buzzfeed--2020-06-02--I Followed Trump To St. John's, And When The Smoke Cleared, There Was A Huge Story

WASHINGTON — The chants of “ Black Lives Matter ” from Lafayette Square grew louder as we approached the scheduled time for President Donald Trump to speak .
I knew those sounds from my weekend coverage of the protests , but hearing them from the opposite side , on the manicured grass of the White House ’ s North Lawn , was different .
Then the chants were replaced with loud booming sounds , the kind you might hear during wartime .
As a pool reporter for the White House press corps — among a small group of journalists who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ news organizations — I was keenly aware of the need to keep track of all details .
I took note of the empty podium , the flower beds , the pillars , and four American flags .
But I couldn ’ t keep count of all the booms .
Nor did I understand how they would echo in unexpected ways across the country .
The president was supposed to make an announcement at 6:15 p.m. , but he was late and so we waited .
When he emerged from his office , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ All Americans were rightly sickened and revolted by the brutal death of George Floyd , ” Trump said during his brief remarks .
The blasts continued .
When it was over , he walked off without taking questions .
My phone battery was dying .
Members of the press were told to meet on the North Lawn .
I had an inkling about where we were going based on the president ’ s last remarks at the press conference : “ And now I ’ m going to pay my respects to a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ behind a tree , we could see the president leaving the White House .
I dashed along the North Lawn with a small cluster of reporters to see what would happen next .
As we followed the president ’ s route , we began to realize what had happened earlier .
The remnants of whatever was still in the air left me and some reporters coughing and teary-eyed .
( Soon it would be reported that smoke from canisters and pepper balls had , in effect , paved the way for Trump 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ entourage marched on through Lafayette Square , past the graffiti , reporters keeping a distance of 15 to 30 feet away .
And then we arrived at St. John ’ s Episcopal Church , where every president since James Madison has attended service .
It was boarded up after being vandalized the night before .
The street was empty with no traces of protesters except the litter they had left behind .
In front of the church , Trump held up a Bible for the camera .
He didn ’ t read from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was his or where it came from .
And , at that moment , I realized my job was to cover a photo shoot .
It was over in about five minutes , and soon we were back on our way to the White House .
My phone , thankfully , was still working .
Good thing .
I sent an urgent text to my editor .

WASHINGTON — The chants of “Black Lives Matter” from Lafayette Square grew louder as we approached the scheduled time for President Donald Trump to speak.
I knew those sounds from my weekend coverage of the protests, but hearing them from the opposite side, on the manicured grass of the White House’s North Lawn, was different.
Then the chants were replaced with loud booming sounds, the kind you might hear during wartime. As a pool reporter for the White House press corps — among a small group of journalists who would then share what happened with other news organizations — I was keenly aware of the need to keep track of all details. I took note of the empty podium, the flower beds, the pillars, and four American flags.
But I couldn’t keep count of all the booms. Nor did I understand how they would echo in unexpected ways across the country.
The president was supposed to make an announcement at 6:15 p.m., but he was late and so we waited. When he emerged from his office, the booms still could be heard.
“All Americans were rightly sickened and revolted by the brutal death of George Floyd,” Trump said during his brief remarks. The blasts continued.
When it was over, he walked off without taking questions. My phone battery was dying.
Members of the press were told to meet on the North Lawn. I had an inkling about where we were going based on the president’s last remarks at the press conference: “And now I’m going to pay my respects to a very, very special place.”
Gathered behind a tree, we could see the president leaving the White House. I dashed along the North Lawn with a small cluster of reporters to see what would happen next.
As we followed the president’s route, we began to realize what had happened earlier.
The remnants of whatever was still in the air left me and some reporters coughing and teary-eyed. (Soon it would be reported that smoke from canisters and pepper balls had, in effect, paved the way for Trump's walk.) The president and his entourage marched on through Lafayette Square, past the graffiti, reporters keeping a distance of 15 to 30 feet away.
And then we arrived at St. John’s Episcopal Church, where every president since James Madison has attended service. It was boarded up after being vandalized the night before.
The street was empty with no traces of protesters except the litter they had left behind. In front of the church, Trump held up a Bible for the camera. He didn’t read from it. Didn’t say it was his or where it came from. And, at that moment, I realized my job was to cover a photo shoot.
It was over in about five minutes, and soon we were back on our way to the White House. My phone, thankfully, was still working. Good thing. I sent an urgent text to my editor.


buzzfeed--2020-06-02--A Legal Doctrine That Protects Cops In Court Is Getting Fresh Attention As Videos Surface Showing Po

A Legal Doctrine That Protects Cops In Court Is Getting Fresh Attention As Videos Surface Showing Police Violence

WASHINGTON — The videos documenting police violence during anti-racist demonstrations last weekend ricocheted online .
Officers in New York driving SUVs into a crowd , and spraying pepper spray after pulling down a young man ’ s face mask .
Officers in Minneapolis firing paint canisters at people filming them from their porch .
Officers in Atlanta tasing two college students in a car .
The drumbeat of voices calling for greater police accountability after George Floyd was killed in Minneapolis a week ago has only gotten louder .
A legal doctrine known as qualified immunity that has long shielded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is getting fresh attention .
State officials and prosecutors have vowed to investigate police abuses during protests , as well as to take on uses of force that disproportionately affect people of color .
The outcomes of those investigations are largely out of the hands of the people impacted on the ground , however .
Individuals can take police officers to court , but justice in these cases can be slow , complicated , and sometimes nonexistent .
Federal law allows individuals to bring civil lawsuits against government officials , including law enforcement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The US Supreme Court and federal courts have ruled , however , that officers can claim immunity if they didn ’ t violate “ clearly established ” laws or constitutional rights that a “ reasonable ” officer would be aware of at the time .
Even in cases where judges concluded that what officers did was unconstitutional , they ’ ve still granted immunity because the violation wasn ’ t “ clearly established ” at the time .
In 2018 , for instance , the 9th Circuit ruled that it was “ not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to point a loaded gun at an unarmed man ’ s head while the man was sitting “ calm and compliant ” under the watch of another armed deputy .
But the officers accused of being involved in the incident were still entitled to immunity , the court held , because “ the law was not clearly established at the time.
” The 11th Circuit ruled in 2017 that a police officer accused of throwing an explosive device , known as a “ flashbang , ” into a bedroom where two people were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an unconstitutional use of excessive force .
One person was badly burned .
But the court ruled that the officer was entitled to immunity because the “ contours of the right ” to be free from that kind of police force were not “ clearly established.
” Federal courts have grappled for decades with how to apply immunity to cops accused of abuses of power in practice .
A Reuters investigation earlier this year found that in cases accusing police of excessive force , courts since 2005 increasingly have ruled in favor of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is the end result of our culture of near-zero accountability for law enforcement , ” said Jay Schweikert , a policy analyst on criminal justice issues at the libertarian think tank the Cato Institute , who has organized efforts to end qualified immunity .
“ There are lots of complex causes of that culture , but in my view , the most significant is qualified immunity , because that is the doctrine that is undermining what is supposed to be the official means of ensuring accountability.
” An ideologically diverse coalition of elected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ want the Supreme Court to revisit qualified immunity and limit it , or get rid of it altogether .
The justices have already declined to hear a handful of qualified immunity cases this term — one case involved police in Fresno , California , who were granted immunity despite allegations that they stole hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash and rare coins when they executed a search warrant .
There are 10 remaining cases that deal with qualified immunity ( not all involve police ) that the court is deciding whether to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t made a decision as of Monday , when the court released the latest list of orders .
These cases include allegations that a deputy sheriff in Coffee County , Georgia , shot a 10-year-old child who was lying on the ground while the deputy was trying to shoot the family ’ s dog ; that two officers in Nashville used a police dog against a suspect who had surrendered ; and that officers in Caldwell , Idaho , made a house uninhabitable when they shot tear gas inside even after they had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases waiting for action before the Supreme Court involve police encounters with demonstrators , but the same qualified immunity principles apply when protesters take law enforcement to court .
These cases can get even more complicated when judges also have to decide if the protest activity at issue was protected by the First Amendment .
Last year , a federal judge in Washington , DC , denied qualified immunity to police officers accused of using excessive force against protesters during President Donald Trump ’ s inauguration in January 2017 .
The judge ruled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ case , the plaintiffs had at least alleged that police surrounded protesters — a tactic known as kettling that police appeared to use in DC on Monday night — and indiscriminately arrested people without probable cause that they ’ d committed a crime .
But the judge dismissed a separate claim that accused police of retaliating against people for exercising their First Amendment rights .
She wrote that simply stating in a lawsuit that protesters were arrested during a demonstration wasn ’ t enough — the plaintiffs had to present factual evidence that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Amendment–protected activity .
The case is pending .
The reason it ’ s more critical now than ever that the Supreme Court review and revisit the rule of qualified immunity is both to ensure ... that the police are accountable for the horrific unprovoked violence that suspects , and particularly individuals of color , have experienced both recently and for a long time , and also so that demonstrators ’ rights are protected and police know that they have to toe the constitutional line , ” said Scott Michelman , legal director of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who is involved in one of the cases pending before the Supreme Court as well as the inauguration protest case .
Law enforcement groups generally defend qualified immunity as necessary to make sure cops have the ability to respond to dangerous and fast-moving situations without fear of a lawsuit later .
There are exceptions to that — a group that includes police and other law enforcement representatives has joined amicus , or friend of the court , briefs arguing against qualified immunity submitted to the Supreme Court by the Cato Institute .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in on the cases pending before the Supreme Court , and a DOJ spokesperson did not return a request for comment .

WASHINGTON — The videos documenting police violence during anti-racist demonstrations last weekend ricocheted online. Officers in New York driving SUVs into a crowd, and spraying pepper spray after pulling down a young man’s face mask. Officers in Minneapolis firing paint canisters at people filming them from their porch. Officers in Atlanta tasing two college students in a car.
The drumbeat of voices calling for greater police accountability after George Floyd was killed in Minneapolis a week ago has only gotten louder. A legal doctrine known as qualified immunity that has long shielded cops from liability for using excessive force is getting fresh attention.
State officials and prosecutors have vowed to investigate police abuses during protests, as well as to take on uses of force that disproportionately affect people of color. The outcomes of those investigations are largely out of the hands of the people impacted on the ground, however. Individuals can take police officers to court, but justice in these cases can be slow, complicated, and sometimes nonexistent.
Federal law allows individuals to bring civil lawsuits against government officials, including law enforcement officers, for civil rights violations. The US Supreme Court and federal courts have ruled, however, that officers can claim immunity if they didn’t violate “clearly established” laws or constitutional rights that a “reasonable” officer would be aware of at the time.
Even in cases where judges concluded that what officers did was unconstitutional, they’ve still granted immunity because the violation wasn’t “clearly established” at the time.
In 2018, for instance, the 9th Circuit ruled that it was “not objectively reasonable” for a police officer to point a loaded gun at an unarmed man’s head while the man was sitting “calm and compliant” under the watch of another armed deputy. But the officers accused of being involved in the incident were still entitled to immunity, the court held, because “the law was not clearly established at the time.”
The 11th Circuit ruled in 2017 that a police officer accused of throwing an explosive device, known as a “flashbang,” into a bedroom where two people were sleeping without first inspecting the room was an unconstitutional use of excessive force. One person was badly burned. But the court ruled that the officer was entitled to immunity because the “contours of the right” to be free from that kind of police force were not “clearly established.”
Federal courts have grappled for decades with how to apply immunity to cops accused of abuses of power in practice. A Reuters investigation earlier this year found that in cases accusing police of excessive force, courts since 2005 increasingly have ruled in favor of police.
“What you see now is the end result of our culture of near-zero accountability for law enforcement,” said Jay Schweikert, a policy analyst on criminal justice issues at the libertarian think tank the Cato Institute, who has organized efforts to end qualified immunity. “There are lots of complex causes of that culture, but in my view, the most significant is qualified immunity, because that is the doctrine that is undermining what is supposed to be the official means of ensuring accountability.”
An ideologically diverse coalition of elected officials and legal and political advocacy groups want the Supreme Court to revisit qualified immunity and limit it, or get rid of it altogether. The justices have already declined to hear a handful of qualified immunity cases this term — one case involved police in Fresno, California, who were granted immunity despite allegations that they stole hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash and rare coins when they executed a search warrant.
There are 10 remaining cases that deal with qualified immunity (not all involve police) that the court is deciding whether to take up. The justices hadn’t made a decision as of Monday, when the court released the latest list of orders. These cases include allegations that a deputy sheriff in Coffee County, Georgia, shot a 10-year-old child who was lying on the ground while the deputy was trying to shoot the family’s dog; that two officers in Nashville used a police dog against a suspect who had surrendered; and that officers in Caldwell, Idaho, made a house uninhabitable when they shot tear gas inside even after they had permission to enter.
None of the cases waiting for action before the Supreme Court involve police encounters with demonstrators, but the same qualified immunity principles apply when protesters take law enforcement to court. These cases can get even more complicated when judges also have to decide if the protest activity at issue was protected by the First Amendment.
Last year, a federal judge in Washington, DC, denied qualified immunity to police officers accused of using excessive force against protesters during President Donald Trump’s inauguration in January 2017. The judge ruled that at that early stage of the case, the plaintiffs had at least alleged that police surrounded protesters — a tactic known as kettling that police appeared to use in DC on Monday night — and indiscriminately arrested people without probable cause that they’d committed a crime.
But the judge dismissed a separate claim that accused police of retaliating against people for exercising their First Amendment rights. She wrote that simply stating in a lawsuit that protesters were arrested during a demonstration wasn’t enough — the plaintiffs had to present factual evidence that they were arrested specifically because of First Amendment–protected activity. The case is pending.
The reason it’s more critical now than ever that the Supreme Court review and revisit the rule of qualified immunity is both to ensure ... that the police are accountable for the horrific unprovoked violence that suspects, and particularly individuals of color, have experienced both recently and for a long time, and also so that demonstrators’ rights are protected and police know that they have to toe the constitutional line,” said Scott Michelman, legal director of the ACLU of the District of Columbia, who is involved in one of the cases pending before the Supreme Court as well as the inauguration protest case.
Law enforcement groups generally defend qualified immunity as necessary to make sure cops have the ability to respond to dangerous and fast-moving situations without fear of a lawsuit later. There are exceptions to that — a group that includes police and other law enforcement representatives has joined amicus, or friend of the court, briefs arguing against qualified immunity submitted to the Supreme Court by the Cato Institute.
The Justice Department hasn’t weighed in on the cases pending before the Supreme Court, and a DOJ spokesperson did not return a request for comment.


buzzfeed--2020-06-02--Joe Biden Isn’t Making A New Argument — But His Argument Is Lining Up With The Crisis

For 20 minutes on Tuesday , Joe Biden framed the themes that have guided his presidential run with a call to action and clear rationale from a candidacy that at times had lacked both .
The country is in pain , Biden said repeatedly in remarks in Philadelphia , his first foray outside the neighboring Delaware since the coronavirus outbreak quarantined his campaign .
He pitched himself as a healer in the aftermath of a pandemic that has disproportionately affected people of color and the tragedy of another black man killed during an encounter with a white police officer .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ — and provocations from President Donald Trump .
Biden typically offers himself as someone uniquely and narrowly suited to such healing .
But on Tuesday he spoke of a broader collective , emphasizing the “ us ” instead of the “ I.
” “ It ’ s going to take the work of a generation , ” the 77-year-old former vice president said in the speech , which , in another change that rewarded Biden ’ s efforts to assert more leadership , was carried live by cable networks .
“ But if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it should not wait for the first 100 days of my presidency to get started .
A down payment on what is long overdue should come now , should come immediately .
I call on the Congress to act this month on measures that will be the first step in this direction , starting with real police reform.
” Specifically , Biden asked that a bill banning police chokeholds be sent to Trump 's desk soon .
This followed the news last week that a white Minneapolis police officer put George Floyd @ @ @ @ @ @ @ knee chokehold before he died .
This bill is not likely to pass , given that the Senate is controlled by Trump ’ s Republican allies .
But it was a rare marker for Biden , whose speeches aren ’ t typically a list of things he wants from lawmakers in Washington .
“ There ’ s no place for violence , no place for looting or destroying property or burning churches or destroying businesses , many of them built by the very people of color who for the first time in their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and build wealth for their families , ” Biden said .
“ Nor is it acceptable for our police — sworn to protect and serve all people — to escalate tension and resort to excessive violence .
We need to distinguish between legitimate peaceful protests and opportunistic violent destruction .
We have to be vigilant about the violence that ’ s being done by this incumbent president to our economy and to the pursuit of justice.
” Biden ’ s speech clawed at Trump in a way his first remarks last week on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the president ’ s incendiary response to them — did not .
“ Pain is raw .
Pain is real , ” Biden said .
“ The president of the United States must be part of the solution , not the problem .
But this president today is part of the problem and accelerates it .
When he tweeted the words ‘ when the looting the starts , the shooting starts ’ — they weren ’ t the words of a president .
They were the words of a racist Miami police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also criticized Trump for a stunt the president had orchestrated the night before : a walk from the White House to the nearby St. John ’ s Episcopal Church .
Law enforcement officials accommodated the president ’ s visit to the church — where Trump stood outside and posed with a Bible — by using force to clear Lafayette Square of peaceful protesters .
“ When peaceful protesters are dispersed in order for a president , a president , from the doorstep of the people ’ s house , the White House , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ order to stage a photo op , a photo op , at one of the most historic churches in the country , or at least in Washington , DC , we can be forgiven for believing that the president is more interested in power than in principle , ” said Biden , repeating his words for emphasis in places .
“ The president held up the Bible at St. John ’ s Church , ” Biden later jabbed .
“ I just wish he opened it once in a while instead of brandishing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he could have learned something.
” Biden ’ s campaign launched last year under the pledge that he would rebuild the soul of the nation .
At times he has presented himself as a figure to address grief , sharing his own experiences with loss — the car accident that killed his first wife and daughter , the brain cancer that killed his eldest son , Beau .
On Tuesday , he distinguished his personal pain from what people of color have endured .
“ I know what it means to have that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ your grief is being sucked into it , ” said Biden , before reflecting on Beau ’ s death five years ago last week .
“ There are still moments when the pain is so great that it feels no different than the day I sat in that bed as he passed away .
But I also know that the best way to bear loss and pain is to turn that anger and anguish into purpose.
” It was perhaps the sharpest connection Biden has made between his grief and this moment — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it .
“ Nobody will get it right every time , ” he said .
“ And I won ’ t either .
But I promise you this : I won ’ t traffic in fear and division .
I won ’ t fan the flames of hate .
I ’ ll seek to heal the racial wounds that have long plagued our country , not use them for political gain .
I ’ ll do my job , and I will take responsibility .
I won ’ t blame others .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you .
This job is not about me .
It ’ s about you .
It ’ s about us.
” As the speech neared the end , Biden spoke in triads , a device that lends a ministerial sound and cadence that is new , at least to his third presidential campaign .
“ We ’ re a nation in pain .
We must not let our pain destroy us , ” Biden said .
“ We ’ re a nation enraged , but we can ’ t let our rage consume @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that ’ s exhausted , but we will not let our exhaustion defeat us .
”

For 20 minutes on Tuesday, Joe Biden framed the themes that have guided his presidential run with a call to action and clear rationale from a candidacy that at times had lacked both.
The country is in pain, Biden said repeatedly in remarks in Philadelphia, his first foray outside the neighboring Delaware since the coronavirus outbreak quarantined his campaign. He pitched himself as a healer in the aftermath of a pandemic that has disproportionately affected people of color and the tragedy of another black man killed during an encounter with a white police officer. The latter has stirred days of protests — and provocations from President Donald Trump.
Biden typically offers himself as someone uniquely and narrowly suited to such healing. But on Tuesday he spoke of a broader collective, emphasizing the “us” instead of the “I.”
“It’s going to take the work of a generation,” the 77-year-old former vice president said in the speech, which, in another change that rewarded Biden’s efforts to assert more leadership, was carried live by cable networks. “But if this agenda will take time to complete, it should not wait for the first 100 days of my presidency to get started. A down payment on what is long overdue should come now, should come immediately. I call on the Congress to act this month on measures that will be the first step in this direction, starting with real police reform.”
Specifically, Biden asked that a bill banning police chokeholds be sent to Trump's desk soon. This followed the news last week that a white Minneapolis police officer put George Floyd, a black man, in a knee chokehold before he died. This bill is not likely to pass, given that the Senate is controlled by Trump’s Republican allies. But it was a rare marker for Biden, whose speeches aren’t typically a list of things he wants from lawmakers in Washington.
“There’s no place for violence, no place for looting or destroying property or burning churches or destroying businesses, many of them built by the very people of color who for the first time in their lives are beginning to realize their dreams and build wealth for their families,” Biden said. “Nor is it acceptable for our police — sworn to protect and serve all people — to escalate tension and resort to excessive violence. We need to distinguish between legitimate peaceful protests and opportunistic violent destruction. We have to be vigilant about the violence that’s being done by this incumbent president to our economy and to the pursuit of justice.”
Biden’s speech clawed at Trump in a way his first remarks last week on Floyd and the protests in Minneapolis — and the president’s incendiary response to them — did not.
“Pain is raw. Pain is real,” Biden said. “The president of the United States must be part of the solution, not the problem. But this president today is part of the problem and accelerates it. When he tweeted the words ‘when the looting the starts, the shooting starts’ — they weren’t the words of a president. They were the words of a racist Miami police chief in the ’60s.”
Biden also criticized Trump for a stunt the president had orchestrated the night before: a walk from the White House to the nearby St. John’s Episcopal Church. Law enforcement officials accommodated the president’s visit to the church — where Trump stood outside and posed with a Bible — by using force to clear Lafayette Square of peaceful protesters.
“When peaceful protesters are dispersed in order for a president, a president, from the doorstep of the people’s house, the White House, using tear gas and flash grenades in order to stage a photo op, a photo op, at one of the most historic churches in the country, or at least in Washington, DC, we can be forgiven for believing that the president is more interested in power than in principle,” said Biden, repeating his words for emphasis in places.
“The president held up the Bible at St. John’s Church,” Biden later jabbed. “I just wish he opened it once in a while instead of brandishing it. If he opened it, he could have learned something.”
Biden’s campaign launched last year under the pledge that he would rebuild the soul of the nation. At times he has presented himself as a figure to address grief, sharing his own experiences with loss — the car accident that killed his first wife and daughter, the brain cancer that killed his eldest son, Beau. On Tuesday, he distinguished his personal pain from what people of color have endured.
“I know what it means to have that black hole in your chest, where your grief is being sucked into it,” said Biden, before reflecting on Beau’s death five years ago last week. “There are still moments when the pain is so great that it feels no different than the day I sat in that bed as he passed away. But I also know that the best way to bear loss and pain is to turn that anger and anguish into purpose.”
It was perhaps the sharpest connection Biden has made between his grief and this moment — and how his presidency would respond to it.
“Nobody will get it right every time,” he said. “And I won’t either. But I promise you this: I won’t traffic in fear and division. I won’t fan the flames of hate. I’ll seek to heal the racial wounds that have long plagued our country, not use them for political gain. I’ll do my job, and I will take responsibility. I won’t blame others. I’ll never forget, I promise you. This job is not about me. It’s about you. It’s about us.”
As the speech neared the end, Biden spoke in triads, a device that lends a ministerial sound and cadence that is new, at least to his third presidential campaign.
“We’re a nation in pain. We must not let our pain destroy us,” Biden said. “We’re a nation enraged, but we can’t let our rage consume us. We’re a nation that’s exhausted, but we will not let our exhaustion defeat us.”


buzzfeed--2020-06-02--Internal FDA Documents Show How Little Evidence The Agency Had Before Allowing Malaria Drugs To Be U

Internal FDA Documents Show How Little Evidence The Agency Had Before Allowing Malaria Drugs To Be Used To Treat COVID-19

The journalists at BuzzFeed News are proud to bring you trustworthy and relevant reporting about the coronavirus .
To help keep this news free , become a member and sign up for our newsletter , Outbreak Today .
The Food and Drug Administration authorized two malaria drugs boosted by President Donald Trump to treat COVID-19 in March based on threadbare evidence , according to an agency review obtained by BuzzFeed News through a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit .
The review also raised serious questions about shoddy practices at overseas factories that manufactured and donated the drugs for use in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The use of the drugs to treat COVID-19 has been politically charged from the start .
On March 19 , as the number of coronavirus cases in the US started to surge , President Donald Trump called for widespread use of the two drugs , chloroquine phosphate and hydroxychloroquine sulfate , to treat the new disease , for which there is no known cure .
Nine days later , the FDA issued an emergency use authorization ( EUA ) , a special provision that allows the agency to quickly greenlight the widespread @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health emergency , allowing the malaria drugs to be used to treat hospitalized COVID-19 patients .
Medical experts , meanwhile , raised concerns about the drugs saying they could cause serious health issues and were not proven to work .
Even the FDA issued a warning , four weeks after its authorization , cautioning that use of the drugs outside hospitals could cause “ life-threatening ” heart problems .
Then , a top science official in the Trump administration alleged that the emergency authorization was dangerous and came about as a result of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority , claimed he was pressured to sign off on the EUA , and was retaliated against after raising safety concerns about the malaria drugs and their importation from low-quality factories in India and Pakistan .
“ There was n't sufficient data at the time to support the use of this drug without close physician supervision , '' Bright told Congress , after filing a whistleblower complaint in May .
Days after that , President Trump stunned the nation by announcing on live television that he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ What do you have to lose ?
” he asked .
The FDA documents , released publicly now for the first time , outlined what data the agency used to make the hot-button decision to allow widespread use of the drugs .
The EUA review , conducted by six FDA officials , referred to only two studies of the malaria drugs , which either showed negligible results or have since been called into question altogether .
If you have any information to share about this story or anything else relating to the coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out via one of our secure tipline channels .
At its center was a controversial French study that claimed that the malaria drug , combined with an antibiotic , was very effective at treating coronavirus infections .
That study has since been criticized because of numerous problems , including failing to include the outcomes of patients on the drugs who died or were hospitalized .
Two weeks after the study was published , the publisher issued a notice saying the study did not meet its `` expected standard . ''
The FDA review @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 30 patients that showed the drugs had little to no effect on patient outcomes , and a letter from Chinese scientists that said it was effective — but was not backed up with any data .
The review also included a reference to 16 clinical trials that were still underway and noted that many doctors had a “ substantial interest ” in trying the drugs .
According to the review document , officials briefly warned about the risks of giving the drugs to patients with heart problems as part of a longer section @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or hydroxychloroquine-related cardiac conduction disorders ( i.e .
QT prolongation , ventricular arrhythmias ) are rare but life-threatening adverse reactions and are usually associated with long-term use and high cumulative doses , ” officials wrote .
The document also reviewed the risks posed by the millions of doses of the drugs that were donated for use in the US .
Analyzing the 1 million chloroquine tablets donated to the US by Bayer Pharmaceuticals , the review noted they were made at never-inspected factories in India with “ a low reputation for quality.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in India whose other factories had failed previous FDA inspections .
That meant , “ facilities used to manufacture this chloroquine are presumed to have even lower standards of quality.
” A chemical analysis of the chloroquine pills conducted on March 27 , also among the public records , indicated the tablets contained small impurities but met standards .
“ Based on the scientific evidence available to FDA , it is reasonable to believe that these products may be effective in treating the serious or life-threatening disease , COVID-19 , ” the FDA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have some hints now of what they were depending on '' for the EUA , said Peter Lurie , a former FDA executive who now leads the advocacy group Center for Science in the Public Interest .
`` It still seems to me to be a thin read and one is left with the question of whether the approval had something to do with pressure from the White House . ''
Since the review was submitted , growing evidence has suggested that these drugs may do more harm than good .
After a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recently halted , French , Italian , and Belgian officials last week all banned the use of the drug as a therapy for the novel coronavirus .
“ I think it 's fair to ask whether the FDA — expert in assessing drug data — should or could have spotted those issues , ” Ohio State University law professor Patricia Zettler , former FDA associate chief counsel during the Obama administration , told BuzzFeed News by email .
Zettler added , however , that the standard for an emergency use authorization is always @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the federal review of the EUA application for the malaria drugs as a possible COVID-19 treatment outside of clinical trials :

The Food and Drug Administration authorized two malaria drugs boosted by President Donald Trump to treat COVID-19 in March based on threadbare evidence, according to an agency review obtained by BuzzFeed News through a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit.
The review also raised serious questions about shoddy practices at overseas factories that manufactured and donated the drugs for use in American hospitals, according to the documents.
The use of the drugs to treat COVID-19 has been politically charged from the start.
On March 19, as the number of coronavirus cases in the US started to surge, President Donald Trump called for widespread use of the two drugs, chloroquine phosphate and hydroxychloroquine sulfate, to treat the new disease, for which there is no known cure. Nine days later, the FDA issued an emergency use authorization (EUA), a special provision that allows the agency to quickly greenlight the widespread use of unapproved drugs during a public health emergency, allowing the malaria drugs to be used to treat hospitalized COVID-19 patients.
Medical experts, meanwhile, raised concerns about the drugs saying they could cause serious health issues and were not proven to work. Even the FDA issued a warning, four weeks after its authorization, cautioning that use of the drugs outside hospitals could cause “life-threatening” heart problems.
Then, a top science official in the Trump administration alleged that the emergency authorization was dangerous and came about as a result of political pressure. Rick Bright, director of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, claimed he was pressured to sign off on the EUA, and was retaliated against after raising safety concerns about the malaria drugs and their importation from low-quality factories in India and Pakistan. “There wasn't sufficient data at the time to support the use of this drug without close physician supervision," Bright told Congress, after filing a whistleblower complaint in May.
Days after that, President Trump stunned the nation by announcing on live television that he was taking the drugs himself. “What do you have to lose?” he asked.
The FDA documents, released publicly now for the first time, outlined what data the agency used to make the hot-button decision to allow widespread use of the drugs.
The EUA review, conducted by six FDA officials, referred to only two studies of the malaria drugs, which either showed negligible results or have since been called into question altogether.
If you have any information to share about this story or anything else relating to the coronavirus, email dan.vergano@buzzfeed.com or reach out via one of our secure tipline channels.
At its center was a controversial French study that claimed that the malaria drug, combined with an antibiotic, was very effective at treating coronavirus infections. That study has since been criticized because of numerous problems, including failing to include the outcomes of patients on the drugs who died or were hospitalized. Two weeks after the study was published, the publisher issued a notice saying the study did not meet its "expected standard."
The FDA review also cited a small Chinese trial of 30 patients that showed the drugs had little to no effect on patient outcomes, and a letter from Chinese scientists that said it was effective — but was not backed up with any data. The review also included a reference to 16 clinical trials that were still underway and noted that many doctors had a “substantial interest” in trying the drugs.
According to the review document, officials briefly warned about the risks of giving the drugs to patients with heart problems as part of a longer section detailing warnings and precautions. “Chloroquine- or hydroxychloroquine-related cardiac conduction disorders (i.e. QT prolongation, ventricular arrhythmias) are rare but life-threatening adverse reactions and are usually associated with long-term use and high cumulative doses,” officials wrote.
The document also reviewed the risks posed by the millions of doses of the drugs that were donated for use in the US. Analyzing the 1 million chloroquine tablets donated to the US by Bayer Pharmaceuticals, the review noted they were made at never-inspected factories in India with “a low reputation for quality.” The pills were made by a manufacturer in India whose other factories had failed previous FDA inspections. That meant, “facilities used to manufacture this chloroquine are presumed to have even lower standards of quality.”
A chemical analysis of the chloroquine pills conducted on March 27, also among the public records, indicated the tablets contained small impurities but met standards.
“Based on the scientific evidence available to FDA, it is reasonable to believe that these products may be effective in treating the serious or life-threatening disease, COVID-19,” the FDA officials concluded.
“At least we have some hints now of what they were depending on" for the EUA, said Peter Lurie, a former FDA executive who now leads the advocacy group Center for Science in the Public Interest. "It still seems to me to be a thin read and one is left with the question of whether the approval had something to do with pressure from the White House."
Since the review was submitted, growing evidence has suggested that these drugs may do more harm than good. After a second clinical trial involving the drugs was recently halted, French, Italian, and Belgian officials last week all banned the use of the drug as a therapy for the novel coronavirus.
“I think it's fair to ask whether the FDA — expert in assessing drug data — should or could have spotted those issues,” Ohio State University law professor Patricia Zettler, former FDA associate chief counsel during the Obama administration, told BuzzFeed News by email. Zettler added, however, that the standard for an emergency use authorization is always low.
Here is a copy of the federal review of the EUA application for the malaria drugs as a possible COVID-19 treatment outside of clinical trials:


buzzfeed--2020-06-02--The Protests Against George Floyd's Death Make Some People Uncomfortable. That's The Point.

Left : Protesters confront police at the Michigan House of Representatives chamber after protesting for the reopening of businesses in Lansing , Michigan , April 30 .
Right : A protester stands face-to-face with a Minnesota state trooper on May 29 after another night of demonstrations over the death of George Floyd , who died in police custody Monday in Minneapolis .
Consider the following questions a kind of Myers-Briggs personality test for how you feel about protests .
What bothers you more : images of armed white protesters storming the Michigan State Capitol and screaming at police in late @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they can exercise their rights to possibly contract the coronavirus , or images of demonstrators setting buildings on fire in Minneapolis while protesting the death of a black man named George Floyd , who died while in police custody ?
The Michigan protesters were armed with assault rifles and bulletproof vests ; no national guard was dispatched there .
Meanwhile , the Minneapolis protesters were demanding criminal charges for Derek Chauvin , the police officer who crushed Floyd ’ s neck with his knee for eight minutes as Floyd gasped for air , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against him throughout his career , all closed without disciplinary measures , except one .
( Chauvin was finally arrested and charged with murder this morning . )
This is a unique time for protest in America .
Black Americans are still demanding that their government and police forces do something about police brutality against black people and the general spate of violence against unarmed black people .
( Ahmaud Arbery was shot and killed by a retired police officer and his son in Georgia in January , and the perpetrators have only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after video leaked . )
But black Americans are also grappling with a pandemic that ’ s disproportionately affecting them .
And yet , despite this outsize risk , many black people still took to the streets across the country to protest the killings of Floyd and Breonna Taylor , a black EMT worker who was shot by police in her own home in Kentucky .
The police killings and the coronavirus ’ s impact are galling enough , but it ’ s only made worse by the dialogue around the protests and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ loot riot and destroy you lose all moral credibility , in my eyes , to protest injustice , ” tweeted conservative activist Charlie Kirk on Wednesday .
“ Our country allows for peaceful protests , but there is no reason for violence , ” first lady Melania Trump tweeted today .
On Twitter , Tracy Clayton offered up a long list of why white people riot , including their sports team winning , their sports team losing , wanting dolls , hating disco , and being mad that black people wanted to go @ @ @ @ @ @ @ early this morning that looters should be shot , invoking a phrase first used by Walter Headley , a Miami police chief from the late ’ 60s who used violent tactics against black protesters in Miami at the time .
( Trump has since tweeted some version of a correction . )
There ’ s a fallacy already being presented , as if people are looting instead of attempting peaceful protests .
But what ’ s happening in Minneapolis , Louisville , Los Angeles , Denver , New York , and other parts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ resort .
The priorities in American life are wildly disordered .
First comes white health and safety .
Then comes white property and goods .
Then white economy .
Then white comfort .
The safety of black and brown bodies , the right to not be killed by the police when you ’ re not a threat , the right to not be pepper-sprayed or teargassed while a respiratory disease is already ripping through your community at an alarming rate , is miles behind white comfort .
What did the president call the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people.
” What did he call the Minnesotan protesters , demanding justice for Floyd ?
“ THUGS.
” If you ’ re exhausted , it ’ s because you ’ re paying attention .
This isn ’ t the first or the last time we ’ ll debate what the right way for black and brown people to protest is .
It ’ s already been made clear that peaceful protests draw an incredible amount of ire too — in 2016 , 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick knelt during the national anthem to protest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an Indianapolis Colts game in 2017 , Vice President Mike Pence stormed out of the game soon after arriving because some of the players kneeled during the national anthem ; in this case , this peaceful protest was still too much for the government to tolerate .
Protesting peacefully — without disturbing property and buildings or hurting anyone — has still become a major touchstone of the American culture wars anyway .
Years later , Kaepernick is still effectively shut out from the NFL .

Consider the following questions a kind of Myers-Briggs personality test for how you feel about protests. What bothers you more: images of armed white protesters storming the Michigan State Capitol and screaming at police in late April, demanding the state reopen so they can exercise their rights to possibly contract the coronavirus, or images of demonstrators setting buildings on fire in Minneapolis while protesting the death of a black man named George Floyd, who died while in police custody?
The Michigan protesters were armed with assault rifles and bulletproof vests; no national guard was dispatched there. Meanwhile, the Minneapolis protesters were demanding criminal charges for Derek Chauvin, the police officer who crushed Floyd’s neck with his knee for eight minutes as Floyd gasped for air, the same officer who had 17 complaints against him throughout his career, all closed without disciplinary measures, except one. (Chauvin was finally arrested and charged with murder this morning.)
This is a unique time for protest in America. Black Americans are still demanding that their government and police forces do something about police brutality against black people and the general spate of violence against unarmed black people. (Ahmaud Arbery was shot and killed by a retired police officer and his son in Georgia in January, and the perpetrators have only now been arrested and charged with murder after video leaked.) But black Americans are also grappling with a pandemic that’s disproportionately affecting them. And yet, despite this outsize risk, many black people still took to the streets across the country to protest the killings of Floyd and Breonna Taylor, a black EMT worker who was shot by police in her own home in Kentucky.
The police killings and the coronavirus’s impact are galling enough, but it’s only made worse by the dialogue around the protests and riots happening now. “If you loot riot and destroy you lose all moral credibility, in my eyes, to protest injustice,” tweeted conservative activist Charlie Kirk on Wednesday. “Our country allows for peaceful protests, but there is no reason for violence,” first lady Melania Trump tweeted today.
On Twitter, Tracy Clayton offered up a long list of why white people riot, including their sports team winning, their sports team losing, wanting dolls, hating disco, and being mad that black people wanted to go to school. Meanwhile the president tweeted early this morning that looters should be shot, invoking a phrase first used by Walter Headley, a Miami police chief from the late ’60s who used violent tactics against black protesters in Miami at the time. (Trump has since tweeted some version of a correction.) There’s a fallacy already being presented, as if people are looting instead of attempting peaceful protests. But what’s happening in Minneapolis, Louisville, Los Angeles, Denver, New York, and other parts of the country is actually a last resort.
The priorities in American life are wildly disordered. First comes white health and safety. Then comes white property and goods. Then white economy. Then white comfort. The safety of black and brown bodies, the right to not be killed by the police when you’re not a threat, the right to not be pepper-sprayed or teargassed while a respiratory disease is already ripping through your community at an alarming rate, is miles behind white comfort.
What did the president call the armed Michigan protesters? “Very good people.” What did he call the Minnesotan protesters, demanding justice for Floyd? “THUGS.”
If you’re exhausted, it’s because you’re paying attention. This isn’t the first or the last time we’ll debate what the right way for black and brown people to protest is. It’s already been made clear that peaceful protests draw an incredible amount of ire too — in 2016, 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick knelt during the national anthem to protest deaths like Floyd’s. At an Indianapolis Colts game in 2017, Vice President Mike Pence stormed out of the game soon after arriving because some of the players kneeled during the national anthem; in this case, this peaceful protest was still too much for the government to tolerate. Protesting peacefully — without disturbing property and buildings or hurting anyone — has still become a major touchstone of the American culture wars anyway. Years later, Kaepernick is still effectively shut out from the NFL.


buzzfeed--2020-06-03--Iowa Voted A Racist Out Of Congress

Iowa Voted A Racist Out Of Congress

Rep. Steve King , a Republican from Iowa , lost his seat in Congress after a tough primary election in Iowa ’ s 4th congressional district , ending a nearly 20 year career defined by his racism .
State senator Randy Feenstra , who had support from much of Iowa 's Republican establishment , defeated King in a close race Tuesday night .
Feenstra 's campaign against King was not so much about King 's racist comments or world-view as it was about his very limited effectiveness in Washington , now that the Republican Party had soured on him .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Iowa politics , drawing Republican presidential candidates to come pay their respects and woo his support .
That only began to slip in the last two years , even as his record of racism goes back much longer .
King has been one of the staunchest voices in US politics against immigrants for almost a decade .
In an infamous 2013 interview , he said that for every undocumented person in the United States “ who ’ s a valedictorian , there ’ s another 100 out there who weigh 130 pounds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ size of cantaloupes because they ’ re hauling 75 pounds of marijuana across the desert.
” A year later , Donald Trump , then considering a run for president , said in a joint-interview with King that King is a “ special guy , a smart person , with really the right views on almost everything.
” Soon after Trump was inaugurated as president , in March 2017 , King said the United States “ can ’ t restore our civilization with somebody else ’ s babies.
” King has often been quoted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his fear of the world and America losing its white majority status .
He has spread anti-Semitic conspiracy theories about billionaire George Soros and told Breitbart in a June 2018 interview that Somali Muslims shouldn ’ t work in meat packing plants because he “ [ doesn ’ t ] want people doing my pork that won ’ t eat it , let alone hope I go to hell for eating pork chops.
” King narrowly kept his House seat in 2018 by defeating Democrat J.D .
Scholten , after some of King @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wake of the Tree of Life Temple shooting in October 2018 .
Scholten is running for the seat again this year .
When King made it back to Congress in 2019 , Republican minority leaders removed him from all of his committee assignments , including his seat on the Judiciary Committee after more racist remarks surfaced from an interview with the New York Times where King asked , “ White nationalist , white supremacist , Western civilization — how did that language become offensive ?
” Democrats quickly proposed censuring King before ultimately @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ultimately only mentioned King by name once in its opening line and renounced white supremacy and white nationalism .
King voted in favor of the reprimand himself .
After King was stripped of his committee assignments , four Iowa Republicans filed to challenge him in the primary .
The state ’ s Republican Party rallied around Feenstra , who had been closest in the polls to King and who raised and spent significantly more money during the primary .
King has railed against his primary opponents as part of a `` Never Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the primary .
Feenstra 's final campaign ad did not address King ’ s racist or anti-Semitic statements .
Rather , it focused on King ’ s lack of committee assignments .
“ President Trump needs Republicans in Congress who are effective , ” Feenstra said in the ad .

Rep. Steve King, a Republican from Iowa, lost his seat in Congress after a tough primary election in Iowa’s 4th Congressional District, ending a nearly 20-year career defined by his racism.
State Sen. Randy Feenstra, who had support from much of Iowa's Republican establishment, defeated King in a close race Tuesday night.
Feenstra's campaign against King was not so much about King's racist comments or world-view as it was about his very limited effectiveness in Washington, now that the Republican Party had soured on him.
King was for years a dominant force in Iowa politics, drawing Republican presidential candidates to come to pay their respects and woo his support. That only began to slip in the last two years, even as his record of racism goes back much longer.
King has been one of the staunchest voices in US politics against immigrants for almost a decade. In an infamous 2013 interview, he said that for every undocumented person in the United States “who’s a valedictorian, there’s another 100 out there who weigh 130 pounds and they’ve got calves the size of cantaloupes because they’re hauling 75 pounds of marijuana across the desert.”
A year later, Donald Trump, then considering a run for president, said in a joint interview with King that King is a “special guy, a smart person, with really the right views on almost everything.” Soon after Trump was inaugurated as president, in March 2017, King said the United States “can’t restore our civilization with somebody else’s babies.”
King has often been quoted in right-wing publications around the world about his fear of the world and America losing its white majority status. He has spread anti-Semitic conspiracy theories about billionaire George Soros and told Breitbart in a June 2018 interview that Somali Muslims shouldn’t work in meatpacking plants because he “[doesn’t] want people doing my pork that won’t eat it, let alone hope I go to hell for eating pork chops.”
King narrowly kept his House seat in 2018 by defeating Democrat J.D. Scholten, after some of King’s former statements resurfaced in the wake of the Tree of Life Temple shooting in October 2018. Scholten is running for the seat again this year.
When King made it back to Congress in 2019, Republican minority leaders removed him from all of his committee assignments, including his seat on the Judiciary Committee after more racist remarks surfaced from an interview with the New York Times where King asked, “White nationalist, white supremacist, Western civilization — how did that language become offensive?”
Democrats quickly proposed censuring King before ultimately settling on a formal reprimand, which ultimately only mentioned King by name once in its opening line and renounced white supremacy and white nationalism. King voted in favor of the reprimand himself.
After King was stripped of his committee assignments, four Iowa Republicans filed to challenge him in the primary. The state’s Republican Party rallied around Feenstra, who had been closest in the polls to King and who raised and spent significantly more money during the primary. King has railed against his primary opponents as part of a "Never Trump" establishment. Trump did not endorse in the primary.
Feenstra's final campaign ad did not address King’s racist or anti-Semitic statements. Rather, it focused on King’s lack of committee assignments. “President Trump needs Republicans in Congress who are effective,” Feenstra said in the ad.


buzzfeed--2020-06-03--Find The Police And Military Planes That Monitored The Protests In Your City With These Maps

As protests against police brutality ramped up across the nation , aircraft operated by law enforcement and the National Guard were flying overhead .
As crowds protesting police brutality swelled in cities across the United States this weekend , law enforcement agencies and the National Guard took to the skies — watching from hundreds of helicopters and planes circling overhead .
Surveillance planes are always in action over the nation .
To give an overview of the airborne response to the current civil unrest , we mapped flights by local police , state and federal law enforcement , and military @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Friday , May 29 , to 7 p.m. Central Time on Sunday , May 31 .
The locations of large demonstrations coincided with the most intense aircraft activity .
We identified law enforcement aircraft from information on their operators in the Federal Aviation Administration ’ s registration database and tracked them using signals from the planes ’ transponders compiled at the crowdsourced flight-tracking website ADS-B Exchange .
( We assumed planes registered to cities or counties were used for law enforcement unless the registration information identified them as dedicated to another purpose , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) Unlike commercial sites , ADS-B Exchange doesn ’ t follow requests to block aircraft from being tracked , so it can give a more complete picture of surveillance activity .
It also flags aircraft operated by the US military , including National Guard units , so we recorded all military flights over the nation .
Most were not over major cities , but some military helicopters did fly over the protests .
In the maps below , click or tap on any flight path for more information on the aircraft involved .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ George Floyd was killed while in police custody on May 25 .
In addition to helicopters operated by the Minnesota State Patrol , we detected two military Black Hawk helicopters over Minneapolis that the state ’ s National Guard confirmed were its aircraft .
These circled above the most intense clashes between protesters and police .
“ Currently we are performing incident awareness and assessment observations in conjunction with civilian law enforcement , ” Minnesota National Guard spokesperson Blair Heusdens told BuzzFeed News by email .
Huesdens denied that the helicopters were collecting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was a prohibited activity for the National Guard .
He stressed the Black Hawks ’ role in monitoring the safety of National Guard personnel and the public .
“ As long as Minnesota Guardsmen are performing important , and potentially dangerous missions we will use any asset available to keep them safe , ” Heusdens said .
Like most law enforcement aircraft , the Minnesota State Patrol helicopters that circled the protests are equipped for surveillance .
They have high-resolution optical and infrared cameras that can monitor activity at night and transmit video @ @ @ @ @ @ @ microwave downlink system .
The state patrol ’ s pilots are trained to fly wearing night vision goggles .
The FBI , the Department of Homeland Security , and the Drug Enforcement Administration each have substantial fleets of surveillance aircraft .
Federal planes can be called in to assist local law enforcement ; FBI planes flew over the protests in Ferguson , Missouri , in August 2014 after police shot Michael Brown , and in Baltimore in April 2015 after Freddie Gray died in police custody .
ADS-B Exchange captured only 26 FBI @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Friday to Sunday .
BuzzFeed News previously found that the FBI and DHS surveillance planes are typically much less active over the weekend .
But a Predator drone operated by Customs and Border Protection , part of DHS , was spotted by investigative reporter Jason Paladino of the Project on Government Oversight flying around Minneapolis in a hexagonal pattern earlier on Friday .
The drone was “ preparing to provide live video to aid in situational awareness at the request of our federal law enforcement partners in Minneapolis , ” the agency told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Bell 412 helicopter operated by the US Park Police , part of the Interior Department , circled the White House .
The park police also had officers on the ground around the White House , together with Secret Service agents and DC metro police , where they clashed with protesters .
The maps here show a snapshot of activity in what is a rapidly escalating situation — especially after President Donald Trump threatened on Monday to unleash the military on protesters if the unrest was not quickly brought under control .
On @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were seen over Washington , DC , hovering at very low altitude directly over crowds in what appeared to be a hazardous show of force .
Lakotas are generally used for disaster response , medical evacuation , and homeland security missions .
They are used by the US Army and the National Guard .
On Tuesday , the DC National Guard responded on Twitter to concerns about the incident , saying it had “ directed an investigation into the actions of our rotary aviation assets .
”

As crowds protesting police brutality swelled in cities across the United States this weekend, law enforcement agencies and the National Guard took to the skies — watching from hundreds of helicopters and planes circling overhead.
Surveillance planes are always in action over the nation. To give an overview of the airborne response to the current civil unrest, we mapped flights by local police, state and federal law enforcement, and military planes from 7 p.m. Central Time on Friday, May 29, to 7 p.m. Central Time on Sunday, May 31. The locations of large demonstrations coincided with the most intense aircraft activity.
We identified law enforcement aircraft from information on their operators in the Federal Aviation Administration’s registration database and tracked them using signals from the planes’ transponders compiled at the crowdsourced flight-tracking website ADS-B Exchange. (We assumed planes registered to cities or counties were used for law enforcement unless the registration information identified them as dedicated to another purpose, such as a city fire department.)
Unlike commercial sites, ADS-B Exchange doesn’t follow requests to block aircraft from being tracked, so it can give a more complete picture of surveillance activity. It also flags aircraft operated by the US military, including National Guard units, so we recorded all military flights over the nation. Most were not over major cities, but some military helicopters did fly over the protests.
In the maps below, click or tap on any flight path for more information on the aircraft involved.
Minneapolis


buzzfeed--2020-06-03--I Followed Trump To St. John's, And When The Smoke Cleared, There Was A Huge Story


buzzfeed--2020-06-03--Dallas Police Asked People To Call Out Protesters. People Flooded Their App With K-Pop Instead.

The Dallas PD 's iWatch Dallas app is currently down `` due to technical difficulties . ''
On Sunday , the Dallas Police Department asked people to send in `` video of illegal activity '' from the Black Lives Matter protests in the city through the iWatch Dallas app , where people can submit photo , video , or text tips about possible crimes .
Instead , it received a flood of pictures and videos of K-pop artists .
In response to the tweeted request from Dallas Police , hundreds of K-pop fans replied with photos and videos of their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to have submitted videos of the police harming protesters , as well as fan edits of K-pop artists , to the iWatch Dallas app .
Within hours of the original tweet , the Dallas Police Department followed up with a tweet that the iWatch Dallas app was down temporarily `` due to technical difficulties . ''
( K-pop fans confirmed they too were having difficulties submitting to the app . )
Hundreds of people subsequently replied to this Dallas PD tweet with memes and videos of K-pop artists .
Protests against police brutality @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week , with major demonstrations happening in Minneapolis , New York , Washington , DC , Los Angeles , Oakland , and Dallas .
Police have often escalated peaceful protests and lashed out violently .
In addition to the streets , protesters have also begun taking action online .
Dozens of people submitted one-star reviews to the iWatch Dallas listings on both the Google Play Store and iOS App Store .
Many people used their reviews to say Black Lives Matter and call for justice for George Floyd .
It ’ s unclear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ app with traffic , causing it to stop working , or if the police department simply wanted people to stop submitting photos and videos through the app .
The Dallas Police did not immediately respond to a request for comment .
The digital protest started when a tweet from Twitter user @ 7soulsmap , which showed a screenshot of the original Dallas PD tweet , got retweeted thousands of times .
A few hours later , @ 7soulsmap responded to their own tweet with a video and said , `` If y ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I ’ ll send you a $ 1 , I promise . ''
`` DOWNLOAD THE APP AND SEND ALL YOUR FANCAMS !
!
! ''
Twitter @ ngelwy said in the now-deleted quote tweet of @ 7soulsmap .
`` SEND THEM ALL !
!
!
MAKE THEIR JOBS AS HARD AS POSSIBLE !
!
!
GET THEM FRUSTRATED !
!
!
MAKE THEM TAKE DOWN THE APP !
!
! ''
Hundreds of people responded to the @ 7soulsmap tweet , and several people shared screen recordings uploading K-pop videos to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ later apologized for encouraging people to download the app and encouraged people to delete it , noting that the app asks for a user 's location before they submit a tip .
If a user tries to submit a tip without sharing their location , the app displays an error message that says `` User is not registered . ''
@ 7soulsmap , who declined to be identified by name , told BuzzFeed News that they are happy with how people responded to their tweet .
“ I feel like many people share @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they view excessive use of force by law enforcement with protesters and how the general trust in them from the public has withered , ” @ 7soulsmap said .
“ Black Lives Matter PERIOD.
” @ 7soulsmap added that many people who talked about submitting photos and videos of police brutality also noted that they would censor the faces of protesters from these uploads .
Police departments around the country often have access to a variety of surveillance tools that can be used to target protesters .
The Minneapolis Police Department , for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tool Clearview AI — which scraped billions of photos of people from social media to power its face-matching algorithm — more than 160 times .
Facial recognition could be used to identify protesters depicted in pictures or videos posted on social media , or captured on CCTV cameras or home surveillance cameras , like Ring .
“ I ’ m happy to see how many people are willing to help the protesters keep their identities hidden and stay safe , ” @ 7soulsmap said .

It’s unclear if K-pop fans from Twitter overwhelmed the app with traffic, causing it to stop working, or if the police department simply wanted people to stop submitting photos and videos through the app. The Dallas Police did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The digital protest started when a tweet from Twitter user @7soulsmap, which showed a screenshot of the original Dallas PD tweet, got retweeted thousands of times. A few hours later, @7soulsmap responded to their own tweet with a video and said, "If y’all post this one on their app I’ll send you a $1, I promise."
"DOWNLOAD THE APP AND SEND ALL YOUR FANCAMS!!!" Twitter @ngelwy said in the now-deleted quote tweet of @7soulsmap. "SEND THEM ALL!!! MAKE THEIR JOBS AS HARD AS POSSIBLE!!! GET THEM FRUSTRATED!!! MAKE THEM TAKE DOWN THE APP!!!"
Hundreds of people responded to the @7soulsmap tweet, and several people shared screen recordings uploading K-pop videos to the iWatch Dallas app. User @ngelwy later apologized for encouraging people to download the app and encouraged people to delete it, noting that the app asks for a user's location before they submit a tip.
If a user tries to submit a tip without sharing their location, the app displays an error message that says "User is not registered."
@7soulsmap, who declined to be identified by name, told BuzzFeed News that they are happy with how people responded to their tweet.


buzzfeed--2020-06-03--These Charts And Maps Show Where The Coronavirus Is Surging Across The US — And Where It Is In Decli

These Charts And Maps Show Where The Coronavirus Is Surging Across The US — And Where It Is In Decline

The journalists at BuzzFeed News are proud to bring you trustworthy and relevant reporting about the coronavirus .
To help keep this news free , become a member and sign up for our newsletter , Outbreak Today .
New coronavirus infections are on the rise in parts of the country , such as North Carolina and Arkansas , while falling in former hot spots like New York .
As the weeks and months drag on , experts expect to see a patchwork of surging and subsiding local epidemics — particularly if the virus starts to spread rapidly in places that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ economy to its knees .
The charts and maps below will help you track this shifting landscape and will be updated regularly .
The colors indicate whether the number of new cases has risen or fallen in the last two weeks .
In locations highlighted in pink , new cases have surged , while green shows where the number has declined .
The darker the shade of pink or green , the larger the relative rise or fall .
Because the number of confirmed new cases on any day can fluctuate widely , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new cases over the last seven days to provide a more stable measure on any given day .
Locations shown in light gray have either had very few cases in the past two weeks , or the number has changed by less than 5 % .

New coronavirus infections are on the rise in parts of the country, while falling in some former hot spots.
As the weeks and months drag on, experts expect to see a patchwork of surging and subsiding local epidemics — particularly if the virus starts to spread rapidly in places that are relaxing lockdowns that have brought the economy to its knees.
The charts and maps below will help you track this shifting landscape and will be updated regularly. The colors indicate whether the number of new cases has risen or fallen in the last two weeks. In locations highlighted in pink, new cases have surged, while green shows where the number has declined. The darker the shade of pink or green, the larger the relative rise or fall.
Because the number of confirmed new cases on any day can fluctuate widely, we have used the daily average of new cases over the last seven days to provide a more stable measure on any given day. Locations shown in light gray have either had very few cases in the past two weeks, or the number has changed by less than 5%.
States


buzzfeed--2020-06-04--Some Cities Are Shutting Down Coronavirus Testing During The Protests

“ Data is our eyes and ears in this pandemic .
Without having it , we are operating blindly , ” one public health expert said .
Cities , a county , and an entire state have shut down coronavirus testing sites or scaled back testing in response to protests against police brutality that are sweeping the nation , a move criticized by public health experts concerned about tracking the spread of COVID-19 .
In the greater Los Angeles region , where police have arrested more than 2,700 protesters , dozens of city- and county-run testing sites closed early or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Illinois shut down nearly a dozen community testing sites across the state on Monday and Tuesday .
Philadelphia closed its Center City testing site early on Sunday and closed all city-run testing sites on Monday and Tuesday .
San Francisco closed a mobile testing site this week , and Jacksonville , Florida , closed at least two testing sites as well .
Public health experts have warned that any drop in testing access right now will thwart efforts to limit the spread of the coronavirus , just as protests likely trigger new surges @ @ @ @ @ @ @ eyes and ears in this pandemic .
Without having it , we are operating blindly , ” John Swartzberg , an infectious disease expert at the University of California , Berkeley , told BuzzFeed News .
“ We ’ ve seen the consequences of operating blindly early in this pandemic , ” he added , alluding to the fact that the initial failure of the CDC ’ s coronavirus test and subsequent testing shortfall likely contributed to the outsize impact of the coronavirus in the US .
Testing had been steadily ramping up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lifting stay-at-home orders .
As case numbers rose , public health experts questioned whether the rise was due to new surges or simply the result of additional testing .
Now the calculus has changed again .
“ If we ’ re doing a lot less testing , we need to be more cautious ” about any changes in reported infections , Swartzberg said .
Any reductions in testing now , combined with new cases emerging from these protests , are “ going to muddy the picture of the consequences of reopening , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Ruth Etzioni , a biostatistician at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center .
“ We find ourselves in a really precarious situation with the data.
” Local officials say the decisions to limit testing were largely made to protect the safety of both the people going to get tested and those working at these sites , as some protests turned violent and curfews were put in place .
But not all impacted testing sites have been in areas where the protests have occurred , leading some activists to call the shutdowns punitive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ early or shutter them completely also stands in stark contrast to places like Washington , DC , and Denver that opened new public testing sites this week despite ongoing protests .
And in Atlanta and many other locations , officials have opted instead to urge protesters , who face a greater risk of being exposed and spreading the coronavirus , to get tested .
The test site closures in Los Angeles began Saturday afternoon when Mayor Eric Garcetti closed down all of the city ’ s coronavirus testing sites , citing “ safety @ @ @ @ @ @ @ massive protests taking place in the city .
The mayor also imposed curfews , but relegated those only to certain areas of the city , like downtown , where the protests had been taking place .
In a press conference Saturday announcing the new policies , a reporter asked Garcetti why he chose to close testing sites throughout the city , but only apply the curfew to some areas .
Garcetti gave a long response focused squarely on the property damage in the city , including the burning of police cars .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people who destroy shop windows , ” Garcetti told the press , not directly answering why he chose to close down the testing sites citywide .
Some activists interpreted Garcetti ’ s answer to mean that he had closed the test sites as a punitive measure in reaction to the property damage , rather than an attempt to protect workers at the site or those getting tested .
LA ’ s testing sites are normally closed on Sunday .
On Monday , the city began reopening two of the testing sites , including @ @ @ @ @ @ @ capacity to test more than 6,000 people a day , and has continued to open up a few more sites since then .
Some Los Angeles County-run testing sites also closed early over the weekend .
“ The Department of Health Services gave discretion to testing sites on whether to stay open or to close in the interest of staff and resident safety , ” Kathleen Piche , a county spokeswoman , told BuzzFeed News in an email .
This week , some county-run sites have stayed open , while others closed early @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Long Beach closed its four testing sites on Monday , citing safety concerns .
In northern California , a mobile testing site was closed in San Francisco ’ s Tenderloin neighborhood but may soon be redeployed to another part of the city .
“ While testing was scheduled to end Monday , June 1 , additional testing was under consideration for Wednesday , Thursday and Friday of this week , ” Veronica Vien , a city spokesperson , told BuzzFeed News in an email .
“ However , at this time the priority @ @ @ @ @ @ @ must be to acknowledge the moment and focus on activism and justice for Black lives.
” In Illinois , the state closed all eleven of its coronavirus testing sites on Monday and Tuesday , as several protests took place in Chicago and the surrounding area .
In response to a request for comment , a spokesperson for Illinois Governor JB Pritzker said that the sites were closed due to “ security reassignment.
” “ In order to reopen the state-managed Community Based Testing Sites , steps have to be taken to add security @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was reassigned due to ongoing civil unrest throughout the state , ” the spokesperson said in an email .
By Wednesday all but one of the testing sites in Illinois had reopened .
Over the weekend , Florida officials made the decision to suspend service at Jacksonville ’ s Lot J drive-thru testing site and Legends Center walk-up testing site “ to ensure public safety.
” The sites have since reopened .
In Philadelphia , where police shot tear gas at thousands of protesters , the Center City testing site closed early on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be testing and a curfew was put in place .
Due to civil unrest , the city closed on Monday and Tuesday , resulting in the shut down of only city-run testing sites ; more than 40 other testing sites across Philadelphia were unaffected .
The city and the testing sites it operates have since reopened and officials have been encouraging protesters to get tested .
`` Get tested for COVID-19 seven days after having been in a crowd ; those seeking testing do NOT need to identify that they were at a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ near someone who may have had COVID-19 , ” city officials recommended .
In New York , where testing sites have remained open despite some violent clashes between police and protesters , state officials said they are relying on testing numbers to help them track whether the civil unrest leads to any case spikes .
When asked about whether he expected a spike based on protest images , the state ’ s health commissioner , Howard Zucker , said at a Monday press conference : “ I 'm concerned about them .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because when you gather a lot of people together , as we 've always said , that is a concern .
So we 're looking at this and we ’ re going to keep a very close eye on every day .
”

Cities, a county, and an entire state have shut down coronavirus testing sites or scaled back testing in response to protests against police brutality that are sweeping the nation, a move criticized by public health experts concerned about tracking the spread of COVID-19.
In the greater Los Angeles region, where police have arrested more than 2,700 protesters, dozens of city- and county-run testing sites closed early or closed down completely in recent days. Illinois shut down nearly a dozen community testing sites across the state on Monday and Tuesday. Philadelphia closed its Center City testing site early on Sunday and closed all city-run testing sites on Monday and Tuesday. San Francisco closed a mobile testing site this week, and Jacksonville, Florida, closed at least two testing sites as well.
Public health experts have warned that any drop in testing access right now will thwart efforts to limit the spread of the coronavirus, just as protests likely trigger new surges in infections.
“Data is our eyes and ears in this pandemic. Without having it, we are operating blindly,” John Swartzberg, an infectious disease expert at the University of California, Berkeley, told BuzzFeed News. “We’ve seen the consequences of operating blindly early in this pandemic,” he added, alluding to the fact that the initial failure of the CDC’s coronavirus test and subsequent testing shortfall likely contributed to the outsize impact of the coronavirus in the US.
Testing had been steadily ramping up since April, as states began gradually lifting stay-at-home orders. As case numbers rose, public health experts questioned whether the rise was due to new surges or simply the result of additional testing. Now the calculus has changed again. “If we’re doing a lot less testing, we need to be more cautious” about any changes in reported infections, Swartzberg said.
Any reductions in testing now, combined with new cases emerging from these protests, are “going to muddy the picture of the consequences of reopening, and that’s really unfortunate,” said Ruth Etzioni, a biostatistician at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. “We find ourselves in a really precarious situation with the data.”
Local officials say the decisions to limit testing were largely made to protect the safety of both the people going to get tested and those working at these sites, as some protests turned violent and curfews were put in place.
But not all impacted testing sites have been in areas where the protests have occurred, leading some activists to call the shutdowns punitive.
The decision to close certain sites early or shutter them completely also stands in stark contrast to places like Washington, DC, and Denver that opened new public testing sites this week despite ongoing protests. And in Atlanta and many other locations, officials have opted instead to urge protesters, who face a greater risk of being exposed and spreading the coronavirus, to get tested.


buzzfeed--2020-06-04--Comparing 1968 And 2020 Is More Complicated Than Donald Trump Wants It To Be

In times of serious unrest , people want to find a good historical comparison to unlock what might happen next — and right now people are looking squarely at 1968 , when Richard Nixon won the presidency .
But first , let 's consider this particular sequence of events : On Monday night , at the scheduled time that President Donald Trump was to speak about the civil unrest across the United States , the police set off flashbangs and tear gas , and then sent in the horse cops , who rode up along the street in a big @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protesters outside the White House .
If you were watching this on TV or Twitter , two possible rationales might have occurred to you .
Perhaps there was some kind of security perimeter ( necessary or otherwise ) that the police wanted for the president .
Or , fleetingly and insanely , I wondered , maybe they wanted the background noise while Trump spoke outdoors to give an ambient sense of chaos for the home viewer .
That was cynical to think , but it kind of makes more sense than what then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the president could walk through the park , stand outside the boarded-up St. John ’ s Episcopal Church , and hoist a Bible with that gesture football coaches use when holding the Lombardi Trophy .
`` I did n't know where I was going , '' Mark Esper , who is the secretary of defense , actually claimed on Tuesday regarding the church visit .
White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany offered on Wednesday the following historical comparisons : Winston Churchill touring bombed-out London during World War II , George W. Bush throwing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 9/11 , Jimmy Carter infamously putting ... on a sweater for energy savings , and George H.W .
Bush signing ... a bill ... into law .
If you 'd just flipped CNN on to see what Trump had to say about the protests , and then this whole thing unfolded , the only historical comparison I have is the time a friend watched , through the plateglass window of a car wash , their own car get rear-ended .
Still , people have , amid the interlocking crises of summer 2020 — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ violence , fires , a once-in-a-century pandemic that feeds on inequality and has dropped the country into a nightmare economy — looked toward the past for that comparison .
More than one person has texted me a line about how we 're getting 1918 , 1929 , and 1968 in one .
It 's worth considering .
1968 was an extremely violent year in the US — maybe the most violent since the Civil War , as writer Michael Cohen noted on Saturday night .
More than 16,000 young men died in Vietnam @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that year , assassins shot and killed Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy ; a group of students seized control of Columbia University ; police shot and killed protesters at a bowling alley in South Carolina ; violence erupted in major US cities ( and in Paris ) after serious and terrible violence involving the National Guard the year before in many cities ; the Tet Offensive permanently undercut the US government 's pronouncements about how Vietnam was going ; Lyndon B. Johnson announced he would not run for reelection .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ year ( everything from the Summer of Love to Muhammad Ali refusing to join the military ) , and would be followed by another — though it 's not like anybody knew that then .

In times of serious unrest, people want to find a good historical comparison to unlock what might happen next — and right now people are looking squarely at 1968, when Richard Nixon won the presidency.
But first, let's consider this particular sequence of events:
On Monday night, at the scheduled time that President Donald Trump was to speak about the civil unrest across the United States, the police set off flashbangs and tear gas, and then sent in the horse cops, who rode up along the street in a big wave to clear out the coughing nonviolent protesters outside the White House.
If you were watching this on TV or Twitter, two possible rationales might have occurred to you. Perhaps there was some kind of security perimeter (necessary or otherwise) that the police wanted for the president. Or, fleetingly and insanely, I wondered, maybe they wanted the background noise while Trump spoke outdoors to give an ambient sense of chaos for the home viewer.
That was cynical to think, but it kind of makes more sense than what then happened: The square got cleared so the president could walk through the park, stand outside the boarded-up St. John’s Episcopal Church, and hoist a Bible with that gesture football coaches use when holding the Lombardi Trophy.
"I didn't know where I was going," Mark Esper, who is the secretary of defense, actually claimed on Tuesday regarding the church visit.
White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany offered on Wednesday the following historical comparisons: Winston Churchill touring bombed-out London during World War II, George W. Bush throwing the first pitch at Yankee Stadium after 9/11, Jimmy Carter infamously putting...on a sweater for energy savings, and George H.W. Bush signing...a bill...into law.
If you'd just flipped CNN on to see what Trump had to say about the protests, and then this whole thing unfolded, the only historical comparison I have is the time a friend watched, through the plateglass window of a car wash, their own car get rear-ended.
Still, people have, amid the interlocking crises of summer 2020 — death, racism, protests, police violence, fires, a once-in-a-century pandemic that feeds on inequality and has dropped the country into a nightmare economy — looked toward the past for that comparison. More than one person has texted me a line about how we're getting 1918, 1929, and 1968 in one. It's worth considering.
1968 was an extremely violent year in the US — maybe the most violent since the Civil War, as writer Michael Cohen noted on Saturday night. More than 16,000 young men died in Vietnam. In just the first half of that year, assassins shot and killed Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy; a group of students seized control of Columbia University; police shot and killed protesters at a bowling alley in South Carolina; violence erupted in major US cities (and in Paris) after serious and terrible violence involving the National Guard the year before in many cities; the Tet Offensive permanently undercut the US government's pronouncements about how Vietnam was going; Lyndon B. Johnson announced he would not run for reelection. 1968 followed a violent and culturally disruptive year (everything from the Summer of Love to Muhammad Ali refusing to join the military), and would be followed by another — though it's not like anybody knew that then.


buzzfeed--2020-06-03--“You Don’t Think That Don’t Affect Us”: Black Cops Talk To Black Protesters About George Floyd’s Kil

“You Don’t Think That Don’t Affect Us”: Black Cops Talk To Black Protesters About George Floyd’s Killing

WASHINGTON — When a black Secret Service agent protecting the White House handed her white colleague a bottle of water , a protester yelled at her from 50 feet away , “ I bet you get his lunch , too.
” That insult was not unusual .
In another weekend incident , black men protecting the White House faced taunts from protesters calling them “ slaves ” and “ house niggers.
” Other protesters antagonized black law enforcement officers by calling them “ Uncle Toms ” for protecting President Donald Trump .
Across the country , protests have been marked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interactions between black protesters and black law enforcement officers have been especially complex .
One encounter during Saturday night ’ s protests stood out , going beyond those jabs into a deeper discussion about motives and beliefs , when four black law enforcement officers monitoring the protests near the White House told two young black men , “ Everybody is not the same.
” “ You ’ re a protester , ” one of the black officers said to a young black man .
“ I ’ m not going to do anything @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when you start burning stuff , doing crazy stuff , throwing stuff at people , what do you think you ’ re going to get back ?
” The protester , who declined to be interviewed for this story , insisted the officer weigh in on the death of George Floyd , who was killed in police custody .
“ We ’ re talking about the incident that we ’ re protesting , ” he said .
“ Yes , we wear uniforms , ” the officer responded .
“ Yes , we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but we have feelings just like you .
The thing about it is , just because we have this on doesn ’ t mean we don ’ t have an opinion about what happened .
You are putting all of us in a bottle together .
Everybody is not the same .
That ’ s what you have to realize .
You don ’ t know where I came from.
” “ Hold up .
Hold up .
Hold up .
You don ’ t think that don ’ t affect us @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s hurt like that .
But y ’ all come out here calling us slaves , ” he said .
“ We have an opinion just like you , ” the first black police officer told the protesters .
At this point , each officer seemed resolved to convince the young men that not only were they insulted by some of the rhetoric coming from black protesters , but they were on the same side of the argument .
“ Do we think what happened was right ?
No.
” A third @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ve been a cop for a long time .
My little brother ’ s a cop .
My father retired as a cop .
My uncle — cops all over — we got feelings too.
” One of the protesters responded that he also had police officers in his family , one of whom had left the police force because he felt he was “ complicit in the wrong things , ” he said .
After an officer suggested lawyers and doctors face the same scrutiny as police officers .
The protester shot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but if a lawyer fuck up , everyone ’ s going to say it ’ s wrong .
If a doctor fuck up , other docs say it ’ s wrong , and they ’ re going to take his license .
When this happens with police officers , everybody just… , ” he said , his voice trailing off .
The remaining two officers left abruptly when a white officer came over .
“ We up , ” one of the officers said to the two protesters as they walked away .

WASHINGTON — When a black Secret Service agent protecting the White House handed her white colleague a bottle of water, a protester yelled at her from 50 feet away, “I bet you get his lunch, too.”
That insult was not unusual. In another weekend incident, black men protecting the White House faced taunts from protesters calling them “slaves” and “house niggers.” Other protesters antagonized black law enforcement officers by calling them “Uncle Toms” for protecting President Donald Trump.
Across the country, protests have been marked by chants and confrontations, but the interactions between black protesters and black law enforcement officers have been especially complex.
One encounter during Saturday night’s protests stood out, going beyond those jabs into a deeper discussion about motives and beliefs, when four black law enforcement officers monitoring the protests near the White House told two young black men, “Everybody is not the same.”
“You’re a protester,” one of the black officers said to a young black man. “I’m not going to do anything because you’re protesting — but when you start burning stuff, doing crazy stuff, throwing stuff at people, what do you think you’re going to get back?”
The protester, who declined to be interviewed for this story, insisted the officer weigh in on the death of George Floyd, who was killed in police custody. “We’re talking about the incident that we’re protesting,” he said.
“Yes, we wear uniforms,” the officer responded. “Yes, we took an oath to do certain things, but we have feelings just like you. The thing about it is, just because we have this on doesn’t mean we don’t have an opinion about what happened. You are putting all of us in a bottle together. Everybody is not the same. That’s what you have to realize. You don’t know where I came from.”
A second black officer interjected.
“Hold up. Hold up. Hold up. You don’t think that don’t affect us — somebody that looks like us that’s hurt like that. But y’all come out here calling us slaves,” he said.
“We have an opinion just like you,” the first black police officer told the protesters.
At this point, each officer seemed resolved to convince the young men that not only were they insulted by some of the rhetoric coming from black protesters, but they were on the same side of the argument. “Do we think what happened was right? No.”
A third officer chimed in, “I’ve been a cop for a long time. My little brother’s a cop. My father retired as a cop. My uncle — cops all over — we got feelings too.”
One of the protesters responded that he also had police officers in his family, one of whom had left the police force because he felt he was “complicit in the wrong things,” he said.
After an officer suggested lawyers and doctors face the same scrutiny as police officers. The protester shot back. “Yeah. Sure, but if a lawyer fuck up, everyone’s going to say it’s wrong. If a doctor fuck up, other docs say it’s wrong, and they’re going to take his license. When this happens with police officers, everybody just…,” he said, his voice trailing off.
The remaining two officers left abruptly when a white officer came over. “We up,” one of the officers said to the two protesters as they walked away.