U.S., which is usually in the position of observer of violent police action globally. But when human rights protests came to the U.S. – along with police action to halt them – a transnational movement of information sharing came with them.
The violent tactics used by U.S. law enforcement in recent weeks are familiar abroad. And that familiarity is turning global resisters of police brutality into online advisers of American protesters who are now in harm’s way.
For Rana Nazzal, whose Twitter thread on identifying police weapons went viral, it started with a phone call from a friend in New York who was being fired at with tear gas and had no time to research what to do. Ms. Nazzal, who spent many years joining organized protests in the Palestinian territories, gave him quick tips on keeping safe, but then decided to make it public.
As cities across the United States erupted with protesters demonstrating against the killings of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd and demanding an end to police brutality, the internet was erupting, too: with advice.
As cities across the United States erupted with protesters demonstrating against the killings of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd and demanding an end to police brutality, on the internet, Twitter was erupting, too: with advice.
“Tips, if not wearing a gas mask … rubbing a pinch of salt around eyes, helps combat the impact of the smoke. ... Take care, stay safe & keep reporting. Love from Kashmir.”
“In Palestine, first thing we do under fire is identify the type of weapons israeli cops/soldiers are holding. This defines your strategy for resisting + trying to be safe.”
Why We Wrote This The violent tactics used by U.S. law enforcement in recent weeks are familiar abroad. And that familiarity is turning global resisters of police brutality into online advisers of American protesters who are now in harm’s way.
“israeli soldiers sometimes use stun grenades to thin out a crowd & then go in & arrest people. They know that people with experience won’t run from stun grenades. Keep that in mind because israel trains US police & they may be using same strategies.”
From the identification of weapons to protecting one’s self when shot at, users from the Palestinian territories, Kashmir, Chile, and Hong Kong, gave advice on each and every aspect of demonstrating against brutal police states and keeping safe when in the midst of chaos.
It is a sort of switch for the U.S., which is usually in the position of observer – and sometimes supplier – of violent police action globally. But as the number of protests around the world have risen in recent years, as people have taken to the streets to demand rights and freedoms, so too has a transnational movement of information sharing, largely on Twitter and focused on safety. And when those protests came to the U.S. – along with police action to halt them – the movement came with them.
“Life-changing” information
Law enforcement around the world is increasingly responding to popular protests with crowd-control weapons (CCWs), according to the U.S. nongovernmental organization Physicians for Human Rights (PHR). “The proliferation of CCWs without adequate regulation, training, monitoring and/or accountability, has led to the widespread and routine use or misuse of these weapons, resulting in injury, disability, and death,” PHR noted in a 2016 report. In 2019, analysts at Allied Market Research found that the world’s nonlethal weapons market – that is, weapons frequently used in law enforcement – could be worth more than $9.6 billion by 2022.
For Rana Nazzal, whose Twitter thread on identifying police weapons went viral, it started with a phone call from a friend in New York who was being fired at with tear gas and had no time to research what to do. Ms. Nazzal, who spent many years participating in weekly direct action and joining organized protests in the Palestinian territories and is currently doing her master’s in Toronto, gave him quick tips on keeping safe, but then decided to take it one step further.
Dar Yasin/AP View caption Hide caption Clashes between Indian police and Kashmiri protesters, like these here during a protest in outskirts of Srinagar on June 22, 2018, are the sorts of conflicts that created the knowledge base now being offered to U.S. protesters today.
While worried for her safety in sharing all that she knew, Ms. Nazzal also felt a powerful sense of urgency. “In Palestine, we usually keep [protester identities and knowledge of weaponry] under wraps,” she says. “I’ve still never touched a weapon; I don’t know that much about them. But now I can identify by looking or hearing the sound. It was one of the things that took me the longest to learn and when I did, it was life-changing.”
Ms. Nazzal was able to identify this weaponry used against U.S. protesters because many of the weapons, especially the tear gas, bought by Israel and seen in protests in the Palestinian territories, are U.S.-made. Protesters in the U.S. were able to look at the weapons being fired at them and using Ms. Nazzal’s posts, among others, recognize them and make educated guesses about next steps during the demonstrations.
This information sharing was needed for people on the ground, given that the extent of injuries in the U.S. was comparable to other demonstrations around the world, according to Dr. Michele Heisler, PHR medical director and University of Michigan professor of internal medicine and public health. “Right now we’re systematically documenting specific cases of injuries but certainly in terms of projectile injuries, we’ve already documented about a hundred or more quite serious cases. The scale and the severity is comparable.”
Some of the cases PHR has documented include a reporter in Louisville, Kentucky, who was hit by a pepper ball while on live television, delivered by an officer who appeared to be aiming directly at her, and a police officer in New York City who pulled down the face mask of a protester who already had his hands up, and shot pepper spray directly into his face.
A new view of the U.S.
Sagar Kaul, co-founder of fact-checking platform Metafact and an expert in tracking misinformation online, was born in the Kashmir Valley and is married to a U.S. citizen. He was 11 years old when the insurgency started in India-controlled Kashmir, and he says he never thought he would ever witness police agencies in the U.S. in their full tactical gear using crowd-control measures the way he saw during protests in Kashmir.
“Foreign policies of the U.S. were always criticized, but domestic problems never found a way into the mainstream media outside the country,” he says. “It’s only now that we know how badly racism and inequality has affected a large population of the country.”
For protesters and the people who have been advising them, there has been a marked shift not just in the way the protests are seen around the world, but the boldness of the protesters themselves.
“We’re seeing a lot more civil unrest that’s going beyond what you’d usually see at a protest, especially a big one,” says Ms. Nazzal. The civilian movements in the U.S. seem to be evolving rapidly, and incorporating strategies from resistance movements elsewhere, such as in Hong Kong, where protesters wore generic black clothing to conceal their identities.
Get stories that
empower and uplift daily. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy Already a subscriber? Log in to hide ads.
It has been surprising, for many from Kashmir to Brazil, to see such violence being committed against American citizens on U.S. soil by their own police.
“I think we assume that since the U.S. is a developed country, the rights of its citizens to protest wouldn’t be dealt with by bringing in national guards firing tear gas and rubber bullets, and injuring a large number of protesters,” Mr. Kaul says. “The perception of the U.S. as a superpower has definitely changed over the years.”


csmonitor--2020-07-22--Are federal forces trained to confront protesters in US cities?

President Donald Trump is using the Department of Homeland Security in unprecedented ways as he tries to bolster his law and order credentials by making a show of force in cities around the nation in the lead-up to the November elections .
His plan to deploy federal agents to Chicago and perhaps other Democratic-run cities where violence is spiking represents Mr. Trump 's latest effort to use an agency that was created after the Sept. 11 attacks to thwart terrorists to instead supplement local law enforcement .
Critics say it 's a reelection tactic .
Mr. Trump has already deployed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , on the grounds of protecting federal buildings from protesters , drawing intense criticism from local leaders who say the federal presence has only exacerbated tensions rather than promoting public safety .
`` This is precisely the type of tyrannical deployment of power that the Founding Fathers were specifically worried about , '' said Jeffrey A. Engel , director of Center for Presidential History at Southern Methodist University .
Under Mr. Trump 's latest plan , yet to be publicly announced , about 150 Homeland Security Investigations agents would go to Chicago to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spike in crime , according to an official with direct knowledge of the plans who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were n't authorized to speak publicly .
Those agents , who are generally used to investigate human trafficking , drugs , and weapons smuggling , are expected to stay in Chicago at least two months , according to the official .
It 's not clear exactly when they would arrive or how their mission would play out , but they would work under the Justice Department .
White House press secretary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sent to Chicago yet .
She added , `` The bottom line is that this president stands with law and order , which leads to peace . ''
In a tweet Sunday , Mr. Trump blamed local leaders for a growing spate of violence in cities like Chicago that has left dozens dead , including young children .
He added a dire warning that `` The Radical Left Democrats , who totally control Biden , will destroy our Country as we know it , '' referring to Democratic rival Joe Biden .
Mr. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , including Washington , D.C .
In the protests following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis , Mr. Trump deployed U.S. National Guard troops and federal law enforcement officials from agencies including U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Drug Enforcement Administration to patrol the city .
The show of force came to a head when federal authorities in riot gear dispersed crowds from Lafayette Square across from the White House , where the president then posed with a Bible in front of a church .
The Chicago plan appears to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which the administration sent more than 100 federal law enforcement officers to Kansas City , Missouri , to help quell a record rise in violence after the shooting death of a young boy there .
The Justice Department does n't have the manpower to surge agents to high-crime areas , so it is borrowing from Homeland Security .
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot was at first highly resistant , but her tone changed after she and members of her administration , along with Police Superintendent David Brown , talked with officials about the government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very clear that we welcome actual partnership , '' Ms. Lightfoot said .
`` But we do not welcome dictatorship .
We do not welcome authoritarianism , and we do not welcome unconstitutional arrest and detainment of our residents .
That is something I will not tolerate . ''
The comments from Ms. Lightfoot , a former federal prosecutor , slightly deescalated a days-long war of words with Mr. Trump over violent crime in the city , which has seen 414 homicides this year , compared with 275 during the same period in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump has leaned on Homeland Security to carry out his political objectives , including cracking down on illegal immigration and slowing legal immigration applications .
The 240,000-person agency manages border security as well as natural disasters and the Transportation Security Administration .
But with the border largely shuttered because of the coronavirus and the number of illegal crossings plummeting , Mr. Trump is now using the department to combat crime and demonstrations demanding justice and racial equality .
While the protests have largely been peaceful , Mr. Trump and his allies in conservative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of control as he tries to contrast himself with Mr. Biden and make the case to voters – especially the suburban women who turned against Republicans in the 2018 midterms – that failing to elect him for a second term will lead to lawlessness .
Critics say the federal forces have stoked tensions , creating new images of violence that could lead frightened viewers to vote for Mr. Trump .
Homeland Security first jumped into the federal response to the Floyd protests in May as some demonstrations erupted into sporadic violence around the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gear over the July Fourth weekend as Homeland Security agents and officers from at least a half a dozen components of the sprawling organization were arriving in Portland .
Protesters there have been staging nightly demonstrations since May in a section of downtown that includes the federal courthouse , forcing most businesses in the zone to close .
Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf said federal personnel have been assaulted with lasers , bats , fireworks , bottles , and other weapons and `` yet the city of Portland takes little to no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people committing the vandalism should not be considered legitimate protesters .
But former Homeland Security officials say they 've seen nothing like the Portland deployment , which has included using highly trained Border Patrol agents to confront protesters outside the downtown courthouse , without the cooperation or consent of local law enforcement or government officials .
`` Urban policing and crowd control and civil unrest is n't something that is in their wheelhouse , '' said Gil Kerlikowske , a former commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection under President Barack Obama .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ trained for .
It 's not something they have any experience or expertise in . ''
Arrests made by federal officers over the July Fourth weekend and several days after were for relatively minor offenses not typically prosecuted in federal court , including misdemeanor assault and disorderly conduct .
Officials have accused some demonstrators of assaulting federal officers , by shining lasers in their eyes or other means , and said at least one person was detained with the ingredients for a pipe bomb .
John Cohen , a former senior DHS official @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bush , said such a high-profile presence of federal agents without local support created the risk of escalating the situation , and that appears to be what happened .
The protests have grown in recent days , particularly after federal officers in unmarked vans and with generic `` police '' patches last week detained several people on downtown streets without identifying themselves – a move some critics have compared to kidnappings .
`` If the public begins to perceive that they are being partisan in how they operate , they lose credibility , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lose public trust , '' said Mr. Cohen .
`` And for a security or law enforcement organization , the loss of public trust can be fatal . ''
David Lapan , a retired Marine colonel who served as Homeland Security press secretary as well as a public affairs officer for the Defense Department , said he worried about a blurring line between military and law enforcement that `` creates the impression the military is being used to suppress the public . ''
This story was reported by The Associated Press .
AP @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Foody in Chicago contributed to this report .
Editor ’ s note : As a public service , the Monitor has removed the paywall for all our coronavirus coverage .
It ’ s free .

President Donald Trump is using the Department of Homeland Security in unprecedented ways as he tries to bolster his law and order credentials by making a show of force in cities around the nation in the lead-up to the November elections.
His plan to deploy federal agents to Chicago and perhaps other Democratic-run cities where violence is spiking represents Mr. Trump's latest effort to use an agency that was created after the Sept. 11 attacks to thwart terrorists to instead supplement local law enforcement. Critics say it's a reelection tactic.
Mr. Trump has already deployed Homeland Security agents to Portland, Oregon, on the grounds of protecting federal buildings from protesters, drawing intense criticism from local leaders who say the federal presence has only exacerbated tensions rather than promoting public safety.
"This is precisely the type of tyrannical deployment of power that the Founding Fathers were specifically worried about," said Jeffrey A. Engel, director of Center for Presidential History at Southern Methodist University.
Under Mr. Trump's latest plan, yet to be publicly announced, about 150 Homeland Security Investigations agents would go to Chicago to help local law enforcement deal with a spike in crime, according to an official with direct knowledge of the plans who spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to speak publicly.
Those agents, who are generally used to investigate human trafficking, drugs, and weapons smuggling, are expected to stay in Chicago at least two months, according to the official. It's not clear exactly when they would arrive or how their mission would play out, but they would work under the Justice Department.
White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said no one had been sent to Chicago yet. She added, "The bottom line is that this president stands with law and order, which leads to peace."
In a tweet Sunday, Mr. Trump blamed local leaders for a growing spate of violence in cities like Chicago that has left dozens dead, including young children. He added a dire warning that "The Radical Left Democrats, who totally control Biden, will destroy our Country as we know it," referring to Democratic rival Joe Biden.
Mr. Trump has also intervened in other cities, including Washington, D.C. In the protests following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Mr. Trump deployed U.S. National Guard troops and federal law enforcement officials from agencies including U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Drug Enforcement Administration to patrol the city.
The show of force came to a head when federal authorities in riot gear dispersed crowds from Lafayette Square across from the White House, where the president then posed with a Bible in front of a church.
The Chicago plan appears to be an extension of a separate operation in which the administration sent more than 100 federal law enforcement officers to Kansas City, Missouri, to help quell a record rise in violence after the shooting death of a young boy there. The Justice Department doesn't have the manpower to surge agents to high-crime areas, so it is borrowing from Homeland Security.
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot was at first highly resistant, but her tone changed after she and members of her administration, along with Police Superintendent David Brown, talked with officials about the government's plan.
"I've been very clear that we welcome actual partnership," Ms. Lightfoot said. "But we do not welcome dictatorship. We do not welcome authoritarianism, and we do not welcome unconstitutional arrest and detainment of our residents. That is something I will not tolerate."
The comments from Ms. Lightfoot, a former federal prosecutor, slightly deescalated a days-long war of words with Mr. Trump over violent crime in the city, which has seen 414 homicides this year, compared with 275 during the same period in 2019.
Throughout his presidency, Mr. Trump has leaned on Homeland Security to carry out his political objectives, including cracking down on illegal immigration and slowing legal immigration applications. The 240,000-person agency manages border security as well as natural disasters and the Transportation Security Administration.
But with the border largely shuttered because of the coronavirus and the number of illegal crossings plummeting, Mr. Trump is now using the department to combat crime and demonstrations demanding justice and racial equality.
While the protests have largely been peaceful, Mr. Trump and his allies in conservative media have portrayed the cities as out of control as he tries to contrast himself with Mr. Biden and make the case to voters – especially the suburban women who turned against Republicans in the 2018 midterms – that failing to elect him for a second term will lead to lawlessness.
Critics say the federal forces have stoked tensions, creating new images of violence that could lead frightened viewers to vote for Mr. Trump.
Homeland Security first jumped into the federal response to the Floyd protests in May as some demonstrations erupted into sporadic violence around the country. But effort shifted into high gear over the July Fourth weekend as Homeland Security agents and officers from at least a half a dozen components of the sprawling organization were arriving in Portland.
Protesters there have been staging nightly demonstrations since May in a section of downtown that includes the federal courthouse, forcing most businesses in the zone to close.
Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf said federal personnel have been assaulted with lasers, bats, fireworks, bottles, and other weapons and "yet the city of Portland takes little to no action." Mr. Wolf said the people committing the vandalism should not be considered legitimate protesters.
But former Homeland Security officials say they've seen nothing like the Portland deployment, which has included using highly trained Border Patrol agents to confront protesters outside the downtown courthouse, without the cooperation or consent of local law enforcement or government officials.
"Urban policing and crowd control and civil unrest isn't something that is in their wheelhouse," said Gil Kerlikowske, a former commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection under President Barack Obama. "It's not something they are trained for. It's not something they have any experience or expertise in."
Arrests made by federal officers over the July Fourth weekend and several days after were for relatively minor offenses not typically prosecuted in federal court, including misdemeanor assault and disorderly conduct. Officials have accused some demonstrators of assaulting federal officers, by shining lasers in their eyes or other means, and said at least one person was detained with the ingredients for a pipe bomb.
John Cohen, a former senior DHS official under Mr. Obama and President George W. Bush, said such a high-profile presence of federal agents without local support created the risk of escalating the situation, and that appears to be what happened.
The protests have grown in recent days, particularly after federal officers in unmarked vans and with generic "police" patches last week detained several people on downtown streets without identifying themselves – a move some critics have compared to kidnappings.
"If the public begins to perceive that they are being partisan in how they operate, they lose credibility, and if they lose credibility, they lose public trust," said Mr. Cohen. "And for a security or law enforcement organization, the loss of public trust can be fatal."
David Lapan, a retired Marine colonel who served as Homeland Security press secretary as well as a public affairs officer for the Defense Department, said he worried about a blurring line between military and law enforcement that "creates the impression the military is being used to suppress the public."
Get stories that
empower and uplift daily. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy Already a subscriber? Log in to hide ads.
This story was reported by The Associated Press. AP writers Michael Balsamo in Washington and Katherine Foody in Chicago contributed to this report.
Editor’s note: As a public service, the Monitor has removed the paywall for all our coronavirus coverage. It’s free.


csmonitor--2020-07-22--Trump asks US to wear masks in first virus briefing in months

President Donald Trump warned on Tuesday that the “ nasty horrible ’ ” coronavirus will get worse in the United States before it gets better , but he also tried to paint a rosy picture of efforts to conquer the disease that has claimed more than 140,000 American lives in just five months .
He also professed a newfound respect for the protective face masks he has seldom worn .
He pulled one from his pocket in the White House briefing room but didn ’ t put it on .
After a three-month hiatus from his freewheeling daily virus briefings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , keeping the stage to himself without the public health experts who were staples of his previous events but keeping close to scripted remarks prepared by aides .
Besides declaring support for masks as a way to fight the pandemic , he admonished young people against crowding bars and spreading the disease .
It all marked a delayed recognition by Mr. Trump that the economic reopening he ’ s been championing since April – and , more importantly , his reelection – were imperiled by spiking cases nationwide .
There were no guarantees @ @ @ @ @ @ @ measured tone , delivered with an eye to halting a campaign-season erosion of support , would last .
Along the way Tuesday , the president still worked in jabs at the news media and Democrats for focusing on disease-fighting shortcomings in the U.S. as the rest of world also struggles with the virus .
He also belatedly addressed bipartisan criticism of virus-testing delays that have hampered reopening plans .
“ It will probably unfortunately get worse before it gets better , ” Mr. Trump said from the White House .
But he also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on vaccines and treatments for COVID-19 , which he referred to repeatedly as the “ China virus.
” He continued his recent encouragement of Americans to wear masks when social distancing is not possible .
“ Whether you like the mask or not , they have an impact , ” he said .
“ I ’ m getting used to the mask , ” he added , pulling one out after months of suggesting that mask-wearing was a political statement against him .
Swaths of the country are now battling rising infections and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ once again having to close businesses and rethink school in the fall .
Many retailers themselves are insisting their customers don masks .
For months , the nation ’ s top health experts have pleaded with Americans to wear masks in public and steer clear of crowds – calling those simple steps life-saving – even as the president ’ s stance fueled a partisan social divide .
The early evening show at the White House came as the next stage of the federal government ’ s response to the pandemic was being crafted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House officials were opening negotiations on a trillion-dollar-or-more “ phase four ” rescue package .
For weeks , White House aides have pressed Mr. Trump to grow more disciplined in his public statements about the pandemic .
On Tuesday , he steered clear of what has been a favored talking point : that widespread testing for the virus in the U.S. “ created ” more cases , as aides noted that was false and projected a lack of responsibility .
Little more than three months from Election Day , Mr. Trump and his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would give him an edge against Democratic rival Joe Biden .
“ The vaccines are coming , and they ’ re coming a lot sooner than anybody thought possible , ” Mr. Trump promised anew .
As early as next week , the first possible U.S. vaccine is set to begin final-stage testing in a study of 30,000 people to see if it really is safe and effective .
A few other vaccines have begun smaller late-stage studies in other countries , and in the U.S. a series of huge studies are planned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hopes of , eventually , having several vaccines to use .
Already , people can start signing up to volunteer for the different studies .
Health authorities warn there ’ s no guarantee – it ’ s not unusual for vaccines to fail during this critical testing step .
But vaccine makers and health officials are hopeful that at least one vaccine could prove to work by year ’ s end .
Companies already are taking the unusual step of brewing hundreds of millions of doses so that mass vaccinations could begin if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ We ’ ll be able to get those numbers down , ” Mr. Trump said , saying his administration was working to improve the availability of rapid , point-of-care tests like those used to protect him at the White House .
Dr. Anthony Fauci , the nation ’ s top infectious disease expert , told NPR Tuesday that he was glad Mr. Trump has begun to promote mask-wearing .
“ If we , during those conferences , come out and have consistent , clear , noncontradictory messages , I believe it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the track of knowing the direction that we need to go to get this pandemic under control , ” he said .
Mr. Biden , for his part Tuesday , launched into scathing criticism of Mr. Trump as he outlined the latest plank of his economic recovery plan , charging that Mr. Trump “ failed his most important test as an American President : the duty to care for you , for all of us.
” “ He ’ s quit on you , he ’ s quit on this country , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Mr. Trump took to Twitter to claim that “ by comparison to most other countries , who are suffering greatly , we are doing very well – and we have done things that few other countries could have done !
” In fact , the U.S. leads the world in confirmed cases and deaths from the virus – and ranks near the top on a per capita basis as well .
On Capitol Hill , some Republicans have broken with the White House in seeking additional federal funding for testing and contact-tracing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leader Chuck Schumer , in a news conference , encouraged White House aides to “ keep Trump away from the podium , ” calling the president “ a threat to public health.
” Mr. Trump ’ s daily turns in the White House briefing room largely ended in late April after the president ’ s widely derided suggestion that injecting toxic disinfectant could help treat the coronavirus .
The comment prompted widespread medical warnings against the potentially deadly move .
Scrapping the briefings was welcomed by aides who believed they were dragging down @ @ @ @ @ @ @ particularly with older voters .
However , with his trademark rallies largely on hold because of the coronavirus , the view in Mr. Trump ’ s circle is that he needs an alternate means to reach voters .
And Mr. Trump missed the days when he would dominate cable television ratings with his early evening briefings .
Tellingly , when he announced Monday that the sessions could return , he did so with an eye toward their time slot and a boast about ratings .
This story was reported by The Associated Press @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a public service , the Monitor has removed the paywall for all our coronavirus coverage .
It ’ s free .

President Donald Trump warned on Tuesday that the “nasty horrible’” coronavirus will get worse in the United States before it gets better, but he also tried to paint a rosy picture of efforts to conquer the disease that has claimed more than 140,000 American lives in just five months.
He also professed a newfound respect for the protective face masks he has seldom worn. He pulled one from his pocket in the White House briefing room but didn’t put it on.
After a three-month hiatus from his freewheeling daily virus briefings, Mr. Trump returned to the podium, keeping the stage to himself without the public health experts who were staples of his previous events but keeping close to scripted remarks prepared by aides.
Besides declaring support for masks as a way to fight the pandemic, he admonished young people against crowding bars and spreading the disease.
It all marked a delayed recognition by Mr. Trump that the economic reopening he’s been championing since April – and, more importantly, his reelection – were imperiled by spiking cases nationwide.
There were no guarantees how long Mr. Trump’s more measured tone, delivered with an eye to halting a campaign-season erosion of support, would last. Along the way Tuesday, the president still worked in jabs at the news media and Democrats for focusing on disease-fighting shortcomings in the U.S. as the rest of world also struggles with the virus. He also belatedly addressed bipartisan criticism of virus-testing delays that have hampered reopening plans.
“It will probably unfortunately get worse before it gets better,” Mr. Trump said from the White House. But he also touted a reduction in deaths and progress on vaccines and treatments for COVID-19, which he referred to repeatedly as the “China virus.” He continued his recent encouragement of Americans to wear masks when social distancing is not possible.
“Whether you like the mask or not, they have an impact,” he said. “I’m getting used to the mask,” he added, pulling one out after months of suggesting that mask-wearing was a political statement against him.
Swaths of the country are now battling rising infections and growing deaths, and some states are once again having to close businesses and rethink school in the fall. Many retailers themselves are insisting their customers don masks.
For months, the nation’s top health experts have pleaded with Americans to wear masks in public and steer clear of crowds – calling those simple steps life-saving – even as the president’s stance fueled a partisan social divide.
The early evening show at the White House came as the next stage of the federal government’s response to the pandemic was being crafted on Capitol Hill. Lawmakers and White House officials were opening negotiations on a trillion-dollar-or-more “phase four” rescue package.
For weeks, White House aides have pressed Mr. Trump to grow more disciplined in his public statements about the pandemic. On Tuesday, he steered clear of what has been a favored talking point: that widespread testing for the virus in the U.S. “created” more cases, as aides noted that was false and projected a lack of responsibility.
Little more than three months from Election Day, Mr. Trump and his political team hoped that the podium spotlight would give him an edge against Democratic rival Joe Biden.
“The vaccines are coming, and they’re coming a lot sooner than anybody thought possible,” Mr. Trump promised anew.
As early as next week, the first possible U.S. vaccine is set to begin final-stage testing in a study of 30,000 people to see if it really is safe and effective. A few other vaccines have begun smaller late-stage studies in other countries, and in the U.S. a series of huge studies are planned to start each month through fall in hopes of, eventually, having several vaccines to use. Already, people can start signing up to volunteer for the different studies.
Health authorities warn there’s no guarantee – it’s not unusual for vaccines to fail during this critical testing step. But vaccine makers and health officials are hopeful that at least one vaccine could prove to work by year’s end. Companies already are taking the unusual step of brewing hundreds of millions of doses so that mass vaccinations could begin if the Food and Drug Administration signs off.
Mr. Trump also acknowledged bipartisan criticism of delays processing testing results.
“We’ll be able to get those numbers down,” Mr. Trump said, saying his administration was working to improve the availability of rapid, point-of-care tests like those used to protect him at the White House.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, told NPR Tuesday that he was glad Mr. Trump has begun to promote mask-wearing.
“If we, during those conferences, come out and have consistent, clear, noncontradictory messages, I believe it will be very helpful in getting people on the track of knowing the direction that we need to go to get this pandemic under control,” he said.
Mr. Biden, for his part Tuesday, launched into scathing criticism of Mr. Trump as he outlined the latest plank of his economic recovery plan, charging that Mr. Trump “failed his most important test as an American President: the duty to care for you, for all of us.”
“He’s quit on you, he’s quit on this country,” Mr. Biden said.
Earlier Tuesday, Mr. Trump took to Twitter to claim that “by comparison to most other countries, who are suffering greatly, we are doing very well – and we have done things that few other countries could have done!”
In fact, the U.S. leads the world in confirmed cases and deaths from the virus – and ranks near the top on a per capita basis as well.
On Capitol Hill, some Republicans have broken with the White House in seeking additional federal funding for testing and contact-tracing in the next relief bill.
Democratic leader Chuck Schumer, in a news conference, encouraged White House aides to “keep Trump away from the podium,” calling the president “a threat to public health.”
Mr. Trump’s daily turns in the White House briefing room largely ended in late April after the president’s widely derided suggestion that injecting toxic disinfectant could help treat the coronavirus. The comment prompted widespread medical warnings against the potentially deadly move.
Scrapping the briefings was welcomed by aides who believed they were dragging down the president’s poll numbers, particularly with older voters. However, with his trademark rallies largely on hold because of the coronavirus, the view in Mr. Trump’s circle is that he needs an alternate means to reach voters.
And Mr. Trump missed the days when he would dominate cable television ratings with his early evening briefings. Tellingly, when he announced Monday that the sessions could return, he did so with an eye toward their time slot and a boast about ratings.
Get stories that
empower and uplift daily. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy Already a subscriber? Log in to hide ads.
This story was reported by The Associated Press.
Editor’s note: As a public service, the Monitor has removed the paywall for all our coronavirus coverage. It’s free.


csmonitor--2020-07-23--Are horses ‘rearing to go’ or ‘raring to go’?

I ’ m raring to start this column .
I ’ m so ready that I might even drop the “ g ” – I ’ m rarin ’ to go .
Recently I ’ ve noticed lots of people who are “ rearing to go ” instead .
Which one is correct ?
This is a nerve-racking question , or perhaps a nerve-wracking one .
It turns out that these are all acceptable uses , even to medium-level sticklers such as the editors of Fowler ’ s Modern English Usage .
You probably have your favorites – I prefer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ – but the variants are equally correct .
If you are raring to go , you are “ full of enthusiasm and eagerness.
” I had always associated the phrase with car racing , drivers excitedly revving their engines before the flag goes down and they speed off .
It actually refers to hyped-up horses , not race car drivers though .
In certain regions of England , and parts of the American South and Midwest , rear is pronounced and spelled rare .
While a horse “ rears up ” on its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ rares up ” in these dialects .
When you are “ raring to go ” then , you are like a horse dancing around , ready for action .
The phrase seems to have originated with the dialect form , so raring to go is the default .
Rearing to go is not wrong , per se , but sounds a bit awkward .
It is a hypercorrection , preferred by people who don ’ t feel comfortable with a colloquial word or want to point out “ the horsey connection , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Nerve-racking first appeared in an 1812 letter from Percy Bysshe Shelley , in which the poet bids farewell to the “ nerve racking & spirit quelling metropolis.
” Nerve-wracking was occurring here and there by 1900 , but in 1920 the “ r- ” form was nearly 15 times as common as the “ w- ” form , according to Google ’ s Ngram Viewer , which counts instances of words found in Google ’ s corpus of digitized books .
“ W- ” has staged a comeback though ; Fowler ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more common spelling globally , though not yet in American English .
Shelley ’ s “ nerve racking ” refers to “ the rack , ” a medieval torture device .
Other Romantic-era writers turned the phrase in different ways : Thomas De Quincy described “ nerve-shattering perils ” ; difficulties were “ nerve-rending.
” Nerve-wracking fits right into this pattern .
Wrack is related to wreck , both of which can mean “ to destroy , ruin.
” In my ideal English , it would be possible to draw a distinction between @ @ @ @ @ @ @ w- ” forms .
Something nerve-racking would be annoying , or even painful , but not as bad as something nerve-wracking , e.g.
, “ nerve-wrecking.
” In practice , though , both variants mean the same thing – “ stressful ” or “ extremely trying .
”

I’m raring to start this column. I’m so ready that I might even drop the “g” – I’m rarin’ to go. Recently I’ve noticed lots of people who are “rearing to go” instead. Which one is correct? This is a nerve-racking question, or perhaps a nerve-wracking one.
It turns out that these are all acceptable uses, even to medium-level sticklers such as the editors of Fowler’s Modern English Usage. You probably have your favorites – I prefer “raring” and “racking” – but the variants are equally correct.
If you are raring to go, you are “full of enthusiasm and eagerness.” I had always associated the phrase with car racing, drivers excitedly revving their engines before the flag goes down and they speed off. It actually refers to hyped-up horses, not race car drivers though. In certain regions of England, and parts of the American South and Midwest, rear is pronounced and spelled rare. While a horse “rears up” on its hind legs in standard English, it “rares up” in these dialects. When you are “raring to go” then, you are like a horse dancing around, ready for action.
The phrase seems to have originated with the dialect form, so raring to go is the default. Rearing to go is not wrong, per se, but sounds a bit awkward. It is a hypercorrection, preferred by people who don’t feel comfortable with a colloquial word or want to point out “the horsey connection,” as Fowler’s puts it.
Nerve-racking first appeared in an 1812 letter from Percy Bysshe Shelley, in which the poet bids farewell to the “nerve racking & spirit quelling metropolis.”
Nerve-wracking was occurring here and there by 1900, but in 1920 the “r-” form was nearly 15 times as common as the “w-” form, according to Google’s Ngram Viewer, which counts instances of words found in Google’s corpus of digitized books. “W-” has staged a comeback though; Fowler’s argues that nerve-wracking is now the more common spelling globally, though not yet in American English.
Shelley’s “nerve racking” refers to “the rack,” a medieval torture device. Other Romantic-era writers turned the phrase in different ways: Thomas De Quincy described “nerve-shattering perils”; difficulties were “nerve-rending.”
Get stories that
empower and uplift daily. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy Already a subscriber? Log in to hide ads.
Nerve-wracking fits right into this pattern. Wrack is related to wreck, both of which can mean “to destroy, ruin.” In my ideal English, it would be possible to draw a distinction between the “r-” and the “w-” forms.
Something nerve-racking would be annoying, or even painful, but not as bad as something nerve-wracking, e.g., “nerve-wrecking.” In practice, though, both variants mean the same thing – “stressful” or “extremely trying.”


csmonitor--2020-07-23--Trump cancels Florida GOP convention, citing coronavirus surge

President Donald Trump announced Thursday that he has canceled the bulk of the Republican National Convention scheduled for Florida next month , citing a “ flare-up ” of the coronavirus .
Mr. Trump 's formal renomination will still go forward in North Carolina , where a small subset of GOP delegates will still gather in Charlotte , North Carolina , for just four hours on Aug. 24 .
Florida was to have hosted four nights of programming and parties that Mr. Trump had hoped would be a `` four-night infomercial '' for his reelection .
“ It ’ s a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for a little while , '' Mr. Trump said , explaining his decision .
“ To have a big convention is not the right time , '' Mr. Trump added .
Mr. Trump moved the ceremonial portions of the GOP convention to Florida last month amid a dispute with North Carolina ’ s Democratic leaders over holding an event indoors with maskless supporters .
But those plans were steadily scaled back as virus cases spiked in Florida and much of the country over the last month .
Mr. Trump said he would deliver @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , potentially online .
Mr. Trump said thousands of his supporters and delegates wanted to attend the events in Florida , but “ I just felt it was wrong '' to attract them to a virus hotspot .
Some of them would have faced quarantine requirements when they returned to their home states from the convention .
“ We didn ’ t want to take any chances , '' he added .
This story was reported by The Associated Press .

President Donald Trump announced Thursday that he has canceled the bulk of the Republican National Convention scheduled for Florida next month, citing a “flare-up” of the coronavirus.
Mr. Trump's formal renomination will still go forward in North Carolina, where a small subset of GOP delegates will still gather in Charlotte, North Carolina, for just four hours on Aug. 24. Florida was to have hosted four nights of programming and parties that Mr. Trump had hoped would be a "four-night infomercial" for his reelection.
“It’s a different world, and it will be for a little while," Mr. Trump said, explaining his decision. “To have a big convention is not the right time," Mr. Trump added.
Mr. Trump moved the ceremonial portions of the GOP convention to Florida last month amid a dispute with North Carolina’s Democratic leaders over holding an event indoors with maskless supporters. But those plans were steadily scaled back as virus cases spiked in Florida and much of the country over the last month.
Mr. Trump said he would deliver an acceptance speech in an alternate form, potentially online.
Mr. Trump said thousands of his supporters and delegates wanted to attend the events in Florida, but “I just felt it was wrong" to attract them to a virus hotspot. Some of them would have faced quarantine requirements when they returned to their home states from the convention.
Get stories that
empower and uplift daily. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy Already a subscriber? Log in to hide ads.
“We didn’t want to take any chances," he added.
This story was reported by The Associated Press.


csmonitor--2020-07-23--A conspiracy theory goes to Washington: Three questions about QAnon

“ It ’ s a closed system , ” she says .
“ The evidence against it is the evidence for it because the evidence comes from the enemy.
” Harvard political scientist Nancy Rosenblum argues that QAnon represents a hybrid between traditional conspiracy theories and a new kind of thinking , what she calls “ conspiracy without the theory.
” It began in October 2017 , when an anonymous poster on the free-for-all online bulletin board 4chan claimed to have top-secret government access , or “ Q clearance.
” He said that President Donald Trump is preparing for “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his enemies , a group that QAnon believers invariably describe as including the Clinton family and Hungarian American financier George Soros , will be rounded up and punished .
QAnon , the sprawling pro-Trump conspiracy theory that claims that the president will soon stage a dramatic countercoup against the malevolent “ deep state , ” has quickly traveled from the fringes of the internet to the halls of power .
Thirteen GOP congressional candidates who have expressed support for the movement will be on the ballot in November , and several of those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ districts .
It started online in 2017 with a cryptic post on a bulletin board known for its inflammatory right-wing memes .
Since then , it has openly gained a foothold in the halls of power .
QAnon , a phenomenon variously described as a sprawling conspiracy theory , a millenarian religion , and , to its adherents , a mass political movement aimed at cleansing the world ’ s governments of satanic child molesters , has rapidly materialized as a force to be reckoned with .
Thirteen GOP congressional candidates who have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the ballot in November , and several of those have already won their primaries in safe districts .
Where did this all come from ?
On Oct. 28 , 2017 , an anonymous poster claiming to have top-secret government access posted on the free-for-all anonymous internet site 4chan .
The poster , now known as “ Q , ” wrote that President Donald Trump was planning a countercoup against the so-called deep state , the purported hidden government within the U.S. government that actually pulls the strings .
Since then , Q @ @ @ @ @ @ @ message boards , offering more information “ drops ” on the coming purge .
“ Enjoy the show ” is a common QAnon slogan .
QAnon is often seen as an offshoot of the Pizzagate conspiracy theory – which linked several high-ranking Democratic officials and several Washington-area restaurants to an alleged child prostitution ring .
The QAnon conspiracy takes Pizzagate further , falsely claiming that high-ranking government officials and other elites around the world are running a satanic child sex trafficking/murdering operation .
These criminals , the QAnon conspiracy goes , will soon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Guantanamo Bay or executed .
Some QAnon believers think that John F. Kennedy Jr. , who died in a plane crash in July 1999 off Martha ’ s Vineyard , actually faked his death and will return to help overthrow the deep state .
Harvard political scientist Nancy Rosenblum , author of “ A Lot of People Are Saying : The New Conspiracism and the Assault on Democracy , ” argues that QAnon represents a hybrid between traditional conspiracy theories and a new kind of thinking , what she calls “ conspiracy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hand , “ it ’ s not about anything .
Nothing has happened yet , ” Professor Rosenblum says .
“ It ’ s a prophetic prediction.
” Unlike traditional conspiracy theories , which seek to uncover evidence of secret machinations by the powerful , she says that the new form relies on bare assertions , repetition , and attacking sources of knowledge .
“ It ’ s a closed system , ” she says of QAnon ’ s theory .
“ The evidence against it is the evidence for it because the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ On the other hand , ” she says , “ QAnon does seem to have the apparatus of a theory.
” And it 's one with an ominous historical resonance , she says .
It links the enemy to sexual degeneracy .
It says the enemy doesn ’ t deserve to live .
And it has leaped from discussion boards to the real world .
“ Q is this open source thing , ” Professor Rosenblum says .
“ It has the characteristic of a participatory role-playing game.
” Though it sounds like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ joining the Republican mainstream .
This year , 63 QAnon supporters ran in congressional primaries in 27 states and received nearly 600,000 votes , according to Media Matters .
Of these candidates , 13 are poised to be on the ballot in November .
The most prominent of these , Marjorie Taylor Greene , a Georgia GOP candidate from a safe Republican district , called Q a “ patriot ” in a 2018 video .
QAnon has also made significant inroads into the White House .
In 2018 , President Trump invited a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Oval Office .
And , according to a November 2019 New York Times report , President Trump has retweeted accounts from QAnon and other promoters of “ fringe ” conspiracies 145 times .
More recently , Michael Flynn , President Trump ’ s first national security adviser , posted a video in which he leads a small group in reciting , at the end of an oath of office , a QAnon slogan : “ Where we go one , we go all.
” It ’ s very difficult to gauge QAnon ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the Guardian newspaper in June found more than 3 million followers supporting QAnon on Facebook , a number that is growing fast .
Kathryn Olmsted , a University of California , Davis political scientist and the author of the 2009 book “ Real Enemies : Conspiracy Theories and American Democracy , World War I to 9/11 , ” says that QAnon is remarkable in both its complexity and its extremism .
“ It ’ s quite elaborate , ” she says .
“ It is extreme , though .
Some of its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aren ’ t on the inside.
” She suggests that the complexity is part of QAnon ’ s appeal .
“ For many people a conspiracy is like a game , like a puzzle people can solve , ” she says .
“ Once you have the internet , there are always clues online.
” How are social media platforms dealing with this ?
On July 21 , Twitter permanently removed about 7,000 accounts associated with QAnon , and limited 150,000 more .
In a thread posted on the platform via its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it will refuse to serve any accounts associated with QAnon .
It also announced other measures to prevent QAnon content from spreading on its platform , including blocking URLs and limiting its appearance in search results .
The New York Times reported that Facebook , which in May removed several groups associated with QAnon , is set to take further measures against the movement .
Two Facebook workers who spoke anonymously to the paper said that the company is coordinating with Twitter and other platforms and plans to make an announcement next month @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first to enact QAnon bans .
In 2018 , Reddit banned the QAnon subreddit r/GreatAwakening for violating the site ’ s policy against “ inciting violence , harassment , and the dissemination of personal information.
” Last month , the video-streaming company Roku removed a dedicated QAnon channel from its options .
Experts note that bans can be effective .
Joan Donovan , of the nonprofit Data and Society , talked to Vice Magazine about her research on what happens when figures like Alex Jones and Milo Yiannopoulos are banned from large networks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ significant , ” she said , “ and they don ’ t gain the same amplification power they had.
” But no ban can be 100 % effective .
For instance , The Guardian reports that many groups slipped Facebook ’ s dragnet in May by changing their name to “ 17 , ” a reference to Q ’ s position in the alphabet .
Others simply relocated to conservative social media platforms like Parler and Gab .

“It’s a closed system,” she says. “The evidence against it is the evidence for it because the evidence comes from the enemy.”
Harvard political scientist Nancy Rosenblum argues that QAnon represents a hybrid between traditional conspiracy theories and a new kind of thinking, what she calls “conspiracy without the theory.”
Typically, believers in the most elaborate conspiracy theories are far removed from the halls of power. But adherents of the false QAnon worldview are becoming influential in some of Washington’s highest offices.
It began in October 2017, when an anonymous poster on the free-for-all online bulletin board 4chan claimed to have top-secret government access, or “Q clearance.” He said that President Donald Trump is preparing for “The Storm,” the moment when his enemies, a group that QAnon believers invariably describe as including the Clinton family and Hungarian American financier George Soros, will be rounded up and punished.
QAnon, the sprawling pro-Trump conspiracy theory that claims that the president will soon stage a dramatic countercoup against the malevolent “deep state,” has quickly traveled from the fringes of the internet to the halls of power. Thirteen GOP congressional candidates who have expressed support for the movement will be on the ballot in November, and several of those have already won their primaries in safe districts.
It started online in 2017 with a cryptic post on a bulletin board known for its inflammatory right-wing memes. Since then, it has openly gained a foothold in the halls of power.
QAnon, a phenomenon variously described as a sprawling conspiracy theory, a millenarian religion, and, to its adherents, a mass political movement aimed at cleansing the world’s governments of satanic child molesters, has rapidly materialized as a force to be reckoned with. Thirteen GOP congressional candidates who have expressed support for the movement will be on the ballot in November, and several of those have already won their primaries in safe districts.
Where did this all come from?
Why We Wrote This Typically, believers in the most elaborate conspiracy theories are far removed from the halls of power. But adherents of the false QAnon worldview are becoming influential in some of Washington’s highest offices.
On Oct. 28, 2017, an anonymous poster claiming to have top-secret government access posted on the free-for-all anonymous internet site 4chan. The poster, now known as “Q,” wrote that President Donald Trump was planning a countercoup against the so-called deep state, the purported hidden government within the U.S. government that actually pulls the strings.
Since then, Q has been regularly posting on various conservative message boards, offering more information “drops” on the coming purge. “Enjoy the show” is a common QAnon slogan.
QAnon is often seen as an offshoot of the Pizzagate conspiracy theory – which linked several high-ranking Democratic officials and several Washington-area restaurants to an alleged child prostitution ring. The QAnon conspiracy takes Pizzagate further, falsely claiming that high-ranking government officials and other elites around the world are running a satanic child sex trafficking/murdering operation. These criminals, the QAnon conspiracy goes, will soon be arrested en masse and either shipped to Guantanamo Bay or executed. Some QAnon believers think that John F. Kennedy Jr., who died in a plane crash in July 1999 off Martha’s Vineyard, actually faked his death and will return to help overthrow the deep state.
Harvard political scientist Nancy Rosenblum, author of “A Lot of People Are Saying: The New Conspiracism and the Assault on Democracy,” argues that QAnon represents a hybrid between traditional conspiracy theories and a new kind of thinking, what she calls “conspiracy without the theory.”
On the one hand, “it’s not about anything. Nothing has happened yet,” Professor Rosenblum says. “It’s a prophetic prediction.” Unlike traditional conspiracy theories, which seek to uncover evidence of secret machinations by the powerful, she says that the new form relies on bare assertions, repetition, and attacking sources of knowledge.
“It’s a closed system,” she says of QAnon’s theory. “The evidence against it is the evidence for it because the evidence comes from the enemy.”
“On the other hand,” she says, “QAnon does seem to have the apparatus of a theory.” And it's one with an ominous historical resonance, she says. It links the enemy to sexual degeneracy. It says the enemy doesn’t deserve to live. And it has leaped from discussion boards to the real world.
“Q is this open source thing,” Professor Rosenblum says. “It has the characteristic of a participatory role-playing game.”
Why does QAnon matter?
Though it sounds like a fringe movement, it’s joining the Republican mainstream. This year, 63 QAnon supporters ran in congressional primaries in 27 states and received nearly 600,000 votes, according to Media Matters. Of these candidates, 13 are poised to be on the ballot in November. The most prominent of these, Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Georgia GOP candidate from a safe Republican district, called Q a “patriot” in a 2018 video.
QAnon has also made significant inroads into the White House. In 2018, President Trump invited a QAnon believer to meet him in the Oval Office. And, according to a November 2019 New York Times report, President Trump has retweeted accounts from QAnon and other promoters of “fringe” conspiracies 145 times. More recently, Michael Flynn, President Trump’s first national security adviser, posted a video in which he leads a small group in reciting, at the end of an oath of office, a QAnon slogan: “Where we go one, we go all.”
It’s very difficult to gauge QAnon’s popular support, but an investigation by the Guardian newspaper in June found more than 3 million followers supporting QAnon on Facebook, a number that is growing fast.
Kathryn Olmsted, a University of California, Davis political scientist and the author of the 2009 book “Real Enemies: Conspiracy Theories and American Democracy, World War I to 9/11,” says that QAnon is remarkable in both its complexity and its extremism.
“It’s quite elaborate,” she says. “It is extreme, though. Some of its theories seem quite outrageous to people who aren’t on the inside.”
She suggests that the complexity is part of QAnon’s appeal. “For many people a conspiracy is like a game, like a puzzle people can solve,” she says. “Once you have the internet, there are always clues online.”
How are social media platforms dealing with this?
On July 21, Twitter permanently removed about 7,000 accounts associated with QAnon, and limited 150,000 more.
In a thread posted on the platform via its @TwitterSafety account, the company announced that it will refuse to serve any accounts associated with QAnon. It also announced other measures to prevent QAnon content from spreading on its platform, including blocking URLs and limiting its appearance in search results.
The New York Times reported that Facebook, which in May removed several groups associated with QAnon, is set to take further measures against the movement. Two Facebook workers who spoke anonymously to the paper said that the company is coordinating with Twitter and other platforms and plans to make an announcement next month.
Twitter and Facebook are not the first to enact QAnon bans. In 2018, Reddit banned the QAnon subreddit r/GreatAwakening for violating the site’s policy against “inciting violence, harassment, and the dissemination of personal information.” Last month, the video-streaming company Roku removed a dedicated QAnon channel from its options.
Get stories that
empower and uplift daily. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy Already a subscriber? Log in to hide ads.
Experts note that bans can be effective. Joan Donovan, of the nonprofit Data and Society, talked to Vice Magazine about her research on what happens when figures like Alex Jones and Milo Yiannopoulos are banned from large networks. “Generally the falloff is pretty significant,” she said, “and they don’t gain the same amplification power they had.”
But no ban can be 100% effective. For instance, The Guardian reports that many groups slipped Facebook’s dragnet in May by changing their name to “17,” a reference to Q’s position in the alphabet. Others simply relocated to conservative social media platforms like Parler and Gab.