truthout--2020-06-18--Supreme Court: Trump’s Attempt to End DACA “Arbitrary and Capricious”

Delivering a huge blow to President Donald Trump , the Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that the way the administration sought to end a popular program allowing Dreamers ( undocumented immigrants who came to the U.S. as children ) to remain in the country had not followed the proper steps , thus resulting in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals ( DACA ) program to remain in place for the time being .
The 5-4 decision of the Court stated that the Trump administration had not adhered to the protocols established by the Administrative Procedure Act ( APA ) .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ followed , DACA was not ended in a proper way , and thus , from a legal standpoint , remained in place , allowing nearly 650,000 Dreamers to stay in the country without threat of deportation for now .
Joining the four liberal justices of the Court , Chief Justice John Roberts authored the majority opinion for the case .
Although the Department of Homeland Security ( DHS ) under Trump ended the program in September 2017 , the agency “ failed to consider the conspicuous issues of whether to retain forbearance and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hardship to DACA recipients , ” in violation of the APA , Roberts said .
“ That dual failure raises doubts about whether the agency appreciated the scope of its discretion or exercised that discretion in a reasonable manner.
” “ The appropriate recourse is therefore to remand to DHS so that it may consider the problem anew , ” Roberts added .
Pamela Chomba , director of State Immigration Campaigns at FWD.us , celebrated the ruling on social media .
“ I still can ’ t believe today ’ s # DACA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of joy , I ’ m relieved , I feel lighter , ” Chomba said .
But the ruling , while giving Dreamers a huge victory for now , also grants the administration the ability to end DACA if it goes through the proper steps to do so , a point that Chomba also recognized in her tweet .
“ There ’ s still so much to do .
Real justice we need to fight for , ” Chomba said .
Dreamers themselves also seemed to recognize the legal victory was bittersweet , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ choose to rescind this program tomorrow , ” one DACA recipient said to CNN .
“ He knows how to do it .
The Supreme Court is telling him .
So we are not safe.
” Started in 2012 under the administration of President Barack Obama , the program gave qualified individuals who came to the U.S. as children , but who had not obtained documents to become citizens , the right to remain in the country without the threat of being deported , allowing them to work legally and apply for college @ @ @ @ @ @ @ renew their eligibility every two years .
The program is popular , even among lawmakers on both sides of the aisle .
Yet , on two separate occasions , when Democrats and Republicans in Congress announced they had reached a deal to keep the program in place , Trump surprised GOP lawmakers by saying he wouldn ’ t support those proposals .
Although Trump may now attempt to end the program through the proper steps outlined by Roberts and the majority of the Supreme Court , it may be politically advantageous for him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ presidential election coming up in the fall , in addition to the widespread support among the American populace to grant citizenship rights outright to Dreamers , any attempts at dismantling the program at this time could hurt Trump significantly as he tries to win a second term in office .

The 5-4 ruling explained that the administration had violated procedural protocols in attempting to end the program.
Delivering a huge blow to President Donald Trump, the Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that the way the administration sought to end a popular program allowing Dreamers (undocumented immigrants who came to the U.S. as children) to remain in the country had not followed the proper steps, thus resulting in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program to remain in place for the time being.
The 5-4 decision of the Court stated that the Trump administration had not adhered to the protocols established by the Administrative Procedure Act (APA). Because those steps hadn’t been followed, DACA was not ended in a proper way, and thus, from a legal standpoint, remained in place, allowing nearly 650,000 Dreamers to stay in the country without threat of deportation for now.
Joining the four liberal justices of the Court, Chief Justice John Roberts authored the majority opinion for the case.
Although the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) under Trump ended the program in September 2017, the agency “failed to consider the conspicuous issues of whether to retain forbearance and what if anything to do about the hardship to DACA recipients,” in violation of the APA, Roberts said. “That dual failure raises doubts about whether the agency appreciated the scope of its discretion or exercised that discretion in a reasonable manner.”
“The appropriate recourse is therefore to remand to DHS so that it may consider the problem anew,” Roberts added.
Pamela Chomba, director of State Immigration Campaigns at FWD.us, celebrated the ruling on social media.
“I still can’t believe today’s #DACA decision. I’m crying tears of joy, I’m relieved, I feel lighter,” Chomba said.
But the ruling, while giving Dreamers a huge victory for now, also grants the administration the ability to end DACA if it goes through the proper steps to do so, a point that Chomba also recognized in her tweet.
“There’s still so much to do. Real justice we need to fight for,” Chomba said.
Dreamers themselves also seemed to recognize the legal victory was bittersweet, and potentially temporary.
“Trump could choose to rescind this program tomorrow,” one DACA recipient said to CNN. “He knows how to do it. The Supreme Court is telling him. So we are not safe.”
Started in 2012 under the administration of President Barack Obama, the program gave qualified individuals who came to the U.S. as children, but who had not obtained documents to become citizens, the right to remain in the country without the threat of being deported, allowing them to work legally and apply for college loans. The program allowed recipients to renew their eligibility every two years.
The program is popular, even among lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. Yet, on two separate occasions, when Democrats and Republicans in Congress announced they had reached a deal to keep the program in place, Trump surprised GOP lawmakers by saying he wouldn’t support those proposals.
Although Trump may now attempt to end the program through the proper steps outlined by Roberts and the majority of the Supreme Court, it may be politically advantageous for him not to do so. With the presidential election coming up in the fall, in addition to the widespread support among the American populace to grant citizenship rights outright to Dreamers, any attempts at dismantling the program at this time could hurt Trump significantly as he tries to win a second term in office.
Tired of reading the same old news from the same old sources? So are we! That’s why we’re on a mission to shake things up and bring you the stories and perspectives that often go untold in mainstream media. But being a radically, unapologetically independent news site isn’t easy (or cheap), and we rely on reader support to keep the lights on.
If you like what you’re reading, please consider making a tax-deductible donation today. We’re not asking for a handout, we’re asking for an investment: Invest in a nonprofit news site that’s not afraid to ruffle a few feathers, not afraid to stand up for what’s right, and not afraid to tell it like it is.
Copyright © Truthout. May not be reprinted without permission.


truthout--2020-06-18--Amid Calls for a General Strike, Labor Will Shut Down 29 Ports on Juneteenth

It was Tuesday , May 26 , the same day the video of George Floyd ’ s murder by four Minneapolis policemen surfaced .
James Curbeam was walking to his car outside a Lowe ’ s store not far from where he lives in Nashville , Tennessee , when a white woman approached him demanding to know , “ Why are you following me ?
” Curbeam , who is chairman of the Teamsters National Black Caucus , told Truthout his immediate sinking thought was : How can I defend myself to the police when they come ?
Fortunately , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he remains shaken by how vulnerable he was , and is , by dint of being a Black man in the U.S. “ I didn ’ t say anything to my wife about what happened until that Thursday , ” he said .
Organized labor has a fraught role in relation to policing , to say the least .
Since the inception of police departments , police have played a role in repressing worker uprisings .
Yet the strength of police unions — including those within the Teamsters and other large unions like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to any kind of fundamental change .
However , an increasing number of workers are speaking out about policing and demanding their unions ’ attention in the current moment .
“ While working people of America have had a knee on our neck for generations , for Black people , it ’ s worse , ” Curbeam added .
Juneteenth — a holiday that originates in Texas , but is now catching hold nationwide — is observed on June 19 .
It celebrates the day in 1865 when enslaved people in Texas learned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ altered by the Emancipation Proclamation two years earlier .
Juneteenth 2020 is also the day that all 29 ports that operate with the International Longshore and Warehouse Union ( ILWU ) will be shut down from 9 am to 5 pm .
Initiated by Bay Area Locals 10 and 34 , and adopted by ILWU national on June 8 .
“ Looking at the tragedy that ’ s continuing to happen to Black and Brown people in this country , I ’ m heartbroken because I have to live with the fact that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be facing a terrible future unless I play a part in changing history , ” Gabriel Prawl , former president of ILWU Local 52 in Seattle , told Truthout .
At a 2016 convention in Miami , he circulated a draft resolution proposing that if any Black longshore worker is killed by law enforcement anywhere , all longshore unions would take unified economic action everywhere .
Prawl says he ’ s still waiting for such a resolution to be adopted but that Friday ’ s planned work stoppage was conceived in that spirit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aims of that proposed resolution of any action so far.
” Prawl — who is also president of the Seattle chapter of the A. Philip Randolph Institute , a policy advocacy organization for Black trade unionists — wants the police to “ stop terrorizing Black people.
” He ’ s also concerned about a jobless future due to automation .
“ It ’ s the future of eliminating unions , of eliminating employers having to pay for pensions , Social Security and medical [ benefits ] for actual human beings working , so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the corporation .
Automation will create more poverty in the world , ” he said .
Multiple reports already point to high job loss due to future automation in occupations currently held by Black workers .
Unions are being targeted for economic warfare , which is also a detriment to Black workers who , according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics , had in 2019 the highest union coverage rate among major racial and ethnic groups .
Specific to longshore workers , ILWU Oregon is on tenterhooks deciding how best to cope @ @ @ @ @ @ @ million judgment recently levied against it because of a work slowdown campaign against terminal operator International Container Terminal Services , Inc. ( ICTSI ) in Portland from 2013 to 2017 .
ILWU couldn ’ t comment , but according to a précis by ICTSI ’ s lawyers , the slowdown was part of a contractual dispute about the right to perform plugging , unplugging and monitoring of refrigerated containers .
Meanwhile , the continued viability of the Port of Oakland is imperiled by billionaire John Fisher , who hopes to develop its real @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a 34,000-seat sports stadium and thousands of units of luxury condos .
Approximately 1,000 dockworker positions , predominantly held by African Americans , are at risk if the plan goes forward , and according to the Port of Oakland , the port and its business partners support more than 84,000 supply chain , distribution and logistics jobs .
Prawl freely admits these existential threats motivate ILWU ’ s outreach to resistance groups in the working-class struggle like the Movement for Black Lives .
“ Labor has a responsibility to play a role in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ because without the movement , labor will not survive.
” Chris Silvera , secretary-treasurer of Teamsters Local 808 in Long Island City , New York , sees an imperative for unions to share resources with the grassroots in order to cement such strategic alliances , and soon .
“ Many unions have no-strike provisions , so for legal reasons , we have to have a foil or buffers that cause us to not be able to get to work , ” Silvera told Truthout .
“ Let ’ s say Black Lives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our job sites , and that ’ s what causes the shutdown.
” Holding out the prospect of labor ’ s ability to catalyze a general strike as a shimmering lure , Silvera says if the ILWU , ILA and Teamsters joined forces in a shutdown , “ the country would have to come to an agreement about something very fast .
That ’ s what we want to build.
” But he admits the Teamsters have been very conservative .
“ I don ’ t want to say racist but they tend @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to time , conservatism and racism.
” Simply in terms of seats at the table , in 1975 , there was one Black trustee serving on the executive board ; by 2015 there were three ; and now in 2020 they ’ re back down to one .
A diversity committee was established and prepared a report of recommendations .
But nothing of the committee ’ s findings has been presented at any of the three conventions that have come and gone since the report was concluded .
Given those tendencies , getting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s foils and buffers will be a difficult sell .
“ We have to stop pandering to the racists , ’ ” Silvera said .
Beyond discussions of diversity looms a larger , glaring issue : The Teamsters contain police unions and have stood with law enforcement every step of the way , including legal defense funds for officers and the entrenchment of contracts that stand in the way of defunding policing , holding officers accountable for their actions , and getting police out of schools .
Given all of these dynamics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a general strike ?
Writer and labor activist Bill Fletcher , Jr. told Truthout there hasn ’ t been a general strike in the United States since 1946 .
“ In effect , there is no one of working age now who was ever involved in a general strike and we ’ re going to have to relearn how to do it.
” In his observation , conditions are similar to those in 1919 , when the country was in a depression and a flu pandemic and was suffering white supremacist racist violence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that led to the Seattle general strike .
“ In a global economy , any delay in logistics has an impact , ” Fletcher noted about the planned port closures .
“ Can it reverberate ?
I don ’ t know.
” In April , Kali Akuno of Cooperation Jackson and other organizers , volubly formed The People ’ s Strike , which both supports and applauds the ILWU ’ s planned port closures Friday .
The People ’ s Strike is a united front of radical Black , Brown , Indigenous and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Day , have committed to organizing themed mini-strikes on the first day of every month .
The aim of the People ’ s Strike is to help move the working class toward a global general strike , with or without organized labor ’ s leadership , by educating workers about the tactic of general strike and promoting democratic processes of governance such as people ’ s assemblies to make decisions about how to get there .
The People ’ s Strike has also drawn attention to the need to expel police from unions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ organized labor are deep , ” Akuno told Truthout .
“ They ’ re rooted in compromises made generations ago , such as no-strike language in the contracts .
Overall , their orientation is around a service model , rather than an organizing model , to put it nicely .
Because of that , there are millions of workers who see some of these unions as being a hindrance.
” Akuno says he ’ s willing to bear the brunt of criticism for trying something new , and turns the questions back around @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the methodology that they ’ ve been applying is going to deal with this [ economic ] depression , which is still deepening ?
What is labor ’ s strategy ?
I haven ’ t heard anybody articulating one.
” He fears that to the extent there is a strategy , it ’ s dependent upon the economy reopening , but wonders if labor has an actual plan to reopen the economy safely .
“ How are you going to deal with the austerity that ’ s already on the board ?
How @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more of your members being homeless because they can ’ t cover rent ?
While you ’ re waiting for employers to come up with an autonomous solution , let ’ s put people back to work under new conditions , under new relationships , ” he says .
“ Their lack of vision , lack of imagination , have led to a very cautious play , which … asks , ‘ What ’ s in it for my members ?
’ Akuno says .
“ So , if it ’ s just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ logic of capitalist competition being that those who are unorganized , by necessity , drive down wages and working conditions.
” Tough as it is , Akuno is not shying away from the conversation .
“ To people who say talk of a general strike is premature , we ’ re going to keep raising the question under these conditions because these issues aren ’ t going away .
”

The strength of police unions within larger unions is a barrier labor must confront during and after the port shutdowns.
It was Tuesday, May 26, the same day the video of George Floyd’s murder by four Minneapolis policemen surfaced. James Curbeam was walking to his car outside a Lowe’s store not far from where he lives in Nashville, Tennessee, when a white woman approached him demanding to know, “Why are you following me?” Curbeam, who is chairman of the Teamsters National Black Caucus, told Truthout his immediate sinking thought was: How can I defend myself to the police when they come?
Fortunately, he de-escalated the mistaken encounter, but he remains shaken by how vulnerable he was, and is, by dint of being a Black man in the U.S. “I didn’t say anything to my wife about what happened until that Thursday,” he said.
Organized labor has a fraught role in relation to policing, to say the least. Since the inception of police departments, police have played a role in repressing worker uprisings. Yet the strength of police unions — including those within the Teamsters and other large unions like the AFL-CIO — is a major barrier to any kind of fundamental change.
However, an increasing number of workers are speaking out about policing and demanding their unions’ attention in the current moment.
“While working people of America have had a knee on our neck for generations, for Black people, it’s worse,” Curbeam added.
Juneteenth — a holiday that originates in Texas, but is now catching hold nationwide — is observed on June 19. It celebrates the day in 1865 when enslaved people in Texas learned that their legal status had been favorably altered by the Emancipation Proclamation two years earlier. Juneteenth 2020 is also the day that all 29 ports that operate with the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) will be shut down from 9 am to 5 pm. Initiated by Bay Area Locals 10 and 34, and adopted by ILWU national on June 8.
“Looking at the tragedy that’s continuing to happen to Black and Brown people in this country, I’m heartbroken because I have to live with the fact that my children and grandchildren are going to be facing a terrible future unless I play a part in changing history,” Gabriel Prawl, former president of ILWU Local 52 in Seattle, told Truthout.
At a 2016 convention in Miami, he circulated a draft resolution proposing that if any Black longshore worker is killed by law enforcement anywhere, all longshore unions would take unified economic action everywhere. Prawl says he’s still waiting for such a resolution to be adopted but that Friday’s planned work stoppage was conceived in that spirit “and comes the closest to the aims of that proposed resolution of any action so far.”
Unions are being targeted for economic warfare, which is also a detriment to Black workers who had in 2019 the highest union coverage rate among major racial and ethnic groups.
Prawl — who is also president of the Seattle chapter of the A. Philip Randolph Institute, a policy advocacy organization for Black trade unionists — wants the police to “stop terrorizing Black people.” He’s also concerned about a jobless future due to automation.
“It’s the future of eliminating unions, of eliminating employers having to pay for pensions, Social Security and medical [benefits] for actual human beings working, so that more of the profit goes to the corporation. Automation will create more poverty in the world,” he said.
Multiple reports already point to high job loss due to future automation in occupations currently held by Black workers. Unions are being targeted for economic warfare, which is also a detriment to Black workers who, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, had in 2019 the highest union coverage rate among major racial and ethnic groups.
Specific to longshore workers, ILWU Oregon is on tenterhooks deciding how best to cope with the challenge of a $19 million judgment recently levied against it because of a work slowdown campaign against terminal operator International Container Terminal Services, Inc. (ICTSI) in Portland from 2013 to 2017. ILWU couldn’t comment, but according to a précis by ICTSI’s lawyers, the slowdown was part of a contractual dispute about the right to perform plugging, unplugging and monitoring of refrigerated containers.
Meanwhile, the continued viability of the Port of Oakland is imperiled by billionaire John Fisher, who hopes to develop its real estate for many non-port purposes, including a 34,000-seat sports stadium and thousands of units of luxury condos. Approximately 1,000 dockworker positions, predominantly held by African Americans, are at risk if the plan goes forward, and according to the Port of Oakland, the port and its business partners support more than 84,000 supply chain, distribution and logistics jobs.
Prawl freely admits these existential threats motivate ILWU’s outreach to resistance groups in the working-class struggle like the Movement for Black Lives.
“Labor has a responsibility to play a role in this resistance,” Prawl said, “because without the movement, labor will not survive.”
Chris Silvera, secretary-treasurer of Teamsters Local 808 in Long Island City, New York, sees an imperative for unions to share resources with the grassroots in order to cement such strategic alliances, and soon.
“Many unions have no-strike provisions, so for legal reasons, we have to have a foil or buffers that cause us to not be able to get to work,” Silvera told Truthout. “Let’s say Black Lives Matter sets up a picket line around our job sites, and that’s what causes the shutdown.”
Holding out the prospect of labor’s ability to catalyze a general strike as a shimmering lure, Silvera says if the ILWU, ILA and Teamsters joined forces in a shutdown, “the country would have to come to an agreement about something very fast. That’s what we want to build.”
The aim of the People’s Strike is to help move the working class toward a global general strike, with or without organized labor’s leadership.
But he admits the Teamsters have been very conservative. “I don’t want to say racist but they tend to walk hand in hand from time to time, conservatism and racism.” Simply in terms of seats at the table, in 1975, there was one Black trustee serving on the executive board; by 2015 there were three; and now in 2020 they’re back down to one. A diversity committee was established and prepared a report of recommendations. But nothing of the committee’s findings has been presented at any of the three conventions that have come and gone since the report was concluded. Given those tendencies, getting Black youth to sign on as labor’s foils and buffers will be a difficult sell. “We have to stop pandering to the racists,’” Silvera said.
Beyond discussions of diversity looms a larger, glaring issue: The Teamsters contain police unions and have stood with law enforcement every step of the way, including legal defense funds for officers and the entrenchment of contracts that stand in the way of defunding policing, holding officers accountable for their actions, and getting police out of schools.
Given all of these dynamics, what might be the outlook for a general strike?
Writer and labor activist Bill Fletcher, Jr. told Truthout there hasn’t been a general strike in the United States since 1946. “In effect, there is no one of working age now who was ever involved in a general strike and we’re going to have to relearn how to do it.”
In his observation, conditions are similar to those in 1919, when the country was in a depression and a flu pandemic and was suffering white supremacist racist violence in 26 cities during the Red Summer that led to the Seattle general strike.
“In a global economy, any delay in logistics has an impact,” Fletcher noted about the planned port closures. “Can it reverberate? I don’t know.”
In April, Kali Akuno of Cooperation Jackson and other organizers, volubly formed The People’s Strike, which both supports and applauds the ILWU’s planned port closures Friday.
The People’s Strike is a united front of radical Black, Brown, Indigenous and allied resistance groups who, since May Day, have committed to organizing themed mini-strikes on the first day of every month. The aim of the People’s Strike is to help move the working class toward a global general strike, with or without organized labor’s leadership, by educating workers about the tactic of general strike and promoting democratic processes of governance such as people’s assemblies to make decisions about how to get there. The People’s Strike has also drawn attention to the need to expel police from unions.
“I think the problems in organized labor are deep,” Akuno told Truthout. “They’re rooted in compromises made generations ago, such as no-strike language in the contracts. Overall, their orientation is around a service model, rather than an organizing model, to put it nicely. Because of that, there are millions of workers who see some of these unions as being a hindrance.”
Akuno says he’s willing to bear the brunt of criticism for trying something new, and turns the questions back around at labor. “Do they feel the methodology that they’ve been applying is going to deal with this [economic] depression, which is still deepening? What is labor’s strategy? I haven’t heard anybody articulating one.”
He fears that to the extent there is a strategy, it’s dependent upon the economy reopening, but wonders if labor has an actual plan to reopen the economy safely.
“How are you going to deal with the austerity that’s already on the board? How’re you going to deal with more of your members being homeless because they can’t cover rent? While you’re waiting for employers to come up with an autonomous solution, let’s put people back to work under new conditions, under new relationships,” he says.
“Their lack of vision, lack of imagination, have led to a very cautious play, which … asks, ‘What’s in it for my members?’ Akuno says. “So, if it’s just about your members, just the very logic of capitalist competition being that those who are unorganized, by necessity, drive down wages and working conditions.”
Tough as it is, Akuno is not shying away from the conversation. “To people who say talk of a general strike is premature, we’re going to keep raising the question under these conditions because these issues aren’t going away.”
Tired of reading the same old news from the same old sources? So are we! That’s why we’re on a mission to shake things up and bring you the stories and perspectives that often go untold in mainstream media. But being a radically, unapologetically independent news site isn’t easy (or cheap), and we rely on reader support to keep the lights on.
If you like what you’re reading, please consider making a tax-deductible donation today. We’re not asking for a handout, we’re asking for an investment: Invest in a nonprofit news site that’s not afraid to ruffle a few feathers, not afraid to stand up for what’s right, and not afraid to tell it like it is.
Copyright © Truthout. May not be reprinted without permission.


truthout--2020-06-18--Armed Extremist Groups Aren’t Lone Wolves — They Were Galvanized by the GOP

Protesters are being menaced and shot by heavily-armed right-wing militias over the removal of racist statues across the country .
Where does this eruption of violence stem from ?
The answer lies in the rise of far right groups that are armed to the teeth — this is the U.S. after all , where we love our guns more than we love our children , so of course they are .
These groups seem increasingly prepared to take their fight against liberal democracy ( small “ l , ” small “ d , ” in the classic sense ) to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even as a large majority of the people move toward finally confronting the nation ’ s blood-soaked racism , both past and present .
Earlier this week , racial justice activists in Albuquerque were looking to deliver a statue of Spanish conquistador Juan de Oñate to the same fate as the statues of Confederate “ heroes ” that have recently been felled like old , rotten trees .
Oñate was another in a long line of European butchers who sailed the Atlantic seeking fortune and glory , and upon arrival here laid waste @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rapacious gaze .
The scion of a wealthy family who made its fortune with silver mines in Mexico , Oñate claimed a portion of northern New Mexico for Spain and demanded the Indigenous people there pay taxes and pledge homage not just to his country , but to the Pope .
The Acoma people properly refused to kneel to this brazen demand and fought back , killing 13 Spaniards , including Oñate ’ s nephew .
In response , Oñate all but wiped out a large Acoma village , leaving around 200 survivors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ men of fighting age had their right feet amputated and were sentenced to 20 years of forced labor .
In an ugly echo of the present situation at the U.S./Mexico border , the surviving Acoma children were taken from their families and sent to live with Christian missionaries .
History rhymes .
In every respect , the statue of Oñate deserves to be hauled down and shattered for driveway gravel right alongside the statues of all those Confederate warlords who fought their own countrymen for the right to keep human beings in permanent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the activists who gathered around the Oñate statue in Albuquerque on the evening of June 15 .
Yet they were not alone that night .
Heavily armed members of a group calling itself the New Mexico Civil Guard appeared , intent on “ defending ” the statue of a Spanish conquistador whose name appears in the history books written in the blood of children .
A scuffle ensued , and a “ Civil Guard ” member pulled a handgun .
When the shooting stopped , a protester lay critically wounded .
The New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the middle of March and began making its presence known at “ Reopen Now ” protests , where they joined with right-wing protesters who called the COVID-19 pandemic an overblown hoax .
After the police murder of George Floyd , they shifted their rhetoric toward the idea of being a bulwark against alleged “ antifa ” chaos as calls increased to defund police departments .
The group ’ s Facebook page features posts such as “ Basic Fundamentals and Principles for Ambushing.
” They do not appear to be all bluster , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their intentions .
The New Mexico Civil Guard is one of several extreme-right groups that have made their presence known in recent months .
A number of these groups are made up of hardcore libertarians who despise government in virtually all its forms — including the police .
Others , however , have taken advantage of the popular uprising across the country to sow violence and discord in the streets , hoping to spark a new civil war .
Turn on Fox News for a few minutes , and like as not you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the streets .
“ Antifa ” has been named the culprit for this violence by the likes of Donald Trump and GOP Rep. Jim Jordan , the latter of whom blamed antifa for the murder of a federal officer in Oakland , California , earlier this month .
In point of fact , some violence was actually instigated by far-right counterprotesters seeking to spark their new civil war .
“ The numbers are overwhelming , ” former FBI agent and extremism scholar Clint Watts told The Washington Post .
“ Most of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wing.
” The murder of federal officer Dave Patrick Underwood during the Oakland protests was not the act of antifa , as alleged by Jordan .
Underwood was gunned down by an active-duty Air Force sergeant named Steven Carrillo , and a second officer was wounded in the attack .
Carrillo , along with accomplice Robert Justus , shot Underwood outside the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building before fleeing to Carrillo ’ s home .
Eight days later , when law enforcement arrived at the home to make an arrest , Carrillo ambushed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Damon Gutzwiller , critically injuring a second officer in the exchange of fire .
Before his arrest , Carrillo scrawled “ boog ” and “ I became unreasonable ” in his own blood on the hood of the vehicle he had had carjacked while in flight .
“ Federal authorities said an AR-15 was recovered at the scene where Carrillo was arrested and linked to the Oakland federal courthouse shooting , ” reports NBC News .
“ The assault rifle used by Carrillo was privately made , had no markings and had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the weapon , authorities said .
Investigators found inside Carrillo ’ s vehicle a ballistic vest with a patch on it that featured an igloo and a Hawaiian-style print — symbols associated with the far right extremist ‘ Boogaloo ’ movement , according to his federal complaint.
” The so-called “ Boogaloo Movement ” emerged from the fetid swamps of far right internet abscesses like 4chan , and the in-your-face absurdity of the group ’ s rhetoric and behavior serves to mask its violent potential .
The name itself — “ Boogaloo ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ movie , “ Breakin ’ 2 : Electric Boogaloo.
” Why ?
Because “ Breakin ’ 2 ” the sequel is basically the same movie as the original “ Breakin ’ , ” and since Boogaloo adherents apparently expect the next civil war to be like the first one , they nicked the name of that sequel to use as code for their ultimate intentions .
Boogaloo Bois , as they call themselves , wear Hawaiian shirts to protests in order to spot each other .
The igloo patch on Carrillo ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as “ igloo ” and “ boogaloo ” sound somewhat the same .
Boogaloo Facebook pages contain posts filled with memes that describe “ yeeting tannerite filled lunch boxes with talking fish clock timers ” at Virginia National Guard members .
Absurd , and deeply unsettling : Tannerite is a firearm target that explodes when hit .
A lunch box filled with them is the equivalent of a homemade Claymore mine .
According to the Southern Poverty Law Center , which tracks hate groups and domestic terrorist organizations , “ The boogaloo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ white power online spaces in the early 2010s .
In both of these communities , ‘ boogaloo ’ was frequently associated with racist violence and , in many cases , was an explicit call for race war .
Today the term is regularly deployed by white nationalists and neo-Nazis who want to see society descend into chaos so that they can come to power and build a new fascist state.
” Now , not every Boogaloo Boi can be lumped together in a mob of violent racist fascists ; in some cases , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are siding with the protesters .
However , Air Force sergeant Steven Carrillo , along with the Albuquerque shooter , fit the violent racist fascist description seamlessly .
There are more than just a few of them , and they are both organized and weaponized .
These people did not spring up from the ground like mushrooms .
They are products of a long-standing cultivation project undertaken by the Republican Party and its media allies to agitate and radicalize its political base .
The so-called “ militia movement ” that bloomed during the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the eight-year tenure of a Black president , all the while eagerly fed by a GOP seeking shock troops to defend the status quo .
That such people are able to amass huge arsenals of war weapons speaks to the Republican Party ’ s decades-old love affair with extremist gun rights organizations like the National Rifle Association .
It has all come together in a fearsome cocktail of racism and deliberately stoked anti-government grievance , and some within those ranks are clearly all too ready to start pulling the trigger .
Donald Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the chosen one who will smash the “ deep state ” and “ save ” white people .
Trump has made it clear to them time and again that he stands with them , the “ fine people ” who easily translate the coded racist messages he sends them with terrifying regularity .
Trump ’ s refusal to denounce the murderous racist violence in Charlottesville , along with his more recent decision to hold a rally in Tulsa on Juneteenth , have given these violent far right “ militia ” members permission @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lethal fantasies .
No lesser light than the president of the United States let these violent racists off the leash , with deliberation and tactical intent .
The Trump campaign recently sent a fundraising email to the GOP base asking them to join the “ Trump Army.
” The email read in part , “ The President wants YOU and every other member of our exclusive Trump Army to have something to identify yourselves with , and to let everyone now that YOU are the President ’ s first line of defense when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ MOB.
” For Trump supporters accustomed to watching Fox News from the comfort of their couch , this was a fundraising pitch .
For militia members who bring AR-15s to peaceful protests , it was a call to arms .
“ Something to identify yourselves with ” falls right in line with the igloos and Hawaiian shirts enjoyed by the Bois .
None of this appears to be accidental .
Trump and the Republican Party own this violent phenomenon bag and baggage .
Erroneously blaming “ antifa ” for the violence of their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the stain of it .
Their silence after the right-wing assassinations of the same law enforcement officers they shamelessly champion reeks like the very corpse of hypocrisy left to rot in the noonday sun .
The comparison between those louts and the courageous activists seeking to scourge racist propaganda statues of men like Juan de Oñate and various Confederate slavers from the landscape could not be more vivid .
There are not two sides to the argument .
One side is right , and a portion of the other side is resorting to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ white supremacy .
Now would be an appropriate moment for Trump and his allies to publicly call off their dogs before more people get killed .
This , of course , is highly unlikely , because it is an election year and Trump is going to need every gun-loving racist vote he can scrounge from the bottom of his well-worn barrel .
Even if he does make noises in the direction of calming these waters , public violence like this tends to have its own inertia .
Trump and the GOP have uncorked @ @ @

Protesters are being menaced and shot by heavily-armed right-wing militias over the removal of racist statues across the country. Where does this eruption of violence stem from?
The answer lies in the rise of far right groups that are armed to the teeth — this is the U.S. after all, where we love our guns more than we love our children, so of course they are. These groups seem increasingly prepared to take their fight against liberal democracy (small “l,” small “d,” in the classic sense) to a new and far more violent level even as a large majority of the people move toward finally confronting the nation’s blood-soaked racism, both past and present.
Earlier this week, racial justice activists in Albuquerque were looking to deliver a statue of Spanish conquistador Juan de Oñate to the same fate as the statues of Confederate “heroes” that have recently been felled like old, rotten trees.
Oñate was another in a long line of European butchers who sailed the Atlantic seeking fortune and glory, and upon arrival here laid waste to Indigenous populations that fell under his rapacious gaze.
The scion of a wealthy family who made its fortune with silver mines in Mexico, Oñate claimed a portion of northern New Mexico for Spain and demanded the Indigenous people there pay taxes and pledge homage not just to his country, but to the Pope. The Acoma people properly refused to kneel to this brazen demand and fought back, killing 13 Spaniards, including Oñate’s nephew.
In response, Oñate all but wiped out a large Acoma village, leaving around 200 survivors from a community of 2,000. Acoma men of fighting age had their right feet amputated and were sentenced to 20 years of forced labor. In an ugly echo of the present situation at the U.S./Mexico border, the surviving Acoma children were taken from their families and sent to live with Christian missionaries. History rhymes.
In every respect, the statue of Oñate deserves to be hauled down and shattered for driveway gravel right alongside the statues of all those Confederate warlords who fought their own countrymen for the right to keep human beings in permanent bondage. This was the thinking of the activists who gathered around the Oñate statue in Albuquerque on the evening of June 15.
Yet they were not alone that night. Heavily armed members of a group calling itself the New Mexico Civil Guard appeared, intent on “defending” the statue of a Spanish conquistador whose name appears in the history books written in the blood of children. A scuffle ensued, and a “Civil Guard” member pulled a handgun. When the shooting stopped, a protester lay critically wounded.
The New Mexico Civil Guard sprang into existence in the middle of March and began making its presence known at “Reopen Now” protests, where they joined with right-wing protesters who called the COVID-19 pandemic an overblown hoax.
After the police murder of George Floyd, they shifted their rhetoric toward the idea of being a bulwark against alleged “antifa” chaos as calls increased to defund police departments. The group’s Facebook page features posts such as “Basic Fundamentals and Principles for Ambushing.” They do not appear to be all bluster, and the bloodshed in Albuquerque serves to underscore their intentions.
The New Mexico Civil Guard is one of several extreme-right groups that have made their presence known in recent months. A number of these groups are made up of hardcore libertarians who despise government in virtually all its forms — including the police. Others, however, have taken advantage of the popular uprising across the country to sow violence and discord in the streets, hoping to spark a new civil war.
Turn on Fox News for a few minutes, and like as not you will see weeks-old footage of unrest in the streets. “Antifa” has been named the culprit for this violence by the likes of Donald Trump and GOP Rep. Jim Jordan, the latter of whom blamed antifa for the murder of a federal officer in Oakland, California, earlier this month.
In point of fact, some violence was actually instigated by far-right counterprotesters seeking to spark their new civil war. “The numbers are overwhelming,” former FBI agent and extremism scholar Clint Watts told The Washington Post. “Most of the violence is coming from the extreme right wing.”
The murder of federal officer Dave Patrick Underwood during the Oakland protests was not the act of antifa, as alleged by Jordan. Underwood was gunned down by an active-duty Air Force sergeant named Steven Carrillo, and a second officer was wounded in the attack. Carrillo, along with accomplice Robert Justus, shot Underwood outside the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building before fleeing to Carrillo’s home.
Eight days later, when law enforcement arrived at the home to make an arrest, Carrillo ambushed them and killed Santa Cruz County Sgt. Damon Gutzwiller, critically injuring a second officer in the exchange of fire. Before his arrest, Carrillo scrawled “boog” and “I became unreasonable” in his own blood on the hood of the vehicle he had had carjacked while in flight.
“Federal authorities said an AR-15 was recovered at the scene where Carrillo was arrested and linked to the Oakland federal courthouse shooting,” reports NBC News. “The assault rifle used by Carrillo was privately made, had no markings and had a silencer attached to the barrel of the weapon, authorities said. Investigators found inside Carrillo’s vehicle a ballistic vest with a patch on it that featured an igloo and a Hawaiian-style print — symbols associated with the far right extremist ‘Boogaloo’ movement, according to his federal complaint.”
These people did not spring up from the ground like mushrooms. They are products of a long-standing cultivation project undertaken by the Republican Party and its media allies to agitate and radicalize its political base.
The so-called “Boogaloo Movement” emerged from the fetid swamps of far right internet abscesses like 4chan, and the in-your-face absurdity of the group’s rhetoric and behavior serves to mask its violent potential. The name itself — “Boogaloo” — is derived from a 1980s dance movie, “Breakin’ 2: Electric Boogaloo.” Why? Because “Breakin’ 2” the sequel is basically the same movie as the original “Breakin’,” and since Boogaloo adherents apparently expect the next civil war to be like the first one, they nicked the name of that sequel to use as code for their ultimate intentions.
Boogaloo Bois, as they call themselves, wear Hawaiian shirts to protests in order to spot each other. The igloo patch on Carrillo’s tactical vest is a common Boogaloo avatar, as “igloo” and “boogaloo” sound somewhat the same. Boogaloo Facebook pages contain posts filled with memes that describe “yeeting tannerite filled lunch boxes with talking fish clock timers” at Virginia National Guard members. Absurd, and deeply unsettling: Tannerite is a firearm target that explodes when hit. A lunch box filled with them is the equivalent of a homemade Claymore mine.
According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, which tracks hate groups and domestic terrorist organizations, “The boogaloo meme itself emerged concurrently in antigovernment and white power online spaces in the early 2010s. In both of these communities, ‘boogaloo’ was frequently associated with racist violence and, in many cases, was an explicit call for race war. Today the term is regularly deployed by white nationalists and neo-Nazis who want to see society descend into chaos so that they can come to power and build a new fascist state.”
Now, not every Boogaloo Boi can be lumped together in a mob of violent racist fascists; in some cases, they even see themselves as antiracists who are siding with the protesters.
However, Air Force sergeant Steven Carrillo, along with the Albuquerque shooter, fit the violent racist fascist description seamlessly. There are more than just a few of them, and they are both organized and weaponized.
These people did not spring up from the ground like mushrooms. They are products of a long-standing cultivation project undertaken by the Republican Party and its media allies to agitate and radicalize its political base. The so-called “militia movement” that bloomed during the Clinton years was further racially radicalized during the eight-year tenure of a Black president, all the while eagerly fed by a GOP seeking shock troops to defend the status quo.
That such people are able to amass huge arsenals of war weapons speaks to the Republican Party’s decades-old love affair with extremist gun rights organizations like the National Rifle Association. It has all come together in a fearsome cocktail of racism and deliberately stoked anti-government grievance, and some within those ranks are clearly all too ready to start pulling the trigger.
Donald Trump, of course, is their leader, the chosen one who will smash the “deep state” and “save” white people. Trump has made it clear to them time and again that he stands with them, the “fine people” who easily translate the coded racist messages he sends them with terrifying regularity.
Trump’s refusal to denounce the murderous racist violence in Charlottesville, along with his more recent decision to hold a rally in Tulsa on Juneteenth, have given these violent far right “militia” members permission to act out their wildest, most lethal fantasies. No lesser light than the president of the United States let these violent racists off the leash, with deliberation and tactical intent.
The Trump campaign recently sent a fundraising email to the GOP base asking them to join the “Trump Army.” The email read in part, “The President wants YOU and every other member of our exclusive Trump Army to have something to identify yourselves with, and to let everyone now that YOU are the President’s first line of defense when it comes to fighting off the Liberal MOB.”
For Trump supporters accustomed to watching Fox News from the comfort of their couch, this was a fundraising pitch. For militia members who bring AR-15s to peaceful protests, it was a call to arms. “Something to identify yourselves with” falls right in line with the igloos and Hawaiian shirts enjoyed by the Bois. None of this appears to be accidental.
Trump and the Republican Party own this violent phenomenon bag and baggage.
Trump and the Republican Party own this violent phenomenon bag and baggage. Erroneously blaming “antifa” for the violence of their most devoted supporters will not wash away the stain of it. Their silence after the right-wing assassinations of the same law enforcement officers they shamelessly champion reeks like the very corpse of hypocrisy left to rot in the noonday sun.
The comparison between those louts and the courageous activists seeking to scourge racist propaganda statues of men like Juan de Oñate and various Confederate slavers from the landscape could not be more vivid. There are not two sides to the argument. One side is right, and a portion of the other side is resorting to violence in order to preserve and maintain white supremacy.
Now would be an appropriate moment for Trump and his allies to publicly call off their dogs before more people get killed.
This, of course, is highly unlikely, because it is an election year and Trump is going to need every gun-loving racist vote he can scrounge from the bottom of his well-worn barrel. Even if he does make noises in the direction of calming these waters, public violence like this tends to have its own inertia. Trump and the GOP have uncorked a monster.
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truthout--2020-06-18--Cancelation of Cop Shows Signals a Cultural Shift in Glorifying Police Violence

For more than a decade , the racial justice organization Color of Change led a push to cancel the long-running TV show “ Cops , ” which glorifies police aggression .
Now the show has been cancelled , along with A & E ’ s “ Live PD.
” “ The thing about these shows is that they call themselves reality programming , but they are only from the vision of the police officers , ” says Rashad Robinson , president of Color of Change .
“ These shows have served as a PR arm for law enforcement.
” He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Border Security : America ’ s Front Line.
” This is a rush transcript .
Copy may not be in its final form .
AMY GOODMAN : We ’ re talking to Rashad Robinson .
He is head of Color of Change , which has led a campaign to cancel the TV program Cops .
And it has happened .
After 33 years , the reality TV show has been canceled .
AMY GOODMAN : So , Rashad Robinson , in 2013 , Color of Change launched a campaign to cancel Cops @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A & E channel ’ s show Live PD , which has also been canceled now , after widespread protests against police abuse and racism .
Live PD was filming a year ago , when Javier Ambler died after police in Austin , Texas , repeatedly tased him during a traffic stop , while Ambler told the officers , “ I have congestive heart failure , ” “ I am not resisting , ” “ I can ’ t breathe.
” Ambler was pulled over after he allegedly failed to dim his headlights @ @ @ @ @ @ @ PD was right there filming , an entertainment show .
The footage was never publicly released .
And now they say it was erased .
So that ’ s two stories here : Cops canceled and Live PD canceled .
RASHAD ROBINSON : Yeah .
I mean , so both of these were just shows that we pressed and pushed on .
In 2013 , we got the show canceled from Fox , only to a couple of months later it just sort of end up in syndication .
And if anyone knows @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s a little tougher to deal with syndication deals and track them and try to get them sort of removed .
But getting it off of primetime on Fox was important .
You know , the thing about these shows is that they call themselves reality programming , but they are only from the vision of the police officers .
And Live PD is a perfect example of how the reality would have been — right ?
A real reality show would have shown all the ways in which those police officers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ still been footage .
But these shows have served as a PR arm for law enforcement .
I remember the conversation we had with Fox back in 2013 .
And they sort of talked to us and said , “ Well , you know , we could diversify some of the images that we are showing.
” And I sort of instantly thought — I was like , “ If you ’ re telling us that you ’ re going to show more poor white people , and that ’ s supposed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ organization , then you picked the wrong racial justice organization , because , let me be very clear , unless you ’ re going to show cops — unless , by diversifying , you ’ re going to show cops on Capitol Hill or Wall Street or some places where crime happens that really impacts us on a deep , structural level , then I ’ m not really interested in you going into poor communities that have been targeted by the ‘ war on drugs , ’ by austerity , by an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and show people at their very worst for our own entertainment , while we don ’ t do anything to actually build the type of structures and invest in those communities afterwards.
” And so , these shows that present one side only as the hero and the other side only as the villain , for our entertainment and for corporate profits , have to go .
And we ’ re happy that they have — that these networks have finally woken up .
A & E was a network that we have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ while .
Cops is finally off the air .
Netflix has this show about border patrols that actually has to go , as well .
And this is part of a larger set of work that we ’ re doing at Color of Change .
It ’ s not all about canceling , right ?
We recognize that people want to be entertained , and there ’ s all sorts of ways in which the public actually needs to have more stories about how police actually do operate .
Let ’ s actually @ @ @ @ @ @ @ communities are treated and the narratives that hurt us .
But at ChangeHollywood.org , we actually did a full report on the 22 crime procedural shows , the sort of narrative dramas , the Law & Orders and SVUs and Chicago PDs — these shows that have so much diversity on air but all-white writers ’ rooms ; these shows that — where race exists in their world , but racism seems not to exist ; where they have more Black judges on those shows than ever existed in the real world , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ symbolic stand-ins for white writers to send messages of justice through elderly , stately Black people who are symbols but actually don ’ t have back stories .
And so , all of this is part of a recognition that as much as we are working to change the written rules of policy of how we are treated and how criminal justice is delivered in our community and how policing happens , we have to change those unwritten rules of culture in all of those narratives , because , as I said before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the last 20 years , according to Pew Research — RASHAD ROBINSON : — Americans believe it ’ s going up .
NERMEEN SHAIKH : Rashad , I ’ m so sorry to interrupt you .
NERMEEN SHAIKH : Rashad , I ’ m so sorry to interrupt you .
NERMEEN SHAIKH : We just have a minute left , and we do want to — NERMEEN SHAIKH : — talk about the issue of corporate co-optation .
NERMEEN SHAIKH : In particular , now there ’ s a campaign asking that advertisers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ especially about BlackRock .
Could you talk about your concerns about these corporations coming out ostensibly in support of Black Lives Matter protests ?
Go ahead .
RASHAD ROBINSON : Well , yeah .
I mean , these companies are saying Black lives matter , but all their policies and practices make it clear that they don ’ t actually think Black lives do matter .
We ’ ve worked and pushed Facebook for the last several years to enact policies around content moderation , around lying , around all the ways of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2.3 billion users .
That ’ s more followers than Christianity .
And Mark Zuckerberg is a private person who operates a public square .
BlackRock has so many sort of connections to law enforcement in terms of sort of their investments and uses its resources in ways that actually keep the hands on the scale of corporate power , that really prevent Black people from being able to grow our communities in the ways that we should .
These corporations and so many others have to do more than simply say Black @ @ @ @ @ @ @ change their policies and practices , if they want to be on the right side of history here .
And we ’ re not going to accept presence in this moment , visibility , shout-outs from the stage .
The only thing that we ’ re going to truly accept is a changing of the rules that have far too often held us back and benefited so few people .
AMY GOODMAN : We want to thank you so much , Rashad Robinson , for joining us .
AMY GOODMAN : President of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Now !
, democracynow.org .
When we come back , the use of tear gas around the world and what ’ s happening in Seattle .
Stay with us .

For more than a decade, the racial justice organization Color of Change led a push to cancel the long-running TV show “Cops,” which glorifies police aggression. Now the show has been cancelled, along with A&E’s “Live PD.” “The thing about these shows is that they call themselves reality programming, but they are only from the vision of the police officers,” says Rashad Robinson, president of Color of Change. “These shows have served as a PR arm for law enforcement.” He is now calling on Netflix to cancel “Border Security: America’s Front Line.”
This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.
AMY GOODMAN: We’re talking to Rashad Robinson. He is head of Color of Change, which has led a campaign to cancel the TV program Cops. And it has happened. After 33 years, the reality TV show has been canceled.
AMY GOODMAN: So, Rashad Robinson, in 2013, Color of Change launched a campaign to cancel Cops. The show also led to the A&E channel’s show Live PD, which has also been canceled now, after widespread protests against police abuse and racism.
Live PD was filming a year ago, when Javier Ambler died after police in Austin, Texas, repeatedly tased him during a traffic stop, while Ambler told the officers, “I have congestive heart failure,” “I am not resisting,” “I can’t breathe.” Ambler was pulled over after he allegedly failed to dim his headlights to oncoming traffic. So, Live PD was right there filming, an entertainment show. The footage was never publicly released. And now they say it was erased. So that’s two stories here: Cops canceled and Live PD canceled.
RASHAD ROBINSON: Yeah. I mean, so both of these were just shows that we pressed and pushed on. In 2013, we got the show canceled from Fox, only to a couple of months later it just sort of end up in syndication. And if anyone knows about sort of media campaigns, it’s a little tougher to deal with syndication deals and track them and try to get them sort of removed. But getting it off of primetime on Fox was important.
You know, the thing about these shows is that they call themselves reality programming, but they are only from the vision of the police officers. And Live PD is a perfect example of how the reality would have been — right? A real reality show would have shown all the ways in which those police officers violated their responsibility. There would have still been footage. But these shows have served as a PR arm for law enforcement.
I remember the conversation we had with Fox back in 2013. And they sort of talked to us and said, “Well, you know, we could diversify some of the images that we are showing.” And I sort of instantly thought — I was like, “If you’re telling us that you’re going to show more poor white people, and that’s supposed to make us happy as a racial justice organization, then you picked the wrong racial justice organization, because, let me be very clear, unless you’re going to show cops — unless, by diversifying, you’re going to show cops on Capitol Hill or Wall Street or some places where crime happens that really impacts us on a deep, structural level, then I’m not really interested in you going into poor communities that have been targeted by the ‘war on drugs,’ by austerity, by an unfair tax structure, and bring cameras and show people at their very worst for our own entertainment, while we don’t do anything to actually build the type of structures and invest in those communities afterwards.”
And so, these shows that present one side only as the hero and the other side only as the villain, for our entertainment and for corporate profits, have to go. And we’re happy that they have — that these networks have finally woken up. A&E was a network that we have been pushing around this show for a while. Cops is finally off the air. Netflix has this show about border patrols that actually has to go, as well.
And this is part of a larger set of work that we’re doing at Color of Change. It’s not all about canceling, right? We recognize that people want to be entertained, and there’s all sorts of ways in which the public actually needs to have more stories about how police actually do operate. Let’s actually tell the full story of how our communities are treated and the narratives that hurt us.
But at ChangeHollywood.org, we actually did a full report on the 22 crime procedural shows, the sort of narrative dramas, the Law & Orders and SVUs and Chicago PDs — these shows that have so much diversity on air but all-white writers’ rooms; these shows that — where race exists in their world, but racism seems not to exist; where they have more Black judges on those shows than ever existed in the real world, but those judges sort of act as symbolic stand-ins for white writers to send messages of justice through elderly, stately Black people who are symbols but actually don’t have back stories.
And so, all of this is part of a recognition that as much as we are working to change the written rules of policy of how we are treated and how criminal justice is delivered in our community and how policing happens, we have to change those unwritten rules of culture in all of those narratives, because, as I said before, while violent crime has gone down the last 20 years, according to Pew Research —
NERMEEN SHAIKH: Rashad Robinson
RASHAD ROBINSON: — Americans believe it’s going up.
NERMEEN SHAIKH: Rashad, I’m so sorry to interrupt you.
RASHAD ROBINSON: Yeah.
NERMEEN SHAIKH: Rashad, I’m so sorry to interrupt you.
RASHAD ROBINSON: Yeah.
NERMEEN SHAIKH: We just have a minute left, and we do want to —
RASHAD ROBINSON: Sure.
NERMEEN SHAIKH: — talk about the issue of corporate co-optation.
RASHAD ROBINSON: Yeah.
NERMEEN SHAIKH: In particular, now there’s a campaign asking that advertisers boycott Facebook. You have raised concerns especially about BlackRock. Could you talk about your concerns about these corporations coming out ostensibly in support of Black Lives Matter protests? Go ahead.
RASHAD ROBINSON: Well, yeah. I mean, these companies are saying Black lives matter, but all their policies and practices make it clear that they don’t actually think Black lives do matter. We’ve worked and pushed Facebook for the last several years to enact policies around content moderation, around lying, around all the ways of harassment impacts our communities.
Facebook has 2.3 billion users. That’s more followers than Christianity. And Mark Zuckerberg is a private person who operates a public square. BlackRock has so many sort of connections to law enforcement in terms of sort of their investments and uses its resources in ways that actually keep the hands on the scale of corporate power, that really prevent Black people from being able to grow our communities in the ways that we should.
These corporations and so many others have to do more than simply say Black lives matter. They have to actually change their policies and practices, if they want to be on the right side of history here. And we’re not going to accept presence in this moment, visibility, shout-outs from the stage. The only thing that we’re going to truly accept is a changing of the rules that have far too often held us back and benefited so few people.
AMY GOODMAN: We want to thank you so much, Rashad Robinson, for joining us.
RASHAD ROBINSON: Thank you.
AMY GOODMAN: President of Color of Change. This is Democracy Now!, democracynow.org. When we come back, the use of tear gas around the world and what’s happening in Seattle. Stay with us.


truthout--2020-06-18--Seattle Trader Joe’s Workers Fear Retaliation After Attending BLM Protests

On the afternoon of Friday , June 12 , grocery shoppers who frequent the Trader Joe ’ s on Capitol Hill in Seattle were met with an unexpected sign posted to the front door .
“ Today , our store closed at 1pm , ” the sign read .
“ The store will be closed indefinitely starting 6/13/2020.
” The announcement came as a shock to many in the community who were familiar with the ever-popular grocery store in one of Seattle ’ s trendiest neighborhoods .
Yet no one was more shocked than the Trader Joe ’ s workers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as Store 130 .
To them , the announcement was suspect — particularly given that dozens of the store ’ s clerks had , that very week , asked permission to take time off to attend Black Lives Matter protests .
Something did not add up .
Workers Salon explained that early last week , dozens of the store ’ s employees planned on attending a Black Lives Matter protest on Friday , June 12 .
Erin Or , who has worked at the store since October 2018 as a crew member , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was approached by management on June 11 asking if she was going to participate in the Friday protest .
The question came as other coworkers were coordinating with management to figure out how to reschedule staff who had been scheduled to work that day , but planned to take time off to protest .
“ We were told that our participation would be kind of an excused absence , and we wouldn ’ t be punished or anything for going to the protest — and like I said , myself and others were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ explained .
“ It was like this idea that ‘ this is okay , we want you to go , that this is something you should do , and it ’ s good to support this movement . '
” Peter Strand , who has worked at the store as a crew member for over a year , said there were no signs that management seemed “ irked ” about people taking the day off to protest .
“ They definitely were like , ‘ we just want to know so we can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
Or said other crew members had discussed attending the protest earlier in the week , to give management time to organize for absences .
On Friday , Or , along with other colleagues , received an email with similar wording to the sign posted on the door that has been viewed by Salon : the store was closed “ indefinitely ” starting on Friday .
“ A lot of us were really confused , ” Or said .
“ It seemed to be a direct result of us attending the protest.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the store and restore jobs .
Within 24 hours it garnered more than 19,000 signatures .
Today it has 24,000 .
In a statement to Salon , Kenya Friend-Daniel , a spokesperson for Trader Joe ’ s , said the store was closed because there weren ’ t enough employees to “ run the store , ” stating that more than the “ small number ” took off to protest than planned .
Friend-Daniel said on Friday “ there was no choice but to close the store early because there were not enough @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ In the past , we have pulled Crew Members from other locations , in response to staff shortages , but in those instances , the shortages were expected or planned , ” Friend-Daniel said .
“ In this case , it was not planned.
” According to Friend-Daniel , while the store was closed on Friday , the company thought it was a good time to address “ safety and security concerns at this store have been top of mind for the past year.
” “ After the closing , and while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it was a good time to evaluate how to best address those concerns and what would be the best plan moving forward , as it is our priority to provide our Crew Members and customers with a safe shopping environment , ” Friend-Daniel said .
“ On Friday we were not yet certain what steps would need be taken to address the concerns and/or how long with [ sic ] would take.
” She added that they will be making several changes to the store , including “ reworking the flow and changing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” “ As is always the case during any unexpected store closure , we are continuing to pay our Crew Members for their scheduled shifts during this time , ” Friend-Daniel said .
Yet employees attest that an unannounced , surprise remodel is unprecedented for the company , and makes no sense .
Or tells Salon that , in the past , store closures were described with very specific language , not vague pronouncements like the one observed that suggested that employees might be suddenly laid off .
“ We all thought we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Or emphasized , adding that she believes it is possible that the workers ’ involvement in protests could have signaled to corporate that this store is a “ hotbed ” for organizing efforts that could eventually lead to unionization .
“ We had some organizing efforts before the protests had happened , ” Or added .
( Salon wrote about pandemic-related labor issues at Trader Joe ’ s last month . )
Such a suspicion would not be unprecedented for a corporation like Trader Joe ’ s .
Many grocery store corporations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ predict when workers are likely to organize and form a union .
Amazon-owned Whole Foods uses a “ heat map ” to score their different Whole Foods stores and determine which are at highest risk of unionization .
Indeed , Or ’ s sentiments echo the office statement from the organizers at the store .
“ What they really mean when they cite ‘ personnel issues ’ is that they saw our store as a hot spot for worker organizing , ” their statement reads .
“ TJs corporate has aggressively squashed worker @ @ @ @ @ @ @ record of retaliation.
” Strand said he had never heard any news of a remodel before Monday , June 15 .
“ From my perspective that ’ s a smokescreen and an effort for them to sort of regain control of the narrative , ” Strand said .
“ Prior to Friday , they changed up their language , you know — from Friday calling it an ‘ indefinite closure ’ to Monday calling it a ‘ temporary closure . '
” Workers who protested are still living in limbo .
Strand told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any assurance that they will be welcomed back after the update .
“ We ’ ve heard that the store manager will be reaching out to each of us , one by one , and we ’ ll have kind of like a one on one discussion with us , ” Strand said .
“ We haven ’ t received any assurance that we won ’ t be retaliated against for organizing and we haven ’ t received any assurance that we will in fact be that all of us will be welcomed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s really what we want is for all of us to have the opportunity to come back .
”

On the afternoon of Friday, June 12, grocery shoppers who frequent the Trader Joe’s on Capitol Hill in Seattle were met with an unexpected sign posted to the front door. “Today, our store closed at 1pm,” the sign read. “The store will be closed indefinitely starting 6/13/2020.”
The announcement came as a shock to many in the community who were familiar with the ever-popular grocery store in one of Seattle’s trendiest neighborhoods. Yet no one was more shocked than the Trader Joe’s workers at 1700 Madison Street, also known as Store 130. To them, the announcement was suspect — particularly given that dozens of the store’s clerks had, that very week, asked permission to take time off to attend Black Lives Matter protests. Something did not add up.
Workers Salon explained that early last week, dozens of the store’s employees planned on attending a Black Lives Matter protest on Friday, June 12. Erin Or, who has worked at the store since October 2018 as a crew member, told Salon in an interview that she was approached by management on June 11 asking if she was going to participate in the Friday protest. The question came as other coworkers were coordinating with management to figure out how to reschedule staff who had been scheduled to work that day, but planned to take time off to protest.
“We were told that our participation would be kind of an excused absence, and we wouldn’t be punished or anything for going to the protest — and like I said, myself and others were directly approached by management,” Or explained. “It was like this idea that ‘this is okay, we want you to go, that this is something you should do, and it’s good to support this movement.'”
Peter Strand, who has worked at the store as a crew member for over a year, said there were no signs that management seemed “irked” about people taking the day off to protest.
“They definitely were like, ‘we just want to know so we can plan for it,'” Strand said.
Or said other crew members had discussed attending the protest earlier in the week, to give management time to organize for absences. On Friday, Or, along with other colleagues, received an email with similar wording to the sign posted on the door that has been viewed by Salon: the store was closed “indefinitely” starting on Friday.
“A lot of us were really confused,” Or said. “It seemed to be a direct result of us attending the protest.”
An online petition circulated to save the store and restore jobs. Within 24 hours it garnered more than 19,000 signatures. Today it has 24,000.
In a statement to Salon, Kenya Friend-Daniel, a spokesperson for Trader Joe’s, said the store was closed because there weren’t enough employees to “run the store,” stating that more than the “small number” took off to protest than planned. Friend-Daniel said on Friday “there was no choice but to close the store early because there were not enough Crew Members to run the store.”
“In the past, we have pulled Crew Members from other locations, in response to staff shortages, but in those instances, the shortages were expected or planned,” Friend-Daniel said. “In this case, it was not planned.”
According to Friend-Daniel, while the store was closed on Friday, the company thought it was a good time to address “safety and security concerns at this store have been top of mind for the past year.”
“After the closing, and while the store was closed, we felt it was a good time to evaluate how to best address those concerns and what would be the best plan moving forward, as it is our priority to provide our Crew Members and customers with a safe shopping environment,” Friend-Daniel said. “On Friday we were not yet certain what steps would need be taken to address the concerns and/or how long with [sic] would take.”
She added that they will be making several changes to the store, including “reworking the flow and changing how customers enter and exit the store.”
“As is always the case during any unexpected store closure, we are continuing to pay our Crew Members for their scheduled shifts during this time,” Friend-Daniel said.
Yet employees attest that an unannounced, surprise remodel is unprecedented for the company, and makes no sense. Or tells Salon that, in the past, store closures were described with very specific language, not vague pronouncements like the one observed that suggested that employees might be suddenly laid off.
“We all thought we were about to lose our jobs,” Or emphasized, adding that she believes it is possible that the workers’ involvement in protests could have signaled to corporate that this store is a “hotbed” for organizing efforts that could eventually lead to unionization. “We had some organizing efforts before the protests had happened,” Or added. (Salon wrote about pandemic-related labor issues at Trader Joe’s last month.)
Such a suspicion would not be unprecedented for a corporation like Trader Joe’s. Many grocery store corporations are adept at using observational evidence to predict when workers are likely to organize and form a union. Amazon-owned Whole Foods uses a “heat map” to score their different Whole Foods stores and determine which are at highest risk of unionization.
Indeed, Or’s sentiments echo the office statement from the organizers at the store.
“What they really mean when they cite ‘personnel issues’ is that they saw our store as a hot spot for worker organizing,” their statement reads. “TJs corporate has aggressively squashed worker organizing for years and has a long record of retaliation.”
Strand said he had never heard any news of a remodel before Monday, June 15.
“From my perspective that’s a smokescreen and an effort for them to sort of regain control of the narrative,” Strand said. “Prior to Friday, they changed up their language, you know — from Friday calling it an ‘indefinite closure’ to Monday calling it a ‘temporary closure.'”
Workers who protested are still living in limbo. Strand told Salon that workers have yet to receive any assurance that they will be welcomed back after the update.
“We’ve heard that the store manager will be reaching out to each of us, one by one, and we’ll have kind of like a one on one discussion with us,” Strand said. “We haven’t received any assurance that we won’t be retaliated against for organizing and we haven’t received any assurance that we will in fact be that all of us will be welcomed back to the store — because that’s really what we want is for all of us to have the opportunity to come back.”
Tired of reading the same old news from the same old sources? So are we! That’s why we’re on a mission to shake things up and bring you the stories and perspectives that often go untold in mainstream media. But being a radically, unapologetically independent news site isn’t easy (or cheap), and we rely on reader support to keep the lights on.
If you like what you’re reading, please consider making a tax-deductible donation today. We’re not asking for a handout, we’re asking for an investment: Invest in a nonprofit news site that’s not afraid to ruffle a few feathers, not afraid to stand up for what’s right, and not afraid to tell it like it is.
This piece was reprinted by Truthout with permission or license. It may not be reproduced in any form without permission or license from the source.


truthout--2020-06-18--Trump Defends Cop Who Shot Rayshard Brooks in the Back

President Donald Trump late Wednesday came to the defense of the now-former Atlanta officer who shot and killed 27-year-old Rayshard Brooks in a Wendy ’ s parking lot last week , blaming the victim for not fully cooperating and declaring that “ police have not been treated fairly in our country.
” “ You can ’ t resist a police officer , and if you have a disagreement , you have to take it up after the fact , ” Trump said in an interview with Sean Hannity of Fox News .
“ It was a very sad — very @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , uh , you take a look , it was out of control , the whole situation was out of control.
” The president went on to describe as “ very interesting ” a claim by fired officer Garrett Rolfe ’ s lawyers that he “ heard a gunshot and saw a flash in front of him ” before shooting Brooks in the back as the man attempted to flee .
“ Again , you can ’ t resist a police officer like that , and they ended up in a terrible disagreement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ended , ” Trump said .
“ Very bad .
Very bad.
” Trump ’ s comments came hours after Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard Jr. announced that Rolfe has been charged with felony murder for the killing of Brooks , which sparked massive protests in Atlanta and led to the resignation of the city ’ s police chief .
During a press conference unveiling the charges against Rolfe Wednesday afternoon , Howard said Brooks “ never presented himself as a threat ” in his encounter with police last Friday , much @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ For 41 minutes and 17 seconds , he followed their instructions , he answered questions , ” said Howard .
Rolfe exclaimed , “ I got him ” after shooting Brooks in the back twice , kicked the victim , and failed to quickly provide medical attention , Howard said .
Devin Brosnan , Rolfe ’ s partner , stood on Brooks ’ shoulder after Rolfe ’ s gunshots fatally wounded him , according to prosecutors .
Brosnan , who remains on the Atlanta police force , faces an aggravated assault charge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kid that you don ’ t kick a man when he ’ s down , ” Justin Miller , a lawyer representing Brooks ’ family , said during a press conference Wednesday .
“ What you saw and what we all saw is one officer standing on a man who is dying , standing on top of him , and then the other officer literally kicking him while he ’ s on the ground dying .
”

Trump’s comments came hours after the announcement that the officer had been charged with felony murder.
President Donald Trump late Wednesday came to the defense of the now-former Atlanta officer who shot and killed 27-year-old Rayshard Brooks in a Wendy’s parking lot last week, blaming the victim for not fully cooperating and declaring that “police have not been treated fairly in our country.”
“You can’t resist a police officer, and if you have a disagreement, you have to take it up after the fact,” Trump said in an interview with Sean Hannity of Fox News. “It was a very sad — very, very sad — thing. Look, uh, you take a look, it was out of control, the whole situation was out of control.”
The president went on to describe as “very interesting” a claim by fired officer Garrett Rolfe’s lawyers that he “heard a gunshot and saw a flash in front of him” before shooting Brooks in the back as the man attempted to flee.
“Again, you can’t resist a police officer like that, and they ended up in a terrible disagreement, and look at the way it ended,” Trump said. “Very bad. Very bad.”
Trump’s comments came hours after Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard Jr. announced that Rolfe has been charged with felony murder for the killing of Brooks, which sparked massive protests in Atlanta and led to the resignation of the city’s police chief.
During a press conference unveiling the charges against Rolfe Wednesday afternoon, Howard said Brooks “never presented himself as a threat” in his encounter with police last Friday, much of which was captured on video.
“For 41 minutes and 17 seconds, he followed their instructions, he answered questions,” said Howard.
Rolfe exclaimed, “I got him” after shooting Brooks in the back twice, kicked the victim, and failed to quickly provide medical attention, Howard said. Devin Brosnan, Rolfe’s partner, stood on Brooks’ shoulder after Rolfe’s gunshots fatally wounded him, according to prosecutors. Brosnan, who remains on the Atlanta police force, faces an aggravated assault charge.
“I was told as a kid that you don’t kick a man when he’s down,” Justin Miller, a lawyer representing Brooks’ family, said during a press conference Wednesday. “What you saw and what we all saw is one officer standing on a man who is dying, standing on top of him, and then the other officer literally kicking him while he’s on the ground dying.”
Tired of reading the same old news from the same old sources? So are we! That’s why we’re on a mission to shake things up and bring you the stories and perspectives that often go untold in mainstream media. But being a radically, unapologetically independent news site isn’t easy (or cheap), and we rely on reader support to keep the lights on.
If you like what you’re reading, please consider making a tax-deductible donation today. We’re not asking for a handout, we’re asking for an investment: Invest in a nonprofit news site that’s not afraid to ruffle a few feathers, not afraid to stand up for what’s right, and not afraid to tell it like it is.
This piece was reprinted by Truthout with permission or license. It may not be reproduced in any form without permission or license from the source.


truthout--2020-06-18--Trump Claimed Coronavirus Will “Fade Away” on a Day That Saw 26,000 New Cases

In an interview with Fox News on Wednesday night , President Donald Trump tried to portray the current state of the coronavirus crisis in the United States in a positive light , implying that the disease would soon be disappearing on its own , without scientific evidence backing his claim .
Although he said a vaccine was close to being developed , he also suggested the need for one wouldn ’ t be that strong by the time it would be fully developed and available .
“ We ’ re very close to a vaccine and we ’ re very @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Trump said .
“ But even without that , I don ’ t even like to talk about that , because it ’ s fading away , it ’ s going to fade away , but having a vaccine would be really nice and that ’ s going to happen.
” The president ’ s comments , however , run counter to what the latest numbers on COVID-19 show .
The U.S. continues to see approximately 20,000 new coronavirus cases on a daily basis .
On the day Trump gave his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than 26,000 new cases reported in the country , a number that ’ s similar to what was seen on April 1 .
As of Thursday morning , there have been 2.2 million cases of coronavirus reported in the U.S. , with nearly 120,000 deaths being counted as well .
Trump ’ s assertions that COVID-19 could “ fade away ” are not correct according to Anthony Fauci , a member of the White House ’ s coronavirus task force and the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the disease won ’ t “ burn itself out ” even “ with mere public health measures ” in place .
“ In a period of four months , it has devastated the whole world .
And it isn ’ t over yet , ” he added .
Trump isn ’ t the only person in the White House wrongly asserting that things are getting better .
While discussing Trump ’ s upcoming campaign event in Tulsa , Oklahoma , this weekend , Vice President Mike Pence claimed that the state had seen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when in fact both Oklahoma and Tulsa County have seen increases in daily numbers , with the latter reporting a 304 percent increase in daily cases over the course of the past two weeks .
In fact , only three states across the country are seeing meaningful improvements in their numbers .
COVID Act Now , a nonprofit organization made up of technologists , epidemiologists , and other health experts , announced on Wednesday that only New York , New Jersey , and Michigan were “ on track ” to containing the disease @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whose residents the president had encouraged to defy stay-at-home orders issued by their Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer — is given the best ranking among all 50 states .
“ Cases are steadily decreasing and Michigan ’ s COVID preparedness meets or exceeds international standards across our key metrics , ” the organization said , citing low new infection rates , a high number of testing locations , and sufficient contact tracing efforts .

Only three states are “on track” to containing the spread of COVID-19 according to an independent report.
In an interview with Fox News on Wednesday night, President Donald Trump tried to portray the current state of the coronavirus crisis in the United States in a positive light, implying that the disease would soon be disappearing on its own, without scientific evidence backing his claim.
Although he said a vaccine was close to being developed, he also suggested the need for one wouldn’t be that strong by the time it would be fully developed and available.
“We’re very close to a vaccine and we’re very close to therapeutics, really good therapeutics,” Trump said. “But even without that, I don’t even like to talk about that, because it’s fading away, it’s going to fade away, but having a vaccine would be really nice and that’s going to happen.”
The president’s comments, however, run counter to what the latest numbers on COVID-19 show.
The U.S. continues to see approximately 20,000 new coronavirus cases on a daily basis. On the day Trump gave his interview to Fox News, there were more than 26,000 new cases reported in the country, a number that’s similar to what was seen on April 1.
As of Thursday morning, there have been 2.2 million cases of coronavirus reported in the U.S., with nearly 120,000 deaths being counted as well.
Trump’s assertions that COVID-19 could “fade away” are not correct according to Anthony Fauci, a member of the White House’s coronavirus task force and the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Last week, Fauci said that the disease won’t “burn itself out” even “with mere public health measures” in place.
“In a period of four months, it has devastated the whole world. And it isn’t over yet,” he added.
Trump isn’t the only person in the White House wrongly asserting that things are getting better. While discussing Trump’s upcoming campaign event in Tulsa, Oklahoma, this weekend, Vice President Mike Pence claimed that the state had seen a decline in new coronavirus cases, when in fact both Oklahoma and Tulsa County have seen increases in daily numbers, with the latter reporting a 304 percent increase in daily cases over the course of the past two weeks.
In fact, only three states across the country are seeing meaningful improvements in their numbers. COVID Act Now, a nonprofit organization made up of technologists, epidemiologists, and other health experts, announced on Wednesday that only New York, New Jersey, and Michigan were “on track” to containing the disease.
Michigan in particular — a state whose residents the president had encouraged to defy stay-at-home orders issued by their Gov. Gretchen Whitmer — is given the best ranking among all 50 states.
“Cases are steadily decreasing and Michigan’s COVID preparedness meets or exceeds international standards across our key metrics,” the organization said, citing low new infection rates, a high number of testing locations, and sufficient contact tracing efforts.
Tired of reading the same old news from the same old sources? So are we! That’s why we’re on a mission to shake things up and bring you the stories and perspectives that often go untold in mainstream media. But being a radically, unapologetically independent news site isn’t easy (or cheap), and we rely on reader support to keep the lights on.
If you like what you’re reading, please consider making a tax-deductible donation today. We’re not asking for a handout, we’re asking for an investment: Invest in a nonprofit news site that’s not afraid to ruffle a few feathers, not afraid to stand up for what’s right, and not afraid to tell it like it is.
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