thelibertydaily--2020-06-02--Twitter Provides Cover for Rioters, Censors GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz Tweet Calling for Antifa to be Treat

Twitter Provides Cover for Rioters, Censors GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz Tweet Calling for Antifa to be Treated Like We Do Other Terrorists

Twitter obscured a tweet sent by Rep. Matt Gaetz on Monday , finding that the Florida Republican had violated its policies prohibiting tweets that glorify violence .
But Twitter did n't delete the tweet , instead deciding to hide it and require users to click a `` View '' button to see the tweet 's contents .
In a tweet posted Monday morning , Gaetz wrote : `` Now that we clearly see Antifa as terrorists , can we hunt them down like we do those in the Middle East ? ''
A Twitter spokeswoman reiterated that the public interest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ violating the company 's glorification of violence policy .
`` As is standard with this notice , engagements with the tweet will be limited , '' the spokeswoman said .
`` People will be able to Retweet with Comment , but will not be able to like , reply or retweet it . ''
The rare move comes after Twitter took a similar action with one of President Donald Trump 's tweets .
placing it behind a similar label for glorifying violence .
Trump was tweeting about the protests and riots taking place @ @ @ @ @ @ @ death last week of George Floyd while in police custody .
In the veiled tweet , Trump called the protesters `` thugs '' after threatening to send in the National Guard .
`` When the looting starts , the shooting starts , '' he said in the veiled tweet , which he posted overnight .
Twitter 's use of labels is part of its strategy to crack down on the spread of misinformation and other forms of harmful content , following pressure from governments worldwide to shoulder more responsibility for stemming the flow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ social media company have said applying labels to tweets censors free speech .

Twitter obscured a tweet sent by Rep. Matt Gaetz on Monday, finding that the Florida Republican had violated its policies prohibiting tweets that glorify violence. But Twitter didn't delete the tweet, instead deciding to hide it and require users to click a "View" button to see the tweet's contents.
In a tweet posted Monday morning, Gaetz wrote: "Now that we clearly see Antifa as terrorists, can we hunt them down like we do those in the Middle East?"
Screenshot by Steven Musil via Twitter.
A Twitter spokeswoman reiterated that the public interest notice was placed on the tweet for violating the company's glorification of violence policy.
"As is standard with this notice, engagements with the tweet will be limited," the spokeswoman said. "People will be able to Retweet with Comment, but will not be able to like, reply or retweet it."
The rare move comes after Twitter took a similar action with one of President Donald Trump's tweets. placing it behind a similar label for glorifying violence. Trump was tweeting about the protests and riots taking place in Minneapolis, Minnesota, following the death last week of George Floyd while in police custody. In the veiled tweet, Trump called the protesters "thugs" after threatening to send in the National Guard. "When the looting starts, the shooting starts," he said in the veiled tweet, which he posted overnight.
Twitter's use of labels is part of its strategy to crack down on the spread of misinformation and other forms of harmful content, following pressure from governments worldwide to shoulder more responsibility for stemming the flow of false information. Critics of the social media company have said applying labels to tweets censors free speech.
Gaetz's office couldn't immediately be reached for comment.


thelibertydaily--2020-06-01--As America Burns, FBI Tweets ‘Diversity Makes Us Stronger’ In Support Of LGBT Pride Month

A marked contrast in self-awareness between console and PC game distributors

Last Updated on June 1, 2020
As race riots continue to ravage Minneapolis, Chicago, New York, and countless other cities within the United States, the Federal Bureau of Investigation took to Twitter Monday to remind the populace that the agency’s top priority is celebrating “the contributions that our colleagues have made to our country and our mission.”
The federal government has been notably slow to engage with the issue of racially fueled violence and rioting that has set swaths of the nation’s capitol city on fire and driven the President into an underground bunker, but the FBI thinks citizens can find hope amidst the chaos with the phrase “diversity makes us stronger.”
“At the FBI, we know that diversity makes us stronger. During #PrideMonth, the FBI celebrates the contributions that our #LGBT colleagues have made to our country and our mission,” the official FBI Twitter account tweeted, accompanied by an image of Lady Justice with multicolored hair and wearing rainbow-colored raiment.
At the FBI, we know that diversity makes us stronger. During #PrideMonth, the FBI celebrates the contributions that our #LGBT colleagues have made to our country and our mission. pic.twitter.com/SqLY732mpa — FBI (@FBI) June 1, 2020
As one might expect, the tweet was roundly mocked.
This is what you're tweeting on June 1, 2020?? YOU SHOULD BE REASSURING THE AMERICAN PUBLIC THAT YOU ARE HUNTING DOWN THE ANARCHISTS MANIPULATING THE PUBLIC AND DESTROYING OUR CITIES! — A Modern Pilgrim – Just another "Whosoever" (@adventurescribe) June 1, 2020
https://twitter.com/Rippled9/status/1267487914671341570
“Diversity is our strength” gtfo pic.twitter.com/QH2VReuda9 — European American (@Europe4European) June 1, 2020
You're destroying the country https://t.co/z5GmTPTIyn — Jesse Lee Peterson (@JLPtalk) June 1, 2020
No reports of the FBI using its massive resources to help quell the rioting have surfaced as of yet.
One thing the FBI is absolutely willing to clamp down on is activists who believe it’s okay to be a white person, as National File reported last December:
The Oklahoma City University police manhunt that went viral after being reported on by National File in October resulted in the expulsion and police interrogation of a student activist on Dec. 9. Federal law prevented the student from being doxxed by university officials. OCU Police director Bill Citty explained his reasoning for the Orwellian police investigation: “The reason you look into those types of things is you want to make sure the individual is not a threat to other students.” Citty did not explain how “it’s OK to be white” could possibly be a “threat” to students. The OCU police department reportedly partnered with the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force to locate and interrogate the student activist.
READ MORE: Student Behind ‘It’s OK To Be White’ Flyers Expelled, Interrogated By FBI Counter-Terrorist Unit


thelibertydaily--2020-06-01--Black Billionaire Robert Johnson Calls for $14 Trillion in Reparations for Slavery That Ended in the

Black Billionaire Robert Johnson Calls for $14 Trillion in Reparations for Slavery That Ended in the 1800s

The U.S. government should provide $ 14 trillion of reparations for slavery to combat racial inequality , contended Robert Johnson , the founder of Black Entertainment Television .
He said in a CNBC interview on Monday that it 's time to `` go big '' to prevent the nation from splitting into two unequal societies .
`` Wealth transfer is what 's needed , '' he insisted .
`` Think about this .
Since 200-plus-years or so of slavery , labor taken with no compensation , is a wealth transfer .
Denial of access to education , which is a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wealth , is a wealth transfer . ''
Johnson , who became the nation 's first black billionaire when he sold BET to Viacom , called reparations the `` affirmative action program of all time . ''
`` Damages is a normal factor in a capitalist society for when you have been deprived for certain rights , '' he said .
`` If this money goes into pockets like the [ coronavirus ] stimulus checks ... that money is going to return back to the economy . ''
He said he 's not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t deliver and don ’ t perform . ''
`` I 'm talking about cash .
We are a society based on wealth .
That ’ s the foundation of capitalism . ''
The relationship between welfare and absent fathers However , some African-American scholars and leaders long have contended the problem is not the efficiency of government handouts or welfare but the handouts themselves .
Walter Williams , a veteran professor of ecomomics at George Mason University , argued in his 1982 book `` The State Against Blacks '' that programs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ launched by President Johnson in the 1960s not only have n't alleviated poverty , they have made the lives of the poor worse .
Williams wrote that `` there 's a huge segment of the black population for whom upward mobility is elusive , and it 's because of the welfare state — because of government . ''
He likened the welfare state to a `` drug pusher . ''
`` The welfare state has done to black Americans what slavery ( and Jim Crow and racism ) could not have done ... @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he wrote nearly 40 years ago .
`` Today , just slightly over 30 percent of black kids live in two-parent families .
Historically , from the 1870s on ... 75-90 percent of black kids lived in two-parent families . ''
In 2013 , during the controversy over the death of Trayvon Martin in Florida , CNN host Don Lemon , who is black , got in trouble with his left-leaning allies when he spotlighted the family issue .
`` Black people , '' Lemon said , `` if you really want to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ five things that you should think about doing . ''
The No .
1 item on that list , `` and probably the most important , '' he said , is related to out-of-wedlock births .
`` Just because you can have a baby , it does n't mean you should , '' Lemon said .
`` Especially without planning for one or getting married first .
More than 72 percent of children in the African-American community are born out of wedlock .
`` And the studies show that lack of a male @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to prison and the cycle continues . ''
A Washington Post blogger was among the many critics of Lemon 's commentary .
`` If Lemon really wanted to help the black community , he could start by adopting a deeper understanding of the history , sociology and psychology of his own people , '' wrote Rahiel Tesfamariam .
`` Offering made-for-TV analysis about deeply complex social issues in the manner in which he did is irresponsible and lacks intellectual rigor . ''

The U.S. government should provide $14 trillion of reparations for slavery to combat racial inequality, contended Robert Johnson, the founder of Black Entertainment Television.
He said in a CNBC interview on Monday that it's time to "go big" to prevent the nation from splitting into two unequal societies.
"Wealth transfer is what's needed," he insisted. "Think about this. Since 200-plus-years or so of slavery, labor taken with no compensation, is a wealth transfer. Denial of access to education, which is a primary driver of accumulation of income and wealth, is a wealth transfer."
Johnson, who became the nation's first black billionaire when he sold BET to Viacom, called reparations the "affirmative action program of all time."
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
"Damages is a normal factor in a capitalist society for when you have been deprived for certain rights," he said. "If this money goes into pockets like the [coronavirus] stimulus checks ... that money is going to return back to the economy."
He said he's not advocating "more bureaucratic programs that don’t deliver and don’t perform."
"I'm talking about cash. We are a society based on wealth. That’s the foundation of capitalism."
The relationship between welfare and absent fathers
Should reparations be paid to black Americans? Yes No Completing this poll entitles you to WND news updates free of charge. You may opt out at anytime. You also agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use You're logged in to Facebook. Click here to log out. 4% (5 Votes) 96% (137 Votes)
However, some African-American scholars and leaders long have contended the problem is not the efficiency of government handouts or welfare but the handouts themselves.
Walter Williams, a veteran professor of ecomomics at George Mason University, argued in his 1982 book "The State Against Blacks" that programs such as the "Great Society" launched by President Johnson in the 1960s not only haven't alleviated poverty, they have made the lives of the poor worse.
Williams wrote that "there's a huge segment of the black population for whom upward mobility is elusive, and it's because of the welfare state — because of government."
He likened the welfare state to a "drug pusher."
"The welfare state has done to black Americans what slavery (and Jim Crow and racism) could not have done ... break up the black family," he wrote nearly 40 years ago. "Today, just slightly over 30 percent of black kids live in two-parent families. Historically, from the 1870s on ... 75-90 percent of black kids lived in two-parent families."
In 2013, during the controversy over the death of Trayvon Martin in Florida, CNN host Don Lemon, who is black, got in trouble with his left-leaning allies when he spotlighted the family issue.
"Black people," Lemon said, "if you really want to fix the problem, here's just five things that you should think about doing."
The No. 1 item on that list, "and probably the most important," he said, is related to out-of-wedlock births.
"Just because you can have a baby, it doesn't mean you should," Lemon said. "Especially without planning for one or getting married first. More than 72 percent of children in the African-American community are born out of wedlock.
"That means absent fathers," he emphasized.
"And the studies show that lack of a male role model is an express train right to prison and the cycle continues."
A Washington Post blogger was among the many critics of Lemon's commentary.
"If Lemon really wanted to help the black community, he could start by adopting a deeper understanding of the history, sociology and psychology of his own people," wrote Rahiel Tesfamariam.
"Offering made-for-TV analysis about deeply complex social issues in the manner in which he did is irresponsible and lacks intellectual rigor."


thelibertydaily--2020-06-01--President Trump Vows To Use U.S. Military If Governors Don’t Deploy National Guard To Stop Organized

President Trump Vows To Use U.S. Military If Governors Don’t Deploy National Guard To Stop Organized Leftist Riots

President Donald Trump vowed Monday to mobilize all federal resources against those who are rioting , looting , and destructing public property .
The president announced that he is taking “ immediate presidential action ” to restore both security and safety in America Monday evening at the White House as protestors began filling the streets of the nation ’ s capital once again .
“ I am mobilizing all federal resources , civilian and military to stop the rioting and looting , to end the destruction and arson , and to protect the rights of law-abiding Americans , including your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ creation , not destruction , ” he said .
“ Cooperation , not contempt , security , not anarchy .
Healing the hatred , justice , not chaos .
This is our mission , and we will succeed 100 % .
We will succeed .
Our country always wins.
” ( RELATED : Rioters Chase , Threaten Daily Caller News Foundation Reporter Through The Streets Of DC ) POTUS said he has strongly recommended that every United States governor deploy the National Guard “ in sufficient numbers that we dominate the streets , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ city does not take action , Trump will deploy the United States military and “ quickly solve the problem for them.
” The president also called the riots of Sunday night in Washington , D.C. a “ total disgrace , ” and said that he is dispatching “ thousands of heavily armed soldiers , military personnel , and law enforcement officers to stop the rioting , looting , vandalism , assaults , and the wanton destruction of property.
” Washington , D.C. ’ s curfew will be strictly enforced , the president said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or property “ will be arrested , detained , and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
” POTUS emphasized that all Americans are “ rightly sickened and revolted by the brutal death of George Floyd ” and that his administration is committed to obtaining justice for both Floyd and his family .
“ He will not have died in vain , ” the president said .
( RELATED : White House Refuses To Address Why The Federal Government Did Not Protect The Monuments Honoring Our Nation ’ s Heroes From Rioters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the destruction of innocent life and the spilling of innocent blood is an offense to humanity and a crime against God.
” “ I take these actions today with firm resolve and with a true and passionate love for our country , ” POTUS said .
“ By far our greatest days lie ahead.
” Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience .
For licensing opportunities of our original content , please contact licensing @ dailycallernewsfoundation.org .

President Donald Trump vowed Monday to mobilize all federal resources against those who are rioting, looting, and destructing public property.
The president announced that he is taking “immediate presidential action” to restore both security and safety in America Monday evening at the White House as protestors began filling the streets of the nation’s capital once again.
“I am mobilizing all federal resources, civilian and military to stop the rioting and looting, to end the destruction and arson, and to protect the rights of law-abiding Americans, including your Second Amendment rights.”
WATCH:
“America needs creation, not destruction,” he said. “Cooperation, not contempt, security, not anarchy. Healing the hatred, justice, not chaos. This is our mission, and we will succeed 100%. We will succeed. Our country always wins.” (RELATED: Rioters Chase, Threaten Daily Caller News Foundation Reporter Through The Streets Of DC)
POTUS said he has strongly recommended that every United States governor deploy the National Guard “in sufficient numbers that we dominate the streets,” warning that if the state or city does not take action, Trump will deploy the United States military and “quickly solve the problem for them.”
The president also called the riots of Sunday night in Washington, D.C. a “total disgrace,” and said that he is dispatching “thousands of heavily armed soldiers, military personnel, and law enforcement officers to stop the rioting, looting, vandalism, assaults, and the wanton destruction of property.”
Washington, D.C.’s curfew will be strictly enforced, the president said, and anyone who threatens innocent life or property “will be arrested, detained, and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
POTUS emphasized that all Americans are “rightly sickened and revolted by the brutal death of George Floyd” and that his administration is committed to obtaining justice for both Floyd and his family.
“He will not have died in vain,” the president said. (RELATED: White House Refuses To Address Why The Federal Government Did Not Protect The Monuments Honoring Our Nation’s Heroes From Rioters)
But Trump also noted that “the destruction of innocent life and the spilling of innocent blood is an offense to humanity and a crime against God.”
“I take these actions today with firm resolve and with a true and passionate love for our country,” POTUS said. “By far our greatest days lie ahead.”
All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.


thelibertydaily--2020-06-02--More, Please: Armed Patriots Kick Looters Out of Cigar Store in Bellevue, WA Like It’s the Wild Wild

More, Please: Armed Patriots Kick Looters Out of Cigar Store in Bellevue, WA Like It’s the Wild Wild West

This is how it ’ s done .
Rioters and looters hit Bellevue , Washington on Sunday , just east @ @ @ @ @ home to Microsoft and Amazon .
Far left-terrorists are clearing out Target stores , Apple @ @ @ @ @ Armed patriots peacefully kicked looters out of their cigar store in Bellevue Washington on Sunday @ @ @ @ @ : Police Chief Breaks Down After Describing How Richmond Leftist Rioters Torched Home with Children @ @ @ @ @ ( VIDEO ) A man wearing a cowboy hat pointed pepperspray toward the looters and @ @ @ @ @ move !
” “ Move !
Move !
Move !
” the armed guy yelled @ @ @ @ @ armed man walked out of Cigar Land after he cleared the looters out of his @ @ @ @ @ f*ck out !
Stay away !
” he yelled .
And just like that , @ @ @ @ @ is FINISHED .

This is how it’s done.
Rioters and looters hit Bellevue, Washington on Sunday, just east of Seattle. Bellevue is home to Microsoft and Amazon.
Far left-terrorists are clearing out Target stores, Apple stores and destroying businesses.
Armed patriots peacefully kicked looters out of their cigar store in Bellevue Washington on Sunday.
A man wearing a cowboy hat pointed pepperspray toward the looters and screamed at them to “move!”
“Move! Move! Move!” the armed guy yelled at the looters.
An armed man walked out of Cigar Land after he cleared the looters out of his shop.
“Get the f*ck out! Stay away!” he yelled.
WATCH (video via ZYKKARi):
The owner of a cigar shop caught some looters #Bellevue pic.twitter.com/KgyVjyIoMv — (@ZVKKARi) June 1, 2020
And just like that, the debate over gun control is FINISHED.


thelibertydaily--2020-06-02--Muhammad Ali Would Have Condemned Violent Protesters, Says Ex-Wife Khalilah Ali

Torching police cars and looting stores is NOT what Muhammad Ali would have wanted ... so says his ex-wife , Khalilah , who tells TMZ Sports the boxing legend would be furious with the George Floyd protests turning violent .
Riots have broken out in many cities across the country after what started as peaceful protests following Floyd 's death ... with President Trump calling on the National Guard to try to end the chaos .
While Ali says Muhammad would applaud the people making their voices heard ... he would n't be okay with those wreaking havoc to make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his switch , '' Khalilah -- who was married to Ali from 1967 to 1976 -- tells us .
`` He would go off on everybody in here . ''
`` I know that Ali would retaliate .
He would really go off on people and I would love to see him romp and rave over these people hurting people , and burning up our businesses , and hurting people in the streets and burning up police cars . ''
`` That is uncalled for .
Ali would not like that at all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's adviser for his biggest protest in refusing to fight in the Vietnam War -- praises the many who are doing it the RIGHT way ... and calls for the violence to stop .
`` For the real , honest , nonviolent protesters ... keep protesting .
Make sure everybody starts learning to vote .
Whether you like the system or not , you are the system .
So , you can change the world . ''
As for Floyd 's death ... Ali says there is no excuse for officer Derek Chauvin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ali was not here to see this . ''

Play video content TMZSports.com
Torching police cars and looting stores is NOT what Muhammad Ali would have wanted ... so says his ex-wife, Khalilah, who tells TMZ Sports the boxing legend would be furious with the George Floyd protests turning violent.
Riots have broken out in many cities across the country after what started as peaceful protests following Floyd's death ... with President Trump calling on the National Guard to try to end the chaos.
While Ali says Muhammad would applaud the people making their voices heard ... he wouldn't be okay with those wreaking havoc to make it happen.
"Muhammad would flip his switch," Khalilah -- who was married to Ali from 1967 to 1976 -- tells us. "He would go off on everybody in here."
"I know that Ali would retaliate. He would really go off on people and I would love to see him romp and rave over these people hurting people, and burning up our businesses, and hurting people in the streets and burning up police cars."
"That is uncalled for. Ali would not like that at all."
Khalilah -- who was Ali's adviser for his biggest protest in refusing to fight in the Vietnam War -- praises the many who are doing it the RIGHT way ... and calls for the violence to stop.
"For the real, honest, nonviolent protesters ... keep protesting. Make sure everybody starts learning to vote. Whether you like the system or not, you are the system. So, you can change the world."
As for Floyd's death ... Ali says there is no excuse for officer Derek Chauvin's actions.


thelibertydaily--2020-06-02--Anarchy In Democrat Alexandria Ocrazio-Cortex’s District As She Mocks President Trump For Wanting To

Anarchy In Democrat Alexandria Ocrazio-Cortex’s District As She Mocks President Trump For Wanting To Restore Law and Order

Multiple crimes were being committed on Monday night in AOC ’ s district .
Leadership by New York ’ s Democrat lawmakers dealing with George Floyd protests that have turned incredibly violent in many areas of NYC has been incredibly poor .
City and state lawmakers were stunned to find out on Twitter that Democrat Governor Andrew Cuomo and NYC ’ s Democrat Mayor Bill de Blasio were placing the city under an 11 pm curfew .
The inept duo was slammed on Twitter by City Council members for not telling elected officials about the curfew .
While police officers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up and local businesses were being destroyed by criminals under the guise of protesters for George Floyd , Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez ( D ) , whose district is in the Bronx , tweeted criticism of President Trump for threatening military action to get these cities and boroughs under control .
In the video below , that was taken in the Bronx , a police officer near Fordham University is knocked to the ground and beaten by thugs , after he allegedly tried to stop looting from happening .
( ***Warning***video is graphic ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a police officer can be seen trying to direct traffic in the Bronx when he is hit by a vehicle and thrown into the air ( ***Warning***video at link is extremely graphic ) .
Joel Fischer shared a video of spontaneous fires everywhere in Brooklyn .
It literally looks like a war-zone as people walk through the fires wearing medical masks .
A Twitter user shared footage of looters running out of local Bronx store ( **language warning** ) : A Twitter user shared a video of the aftermath of the local @ @ @ @ @ @ @ looted .
The Twitter user admonishes the looters , reminding them that the Bronx is the poorest borough in all of NYC , telling the criminals who did the damage to this store that it makes her want to cry to see what they ’ ve done , telling them they ’ re not helping .
Here ’ s the video of looter breaking into the store shown above : Bronx residents were furious with “ protesters ” who tore up their neighborhoods .
Looting in Fordham is the dumbest shit ya could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ community .
People weren ’ t even protesting in the Bronx the looting and fires in the Bronx right now are fucking terrifying when you consider the arson epidemic in the Bronx during the 1970s..

Multiple crimes were being committed on Monday night in AOC’s district.
Leadership by New York’s Democrat lawmakers dealing with George Floyd protests that have turned incredibly violent in many areas of NYC has been incredibly poor.
City and state lawmakers were stunned to find out on Twitter that Democrat Governor Andrew Cuomo and NYC’s Democrat Mayor Bill de Blasio were placing the city under an 11 pm curfew.
The inept duo was slammed on Twitter by City Council members for not telling elected officials about the curfew.
Nothing like being an elected official and getting your news from @NY1 — Justin Brannan (@JustinBrannan) June 1, 2020
While police officers were allegedly being run over and beaten up and local businesses were being destroyed by criminals under the guise of protesters for George Floyd, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D), whose district is in the Bronx, tweeted criticism of President Trump for threatening military action to get these cities and boroughs under control.
You’ve got to be kidding me. https://t.co/XJqrTH5P7c — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) June 2, 2020
In the video below, that was taken in the Bronx, a police officer near Fordham University is knocked to the ground and beaten by thugs, after he allegedly tried to stop looting from happening. (***Warning***video is graphic)
In a video posted by Matt Thomas, a police officer can be seen trying to direct traffic in the Bronx when he is hit by a vehicle and thrown into the air (***Warning***video at link is extremely graphic).
Joel Fischer shared a video of spontaneous fires everywhere in Brooklyn. It literally looks like a war-zone as people walk through the fires wearing medical masks.
Welcome to the Bronx, which is like a War Zone. Oh, and it's also being represented by @AOC. pic.twitter.com/mwWwiuza3n — Joel Fischer (@JFNYC1) June 2, 2020
A Twitter user shared footage of looters running out of local Bronx store (**language warning**):
A Twitter user shared a video of the aftermath of the local Fordham mom & pop store that was looted. The Twitter user admonishes the looters, reminding them that the Bronx is the poorest borough in all of NYC, telling the criminals who did the damage to this store that it makes her want to cry to see what they’ve done, telling them they’re not helping.
This really makes me want to cry. Looting Fordham mom & pop stores owned by your own damn people!!! As if the Bronx is not the poorest borough in all of NYC. This is not helping & y’all are just being dumb as fuck pic.twitter.com/M2n4NMjghI — ↔MH🌹#GetWellSoonTaeyong💚⁰⁰ (@mikaHY_127) June 2, 2020
Here’s the video of looter breaking into the store shown above:
Breaking: Widespread looting is ongoing in multiple areas in New York City, including Manhattan and the Bronx. A curfew will be put into effect at 11 PM. pic.twitter.com/EcMywaeGO1 — PM Breaking News (@PMBreakingNews) June 2, 2020
Bronx residents were furious with “protesters” who tore up their neighborhoods.
Looting in Fordham is the dumbest shit ya could really be doing. That is your community. People weren’t even protesting in the Bronx
Looting in Fordham is the dumbest shit ya could really be doing. That is your community. People weren’t even protesting in the Bronx.. — Honeydip. 🍯 (@_alexaxo) June 1, 2020
the looting and fires in the Bronx right now are fucking terrifying when you consider the arson epidemic in the Bronx during the 1970s..
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thelibertydaily--2020-06-02--Left-Wing “Comedian” Bill Maher Compares President Trump to Murderous Nigerian Dictator, But Admits

Left-Wing “Comedian” Bill Maher Compares President Trump to Murderous Nigerian Dictator, But Admits Liberals ‘Lionize’ Anyone Who Appears to Be the ‘Anti-Trump’

Left-wing comedian Bill Maher closed Friday ’ s edition of Real Time with a monologue that might have upset liberals .
After all , it called into question the wisdom of the lockdowns that they have championed .
However , the HBO host more than made up for it by comparing President Trump to a murderous Nigerian dictator towards the end of the monologue .
After describing Trump as someone who “ puts the cluster in clusterf*** , ” Maher unveiled his latest comparison of the President to a dictator : “ he is the worst leader the world has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voters.
” Maher ’ s reference touches upon rumors that the late Nigerian dictator Idi Amin was a cannibal .
Maher spent the rest of his monologue going after Dr. Anthony Fauci , whom he seemed to view as Robert Mueller 2.0 .
He went through a list of Fauci ’ s missteps throughout the coronavirus and announced that “ I think Dr. Fauci is honorable , smart , and sincere but I also thought that about Robert Mueller and I worry liberals are once again falling into the same trap of lionizing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anti-Trump.
” Maher himself fell into that trap during the Trump-Russia probe ; when he lionized Special Counsel Robert Mueller as “ Prosecutor Jesus ” and “ Superman ” but concluded that he was actually “ Clark Can ’ t ” after the Special Counsel report did not recommend an indictment of Trump .
While Maher specifically mentioned Mueller as an example of someone “ lionized ” by Trump , the liberal media has “ lionized ” plenty of other people who appeared to be the “ anti-Trump , ” only to end @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the lawyer for Stormy Daniels , who claimed that she was paid money to remain quiet about an affair she had with Trump years ago .
In addition to granting Avenatti 254 television appearances over the course of one year , media figures lavished him with adoring praise and touted him as a serious presidential contender for the 2020 Democratic nomination .
Ultimately , the media ended up with egg on their faces ; as a grand jury indicted Avenatti on “ 36 counts of fraud , perjury , failure to pay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crimes ” in early 2019 ; about a year after he first became a liberal media darling .
Fast forward to 2020 and the liberal media ended up lionizing Dr. Anthony Fauci because his hesitation about reopening the country following Coronavirus lockdowns contrasted with Trump ’ s desire to restart the American economy .
CNN ’ s John Berman called Fox News ’ s Tucker Carlson a “ buffoon ” for questioning Fauci ’ s wisdom ; it remains to be seen whether he will now call Maher a “ buffoon ” for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for admitting that the liberal media has a tendency to thoughtlessly “ lionize ” anyone who might have a chance at humiliating and/or taking down President Trump .
However , his comparison of the President to Idi Amin proves that Maher still suffers from a severe case of Trump Derangement Syndrome that shows no signs of disappearing in the near future .
A transcript of the relevant portion of Friday ’ s edition of Real Time is below .
Click “ expand ” to read more .
BILL MAHER : And finally , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ me : if we can do this now , why can ’ t we do this ?
People have started flying again , and some planes have been packed .
Why is American Airlines safe , but not American Airlines Arena ?
Viruses like concerts but are afraid of flying ?
Then how about we have a concert on a plane ?
Maybe Elton John could lend us his old tour plane , the one with the organ on board .
Would…would that make a concert safe , it…if it happened at 30,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coughs and farts , while involuntarily spooning with the guy in 32B ?
Look , I ’ m glad the airlines are back in business…I ’ d like to see everybody back in business , and if folks are willing to take precautions and accept a small risk so life can go on , I say let that be our guide .
The White House press corps is allowed to cover Trump ’ s briefings , and of course they should .
That ’ s where we learn that drinking motor oil cures @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allowed to do his comedy act with an audience , why can ’ t I ?
This reopening has no consistency .
In LA , you still can ’ t legally get a haircut , but you can get your dog ’ s hair cut .
So he doesn ’ t look stupid in Zoom meetings ?
Museums are typically spacious and very low risk…why are they closed but you can sweat and sway in a church ?
We ’ re not supposed to congregate but that ’ s literally called a congregation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ; which only makes sense if the massage parlors serve waffles and the Waffle House gives happy endings .
Across America , parks are open again but park restrooms are not .
So , what ?
Move over bears , it ’ s our turn to shit in the woods .
It also seems like there ’ s a different set of rules for single people…no one bats an eye if you live with family members who are coming and going , but if a mere “ friend ” who ’ s not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inside the house , break out the hazmat suits .
Here ’ s an interesting fact about viruses : they don ’ t recognize marriage .
And sharing a mailing address does not confer immunity .
And we ’ re not questioning any of this , which is a problem .
Does anyone in charge of health in this country have any idea how much less healthy an airplane is than a baseball game ?
Let me help you out .
Researchers studied 7,300 COVID cases in China , and found just one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Yeah .
You ’ ve heard people use the phrase “ Sunlight is the best disinfectant ?
” Well , that got to be a metaphor because it was true .
The virus doesn ’ t like sun , like Rudy Guiliani .
But humans do like sun , and need it .
There is a strong correlation between vitamin D deficiency and mortality rates .
Science Daily reports on research that shows it might be as high as cutting the mortality rate in half .
Well , vitamin D is something you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ phone screen .
Outdoors ?
Healthy .
Unabomber lifestyle ?
Not healthy .
Why haven ’ t our top health officials been emphasizing these things ?
Why haven ’ t they given us any direction on improving our immune systems at a time when we need them the most ?
Imagine before the virus even existed telling your doctor , “ Hey doc , I ’ ve been locking myself indoors , living in fear , day drinking , and eating cheap takeout…good healthcare plan ?
” The vacuum in leadership isn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ puts the cluster in clusterfuck .
Yes , he is the worst leader the world has seen since Idi Amin stopped eating the voters .
But in late January , Dr. Fauci said the coronavirus was “ a very , very low risk to the United States…it isn ’ t something the American public needs to worry about or be frightened about.
” On January 23rd , Trump got a briefing from U.S. Intelligence and he claims they underplayed the danger then .
But The New York Times points out that “ Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ around that time from high ranking government officials , epidemiologists , scientists , biodefense officials , other national security aides and the news media about the virus ’ s growing threat.
” So , all those people knew it was a threat by then , but Dr. Fauci was saying “ very , very low risk ?
” In…in March , Fauci told 60 minutes “ There ’ s no reason to be walking around with a mask.
” Well , there was .
And he is now .
That month , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ go on a cruise ship , go on a cruise ship.
” Look , I think Dr. Fauci is honorable , smart and sincere but I also thought that about Robert Mueller , and I worry liberals are once again falling into the same trap of lionizing someone just because they ’ re the anti-Trump .
Even before the virus , America had a far too chronically sick population ; which is one reason we ’ ve lost so many now .
We need to demand something better than how the entrenched medical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ heals far too little .

Left-wing comedian Bill Maher closed Friday’s Real Time with a monologue that might have upset liberals. After all, it called into question the wisdom of the lockdowns that they have championed. However, the HBO host later made up for it by comparing President Trump to a murderous Nigerian dictator.
After describing Trump as someone who “puts the cluster in clusterf***,” Maher unveiled his latest comparison of the President to a dictator: “He is the worst leader the world has seen since Idi Amin stopped eating the voters.” Maher’s reference touched upon rumors that the late Nigerian dictator Idi Amin was a cannibal.
Maher also spent time going after Dr. Anthony Fauci, whom he seemed to view as Robert Mueller 2.0. He went through a list of Fauci’s missteps throughout the coronavirus and announced: “I think Dr. Fauci is honorable, smart, and sincere but I also thought that about Robert Mueller and I worry liberals are once again falling into the same trap of lionizing someone just because they’re the anti-Trump.” Maher himself fell into that trap during the Trump-Russia probe; when he lionized Mueller as “prosecutor Jesus” and “Superman,” but concluded that he was actually “Clark Can’t” after the Special Counsel report did not recommend an indictment.
While Maher specifically mentioned Mueller as an example of someone “lionized” by Trump, the liberal media have “lionized” plenty of other people who appeared to be the “anti-Trump,” only to end up disappointing them; including Michael Avenatti and we all know how that worked out.
Maher deserves credit for admitting that the liberal media has a tendency to thoughtlessly “lionize” anyone who might have a chance at humiliating and/or taking down President Trump. However, his comparison of the President to Idi Amin proved that Maher still suffers from a severe case of Trump Derangement Syndrome.
A transcript of the relevant portion of Friday’s Real Time is below. Click “expand” to read more.


thelibertydaily--2020-06-02--American Traitor, Democrat New York Attorney General Letitia James Vows to Stop President Trump From

American Traitor, Democrat New York Attorney General Letitia James Vows to Stop President Trump From Stopping the Communist Takeover

New York State 's top prosecutor is threatening to sue President Trump if he follows through on his threat to deploy the United States military to put down domestic protests that were sparked by the police-involved killing of George Floyd .
'The President of the United States is not a dictator , and President Trump does not and will not dominate New York state , ' Attorney General Letitia James said in a statement on Monday .
'In fact , the president does not have the right to unilaterally deploy US military across American states . '
Trump on Monday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ once-in-a generation violent protests gripping the United States , saying he was sending thousands of troops onto the streets of the capital and threatening to deploy soldiers to states unable to regain control .
He previously called on governors to 'dominate the streets ' and crack down on protesters .
But AG James said : 'We respect and will guard the right to peaceful protest , and my office will review any federal action with an eye toward protecting our state 's rights .
'Rest assured : We will not hesitate to go @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during this time and well into the future . '
WHAT IS THE INSURRECTION ACT ?
The Insurrection Act of 1807 permits the president to deploy troops when federal laws can not be properly enforced .
It overrides the Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 , which generally prevents the military from being used to enforce domestic laws .
Donald Trump would need to invoke it to follow through on his threat last night to deploy troops to suppress the George Floyd riots .
Trump suggested deploying the US military , but would also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state 's national guard .
The Act has sometimes been used in this way at the request of state governors , including during the Rodney King riots in Los Angeles in 1992 .
However , Trump is threatening to impose troops whether they are wanted or not - a step which was previously taken by presidents Dwight Eisenhower and John F. Kennedy to enforce desegregation in the 1950s and 1960s .
WHY WAS THE INSURRECTION ACT PASSED ?
In the 1790s , Congress decided to give the president specific powers to call up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the Constitution .
As early as 1792 , Congress passed the Calling Forth Act which allowed the president to call up state militias to repel an invasion or insurrection .
George Washington invoked the Act to suppress the Whiskey Rebellion of the 1790s , when settlers in Pennsylvania revolted against a federal tax on alcohol .
However , the Act only referred to state militias and did not make clear whether the president could deploy federal troops .
Thomas Jefferson was advised by James Madison in the mid-1800s that the Act did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ used in this way .
This ambiguity led Jefferson to push for the passage of the Insurrection Act , which he eventually signed into law in 1807 .
The Act made clear that , in addition to state militias , the president can call up 'such part of the land or naval force of the United States as shall be judged necessary ' .
The law was amended in 1871 , allowing the president to use it to enforce the Fourteenth Amendment - a civil rights amendment passed after the Civil War .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ wake of Hurricane Katrina , made clear that the president can call up troops in the case of natural disasters .
WHAT EXACTLY DOES THE LAW SAY ?
The current law , as amended , says the president can call up the military when he judges that 'unlawful obstructions , combinations , or assemblages , or rebellion against the authority of the United States ' have made it 'impracticable ' to enforce the law in the usual way .
He can also intervene when 'any insurrection , domestic violence , unlawful combination , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ constitutional rights or blocking the execution of federal law .
When this happens , he 'may call into federal service such of the militia of any state , and use such of the armed forces , as he considers necessary to enforce those laws or to suppress the rebellion ' .
However , he is first required to issue a proclamation to 'immediately order the insurgents to disperse and retire peaceably to their abodes within a limited time ' .
DOES DONALD TRUMP NEED A GOVERNOR 'S PERMISSION TO SEND TROOPS ?
No @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state 's approval and indeed against its wishes .
The law mentions one scenario - 'an insurrection in any state against its government ' - where the president is required to seek state approval for sending troops .
However , the later sections on federal laws becoming 'impracticable ' do not mention any such requirement , suggesting that the president can act unilaterally .
'Although some of these [ powers ] require a state request before federal regulars or federalized Guard troops can be used for domestic law enforcement , some of them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Stephen Vladeck of the University of Texas .
COULD TRUMP BE STOPPED FROM USING THE ACT ?
Trump could in theory be challenged in court if he uses the Insurrection Act , but experts say it is unlikely that judges would stop him .
Courts have historically been very reluctant to review a president 's military declarations , said law professor Robert Chesney of the University of Texas .
Beyond that , it would ultimately be up to voters to remove the president at the next election if they disapprove of his use @ @ @ @ @ @ @ real checks on abuse of these authorities have been political , ' said Vladeck , the law professor .
WHAT ABOUT THE POSSE COMITATUS ACT ?
The Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 generally prevents government officials from using the military as a means of domestic law enforcement .
Congress says the Act 'reflects an American tradition that bridles at military involvement in civilian affairs ' .
However , the Posse Comitatus Act does not apply in cases where Congress has specifically approved the use of the military .
The Insurrection Act is one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can call up troops in times of insurrection without being restrained by the 1878 Act .
WHEN HAS THE INSURRECTION ACT BEEN USED BEFORE ?
Presidents have deployed troops on dozens of occasions , often at the request of state governors but occasionally against their will .
It has previously been used to stop riots including the 1992 Rodney King riots in Los Angeles , the last time the Act was invoked .
The Act was also used to enforce civil rights legislation in the 1950s and 1960s , but its use has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1943 , Franklin D. Roosevelt sent 6,000 troops to Detroit in armoured tanks at the request of the city 's mayor after an outbreak of race riots .
The Detroit Historical Society says the riots broke out after black Americans suffered disproportionately from wartime rationing and were forced to live in 'repulsive ' conditions .
After white mobs started attacking African-Americans in response , black community leaders urged mayor Edward J. Jefferies to ask for federal help .
Two decades later , federal troops were back in Detroit to put down a fresh @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lyndon B. Johnson .
Michigan governor George Romney - the father of Mitt Romney - requested federal help during an outbreak of violence which left more than 40 people dead .
Romney said he was asked by the White House to declare a 'state of insurrection ' so that troops could lawfully be used under the Insurrection Act .
As social unrest gripped the nation in 1968 , Johnson had to send for federal troops to put down three further riots in Washington , Baltimore and Chicago .
The rioting followed the assassination @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 4 , 1968 in a wave of violence which reached dozens of US cities .
Johnson was able to deploy troops in Washington without invitation , as commander-in-chief of the District of Columbia 's national guard .
In Baltimore and Chicago , the respective local leaders - governor Spiro Agnew of Maryland , the future vice president , and mayor Richard Daley of Chicago - requested Johnson 's help to put down the riots .
In the most recent case , president George H.W .
Bush sent federal troops to Los Angeles during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Military units were deployed at the request of California governor Pete Wilson after the violence which broke out when four cops were acquitted of beating King .
Presidents Dwight Eisenhower and John F. Kennedy both had to use the Act against the will of state governors to enforce desegregation during the 1950s and 1960s .
The Supreme Court declared the segregation of schools illegal in 1954 , but the decision was met with bitter resistance across the South .
One flashpoint came in 1957 when riots broke out in Arkansas after nine black @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tried to attend classes at a high school .
The local police could not control the angry mob so the nine teenagers slipped out via the back door of the school .
The following day , Eisenhower ordered federal troops to escort the nine teenagers into the school - overruling Arkansas governor Orval Faubus .
Kennedy faced similar crises in 1962 and 1963 , firstly in Mississippi where black man James Meredith was trying to register at the University of Mississippi .
The college town erupted in violence and governor Ross Barnett refused @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also known as Ole Miss .
Kennedy and his brother Robert , the attorney general , initially sent 500 US Marshals to take control of the situation .
The White House eventually dispatched some 20,000 federal troops along with the federalized Mississippi National Guard soldiers , and Meredith was allowed to enrol .
In 1963 , an even more infamous crisis erupted when Alabama governor George Wallace stood in the doorway of the University of Alabama to stop two black students from entering .
Wallace was a diehard segregationist who had pledged when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ segregation tomorrow , segregation forever ' .
But he was forced to back down when Kennedy federalized the Alabama National Guard and ordered them to let the students enter .
Other uses of the Act Having lobbied for the Insurrection Act in 1807 , Jefferson was the first to use it the following year to enforce a trade embargo during the Napoleonic Wars .
Jefferson declared New York 's Lake Champlain on the Canadian border to be in insurrection because of its role in smuggling , allowing him to enforce the blockade .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ clashes , presidents have dispatched federal troops to combat a variety of strikes and other brief episodes of unrest .
One such occasion was in 1894 when Grover Cleveland sent troops to Chicago during the Pullman railroad strike - against the wishes of the Illinois governor .
In 1989 , George H.W .
Bush sent troops to keep the peace in the Virgin Islands after looting in the wake of Hurricane Hugo .
His son George W. Bush considered sending troops to New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina in 2005 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ White House 's concerns about the legality of such a move prompted the 2007 amendment which specifically mentioned natural disasters .
There have been other occasions where the military was deployed under different laws or where the mere threat of sending troops was enough to restore calm .
Richard Nixon ordered the military to keep mail services running during a postal strike in 1970 , citing the 1932 Economy Act rather than the Insurrection Act .
In 1987 , Ronald Reagan authorized his Secretary of Defense to call up the National Guard to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the troops did not prove necessary .
Trump 's dramatic escalation came a week after the death in Minneapolis of George Floyd , an unarmed black man who had been pinned down with a knee to the neck by a police officer - leading to the worst civil unrest in decades in New York , Los Angeles and dozens of other American cities .
After being criticized for his silence on the worsening crisis , Trump struck a martial tone in a nationwide address from the White House as police fired tear gas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dispatching thousands and thousands of heavily armed soldiers , military personnel and law enforcement officers to stop the rioting , looting , vandalism , assaults and the wanton destruction of property , ' he said .
He slammed the previous night 's unrest in Washington as a 'total disgrace ' and called on governors to act quickly and forcefully to 'dominate the streets . '
'If a city or state refuses to take the actions that are necessary to defend the life and property of their residents , then I will deploy the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ problem for them , ' he said , denouncing 'acts of domestic terror . '
After his address , protesters outside the White House were cleared with tear gas and rubber bullets so the president could walk across the street to the two-century old St Johns church , hit with graffiti and partially damaged by fire during unrest on Sunday .
'We have a great country , ' Trump declared as he stood before the church 's boarded up windows , held up a Bible and posed for photographs .
'What the president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ American military against American citizens , ' New York governor Andrew Cuomo said on Twitter .
'He used the military to push out a peaceful protest so he could have a photo op at a church .
It 's all just a reality TV show for this president . '
Thousands of people have participated in the demonstrations against police brutality and racism across the country since Floyd 's killing .
It was the most widespread unrest in the United States since 1968 , when cities went up in flames over the slaying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jr .
Many of the demonstrations have been peaceful and marked by cathartic moments such as officers hugging tearful protesters and marching or kneeling alongside them .
Others have seen rage-filled clashes between protesters and police .
One person was shot dead in Louisville , Kentucky .
Floyd 's agonizing death was caught in bystander cell phone video which shows policeman Derek Chauvin pinning him down with his knee for nearly nine minutes as the 46-year-old pleaded for his life with the haunting words : ' I ca n't breathe ! '
'The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the cause of death , and homicide as the manner of death , ' Aleccia Wilson , a University of Michigan expert who examined his body at the family 's request , told a news conference .
An initial finding cited in a criminal complaint pointed to pre-existing conditions , outraging the family .
Shortly after the independent report , Hennepin County 's medical examiner released its official autopsy that called his death a homicide caused by 'neck compression , ' although it also said he was intoxicated and pointed to heart disease @ @ @ @ @ @ @ place on Thursday in Minneapolis before a service in North Carolina and a funeral on June 9 in Houston , where he grew up , family lawyer Ben Crump said .
Floyd , 46 , had been accused of trying to buy cigarettes with a counterfeit bill .
The autopsy revived demands for the arrest of three other police officers who stood guard for Chauvin as Floyd lay dying .
'We are tired of oppression , ' said Muna Abdi , a 31-year-old African-American woman at a peaceful demonstration at the Minnesota capitol @ @ @ @ @ @ @ charged with third degree murder and is due to appear in court June 8 .
More than 40 cities have imposed curfews , including New York , after consecutive nights of tension that included looting and the trashing of parked cars .
In the upscale SoHo district , Elliot Kurland , owner of the Leica photography store , said his entire shop was emptied by looters .
He estimated his loss at $ 1 million . '
I had been about to come here at three o'clock in the morning .
My brother @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
You 'll get killed ' , ' he said .
Louisville , the home of Muhammad Ali and Kentucky Fried Chicken , has seen especially passionate protests due to the police killing in March of an African American woman , Breonna Taylor , in her own apartment .
Trump spent most of the weekend inside the White House tweeting attacks on political rivals and the media .
In a conference call with governors Monday quickly leaked to media outlets , Trump told state leaders they were 'going to look like a bunch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ soft .
The governor of Illinois , J.B. Pritzker , is heard saying he was 'extraordinarily concerned ' by the president 's 'inflammatory ' rhetoric .
Joe Biden , Trump 's likely Democratic opponent in November elections , met Monday with black leaders at a church in his home of Wilmington , Delaware and promised to form a police oversight commission in his first 100 days as president .

New York State's top prosecutor is threatening to sue President Trump if he follows through on his threat to deploy the United States military to put down domestic protests that were sparked by the police-involved killing of George Floyd.
'The President of the United States is not a dictator, and President Trump does not and will not dominate New York state,' Attorney General Letitia James said in a statement on Monday.
'In fact, the president does not have the right to unilaterally deploy US military across American states.'
Trump on Monday vowed to order a military crackdown on once-in-a generation violent protests gripping the United States, saying he was sending thousands of troops onto the streets of the capital and threatening to deploy soldiers to states unable to regain control.
He previously called on governors to 'dominate the streets' and crack down on protesters.
But AG James said: 'We respect and will guard the right to peaceful protest, and my office will review any federal action with an eye toward protecting our state's rights.
'Rest assured: We will not hesitate to go to court to protect our constitutional rights during this time and well into the future.'
Letitia James, New York's attorney general, has threatened to sue President Trump (right) if he follows through on his pledge to deploy the military to American cities to put down protests
'The President of the United States is not a dictator, and President Trump does not and will not dominate New York state,' James said in a statement on Monday
HOW TRUMP MIGHT - JUST - BE ABLE TO SEND IN TROOPS THANKS TO THE 1807 LAW
Trump's dramatic declaration that he would impose troops on American cities if governors defied him sets up the possibility of an epic constitutional clash in a situation with little real precedent in American history.
Trump did not say what his power was, but it is the Insurrection Act of 1807. On the face of it, it allows him to send in troops.
But using that Act raises a series of questions about what courts would do - and even whether the armed forces would obey him.
WHAT INSURRECTION ACT ACTUALLY SAYS Whenever there is an insurrection in any against its government, the President may, upon the request of its legislature or of its governor if the legislature cannot be convened, call into Federal service such of the militia of the other, in the number requested by that, and use such of the armed forces, as he considers necessary to suppress the insurrection. Whenever the President considers that unlawful obstructions, combinations, or assemblages, or rebellion against the authority of the United, make it impracticable to enforce the laws of the United in any by the ordinary course of judicial proceedings, he may call into Federal service such of the militia of any, and use such of the armed forces, as he considers necessary to enforce those laws or to suppress the rebellion. The President, by using the militia or the armed forces, or both, or by any other means, shall take such measures as he considers necessary to suppress, in a State, any insurrection, domestic violence, unlawful combination, or conspiracy, if it (1) so hinders the execution of the laws of that State, and of the United States within the State, that any part or class of its people is deprived of a right, privilege, immunity, or protection named in the Constitution and secured by law, and the constituted authorities of that State are unable, fail, or refuse to protect that right, privilege, or immunity, or to give that protection; or 2) opposes or obstructs the execution of the laws of the United States or impedes the course of justice under those laws. In any situation covered by clause (1), the State shall be considered to have denied the equal protection of the laws secured by the Constitution. Whenever the President considers it necessary to use the militia or the armed forces under this chapter, he shall, by proclamation, immediately order the insurgents to disperse and retire peaceably to their abodes within a limited time. Advertisement
WOULD HE REALLY USE A LAW FROM 1807?
Basically, yes. In the 1790s Militia Acts, Congress gave the president specific powers to call up militias - the forerunner of federalizing the National Guard.
In 1807 the Insurrection Act made clear that, in addition, the president can call up 'such part of the land or naval force of the United States as shall be judged necessary.'
It has not been changed substantially since but was amended in 1871, allowing the president to use it to enforce the Fourteenth Amendment - a civil rights amendment passed after the Civil War.
Another amendment in 2007, in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, made clear that the president can call up troops in the case of natural disasters.
WHAT WOULD HE DO?
The law's only requirement is a proclamation, to 'order the insurgents to disperse and retire peaceably to their abodes within a limited time.'
Once that time has passed, Trump can move in troops.
Trump also has to report to Congress on what he is doing and why.
SO DOES IT GIVE TRUMP THE POWER HE CLAIMS TO SEND IN THE MILITARY ON HIS OWN?
The simple answer is yes, it does.
But the more complicated answer could lead to a constitutional crisis.
If Trump has a request from a governor to send in troops, there is no question over the legality of the deployment, at least at a federal level.
But to move in military force without a governor's request, Trump has to show that the people of the state do not have the basic rights of the Constitution enforced as they are entitled to, or that an 'insurrection, domestic violence, unlawful combination, or conspiracy' obstructs federal law.
If a state governor or attorney general goes to court to oppose the deployment of federal troops, they would argue that the protests and the violence do not deprive people of their constitutional rights in a way that cannot be dealt with by state authorities.
Trump would have to show that the state authorities are failing to give people 'equal protection,' the crucial clause in the Constitution which means that laws cannot be unfairly enforced.
The first clash would be in front of a federal district judge.
That clash would inevitably have to reach the Supreme Court for settlement if one side or the other does not back down.
It would then become a multi-faceted constitutional question with little precedent in this or the last century.
It raises questions of states rights; the meaning of equal protection; the extent of First Amendment rights to protest and who decides what the limits of those rights are; and what the Founders meant about how a president can decide to act in an emergency.
HAVEN'T PRESIDENTS SENT IN TROOPS WITHOUT PERMISSION BEFORE?
Yes - repeatedly, but not with clear parallels to Trump's threat.
The most recent examples were Eisenhower and JFK who used federal troops in the south on three occasions during the civil rights era.
Each time they were used to enforce desegregation, first in Little Rock in 1957, then in 1962 in the aftermath of the Ole' Miss Riot, where pro-segregationists clashed with federal forces.
1957: Nine black students - the Little Rock Nine - are escorted into an Arkansas high school by the National Guard on the orders of Dwight Eisenhower
1963: Alabama governor George Wallace, third from left, makes his 'Stand in the Schoolhouse Door' by refusing to admit two black students to the University of Alabama - sparking a stand-off which prompted John F. Kennedy to intervene by taking over the state's National Guard
Both presidents did so by citing the clear violation of the equal protection clause in the Constitution represented by segregation, and each deployment was to one state at a time.
No 20th century president ever deployed troops across multiple states without requests from governors, as happened in 1968 when troops were used in Detroit, Chicago and series of other riot-hit cities, all when governors became overwhelmed.
The last time a widespread deployment happened without governors' permission was in 1894 when Grover Cleveland used federal troops to break the Pullman Strike, which was paralyzing railroads.
But he started by getting a federal injunction against the strike, meaning it was clear what legal rights he was enforcing with federal troops, even if the governor of Illinois - the center of the strike - did not ask for the troops to be deployed, or the governors of the other states where troops broke strikes and took control of railroad facilities.
Additionally, no state challenged the invocation of the act.
Trump would be the first president to try to deploy troops in the face of states going to court to stop him.
COULD TRUMP BE STOPPED FROM USING THE ACT?
Yes - but it could be difficult to stop him in advance.
A federal judge would have to issue an injunction against the deployment, which would be appealed to the Supreme Court.
Courts have historically been very reluctant to review a president's military declarations, said law professor Robert Chesney of the University of Texas.
Beyond that, it would ultimately be up to voters to remove the president at the next election if they disapprove of his use of the Act.
'Historically, the real checks on abuse of these authorities have been political,' said Vladeck, the law professor.
But this time might be more complicated - an injunction against deployment is a real possibility if a federal judge is being asked by a governor to stop a troop deployment because the governor claims it is unconstitutional.
That would send it to the Supreme Court and until it is resolved there, the deployment is likely to stay on hold.
The case would center on whether the Founders really wanted a president to be able to unilaterally intervene in the day-to-day policing of their states - over the objection of those states.
SO WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN AT THE SUPREME COURT?
A clash between a state - and probably groups of states - and Trump would have to go to the Supreme Court unless one or other backs down.
The judges are a 5-4 conservative majority, with conservatives who say their key loyalty is to interpreting the Constitution as closely as they possibly can to the intention of the framers who wrote it.
That would put two questions at the heart of it:
Did the framers think the president should be able to intervene unilaterally in the 'police power' of states to guarantee their citizens' health, law and order
If they did, are the circumstances right for Trump to do that?
On one side states might well argue that the founding fathers wanted federal government kept out of states' affairs as much as possible, that the Articles of Confederation make that clear, and that the violence in their cities does not meet the high standards set for using the federal military.
They would also be likely to argue a practical point - that states have not had a chance to decide on whether to ask for federal help, or if they have, have decided against it.
And they would also be likely to claim that the 10th Amendment to the Constitution puts 'police' powers primarily in the hands of the states.
Trump's case would center on the idea that the states could no longer guarantee the fundamental rights to life and liberty for the people of their cities, so it's up to the federal government to step in.
He would have to argue that the founders' proclamation of equal protection is the key to his actions.
And he would have to argue that military action assists people's right to protest under the First Amendment.
Then it would be up to the justices in probably the most consequential decision since Bush v Gore in 2000.
COULD THE MILITARY DISOBEY TRUMP?
Quite possibly, yes.
The military swear an oath to the Constitution, not to the president, and acknowledge him as commander-in-chief. They have a duty to follow lawful orders.
If a federal judge issued an injunction again Trump's order, the military would be expected to comply.
They would then have to wait for the outcome of the case.
The situation could vary state by state. Trump would order the military in to each state, forcing each state which objects to go to court and seek an injunction. There could be a patchwork of deployments.
And inside the Pentagon, lawyers would have to work out what the rules are and whether Trump's orders are lawful.
OTHER TIMES TROOPS QUELLED RIOTS
Troops have been called in to help deal with violent unrest repeatedly since World War II - and even during it.
In 1943 FDR acted when the governor of Michigan asked for military help as Detroit was racked by racial violence.
As social unrest gripped the nation in 1968, Johnson had to send for federal troops to put down three further riots in Washington, Baltimore and Chicago.
The rioting followed the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. on April 4, 1968 in a wave of violence which reached dozens of US cities.
Johnson was able to deploy troops in Washington without invitation, as commander-in-chief of the District of Columbia's national guard.
In Baltimore and Chicago, the respective local leaders - governor Spiro Agnew of Maryland, the future vice president, and mayor Richard Daley of Chicago - requested Johnson's help to put down the riots.
In the most recent case, president George H.W. Bush sent federal troops to Los Angeles during the Rodney King riots in 1992.
Military units were deployed at the request of California governor Pete Wilson after the violence which broke out when four cops were acquitted of beating King.
1992: A man burns an American flag during the Rodney King riots in Los Angeles, the last time that a president - George H.W. Bush - invoked the Insurrection Act
Other uses of the Act
Having lobbied for the Insurrection Act in 1807, Jefferson was the first to use it the following year to enforce a trade embargo during the Napoleonic Wars.
Jefferson declared New York's Lake Champlain on the Canadian border to be in insurrection because of its role in smuggling, allowing him to enforce the blockade.
In addition to riots and civil rights clashes, presidents have dispatched federal troops to combat a variety of strikes and other brief episodes of unrest.
In 1989, George H.W. Bush sent troops to keep the peace in the Virgin Islands after looting in the wake of Hurricane Hugo.
His son George W. Bush considered sending troops to New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, but eventually decided against.
The Bush White House's concerns about the legality of such a move prompted the 2007 amendment which specifically mentioned natural disasters.
There have been other occasions where the military was deployed under different laws or where the mere threat of sending troops was enough to restore calm.
Richard Nixon ordered the military to keep mail services running during a postal strike in 1970, citing the 1932 Economy Act rather than the Insurrection Act.
In 1987, Ronald Reagan authorized his Secretary of Defense to call up the National Guard to quell an Atlanta prison riot, but the troops did not prove necessary.
2005: A neighborhood of New Orleans lies under water after Hurricane Katrina, a disaster which prompted an amendment to the Insurrection Act
Trump's dramatic escalation came a week after the death in Minneapolis of George Floyd, an unarmed black man who had been pinned down with a knee to the neck by a police officer - leading to the worst civil unrest in decades in New York, Los Angeles and dozens of other American cities.


thelibertydaily--2020-06-02--Ex-Chinese Official Extradited to US, Faces Charges for Laundering Millions

A former Chinese official and fugitive has been extradited to Los Angeles from Sweden for allegedly laundering millions of dollars of stolen money , the U.S. Department of Justice said on June 1 .
Prosecutors held Qiao Jianjun , 56 , in federal custody over the weekend for five charges , including international transport of stolen money , immigration fraud , and “ engaging in financial transactions in criminally derived property.
” If convicted , Qiao could spend a maximum of 55 years in federal prison .
Qiao , also known as Li Feng , is the former head of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Zhoukou Municipal Grain Reserve in Henan Province .
He was on the run in Sweden for more than five years from U.S. and Chinese prosecutors .
Also called Sinograin , the Beijing-headquartered company manages the country ’ s grain reserves , according to the company ’ s official website .
Food security is considered a national security issue by Chinese authorities .
State-run food companies fill warehouses with grain purchased from local farmers , and prices are kept low with subsidies from the central government .
The United States first indicted Qiao in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arrested in Sweden on behalf of U.S. authorities in June 2018 .
The 2018 indictment recorded nearly 40 fraudulent transactions that Qiao allegedly initiated to siphon funds through his bank accounts in China , Hong Kong , and Singapore , some of which he used to purchase two properties in Monterey Park , California .
He is also wanted by Chinese authorities on charges of embezzlement .
Qiao first fled China in November 2011 , after embezzling a total of $ 98 million , making him one of the most wanted Chinese corrupt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ media reports .
China had also sought to extradite Qiao in June 2018 , a request that the Swedish supreme court blocked , citing a risk that he could face persecution and mistreatment because of his political affiliation , which would constitute a violation of the European Convention .
Qiao appeared in court on June 1 in Los Angeles .
According to court filings , Qiao and his ex-wife Zhao Shilan are also accused of committing visa fraud .
Zhao entered the United States in 2008 and later filed for immigration status .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ s spouse , Qiao obtained an EB-5 immigrant investor visa that allows him to stay in the United States for two years before applying for permanent residency .
However , the couple divorced years ago , in 2001 , according to U.S. prosecutors .
Zhao also forged documents to show purported interest in investing in two Chinese flour companies and lied about Qiao ’ s source of investment for the visa application .
Zhao pleaded guilty to the charges in 2017 .
The United States is seeking to confiscate Qiao ’ s property @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seize other substitute assets from the defendant up to the property ’ s value if the real property can not be located or has substantially declined in value .
Zhao also owns a condo in the Flushing neighborhood of New York City , according to a 2017 Los Angeles Times report .
The Chinese regime has sought to crack down on fugitive grafting officials since 2015 amid an anti-corruption campaign whereby many of current leader Xi Jinping ’ s political rivals were ousted .
The initiative to catch officials on the run was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Chinese anti-corruption investigators submitted to U.S. authorities a “ priority list ” of 150 Chinese officials that they would like to apprehend , according to a report by China Daily , the English-language mouthpiece for the Chinese regime .

The Department of Justice in Washington on Jan. 14, 2020. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times)
A former Chinese official and fugitive has been extradited to Los Angeles from Sweden for allegedly laundering millions of dollars of stolen money, the U.S. Department of Justice said on June 1.
Prosecutors held Qiao Jianjun, 56, in federal custody over the weekend for five charges, including international transport of stolen money, immigration fraud, and “engaging in financial transactions in criminally derived property.”
If convicted, Qiao could spend a maximum of 55 years in federal prison.
Qiao, also known as Li Feng, is the former head of a state-owned Chinese grain storehouse, the Zhoukou Municipal Grain Reserve in Henan Province. He was on the run in Sweden for more than five years from U.S. and Chinese prosecutors.
Also called Sinograin, the Beijing-headquartered company manages the country’s grain reserves, according to the company’s official website.
Food security is considered a national security issue by Chinese authorities. State-run food companies fill warehouses with grain purchased from local farmers, and prices are kept low with subsidies from the central government.
US Charges
The United States first indicted Qiao in 2015 in his absence. Qiao was arrested in Sweden on behalf of U.S. authorities in June 2018.
The 2018 indictment recorded nearly 40 fraudulent transactions that Qiao allegedly initiated to siphon funds through his bank accounts in China, Hong Kong, and Singapore, some of which he used to purchase two properties in Monterey Park, California.
He is also wanted by Chinese authorities on charges of embezzlement.
Qiao first fled China in November 2011, after embezzling a total of $98 million, making him one of the most wanted Chinese corrupt officials, according to allegations in Chinese media reports. China had also sought to extradite Qiao in June 2018, a request that the Swedish supreme court blocked, citing a risk that he could face persecution and mistreatment because of his political affiliation, which would constitute a violation of the European Convention.
Qiao appeared in court on June 1 in Los Angeles.
According to court filings, Qiao and his ex-wife Zhao Shilan are also accused of committing visa fraud. Zhao entered the United States in 2008 and later filed for immigration status.
By pretending to still be Zhao’s spouse, Qiao obtained an EB-5 immigrant investor visa that allows him to stay in the United States for two years before applying for permanent residency. However, the couple divorced years ago, in 2001, according to U.S. prosecutors.
Zhao also forged documents to show purported interest in investing in two Chinese flour companies and lied about Qiao’s source of investment for the visa application.
Zhao pleaded guilty to the charges in 2017.
The United States is seeking to confiscate Qiao’s property in Newcastle, Washington, and may seize other substitute assets from the defendant up to the property’s value if the real property cannot be located or has substantially declined in value.
Zhao also owns a condo in the Flushing neighborhood of New York City, according to a 2017 Los Angeles Times report.
Corrupt Chinese Officials
The Chinese regime has sought to crack down on fugitive grafting officials since 2015 amid an anti-corruption campaign whereby many of current leader Xi Jinping’s political rivals were ousted. The initiative to catch officials on the run was dubbed “Operation Skynet.”
That year, Chinese anti-corruption investigators submitted to U.S. authorities a “priority list” of 150 Chinese officials that they would like to apprehend, according to a report by China Daily, the English-language mouthpiece for the Chinese regime.
From The Epoch Times


thelibertydaily--2020-06-02--Philadelphia’s New Voting Machines Under Scrutiny in June 2 Elections

Philadelphia ’ s New Voting Machines Under Scrutiny in June 2 Elections WASHINGTON—When Pennsylvania holds primary elections on June 2 , some election security advocates will be watching closely to see if more than 2,000 new voting machines acquired last year by Philadelphia and two other counties perform without glitches .
Philadelphia and Northampton counties first used the new “ ExpressVote XL ” machines in last November ’ s local elections and will deploy them again in the presidential nominating contests and local races .
A third county , Cumberland , will use the machines for the first time .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pennsylvania was marred by miscounted vote tallies in Northampton , a politically divided county in eastern Pennsylvania .
Some ExpressVote XL machines incorrectly recorded votes for several candidates in the November election , prompting the county to count backup paper receipts to identify the correct winners , according to Maudeania Hornik , chair of the Northampton Election Commission .
Some of Northampton ’ s 320 machines “ were configured improperly at our factory prior to delivery to Northampton County , ” the maker of the ExpressVote XL equipment said during a December press @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as many as 30 percent of the machines were affected , Hornik said .
Problems with at least 366 ExpressVote XL machines also arose in Philadelphia , according to public records exclusively obtained by Reuters .
The city last year replaced its old voting equipment with a new fleet of 3,750 ExpressVote XL machines .
Reuters couldn ’ t ascertain how many of those machines were deployed in the November 2019 election there .
Philadelphia is home to 20 percent of registered Democrats in Pennsylvania , a crucial battleground state that could determine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Poll workers and technicians reported issues with the new machines at more than 40 percent of polling locations in Philadelphia during last November ’ s election , according to the records reviewed by Reuters .
Problems included touchscreens that were hypersensitive or that froze ; paper voting receipts getting jammed in the machines ; and panels opening on some machines to expose the equipment ’ s electronic controls , the records show .
Katina Granger , a spokeswoman for the ExpressVote XL ’ s manufacturer , ES & S , said the company @ @ @ @ @ @ @ machines , and that it was “ simply inaccurate ” for anyone to imply there were widespread issues with the ExpressVote XL .
The machines face a big test .
After Pennsylvania postponed its 2020 primary , originally scheduled for April due to COVID-19 pandemic fears , Philadelphia reduced its in-person polling sites to 190 locations , down from more than 800 that would typically be operating .
Those sites are more concentrated in neighborhoods dominated by low-income and minority voters , U.S. Census data show .
Pennsylvania allows residents to vote by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 20 percent of Philadelphia ’ s electorate requested absentee ballots for the contest .
Philadelphia , Northampton , and Cumberland , in central Pennsylvania , have yet to announce if the machines will also be used in November ’ s presidential election .
Counties typically avoid switching voting systems in major election years .
Reuters reviewed records of 605 phone calls from Philadelphia poll workers who reported problems with the ExpressVote XL machines last November to an Election Day technical helpline run by the city .
Reuters also spoke with 13 poll workers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of those issues firsthand .
Reuters received copies of the call records—known as “ trouble cards ” —from four Philadelphia voters , two of whom are among the plaintiffs in a lawsuit demanding Pennsylvania halt the use of the machines .
The case , which was brought by two nonpartisan election integrity groups and several voters , is currently pending in a Pennsylvania state court .
Philadelphia Deputy City Commissioner Nick Custodio made the records available to voters in accordance with a law that allows Pennsylvania voters to view and copy such information @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trouble cards , Custodio said there were fewer and less serious calls about the ExpressVote XL machines in November 2019 than there had been about the city ’ s previous machines in past elections .
Custodio didn ’ t address the number of trouble cards , or provide comparable totals of trouble cards from previous elections .
In an email to Reuters , he called the city ’ s experience with the new voting equipment “ overwhelmingly positive , ” and also said the news agency had engaged in “ bias ( sic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some records from the two voters who are plaintiffs in the state lawsuit .
Reuters requested the records under Pennsylvania ’ s right-to-know law .
Philadelphia ’ s deputy solicitor turned down that request , citing a state law that said the records “ may be inspected and copied by any qualified elector of the county , ” meaning Pennsylvania voters .
Reuters then asked some voters to copy and share them with the news agency , four of whom did so .
Matthew Lilly , president of a company that serviced the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the ExpressVote XLs , disputed Custodio ’ s assertion that previous elections generated more machine issues .
Lilly said that in his two decades working with the city , he didn ’ t recall any election that resulted in more than 500 trouble cards .
Reuters couldn ’ t independently confirm how many trouble cards Philadelphia ’ s voting machines typically generated in previous elections .
ES & S spokeswoman Granger said “ additional quality control and training have been instituted ” for the Pennsylvania machines since November .
Based in Omaha @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one of the largest election-machine manufacturers in the United States .
The company released the ExpressVote XL in 2018 .
The machine was a successor to its earlier ExpressVote model that is used by 1,838 counties around the country .
When voting on an ExpressVote XL machine , voters insert a blank page into the machine and make their choices by tapping an interactive screen .
The machine then prints a receipt for voters to review , with their choices listed both in human-readable text along with an accompanying barcode that represents each @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the barcodes to tabulate results .
Even before last November , some election security experts in Pennsylvania raised concerns that ExpressVote XL machines are vulnerable to vote tampering , in part because voters have no way of knowing if those barcodes accurately reflect the candidates for whom they voted .
Separate from the state suit , a different group of voter advocates filed a federal suit to stop Pennsylvania from using the machines over similar concerns .
A federal judge in Pennsylvania dismissed that suit in April , saying plaintiffs had not proven @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were vulnerable to being hacked .
Marian Schneider , who served as Pennsylvania ’ s deputy secretary for elections and administration from February 2015 until May 2017 , said that “ hiccups ” could be expected with the rollout of any new voting system .
“ But this number of trouble cards recorded in a low-turnout election year ( 2019 ) is concerning , ” said Schneider , who is currently president of Verified Voting , a secure voting technology advocacy group .
Schneider isn ’ t part of litigation involving the ExpressVote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mizelle told Reuters she was shocked last November to see a panel on top of her ExpressVote XL open , with a USB drive and a power button visible .
Mizelle , 44 , asked precinct captain Thelma Peake why the machine ’ s internal system was accessible to voters .
Peake told her the panels on the machines kept “ popping open , ” according to both women .
Peake said she eventually got the panel closed , but it remained “ easy to tamper with.
” ExpressVote XL machines only accept @ @ @ @ @ @ @ containing encrypted data , ” according to ES & S , making it impossible for other devices to “ change the election definition or system firmware.
” Three of six counties in New Jersey and Delaware that also use ExpressVote XL machines said they hadn ’ t experienced any problems with them .
Combined , they have used 700 machines so far .
“ There were no issues relative to tabulating the votes , or how voters marked their votes , ” said Nicole DiRado , the elections board administrator of Union County @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 432 machines in local elections so far .
The other three counties didn ’ t respond to requests for comment .

WASHINGTON—When Pennsylvania holds primary elections on June 2, some election security advocates will be watching closely to see if more than 2,000 new voting machines acquired last year by Philadelphia and two other counties perform without glitches.
Philadelphia and Northampton counties first used the new “ExpressVote XL” machines in last November's local elections and will deploy them again in the presidential nominating contests and local races. A third county, Cumberland, will use the machines for the first time.
Their first widespread use in 2019 in Pennsylvania was marred by miscounted vote tallies in Northampton, a politically divided county in eastern Pennsylvania. Some ExpressVote XL machines incorrectly recorded votes for several candidates in the November election, prompting the county to count backup paper receipts to identify the correct winners, according to Maudeania Hornik, chair of the Northampton Election Commission.
Some of Northampton's 320 machines "were configured improperly at our factory prior to delivery to Northampton County," the maker of the ExpressVote XL equipment said during a December press conference. The manufacturer told the county as many as 30 percent of the machines were affected, Hornik said.
Problems with at least 366 ExpressVote XL machines also arose in Philadelphia, according to public records exclusively obtained by Reuters. The city last year replaced its old voting equipment with a new fleet of 3,750 ExpressVote XL machines. Reuters couldn't ascertain how many of those machines were deployed in the November 2019 election there.
Philadelphia is home to 20 percent of registered Democrats in Pennsylvania, a crucial battleground state that could determine who wins the presidency in November.
Poll workers and technicians reported issues with the new machines at more than 40 percent of polling locations in Philadelphia during last November's election, according to the records reviewed by Reuters. Problems included touchscreens that were hypersensitive or that froze; paper voting receipts getting jammed in the machines; and panels opening on some machines to expose the equipment's electronic controls, the records show.
Katina Granger, a spokeswoman for the ExpressVote XL’s manufacturer, ES&S, said the company was “wholly confident” in the machines, and that it was "simply inaccurate" for anyone to imply there were widespread issues with the ExpressVote XL.
The machines face a big test. After Pennsylvania postponed its 2020 primary, originally scheduled for April due to COVID-19 pandemic fears, Philadelphia reduced its in-person polling sites to 190 locations, down from more than 800 that would typically be operating. Those sites are more concentrated in neighborhoods dominated by low-income and minority voters, U.S. Census data show. Pennsylvania allows residents to vote by mail for any reason, but just 20 percent of Philadelphia's electorate requested absentee ballots for the contest.
Philadelphia, Northampton, and Cumberland, in central Pennsylvania, have yet to announce if the machines will also be used in November’s presidential election. Counties typically avoid switching voting systems in major election years.
Reuters reviewed records of 605 phone calls from Philadelphia poll workers who reported problems with the ExpressVote XL machines last November to an Election Day technical helpline run by the city. Reuters also spoke with 13 poll workers and voters who said they experienced some of those issues firsthand.
Reuters received copies of the call records—known as “trouble cards”—from four Philadelphia voters, two of whom are among the plaintiffs in a lawsuit demanding Pennsylvania halt the use of the machines. The case, which was brought by two nonpartisan election integrity groups and several voters, is currently pending in a Pennsylvania state court.
Philadelphia Deputy City Commissioner Nick Custodio made the records available to voters in accordance with a law that allows Pennsylvania voters to view and copy such information.
When asked for comment about the trouble cards, Custodio said there were fewer and less serious calls about the ExpressVote XL machines in November 2019 than there had been about the city's previous machines in past elections. Custodio didn't address the number of trouble cards, or provide comparable totals of trouble cards from previous elections.
In an email to Reuters, he called the city’s experience with the new voting equipment “overwhelmingly positive,” and also said the news agency had engaged in “bias (sic) fact-gathering” by obtaining copies of some records from the two voters who are plaintiffs in the state lawsuit. Reuters requested the records under Pennsylvania's right-to-know law.
Philadelphia's deputy solicitor turned down that request, citing a state law that said the records "may be inspected and copied by any qualified elector of the county," meaning Pennsylvania voters. Reuters then asked some voters to copy and share them with the news agency, four of whom did so.
Matthew Lilly, president of a company that serviced the old machines in Philadelphia that were replaced by the ExpressVote XLs, disputed Custodio's assertion that previous elections generated more machine issues. Lilly said that in his two decades working with the city, he didn't recall any election that resulted in more than 500 trouble cards.
Reuters couldn't independently confirm how many trouble cards Philadelphia's voting machines typically generated in previous elections.
ES&S spokeswoman Granger said "additional quality control and training have been instituted" for the Pennsylvania machines since November.
Based in Omaha, Nebraska, ES&S is one of the largest election-machine manufacturers in the United States. The company released the ExpressVote XL in 2018. The machine was a successor to its earlier ExpressVote model that is used by 1,838 counties around the country.
When voting on an ExpressVote XL machine, voters insert a blank page into the machine and make their choices by tapping an interactive screen. The machine then prints a receipt for voters to review, with their choices listed both in human-readable text along with an accompanying barcode that represents each candidate they selected. The machine uses the barcodes to tabulate results.
Even before last November, some election security experts in Pennsylvania raised concerns that ExpressVote XL machines are vulnerable to vote tampering, in part because voters have no way of knowing if those barcodes accurately reflect the candidates for whom they voted. Separate from the state suit, a different group of voter advocates filed a federal suit to stop Pennsylvania from using the machines over similar concerns.
A federal judge in Pennsylvania dismissed that suit in April, saying plaintiffs had not proven the machines were recording votes incorrectly or were vulnerable to being hacked.
Marian Schneider, who served as Pennsylvania’s deputy secretary for elections and administration from February 2015 until May 2017, said that “hiccups” could be expected with the rollout of any new voting system.
"But this number of trouble cards recorded in a low-turnout election year (2019) is concerning," said Schneider, who is currently president of Verified Voting, a secure voting technology advocacy group. Schneider isn't part of litigation involving the ExpressVote XL machines.
West Philadelphia voter Susie Mizelle told Reuters she was shocked last November to see a panel on top of her ExpressVote XL open, with a USB drive and a power button visible. Mizelle, 44, asked precinct captain Thelma Peake why the machine’s internal system was accessible to voters. Peake told her the panels on the machines kept “popping open,” according to both women.
Peake said she eventually got the panel closed, but it remained “easy to tamper with.”
ExpressVote XL machines only accept "certified and approved USB flash drives containing encrypted data," according to ES&S, making it impossible for other devices to "change the election definition or system firmware."
Three of six counties in New Jersey and Delaware that also use ExpressVote XL machines said they hadn't experienced any problems with them. Combined, they have used 700 machines so far.
"There were no issues relative to tabulating the votes, or how voters marked their votes," said Nicole DiRado, the elections board administrator of Union County, New Jersey, which has deployed 432 machines in local elections so far.
The other three counties didn't respond to requests for comment.
By Julia Harte