powerlineblog--2020-10-15--Has any current athlete or coach died from the coronavirus?

As a sports fan , I read almost every day about current athletes and coaches who test positive for the Wuhan coronavirus .
Yesterday , for example , I learned that legendary Alabama football coach Nick Saban has tested positive .
Twenty-one members of the University of Florida football team reportedly have , as well .
From Italy comes word that the Napoli soccer team was required by local authorities to be quarantined due to a couple of positive tests among its players .
Oddly , Napoli is being penalized by Italian football authorities for not playing a match using @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this would have meant violating the quarantine .
But here ’ s my question : Has any current athlete or coach died from the virus ?
I follow American sports closely .
I also follow five European soccer leagues with varying degrees of attention .
I ’ m not aware of any athlete or coach whose life the virus has taken .
I know that the great Freddy Freeman feared he might die from the virus when his temperature approached 105 degrees .
But Freeman was never hospitalized and his fever apparently broke @ @ @ @ @ @ @ saying that no current athlete or coach has died from the virus .
I would bet that some have .
I ’ m just not aware of it happening to any athletes or coaches in the many sports leagues I follow .
This , despite a few hundred reports of positive tests among athletes and coaches in these leagues .
I conclude that if you ’ re young and healthy , the coronavirus poses virtually no threat of killing you .
And if you ’ re middle aged and healthy ( most coaches @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years old ) , there is also very little risk .
I ’ m not one of those who says that , generally speaking , the coronavirus is like catching a cold or having the flu .
For many people , it ’ s much worse .
But not for young , healthy people .
In fact , for many of them , contracting the virus is better than having the flu , at least in terms of their personal health .
That ’ s because many who test positive are entirely without @ @ @ @ @ @ @ policy implications of this are fairly clear .

As a sports fan, I read almost every day about current athletes and coaches who test positive for the Wuhan coronavirus. Yesterday, for example, I learned that legendary Alabama football coach Nick Saban has tested positive. Twenty-one members of the University of Florida football team reportedly have, as well.
From Italy comes word that the Napoli soccer team was required by local authorities to be quarantined due to a couple of positive tests among its players. Oddly, Napoli is being penalized by Italian football authorities for not playing a match using players who tested negative, even though this would have meant violating the quarantine.
But here’s my question: Has any current athlete or coach died from the virus?
I follow American sports closely. I also follow five European soccer leagues with varying degrees of attention. I’m not aware of any athlete or coach whose life the virus has taken.
I know that the great Freddie Freeman feared he might die from the virus when his temperature approached 105 degrees. But Freeman was never hospitalized and his fever apparently broke pretty quickly.
I’m not saying that no current athlete or coach has died from the virus. I would bet that some have. I’m just not aware of it happening to any athletes or coaches in the many sports leagues I follow. This, despite a few hundred reports of positive tests among athletes and coaches in these leagues.
I conclude that if you’re young and healthy, the coronavirus poses virtually no threat of killing you. And if you’re middle aged and healthy (most coaches are, but Nick Saban is 68 years old), there is also very little risk.
I’m not one of those who says that, generally speaking, the coronavirus is like catching a cold or having the flu. For many people, it’s much worse.
But not for young, healthy people. In fact, for many of them, contracting the virus is better than having the flu, at least in terms of their personal health. That’s because many who test positive are entirely without symptoms.
I think the general public policy implications of this are fairly clear.


powerlineblog--2020-10-15--Even the Washington Post can’t deny that Barrett was a hit

You can tell from this Washington Post article that Amy Coney Barrett sailed through her confirmation hearings in fine form .
The Post is forced to acknowledge that Barrett was a hit among Catholic women .
Thus , it falls back on attacking President Trump and GOP Senators for using Barrett for political purposes .
The Post didn ’ t survey Catholic women for its article .
It handpicked a few of them .
Two are professors .
Another , the Post describes as “ a key Obama supporter.
” Another , it describes as “ a sociologist ” and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ These are not your average Catholic woman in the street interviewees .
The Catholic woman to whom the Post gives the most space is a mother of seven from South Bend , Indiana , where Judge Barrett went to law school and taught .
She sounds like she might be “ typical.
” But at the end of the article we learn that she voted for an anti-Trump third party candidate in 2016 .
It ’ s always instructive to hear from the Jill Stein crowd .
The consensus among these handpicked women @ @ @ @ @ @ @ How could they conclude otherwise ?
The Jill Stein supporter said , “ I seriously so admire her story.
” Another interviewee said , “ I ’ ve never met her , but she feels like an old friend.
” Barrett ’ s story “ makes me feel justified as a Catholic woman , because she ’ s someone who was true to her faith , and also has a very successful career , ” she added .
But there ’ s a catch .
Republican patriarchs are using Barrett .
The Jill @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exploiting the nomination to try to win over Catholic suburban women .
She also expressed frustration that GOP Senators continued to bring up Barrett ’ s large family .
“ You just know that if it was a father of 7 up for nomination they wouldn ’ t be doing that , ” she whined .
Picking up on the latter point , the feminist professors find that the patriarchs are presenting an unrealistic model of what Catholic women should be .
One of them put it this way : I don ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and submission came from .
When you ’ re a lefty professor you just make stuff up .
Another professor moaned that the confirmation process depicted an image of what it means to be “ an archetypal Catholic woman in America.
” She felt that GOP Senators , by emphasizing Barrett ’ s family , were “ communicating to the American public what kind of woman belong [ s ] [ on the Supreme Court ] .
” But there ’ s an obvious difference between noting that Barrett has had an amazing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ communicating ” that raising a large family is a prerequisite , or even a preferred attribute , for membership on the Supreme Court .
If Bret Kavanaugh had been a war hero , his supporters on the committee would have emphasized it .
That wouldn ’ t have signaled that men on the Court should be war heroes .
Race makes its obligatory appearance in the Post ’ s article .
One of the professors complained that Latina Catholics have long been negatively stereotyped for having many children .
“ It ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s a Black or brown family , if it ’ s a White family in the Midwest , it ’ s a beautiful symbol of Catholicism , ” she explained .
I ’ m not aware of any conservatives complaining about large families except in cases where they actually do create a social burden .
The real news in the Post ’ s story is , as I said , the near absence of criticism of Judge Barrett from even leftist Catholic women .
The grievances they expressed were with President Trump , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ general .
To a lesser degree , that ’ s been the approach of Senate Democrats , too .
Maybe the Post received the memo .

You can tell from this Washington Post article that Amy Coney Barrett sailed through her confirmation hearings in fine form. The Post is forced to acknowledge that Barrett was a hit among Catholic women. Thus, it falls back on attacking President Trump and GOP Senators for using Barrett for political purposes.
The Post didn’t survey Catholic women for its article. It handpicked a few of them.
Two are professors. Another, the Post describes as “a key Obama supporter.” Another, it describes as “a sociologist” and a “Black, feminist Catholic.”
These are not your average Catholic woman in the street interviewees.
The Catholic woman to whom the Post gives the most space is a mother of seven from South Bend, Indiana, where Judge Barrett went to law school and taught. She sounds like she might be “typical.” But at the end of the article we learn that she voted for an anti-Trump third party candidate in 2016.
It’s always instructive to hear from the Jill Stein crowd.
The consensus among these handpicked women is that Barrett is remarkably accomplished. How could they conclude otherwise?
The Jill Stein supporter said, “I seriously so admire her story.” Another interviewee said, “I’ve never met her, but she feels like an old friend.” Barrett’s story “makes me feel justified as a Catholic woman, because she’s someone who was true to her faith, and also has a very successful career,” she added.
But there’s a catch. Republican patriarchs are using Barrett.
The Jill Stein supporter complained that President Trump is exploiting the nomination to try to win over Catholic suburban women. She also expressed frustration that GOP Senators continued to bring up Barrett’s large family. “You just know that if it was a father of 7 up for nomination they wouldn’t be doing that,” she whined.
Picking up on the latter point, the feminist professors find that the patriarchs are presenting an unrealistic model of what Catholic women should be. One of them put it this way:
She’s like a new-wave Virgin Mary where you can have it all. You can be a virgin and be a mom. You can be super successful in your career and be a perfect, submissive wife. It’s pedestalizing the impossible.
I don’t know where the part about virginity and submission came from. When you’re a lefty professor you just make stuff up.
Another professor moaned that the confirmation process depicted an image of what it means to be “an archetypal Catholic woman in America.” She felt that GOP Senators, by emphasizing Barrett’s family, were “communicating to the American public what kind of woman belong[s] [on the Supreme Court].”
But there’s an obvious difference between noting that Barrett has had an amazing career while raising a large family and “communicating” that raising a large family is a prerequisite, or even a preferred attribute, for membership on the Supreme Court. If Bret Kavanaugh had been a war hero, his supporters on the committee would have emphasized it. That wouldn’t have signaled that men on the Court should be war heroes.
Race makes its obligatory appearance in the Post’s article. One of the professors complained that Latina Catholics have long been negatively stereotyped for having many children. “It’s a social burden when it’s a Black or brown family, if it’s a White family in the Midwest, it’s a beautiful symbol of Catholicism,” she explained.
I’m not aware of any conservatives complaining about large families except in cases where they actually do create a social burden.
The real news in the Post’s story is, as I said, the near absence of criticism of Judge Barrett from even leftist Catholic women. The grievances they expressed were with President Trump, male GOP Senators, and society in general.
To a lesser degree, that’s been the approach of Senate Democrats, too. Maybe the Post received the memo.


powerlineblog--2020-10-15--WTH is going on? Trump explains

WTH is going on? Trump explains

President Trump sat down for the WTH Is Going On ?
podcast with AEI ’ s Marc Thiessen and Danielle Pletka this past Tuesday .
Through the courtesies of our friends at AEI , I have embedded the podcast below .
AEI previews the podcast with this summary : What ’ s going on in the White House ?
Three weeks out from the 2020 election , has President Trump fully recovered from COVID ?
Does he have a strategy beyond his base ?
What would a second term hold ?
President Donald Trump joined the show to talk about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hearings , and foreign policy .
He also discusses what he hopes to accomplish in a second Trump term , the COVID lockdowns , the economy , and Operation Warp Speed .
Trump sounds great .
Listening to Trump in this interview is energizing .
By the way , the title of the WTH ?
podcast derives from President Trump himself , as you can hear at the opening .
The interview is the source of Marc ’ s current Washington Post column here , but there is no substitute for the real @ @ @ @ @ @ @ us present it to our readers .

President Trump sat down for the WTH Is Going On? podcast with AEI’s Marc Thiessen and Danielle Pletka this past Tuesday. Through the courtesies of our friends at AEI, I have embedded the podcast below.
AEI previews the podcast with this summary:
What’s going on in the White House? Three weeks out from the 2020 election, has President Trump fully recovered from COVID? Does he have a strategy beyond his base? What would a second term hold? President Donald Trump joined the show to talk about having COVID, the Supreme Court confirmation hearings, and foreign policy. He also discusses what he hopes to accomplish in a second Trump term, the COVID lockdowns, the economy, and Operation Warp Speed.
Trump sounds great. Listening to Trump in this interview is energizing. By the way, the title of the WTH? podcast derives from President Trump himself, as you can hear at the opening.
The interview is the source of Marc’s current Washington Post column here, but there is no substitute for the real thing. Thanks to AEI for helping us present it to our readers.


powerlineblog--2020-10-16--Arizona Senate Race Shaken Up

Arizona Senate Race Shaken Up

Mark Kelly , Gabrielle Giffords ’ husband , is running for Arizona ’ s Senate seat against Martha McSally .
Kelly , a former astronaut , is one of those Democrats who pose as normal Americans .
His cover was blown today when it came out that a key campaign aide denounced police officers as “ worthless fucking pigs ” one week before he went to work for Kelly : A campaign spokesman for Arizona Democratic Senate candidate Mark Kelly apologized Thursday for a tweet he wrote just before joining the campaign that called police “ worthless f–ing pigs.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s deputy press secretary , called police “ worthless f–ing pigs ” in response to a video that showed Chicago police clashing with protesters in August .
He joined Mr. Kelly ’ s campaign one week later .
L ’ Heureux deleted his tweet and locked his account .
Now he says his absurd attack on law enforcement didn ’ t reflect “ who he is , ” one of the lamest of dodges : “ I deeply regret my comment and apologize for what I wrote — I was wrong , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ provided to The Arizona Republic .
“ My comment does not reflect who I am or what I believe , and most importantly , it is not representative of what this campaign stands for .
The language I used and the sentiment I conveyed do not belong in our political process , which is why I have deleted the tweet.
” No doubt he , like so many others , regrets that he got caught .
Martha McSally responded : Sen. Martha McSally , Mr. Kelly ’ s opponent , has repeatedly accused @ @ @ @ @ @ @ police ” movement , which he denies .
“ These comments are disgusting and were made just one week before Mark Kelly hired this person , meaning he knew about it and was OK with it , ” McSally spokesperson Caroline Anderegg told The Arizona Republic .
“ It ’ s just further proof that Mark embraces extreme anti-law enforcement ideas and rhetoric .
Anything he tries to say to the contrary is a bunch of hot air.
” The Arizona Senate race has been close , but this fiasco will hurt Mark @ @ @ @ @ @

Mark Kelly, Gabrielle Giffords’ husband, is running for Arizona’s Senate seat against Martha McSally. Kelly, a former astronaut, is one of those Democrats who pose as normal Americans. His cover was blown today when it came out that a key campaign aide denounced police officers as “worthless fucking pigs” one week before he went to work for Kelly:
A campaign spokesman for Arizona Democratic Senate candidate Mark Kelly apologized Thursday for a tweet he wrote just before joining the campaign that called police “worthless f–ing pigs.” T.J. L’Heureux, Mr. Kelly’s deputy press secretary, called police “worthless f–ing pigs” in response to a video that showed Chicago police clashing with protesters in August. He joined Mr. Kelly’s campaign one week later.
L’Heureux deleted his tweet and locked his account. Now he says his absurd attack on law enforcement didn’t reflect “who he is,” one of the lamest of dodges:
“I deeply regret my comment and apologize for what I wrote — I was wrong,” he later said in a statement provided to The Arizona Republic. “My comment does not reflect who I am or what I believe, and most importantly, it is not representative of what this campaign stands for. The language I used and the sentiment I conveyed do not belong in our political process, which is why I have deleted the tweet.”
No doubt he, like so many others, regrets that he got caught. Martha McSally responded:
Sen. Martha McSally, Mr. Kelly’s opponent, has repeatedly accused him of supporting the “defund the police” movement, which he denies. “These comments are disgusting and were made just one week before Mark Kelly hired this person, meaning he knew about it and was OK with it,” McSally spokesperson Caroline Anderegg told The Arizona Republic. “It’s just further proof that Mark embraces extreme anti-law enforcement ideas and rhetoric. Anything he tries to say to the contrary is a bunch of hot air.”
The Arizona Senate race has been close, but this fiasco will hurt Mark Kelly, and deservedly so.


powerlineblog--2020-10-16--Ten Per Cent for the Big Guy

Ten Per Cent for the Big Guy

The Twitter fiasco continues to reverberate .
For a while , Twitter suspended the Trump campaign ’ s account , as well as Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany ’ s account and many others , for linking to the New York Post ’ s story about Joe Biden ’ s corruption .
Republicans have reacted angrily , and Senator Josh Hawley , on behalf of the Senate Judiciary Committee ’ s Subcommittee on Terrorism and Crime has requested Jack Dorsey and Mark Zuckerberg to appear and testify at a proposed hearing titled “ Digital Platforms and Election Interference.
” Reportedly , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ subpoena Dorsey on Tuesday .
The Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission is also moving forward with a rule making process to clarify Section 230 of the Communications Act , which some courts have interpreted broadly to shield social media platforms from scrutiny : Of course , none of this will go forward if Joe Biden wins the presidency , and if Democrats capture the Senate .
At this point , Twitter in particular is all in for Joe Biden .
If Trump should surprise them and win , there will be an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Post is continuing its series of articles based on Hunter Biden ’ s abandoned hard drive .
Today the Post featured a story even more explosive than the one Twitter and Facebook tried to suppress yesterday : Hunter Biden pursued lucrative deals involving China ’ s largest private energy company — including one that he said would be “ interesting for me and my family , ” emails obtained by The Post show .
One email sent to Biden on May 13 , 2017 , with the subject line “ Expectations , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for six people involved in an unspecified business venture .
The emails indicate that Hunter was to receive an annual salary of $ 850,000 .
Somewhere on the planet there is a greedier person than Hunter Biden , but you would have to look hard to find him .
But of course , no one cared then , or now , about Hunter .
H is obviously Hunter , and Jim is no doubt Jim Biden , Joe ’ s brother .
But who is “ the big guy ” on whose behalf @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the company ’ s equity ?
Let ’ s be clear here : Hunter Biden is a crack-smoking , barely employable nobody .
A Chinese conglomerate would not cut Hunter in on a proposed business deal in order to obtain his non-existent expertise .
Rather , the point of Hunter ’ s involvement can only be “ the big guy , ” on whose behalf Hunter would take an additional 10 percent of the proposed company ’ s shares .
Is the big guy former Vice President and , as of May @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
I can ’ t think of any plausible alternative .
Instead of trying to suppress the Post ’ s coverage , based on Hunter ’ s abandoned hard drive that is now in the possession of the FBI , reporters might consider asking Joe Biden about his history of enriching himself and his family at the expense of the American people .

The Twitter fiasco continues to reverberate. For a while, Twitter suspended the Trump campaign’s account, as well as Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany’s account and many others, for linking to the New York Post’s story about Joe Biden’s corruption. Republicans have reacted angrily, and Senator Josh Hawley, on behalf of the Senate Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Terrorism and Crime has requested Jack Dorsey and Mark Zuckerberg to appear and testify at a proposed hearing titled “Digital Platforms and Election Interference.” Reportedly, the full Judiciary Committee will vote to subpoena Dorsey on Tuesday.
NEW — U.S. Senator Josh Hawley has formally requested @Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey and @Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg to appear before the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism in a coming hearing titled "Digital Platforms and Election Interference.” pic.twitter.com/VlXBo17bX0 — Senator Hawley Press Office (@SenHawleyPress) October 15, 2020
The Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission is also moving forward with a rule making process to clarify Section 230 of the Communications Act, which some courts have interpreted broadly to shield social media platforms from scrutiny:
I intend to move forward with an @FCC rulemaking to clarify the meaning of #Section230. Read my full statement below. pic.twitter.com/LhUz5XMdSC — Ajit Pai (@AjitPaiFCC) October 15, 2020
Of course, none of this will go forward if Joe Biden wins the presidency, and if Democrats capture the Senate. At this point, Twitter in particular is all in for Joe Biden. If Trump should surprise them and win, there will be an accounting.
Meanwhile, the New York Post is continuing its series of articles based on Hunter Biden’s abandoned hard drive. Today the Post featured a story even more explosive than the one Twitter and Facebook tried to suppress yesterday:
Hunter Biden pursued lucrative deals involving China’s largest private energy company — including one that he said would be “interesting for me and my family,” emails obtained by The Post show. One email sent to Biden on May 13, 2017, with the subject line “Expectations,” included details of “remuneration packages” for six people involved in an unspecified business venture.
The emails indicate that Hunter was to receive an annual salary of $850,000. Somewhere on the planet there is a greedier person than Hunter Biden, but you would have to look hard to find him. But of course, no one cared then, or now, about Hunter.
In addition, the email outlined a “provisional agreement” under which 80 percent of the “equity,” or shares in the new company, would be split equally among four people whose initials correspond to the sender and three recipients, with “H” apparently referring to Biden.
H is obviously Hunter, and Jim is no doubt Jim Biden, Joe’s brother. But who is “the big guy” on whose behalf Hunter would take an additional 10 percent of the company’s equity? Let’s be clear here: Hunter Biden is a crack-smoking, barely employable nobody. A Chinese conglomerate would not cut Hunter in on a proposed business deal in order to obtain his non-existent expertise. Rather, the point of Hunter’s involvement can only be “the big guy,” on whose behalf Hunter would take an additional 10 percent of the proposed company’s shares. Is the big guy former Vice President and, as of May 2017, likely presidential contender Joe Biden? I can’t think of any plausible alternative.
Instead of trying to suppress the Post’s coverage, based on Hunter’s abandoned hard drive that is now in the possession of the FBI, reporters might consider asking Joe Biden about his history of enriching himself and his family at the expense of the American people.


powerlineblog--2020-10-17--This week in baseball history:  Brooks, Orioles put  ’69 Series behind them

In 1970 , baseball ’ s post-season consisted of a best of five playoff series in both leagues plus the World Series .
Thus , the minimum number of post-season games was ten .
The 1970 playoffs were completed in one game over that minimum number .
The Baltimore Orioles , smarting from their upset loss to the New York Mets in the 1969 World Series , swept aside the Minnesota Twins in three straight .
The combined score of the three games was 27-10 .
In the National League , the Cincinnati Reds swept the Pittsburgh Pirates .
However @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Reds needed ten innings to win the opener .
Gary Nolan and Doc Ellis pitched nine shutout innings each .
Cincinnati scored three runs in the tenth .
The key hits were a triple by Ty Cline ( pinch hitting for Nolan ) , a single by Pete Rose , and a triple by Lee May .
Clay Carroll pitched a perfect bottom of the tenth to seal the win .
The next two games were also tight .
Cincinnati won them 3-1 and 3-2 .
Although the Reds were known for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Machine ” ) , they featured strong pitching , too , and it was the pitchers ( especially Nolan , Carroll , Don Gullett , Milt Wilcox , and Jim Merritt ) who saw them through the NLCS .
The sweeps by the Baltimore and Cincinnati set up what looked like a dream World Series .
The Orioles were a team for the ages .
They had followed their 109 win season in 1969 with a 108 win season in ’ 70 ( ten more games than the Twins won that year ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ game winners — Dave McNally , Mike Cuellar ( 24 wins each ) and Jim Palmer ( 20 ) .
The staff boasted the lowest ERA in the American League .
Their hitters led the League in runs scored .
Cincinnati won 102 games in 1970 , two more than the Mets had won the previous year .
The lineup contained four .300 hitters — Rose , Tony Perez , Bobby Tolan , Bernie Carbo — plus Johnny Bench who batted .293 and led the League in home runs and RBIs .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ home runs .
The Reds had the second best ERA in the League ( behind the Mets ) and scored the second most runs ( behind the Chicago Cubs ) .
When betting on the Series began , the oddsmakers had it even .
Heavy betting on the Orioles forced them to make the Birds the 11-10 favorites .
They deserved to be favored , but the tight odds were a fair reflection of a pretty evenly matched Series .
Unfortunately for the neutral observer , the Orioles won the Series in five @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remember only three things about the 1970 Series — Elrod Hendricks ’ phantom tag of Bernie Carbo at home plate , Dave McNally ’ s grand slam home run , and a succession of great defensive plays by Brooks Robinson .
Everything else that follows in this post is from accounts .
I ’ ll leave Brooksie ’ s plays for last .
Here ’ s how the Series went : The first two games , both won by Baltimore , were close .
In Game One , the Reds jumped out to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A two run homer by Lee May gave them that lead in the third inning .
Baltimore battled back to tie the game by the fifth inning .
A two-run homer by Boog Powell in the fourth and a solo shot by Elrod Hendricks did the deed .
The Reds should have taken the lead in the bottom of the sixth .
With one out , Carbo walked and took third on a single by Tommy Helms .
Carbo then tried to score on a slow roller in front of the plate by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and tagged Carbo before he reached the plate , but the glove with which he made the tag was empty .
The ball was in his other hand .
However , home plate umpire Ken Burkhart didn ’ t see this .
He couldn ’ t .
Hendricks had accidentally bumped into him and Burkhart had his back to the play .
Instead of asking for help , Burkhart called Carbo out .
In the top of the next inning , Brooks Robinson gave the Orioles the lead with a solo home run @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stand , although he needed Pete Richert to get the last out .
The Reds took an even bigger lead early in Game 2 .
They led 4-0 after three innings .
However , the Orioles got a run back in the fourth and then scored five in the fifth .
Paul Blair singled home one run .
Boog Powell singled home another .
Brooks Robinson singled home the third .
Hendricks doubled home the last two .
Baltimore went on to win 6-5 .
Tom Phoebus got the win in relief of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ relief of Jim McGlothlin .
The Orioles cruised to victory in Game 3 behind McNally , 9-3 .
McNally also contributed that grand slam home run , the only one ever by a pitcher in the World Series .
The Reds staved off elimination with a 6-5 victory in Game 4 .
They accomplished this by scoring three runs in the eighth inning .
All three runs scored on a Lee May home run off of Eddie Watt .
Game 5 was no contest .
The Reds scored three times in the top @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But the Orioles countered with two runs in each of the first three innings to take a 6-3 lead .
The word on Cuellar was always that you needed to put him away early .
If you didn ’ t , he would settle down and beat you .
This was the case in Game 5 .
The Reds never scored after the first inning .
They managed only two hits and a walk off of Cuellar in the next eight frames .
Baltimore coasted to a 9-3 win .
They were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their history .
Brooks Robinson , who had come up short repeatedly in the clutch against the Mets in ’ 69 , was the Series MVP hands down .
He batted .429 ( 9 for 21 ) with two doubles and two home runs .
His six RBIs led the Orioles ( though Lee May had eight for the Reds ) .
His homer gave the O ’ s their victory in Game One .
However , it was in the field that Robinson staked his claim for baseball immortality .
Dan Connolly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ great plays as follows : Game One : Bottom of the sixth , no outs , none on , score tied , 3-3 .
May , a slugging pull hitter who had already singled and homered against Palmer , leads off the inning .
He knocks a changeup down the line and Robinson backhands it while crossing into foul territory .
In one motion , he whirls and throws a one-bouncer to Powell to get the slow-footed May by a step .
It ’ s considered his greatest World Series play and one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : Bottom of the third , one out , one on , Reds lead , 3-0 .
May hits a scorching liner that short-hops Robinson and is almost behind him , but he contains it and starts a 5-4-3 double play to get the Orioles out of the inning and keep the club within three runs .
Game Three : Top of the first , no outs , one on , score tied , 0-0 .
It ’ s considered maybe Robinson ’ s fourth-best play of the Series , but it may @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are desperate , down 2-0 in the Series and are now playing in a hostile environment in Baltimore .
They need to get off to a fast start and Rose provides hope with a leadoff single against McNally .
Tolan then drops a perfect bunt that Robinson thought was heading foul but stops in fair territory .
With runners at first and second , Pérez clocks a ball that Robinson fields by his left shoulder .
On the move , he steps on third for the force .
Then he fires a rocket @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the double play .
Bench follows with a hard liner right at Robinson .
He drops to a knee , catches the ball and then jogs off the field , single-handedly thwarting the Reds ’ scoring opportunity .
Top of the sixth , two outs , none on , Orioles lead , 4-1 .
It may be second fiddle to Robinson ’ s play against May in Game One , but the photo of this moment is the most iconic of the 1970 World Series .
Robinson sprawled in the dirt , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ground , right leg slightly raised and left arm held high above his head , ball resting in his glove .
Bench smokes a liner to Robinson ’ s left that he somehow corrals on a dive .
Robinson then famously lifts his glove for the umpires — and the world — to see .
Game 5 : Top of the ninth , no outs , none on , Orioles lead , 9-3 .
Robinson had one more highlight play in him .
Of course , it comes against Bench , who hits @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dives into foul territory for the catch .
And the exclamation point .
As noted above , Lee May was the hitting star for Cincinnati .
He went 7 for 18 with 8 RBIs .
But for Robinson ’ s defensive gems , May would have hit .500 or better .
In 1975 , May was traded to the Orioles .
Brooks recalls : “ The first thing he said to me was , ‘ Robinson , no one would have ever heard of your ass if I hadn ’ t hit those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He was a great guy.
” So is Brooks Robinson .
And one of the very best defensive players and all around third basemen in baseball history , with or without the 1970 World Series .

In 1970, baseball’s post-season consisted of a best of five playoff series in both leagues plus the World Series. Thus, the minimum number of post-season games was ten.
The 1970 playoffs were completed in one game over that minimum number. The Baltimore Orioles, smarting from their upset loss to the New York Mets in the 1969 World Series, swept aside the Minnesota Twins in three straight. The combined score of the three games was 27-10.
In the National League, the Cincinnati Reds swept the Pittsburgh Pirates. However, this was a tighter series.
The Reds needed ten innings to win the opener. Gary Nolan and Doc Ellis pitched nine shutout innings each. Cincinnati scored three runs in the tenth. The key hits were a triple by Ty Cline (pinch hitting for Nolan), a single by Pete Rose, and a triple by Lee May.
Clay Carroll pitched a perfect bottom of the tenth to seal the win.
The next two games were also tight. Cincinnati won them 3-1 and 3-2. Although the Reds were known for their hitting (“the Big Red Machine”), they featured strong pitching, too, and it was the pitchers (especially Nolan, Carroll, Don Gullett, Milt Wilcox, and Jim Merritt) who saw them through the NLCS.
The sweeps by the Baltimore and Cincinnati set up what looked like a dream World Series. The Orioles were a team for the ages. They had followed their 109 win season in 1969 with a 108 win season in ’70 (ten more games than the Twins won that year). The pitching staff featured three 20 game winners — Dave McNally, Mike Cuellar (24 wins each) and Jim Palmer (20). The staff boasted the lowest ERA in the American League. Their hitters led the League in runs scored.
Cincinnati won 102 games in 1970, two more than the Mets had won the previous year. The lineup contained four .300 hitters — Rose, Tony Perez, Bobby Tolan, Bernie Carbo — plus Johnny Bench who batted .293 and led the League in home runs and RBIs. It also included Lee May with his 34 home runs.
The Reds had the second best ERA in the League (behind the Mets) and scored the second most runs (behind the Chicago Cubs).
When betting on the Series began, the oddsmakers had it even. Heavy betting on the Orioles forced them to make the Birds the 11-10 favorites. They deserved to be favored, but the tight odds were a fair reflection of a pretty evenly matched Series.
Unfortunately for the neutral observer, the Orioles won the Series in five games. To be honest, I remember only three things about the 1970 Series — Elrod Hendricks’ phantom tag of Bernie Carbo at home plate, Dave McNally’s grand slam home run, and a succession of great defensive plays by Brooks Robinson. Everything else that follows in this post is from accounts.
I’ll leave Brooksie’s plays for last. Here’s how the Series went:
The first two games, both won by Baltimore, were close. In Game One, the Reds jumped out to a 3-0 lead against Jim Palmer. A two run homer by Lee May gave them that lead in the third inning.
Baltimore battled back to tie the game by the fifth inning. A two-run homer by Boog Powell in the fourth and a solo shot by Elrod Hendricks did the deed.
The Reds should have taken the lead in the bottom of the sixth. With one out, Carbo walked and took third on a single by Tommy Helms. Carbo then tried to score on a slow roller in front of the plate by Cline. Elrod Hendricks fielded the ball and tagged Carbo before he reached the plate, but the glove with which he made the tag was empty. The ball was in his other hand.
However, home plate umpire Ken Burkhart didn’t see this. He couldn’t. Hendricks had accidentally bumped into him and Burkhart had his back to the play. Instead of asking for help, Burkhart called Carbo out.
In the top of the next inning, Brooks Robinson gave the Orioles the lead with a solo home run off of Nolan. Palmer made it stand, although he needed Pete Richert to get the last out.
The Reds took an even bigger lead early in Game 2. They led 4-0 after three innings. However, the Orioles got a run back in the fourth and then scored five in the fifth.
Paul Blair singled home one run. Boog Powell singled home another. Brooks Robinson singled home the third. Hendricks doubled home the last two.
Baltimore went on to win 6-5. Tom Phoebus got the win in relief of Cuellar. Wilcox took the loss in relief of Jim McGlothlin.
The Orioles cruised to victory in Game 3 behind McNally, 9-3. McNally also contributed that grand slam home run, the only one ever by a pitcher in the World Series.
The Reds staved off elimination with a 6-5 victory in Game 4. They accomplished this by scoring three runs in the eighth inning. All three runs scored on a Lee May home run off of Eddie Watt.
Game 5 was no contest. The Reds scored three times in the top of the first inning off of Cuellar. But the Orioles countered with two runs in each of the first three innings to take a 6-3 lead.
The word on Cuellar was always that you needed to put him away early. If you didn’t, he would settle down and beat you.
This was the case in Game 5. The Reds never scored after the first inning. They managed only two hits and a walk off of Cuellar in the next eight frames. Baltimore coasted to a 9-3 win. They were world champions for the second time in their history.
Brooks Robinson, who had come up short repeatedly in the clutch against the Mets in ’69, was the Series MVP hands down. He batted .429 (9 for 21) with two doubles and two home runs. His six RBIs led the Orioles (though Lee May had eight for the Reds). His homer gave the O’s their victory in Game One.
However, it was in the field that Robinson staked his claim for baseball immortality. Dan Connolly of The Athletic describes Robinson’s great plays as follows:
Game One: Bottom of the sixth, no outs, none on, score tied, 3-3. May, a slugging pull hitter who had already singled and homered against Palmer, leads off the inning. He knocks a changeup down the line and Robinson backhands it while crossing into foul territory. In one motion, he whirls and throws a one-bouncer to Powell to get the slow-footed May by a step. It’s considered his greatest World Series play and one of the best ever. (50 years later, the always modest Brooksie says “the only reason I got him then is that he ran like me.”) Game Two: Bottom of the third, one out, one on, Reds lead, 3-0. May hits a scorching liner that short-hops Robinson and is almost behind him, but he contains it and starts a 5-4-3 double play to get the Orioles out of the inning and keep the club within three runs. (Robinson 50 years later: “Heck, I don’t make that play twice a year like that. In other words, it was a strange World Series. Once in a lifetime, believe me.”) Game Three: Top of the first, no outs, one on, score tied, 0-0. It’s considered maybe Robinson’s fourth-best play of the Series, but it may be the most important. The Reds are desperate, down 2-0 in the Series and are now playing in a hostile environment in Baltimore. They need to get off to a fast start and Rose provides hope with a leadoff single against McNally. Tolan then drops a perfect bunt that Robinson thought was heading foul but stops in fair territory. With runners at first and second, Pérez clocks a ball that Robinson fields by his left shoulder. On the move, he steps on third for the force. Then he fires a rocket to Powell at first to get Pérez for the double play. Bench follows with a hard liner right at Robinson. He drops to a knee, catches the ball and then jogs off the field, single-handedly thwarting the Reds’ scoring opportunity. (Robinson 50 years later: “That was just instinct.”) Top of the sixth, two outs, none on, Orioles lead, 4-1. It may be second fiddle to Robinson’s play against May in Game One, but the photo of this moment is the most iconic of the 1970 World Series. Robinson sprawled in the dirt, left knee and right elbow on the ground, right leg slightly raised and left arm held high above his head, ball resting in his glove. Bench smokes a liner to Robinson’s left that he somehow corrals on a dive. Robinson then famously lifts his glove for the umpires — and the world — to see. (Robinson 50 years later: “It just kind of curved back at me. . .He got out in front and he hit a bullet and I just took one step and a dive.”) Game 5: Top of the ninth, no outs, none on, Orioles lead, 9-3. Robinson had one more highlight play in him. Of course, it comes against Bench, who hits another ball down the line and Robinson dives into foul territory for the catch. And the exclamation point. (Gary Nolan 50 years later: “There wasn’t a whole lot being said in our dugout. It was kind of like disbelief. It was kind of like you were sitting there with your tongue hanging out, saying, ‘What the hell?’ You can’t hit anything down there because everything you hit he catches. I think the word I would use more than anything was just disbelief.”)
As noted above, Lee May was the hitting star for Cincinnati. He went 7 for 18 with 8 RBIs. But for Robinson’s defensive gems, May would have hit .500 or better.
In 1975, May was traded to the Orioles. Brooks recalls: “The first thing he said to me was, ‘Robinson, no one would have ever heard of your ass if I hadn’t hit those balls to you.’ We laughed. He was a great guy.”
So is Brooks Robinson. And one of the very best defensive players and all around third basemen in baseball history, with or without the 1970 World Series.


Joe Biden, Godfather

Today , in a speech in Florida , President Trump referred to the Bidens as an organized crime family : @ @ @ @ @ , along with an explosive text from Hunter Biden to a daughter : So , @ @ @ @ @ half of the millions he has scooped up from Ukraine , China and elsewhere have @ @ @ @ @ big guy.
” Today the Trump campaign released this hard-hitting ad : And there is @ @ @ @ @ more is coming : How explosive will these new stories be ?
Stay tuned .
@ @ @ @ @ mainstream ” press and the tech giants can prevent Joe Biden ’ s corruption from @ @ @ @ @ the remaining days of the campaign .

Today, in a speech in Florida, President Trump referred to the Bidens as an organized crime family:
“Hunter made no money until his father became vice president and now he’s like a vacuum cleaner….It’s an organized crime family, as far as I’m concerned.”
Rudy Giuliani tweeted something similar, along with an explosive text from Hunter Biden to a daughter:
So, according to Hunter Biden, half of the millions he has scooped up from Ukraine, China and elsewhere have gone directly to “the big guy.”
Today the Trump campaign released this hard-hitting ad:
And there is reason to believe that much more is coming:
BREAKING: Hunter Biden's former business partner Bevan Cooney has flipped. He was jailed over a bond scheme, and has connected with journalists @MatthewTyrmand and @PeterSchweizer. Turned over access to his Gmail account. — Jack Posobiec 🇺🇸 (@JackPosobiec) October 16, 2020
I will confirm here and now: “AT LEAST” is the operative term;) https://t.co/Z9K6YPGVkk — Matthew Tyrmand (@MatthewTyrmand) October 16, 2020
How explosive will these new stories be? Stay tuned.
I doubt that the “mainstream” press and the tech giants can prevent Joe Biden’s corruption from being a major issue over the remaining days of the campaign.


powerlineblog--2020-10-16--Europe responds to “second wave” with curfews and lockdowns

Europe is experiencing a major spike in new cases of the Wuhan coronavirus .
Fortunately , that spike has not yet been accompanied by a major increase in deaths from the virus .
Nonetheless , some European leaders have imposed stringent new measures in response to the spike in new cases .
Let ’ s look at the five major Western European nations — Spain , France , the UK , Italy , and Germany .
I ’ ll start with Spain , the first of the five to experience a significant second wave .
Spain ’ s spike began @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it was reporting fewer than 1,000 new cases per day .
By late August , it was reporting more than 10,000 , and is still doing so .
With a spike that began more than two months ago , you might expect a surge in deaths attributed to the virus .
There has been an increase — from around zero in the summer to about 150-250 per day lately .
However , that number pales in comparison to the 800 or more who were dying from the virus per day in early April @ @ @ @ @ @ @ see something approaching that high number of deaths .
However , the number of daily deaths has been pretty stable for about a month .
Even so , Madrid and its surrounding areas are now on lockdown .
After a court overturned a partial lockdown imposed by the central government , thanks to a challenge by the center-right party in power in Madrid , the socialist prime minister of Spain used his authority to impose a state of emergency order .
All “ non-essential ” movement in and out of Madrid and nine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the opposition of local authorities .
In France , the spike in new reported cases took hold around the beginning of September .
By mid-month , France was reporting about 15,000 new cases per day , twice the number it reported at the peak of the first wave , albeit with more testing than at that time .
New cases have doubled since mid-September .
France is now reporting around 30,000 new cases per day .
So far , however , there has not been a significant increase in deaths attributed to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fewer than 100 of them per day .
In April , it was regularly reporting 1,000-1,500 per day .
Nonetheless , President Macron has reimposed a state of health emergency and has introduced a curfew .
The curfew , to last for a month ( at least ) , applies to Paris and surrounding areas , plus eight other metropolitan areas .
It affects around 19 million people .
And there are new restrictions in other parts of the country , as well .
For example , all private parties , including weddings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The UK ’ s spike in cases is more recent than France ’ s .
It occurred in late September , when the number of new reported cases began approaching 10,000 per day .
Now , it is approaching 20,000 .
One wouldn ’ t expect this spike to have resulted in a significant number of deaths yet , and it hasn ’ t .
Deaths per day attributed to the virus are up , but have not yet reached 150 .
The UK has announced new restrictions for Londoners .
For @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meeting in groups of more than six anywhere indoors or outdoors .
The same rules apply to Liverpool .
The central government imposed lesser restrictions elsewhere in the UK .
However , local governments in Northern Ireland and Wales have opted for tighter restrictions than those imposed by the central government .
In the Spring , Italy was the original epicenter of Europe ’ s pandemic .
At that time , it was reporting around 6,000 new cases per day .
After a summer with few new cases , Italy saw the number @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mark in early October , and yesterday it reported nearly 9,000 new cases .
The number of deaths per day attributed to the virus has not yet reached 100 .
However , it has tripled in the past few days .
In response to the rising number of new cases , the government has started imposing restrictions .
These include a prohibition on playing casual pickup sports , a midnight curfew for bars and restaurants , and a ban on private celebrations in public venues are banned .
Masks are now mandatory outdoors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ European nation that avoided a large death count from the first wave of the pandemic .
On a per capita basis , the number of deaths attributed to the virus In Germany is about one-sixth of the number in other major Western European nations .
Germany has experienced a spike in new cases this Fall .
It is reporting roughly as many new cases per day as it was in late March-early April ( about 6,000 ) .
The daily death count remains low so far ( about 30 ) but is triple @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Angela Merkel has warned local authorities that they need to bring down the number of new cases quickly or face the imposition of tight restrictions .
In response , Berlin imposed its first curfew in 70 years , as well as other restrictive measures .
Frankfurt imposed a curfew , too .
The emergency measures being employed in these five countries are sold as temporary and brief — two weeks to a month , typically .
I can understand the authorities wanting a pause until they can assess the extent to which the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hospitals under too much stress .
However , it ’ s not clear how effective the new measures will be in keeping hospitalizations at a manageable level .
It ’ s also far from clear that the measures will be lifted even if hospitals are in good shape when the curfew expiration dates arrive .
The temptation might be to attribute that success to the restrictions and , therefore , to keep them in place .
I question whether Europe ’ s economies withstand another round of prolonged lockdowns .

Europe is experiencing a major spike in new cases of the Wuhan coronavirus. Fortunately, that spike has not yet been accompanied by a major increase in deaths from the virus. Nonetheless, some European leaders have imposed stringent new measures in response to the spike in new cases.
Let’s look at the five major Western European nations — Spain, France, the UK, Italy, and Germany.
I’ll start with Spain, the first of the five to experience a significant second wave. Spain’s spike began in August. In late Spring, it was reporting fewer than 1,000 new cases per day. By late August, it was reporting more than 10,000, and is still doing so.
With a spike that began more than two months ago, you might expect a surge in deaths attributed to the virus. There has been an increase — from around zero in the summer to about 150-250 per day lately. However, that number pales in comparison to the 800 or more who were dying from the virus per day in early April.
Perhaps Spain soon will begin to see something approaching that high number of deaths. However, the number of daily deaths has been pretty stable for about a month.
Even so, Madrid and its surrounding areas are now on lockdown. After a court overturned a partial lockdown imposed by the central government, thanks to a challenge by the center-right party in power in Madrid, the socialist prime minister of Spain used his authority to impose a state of emergency order. All “non-essential” movement in and out of Madrid and nine other cities has been banned, despite the opposition of local authorities.
Other measures include:
Hotels and restaurants are limited to 50 percent capacity and doors must shut at 11:00 p.m. Businesses are limited to 50 percent capacity and should shut by 10:00 p.m. Family and social gatherings are limited to six people. Places of worship are restricted to a third of normal attendance.
In France, the spike in new reported cases took hold around the beginning of September. By mid-month, France was reporting about 15,000 new cases per day, twice the number it reported at the peak of the first wave, albeit with more testing than at that time.
New cases have doubled since mid-September. France is now reporting around 30,000 new cases per day.
So far, however, there has not been a significant increase in deaths attributed to the virus. Most days, France reports fewer than 100 of them per day. In April, it was regularly reporting 1,000-1,500 per day.
Nonetheless, President Macron has reimposed a state of health emergency and has introduced a curfew. The curfew, to last for a month (at least), applies to Paris and surrounding areas, plus eight other metropolitan areas. It affects around 19 million people.
And there are new restrictions in other parts of the country, as well. For example, all private parties, including weddings, are banned in public event spaces.
The UK’s spike in cases is more recent than France’s. It occurred in late September, when the number of new reported cases began approaching 10,000 per day. Now, it is approaching 20,000.
One wouldn’t expect this spike to have resulted in a significant number of deaths yet, and it hasn’t. Deaths per day attributed to the virus are up, but have not yet reached 150.
The UK has announced new restrictions for Londoners. For example, they will be banned from meeting in groups of more than six anywhere indoors or outdoors.
The same rules apply to Liverpool. The central government imposed lesser restrictions elsewhere in the UK. However, local governments in Northern Ireland and Wales have opted for tighter restrictions than those imposed by the central government.
In the Spring, Italy was the original epicenter of Europe’s pandemic. At that time, it was reporting around 6,000 new cases per day. After a summer with few new cases, Italy saw the number of daily new cases reach the 6,000 mark in early October, and yesterday it reported nearly 9,000 new cases.
The number of deaths per day attributed to the virus has not yet reached 100. However, it has tripled in the past few days.
In response to the rising number of new cases, the government has started imposing restrictions. These include a prohibition on playing casual pickup sports, a midnight curfew for bars and restaurants, and a ban on private celebrations in public venues are banned. Masks are now mandatory outdoors.
Germany was the one major Western European nation that avoided a large death count from the first wave of the pandemic. On a per capita basis, the number of deaths attributed to the virus In Germany is about one-sixth of the number in other major Western European nations.
Germany has experienced a spike in new cases this Fall. It is reporting roughly as many new cases per day as it was in late March-early April (about 6,000). The daily death count remains low so far (about 30) but is triple what it was a month ago.
Angela Merkel has warned local authorities that they need to bring down the number of new cases quickly or face the imposition of tight restrictions. In response, Berlin imposed its first curfew in 70 years, as well as other restrictive measures. Frankfurt imposed a curfew, too.
The emergency measures being employed in these five countries are sold as temporary and brief — two weeks to a month, typically. I can understand the authorities wanting a pause until they can assess the extent to which the spike in new infections may be placing hospitals under too much stress.
However, it’s not clear how effective the new measures will be in keeping hospitalizations at a manageable level. It’s also far from clear that the measures will be lifted even if hospitals are in good shape when the curfew expiration dates arrive. The temptation might be to attribute that success to the restrictions and, therefore, to keep them in place.
I question whether Europe’s economies withstand another round of prolonged lockdowns.


powerlineblog--2020-10-16--The Geek in Pictures

The Geek in Pictures

I ’ ve got a large backlog of interesting charts , graphs , and tables that I haven ’ t @ @ @ @ @ up with analysis or commentary , so today I ’ m going to do a @ @ @ @ @ for everyone ’ s edification .
Most of these I ’ ll post without comment @ @ @ @ @ them out for yourselves .
Or think of this perhaps as “ The Geek in @ @ @ @ @ show myself out .
Two more from the great Zach Goldberg :

I’ve got a large backlog of interesting charts, graphs, and tables that I haven’t had a chance to offer up with analysis or commentary, so today I’m going to do a Friday Afternoon Chart Dump just for everyone’s edification. Most of these I’ll post without comment, because you can figure them out for yourselves. Or think of this perhaps as “The Geek in Pictures.” I’ll show myself out.
Two more from the great Zach Goldberg:


powerlineblog--2020-10-16--The Facts About Voter Fraud

The Facts About Voter Fraud

Are you worried about the extent to which voter fraud could affect the 2020 election ?
Do you puzzle over how tens of millions of mail-in ballots can be processed in a manner that ensures that each voter only votes once ?
Are you concerned that if states mail out millions of mail-in ballot applications to people who are dead , moved to a different state , fictitious , or ineligible to vote , quite a few will be filled out by someone else and sent back in ?
Are you unable to understand how ballot harvesting can fail to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ concerned that your vote may be canceled out by one that is cast illegally ?
If so , you are not alone .
On Thursday of next week , an all-star panel of election integrity experts will assemble to discuss the threat of voter fraud–how extensive it is , and what can be done about it .
They include : * Eric Eggers , author of Fraud : How the Left Plans to Steal the Next Election , published in 2018 .
* Andy Cilek , President of the Minnesota Voters ’ Alliance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fought against election insecurity in Minnesota for the last decade .
* Matthew Tyrmand , Director of Project Veritas , who oversaw PV ’ s undercover investigation of voter fraud in Minneapolis .
* Mary Kiffmeyer , former Secretary of State of Minnesota and current state Senator .
I will moderate the discussion , and we will take questions from the audience .
The event will be focused in part on Minnesota , but both Eric Eggers and Matthew Tyrmand bring a national perspective .
I hope that this will be the most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that you can see anywhere in 2020 .
If you can attend in person , doors will open at 5:00 and the program will take place from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. on Thursday , October 22 .
It will be at International Market Square , west of downtown Minneapolis .
Extensive security will be provided , and full COVID precautions will be taken .
You can register for the event , which costs just $ 15 , here .
The event will also be livestreamed on Zoom , so you can watch it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is the link .
Just go there shortly before 6 p.m. Central time on Thursday .
And the video will be archived thereafter , so you can watch it at your convenience .
The election integrity event is sponsored by Center of the American Experiment .

Are you worried about the extent to which voter fraud could affect the 2020 election? Do you puzzle over how tens of millions of mail-in ballots can be processed in a manner that ensures that each voter only votes once? Are you concerned that if states mail out millions of mail-in ballot applications to people who are dead, moved to a different state, fictitious, or ineligible to vote, quite a few will be filled out by someone else and sent back in? Are you unable to understand how ballot harvesting can fail to lead to voter fraud? Are you concerned that your vote may be canceled out by one that is cast illegally?
If so, you are not alone. On Thursday of next week, an all-star panel of election integrity experts will assemble to discuss the threat of voter fraud–how extensive it is, and what can be done about it. They include:
* Eric Eggers, author of Fraud: How the Left Plans to Steal the Next Election, published in 2018.
* Andy Cilek, President of the Minnesota Voters’ Alliance, the organization that has exposed and fought against election insecurity in Minnesota for the last decade.
* Matthew Tyrmand, Director of Project Veritas, who oversaw PV’s undercover investigation of voter fraud in Minneapolis.
* Mary Kiffmeyer, former Secretary of State of Minnesota and current state Senator.
I will moderate the discussion, and we will take questions from the audience. The event will be focused in part on Minnesota, but both Eric Eggers and Matthew Tyrmand bring a national perspective. I hope that this will be the most comprehensive and well-informed discussion of election integrity that you can see anywhere in 2020.
If you can attend in person, doors will open at 5:00 and the program will take place from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, October 22. It will be at International Market Square, west of downtown Minneapolis. Extensive security will be provided, and full COVID precautions will be taken. You can register for the event, which costs just $15, here.
The event will also be livestreamed on Zoom, so you can watch it no matter where you live. This is the link. Just go there shortly before 6 p.m. Central time on Thursday. And the video will be archived thereafter, so you can watch it at your convenience.
The election integrity event is sponsored by Center of the American Experiment.


Allahu Akbar

We haven ’ t seen a lot of Islamic terrorism here in the U.S. lately , but yesterday a history teacher was decapitated in Paris : A history teacher who had shown caricatures of Islam ’ s Prophet Muhammed in class was on Friday decapitated and his assailant shot dead by French police as they tried to arrest him , police and prosecutors said .
The attacker shouted “ Allahu Akbar ” as he was confronted by police , a police source said .
The Muslim phrase , meaning “ God is Great , ” has often been heard in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ identity was not made public .
French media reported that the suspect was an 18-year-old Chechen , born in Moscow .
There may have been a connection to a terrorist group : President Emmanuel Macron visited the school and took a realistic line : Macron visited the scene of the attack , saying , “ One of our compatriots was murdered today because he taught…the freedom of expression , the freedom to believe or not believe.
” The linked article reports that last month , a 25-year-old Pakistani wounded two members of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ostensibly to protest the publication of Muhammad cartoons years ago by the satirical journal Charlie Hebdo .
Further , a criminal trial of alleged accomplices of the Charlie Hebdo murderers is going on right now : That attack came three weeks into an ongoing trial of suspected accomplices of the authors of the January 2015 attacks on Charlie Hebdo and a Jewish supermarket , which also saw a policewoman gunned down in the street .
Seventeen people were killed in the three-day spree that heralded a wave of Islamist violence in France that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lives .
The trial has sparked protests across France , with thousands of demonstrators rallying against Charlie Hebdo and the French government .
When thousands demonstrate against the prosecution of alleged murderers , you know you have a problem .

We haven’t seen a lot of Islamic terrorism here in the U.S. lately, but yesterday a history teacher was decapitated in Paris:
A history teacher who had shown caricatures of Islam’s Prophet Muhammed in class was on Friday decapitated and his assailant shot dead by French police as they tried to arrest him, police and prosecutors said. The attacker shouted “Allahu Akbar” as he was confronted by police, a police source said. The Muslim phrase, meaning “God is Great,” has often been heard in jihadist attacks. The suspect’s identity was not made public. French media reported that the suspect was an 18-year-old Chechen, born in Moscow.
There may have been a connection to a terrorist group:
Prosecutors said they were treating the incident as “a murder linked to a terrorist organization” and related to a “criminal association with terrorists.”
President Emmanuel Macron visited the school and took a realistic line:
French President Emmanuel Macron called the beheading an “Islamist terrorist attack.” Macron visited the scene of the attack, saying, “One of our compatriots was murdered today because he taught…the freedom of expression, the freedom to believe or not believe.”
The linked article reports that last month, a 25-year-old Pakistani wounded two members of a news crew with a meat cleaver, ostensibly to protest the publication of Muhammad cartoons years ago by the satirical journal Charlie Hebdo. Further, a criminal trial of alleged accomplices of the Charlie Hebdo murderers is going on right now:
That attack came three weeks into an ongoing trial of suspected accomplices of the authors of the January 2015 attacks on Charlie Hebdo and a Jewish supermarket, which also saw a policewoman gunned down in the street. Seventeen people were killed in the three-day spree that heralded a wave of Islamist violence in France that has so far claimed more than 250 lives. The trial has sparked protests across France, with thousands of demonstrators rallying against Charlie Hebdo and the French government.
When thousands demonstrate against the prosecution of alleged murderers, you know you have a problem.


powerlineblog--2020-10-17--The Power Line Show, Ep 219: Carpe Diem Indeed! Mark Perry Shows How to Fight Back on Campus

If you aren ’ t following Mark Perry ’ s Carpe Diem blog every day you ’ re missing out on one of the best sources for common sense analysis of current economic and social controversies .
Mark , an economist at the University of Michigan and scholar at AEI , specializes in debunking economic fallacies ( such as the perennial feminist talking point that women only earn 78 cents for every dollar a man earns ) , but he also has hit upon a sure fire method to make life miserable for campus diversicrats : file Title IX complaints @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
So far he ’ s filed more than 200 such complaints , and has an excellent track record in making colleges and universities back down from egregiously discriminatory practices .
We also talk about his other specialty—using Venn diagrams to illustrate hypocrisy and inconsistent thinking mostly by liberals—as well as some of the economic mysteries of our time , such as why the relentless money-printing of the Federal Reserve hasn ’ t touched off inflation .
You know what to do now : listen here , or download from our hosts at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ platform .

If you aren’t following Mark Perry’s Carpe Diem blog every day you’re missing out on one of the best sources for common sense analysis of current economic and social controversies. Mark, an economist at the University of Michigan and scholar at AEI, specializes in debunking economic fallacies (such as the perennial feminist talking point that women only earn 78 cents for every dollar a man earns), but he also has hit upon a sure fire method to make life miserable for campus diversicrats: file Title IX complaints against college programs that discriminate against men. So far he’s filed more than 200 such complaints, and has an excellent track record in making colleges and universities back down from egregiously discriminatory practices.
We also talk about his other specialty—using Venn diagrams to illustrate hypocrisy and inconsistent thinking mostly by liberals—as well as some of the economic mysteries of our time, such as why the relentless money-printing of the Federal Reserve hasn’t touched off inflation.
You know what to do now: listen here, or download from our hosts at Ricochet, or from your favorite podcast platform.


powerlineblog--2020-10-17--A modified limited bark

A modified limited bark

The Biden crime family news barks , but the Biden campaign caravan rolls on .
Yet at FOX News Sam Dorman and Mike Emanuel have confirmed the authenticity of one of the most troubling emails on Hunter ’ s abandoned laptop computer .
Their story is “ Source on alleged Hunter Biden email chain verifies message about Chinese investment firm.
” Subhead : “ Sources have told Fox News that ‘ the big guy ’ is a reference to the former vice president.
” Now that is a story .
Remember , however , that it might all be Russian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Russian disinformation conduit David Corn advises that “ Giuliani and the New York Post Are Pushing Russian Disinformation.
” And the FBI is reportedly on the case .
So there is that .
I used the metaphor of barking to describe Biden crime family news .
However , Professor Jonathan Turley notes the Sherlockian dog that doesn ’ t bark .
“ If [ the Hunter Biden laptop emails are ] fabricated , there were three barks that we would have expected within hours of the release.
” Professor Turley itemizes the missing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ m not sure that public figures have much recourse to libel law in the United States .
Turley nevertheless hears a whimper : “ that the campaign could not find any notation on Vice President Biden ’ s official schedule that he met with a Ukrainian figure connected to the payments to his son Hunter Biden.
” Following the publication of Turley ’ s column yesterday afternoon , Biden worked up a modified limited bark at the CBS News reporter who had the gall to ask him about the Post stories : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it .
I have no response , it ’ s another smear campaign , right up your alley , those are the questions you always ask ” ( tweet below ) .

The Biden crime family news barks, but the Biden campaign caravan rolls on. Yet at FOX News Sam Dorman and Mike Emanuel have confirmed the authenticity of one of the most troubling emails on Hunter’s abandoned laptop computer. Their story is “Source on alleged Hunter Biden email chain verifies message about Chinese investment firm.” Subhead: “Sources have told Fox News that ‘the big guy’ is a reference to the former vice president.”
Now that is a story. Remember, however, that it might all be Russian disinformation. Mother Jones’s former Russian disinformation conduit David Corn advises that “Giuliani and the New York Post Are Pushing Russian Disinformation.” And the FBI is reportedly on the case. So there is that.
I used the metaphor of barking to describe Biden crime family news. However, Professor Jonathan Turley notes the Sherlockian dog that doesn’t bark. “If [the Hunter Biden laptop emails are] fabricated, there were three barks that we would have expected within hours of the release.” Professor Turley itemizes the missing barks:
Bark 1: This was not Hunter Biden’s computer Bark 2: These were not Hunter Biden’s photos or emails Bark 3: This is defamation
Regarding Bark 3, I’m not sure that public figures have much recourse to libel law in the United States. Turley nevertheless hears a whimper: “that the campaign could not find any notation on Vice President Biden’s official schedule that he met with a Ukrainian figure connected to the payments to his son Hunter Biden.”
Following the publication of Turley’s column yesterday afternoon, Biden worked up a modified limited bark at the CBS News reporter who had the gall to ask him about the Post stories: “I know you’d ask it. I have no response, it’s another smear campaign, right up your alley, those are the questions you always ask” (tweet below).


powerlineblog--2020-10-17--Coronavirus in one state (114)

Coronavirus in one state (114)

New cases of COVID-19 have climbed to record levels in Minnesota .
That is the headline news in stories such as MPR ’ s “ Highest death count in months ; 1,200 new cases ” ( October 14 ) and “ Latest on COVID-19 in MN : Deaths climb , case counts skyrocket on strong testing ” ( October 16 ) this week — stories that faithfully reflect the tone and content of advice from the Department of Health .
The record number of cases follows on a record number of tests .
Minnesota may be experiencing a new wave @ @ @ @ @ @ @ neighboring states are wrestling .
Doing the work that our media betters refuse to to do , Kevin Roche crunches the numbers here .
Wave or no wave , the current state of the epidemic was the subject of yesterday ’ s Department of Health press briefing ( audio below ) .
Unpleasant as it is , this one is must listening .
The tone is one of blaming and shaming .
According to the authorities , we aren ’ t doing our part .
We are letting them down .
The only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The big dog of threatened consequences isn ’ t barking .
Why ?
I infer that the political imperative has silenced that particular dog for the time being .
Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm and Infectious Disease Division Director Kris Ehresmann hosted Hennepin Healthcare chief executive officer Jennifer DeCubellis on yesterday ’ s press briefing conference call .
Nurse Ratched has nothing on DeCubellis , a bureaucrat from hell .
Bed capacity is not an issue , she advised , but staffing is .
Her staff are contracting the virus as a result @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fault .
It is our fault because this is a preventable disease .
Put an exclamation point on that .
This is a preventable disease !
That was the theme of the briefing .
One might infer , however , that this highly infectious disease is going to spread despite our best efforts .
As Kevin puts it , “ The virus is going to do what it will do , as always.
” Kevin adds : “ [ I ] nstead of owning up to it or at least being honest about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , we never get any sense of humility and blame is cast everywhere else–the virus , the citizenry , the federal government , our neighboring states .
Same old pathetic same old.
” To adapt a line from Senator Feinstein , the blame lives loudly in them .
See also Kevin ’ s post “ An interim big picture update.
” Well , I invite you to listen in and double check my interpretation of the word from on high in the audio below .
In her opening remarks Malcolm stated and emphasized @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not include old cases dumped into yesterday ’ s data .
We don ’ t trust but we do verify .
We have “ verified ” Malcolm ’ s statement as false , per this statement on the MDH site : “ Results from 4/29 , 6/3 , 8/18 , 8/26 , 9/1 , 9/9 , and 10/15 included a backlog of tests loaded into our system.
” The 10/15 results are those reported yesterday .

New cases of COVID-19 have climbed to record levels in Minnesota. That is the headline news in stories such as MPR’s “Highest death count in months; 1,200 new cases” (October 14) and “Latest on COVID-19 in MN: Deaths climb, case counts skyrocket on strong testing” (October 16) this week — stories that faithfully reflect the tone and content of advice from the Department of Health.
The record number of cases follows on a record number of tests. Minnesota may be experiencing a new wave similar to the one with which our neighboring states are wrestling. Doing the work that our media betters refuse to to do, Kevin Roche crunches the numbers here.
Wave or no wave, the current state of the epidemic was the subject of yesterday’s Department of Health press briefing (audio below). Unpleasant as it is, this one is must listening. The tone is one of blaming and shaming. According to the authorities, we aren’t doing our part. We are letting them down. The only thing missing is the threat of consequences. The big dog of threatened consequences isn’t barking. Why? I infer that the political imperative has silenced that particular dog for the time being.
Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm and Infectious Disease Division Director Kris Ehresmann hosted Hennepin Healthcare chief executive officer Jennifer DeCubellis on yesterday’s press briefing conference call. Nurse Ratched has nothing on DeCubellis, a bureaucrat from hell. Bed capacity is not an issue, she advised, but staffing is. Her staff are contracting the virus as a result of community spread and it is our fault.
It is our fault because this is a preventable disease. Put an exclamation point on that. This is a preventable disease! That was the theme of the briefing.
One might infer, however, that this highly infectious disease is going to spread despite our best efforts. As Kevin puts it, “The virus is going to do what it will do, as always.” Kevin adds: “[I]nstead of owning up to it or at least being honest about the uncertainty in attempts to mitigate spread, we never get any sense of humility and blame is cast everywhere else–the virus, the citizenry, the federal government, our neighboring states. Same old pathetic same old.” To adapt a line from Senator Feinstein, the blame lives loudly in them. See also Kevin’s post “An interim big picture update.”
Well, I invite you to listen in and double check my interpretation of the word from on high in the audio below. In her opening remarks Malcolm stated and emphasized that the record new case numbers do not include old cases dumped into yesterday’s data. We don’t trust but we do verify. We have “verified” Malcolm’s statement as false, per this statement on the MDH site: “Results from 4/29, 6/3, 8/18, 8/26, 9/1, 9/9, and 10/15 included a backlog of tests loaded into our system.” The 10/15 results are those reported yesterday.
UPDATE: As of October 18, Kevin is still trying to figure out whether the October 16 new case data included cases from previous days: “The Commissioner said no, the website says yes, but this analysis would also suggest no.”


powerlineblog--2020-10-17--The Week in Pictures: Barrett’s Awesome Notepad Edition

“ Arise and take our stand for freedom as in the olden time.
” Winston Churchill “ Proclaim Liberty throughout @ @ @ @ @ the Inhabitants Thereof.
” Inscription on the Liberty Bell

“Arise and take our stand for freedom as in the olden time.” Winston Churchill
“Proclaim Liberty throughout All the land unto All the Inhabitants Thereof.” Inscription on the Liberty Bell


powerlineblog--2020-10-18--Classroom learning for Blacks, online learning for Whites?

In August , the Illinois school district that encompasses Evanston announced its plans for a limited opening in September .
Expecting that , given the pandemic , not enough teachers would return to schools , the district superintendent said that priority for attending classes in person would go to “ Black and Brown students , ” and others he considered to “ marginalized ” or “ oppressed.
” In other words , key educational opportunities would be granted and denied on the basis of race .
What was the justification for the school district ’ s racial discrimination ?
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The superintendent wasn ’ t talking about current racism by the school district .
He didn ’ t cop to that , and it ’ s not plausible , given the decision to favor “ Black and Brown students , ” to believe that the school district currently discriminates against them .
Nor is it likely that the district has discriminated in recent decades .
Superintendent Horton ’ s justification was “ societal discrimination ” and perhaps discrimination by his school district in the distant past .
However , as I understand the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accepted by courts as grounds for discriminating on the basis of race .
The key case is Bakke , the 1970s decision in which the Supreme Court embraced “ diversity ” as a rationale for discrimination by educational institutions against white applicants .
The Court might have used “ societal discrimination ” as a justification , but Justice Lewis Powell , the swing vote in the case , rejected this rationale .
He correctly called it “ an amorphous concept of injury that may be ageless in its reach into the past ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that appealed to Powell .
Thus , we ’ ve been saddled with the diversity rationale ever since .
Indeed , it has become a fetish , rather than the footnote it probably would have been , but for Lewis Powell .
Unfortunately for the school district in Evanston , “ diversity ” can ’ t justify excluding Whites from the classroom in favor of “ Black and Brown ” students .
In fact , the diversity rationale cuts strongly against the school district ’ s policy .
If minority group members gobble @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the seats , classrooms won ’ t be racially diverse .
It goes to show that , deep down , few take diversity seriously as a rationale for racial preferences .
White “ guilt ” over past injustices , and the ability of race hustlers to leverage it , is the real basis for these preferences .
However , the law has not accepted guilt , i.e.
, the concept of past “ societal discrimination , ” as a justification under the Constitution for preferring Blacks over Whites .
The Illinois school district @ @ @ @ @ @ @ order to favor Black and Brown applicants .
It might achieve that general result by using facially neutral selection criteria , such as family income level or academic performance .
In fact , this is what superintendent Horton ’ s defenders said he really had in mind .
However , focusing on income level and academic performance might mean including some White students at the expense of some Black students , despite the superintendent ’ s promise to give Blacks priority .
And it would almost certainly mean the exclusion of some LBGT @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of them .
Yet , LBGT students are among those Horton considers “ marginalized ” or “ oppressed.
” From what I can tell , the school district began the school year with remote learning only .
Currently , it plans to bring back a limited number of students , giving priority to the following groups based on recommendations from the State Board of Education : However , superintendent Horton has admitted that he views these criteria as surrogates for having “ historically been marginalized [ Note : Not discriminated against , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ both locally and across our country , ” and that this is why he plans to prioritize them .
I would be surprised if Horton can point to evidence of recent marginalization ( whatever that might mean ) of members of the groups in question by his school district .
I believe he is looking for ways to do what he initially said he would do — favor Blacks at the expense of Whites — without making the racial preference explicit .
Superintendent Horton , as you might suspect , is a piece @ @ @ @ @ @ @ social justice warrior steeped in the dogma of critical race theory .
His plans include excusing students for failing in turn in homework ( that standard is too tough for many minority kids to meet , don ’ t you know ) and forcing students to endure classes on racism .
What to do when trapped in a school district like this ?
If you can afford it , you can send your kids to private school , assuming that in a university town like Evanston there is one that ’ s less @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the local public school .
Move to another part of the country ?
That ’ s not a practical option for many parents .
Home school your kids ?
That ’ s not always an option either .
It ’ s not an easy situation , and it ’ s going to become more and more difficult in the coming years .
I do suspect , though , that we will end up with two tracks of schools — a sane track and a track like superintendent Horton ’ s .

In August, the Illinois school district that encompasses Evanston announced its plans for a limited opening in September. Expecting that, given the pandemic, not enough teachers would return to schools, the district superintendent said that priority for attending classes in person would go to “Black and Brown students,” and others he considered to “marginalized” or “oppressed.”
In other words, key educational opportunities would be granted and denied on the basis of race.
What was the justification for the school district’s racial discrimination? The superintendent, Devon Horton, explained:
We are in a pandemic. . .But there was a pandemic before this. That was inequity and racism, and classism and all of these other things.
The superintendent wasn’t talking about current racism by the school district. He didn’t cop to that, and it’s not plausible, given the decision to favor “Black and Brown students,” to believe that the school district currently discriminates against them. Nor is it likely that the district has discriminated in recent decades.
Superintendent Horton’s justification was “societal discrimination” and perhaps discrimination by his school district in the distant past. However, as I understand the law, these justifications have never been accepted by courts as grounds for discriminating on the basis of race.
The key case is Bakke, the 1970s decision in which the Supreme Court embraced “diversity” as a rationale for discrimination by educational institutions against white applicants. The Court might have used “societal discrimination” as a justification, but Justice Lewis Powell, the swing vote in the case, rejected this rationale. He correctly called it “an amorphous concept of injury that may be ageless in its reach into the past”.
“Diversity” was the rationale that appealed to Powell. Thus, we’ve been saddled with the diversity rationale ever since. Indeed, it has become a fetish, rather than the footnote it probably would have been, but for Lewis Powell.
Unfortunately for the school district in Evanston, “diversity” can’t justify excluding Whites from the classroom in favor of “Black and Brown” students. In fact, the diversity rationale cuts strongly against the school district’s policy. If minority group members gobble up all or a large part of the seats, classrooms won’t be racially diverse.
It goes to show that, deep down, few take diversity seriously as a rationale for racial preferences. White “guilt” over past injustices, and the ability of race hustlers to leverage it, is the real basis for these preferences. However, the law has not accepted guilt, i.e., the concept of past “societal discrimination,” as a justification under the Constitution for preferring Blacks over Whites.
The Illinois school district need not expressly grant racial preferences in order to favor Black and Brown applicants. It might achieve that general result by using facially neutral selection criteria, such as family income level or academic performance. In fact, this is what superintendent Horton’s defenders said he really had in mind.
However, focusing on income level and academic performance might mean including some White students at the expense of some Black students, despite the superintendent’s promise to give Blacks priority. And it would almost certainly mean the exclusion of some LGBT students, very possibly a large percentage of them. Yet, LGBT students are among those Horton considers “marginalized” or “oppressed.”
From what I can tell, the school district began the school year with remote learning only. Currently, it plans to bring back a limited number of students, giving priority to the following groups based on recommendations from the State Board of Education:
Special Education – Does the student have an IEP or 504 Plan?
Emerging Bilingual (EB) – Is the student an Emergent Bilingual?
Low Income: Is the student eligible for free or reduced price meals?
McKinney Vento: Is the student currently experiencing transitional living?
Age: Is the student in early childhood (0-5 yrs), K, 1st grade, or 2nd grade?
However, superintendent Horton has admitted that he views these criteria as surrogates for having “historically been marginalized [Note: Not discriminated against, but “marginalized”] in educational institutions both locally and across our country,” and that this is why he plans to prioritize them.
I would be surprised if Horton can point to evidence of recent marginalization (whatever that might mean) of members of the groups in question by his school district. I believe he is looking for ways to do what he initially said he would do — favor Blacks at the expense of Whites — without making the racial preference explicit.
Superintendent Horton, as you might suspect, is a piece of work. He’s a social justice warrior steeped in the dogma of critical race theory.
His plans include excusing students for failing in turn in homework (that standard is too tough for many minority kids to meet, don’t you know) and forcing students to endure classes on racism.
What to do when trapped in a school district like this? If you can afford it, you can send your kids to private school, assuming that in a university town like Evanston there is one that’s less in the thrall of race hustlers than the local public school. Move to another part of the country? That’s not a practical option for many parents. Home school your kids? That’s not always an option either.
It’s not an easy situation, and it’s going to become more and more difficult in the coming years. I do suspect, though, that we will end up with two tracks of schools — a sane track and a track like superintendent Horton’s.


powerlineblog--2020-10-18--How Do We Know the Hunter/Joe Biden Documents Are Real?

The New York Post ’ s series of exposes , based on a hard drive that Hunter Biden left with a repair shop and never reclaimed , have thrown a joker into the deck of the presidential election .
Of course , the issue isn ’ t Hunter–a sad , drug-addled case–but rather the light that the documents shed on the corrupt career of Joe Biden .
The Post ’ s documents show a level of corruption that is remarkable even by Swamp standards–for example , Joe Biden proposing to take equity in a Chinese company secretly , through a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by Hunter .
But how do we know that they are genuine ?
First , because Biden hasn ’ t denied that the hard drive belonged to Hunter , and the documents contained thereon are real .
His calling the Post ’ s stories a “ smear ” was a non-denial denial .
Second , because there is a witness .
The Democrats have to be careful , because there is a real , live repair shop owner who is ready to explain what happened and to vouch for the integrity of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ largely why Biden et al .
have gone to ground rather than seriously contest the corruption to which Hunter ’ s files testify .
At Townhall , Rudy Giuliani explains the provenance of the Hunter Biden hard drive : “ The way I came to have this was my lawyer was contacted by this gentleman who owns this store that fixes hard drives .
Hunter Biden had come into the store probably a year ago , turned over three devices .
The guy couldn ’ t fix one , fixed the other immediately @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Giuliani explained .
“ Hunter Biden came back in two days and brought him some kind of keyboard that would help and within a fairly short period of time he had it fixed .
He started calling Biden to pick it up .
Couldn ’ t get any answer , any response , didn ’ t get paid.
” “ For some reason Hunter Biden never showed up .
One of the reasons may be , the gentleman says , Hunter Biden was so drunk that he had a little trouble @ @ @ @ @ @ @ since I ’ ve now looked at the hard drive I find that to be very credible because – and this may be an exaggeration – but he looks like he ’ s high on crack every other day for the last five or six years.
” *** According to Giuliani , the computer store owner made four copies of the hard drive but turned the original over to the FBI .
He gave two copies to his friends in case he was killed .
He waited four or five months before he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they would be interested in the data .
“ We were the first to respond , or the only ones to respond , ” the president ’ s personal attorney explained .
Giuliani ’ s attorney , Bob Costello , met up with the store owner and spent about a week reviewing the information it contained to make sure it was legal to release .
The contract Hunter Biden signed said that if the computer wasn ’ t picked up in 90 days it would be considered abandoned and the owner would obtain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wasn ’ t validated until Giuliani received a copy and reviewed the information .
Based on dates and information from a confidential informant , Giuliani was able to validate it was , in fact , Hunter ’ s computer .
More details at the link .
One wonders , why hasn ’ t the FBI done anything , given that it has had Hunter ’ s hard drive for ten months ?
Good point !
Did Hunter register as a foreign agent ?
Giuliani says that he didn ’ t .
Is that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a one-time-only expedient to be used against associates of President Trump ?
Joe Biden is perhaps the ultimate swamp creature .
What we know about his corruption is plenty bad enough , but my guess is that what has come to light is only the tip of the iceberg .
UPDATE : I should add that Joe Biden is now facing questions over his business dealings with an oligarch in Kazakhstan .

The New York Post’s series of exposes, based on a hard drive that Hunter Biden left with a repair shop and never reclaimed, have thrown a joker into the deck of the presidential election. Of course, the issue isn’t Hunter–a sad, drug-addled case–but rather the light that the documents shed on the corrupt career of Joe Biden.
The Post’s documents show a level of corruption that is remarkable even by Swamp standards–for example, Joe Biden proposing to take equity in a Chinese company secretly, through a 10 percent stake held on his behalf by Hunter. But how do we know that they are genuine?
First, because Biden hasn’t denied that the hard drive belonged to Hunter, and the documents contained thereon are real. His calling the Post’s stories a “smear” was a non-denial denial.
Second, because there is a witness. The Democrats have to be careful, because there is a real, live repair shop owner who is ready to explain what happened and to vouch for the integrity of the hard drive. I think this is largely why Biden et al. have gone to ground rather than seriously contest the corruption to which Hunter’s files testify.
At Townhall, Rudy Giuliani explains the provenance of the Hunter Biden hard drive:
“The way I came to have this was my lawyer was contacted by this gentleman who owns this store that fixes hard drives. Hunter Biden had come into the store probably a year ago, turned over three devices. The guy couldn’t fix one, fixed the other immediately and had to keep the hard drive,” Giuliani explained. “Hunter Biden came back in two days and brought him some kind of keyboard that would help and within a fairly short period of time he had it fixed. He started calling Biden to pick it up. Couldn’t get any answer, any response, didn’t get paid.” “For some reason Hunter Biden never showed up. One of the reasons may be, the gentleman says, Hunter Biden was so drunk that he had a little trouble even getting his name out. And since I’ve now looked at the hard drive I find that to be very credible because – and this may be an exaggeration – but he looks like he’s high on crack every other day for the last five or six years.”
***
According to Giuliani, the computer store owner made four copies of the hard drive but turned the original over to the FBI. He gave two copies to his friends in case he was killed. He waited four or five months before he sent letters to various Republicans asking if they would be interested in the data. “We were the first to respond, or the only ones to respond,” the president’s personal attorney explained. Giuliani’s attorney, Bob Costello, met up with the store owner and spent about a week reviewing the information it contained to make sure it was legal to release. The contract Hunter Biden signed said that if the computer wasn’t picked up in 90 days it would be considered abandoned and the owner would obtain possession. The information, however, wasn’t validated until Giuliani received a copy and reviewed the information. Based on dates and information from a confidential informant, Giuliani was able to validate it was, in fact, Hunter’s computer.
More details at the link. One wonders, why hasn’t the FBI done anything, given that it has had Hunter’s hard drive for ten months?
Based on what’s known, Giuliani stated Hunter Biden should be in prison for failing to register as a foreign agent, which is what Paul Manafort went to jail for.
Good point! Did Hunter register as a foreign agent? Giuliani says that he didn’t. Is that still a crime, or was it a one-time-only expedient to be used against associates of President Trump?
Joe Biden is perhaps the ultimate swamp creature. What we know about his corruption is plenty bad enough, but my guess is that what has come to light is only the tip of the iceberg.
UPDATE: I should add that Joe Biden is now facing questions over his business dealings with an oligarch in Kazakhstan.