washingtontimes--2020-08-09--Morikawa delivers great shot in quiet moment to win PGA

SAN FRANCISCO ( AP ) - The shot will be remembered as one of the best under pressure that hardly anyone witnessed .
It made Collin Morikawa a major champion Sunday in a thrill-a-minute PGA Championship that not many will forget .
Morikawa hit driver on the 294-yard 16th hole that was perfect in flight and even better when it landed , hopping onto the green and rolling to 7 feet for an eagle that all but clinched victory on a most quiet Sunday afternoon at Harding Park .
In the first major without spectators , the 23-year-old Californian finished @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hoping for a really good bounce and got it , ” he said .
“ I hit a really good putt , and now we ’ re here.
” He closed with a 6-under 64 , the lowest final round by a PGA champion in 25 years , for a two-shot victory over Paul Casey and Dustin Johnson , two of 10 players who had a chance on the back nine .
Morikawa was among seven players tied for the lead , as wild as any Sunday in a major .
He took @ @ @ @ @ @ @ birdie from 40 feet short of the 14th green .
And then he delivered the knockout with one swing along the shores of Lake Merced , The COVID-19 pandemic that moved the PGA Championship from May to August was allowed to be played only if spectators were not allowed .
But there was one person who won ’ t forget what he saw .
Casey , with his first good shot at winning a major , birdied the 16th to tie Morikawa for the lead .
Standing on the tee at the par-3 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the ball roll toward the cup .
“ What a shot , ” was all Casey could say .
“ Nothing you can do but tip you cap to that .
Collin had taken on that challenge and pulled it off .
That ’ s what champions do.
” Golf ’ s latest major champion was still in the vicinity of Harding Park just over a year ago , finishing up his degree at California and his All-American career , part of a new cast of young stars in a sport filled with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about a dozen times while in college , but never set up with rough like this or with the tees all the way back .
Now he has three PGA Tour victories and is No .
5 in the world , taking his place among the young stars by beating a cast of world-class players on the public course in San Francisco .
For Johnson , it was another major that got away .
He had a one-shot lead and didn ’ t do too much wrong on the day except for not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chances of birdie .
He drove into the hazard on the 16th and chipped in for birdie when it was too late , and a birdie on the 18th gave him a 68 and a tie for second .
It was his fifth runner-up finish in a major - his only title is the 2016 U.S. Open - and his second straight runner-up in the PGA Championship .
Brooks Koepka proved to be all talk .
He looked at the crowded leaderboard on Saturday night and didn ’ t see anyone with his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dishing on Johnson because he has “ only won one.
” Koepka didn ’ t make a birdie until the 12th hole .
He went from two shots behind to a 74 , tying for 29th .
“ It ’ s my first bad round in a major in a while , ” said Koepka , who said he spent the back nine mostly trying to cheer on Casey and his bid to win a first major at age 43 .
Morikawa finished at 13-under 267 , and left so many others wondering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who grew up with Morikawa in Southern California and turned pro last summer with him , shot a 65 and joined Jason Day , Bryson DeChambeau , Tony Finau and PGA Tour rookie Scottie Scheffler at 10-under 270 .
Cameron Champ , among eight players who had a share of the lead at some point , lost momentum with a double bogey at the turn .
DeChambeau dropped two shots at the turn and never caught up until it was too late .
Morikawa , in only his 28th start as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bogey-free .
His only mistake was at the end , when it was time to hoist the Wanamaker Trophy , the heaviest of the four major trophies .
The lid came off and tumbled to the grass as Morikawa ’ s eyes bulged .
If that was his only mistake , consider it a good day .
A major day .

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - The best shot of his life, the shot that made Collin Morikawa a major champion, was never supposed to happen.
He knew the tee on the 16th at Harding Park would be moved forward at the PGA Championship. He said during practice rounds that wouldn’t tempt him to go for the green. But this was Sunday afternoon, right after Morikawa had chipped in for birdie to break out of a seven-way tie, and at this moment was tied again with Paul Casey.
“I knew I had to hit a good one,” he said.
The shot will be remembered as one of the best in a major that hardly anyone witnessed, not with spectators banned during the COVID-19 era for majors.
Morikawa hit driver on the 294-yard hole that was perfect in flight and even better when it landed, hopping onto the green and rolling to 7 feet for an eagle that all but clinched victory on a mostly quiet, chilly afternoon at Harding Park.
In the first major without spectators, the 23-year-old Californian finished with a bang. The chip-in for birdie, the tee shot for eagle, it added to a 6-under 64 and the best closing round by a PGA champion in 25 years, and a two-shot victory over Casey (66) and Dustin Johnson (68).
The only regret was the lack of a roar this shot deserved. He had no idea how good it was until he got closer to the green.
“This is one time I really wish there were crowds,” he said with a broad smile. “I was just praying for a straight bounce … and then after it bounced, it kind of got behind a tree that we couldn’t see around the corner. So once it bounced, I was like ‘OK, I will take it anywhere.’
“I peeked around right and looked around the tree, and it looked really, really good.”
The COVID-19 pandemic that moved the PGA Championship from May to August was allowed to be played only if spectators were not allowed. But there was one person who won’t forget what he saw.
Casey, with his first good shot at winning a major, birdied the 16th to tie Morikawa for the lead. Standing on the tee at the par-3 17th, he looked back and saw the ball roll toward the cup.
“What a shot,” was all Casey could say. “Nothing you can do but tip you cap to that. Collin had taken on that challenge and pulled it off. That’s what champions do.”
Golf’s latest major champion was still in the vicinity of Harding Park just over a year ago, finishing up his degree at California and his All-American career, part of a new cast of young stars in a sport filled with them.
He only played Harding Park about a dozen times while in college, but never set up with rough like this or with the tees all the way back.
Now he has three PGA Tour victories and is No. 5 in the world, taking his place among the young stars by beating a cast of world-class players on the public course in San Francisco.
“Those are moments I’m always going to remember,” said Morikawa, who became the sixth player to capture this major before turning 24.
For Johnson, it was another major that got away. He had a one-shot lead and didn’t do too much wrong on the day except for not keeping it in the fairway for better chances of birdie. He drove into the hazard on the 16th and chipped in for birdie when it was too late, and a birdie on the 18th gave him a tie for second.
It was his fifth runner-up finish in a major - his only title is the 2016 U.S. Open - and his second straight runner-up in the PGA Championship.
Brooks Koepka proved to be all talk. He looked at the crowded leaderboard on Saturday night and didn’t see anyone with his experience of four major championships, even dishing on Johnson because he has “only won one.”
Koepka didn’t make a birdie until the 12th hole. He went from two shots behind to a 74, tying for 29th.
“It’s my first bad round in a major in a while,” said Koepka, who said he spent the back nine mostly trying to cheer on Casey and his bid to win a first major at age 43.
Youth rules these days.
Morikawa finished at 13-under 267, and left so many others wondering how close they came.
Matthew Wolff, who grew up with Morikawa in Southern California and turned pro last summer with him, shot a 65 and joined Jason Day, Bryson DeChambeau, Tony Finau and PGA Tour rookie Scottie Scheffler at 10-under 270.
Cameron Champ, among eight players who had a share of the lead at some point, lost momentum with a double bogey at the turn. DeChambeau dropped two shots at the turn and never caught up until it was too late.
Morikawa, in only his 28th start as a pro and his second major, played bogey-free. His only mistake was at the end, when it was time to hoist the Wanamaker Trophy, the heaviest of the four major trophies. The lid came off and tumbled to the grass as Morikawa’s eyes bulged.
If that was his only mistake, consider it a successful day. A major success.


washingtontimes--2020-08-09--Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer say Donald Trump makes false promises on coronavirus aid

Democratic leaders on Sunday dismissed President Trump ’ s attempt to sidestep stalled coronavirus relief talks , saying his executive actions to delay payroll tax payments and extend federal unemployment benefits are false promises .
The party ’ s leaders fanned out on the Sunday talk shows to question the legality of the moves and insist the only path forward is for the White House to go back to negotiations that stalled out last week .
Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer , New York Democrat , said on ABC that the president ’ s Saturday moves were “ a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t do anything.
” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi , California Democrat , called the four actions “ absurdly unconstitutional .
“ The kindest thing I can say is he doesn ’ t know what he ’ s talking about or , something is wrong there .
Something is very , very wrong there , ” she said on “ Fox News Sunday.
” But Democrats seemed unsure of their next step .
Neither Mrs. Pelosi nor Mr. Schumer said they would challenge the actions in court , and Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ If Democrats want to challenge us in court and hold up unemployment benefits to hardworking Americans who are out of a job because of COVID , they ’ re going to have a lot of explaining to do , ” he said on Fox .
Mr. Trump announced the moves at a press conference in New Jersey on Saturday .
He said he was deferring payroll tax collections for those with incomes up to $ 100,000 , starting in September ; renewing enhanced unemployment benefits , though at $ 400 a week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was in the March coronavirus package that cleared Congress ; deferring student loan payments and forgiving interest accrued ; and renewing a moratorium on housing evictions .
Mr. Trump also said he was weighing additional income tax relief and capital gains tax cuts .
The moves left some Republicans uneasy about Mr. Trump ’ s expansive claims of power .
Sen. Ben Sasse , Nebraska Republican , compared the payroll tax deferral cut to President Obama ’ s 2012 DACA policy , when the Democrat claimed power to halt deportations and grant some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ immigrants .
“ The pen-and-phone theory of executive lawmaking is unconstitutional slop , ” he said .
Mr. Obama justified his policy on Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals by saying he had tried to negotiate with Congress but was stymied .
Mr. Trump offered the same justification Saturday for his own executive actions .
Democrats , who cheered Mr. Obama in 2012 , were far less eager about Mr. Trump ’ s moves .
“ This is no art of the deal .
This is not presidential leadership , ” presumptive Democratic nominee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ released by his campaign .
“ These orders are not real solutions .
They are just another cynical ploy designed to deflect responsibility .
Some measures do far more harm than good.
” But the president , returning to Washington on Sunday night from his golf club in New Jersey , said Democrats “ are much more inclined to make a deal now.
” “ It was time to act .
… We have to get money out to the people , ” Mr. Trump told reporters .
“ We ’ ve gotten @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to give up anything.
” Earlier in the day , Democrats criticized Mr. Trump ’ s plan to shift some of the burden for additional unemployment benefits to cash-strapped states and warned that the president ’ s payroll tax halt would siphon money from Medicare and Social Security .
The payroll tax funds both federal programs .
Mr. Mnuchin said states can pull their 25 % match for unemployment benefits from aid allocated in previous coronavirus legislation .
Or , he said , Mr. Trump could waive their share .
“ We ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can get this up and running immediately , ” the secretary said .
He defended the $ 400 level as a “ fair compromise.
” Democrats wanted to renew the full $ 600-a-week federal plus-up , which is on top of whatever states already pay .
But Republicans on Capitol Hill suggested $ 200 a week , arguing that some people are making more money sitting out of the job market than they did when they were working .
Republican lawmakers wanted to offer a return-to-work bonus to get the workers back .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to make sure Social Security and Medicare don ’ t suffer from the deferral of payroll taxes .
The secretary said Mr. Trump , if he wins reelection in November , plans to turn the delay into a full payroll tax cut , similar to what Mr. Obama and congressional Democrats approved after the Great Recession .
“ He ’ s going to go to the American people and tell them that when he ’ s re-elected he will push through legislation to forgive that .
So in essence it will turn into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mnuchin said .
“ There would be an automatic contribution from the general fund to those trust funds .
The president in no way wants to harm those trust funds .
So they ’ ll be reimbursed .
“ We ’ ll deal with the deficit when we get the economy back to where it was before , ” he added .
The president took his unilateral approach after the jobs report Friday showed the unemployment rate dipped to 10.2 % in July , far better than 14.7 % in April but higher @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Employers added a better-than-expected 1.763 million jobs last month , although job growth slowed from 4.8 million in June .
On Sunday , the U.S. surpassed 5 million total COVID-19 cases , according to the John Hopkins University tracker , with 162,455 deaths and more than 1.6 million recoveries .
The U.S. population stands at 328 million .
A recent uptick in cases has state and local governments in some areas struggling to navigate how to reopen safely , particularly with the school year starting .
The high unemployment rate and struggling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ renewed negotiations for a more comprehensive relief bill that provides for schools to reopen and more testing resources .
Sen. Susan M. Collins , Maine Republican and one of the co-authors of the initial Paycheck Protection Program that gave aid to struggling small businesses , lamented that the program expired on Saturday .
Mr. Trump did not find a way to extend that by executive action .
“ Congress must act quickly .
There are constitutional limits on what the president can do to help through executive orders , ” Ms. Collins said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pelosi , Mr. Schumer , White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows and Mr. Mnuchin stalled Friday after virtually no progress over the course of two weeks .
All sides say they want assistance for schools , some version of extended unemployment benefits and direct stimulus payments to the public , but the overall price tag is a major hurdle .
Democrats put forward a $ 3.5 trillion proposal , and Republicans offered about $ 1.5 trillion .
Republicans also insist on liability protection for companies grappling with the coronavirus .
Democratic leaders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pushing for money to help states fund elections , pushing mail-in voting and curtailing states ’ voter integrity rules .
That ’ s a nonstarter for Mr. Trump .
Democrats also want to assist the financially struggling U.S .
Postal Service , boost food assistance and provide nearly $ 1 trillion to help state and local governments balance their budgets .

Dave Boyer, Gabriella Muñoz and Gabriella Muñoz, Dave Boyer

Democratic leaders on Sunday dismissed President Trump’s attempt to sidestep stalled coronavirus relief talks, saying his executive actions to delay payroll tax payments and extend federal unemployment benefits are false promises.
The party’s leaders fanned out on the Sunday talk shows to question the legality of the moves and insist the only path forward is for the White House to go back to negotiations that stalled out last week.
Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer, New York Democrat, said on ABC that the president’s Saturday moves were “a big show, but it doesn’t do anything.” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, California Democrat, called the four actions “absurdly unconstitutional.
“The kindest thing I can say is he doesn’t know what he’s talking about or, something is wrong there. Something is very, very wrong there,” she said on “Fox News Sunday.”
But Democrats seemed unsure of their next step.
Neither Mrs. Pelosi nor Mr. Schumer said they would challenge the actions in court, and Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin all but dared them to try.
“If Democrats want to challenge us in court and hold up unemployment benefits to hardworking Americans who are out of a job because of COVID, they’re going to have a lot of explaining to do,” he said on Fox.
Mr. Trump announced the moves at a press conference in New Jersey on Saturday.
He said he was deferring payroll tax collections for those with incomes up to $100,000, starting in September; renewing enhanced unemployment benefits, though at $400 a week — down from the $600 that was in the March coronavirus package that cleared Congress; deferring student loan payments and forgiving interest accrued; and renewing a moratorium on housing evictions.
Mr. Trump also said he was weighing additional income tax relief and capital gains tax cuts.
The moves left some Republicans uneasy about Mr. Trump’s expansive claims of power.
Sen. Ben Sasse, Nebraska Republican, compared the payroll tax deferral cut to President Obama’s 2012 DACA policy, when the Democrat claimed power to halt deportations and grant some taxpayer benefits to potentially millions of illegal immigrants.
“The pen-and-phone theory of executive lawmaking is unconstitutional slop,” he said.
Mr. Obama justified his policy on Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals by saying he had tried to negotiate with Congress but was stymied. Mr. Trump offered the same justification Saturday for his own executive actions.
Democrats, who cheered Mr. Obama in 2012, were far less eager about Mr. Trump’s moves.
“This is no art of the deal. This is not presidential leadership,” presumptive Democratic nominee Joseph R. Biden said in a statement released by his campaign. “These orders are not real solutions. They are just another cynical ploy designed to deflect responsibility. Some measures do far more harm than good.”
But the president, returning to Washington on Sunday night from his golf club in New Jersey, said Democrats “are much more inclined to make a deal now.”
“It was time to act. … We have to get money out to the people,” Mr. Trump told reporters. “We’ve gotten much of what we wanted without having to give up anything.”
Earlier in the day, Democrats criticized Mr. Trump’s plan to shift some of the burden for additional unemployment benefits to cash-strapped states and warned that the president’s payroll tax halt would siphon money from Medicare and Social Security. The payroll tax funds both federal programs.
Mr. Mnuchin said states can pull their 25% match for unemployment benefits from aid allocated in previous coronavirus legislation. Or, he said, Mr. Trump could waive their share.
“We’ve been told by the states they can get this up and running immediately,” the secretary said.
He defended the $400 level as a “fair compromise.”
Democrats wanted to renew the full $600-a-week federal plus-up, which is on top of whatever states already pay. But Republicans on Capitol Hill suggested $200 a week, arguing that some people are making more money sitting out of the job market than they did when they were working. Republican lawmakers wanted to offer a return-to-work bonus to get the workers back.
Mr. Mnuchin said Mr. Trump will try to make sure Social Security and Medicare don’t suffer from the deferral of payroll taxes.
The secretary said Mr. Trump, if he wins reelection in November, plans to turn the delay into a full payroll tax cut, similar to what Mr. Obama and congressional Democrats approved after the Great Recession.
“He’s going to go to the American people and tell them that when he’s re-elected he will push through legislation to forgive that. So in essence it will turn into a payroll tax cut,” Mr. Mnuchin said. “There would be an automatic contribution from the general fund to those trust funds. The president in no way wants to harm those trust funds. So they’ll be reimbursed.
“We’ll deal with the deficit when we get the economy back to where it was before,” he added.
The president took his unilateral approach after the jobs report Friday showed the unemployment rate dipped to 10.2% in July, far better than 14.7% in April but higher than at any other time since 1983.
Employers added a better-than-expected 1.763 million jobs last month, although job growth slowed from 4.8 million in June.
On Sunday, the U.S. surpassed 5 million total COVID-19 cases, according to the John Hopkins University tracker, with 162,455 deaths and more than 1.6 million recoveries. The U.S. population stands at 328 million.
A recent uptick in cases has state and local governments in some areas struggling to navigate how to reopen safely, particularly with the school year starting.
The high unemployment rate and struggling economy have Democrats and Republicans calling for renewed negotiations for a more comprehensive relief bill that provides for schools to reopen and more testing resources.
Sen. Susan M. Collins, Maine Republican and one of the co-authors of the initial Paycheck Protection Program that gave aid to struggling small businesses, lamented that the program expired on Saturday. Mr. Trump did not find a way to extend that by executive action.
“Congress must act quickly. There are constitutional limits on what the president can do to help through executive orders,” Ms. Collins said in a statement.
Talks involving Mrs. Pelosi, Mr. Schumer, White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows and Mr. Mnuchin stalled Friday after virtually no progress over the course of two weeks.
All sides say they want assistance for schools, some version of extended unemployment benefits and direct stimulus payments to the public, but the overall price tag is a major hurdle.
Democrats put forward a $3.5 trillion proposal, and Republicans offered about $1.5 trillion. Republicans also insist on liability protection for companies grappling with the coronavirus. Democratic leaders oppose that.
Instead, they are pushing for money to help states fund elections, pushing mail-in voting and curtailing states’ voter integrity rules. That’s a nonstarter for Mr. Trump.
Democrats also want to assist the financially struggling U.S. Postal Service, boost food assistance and provide nearly $1 trillion to help state and local governments balance their budgets.
• Dave Boyer can be reached at dboyer@washingtontimes.com. • Gabriella Muñoz can be reached at gmunoz@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-08-09--Ted Wheeler suddenly sets police on Portland protesters

Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler suddenly sounds like he is channeling a Trump administration official .
The man who just a couple of weeks ago was marching with demonstrators against the federal courthouse in his Oregon city , earning a tear-gassing for his effort , has done a complete about-face .
He now urges demonstrators to stay home and has ordered city police to do “ whatever is necessary ” to quash ongoing violence .
That apparently includes the same tear gas he railed against when federal officers were using it .
He has even accused some rioters of attempted murder @ @ @ @ @ @ @ set fires outside it — the same tactics they were using on the federal courthouse just weeks ago .
The about-face has not gone unnoticed at the Department of Homeland Security , where acting Secretary Chad Wolf said it ’ s striking to see the mayor now saying “ almost word for word ” what Mr. Wolf was saying for weeks .
“ It ’ s disappointing that it took him this long .
It ’ s disappointing he wouldn ’ t make these comments when federal law enforcement officers were under attack @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told The Washington Times in an interview .
The 57-year-old Democratic mayor pivoted late last week when the reality of events on the ground punctured his predictions about the protests and violence .
Throughout July , Mr. Wheeler blamed violence in the city ’ s downtown area on the presence of additional federal law enforcement officers protecting the U.S. courthouse .
He said once those officers pulled back , the protests would simmer down .
The federal officers pulled back nearly two weeks ago under a deal Mr. Wolf reached with Oregon Gov @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The lead role for security outside the federal courthouse was handed over to state police .
The area around the courthouse has since been “ mostly peaceful , ” police say , but the violence has shifted east , across the Willamette River , and is now aimed at city buildings and police .
It appears Mr. Wheeler , who as mayor also serves as police commissioner , got the symptom and the disease mixed up .
“ The violence was there before , and the violence was certainly there now , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it , ” Mr. Wolf said .
In searching for explanations for Mr. Wheeler ’ s unsteady handling of the riots , his political situation seems a likely cause .
Running for reelection , he failed to cross the 50 % mark in the city ’ s open primary in May , so he faces a runoff in November against Sarah Iannarone , who is staking out ground even further to the left than Mr. Wheeler is .
When Black Lives Matter protests began in late May , they quickly took on an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the demonstrators would prefer that Mr. Wheeler not even make it to the election .
When he tried to march with the protesters outside the federal courthouse on July 22 , he was met with chants of “ Resign.
” During the chaos last week , he took to Twitter to cheer the city ’ s pro basketball team , the Trail Blazers .
Replies were filled with similar calls to resign .
Others pointed out that his tweet ’ s particular choice of words — “ Way to keep the fire blazing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the protesters ’ affinity for trying to ignite city buildings .
“ The absolute last thing you should be doing is encouraging anyone to keep any fire blazing , ” one follower said .
Mr. Wheeler tried to reset the narrative on the protests Thursday by calling an online press conference to denounce protesters he had met with just two weeks earlier .
He said those who tried to barricade a police precinct and start a fire had attempted murder .
As mayor , he also holds the title of police commissioner , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ city ’ s officers to “ do whatever is necessary ” to gain control .
In a stunning step for a city that takes its right to protest seriously , he told the crowds to stay home .
“ If you do not view yourself as wanting to be associated with , or be part of the kind of criminal activity we saw last night , I would ask you not to show up , ” he said .
“ And if you do show up , say something.
” Two elderly women @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by attempting to put out fires started by demonstrators .
Both were confronted and jeered by black-clad demonstrators , and one woman was splattered with paint for her efforts .
Carl Abbott , professor emeritus at Portland State University , said Mr. Wheeler , with his criticism of the violence , is following in the footsteps of Black Lives Matter protesters , who are trying to separate their issues from the largely white group of demonstrators eager for confrontations with the police .
“ After federal law enforcement withdrew from a public role @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tamped down by pushback from the BLM folks , ” Mr. Abbott said .
“ I assume , but don ’ t know for certain , that this explains the shift toward other targets.
” The demonstrators are now using the same tactics on Portland police as they did on federal officers : green lasers directed at officers ’ eyes , concrete and fist-sized rocks hurled at them , paint and other chemicals splashed onto them and commercial-grade fireworks launched at them .
At one point , demonstrators ripped down boards protecting the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of riots earlier in the week — and smashed through the door , where they lit a small fire on the floor .
The protesters kept feeding the fire with fuel until police managed to clear them out so the fire department could have access .
Rioters also erected a barricade in the streets using construction signs , picnic tables and whatever other metal they could find .
They defended the barricades with rocks until officers pushed through .
Daryl Turner , president of the Portland Police Association , said in a letter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ felt he tied their hands by insisting they wait until the violence escalated “ almost to the point of no return ” before intervening .
“ I am disgusted that our city has come to this , ” Mr. Turner wrote .
“ If it is acceptable for rioters to commit acts of violence against community members and to try and burn down occupied buildings , and if this conduct is allowed to continue , then Portland is lost.
” Protesters complain on Twitter that police are too heavy-handed when they do respond @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the edges of the violence but not directly involved .
This weekend , protesters complained that police slashed the tires on their snack van and posted video of an officer resisting giving out his business card when asked for his identity , as required by procedure .
Protesters took particular umbrage at an incident in which officers detained a woman and patted her down .
When a freelance reporter told them to wait for a female officer per procedures , the officer responded , “ How do you know I don ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mr. Wheeler is struggling to find a bridge between both sides , and in his press conference tried to identify President Trump as a common enemy .
“ Don ’ t think for a moment that if you are participating in this activity that you are not being a prop for the reelection campaign for Donald Trump , because you absolutely are , ” he said in a press conference conducted online .
“ You are creating the b-roll film that will be used in ads nationally to help Donald Trump during his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be part of that .
They don ’ t show up.
” Mr. Wolf said that was telling .
“ The mayor is looking at these incidents through a political lens , and I would say that ’ s very dangerous , particularly when you ’ re talking about people ’ s lives , ” the secretary told The Times .
“ Law and order comes first in the country.
” Mr. Wheeler ’ s office declined to comment to The Times .
Mr. Trump has indeed used Portland in his campaign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ courthouse , we will save the United States of America , ” Mr. Trump said during a press conference Friday at his golf club in New Jersey .
He renewed his offer to send in the National Guard if the governor requested it and said Mr. Wheeler has come around to his own way of thinking by saying the protesters were guilty of attempted murder .
“ He ’ s come a long way when he made that statement , ” the president said .

Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler suddenly sounds like he is channeling a Trump administration official.
The man who just a couple of weeks ago was marching with demonstrators against the federal courthouse in his Oregon city, earning a tear-gassing for his effort, has done a complete about-face.
He now urges demonstrators to stay home and has ordered city police to do “whatever is necessary” to quash ongoing violence. That apparently includes the same tear gas he railed against when federal officers were using it.
He has even accused some rioters of attempted murder after they barricaded a police precinct and set fires outside it — the same tactics they were using on the federal courthouse just weeks ago.
The about-face has not gone unnoticed at the Department of Homeland Security, where acting Secretary Chad Wolf said it’s striking to see the mayor now saying “almost word for word” what Mr. Wolf was saying for weeks.
“It’s disappointing that it took him this long. It’s disappointing he wouldn’t make these comments when federal law enforcement officers were under attack night after night,” Mr. Wolf told The Washington Times in an interview.
The 57-year-old Democratic mayor pivoted late last week when the reality of events on the ground punctured his predictions about the protests and violence.
Throughout July, Mr. Wheeler blamed violence in the city’s downtown area on the presence of additional federal law enforcement officers protecting the U.S. courthouse. He said once those officers pulled back, the protests would simmer down.
The federal officers pulled back nearly two weeks ago under a deal Mr. Wolf reached with Oregon Gov. Kate Brown, a Democrat. The lead role for security outside the federal courthouse was handed over to state police. The area around the courthouse has since been “mostly peaceful,” police say, but the violence has shifted east, across the Willamette River, and is now aimed at city buildings and police.
It appears Mr. Wheeler, who as mayor also serves as police commissioner, got the symptom and the disease mixed up.
“The violence was there before, and the violence was certainly there now, and we’re not the target of it,” Mr. Wolf said.
Election politics
In searching for explanations for Mr. Wheeler’s unsteady handling of the riots, his political situation seems a likely cause.
Running for reelection, he failed to cross the 50% mark in the city’s open primary in May, so he faces a runoff in November against Sarah Iannarone, who is staking out ground even further to the left than Mr. Wheeler is.
When Black Lives Matter protests began in late May, they quickly took on an anti-establishment tone in Portland. Many of the demonstrators would prefer that Mr. Wheeler not even make it to the election.
When he tried to march with the protesters outside the federal courthouse on July 22, he was met with chants of “Resign.”
During the chaos last week, he took to Twitter to cheer the city’s pro basketball team, the Trail Blazers. Replies were filled with similar calls to resign.
Others pointed out that his tweet’s particular choice of words — “Way to keep the fire blazing!” — seemed inopportune, given the protesters’ affinity for trying to ignite city buildings.
“The absolute last thing you should be doing is encouraging anyone to keep any fire blazing,” one follower said.
Mr. Wheeler tried to reset the narrative on the protests Thursday by calling an online press conference to denounce protesters he had met with just two weeks earlier.
He said those who tried to barricade a police precinct and start a fire had attempted murder. As mayor, he also holds the title of police commissioner, and he said he would authorized the city’s officers to “do whatever is necessary” to gain control.
In a stunning step for a city that takes its right to protest seriously, he told the crowds to stay home.
“If you do not view yourself as wanting to be associated with, or be part of the kind of criminal activity we saw last night, I would ask you not to show up,” he said. “And if you do show up, say something.”
Two elderly women tried to follow his advice that night by attempting to put out fires started by demonstrators. Both were confronted and jeered by black-clad demonstrators, and one woman was splattered with paint for her efforts.
Same tactics, different targets
Carl Abbott, professor emeritus at Portland State University, said Mr. Wheeler, with his criticism of the violence, is following in the footsteps of Black Lives Matter protesters, who are trying to separate their issues from the largely white group of demonstrators eager for confrontations with the police.
“After federal law enforcement withdrew from a public role, the more violent protesters downtown got tamped down by pushback from the BLM folks,” Mr. Abbott said. “I assume, but don’t know for certain, that this explains the shift toward other targets.”
The demonstrators are now using the same tactics on Portland police as they did on federal officers: green lasers directed at officers’ eyes, concrete and fist-sized rocks hurled at them, paint and other chemicals splashed onto them and commercial-grade fireworks launched at them.
The mayhem intensified Saturday night, police reports said.
At one point, demonstrators ripped down boards protecting the Portland Police Association building — a target of riots earlier in the week — and smashed through the door, where they lit a small fire on the floor.
The protesters kept feeding the fire with fuel until police managed to clear them out so the fire department could have access.
Rioters also erected a barricade in the streets using construction signs, picnic tables and whatever other metal they could find. They defended the barricades with rocks until officers pushed through.
Daryl Turner, president of the Portland Police Association, said in a letter to Mr. Wheeler last week that officers felt he tied their hands by insisting they wait until the violence escalated “almost to the point of no return” before intervening.
“I am disgusted that our city has come to this,” Mr. Turner wrote. “If it is acceptable for rioters to commit acts of violence against community members and to try and burn down occupied buildings, and if this conduct is allowed to continue, then Portland is lost.”
Protesters complain on Twitter that police are too heavy-handed when they do respond. They said police were bull-rushing groups on the edges of the violence but not directly involved.
This weekend, protesters complained that police slashed the tires on their snack van and posted video of an officer resisting giving out his business card when asked for his identity, as required by procedure.
Protesters took particular umbrage at an incident in which officers detained a woman and patted her down. When a freelance reporter told them to wait for a female officer per procedures, the officer responded, “How do you know I don’t identify as a female?”
Mr. Wheeler is struggling to find a bridge between both sides, and in his press conference tried to identify President Trump as a common enemy.
“Don’t think for a moment that if you are participating in this activity that you are not being a prop for the reelection campaign for Donald Trump, because you absolutely are,” he said in a press conference conducted online. “You are creating the b-roll film that will be used in ads nationally to help Donald Trump during his campaign. You don’t want to be part of that. They don’t show up.”
Mr. Wolf said that was telling.
“The mayor is looking at these incidents through a political lens, and I would say that’s very dangerous, particularly when you’re talking about people’s lives,” the secretary told The Times. “Law and order comes first in the country.”
Mr. Wheeler’s office declined to comment to The Times.
Mr. Trump has indeed used Portland in his campaign.
“Just like we saved the courthouse, we will save the United States of America,” Mr. Trump said during a press conference Friday at his golf club in New Jersey.
He renewed his offer to send in the National Guard if the governor requested it and said Mr. Wheeler has come around to his own way of thinking by saying the protesters were guilty of attempted murder.
“He’s come a long way when he made that statement,” the president said.
• Stephen Dinan can be reached at sdinan@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-08-09--Trump's pandemic relief orders are limited in scope

President Donald Trump ’ s new executive orders to help Americans struggling under the economic recession are far less sweeping than any pandemic relief bill Congress would pass .
Trump acted Saturday after negotiations for a second pandemic relief bill reached an impasse .
Democrats initially sought a $ 3.4 trillion package , but said they lowered their demand to $ 2 trillion .
Republicans had proposed a $ 1 trillion plan .
The are questions about how effective Trump ’ s measures will be .
An order for supplemental unemployment insurance payments relies on state contributions that may not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not translate into more spending money for workers depending on how employers implement it .
But the president is trying to stem a slide in the polls with a show of action three months before he faces Democratic challenger Joe Biden in the November election .
Here is a look at the four executive orders .
The president moved to keep paying a supplemental federal unemployment benefit for millions of Americans out of work during the outbreak .
His order called for payments up to $ 400 each week , one-third less than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ under a benefit that expired last month .
How many people will receive the benefit and for how long is open to question .
Trump said the payments would be funded 75 % by the federal government and 25 % by states .
But it is unclear if states will pay that share , given acute budget shortfalls amid the economic recession .
The federal government had been covering the full cost of the now-expired $ 600 supplement .
Ariel Zetlin-Jones , associate professor of economics at Carnegie Mellon University ’ s Tepper @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have already depleted their unemployment compensation trust funds and have requested federal loans to keep making payments .
Trump ’ s order , he said , is likely to exacerbate the debt burden for states and prove costlier in the long term because state governments borrow at higher costs than the federal government .
“ This higher debt burden is one reason governors may resist enacting at least their share of $ 400 promised in the executive order , ” Zetlin-Jones said .
The Trump administration is setting aside $ 44 billion from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the extra jobless benefits .
Under the order , the payments will last through Dec. 6 - or until the disaster fund ’ s balance falls to $ 25 billion .
With hurricane season now underway , the fund currently has a balance of about $ 70 billion .
Under the president ’ s order , employers can defer collecting the employee portion of the payroll tax , including the 6.2 % Social Security tax on wages , effective Aug. 1 through the end of the year .
The order is intended to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ less than about $ 100,000 a year .
White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow estimated Sunday that the payroll tax deferral could save employees about $ 1,200 through the end of the year .
However , employees would need to repay the federal government eventually without an act of Congress .
Consequently , many employers may choose to continue collecting the tax and set it aside to meet that future obligation , said Michael Graetz , a Columbia University law professor and co-author of “ The Wolf at the Door : The Menace @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It.
” “ I don ’ t know how much of this is going to get into workers ’ pockets , ” Graetz said .
Trump is proposing that Congress pass a permanent payroll tax cut , but the prospects of such a measure is uncertain .
Democrats and some Republicans are against any change to the payroll tax because it could deplete the Social Security and Medicare Trust funds .
Both programs were already in dire condition before the pandemic , with Medicare expected to become insolvent in six years and Social @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 2035 .
Those government projections came before millions of taxpayers were thrown out of work .
Trump offered no explanation how the government would fund Medicare and Social Security benefits that the 7 % tax on employee income covers .
The president did not extend a federal eviction moratorium that protected more than 12 million renters living in federally subsidized apartments or units with federally backed mortgages .
That moratorium expired July 25 .
Instead , Trump directed the Treasury and Housing and Urban Development departments to identify funds to provide aid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rent .
He also directed HUD to take action to “ promote the ability of renters and homeowners to avoid eviction or foreclosure.
” In an appearance on CNN on Sunday , Kudlow said the order gives the housing authority wide power to stop evictions , for instance by citing the risk of COVID-19 spread in a community .
But he acknowledged that it does not explicitly ban evictions .
It ’ s unclear how much immediate relief the order will provide tens of millions of people at risk of being evicted over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ moratoriums have expired since May .
The Aspen Institute has estimated that 23 million renters are at risk of eviction by Sept. 30 .
Housing experts have called for a national moratorium on evictions combined with financial assistance for those struggling to pay rent .
Trump ’ s executive order extended a moratorium on student loans backed the federal government , which was initially passed by Congress and would have expired on Sept. 30 .
The moratorium also forgave interest on the deferred payments .
The order does not cover loans from private @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those providers and the president lacks the authority to direct funds for such a purpose .
The order also does not amount to student loan forgiveness , which House Democrats have proposed in a pandemic relief package , but which Republican lawmakers have rejected .

NEW YORK (AP) -
President Donald Trump’s new executive orders to help Americans struggling under the economic recession are far less sweeping than any pandemic relief bill Congress would pass.
Trump acted Saturday after negotiations for a second pandemic relief bill reached an impasse. Democrats initially sought a $3.4 trillion package, but said they lowered their demand to $2 trillion. Republicans had proposed a $1 trillion plan.
The are questions about how effective Trump’s measures will be. An order for supplemental unemployment insurance payments relies on state contributions that may not materialize. A payroll tax deferral may not translate into more spending money for workers depending on how employers implement it.
But the president is trying to stem a slide in the polls with a show of action three months before he faces Democratic challenger Joe Biden in the November election.
Here is a look at the four executive orders.
UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE
The president moved to keep paying a supplemental federal unemployment benefit for millions of Americans out of work during the outbreak. His order called for payments up to $400 each week, one-third less than the $600 people had been receiving under a benefit that expired last month.
How many people will receive the benefit and for how long is open to question. Trump said the payments would be funded 75% by the federal government and 25% by states. But it is unclear if states will pay that share, given acute budget shortfalls amid the economic recession. The federal government had been covering the full cost of the now-expired $600 supplement.
Ariel Zetlin-Jones, associate professor of economics at Carnegie Mellon University’s Tepper School of Business, said several states have already depleted their unemployment compensation trust funds and have requested federal loans to keep making payments. Trump’s order, he said, is likely to exacerbate the debt burden for states and prove costlier in the long term because state governments borrow at higher costs than the federal government.
“This higher debt burden is one reason governors may resist enacting at least their share of $400 promised in the executive order,” Zetlin-Jones said.
The Trump administration is setting aside $44 billion from the Disaster Relief Fund to pay for the extra jobless benefits. Under the order, the payments will last through Dec. 6 - or until the disaster fund’s balance falls to $25 billion. With hurricane season now underway, the fund currently has a balance of about $70 billion.
PAYROLL TAX DEFERRAL
Under the president’s order, employers can defer collecting the employee portion of the payroll tax, including the 6.2% Social Security tax on wages, effective Aug. 1 through the end of the year. The order is intended to increase take home pay for employees making less than about $100,000 a year. White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow estimated Sunday that the payroll tax deferral could save employees about $1,200 through the end of the year.
However, employees would need to repay the federal government eventually without an act of Congress. Consequently, many employers may choose to continue collecting the tax and set it aside to meet that future obligation, said Michael Graetz, a Columbia University law professor and co-author of “The Wolf at the Door: The Menace of Economic Insecurity and How to Fight It.”
“I don’t know how much of this is going to get into workers’ pockets,” Graetz said.
Trump is proposing that Congress pass a permanent payroll tax cut, but the prospects of such a measure is uncertain. Democrats and some Republicans are against any change to the payroll tax because it could deplete the Social Security and Medicare Trust funds.
Both programs were already in dire condition before the pandemic, with Medicare expected to become insolvent in six years and Social Security unable to pay full benefits starting in 2035. Those government projections came before millions of taxpayers were thrown out of work.
Trump offered no explanation how the government would fund Medicare and Social Security benefits that the 7% tax on employee income covers.
EVICTION CRISIS
The president did not extend a federal eviction moratorium that protected more than 12 million renters living in federally subsidized apartments or units with federally backed mortgages. That moratorium expired July 25.
Instead, Trump directed the Treasury and Housing and Urban Development departments to identify funds to provide aid to those struggling to pay their monthly rent. He also directed HUD to take action to “promote the ability of renters and homeowners to avoid eviction or foreclosure.”
In an appearance on CNN on Sunday, Kudlow said the order gives the housing authority wide power to stop evictions, for instance by citing the risk of COVID-19 spread in a community. But he acknowledged that it does not explicitly ban evictions.
It’s unclear how much immediate relief the order will provide tens of millions of people at risk of being evicted over the next months. Around 30 state moratoriums have expired since May. The Aspen Institute has estimated that 23 million renters are at risk of eviction by Sept. 30.
Housing experts have called for a national moratorium on evictions combined with financial assistance for those struggling to pay rent.
STUDENT LOANS
Trump’s executive order extended a moratorium on student loans backed the federal government, which was initially passed by Congress and would have expired on Sept. 30. The moratorium also forgave interest on the deferred payments.
The order does not cover loans from private lenders since the government would have repay those providers and the president lacks the authority to direct funds for such a purpose. The order also does not amount to student loan forgiveness, which House Democrats have proposed in a pandemic relief package, but which Republican lawmakers have rejected.


washingtontimes--2020-08-09--Central Wyoming wildfire prompts evacuations

RAWLINS , Wyo .
( AP ) - A central Wyoming wildfire prompted evacuations of area residents after burning across @ @ @ @ @ U.S. Bureau of Land Management said the fire about 50 miles north of Rawlins has @ @ @ @ @ ( about seven square kilometers ) .
It started Friday on Bradley Peak and was @ @ @ @ @ by Sunday .
Residents along Long Creek were ordered to evacuate .
Bureau spokesman Brad @ @ @ @ @ sparsely populated .
Purdy says the fire is burning in a remote area with limited @ @ @ @ @ so firefighters are using aircraft to attack it from above .

RAWLINS, Wyo. (AP) - A central Wyoming wildfire prompted evacuations of area residents after burning across several square miles.
The U.S. Bureau of Land Management said the fire about 50 miles north of Rawlins has burned almost three square miles (about seven square kilometers). It started Friday on Bradley Peak and was only about 10 percent contained by Sunday.
Residents along Long Creek were ordered to evacuate. Bureau spokesman Brad Purdy says the area is sparsely populated.
Purdy says the fire is burning in a remote area with limited access for ground crews, so firefighters are using aircraft to attack it from above.


washingtontimes--2020-08-09--Demonstrators gather ahead of Seattle police votes

SEATTLE ( AP ) - Demonstrators have started gathering in Seattle ahead of upcoming votes by city officials on reduced @ @ @ @ @ Seattle City Council last week in a unanimous preliminary vote decided to reduce the police @ @ @ @ @ officers through layoffs and attrition .
Final votes are expected this week .
Reduced funding @ @ @ @ @ by demonstrators in Seattle and in other cities across the U.S. following George Floyd ’ @ @ @ @ @ in Minneapolis .
The amendments approved by the city council last week would save only @ @ @ @ @ the departments $ 400 million annual budget this year .
But council members said they @ @ @ @ @ .
Seattle ’ s mayor and police chief have opposed the budget changes .
Supporters @ @ @ @ @ money be reallocated to other public safety approaches , housing , social services and programs @ @ @ @ @

SEATTLE (AP) - Demonstrators have started gathering in Seattle ahead of upcoming votes by city officials on reduced funding for police.
Hundreds of people including pro-police supporters and counter-protesters assembled opposite city hall Sunday afternoon.
The Seattle City Council last week in a unanimous preliminary vote decided to reduce the police department by up to 100 officers through layoffs and attrition. Final votes are expected this week.
Reduced funding for police has been pushed by demonstrators in Seattle and in other cities across the U.S. following George Floyd’s killing in police custody in Minneapolis.
The amendments approved by the city council last week would save only about $3 million of the departments $400 million annual budget this year. But council members said they want to send a message.
Seattle’s mayor and police chief have opposed the budget changes.
Supporters of the proposals say policing money be reallocated to other public safety approaches, housing, social services and programs led by Black people.


washingtontimes--2020-08-09--119 Confederate statues removed since George Floyd died

As the Black Lives Matter movement gained steam , so did the push to remove Confederate monuments , with more memorials having been taken down since George Floyd ’ s death than in the past three years combined .
Across the U.S. , 119 Confederate statues and monuments have been removed since the end of May .
In 2017 , 55 were removed , while 34 were taken down in 2018 and 21 in 2019 , according to a new study .
California has one Confederate monument left and has removed 91 % of the offending memorials in the state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a public records search service .
Of the states that had at least 10 Confederate symbols , California and Maryland removed the most .
Maryland removed 79 % , followed by Oklahoma ( 39 % ) , Florida ( 30 % ) and the District of Columbia ( 25 % ) .
“ The removal of these Confederate symbols coincides with years of growth in support of racial justice and the BLM movement , ” said Brian Ross , the senior data analyst for BeenVerified , which completed a study of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Southern Poverty Law Center and 2020 media reports to calculate the removals .
More than 1,650 Confederate monuments and symbols , which include the Confederate flag , remain in place .
South Carolina , Mississippi , Georgia and Alabama have removed the fewest Confederate memorials .
“ The country seems to have reached a tipping point of self-examination , and one of the most visible symbols of the history of inequality and injustice against Black Americans are the Confederate monuments dotting the cities , towns and municipalities throughout the United States , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Confederate historic figures with the most removals this year have been Robert E. Lee , who served as commander , and Jefferson Davis , who served as the president .
The death of George Floyd , a Black man , while in the custody of Minneapolis police , sparked racial justice demonstrations and growing calls to take down Confederate statues and other memorials .
The fervor led protesters to deface and destroy not just memorials linked to the Confederacy but also statues of abolitionists who fought to end slavery , including Abraham Lincoln @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Christopher Columbus also have been targeted .
The BeenVerified analysis counted only Confederate memorials , including symbols such as the rebel flag , which were removed by cities or by protesters .
Statues of other figures such as Columbus were not included .
Public polling on the issue has been mixed .
A majority of voters , 58 % , in a Harvard CAPS/Harris poll released in June said the memorials should stay .
Days earlier , though , another poll by Quinnipiac University showed that a majority , 52 % , wanted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spaces .

As the Black Lives Matter movement gained steam, so did the push to remove Confederate monuments, with more memorials having been taken down since George Floyd’s death than in the past three years combined.
Across the U.S., 119 Confederate statues and monuments have been removed since the end of May. In 2017, 55 were removed, while 34 were taken down in 2018 and 21 in 2019, according to a new study.
California has one Confederate monument left and has removed 91% of the offending memorials in the state, according to an analysis by BeenVerified, a public records search service.
Of the states that had at least 10 Confederate symbols, California and Maryland removed the most. Maryland removed 79%, followed by Oklahoma (39%), Florida (30%) and the District of Columbia (25%).
“The removal of these Confederate symbols coincides with years of growth in support of racial justice and the BLM movement,” said Brian Ross, the senior data analyst for BeenVerified, which completed a study of the removals.
BeenVerified used 2019 data from the Southern Poverty Law Center and 2020 media reports to calculate the removals.
More than 1,650 Confederate monuments and symbols, which include the Confederate flag, remain in place.
South Carolina, Mississippi, Georgia and Alabama have removed the fewest Confederate memorials.
“The country seems to have reached a tipping point of self-examination, and one of the most visible symbols of the history of inequality and injustice against Black Americans are the Confederate monuments dotting the cities, towns and municipalities throughout the United States,” Mr. Ross said.
The two Confederate historic figures with the most removals this year have been Robert E. Lee, who served as commander, and Jefferson Davis, who served as the president.
The death of George Floyd, a Black man, while in the custody of Minneapolis police, sparked racial justice demonstrations and growing calls to take down Confederate statues and other memorials.
The fervor led protesters to deface and destroy not just memorials linked to the Confederacy but also statues of abolitionists who fought to end slavery, including Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass.
Several statues of Christopher Columbus also have been targeted.
The BeenVerified analysis counted only Confederate memorials, including symbols such as the rebel flag, which were removed by cities or by protesters. Statues of other figures such as Columbus were not included.
Public polling on the issue has been mixed.
A majority of voters, 58%, in a Harvard CAPS/Harris poll released in June said the memorials should stay. Days earlier, though, another poll by Quinnipiac University showed that a majority, 52%, wanted to see them taken down from public spaces.
• Alex Swoyer can be reached at aswoyer@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-08-09--Body found in Missouri River in western Missouri Sunday

SUGAR CREEK , Mo .
( AP ) - A body was found Sunday in the Missouri River in a @ @ @ @ @ The Sugar Creek Police Department was called to La Benite Park around 8:30 a.m. Sunday @ @ @ @ @ corpse in the river .
Sugar Creek is about 15 miles ( 24.14 kilometers ) @ @ @ @ @ Missouri .
Police helped recover the body from the river .
The victim ’ s @ @ @ @ @ were not immediately released Sunday afternoon .

SUGAR CREEK, Mo. (AP) - A body was found Sunday in the Missouri River in a small western Missouri city.
The Sugar Creek Police Department was called to La Benite Park around 8:30 a.m. Sunday after someone reported finding a corpse in the river. Sugar Creek is about 15 miles (24.14 kilometers) northeast of Kansas City, Missouri.
Police helped recover the body from the river.
The victim’s identity and cause of death were not immediately released Sunday afternoon.


washingtontimes--2020-08-09--Epic Systems makes return to in-person work voluntary

Epic Systems has told its employees they will not be required to return to in-person work on Monday at the @ @ @ @ @ in Wisconsin .
The company had planned to start a phased approach to bringing employees @ @ @ @ @ Radio report s the company informed its employees they changed that plan after Public Health @ @ @ @ @ whether they would comply with guidance on preventing coronavirus infections .
Epic employs about 10,000 @ @ @ @ @ had already returned last week to its campus located in Verona .
Some employees had @ @ @ @ @ s plan for them to return to working at its facility .
The company is @ @ @ @ @ out of the return .

Epic Systems has told its employees they will not be required to return to in-person work on Monday at the health care records company based in Wisconsin.
The company had planned to start a phased approach to bringing employees into work. Wisconsin Public Radio report s the company informed its employees they changed that plan after Public Health Madison and Dane County questioned whether they would comply with guidance on preventing coronavirus infections.
Epic employs about 10,000 people, and about 4,200 had already returned last week to its campus located in Verona.
Some employees had pushed back against Epic’s plan for them to return to working at its facility. The company is now allowing employees to opt out of the return.


washingtontimes--2020-08-09--Arkansas reports 572 new coronavirus cases, nine more deaths

LITTLE ROCK , Ark .
( AP ) - Arkansas has 572 newly confirmed COVID-19 cases and nine additional deaths @ @ @ @ @ the novel coronavirus , state health officials reported Sunday .
The Arkansas Department of Health @ @ @ @ @ confirmed cases of the virus in the state and a death toll of 544 , @ @ @ @ @ 535 deaths reported Saturday .
The true number of coronavirus cases in Oklahoma is likely @ @ @ @ @ not been tested , and studies suggest people can be infected and not feel sick @ @ @ @ @ 41,452 people have recovered from the virus and there were 7,387 active cases Sunday .
@ @ @ @ @ coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms , such as fever and cough that clear up @ @ @ @ @ .
For some , especially older adults and people with existing health problems , it @ @ @ @ @ , including pneumonia and death .
The vast majority of people recover .

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) - Arkansas has 572 newly confirmed COVID-19 cases and nine additional deaths due the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, state health officials reported Sunday.
The Arkansas Department of Health said there are now 49,383 confirmed cases of the virus in the state and a death toll of 544, up from 48,811 cases and 535 deaths reported Saturday. The true number of coronavirus cases in Oklahoma is likely higher because many people have not been tested, and studies suggest people can be infected and not feel sick.
The health department said 41,452 people have recovered from the virus and there were 7,387 active cases Sunday.
For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death. The vast majority of people recover.


washingtontimes--2020-08-09--Inside the Beltway: Gallup: A majority of Republicans would refuse COVID-19 vaccine

Though the world has now witnessed some 18 million confirmed cases of coronavirus and over 700,000 deaths , that grim reminder does not appear to sway public opinion about a vaccine — particularly among Republicans .
The majority of GOPers reject the vaccine at this time .
“ With more indications that a vaccine could be close , the next question for health professionals , policy makers and political leaders will be Americans ’ willingness to be vaccinated once a vaccine is ready .
But many Americans appear reluctant to be vaccinated , even if a vaccine were FDA-approved and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Asked if they would get such a COVID-19 vaccine , 65 % say they would , but 35 % would not , ” reports Shannon Mullen O ’ Keefe , a Gallup analyst .
The pollster reveals , however , that 53 % of Republicans would not agree to be vaccinated .
That is the strongest negative reaction among the 16 demographics included in the Gallup poll of 7,632 U.S. residents adults conducted July 30-Aug. 2 .
The closest negative opinion came from rural or farm residents ; 44 % also would refuse @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ non-white Americans , ” those 50-64 years old , political independents and parents of children under age 18 ; 41 % of each group would also reject the vaccine .
And the inevitable political divide : Only 19 % of Democrats would refuse the vaccine ; 81 % would get the shot .
“ The nation ’ s influencers — including health professionals , policy makers and leaders — who see a vaccine as a way forward may have their work cut out for them in persuading Americans to take advantage of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government , healthcare , industry and education will need to anticipate that a significant proportion of the population will be hesitant to get a vaccine , even at no cost , ” writes analyst Ms. O ’ Keefe .
“ Such resistance is not unprecedented .
When Gallup in 1954 asked U.S. adults who had heard or read about the then-new polio vaccine , ‘ Would you like to take this new polio vaccine ( to keep people from getting polio ) yourself ?
’ just 60 % said they would , while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” she says .
“ In an effort to level the playing filed , Barron Trump will debate Joe Biden.
” “ Socialism is like a nude beach .
Sounds pretty good until you actually get there.
” Timely memes currently circulating on Facebook and elsewhere .
Fox News has been named as one of the nation ’ s top “ patriotic ” brands , according to Brand Keys , a marketing research group that makes this yearly assessment based on a consumer survey .
The network is No .
8 on a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be patriotic , including Jeep , Amazon , Coca-Cola , Jack Daniel ’ s , Kellogg ’ s and Disney .
“ This year , consumers of all ages and political persuasions again awarded the armed services a patriotic ranking of No .
1 , ” said Robert Passikoff , president of the organization — who says the coronavirus pandemic , political division and social unrest have definitely influenced consumer perceptions .
“ Political polarization , growing consumer tribalism , and national social protests have challenged brands this year .
Basic tenets @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been upended , as has the need for how brands define themselves in the context of patriotism , ” said Mr. Passikoff .
“ Brands — particularly those related to sports — were bumped from the top 50 where they had customarily appeared .
In a Covid-enforced absence , teams and sporting goods brands have been replaced by brands consumers deems supportive during a national crisis , ” he added .
New to the list : Purell , Clorox and Netflix — which all enjoyed renewed public interest during the pandemic .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in over several weeks in the spring months , and released Aug. 3 .
President Trump ’ s nimble reelection campaign offers a discerning “ Question of the day ” — each day — for Joseph R. Biden regarding the intricacies for his quest for the White House .
Here are two questions of the day the campaign asked over the weekend : “ When will the Left tell you who your running mate is ?
” “ Why can you travel to campaign events in Pennsylvania but not to a TV studio @ @ @ @ @ @ @ S GON NA DO IT News from New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo ’ s office : New York school will open in the fall for in-person learning — that includes 750 local school districts .
Mr. Cuomo now says schools are encouraged to reopen this fall after each of the districts provides public plans and protocols for approval by the state ’ s education and health departments .
Soon .
“ Cuomo said each district may reopen and remain open for in-class instruction as long its surrounding region keeps a coronavirus positivity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the World Health Organization .
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio set the threshold for New York City lower , at 3 % .
As of this writing , New York ’ s low infection rate today enables each district to prepare for allowing students back into classrooms , ” noted The Federalist on Sunday .
“ If anyone can open schools , we can open schools , and that ’ s true for every region in the state , ” Mr. Cuomo said at a press conference Friday .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ New York one of the few states in the country with a transmission rate low enough to warrant reopening under WHO guidelines , ” The Federalist said .
• 67 % of U.S. adults would rather police spend the “ same amount of time ” in their area as they normally do ; 71 % of White Americans , 63 % of Asian Americans , 61 % of Black Americans , and 59 % of Hispanic Americans agree .
• 19 % overall would prefer the police spend “ more time ” in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Americans , 9 % of Asian Americans , 20 % of Black Americans , and 24 % of Hispanic Americans agree .
• 14 % overall would prefer police spend “ less time ” in their area ; 12 % of White Americans , 28 % of Asian Americans , 19 % of Black Americans , and 17 % of Hispanic Americans agree .
Source : A Gallup survey of 36,463 U.S. adults conducted June 23-July 6 and released Friday

NEWS AND OPINION:
Though the world has now witnessed some 18 million confirmed cases of coronavirus and over 700,000 deaths, that grim reminder does not appear to sway public opinion about a vaccine — particularly among Republicans. The majority of GOPers reject the vaccine at this time.
“With more indications that a vaccine could be close, the next question for health professionals, policy makers and political leaders will be Americans’ willingness to be vaccinated once a vaccine is ready. But many Americans appear reluctant to be vaccinated, even if a vaccine were FDA-approved and available to them at no cost. Asked if they would get such a COVID-19 vaccine, 65% say they would, but 35% would not,” reports Shannon Mullen O’Keefe, a Gallup analyst.
The pollster reveals, however, that 53% of Republicans would not agree to be vaccinated. That is the strongest negative reaction among the 16 demographics included in the Gallup poll of 7,632 U.S. residents adults conducted July 30-Aug. 2.
The closest negative opinion came from rural or farm residents; 44% also would refuse the vaccine. Next in line were “non-white Americans,” those 50-64 years old, political independents and parents of children under age 18; 41% of each group would also reject the vaccine.
And the inevitable political divide: Only 19% of Democrats would refuse the vaccine; 81% would get the shot.
“The nation’s influencers — including health professionals, policy makers and leaders — who see a vaccine as a way forward may have their work cut out for them in persuading Americans to take advantage of such an option. Policy makers in government, healthcare, industry and education will need to anticipate that a significant proportion of the population will be hesitant to get a vaccine, even at no cost,” writes analyst Ms. O’Keefe.
“Such resistance is not unprecedented. When Gallup in 1954 asked U.S. adults who had heard or read about the then-new polio vaccine, ‘Would you like to take this new polio vaccine (to keep people from getting polio) yourself?’ just 60% said they would, while 31% said they would not,” she says.
MEMES OF THE DAY
“In an effort to level the playing filed, Barron Trump will debate Joe Biden.”
“Socialism is like a nude beach. Sounds pretty good until you actually get there.”
Timely memes currently circulating on Facebook and elsewhere.
FOX NEWS: A PATRIOTIC BRAND
Fox News has been named as one of the nation’s top “patriotic” brands, according to Brand Keys, a marketing research group that makes this yearly assessment based on a consumer survey. The network is No. 8 on a diverse list of 50 familiar brands judged to be patriotic, including Jeep, Amazon, Coca-Cola, Jack Daniel’s, Kellogg’s and Disney.
“This year, consumers of all ages and political persuasions again awarded the armed services a patriotic ranking of No. 1,” said Robert Passikoff, president of the organization — who says the coronavirus pandemic, political division and social unrest have definitely influenced consumer perceptions.
“Political polarization, growing consumer tribalism, and national social protests have challenged brands this year. Basic tenets of consumer loyalty and brand engagement have been upended, as has the need for how brands define themselves in the context of patriotism,” said Mr. Passikoff.
“Brands — particularly those related to sports — were bumped from the top 50 where they had customarily appeared. In a Covid-enforced absence, teams and sporting goods brands have been replaced by brands consumers deems supportive during a national crisis,” he added.
New to the list: Purell, Clorox and Netflix — which all enjoyed renewed public interest during the pandemic. The survey of 5,370 U.S. adults was conducted in over several weeks in the spring months, and released Aug. 3.
BIDEN QUESTIONS OF THE DAY
President Trump‘s nimble reelection campaign offers a discerning “Question of the day” — each day — for Joseph R. Biden regarding the intricacies for his quest for the White House. Here are two questions of the day the campaign asked over the weekend:
“When will the Left tell you who your running mate is?”
“Why can you travel to campaign events in Pennsylvania but not to a TV studio in Wisconsin?”
HOW ANDREW’S GONNA DO IT
News from New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo‘s office: New York school will open in the fall for in-person learning — that includes 750 local school districts.
Mr. Cuomo now says schools are encouraged to reopen this fall after each of the districts provides public plans and protocols for approval by the state’s education and health departments. Soon.
“Cuomo said each district may reopen and remain open for in-class instruction as long its surrounding region keeps a coronavirus positivity rate below 5%, a recommendation from the World Health Organization. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio set the threshold for New York City lower, at 3%. As of this writing, New York’s low infection rate today enables each district to prepare for allowing students back into classrooms,” noted The Federalist on Sunday.
“If anyone can open schools, we can open schools, and that’s true for every region in the state,” Mr. Cuomo said at a press conference Friday.
“The governor’s announcement now makes New York one of the few states in the country with a transmission rate low enough to warrant reopening under WHO guidelines,” The Federalist said.
POLL DU JOUR
• 67% of U.S. adults would rather police spend the “same amount of time” in their area as they normally do; 71% of White Americans, 63% of Asian Americans, 61% of Black Americans, and 59% of Hispanic Americans agree.
• 19% overall would prefer the police spend “more time” in their area; 17% of White Americans, 9% of Asian Americans, 20% of Black Americans, and 24% of Hispanic Americans agree.
• 14% overall would prefer police spend “less time” in their area; 12% of White Americans, 28% of Asian Americans, 19% of Black Americans, and 17% of Hispanic Americans agree.
Source: A Gallup survey of 36,463 U.S. adults conducted June 23-July 6 and released Friday
• Kindly follow Jennifer Harper on Twitter @HarperBulletin.
• Jennifer Harper can be reached at jharper@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-08-09--Mississippi lawmakers returning to work on state budget

JACKSON , Miss .
( AP ) - Mississippi legislators are returning to the Capitol to wrap up unfinished parts of the state budget as leaders are clashing with Republican Gov .
Tate Reeves .
The legislative website shows that the House and Senate will convene at 1 p.m. Monday .
A week after the state budget year started July 1 , Reeves vetoed big parts of the education spending plan because legislators did not fund a bonus pay program for teachers in schools that either maintain high academic performance or show significant improvement .
Reeves also vetoed parts of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the coronavirus pandemic .
House Speaker Philip Gunn and Speaker Pro Tempore Jason White , who are both Republican , sued Reeves last week , arguing that his action was improper because the governor can not veto portions of budget bills that deal with conditions for how money is spent .
Overriding a governor ’ s veto takes a two-thirds majority of both the House and the Senate .
Legislators are expected to try to set a budget for the state Department of Marine Resources .
Final talks about the department ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Capitol on July 1 because the House and Senate clashed over how to spend $ 40 million a year that the state receives from oil and gas production in the Gulf of Mexico .
House and Senate leaders originally expected to bring members back in early July to finish the Marine Resources budget , but plans changed because of coronavirus cases among legislators and other people who work in the Capitol .
It was the largest outbreak of the virus at any statehouse in the U.S. , according to a count by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in session through most of June .
Some people in the Capitol wore masks and kept distance from others as precautions against spreading the virus , but many did not .
It was common to see people leaning in to talk to each other with their faces uncovered .
People also crowded into elevators and committee meeting rooms , and legislators also sat shoulder-to-shoulder in the House and Senate .
The Mississippi state health officer , Dr. Thomas Dobbs , said July 14 that at least 30 legislators and 11 other people who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the virus .
Dobbs recently said that number had increased .
At least two legislators - Democratic Rep. Earle Banks of Jackson and Republican Rep. Manly Barton of Moss Point - were hospitalized with the virus and have returned home .

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - Mississippi legislators are returning to the Capitol to wrap up unfinished parts of the state budget as leaders are clashing with Republican Gov. Tate Reeves.
The legislative website shows that the House and Senate will convene at 1 p.m. Monday.
A week after the state budget year started July 1, Reeves vetoed big parts of the education spending plan because legislators did not fund a bonus pay program for teachers in schools that either maintain high academic performance or show significant improvement.
Reeves also vetoed parts of a bill that allocated federal relief money for the coronavirus pandemic.
House Speaker Philip Gunn and Speaker Pro Tempore Jason White, who are both Republican, sued Reeves last week, arguing that his action was improper because the governor cannot veto portions of budget bills that deal with conditions for how money is spent.
Overriding a governor’s veto takes a two-thirds majority of both the House and the Senate.
Legislators are expected to try to set a budget for the state Department of Marine Resources. Final talks about the department’s budget stalled just before legislators left the Capitol on July 1 because the House and Senate clashed over how to spend $40 million a year that the state receives from oil and gas production in the Gulf of Mexico.
House and Senate leaders originally expected to bring members back in early July to finish the Marine Resources budget, but plans changed because of coronavirus cases among legislators and other people who work in the Capitol. It was the largest outbreak of the virus at any statehouse in the U.S., according to a count by The Associated Press.
Mississippi legislators were in session through most of June. Some people in the Capitol wore masks and kept distance from others as precautions against spreading the virus, but many did not. It was common to see people leaning in to talk to each other with their faces uncovered. People also crowded into elevators and committee meeting rooms, and legislators also sat shoulder-to-shoulder in the House and Senate.
The Mississippi state health officer, Dr. Thomas Dobbs, said July 14 that at least 30 legislators and 11 other people who work in the Capitol had been confirmed with the virus. Dobbs recently said that number had increased. At least two legislators - Democratic Rep. Earle Banks of Jackson and Republican Rep. Manly Barton of Moss Point - were hospitalized with the virus and have returned home.
___
Follow Emily Wagster Pettus on Twitter at http://twitter.com/EWagsterPettus.


washingtontimes--2020-08-09--Missouri authorities work to capture 2 escaped chimpanzees

JEFFERSON COUNTY , Mo .
( AP ) - Authorities were working Sunday to recapture two chimpanzees that escaped from @ @ @ @ @ .
At least one of the two escaped chimps had been tranquilized by Sunday afternoon @ @ @ @ @ contained within a perimeter set up by Jefferson County sheriff ’ s deputies and animal @ @ @ @ @ s office spokesman Grant Bissell told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch the plan was to tranquilize @ @ @ @ @ them to the sanctuary that is about 35 miles ( 56.33 kilometers ) southwest of @ @ @ @ @ of Festus .
Bissell said authorities have some experience dealing with chimps because one of @ @ @ @ @ the sanctuary just a few weeks ago .

JEFFERSON COUNTY, Mo. (AP) - Authorities were working Sunday to recapture two chimpanzees that escaped from a sanctuary in eastern Missouri.
At least one of the two escaped chimps had been tranquilized by Sunday afternoon while the other one was contained within a perimeter set up by Jefferson County sheriff’s deputies and animal control personnel.
Sheriff’s office spokesman Grant Bissell told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch the plan was to tranquilize the chimps and then return them to the sanctuary that is about 35 miles (56.33 kilometers) southwest of St. Louis near the town of Festus.
Bissell said authorities have some experience dealing with chimps because one of these same chimpanzees escaped from the sanctuary just a few weeks ago.


washingtontimes--2020-08-09--New  Mexico reports 205 more COVID-19 cases, 4 more deaths

SANTA FE , N.M. ( AP ) - Health officials in New Mexico on Sunday reported 205 additional confirmed COVID-19 cases with four additional deaths .
The latest numbers increase New Mexico ’ s case total to 22,315 and the death toll to at least 685 .
Of the 205 new cases , 49 occurred in Bernalillo County and 30 in Dona Ana County .
The number of infections is thought to be far higher because many people have not been tested , and studies suggest people can be infected with the virus without feeling sick .
According to data @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hopkins University , the seven-day rolling average of daily new cases in New Mexico dropped over the past two weeks , going from 289.29 new confirmed cases per day on July 24 to 197.86 new cases per day on Aug. 7 .
The seven-day rolling average of 4.86 daily deaths in New Mexico did not change over the past two weeks as calculated on both July 24 and Aug. 7 .
For most people , the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms , such as fever and cough that clear up in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some , especially older adults and people with existing health problems , it can cause more severe illness , including pneumonia and death .

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) - Health officials in New Mexico on Sunday reported 205 additional confirmed COVID-19 cases with four additional deaths.
The latest numbers increase New Mexico’s case total to 22,315 and the death toll to at least 685.
Of the 205 new cases, 49 occurred in Bernalillo County and 30 in Dona Ana County.
The number of infections is thought to be far higher because many people have not been tested, and studies suggest people can be infected with the virus without feeling sick.
According to data gathered by The Associated Press from Johns Hopkins University, the seven-day rolling average of daily new cases in New Mexico dropped over the past two weeks, going from 289.29 new confirmed cases per day on July 24 to 197.86 new cases per day on Aug. 7.
The seven-day rolling average of 4.86 daily deaths in New Mexico did not change over the past two weeks as calculated on both July 24 and Aug. 7.
For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks.
But for some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death.


washingtontimes--2020-08-09--Aubrey Shines says Black Lives Matter message is racist

The Rev .
Aubrey Shines is obsessed with racism and is convinced racism is destroying America .
Not how you might think , though .
He says the popular narrative of Black Lives Matter and the Democratic Party ’ s racial justice politics is upside down .
“ They are intentionally trying to divide Black and White Americans , ” said Mr. Shines , the pastor of Glory to Glory Ministries in Tampa , Florida .
“ They are polarizing Black and White Americans based on this narrative .
It is racist.
” It ’ s a counterintuitive message for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ summer of 2020 but a stance he considers of utmost importance .
Mr. Shines and three other Christian ministers , all Black or Hispanic , founded the Conservative Clergy of Color to refute what they say is the myth of “ systemic racism ” in the U.S. “ We proliferate truthful narratives on the issues of racism throughout our influential network of pastors and across multiple media channels to prevent the destruction of our country driven by increasingly divisive forces , ” the group ’ s mission statement declares .
By expressing such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has aligned himself against the crowds in faculty lounges , Madison Avenue boardrooms and sports arenas .
It ’ s an uncomfortable spot to occupy , but Mr. Shines says the Conservative Clergy of Color has truth on its side .
“ We have begun to engage the culture , and we are using civility and diplomacy to create havoc with everything we do , ” he told The Washington Times .
“ The mainstream media are lying nut jobs .
They ’ re not being honest with you.
” The core problem @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is the unfulfilled promises of a Democratic Party plagued by a racist past and a Black Lives Matter movement seeking a Marxist revolution .
“ Democrats and their foot soldiers on the left insist there is a rot in our country , but the only rot I see is the rot that has festered in the very foundations of the Democratic Party , a party that was built from the ground up on the backs of oppressed Blacks , ” he recently wrote on the group ’ s Facebook page .
Mr. Shines @ @ @ @ @ @ @ politics .
When he first meets young Black men , he encourages them to ignore his politics .
“ My personal opinion should never matter to you , ” he said .
“ If I can ’ t show you things are historically true , with data , then you should go somewhere else.
” Mr. Shines argues that widespread fractures in Black families and generational poverty in the Black community are caused by government policies that encourage dependence .
He also disputes the notion that Black men are the targets of widespread @ @ @ @ @ @ @ however , cuts both ways .
Studies in 2018 showed Black people have more than double the chance of being killed by police in their lifetime than White people .
In 2019 , statistics showed Black victims comprised less than 25 % of all fatal police shootings while committing more than half of known homicides and 60 % of robberies .
Mr. Shines and Conservative Clergy of Color leaders are undeterred .
In their opinion , the appalling bloodshed that has plagued many urban neighborhoods is a much bigger problem than police violence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being slaughtered , but that ’ s not White officers who did that , ” said Mr. Shines , a married father of three .
Honesty has been a cornerstone of his life , he said , instilled by his parents during his childhood in Chicago .
His father knew deep racism , he said , insisting it was the sort of discrimination and mistreatment that is wholly absent today .
“ He was born in the 1920s , in Mississippi , in the heart of segregation , ” Mr. Shines recalled .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and country , he always had a moral compass.
” Conservative Clergy of Color was established in June with an op-ed by Mr. Shines in The Washington Times .
Mr. Shines , the Rev .
Derek McCoy of Beltsville , Maryland , pastor Francisco Vega of Atlanta and the Rev .
M.J. Reid of Detroit have advanced their unique anti-racism message with a campaign across social media , TV and print publications .
They have drawn a sharp contrast between what they consider fake and real issues confronting minorities in the U.S. Mr. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the founders of Black Lives Matter and the far-left revolution afoot in America .
The former began as a social media hashtag that blossomed in the aftermath of Trayvon Martin ’ s death in Florida in 2013 and Michael Brown ’ s death in Ferguson , Missouri , the following year .
The broader movement that has made headlines after George Floyd died in Minneapolis police custody , he says , has a sharply leftist agenda .
“ You can ’ t say , ‘ That part isn ’ t us , ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ violence that has erupted from the demonstrations is part and parcel of the broader socialist movement .
Mr. Shines ‘ counternarrative has received its share of blowback .
He has been accused of personally profiting from his endeavors , he and his family have received threats of violence , and his position has made him a pariah among wide swaths of the Black community and White liberals .
He said the threats have increased since his July appearance on C-SPAN and Conservative Clergy of Color ’ s social media push .
“ I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ house .
I don ’ t have a boat or drive a new car , ” he said , disputing allegations of profiteering .
Despite the accusations , Mr. Shines said , Concerned Clergy of Color has resonated nationwide and now boasts more than 500 members .
“ We ’ re not in the Dakotas yet , ” he said .
“ But I ’ ve had four calls from Illinois this morning , and we are being inundated with calls .
We can barely keep up .
It ’ s been very @ @ @ @ @ @ @ happened with just stating facts is that with the Blacks we get calling in [ and ] the Hispanic callers , they realize the cavalry is here and backing them up .
”

The Rev. Aubrey Shines is obsessed with racism and is convinced racism is destroying America.
Not how you might think, though.
He says the popular narrative of Black Lives Matter and the Democratic Party’s racial justice politics is upside down.
“They are intentionally trying to divide Black and White Americans,” said Mr. Shines, the pastor of Glory to Glory Ministries in Tampa, Florida. “They are polarizing Black and White Americans based on this narrative. It is racist.”
It’s a counterintuitive message for a Black pastor to adopt in the summer of 2020 but a stance he considers of utmost importance.
Mr. Shines and three other Christian ministers, all Black or Hispanic, founded the Conservative Clergy of Color to refute what they say is the myth of “systemic racism” in the U.S.
“We proliferate truthful narratives on the issues of racism throughout our influential network of pastors and across multiple media channels to prevent the destruction of our country driven by increasingly divisive forces,” the group’s mission statement declares.
By expressing such views, Mr. Shines, 59, has aligned himself against the crowds in faculty lounges, Madison Avenue boardrooms and sports arenas.
It’s an uncomfortable spot to occupy, but Mr. Shines says the Conservative Clergy of Color has truth on its side.
“We have begun to engage the culture, and we are using civility and diplomacy to create havoc with everything we do,” he told The Washington Times. “The mainstream media are lying nut jobs. They’re not being honest with you.”
The core problem, in Mr. Shines’ telling, is the unfulfilled promises of a Democratic Party plagued by a racist past and a Black Lives Matter movement seeking a Marxist revolution.
“Democrats and their foot soldiers on the left insist there is a rot in our country, but the only rot I see is the rot that has festered in the very foundations of the Democratic Party, a party that was built from the ground up on the backs of oppressed Blacks,” he recently wrote on the group’s Facebook page.
Mr. Shines insists his message is detached from his politics. When he first meets young Black men, he encourages them to ignore his politics.
“My personal opinion should never matter to you,” he said. “If I can’t show you things are historically true, with data, then you should go somewhere else.”
Mr. Shines argues that widespread fractures in Black families and generational poverty in the Black community are caused by government policies that encourage dependence.
He also disputes the notion that Black men are the targets of widespread violence by police.
The data, however, cuts both ways.
Studies in 2018 showed Black people have more than double the chance of being killed by police in their lifetime than White people. In 2019, statistics showed Black victims comprised less than 25% of all fatal police shootings while committing more than half of known homicides and 60% of robberies.
Mr. Shines and Conservative Clergy of Color leaders are undeterred. In their opinion, the appalling bloodshed that has plagued many urban neighborhoods is a much bigger problem than police violence.
“Black men are out there being slaughtered, but that’s not White officers who did that,” said Mr. Shines, a married father of three.
Honesty has been a cornerstone of his life, he said, instilled by his parents during his childhood in Chicago. His father knew deep racism, he said, insisting it was the sort of discrimination and mistreatment that is wholly absent today.
“He was born in the 1920s, in Mississippi, in the heart of segregation,” Mr. Shines recalled. “But he always believed in God and country, he always had a moral compass.”
Conservative Clergy of Color was established in June with an op-ed by Mr. Shines in The Washington Times.
Mr. Shines, the Rev. Derek McCoy of Beltsville, Maryland, pastor Francisco Vega of Atlanta and the Rev. M.J. Reid of Detroit have advanced their unique anti-racism message with a campaign across social media, TV and print publications. They have drawn a sharp contrast between what they consider fake and real issues confronting minorities in the U.S.
Mr. Shines said he sees no distinction between the founders of Black Lives Matter and the far-left revolution afoot in America.
The former began as a social media hashtag that blossomed in the aftermath of Trayvon Martin’s death in Florida in 2013 and Michael Brown’s death in Ferguson, Missouri, the following year.
The broader movement that has made headlines after George Floyd died in Minneapolis police custody, he says, has a sharply leftist agenda.
“You can’t say, ‘That part isn’t us,’” he said, adding that the violence that has erupted from the demonstrations is part and parcel of the broader socialist movement.
Mr. Shines’ counternarrative has received its share of blowback. He has been accused of personally profiting from his endeavors, he and his family have received threats of violence, and his position has made him a pariah among wide swaths of the Black community and White liberals.
He said the threats have increased since his July appearance on C-SPAN and Conservative Clergy of Color’s social media push.
“I don’t have some fancy new house. I don’t have a boat or drive a new car,” he said, disputing allegations of profiteering.
Despite the accusations, Mr. Shines said, Concerned Clergy of Color has resonated nationwide and now boasts more than 500 members.
“We’re not in the Dakotas yet,” he said. “But I’ve had four calls from Illinois this morning, and we are being inundated with calls. We can barely keep up. It’s been very humbling, but I think what has happened with just stating facts is that with the Blacks we get calling in [and] the Hispanic callers, they realize the cavalry is here and backing them up.”
• James Varney can be reached at jvarney@washingtontimes.com.