hotair--2020-06-03--"Vigilante justice" in Philadelphia

"Vigilante justice" in Philadelphia

Given what ’ s been transpiring out on the streets of our major cities over the past several nights , I ’ m honestly surprised that we haven ’ t seen more of this .
The story in question takes place in Philadelphia , another metropolitan center that ’ s been under siege with riots , arson and looting going on under the pretense of protesting racism .
Early yesterday morning , well before dawn , 67-year-old Greg Isabella was facing a dangerous situation .
He ’ s the owner of a gun store in the City of Brotherly Love @ @ @ @ @ @ @ night in his shop because rioters had already been attempting to break into his place of business .
This time they succeeded , using bolt cutters to break through his back gate before breaking down one of his doors and entering .
They made their way upstairs to a room where Isabella was waiting for them .
One of the looters pointed a handgun at the shop owner .
It turned out to be the last mistake he would ever make .
( Washington Examiner ) A looter in Pennsylvania was met with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after attempting to steal from his shop .
Early Tuesday morning , Greg Isabella , owner of Firing Line gun shop in Philadelphia , was forced to defend himself after a looter allegedly attempted to break into his business and pointed a handgun at him , according to authorities .
“ One of the individuals that broke into the property , pointed a handgun at him , ” said Chief Inspector Scott Smalls to local media .
“ And that ’ s when the store owner fired his own weapon — striking the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the head , and he collapsed , dropping his gun between his legs.
” We should first point out for the umpteenth time that if you ’ re the sort of person that thinks attempting to rob a gun shop is a nifty idea , you probably weren ’ t adding much to the gene pool in terms of IQ points anyway .
This was just a classic case of Darwin in action .
Isabella was holding an M-4 and was able to get off a shot to the head before the looter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ handgun .
The other burglars fled the building , apparently deciding that discretion was the better part of valor for the moment .
Thankfully , nobody is talking about filing any charges against the shop owner at this point , but city officials were definitely looking into it .
The real disappointment was the initial reaction from both Mayor Jim Kenney and Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw , both of whom we ’ ve dealt with here in the past .
Kenney told the press that he was “ deeply troubled ” by these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , saying “ We do not endorse or condone any form of vigilante justice or taking the law into one ’ s own hands.
” Seriously ?
“ Vigilante justice ?
” The guy was in his own shop by himself when multiple criminals broke into the building and one pointed a gun at him .
What is it about this scenario that makes the term vigilante justice in any way appropriate ?
Mr. Isabella did not go out looking for trouble .
Trouble came looking for him and he was ready for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Jim Kenney and Danielle Outlaw have been on a mission to “ empty the jails ” since well before the pandemic started .
They were flooding the streets with criminals , many of whom are now clearly taking advantage of the mayhem in the streets to go out and enrich themselves while tearing down civil society .
Perhaps they wouldn ’ t need to worry about whether or not a legitimate business owner shot an armed , predatory looter if they were doing their jobs , maintaining order and keeping the city @ @ @ @ @ @ @ criminals .
There was no vigilante justice going on in the Firing Line gun shop on Tuesday morning .
There was only justice .
The precise form of justice that the city ’ s leaders are currently failing to provide for their law-abiding citizens .

Given what’s been transpiring out on the streets of our major cities over the past several nights, I’m honestly surprised that we haven’t seen more of this. The story in question takes place in Philadelphia, another metropolitan center that’s been under siege with riots, arson and looting going on under the pretense of protesting racism.
Early yesterday morning, well before dawn, 67-year-old Greg Isabella was facing a dangerous situation. He’s the owner of a gun store in the City of Brotherly Love and he had taken to spending the night in his shop because rioters had already been attempting to break into his place of business. This time they succeeded, using bolt cutters to break through his back gate before breaking down one of his doors and entering. They made their way upstairs to a room where Isabella was waiting for them. One of the looters pointed a handgun at the shop owner. It turned out to be the last mistake he would ever make. (Washington Examiner)
A looter in Pennsylvania was met with deadly force by a gun store owner after attempting to steal from his shop. Early Tuesday morning, Greg Isabella, owner of Firing Line gun shop in Philadelphia, was forced to defend himself after a looter allegedly attempted to break into his business and pointed a handgun at him, according to authorities. “One of the individuals that broke into the property, pointed a handgun at him,” said Chief Inspector Scott Smalls to local media. “And that’s when the store owner fired his own weapon — striking the one perpetrator at least one time in the head, and he collapsed, dropping his gun between his legs.”
We should first point out for the umpteenth time that if you’re the sort of person that thinks attempting to rob a gun shop is a nifty idea, you probably weren’t adding much to the gene pool in terms of IQ points anyway. This was just a classic case of Darwin in action. Isabella was holding an M-4 and was able to get off a shot to the head before the looter could get off a round with his handgun. The other burglars fled the building, apparently deciding that discretion was the better part of valor for the moment.
Thankfully, nobody is talking about filing any charges against the shop owner at this point, but city officials were definitely looking into it. The real disappointment was the initial reaction from both Mayor Jim Kenney and Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw, both of whom we’ve dealt with here in the past. Kenney told the press that he was “deeply troubled” by these events. The Police Commissioner went further, saying “We do not endorse or condone any form of vigilante justice or taking the law into one’s own hands.”
Seriously? “Vigilante justice?” The guy was in his own shop by himself when multiple criminals broke into the building and one pointed a gun at him. What is it about this scenario that makes the term vigilante justice in any way appropriate? Mr. Isabella did not go out looking for trouble. Trouble came looking for him and he was ready for it.
Let’s not forget that Jim Kenney and Danielle Outlaw have been on a mission to “empty the jails” since well before the pandemic started. They were flooding the streets with criminals, many of whom are now clearly taking advantage of the mayhem in the streets to go out and enrich themselves while tearing down civil society. Perhaps they wouldn’t need to worry about whether or not a legitimate business owner shot an armed, predatory looter if they were doing their jobs, maintaining order and keeping the city’s residents and businesses safe from criminals.
There was no vigilante justice going on in the Firing Line gun shop on Tuesday morning. There was only justice. The precise form of justice that the city’s leaders are currently failing to provide for their law-abiding citizens.


hotair--2020-06-03--NYC Council "shocked" by curfew announcement

If the dynamic duo of Governor Andrew Cuomo and NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio could possibly figure out a worse way to respond to the riots than they ’ ve managed thus far , I can ’ t imagine what it would be .
After essentially letting the city burn for three straight nights , they made an announcement on Tuesday afternoon that there would be a curfew all across the five boroughs starting at 11 pm last night .
While an enforceable curfew might have been a good idea ( assuming you could figure out a way to actually @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such short notice caught everyone off guard .
This included members of the City Council who quickly took to social media to express their feelings about being left entirely out of the loop while the decision was being made .
( NY Post ) City and state lawmakers were stunned by Monday ’ s shock announcement from Gov .
Andrew Cuomo and Mayor Bill de Blasio that the Big Apple would be placed under an 11pm curfew following days of protests and unrest across the city .
“ The fact that city food @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shelves are messaging me frantically right now not sure if they can work tonight with the abruptly announced city curfew tells you a lot about the state of government right now , ” tweeted Councilman Mark Treyger ( D-Brooklyn ) .
“ It ’ s amazing when as an elected you find out that your neighborhood is going on lockdown because of Twitter , ” wrote Assemblywoman Catalina Cruz ( D-Queens ) .
“ Not because the Mayor or the Gov ’ s teams give you a heads up… and it ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blame each other for the decision.
” Other Council members weighed in with their own disappointment in having to find out about such a major decision on the news or through social media .
The number of disruptions the curfew would cause to what remains of the normal flow of business and commerce in the city quickly became the focus of debate online .
Of course , the curfew didn ’ t wind up changing much of anything .
The streets were still packed last night , though with a somewhat reduced amount @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was true across most of the major cities .
It is perhaps a sign of growing fatigue among both the protesters and the rioters or looters more so than any orders given by the state and municipal governments .
And do you know why the curfew orders didn ’ t work ?
Because the people most likely to obey rules handed down from the government were already at home and sheltering in place or only leaving their homes on essential business .
Now take a guess who the people are who go out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , smash windows and steal everything from the stores .
It ’ s the people who don ’ t tend to follow the rules and will break the law when they know they have the cops massively outnumbered and can probably get away with it .
If this paragraph were a tweet I would have included a “ No Duh ” graphic .
What ’ s perhaps more interesting in all of this is the way we ’ re seeing the various executive offices currently wielding authoritarian power starting to go after each @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Cuomo and de Blasio have already been at each other ’ s throats for a few days now .
The city has been imploding and all of the executive orders in the world weren ’ t doing much of anything to restore order .
Rather than taking responsibility or coming up with a workable plan , the Governor and the Mayor turned to traditional finger-pointing , laying the blame at each other ’ s feet .
At the same time , we ’ re finally seeing some pushback from the elected legislators @ @ @ @ @ @ @ process as all of these executive orders are handed down during a declared state of emergency .
It ’ s bad enough that so many rules are being put in place without a vote ever being taken to approve new laws .
But now the rules are being handed down without any of them being consulted on the matter .
This is an undemocratic process and it ’ s obviously not sustainable in the long run .
I still believe New York City is going to pull out of this nosedive , though @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the moment .
Perhaps I ’ m just too much of an optimist at heart .
New Yorkers are a tough lot and they ’ ve taken it on the chin many times in the past but always somehow found a way to pull through .
But when they do , I ’ m pretty sure it won ’ t be because of the leadership of Bill de Blasio .

If the dynamic duo of Governor Andrew Cuomo and NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio could possibly figure out a worse way to respond to the riots than they’ve managed thus far, I can’t imagine what it would be. After essentially letting the city burn for three straight nights, they made an announcement on Tuesday afternoon that there would be a curfew all across the five boroughs starting at 11 pm last night. While an enforceable curfew might have been a good idea (assuming you could figure out a way to actually enforce it), announcing it on such short notice caught everyone off guard. This included members of the City Council who quickly took to social media to express their feelings about being left entirely out of the loop while the decision was being made. (NY Post)
City and state lawmakers were stunned by Monday’s shock announcement from Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Mayor Bill de Blasio that the Big Apple would be placed under an 11pm curfew following days of protests and unrest across the city. “The fact that city food delivery workers who work overnight to restock shelves are messaging me frantically right now not sure if they can work tonight with the abruptly announced city curfew tells you a lot about the state of government right now,” tweeted Councilman Mark Treyger (D-Brooklyn). “It’s amazing when as an elected you find out that your neighborhood is going on lockdown because of Twitter,” wrote Assemblywoman Catalina Cruz (D-Queens). “Not because the Mayor or the Gov’s teams give you a heads up… and it’s even better when you ask and they blame each other for the decision.”
Other Council members weighed in with their own disappointment in having to find out about such a major decision on the news or through social media. The number of disruptions the curfew would cause to what remains of the normal flow of business and commerce in the city quickly became the focus of debate online.
Of course, the curfew didn’t wind up changing much of anything. The streets were still packed last night, though with a somewhat reduced amount of burning and looting. But that was true across most of the major cities. It is perhaps a sign of growing fatigue among both the protesters and the rioters or looters more so than any orders given by the state and municipal governments.
And do you know why the curfew orders didn’t work? Because the people most likely to obey rules handed down from the government were already at home and sheltering in place or only leaving their homes on essential business. Now take a guess who the people are who go out to form large gatherings and set fires, smash windows and steal everything from the stores. It’s the people who don’t tend to follow the rules and will break the law when they know they have the cops massively outnumbered and can probably get away with it. If this paragraph were a tweet I would have included a “No Duh” graphic.
What’s perhaps more interesting in all of this is the way we’re seeing the various executive offices currently wielding authoritarian power starting to go after each other. As Ed Morrissey noted yesterday, Cuomo and de Blasio have already been at each other’s throats for a few days now. The city has been imploding and all of the executive orders in the world weren’t doing much of anything to restore order. Rather than taking responsibility or coming up with a workable plan, the Governor and the Mayor turned to traditional finger-pointing, laying the blame at each other’s feet.
At the same time, we’re finally seeing some pushback from the elected legislators who have been shut out of the process as all of these executive orders are handed down during a declared state of emergency. It’s bad enough that so many rules are being put in place without a vote ever being taken to approve new laws. But now the rules are being handed down without any of them being consulted on the matter. This is an undemocratic process and it’s obviously not sustainable in the long run.
I still believe New York City is going to pull out of this nosedive, though I couldn’t tell you how at the moment. Perhaps I’m just too much of an optimist at heart. New Yorkers are a tough lot and they’ve taken it on the chin many times in the past but always somehow found a way to pull through. But when they do, I’m pretty sure it won’t be because of the leadership of Bill de Blasio.


hotair--2020-06-03--Riot charges in MN sure look local -- and leftist

Just who are behind the violence , arson , and rioting in the streets in Minneapolis and other major cities ?
It ’ s not entirely clear yet what the precise mix is , but at least here in the Twin Cities , what is becoming clear that it ’ s not just “ outside agitators ” who are stirring the pot , as Governor Tim Walz and the two mayors claimed early on but were later forced to retract .
The Department of Justice did charge one Illinois man , Matthew Lee Rupert , with crossing state lines to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ serious arrests in the last 24 hours all involve Minnesota locals .
The Star Tribune notes this morning that the actual record on arrests “ conflicts ” with the outside-agitators narrative pushed by Minnesota ’ s leadership .
For instance , a traffic stop of a no-license-plate prowling car turned up three Minnesotans , not outsiders — and not “ white supremacists , ” either : In warning that “ outside agitators ” had infiltrated local protests over the death of George Floyd , a black man killed by Minneapolis police , state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , including cars stripped of their license plates driving around town .
But at least one case charged Tuesday in Hennepin County District Court showed that a group of mostly local young men were riding in one of the mysterious vehicles .
Police allegedly recovered two guns , a hammer and an “ electric grinding tool ” from the men .
Authorities charged Junior G. Smith , 24 , of Rochester ; Augustine Z. Livingstone , 22 , of Ramsey , Minn. ; and Peter Shin , 29 , of St. Paul .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of one of these suspects also dispels another meme floating around the media .
Augustine Z. Livingstone ’ s Facebook page has a fresh note up overnight acknowledging his “ legal matters , ” and a perusal of his other posts and interests make it very clear that he had been involved in the unrest for quite some time .
It ’ s also clear that Livingstone ’ s no “ white supremacist , ” let alone a neo-Civil War “ boogaloo , ” a term that has suddenly sprung into fashion over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s a pretty fair guess that Livingstone ’ s partners in alleged crime weren ’ t white supremacists , either .
Not that Livingstone ’ s dispensing with the meme , at least through his friends .
A GoFundMe page for the trio claims that police arrested them “ after peacefully protesting & being chased by the KKK.
” In a car with no plates ?
And peacefully protesting with two guns and a “ grinding tool ” ?
The idea that three young men with sufficient self-defense tools could be “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is outright laughable , especially young men who just spent several days at least in the midst of the rioting .
Two more Minnesotans got charged yesterday with firebombing a courthouse in the suburbs , this time in federal court .
These don ’ t appear to be white supremacists any more than they appear to be “ outside agitators , ” either .
Nor do they appear to be particularly bright : Two Minnesota men threw Molotov cocktails into Dakota County courthouse buildings early Friday during rioting that stretched across the Twin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s death in police custody , according to charges unsealed Tuesday in the U.S. District Court for Minnesota .
According to charges unsealed Tuesday in U.S. District Court in St. Paul , Fornandous Cortez Henderson , 32 , of Savage , and Garrett Patrick Ziegler , 24 , of Long Lake , threw the explosive materials .
Each was charged with destruction of property used in interstate commerce and possession of Molotov cocktails .
… Officers found a set of car keys in the grass near the building that belonged to a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had been parked in a nearby parking lot .
A search of the car uncovered materials that could be used to make fire bombs , according to the charges .
After dousing the fire , authorities found Ziegler and Henderson on a road nearby and arrested them .
The two suspects gave false statements to the officers , according to the charges .
Again , Facebook footprints ( matched against booking photos ) don ’ t paint a picture of people who follow white-supremacist leadership .
It ’ s worth noting that arrests @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prosecutors have to prove these charges in court .
However , the dearth of arrests involving outsiders or white supremacists thus far seems to put paid to the idea that the riots are some kind of far-right reaction to the death of George Floyd .
Even the Southern Poverty Law Center , a hard-left outfit itself , sees no evidence of white supremacists in the riot mix , as the New York Times reported earlier this week : There will be no small amount of people eating their words in Minnesota in days @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , they can thank their feckless leadership , including Walz , Minneapolis mayor Jacob Frey , and Saint Paul mayor Melvin Carter for airing unsubstantiated rumors as fact and for flat-out lying about the nature of arrests in the riots .

Just who are behind the violence, arson, and rioting in the streets in Minneapolis and other major cities? It’s not entirely clear yet what the precise mix is, but at least here in the Twin Cities, what is becoming clear that it’s not just “outside agitators” who are stirring the pot, as Governor Tim Walz and the two mayors claimed early on but were later forced to retract. The Department of Justice did charge one Illinois man, Matthew Lee Rupert, with crossing state lines to riot, but the rest of the serious arrests in the last 24 hours all involve Minnesota locals.
The Star Tribune notes this morning that the actual record on arrests “conflicts” with the outside-agitators narrative pushed by Minnesota’s leadership. For instance, a traffic stop of a no-license-plate prowling car turned up three Minnesotans, not outsiders — and not “white supremacists,” either:
In warning that “outside agitators” had infiltrated local protests over the death of George Floyd, a black man killed by Minneapolis police, state officials outlined a list of concerning developments, including cars stripped of their license plates driving around town. But at least one case charged Tuesday in Hennepin County District Court showed that a group of mostly local young men were riding in one of the mysterious vehicles. Police allegedly recovered two guns, a hammer and an “electric grinding tool” from the men. Authorities charged Junior G. Smith, 24, of Rochester; Augustine Z. Livingstone, 22, of Ramsey, Minn.; and Peter Shin, 29, of St. Paul.
A quick peek at the social-media footprint of one of these suspects also dispels another meme floating around the media. Augustine Z. Livingstone’s Facebook page has a fresh note up overnight acknowledging his “legal matters,” and a perusal of his other posts and interests make it very clear that he had been involved in the unrest for quite some time. It’s also clear that Livingstone’s no “white supremacist,” let alone a neo-Civil War “boogaloo,” a term that has suddenly sprung into fashion over the last couple of weeks. It’s a pretty fair guess that Livingstone’s partners in alleged crime weren’t white supremacists, either.
Not that Livingstone’s dispensing with the meme, at least through his friends. A GoFundMe page for the trio claims that police arrested them “after peacefully protesting & being chased by the KKK.” In a car with no plates? And peacefully protesting with two guns and a “grinding tool”? The idea that three young men with sufficient self-defense tools could be “chased by the KKK” in Minnesota is outright laughable, especially young men who just spent several days at least in the midst of the rioting.
Two more Minnesotans got charged yesterday with firebombing a courthouse in the suburbs, this time in federal court. These don’t appear to be white supremacists any more than they appear to be “outside agitators,” either. Nor do they appear to be particularly bright:
Two Minnesota men threw Molotov cocktails into Dakota County courthouse buildings early Friday during rioting that stretched across the Twin Cities in the aftermath of George Floyd’s death in police custody, according to charges unsealed Tuesday in the U.S. District Court for Minnesota. According to charges unsealed Tuesday in U.S. District Court in St. Paul, Fornandous Cortez Henderson, 32, of Savage, and Garrett Patrick Ziegler, 24, of Long Lake, threw the explosive materials. Each was charged with destruction of property used in interstate commerce and possession of Molotov cocktails. … Officers found a set of car keys in the grass near the building that belonged to a Ford Fiesta registered to Ziegler, which had been parked in a nearby parking lot. A search of the car uncovered materials that could be used to make fire bombs, according to the charges. After dousing the fire, authorities found Ziegler and Henderson on a road nearby and arrested them. The two suspects gave false statements to the officers, according to the charges.
Again, Facebook footprints (matched against booking photos) don’t paint a picture of people who follow white-supremacist leadership.
It’s worth noting that arrests and indictments are not convictions, and prosecutors have to prove these charges in court. However, the dearth of arrests involving outsiders or white supremacists thus far seems to put paid to the idea that the riots are some kind of far-right reaction to the death of George Floyd. Even the Southern Poverty Law Center, a hard-left outfit itself, sees no evidence of white supremacists in the riot mix, as the New York Times reported earlier this week:
Signs of any organized effort or even participation in the violence were relatively rare. “I have not seen any clear evidence that white supremacists or militiamen are masking up and going out to burn and loot,” said Howard Graves, a research analyst at the Southern Poverty Law Center who tracks white supremacist and other anti-government extremist groups.
There will be no small amount of people eating their words in Minnesota in days to come. For that, though, they can thank their feckless leadership, including Walz, Minneapolis mayor Jacob Frey, and Saint Paul mayor Melvin Carter for airing unsubstantiated rumors as fact and for flat-out lying about the nature of arrests in the riots.


hotair--2020-06-03--Nickelodeon enters the BLM protests, Parents react quickly to PSA

It ’ s nothing usual for a television network to push a narrative centered around a social justice issue .
However , when a television network built on the viewership of children gets overtly politically active , there ’ s going to be a backlash .
The executives at Nickelodeon are no doubt scrambling today to put out a few fires of their own making .
ViacomCBS owns Nickelodeon .
On Monday some of its outlets went black for 8 minutes and 46 seconds to commemorate the death of George Floyd , including some heaving breathing in the background .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ off-air with this PSA , kids were watching 8 minutes and 46 seconds of a black background with the words “ I can ’ t breathe ” in white pulsing to the breathing .
Also , text appeared encouraging texting in support of calling on “ public officials across the country to take real action.
” The company posted a tweet about the PSA .
It ’ s unclear if they did so to justify the action after some blowback or if they were simply wanting to jump on the bandwagon of other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Black Lives Matter .
As you can imagine , many parents didn ’ t appreciate their children being dragged into a political movement .
It ’ s been many years since our house watched Nickelodeon on a daily basis as happened when our son was young but I can imagine how some parents must have felt .
Nickelodeon is the network of SpongeBob Squarepants , Doug , Angry Beavers , and CatDog , to name a few that were popular in our house back in the day .
How about letting parents teach @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of being lectured by a television network , along with the sound of heavy breathing to make it a scary-sounding PSA ?
Remember , on the West Coast , it would have aired in the late afternoon or the middle of the afternoon , depending on where in the country you live .
It also included a “ Declaration of Kids ’ Rights ” .
During the moment , which started at 3 p.m. PT ( 6 p.m .
ET ) , the screen went orange with a “ Declaration of Kids ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ You have the right to be seen , heard , and respected as a citizen of the world .
You have the right to a world that is peaceful .
You have the right to be treated with equality , regardless of the color of your skin .
You have the right to be protected from harm , injustice , and hatred .
You have the right to an education that prepares you to run the world .
You have the right to your opinions and feelings , even if others don ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ signaled its support of # BlackoutTuesday on Monday , too .
# BlackoutTuesday was a chance for those wanting to show their support for Black Lives Matter by posting a black square instead of a photo on Instagram .
The idea was for people to not be promoting themselves or their businesses for a day .
It initially began within the music industry but soon spread to other celebrities and public figures .
Even the lesser-known Trump daughter participated .
She included a quote from Helen Keller with her post .
Activists encouraged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ BLM or BlackLivesMatter in order to keep separate the # BlackoutTuesday posts from other information being posted on social media about protests and marches using those hashtags .
Television networks frequently use popular shows to present a point of view for young adults and teens .
It ’ s usually a liberal point of view .
The CW and Freeform ( formerly the Disney Family Network ) , for example , are known for doing it .
Both networks have primetime shows that regularly portray police officers and also ICE agents in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ immigration .

It’s nothing usual for a television network to push a narrative centered around a social justice issue. However, when a television network built on the viewership of children gets overtly politically active, there’s going to be a backlash. The executives at Nickelodeon are no doubt scrambling today to put out a few fires of their own making.
ViacomCBS owns Nickelodeon. On Monday some of its outlets went black for 8 minutes and 46 seconds to commemorate the death of George Floyd, including some heaving breathing in the background. It happened at 5:00 p.m. By going off-air with this PSA, kids were watching 8 minutes and 46 seconds of a black background with the words “I can’t breathe” in white pulsing to the breathing. Also, text appeared encouraging texting in support of calling on “public officials across the country to take real action.”
The company posted a tweet about the PSA. It’s unclear if they did so to justify the action after some blowback or if they were simply wanting to jump on the bandwagon of other entertainment outlets making statements in support of Black Lives Matter.
At 5 p.m. today, many of our #ViacomCBS brands went dark for 8 minutes and 46 seconds to commemorate victims of police brutality, like #GeorgeFloyd. We stand united against racism, discrimination, and senseless violence. #BlackLivesMatter — ViacomCBS (@ViacomCBS) June 1, 2020
As you can imagine, many parents didn’t appreciate their children being dragged into a political movement. It’s been many years since our house watched Nickelodeon on a daily basis as happened when our son was young but I can imagine how some parents must have felt. Nickelodeon is the network of SpongeBob Squarepants, Doug, Angry Beavers, and CatDog, to name a few that were popular in our house back in the day. How about letting parents teach their children about race and equality instead of being lectured by a television network, along with the sound of heavy breathing to make it a scary-sounding PSA? Remember, on the West Coast, it would have aired in the late afternoon or the middle of the afternoon, depending on where in the country you live. It also included a “Declaration of Kids’ Rights”.
During the moment, which started at 3 p.m. PT (6 p.m. ET), the screen went orange with a “Declaration of Kids’ Rights,” which read: “You have the right to be seen, heard, and respected as a citizen of the world. You have the right to a world that is peaceful. You have the right to be treated with equality, regardless of the color of your skin. You have the right to be protected from harm, injustice, and hatred. You have the right to an education that prepares you to run the world. You have the right to your opinions and feelings, even if others don’t agree with them.”
we are all part of the change #blacklivesmatter
✊🏿✊🏾✊🏽✊🏼✊🏻 pic.twitter.com/Y3Fzvob54X — Nickelodeon (@Nickelodeon) June 1, 2020
The company signaled its support of #BlackoutTuesday on Monday, too.
Tomorrow, for #BlackOutTuesday, #ViacomCBS will be on pause as we reflect on recent events. Our focus will shift from building business to building community, moving from conversation to action, and sparking real change in the fight against racial injustice. #BlackLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/AyAgwGqJFm — ViacomCBS (@ViacomCBS) June 2, 2020
#BlackoutTuesday was a chance for those wanting to show their support for Black Lives Matter by posting a black square instead of a photo on Instagram. The idea was for people to not be promoting themselves or their businesses for a day. It initially began within the music industry but soon spread to other celebrities and public figures. Even the lesser-known Trump daughter participated. She included a quote from Helen Keller with her post.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CA8DwLPhNPe/
The movement spread to social media, with many posting black squares on their Instagram and Facebook accounts to show support. Celebrities such as NBA star LeBron James, actor John Boyega and singer Katy Perry were among those who joined in, as did President Donald Trump’s daughter Tiffany. Singer Rihanna posted that her Fenty beauty empire wouldn’t be conducting any business on Tuesday. And Pro Football Talk reported that the Chicago Bears had canceled all player and team meetings to mark the day.
Activists encouraged people not to use the hashtags of BLM or BlackLivesMatter in order to keep separate the #BlackoutTuesday posts from other information being posted on social media about protests and marches using those hashtags.
Television networks frequently use popular shows to present a point of view for young adults and teens. It’s usually a liberal point of view. The CW and Freeform (formerly the Disney Family Network), for example, are known for doing it. Both networks have primetime shows that regularly portray police officers and also ICE agents in a bad light, especially to normalize illegal immigration.


hotair--2020-06-04--Missouri: That Lake of the Ozarks party didn't move the COVID-19 needle after all

This has gotten a lot of attention today on social media , but it seems a bit premature — although not as premature as the media meltdown over the Lake of the Ozarks parties on Memorial Day .
Remember the pictures and aerial video of the crowded shores and the large numbers of people in the water , and the predictions of pandemic doom ?
That was then … this is now .
Missouri ’ s top health official declared yesterday that they have detected no uptick in COVID-19 diagnoses since then : The large crowds of people at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weekend have not led to any more reported cases of COVID-19 , Missouri ’ s top health official health department said Wednesday .
“ The answer , to our knowledge , is no , ” Dr. Randall Williams , director of the Department of Health and Senior Services , said when asked whether more cases have come from the gatherings , photos of which showed throngs of people close together without wearing masks .
… Over the past month , Parson also said , statewide hospitalizations for COVID-19 have dropped by more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not overwhelmed .
Our positivity rate continues to decline .
People are recovering , and we are moving forward , ” he said .
Hospital admissions and hospitalizations for COVID-19 continue to drop in the St. Louis area , according to data reported Wednesday by the St. Louis Metropolitan Pandemic Task Force .
Don ’ t get me wrong ; this is great news … so far .
But isn ’ t it a wee bit early to pop the corks on the COVID-19 champagne here ?
Memorial Day was just ten days @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after possible exposure has usually been given as two weeks .
That ’ s not a hard and fast rule , of course ; in Iowa , they ’ re isolating for a week on possible exposures : Four student-athletes from two different sports at Iowa State are in quarantine and awaiting COVID-19 test results after experiencing symptoms and being in close contact with individuals outside of the athletics department who have been infected by the virus , the school announced Wednesday .
… “ This certainly is not a great surprise , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our plan to isolate infected individuals , continually communicate and educate our student-athletes and staff on proper hygiene , ongoing efforts to thoroughly sanitize our facilities , and implement other strategies as necessary , will allow us to ultimately be successful in mitigating the impact of the virus.
” Any staff or student athlete at Iowa State with a positive test will be restricted from the department facilities for an extended period of time ( three to six weeks ) .
Individuals who have been in close contact with an infected individual in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ symptoms , will be isolated for one week followed by more testing .
For most of the crisis , though , two weeks has been the gold standard against potential incubation after possible exposure to COVID-19 .
Missouri could still see a late bump in cases from the Lake of the Ozarks free-for-all , but we should know for sure by next week .
For now , though , the lack of any impact at all strongly suggests that either no one showed up at the event as a carrier , or that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a risk in any density , perhaps especially when the sun is shining .
Ultraviolet light has a significant impact on viruses , and that ’ s why one of the strategies for dealing with it indoors is to find a safe version of UV that can be deployed in buildings .
Assuming we don ’ t see much impact from the non-social-distancing Memorial Day get-together at the Lake of the Ozarks , what does that tell us about the shutdowns ?
For that matter , what does it tell us about the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in major cities , some of it at night when there is no UV light to cleanse the virus ?
Jonah Goldberg sees it as a lose-lose for the liberal shut-commerce-down mindset , even if it wasn ’ t completely incorrect : Pretty much , yes , in part because public health officials used a sledgehammer when a scalpel might have been more useful .
In the first couple of weeks , we didn ’ t have enough information to distinguish that , but that ended two months ago .
The “ seasonality @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that time if not before for most of the country , especially outdoors , and yet we ’ ve locked everyone inside their homes .
Now the same people who screeched hysterically about the public-health risks of a day at the Lake of the Ozarks have barely said a word about high-density public demonstrations stretching on for more than a week in major cities , even at night .
That will make a whole lot more people suspect that public health wasn ’ t the driving priority behind the shutdowns all along .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ those are the impressions that get created when double standards come into play .

This has gotten a lot of attention today on social media, but it seems a bit premature — although not as premature as the media meltdown over the Lake of the Ozarks parties on Memorial Day. Remember the pictures and aerial video of the crowded shores and the large numbers of people in the water, and the predictions of pandemic doom?
That was then … this is now. Missouri’s top health official declared yesterday that they have detected no uptick in COVID-19 diagnoses since then:
The large crowds of people at the Lake of the Ozarks over Memorial Day weekend have not led to any more reported cases of COVID-19, Missouri’s top health official health department said Wednesday. “The answer, to our knowledge, is no,” Dr. Randall Williams, director of the Department of Health and Senior Services, said when asked whether more cases have come from the gatherings, photos of which showed throngs of people close together without wearing masks. … Over the past month, Parson also said, statewide hospitalizations for COVID-19 have dropped by more than 40%. “Our hospitals are not overwhelmed. Our positivity rate continues to decline. People are recovering, and we are moving forward,” he said. Hospital admissions and hospitalizations for COVID-19 continue to drop in the St. Louis area, according to data reported Wednesday by the St. Louis Metropolitan Pandemic Task Force.
Don’t get me wrong; this is great news … so far. But isn’t it a wee bit early to pop the corks on the COVID-19 champagne here? Memorial Day was just ten days ago, and the basic quarantine period after possible exposure has usually been given as two weeks. That’s not a hard and fast rule, of course; in Iowa, they’re isolating for a week on possible exposures:
Four student-athletes from two different sports at Iowa State are in quarantine and awaiting COVID-19 test results after experiencing symptoms and being in close contact with individuals outside of the athletics department who have been infected by the virus, the school announced Wednesday. … “This certainly is not a great surprise,” Pollard said. “We believe our plan to isolate infected individuals, continually communicate and educate our student-athletes and staff on proper hygiene, ongoing efforts to thoroughly sanitize our facilities, and implement other strategies as necessary, will allow us to ultimately be successful in mitigating the impact of the virus.” Any staff or student athlete at Iowa State with a positive test will be restricted from the department facilities for an extended period of time (three to six weeks). Individuals who have been in close contact with an infected individual in the 48 hours leading up to their symptoms, will be isolated for one week followed by more testing.
For most of the crisis, though, two weeks has been the gold standard against potential incubation after possible exposure to COVID-19. Missouri could still see a late bump in cases from the Lake of the Ozarks free-for-all, but we should know for sure by next week. For now, though, the lack of any impact at all strongly suggests that either no one showed up at the event as a carrier, or that outdoor transmission isn’t much of a risk in any density, perhaps especially when the sun is shining. Ultraviolet light has a significant impact on viruses, and that’s why one of the strategies for dealing with it indoors is to find a safe version of UV that can be deployed in buildings.
Assuming we don’t see much impact from the non-social-distancing Memorial Day get-together at the Lake of the Ozarks, what does that tell us about the shutdowns? For that matter, what does it tell us about the George Floyd protests and riots taking place in major cities, some of it at night when there is no UV light to cleanse the virus? Jonah Goldberg sees it as a lose-lose for the liberal shut-commerce-down mindset, even if it wasn’t completely incorrect:
So, if we don't see a big spike in Covid19 after the abandonment of social distancing by protestors, no one will believe public health officials again (even if seasonality explains it). If we do see a big spike, well, then a big chunk of the shut down was wasted. Am I right? — Jonah Goldberg (@JonahDispatch) June 4, 2020
Pretty much, yes, in part because public health officials used a sledgehammer when a scalpel might have been more useful. In the first couple of weeks, we didn’t have enough information to distinguish that, but that ended two months ago. The “seasonality” Jonah notes started at least at that time if not before for most of the country, especially outdoors, and yet we’ve locked everyone inside their homes. Now the same people who screeched hysterically about the public-health risks of a day at the Lake of the Ozarks have barely said a word about high-density public demonstrations stretching on for more than a week in major cities, even at night.
That will make a whole lot more people suspect that public health wasn’t the driving priority behind the shutdowns all along. That may not be correct, but those are the impressions that get created when double standards come into play.


hotair--2020-06-04--Trump summons campaign staff for meeting as polls show Biden's lead growing

Bloomberg has no specifics about what was said , but given the numbers lately , we can guess .
“ One of the people said it was expected to be a tense meeting , ” said the outlet , citing a source .
I ’ ll bet .
President Donald Trump summoned top political advisers including his re-election campaign manager , Brad Parscale , for a White House meeting on Thursday as his political standing erodes in key battleground states , according to people familiar with the matter .
Trump ’ s son-in-law and senior adviser , Jared Kushner , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his re-election effort , participated in the meeting , the people said , as did Deputy Campaign Manager Bill Stepien and Trump ’ s top pollster , Tony Fabrizio… Trump ’ s chief of staff Mark Meadows and Republican National Committee chairwoman Ronna McDaniel were also in the meeting .
I wonder what they talked about : Biden ’ s lead ticked down this morning to 7.2 points but the 7.8 percent margin he enjoyed yesterday was his biggest lead this year .
And those are just the national polls .
The president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ three state polls on him last night ranging from the bad but expected ( Biden leads by four in Arizona ) to the bad and unexpected ( Biden leads by two in Ohio ) to the out-and-out catastrophic ( Biden by nine in … Wisconsin ) .
Wisconsin is the reddest of the Rust Belt battlegrounds that went for Trump in 2016 , a state where his job approval is normally a bit better than it is nationally .
Fox ’ s result is an outlier — Biden led only narrowly in WI @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re a picking up an emerging Democratic trend in cheesehead country , the GOP ’ s going to get wiped out nationally this fall .
Although really , the Ohio result is just as bad as , if not worse than , the Wisconsin result .
Trump is faring about 10 points worse in both states right now than he did in 2016 ; he won Ohio going away that year , remember .
And Fox ’ s result might not be an outlier in this case .
Biden led by four in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and Trump led by just three in a third poll in May .
It ’ s reasonable to think that the toxic combination of the pandemic , economic collapse , and unrest over George Floyd ’ s death has momentarily made the state a toss-up .
If it ’ s still a toss-up in November then Trump is all but done .
The Times reports that his private polling is no better than the public stuff .
He didn ’ t call today ’ s meeting because he ’ s worried about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ called it because his own data is telling him that he ’ s losing .
In private polling conducted by Mr. Trump ’ s campaign , the president is now well behind Mr. Biden , according to people briefed on the most recent round of results .
Multiple public surveys this week have found Mr. Trump trailing Mr. Biden , the former vice president , by double-digit margins , including a Monmouth University poll published on Wednesday that showed Mr. Biden ahead by 11 percentage points… Mr. Trump ’ s belligerent response to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a black man , while in the custody of white police officers in Minneapolis , appears to have worsened his political position even further , officials in both parties said .
On an almost daily basis , he has issued a combination of wild threats and complaints about news media coverage and other personal grievances… Signs of anxiety inside the Trump team are evident across the electoral map .
Over the past few weeks , the president ’ s operation has spent about $ 1.7 million on advertising in just three states @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iowa and Arizona — that it had hoped would not be competitive at all this year .
Much of that sum went to a concentrated two-week barrage in Ohio , according to the media-tracking firm Advertising Analytics .
Trump is reportedly blaming his campaign for his slide rather than his own behavior , of course .
“ Biden has a team of killers and all I ’ ve got is a defense , ” he ’ s supposedly said of a Democratic operation that ’ s kept their guy locked in a basement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of its time running attack ads online that no one sees .
He ’ s not losing because Team Biden is a well-oiled machine .
He ’ s losing because he ’ s facing a trifecta of momentous social problems and seems either disengaged ( coronavirus ) , powerless to do much to help ( the economy ) , or on the brink of making things worse ( sending in the troops to quell looting ) .
The fact that his campaign is already spending money in Ohio and Iowa , which he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , is proof enough without any polling data that the map is trending blue right now .
His strategic challenge is that the sheer magnitude of the problems he ’ s suddenly facing has made it almost impossible to run an effective negative campaign against Biden .
No swing voter cares about Burisma or Tara Reade at this point .
Trump ’ s going to have to win people back by performing well .
I don ’ t know what he ’ s hoping or expecting that Brad Parscale can do in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to give him a boost later this summer when GDP starts growing again .
That ’ s the best argument against caring much about his current numbers — we know the country ’ s mood will improve before November , and as it does , so will his chances .
Here ’ s George Will last night foreseeing a Biden victory this fall .
“ I ’ m fairly confident that he will be defeated , Mr. Trump will be defeated , in the election , ” he says .
“ And the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will say , ‘ Trump ?
I don ’ t recognize the name . '
” That ’ s a nice thought but it ’ s not true .
Trump ’ s Twitter platform and cultish fan base will ensure that he ’ ll continue to exert influence over the GOP .
All of the younger Republicans planning to run in 2024 will take care to stay on his good side in order not to alienate his voters .
Donald Trump Jr seems to have political ambitions and may be a formidable candidate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump era doesn ’ t end when the Trump presidency does .
It ends when a new cult leader comes along .
Oh , by the way : The Fox poll of Arizona that I mentioned up top has Martha McSally trailing Mark Kelly by … 13 points .
A poll taken of the state last month also had her trailing by 13 .
She ’ s cooked .
The GOP shouldn ’ t spend another dime on her .

Bloomberg has no specifics about what was said, but given the numbers lately, we can guess.
“One of the people said it was expected to be a tense meeting,” said the outlet, citing a source. I’ll bet.
President Donald Trump summoned top political advisers including his re-election campaign manager, Brad Parscale, for a White House meeting on Thursday as his political standing erodes in key battleground states, according to people familiar with the matter. Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser, Jared Kushner, who is the de facto leader of his re-election effort, participated in the meeting, the people said, as did Deputy Campaign Manager Bill Stepien and Trump’s top pollster, Tony Fabrizio… Trump’s chief of staff Mark Meadows and Republican National Committee chairwoman Ronna McDaniel were also in the meeting.
I wonder what they talked about:
Biden's lead in the RCP National Average has bumped up to 7.8 points. pic.twitter.com/3GrHejdJQf — Tom Bevan (@TomBevanRCP) June 4, 2020
Biden’s lead ticked down this morning to 7.2 points but the 7.8 percent margin he enjoyed yesterday was his biggest lead this year. And those are just the national polls. The president’s friends at Fox News dropped three state polls on him last night ranging from the bad but expected (Biden leads by four in Arizona) to the bad and unexpected (Biden leads by two in Ohio) to the out-and-out catastrophic (Biden by nine in … Wisconsin). Wisconsin is the reddest of the Rust Belt battlegrounds that went for Trump in 2016, a state where his job approval is normally a bit better than it is nationally. Fox’s result is an outlier — Biden led only narrowly in WI in May — but if they’re a picking up an emerging Democratic trend in cheesehead country, the GOP’s going to get wiped out nationally this fall.
Although really, the Ohio result is just as bad as, if not worse than, the Wisconsin result. Trump is faring about 10 points worse in both states right now than he did in 2016; he won Ohio going away that year, remember. And Fox’s result might not be an outlier in this case. Biden led by four in a different poll of Ohio in March, and Trump led by just three in a third poll in May. It’s reasonable to think that the toxic combination of the pandemic, economic collapse, and unrest over George Floyd’s death has momentarily made the state a toss-up. If it’s still a toss-up in November then Trump is all but done.
The Times reports that his private polling is no better than the public stuff. He didn’t call today’s meeting because he’s worried about what the RealClearPolitics average is. He called it because his own data is telling him that he’s losing.
In private polling conducted by Mr. Trump’s campaign, the president is now well behind Mr. Biden, according to people briefed on the most recent round of results. Multiple public surveys this week have found Mr. Trump trailing Mr. Biden, the former vice president, by double-digit margins, including a Monmouth University poll published on Wednesday that showed Mr. Biden ahead by 11 percentage points… Mr. Trump’s belligerent response to protests after the killing of George Floyd, a black man, while in the custody of white police officers in Minneapolis, appears to have worsened his political position even further, officials in both parties said. On an almost daily basis, he has issued a combination of wild threats and complaints about news media coverage and other personal grievances… Signs of anxiety inside the Trump team are evident across the electoral map. Over the past few weeks, the president’s operation has spent about $1.7 million on advertising in just three states he carried in 2016 — Ohio, Iowa and Arizona — that it had hoped would not be competitive at all this year. Much of that sum went to a concentrated two-week barrage in Ohio, according to the media-tracking firm Advertising Analytics.
Trump is reportedly blaming his campaign for his slide rather than his own behavior, of course. “Biden has a team of killers and all I’ve got is a defense,” he’s supposedly said of a Democratic operation that’s kept their guy locked in a basement for three months and has spent most of its time running attack ads online that no one sees. He’s not losing because Team Biden is a well-oiled machine. He’s losing because he’s facing a trifecta of momentous social problems and seems either disengaged (coronavirus), powerless to do much to help (the economy), or on the brink of making things worse (sending in the troops to quell looting). The fact that his campaign is already spending money in Ohio and Iowa, which he won by 10 points four years ago, is proof enough without any polling data that the map is trending blue right now. His strategic challenge is that the sheer magnitude of the problems he’s suddenly facing has made it almost impossible to run an effective negative campaign against Biden. No swing voter cares about Burisma or Tara Reade at this point. Trump’s going to have to win people back by performing well. I don’t know what he’s hoping or expecting that Brad Parscale can do in the meantime.
The economy’s going to give him a boost later this summer when GDP starts growing again. That’s the best argument against caring much about his current numbers — we know the country’s mood will improve before November, and as it does, so will his chances.
Here’s George Will last night foreseeing a Biden victory this fall. “I’m fairly confident that he will be defeated, Mr. Trump will be defeated, in the election,” he says. “And the next morning, a lot of Republicans will say, ‘Trump? I don’t recognize the name.'” That’s a nice thought but it’s not true. Trump’s Twitter platform and cultish fan base will ensure that he’ll continue to exert influence over the GOP. All of the younger Republicans planning to run in 2024 will take care to stay on his good side in order not to alienate his voters. Donald Trump Jr seems to have political ambitions and may be a formidable candidate himself in the 2024 primaries. The Trump era doesn’t end when the Trump presidency does. It ends when a new cult leader comes along.
Oh, by the way: The Fox poll of Arizona that I mentioned up top has Martha McSally trailing Mark Kelly by … 13 points. A poll taken of the state last month also had her trailing by 13. She’s cooked. The GOP shouldn’t spend another dime on her.


hotair--2020-06-04--Progressives: When it comes to public health, social justice trumps social distancing

Jazz wrote about this issue earlier this week but it continues to amaze many people how quickly weeks of media hectoring about killing grandma have been abandoned now that there ’ s a populist left-wing cause that needs defending .
At first , you only saw these complaints mostly appearing on the right but slowly the rest of the media is catching up to the glaring hypocrisy .
Here ’ s Dan Diamond ’ s take at Politico : The experts maintain that their messages are consistent—that they were always flexible on Americans going outside , that they want protesters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re prioritizing public health by demanding an urgent fix to systemic racism .
But their messages are also confounding to many who spent the spring strictly isolated on the advice of health officials , only to hear that the need might not be so absolute after all .
It ’ s particularly nettlesome to conservative skeptics of the all-or-nothing approach to lockdown , whopoint out that many of those same public health experts—a group that tends to skew liberal—widely criticized activists who held largely outdoor protests against lockdowns in April and May , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ danger .
Conservatives , who felt their own concerns about long-term economic damage or even mental health costs of lockdown were brushed aside just days or weeks ago , are increasingly asking whether these public health experts are letting their politics sway their health care recommendations .
“ Their rules appear ideologically driven as people can only gather for purposes deemed important by the elite central planners , ” Brian Blase , who worked on health policy for the Trump administration , told me , an echo of complaints raised by prominent conservative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Carney… “ I think what ’ s lost on people is that there have been real sacrifices made during lockdown , ” [ Drew ] Holden told me .
“ People who couldn ’ t bury loved ones .
Small businesses destroyed .
How can a health expert look those people in the eye and say it was worth it now ?
” A couple of days ago Holden who works at the Hill , highlighted this in a Twitter thread that went viral .
His premise was simple : The same people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are now shrugging off the public health effects of large , daily protests by Black Lives Matter .
These are really just highlights from blue-checked individuals on the left , but I ’ ve seen hundreds of regular progressives on Twitter making these same arguments about right-wing protests .
Now that it ’ s BLM protesting , they aren ’ t complaining .
In fact , some on the left are preemptively saying it ’ s unfair of Trump ( or anyone ) to blame a future increase in coronavirus infections on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Conor Friedersdorf has a similar piece which points out the way in which public health officials are suddenly making clearly political ( and partisan ) arguments .
He concludes this will only wind up degrading the credibility of those experts .
He ’ s right of course .
Health officials have no right to decide that social justice trumps social distancing .
That ’ s especially true when people have faced real hardships , from loss of jobs to avoiding elderly parents and not attending funerals on the basis of concerns about the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wrap this up with another Twitter thread you may not have seen .
This one is from Leon Wolf at the Blaze and it goes to the point about the kind of sacrifices people have made in this lockdown which the partisans don ’ t seem to expect people on their side of the aisle to make or care about .
The left , as always , has two standards , one for the groups they dislike and one for those they support .
We ’ re seeing that double-standard play out really @ @ @ @

Jazz wrote about this issue earlier this week but it continues to amaze many people how quickly weeks of media hectoring about killing grandma have been abandoned now that there’s a populist left-wing cause that needs defending. At first, you only saw these complaints mostly appearing on the right but slowly the rest of the media is catching up to the glaring hypocrisy. Here’s Dan Diamond’s take at Politico:
The experts maintain that their messages are consistent—that they were always flexible on Americans going outside, that they want protesters to take precautions and that they’re prioritizing public health by demanding an urgent fix to systemic racism. But their messages are also confounding to many who spent the spring strictly isolated on the advice of health officials, only to hear that the need might not be so absolute after all. It’s particularly nettlesome to conservative skeptics of the all-or-nothing approach to lockdown, whopoint out that many of those same public health experts—a group that tends to skew liberal—widely criticized activists who held largely outdoor protests against lockdowns in April and May, accusing demonstrators of posing a public health danger. Conservatives, who felt their own concerns about long-term economic damage or even mental health costs of lockdown were brushed aside just days or weeks ago, are increasingly asking whether these public health experts are letting their politics sway their health care recommendations. “Their rules appear ideologically driven as people can only gather for purposes deemed important by the elite central planners,” Brian Blase, who worked on health policy for the Trump administration, told me, an echo of complaints raised by prominent conservative commentators like J.D. Vance and Tim Carney… “I think what’s lost on people is that there have been real sacrifices made during lockdown,” [Drew] Holden told me. “People who couldn’t bury loved ones. Small businesses destroyed. How can a health expert look those people in the eye and say it was worth it now?”
A couple of days ago Holden who works at the Hill, highlighted this in a Twitter thread that went viral. His premise was simple: The same people who condemned right-leaning protesters as grandma killers are now shrugging off the public health effects of large, daily protests by Black Lives Matter.
Some of the best examples are the pushback to @bethanyshondark for suggesting that some things need to reopen. @joelockhart really led the heinous vitriol, yet he seems to have no issues with the recent protests. pic.twitter.com/HBiMoeQOpE — Drew Holden (@DrewHolden360) June 3, 2020
Same sentiment from noted internet swearer @tonyposnanski. Again. No concern about the latest protests. pic.twitter.com/3WCqTGcNhv — Drew Holden (@DrewHolden360) June 3, 2020
@GovWhitmer has since dropped these concerns it appears. pic.twitter.com/wwJPT0JOnD — Drew Holden (@DrewHolden360) June 3, 2020
And you had the usual pundits. Here’s @JRubinBlogger. Go figure. Not a peep of concern since. pic.twitter.com/UproZubNw1 — Drew Holden (@DrewHolden360) June 3, 2020
Apparently the last protest wasn’t good enough for @cmclymer but this one is. The internal logic isn’t even sound. pic.twitter.com/bOQjReeVyg — Drew Holden (@DrewHolden360) June 3, 2020
@AprilDRyan doesn’t seem to be asking this question anymore. Wonder why. pic.twitter.com/5lTfjWjfIa — Drew Holden (@DrewHolden360) June 3, 2020
The Obama bros don’t seem to have these same misgivings about a lack of social distancing. @jonfavs & @TVietor08 pic.twitter.com/OYoTSNk2tc — Drew Holden (@DrewHolden360) June 3, 2020
How could I have possibly forgotten @soledadobrien in the Grandma Killer montage? Apparently now that we have an “occasion” things are different. pic.twitter.com/9YlTmwV068 — Drew Holden (@DrewHolden360) June 3, 2020
These are really just highlights from blue-checked individuals on the left, but I’ve seen hundreds of regular progressives on Twitter making these same arguments about right-wing protests. Now that it’s BLM protesting, they aren’t complaining. In fact, some on the left are preemptively saying it’s unfair of Trump (or anyone) to blame a future increase in coronavirus infections on the protests:
https://twitter.com/Susan_Hennessey/status/1267075559198273536
Over at the Atlantic, Conor Friedersdorf has a similar piece which points out the way in which public health officials are suddenly making clearly political (and partisan) arguments. He concludes this will only wind up degrading the credibility of those experts.
On matters of life and death, the reinforcement of progressive social-justice narratives should not get in the way of simple truth-telling. And when it does, it will only undermine the influence of those charged with informing Americans about the pandemic. The fallout: More Americans will decline to heed any public-health advice or journalism, seeing it as ideological and hypocritical.
He’s right of course. Health officials have no right to decide that social justice trumps social distancing. That’s especially true when people have faced real hardships, from loss of jobs to avoiding elderly parents and not attending funerals on the basis of concerns about the virus.
I’m going to wrap this up with another Twitter thread you may not have seen. This one is from Leon Wolf at the Blaze and it goes to the point about the kind of sacrifices people have made in this lockdown which the partisans don’t seem to expect people on their side of the aisle to make or care about.
At the start, let me note that I've been writing online about police brutality, lack of police accountability, and racial injustice for over 15 years to a mostly unreceptive and sometimes hostile audience. So I didn't wake up last week and discover that these things existed. 2/ — Leon Wolf (@LeonHWolf) June 3, 2020
That having been said, I am really fucking pissed off that apparently the life-and-death need to destroy this country was apparently not so life and death. The people who told us and scolded us (including public health experts), who told us there was literally no reason… 4/ — Leon Wolf (@LeonHWolf) June 3, 2020
So, having established that I think the fight for police reform is really important, I have to ask: was it not important to prevent tens of thousands of predicted deaths from suicide due to the psychological effects of the lockdown and ensuing depression? 6/ — Leon Wolf (@LeonHWolf) June 3, 2020
I'll tell you one reason I'm especially raw today. One of my closest and dearest friends died last week. I am going to his funeral today. Thank God it's being held in Arkansas or else it probably couldn't even exist. 8/ — Leon Wolf (@LeonHWolf) June 3, 2020
For the last 8 weeks of his life, he lived totally alone. Even after he had already caught COVID, he was not allowed in person human contact from his friends and family, even if we signed a waiver and promised to not leave the hospital until we ourselves cleared quarantine. 10/ — Leon Wolf (@LeonHWolf) June 3, 2020
Or even mourn them or say goodbye at burials. Because it seems to me that that shit is also pretty damn important to maintaining who we are as human beings. How many people sat there and suffered this same indignity silently because they were told there was no choice? 12/ — Leon Wolf (@LeonHWolf) June 3, 2020
That conclusion is that they didn't really believe what they were saying all along. Because an infectious disease does not care about the reason you are gathering or how important it is. It has no social conscience, or conscience of any kind. 14/ — Leon Wolf (@LeonHWolf) June 3, 2020
So much loss. So much damage. So much grief. For apparently fucking nothing. God, I hope people are held accountable for this somehow. The end. 16/ — Leon Wolf (@LeonHWolf) June 3, 2020
The left, as always, has two standards, one for the groups they dislike and one for those they support. We’re seeing that double-standard play out really clearly right now.


hotair--2020-06-04--Ben Sasse erupts at Russiagate hearing: It's "bullsh*t" that we fill these things with grandstanding

Ben Sasse erupts at Russiagate hearing: It's "bullsh*t" that we fill these things with grandstanding soundbite garbage

He ’ s right as can be .
But still .
Who peed in his corn flakes this morning ?
I can ’ t tell if he ’ s mad here at Lindsey Graham , at the dispiriting prospect of watching Ted Cruz mug for Fox News ’ s cameras yet again , or if he ’ s just had his fill generally of partisanship disguised as thoughtful oversight .
Whatever the answer , he ’ s so peeved that I ’ m thinking that bowl of Kellogg ’ s must have been no less than 85 percent urine .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ one of the great mysteries of Washington : Why does Ben Sasse want to be a senator ?
He clearly hates the institution .
He ’ s been complaining about its devolution from deliberative body to grandstanding halfwittery since the day he was sworn in more than five years ago .
He has a habit of all but disappearing from public view for long stretches too , first during the ObamaCare repeal debate and more recently over the last year or so in order to avoid incurring Trump ’ s wrath ahead of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ off , as Sasse won with 77 percent of the vote . )
Now that he ’ s safely cleared that hurdle , it looks like he ’ s ready to re-emerge from hibernation and … resume reminding everyone how much he despises his job .
There ’ s a charitable theory and a less charitable theory for why he ran for a second term .
The less charitable theory is that he simply enjoys the prestige of being a senator .
Nothing more complicated than that .
In a nation of 330 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decide who serves on the Supreme Court and in various influential positions in the executive branch .
Only 535 get to shape the laws that govern the whole country .
If you ’ re fortunate enough to be among them , you don ’ t give it up lightly .
Never mind that you don ’ t actually shape any laws because no bills get passed anymore excerpt for emergency stuff like the CARES Act , and even then it ’ s the leadership that writes the bills with little input from backbenchers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t actually decide who serves in the executive branch anymore because the president just appoints whoever he wants to any position in an “ acting ” capacity and the Senate doesn ’ t care enough about its advise-and-consent power to challenge him .
And never mind that you don ’ t actually get to decide who serves on the Supreme Court because SCOTUS nominations are such mindbendingly intense partisan clusterfarks that you ’ d be drummed out of the party if you don ’ t vote the way the base wants you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as Sasse aptly says in the clip , Senate hearings are reliably an embarrassment to the country that serve largely to provide ad material for future presidential campaigns .
Still and all , aside from the chamber being a relentless disgrace that ’ s derelict in all of its important duties , it ’ s very prestigious .
The more charitable theory is that Sasse sees better days ahead once the Trump era has passed away and he wants to be around for that stage of renewal .
He ’ s probably not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the chamber who feels that way — just ride this out , wait for Biden to win this fall , then cross your fingers and hope that the Republican base drifts back towards small-government conservatism as its ideological north star and away from “ whatever our nationalist godhead desires.
” He ’ s probably talked himself into believing that he has a duty to try to hold his seat , whatever his dissatisfaction with Trump , because if he quits then some mindless Trump ass-kisser will win the seat instead .
That ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Senate after the president is gone .
Better for Sasse to occupy that seat instead and , uh , vote however Trump wants him to just like an ass-kisser would — except reluctantly .
If in fact he thinks the party ’ s base is destined to “ return ” to small-government conservatism , he ’ ll need to explain to me why he thinks it was ever meaningfully interested in small-government conservatism to begin with .
It was , and remains , interested in cultural conservatism .
But small-government conservatism ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ from ferocious opponent of presidential power to Trump bootlicker , that era is much better explained in hindsight as a tidal wave of negative partisanship triggered by the Democrats ’ takeover of government in 2008 than as some Reaganesque conservatarian renewal .
And I think smart young Republican pols , from Tom Cotton to Josh Hawley to Ted Cruz to even Marco Rubio , have realized it .
They ’ re all experimenting with facets of nationalism , which not only doesn ’ t disdain centralized power but fetishizes it in some respects @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a market for old-school small-government conservatism , here ’ s what he can do .
Run for president in 2024 and see how that message fares when pitted against Cotton ’ s “ I ’ ll crack the skulls of your enemies , foreign and domestic ” pitch .
I know who my money ’ s on .
In lieu of an exit quotation , here ’ s Chuck Grassley promising some very serious action indeed to counter Trump ’ s attempt to purge the inspectors general who are trying to hold his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this , of course , because the Senate is a rubber-stamp that ultimately does whatever the cult leader wants now .

He’s right as can be.
But still. Who peed in his corn flakes this morning?
I can’t tell if he’s mad here at Lindsey Graham, at the dispiriting prospect of watching Ted Cruz mug for Fox News’s cameras yet again, or if he’s just had his fill generally of partisanship disguised as thoughtful oversight. Whatever the answer, he’s so peeved that I’m thinking that bowl of Kellogg’s must have been no less than 85 percent urine.
Sen. Sasse: "90% of our committees are about people for trolling for soundbites. That's what actually happens." Sen. Graham: "I don't think they're trolling for soundbites. I think they're genuinely upset with what I'm doing." Full video here: https://t.co/djo1H7xJQZ pic.twitter.com/qld27aE0rh — CSPAN (@cspan) June 4, 2020
We are forced once again to confront one of the great mysteries of Washington: Why does Ben Sasse want to be a senator?
He clearly hates the institution. He’s been complaining about its devolution from deliberative body to grandstanding halfwittery since the day he was sworn in more than five years ago. He has a habit of all but disappearing from public view for long stretches too, first during the ObamaCare repeal debate and more recently over the last year or so in order to avoid incurring Trump’s wrath ahead of his Senate primary. (It paid off, as Sasse won with 77 percent of the vote.) Now that he’s safely cleared that hurdle, it looks like he’s ready to re-emerge from hibernation and … resume reminding everyone how much he despises his job.
There’s a charitable theory and a less charitable theory for why he ran for a second term. The less charitable theory is that he simply enjoys the prestige of being a senator. Nothing more complicated than that. In a nation of 330 million people, only 100 get to decide who serves on the Supreme Court and in various influential positions in the executive branch. Only 535 get to shape the laws that govern the whole country. If you’re fortunate enough to be among them, you don’t give it up lightly.
Never mind that you don’t actually shape any laws because no bills get passed anymore excerpt for emergency stuff like the CARES Act, and even then it’s the leadership that writes the bills with little input from backbenchers. And never mind that you don’t actually decide who serves in the executive branch anymore because the president just appoints whoever he wants to any position in an “acting” capacity and the Senate doesn’t care enough about its advise-and-consent power to challenge him.
And never mind that you don’t actually get to decide who serves on the Supreme Court because SCOTUS nominations are such mindbendingly intense partisan clusterfarks that you’d be drummed out of the party if you don’t vote the way the base wants you to.
And never mind that, as Sasse aptly says in the clip, Senate hearings are reliably an embarrassment to the country that serve largely to provide ad material for future presidential campaigns.
Still and all, aside from the chamber being a relentless disgrace that’s derelict in all of its important duties, it’s very prestigious.
The more charitable theory is that Sasse sees better days ahead once the Trump era has passed away and he wants to be around for that stage of renewal. He’s probably not the only member of the party in the chamber who feels that way — just ride this out, wait for Biden to win this fall, then cross your fingers and hope that the Republican base drifts back towards small-government conservatism as its ideological north star and away from “whatever our nationalist godhead desires.” He’s probably talked himself into believing that he has a duty to try to hold his seat, whatever his dissatisfaction with Trump, because if he quits then some mindless Trump ass-kisser will win the seat instead. That’ll only extend the Trump era in the Senate after the president is gone. Better for Sasse to occupy that seat instead and, uh, vote however Trump wants him to just like an ass-kisser would — except reluctantly.
If in fact he thinks the party’s base is destined to “return” to small-government conservatism, he’ll need to explain to me why he thinks it was ever meaningfully interested in small-government conservatism to begin with. It was, and remains, interested in cultural conservatism. But small-government conservatism? Given how quickly the tea party turned from ferocious opponent of presidential power to Trump bootlicker, that era is much better explained in hindsight as a tidal wave of negative partisanship triggered by the Democrats’ takeover of government in 2008 than as some Reaganesque conservatarian renewal. And I think smart young Republican pols, from Tom Cotton to Josh Hawley to Ted Cruz to even Marco Rubio, have realized it. They’re all experimenting with facets of nationalism, which not only doesn’t disdain centralized power but fetishizes it in some respects.
If Sasse thinks there’s a market for old-school small-government conservatism, here’s what he can do. Run for president in 2024 and see how that message fares when pitted against Cotton’s “I’ll crack the skulls of your enemies, foreign and domestic” pitch. I know who my money’s on.
In lieu of an exit quotation, here’s Chuck Grassley promising some very serious action indeed to counter Trump’s attempt to purge the inspectors general who are trying to hold his administration accountable. Nothing will come of this, of course, because the Senate is a rubber-stamp that ultimately does whatever the cult leader wants now.


hotair--2020-06-04--Washington State has recovered about half of the $650 million lost to unemployment fraud

One week ago Jazz wrote about a massive amount of unemployment fraud that had been uncovered in Washington state .
At the time there didn ’ t seem to be an exact dollar figure for the fraud , only the belief that it involved hundreds of millions of dollars .
Today , we ’ re learning that the actual total might be as high as $ 650 million .
Washington state is trying to reclaim that money but so far has gotten only about half of it back .
Washington officials said Thursday they believe they have recovered about half @ @ @ @ @ @ @ benefits paid to criminals who used stolen identities to file claims during the coronavirus pandemic .
Employment Security Department Commissioner Suzi LeVine said officials are still working to determine the final amount paid out fraudulently , but they believe it was between $ 550 million and $ 650 million .
To date , the state has recovered $ 333 million , she said .
Washington has paid out a total of $ 4.9 billion in benefits so the $ 650 million figure represents about 13 percent of the total , half of which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the fraud was the filing of false claims using identities of real people which had previous been stolen online .
The fraudulent claims are coming from West Africa , specifically , from a group of Nigerian scammers dubbed “ Scattered Canary.
” Over the last several weeks , [ cybersecurity firm ] Agari has been working alongside law enforcement to share information on the threat group and its methods , said Crane Hassold , Agari ’ s senior director of threat research .
“ This is essentially a perfect storm for these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” said Hassold .
“ You have billions and billions of dollars that is being handed out by the federal government [ for emergency purposes ] , and you have states that need to pay out legitimate claims very quickly .
Usually , there is a validation period and a waiting period for most unemployment claims , but because of the current circumstances of COVID-19 , these claims need to be paid out immediately.
” The Wall Street Journal reports that the Secret Service put out a memo last month warning about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ extremely likely every state is vulnerable to this scheme and will be targeted if they have not been already , ” the Secret Service memo said .
The tactics described resembled attempts to file fraudulent income-tax returns , a problem the Internal Revenue Service and states have faced for years .
The Secret Service said hundreds , if not thousands , of “ mules , ” or intermediaries that help launder stolen money out of the country , appeared to be supporting the fraud scheme , in some cases unknowingly .
Local and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unions , have been targets .
The Inspector General for the Department of Labor has warned that this type of fraud , beyond this one Nigerian group , could total as much as $ 26 billion .
Meanwhile , because the fraud involves real people ’ s identities , officials are having to sort out duplicate claims in some cases , i.e .
people whose names were used in the fraud but who also filed real claims because they lost their jobs .
Some of those unfortunate people are currently having to wait @ @ @ @ @ @ @ claims are real before they can collect their unemployment .

One week ago Jazz wrote about a massive amount of unemployment fraud that had been uncovered in Washington state. At the time there didn’t seem to be an exact dollar figure for the fraud, only the belief that it involved hundreds of millions of dollars. Today, we’re learning that the actual total might be as high as $650 million. Washington state is trying to reclaim that money but so far has gotten only about half of it back.
Washington officials said Thursday they believe they have recovered about half of the hundreds of millions in unemployment benefits paid to criminals who used stolen identities to file claims during the coronavirus pandemic. Employment Security Department Commissioner Suzi LeVine said officials are still working to determine the final amount paid out fraudulently, but they believe it was between $550 million and $650 million. To date, the state has recovered $333 million, she said.
Washington has paid out a total of $4.9 billion in benefits so the $650 million figure represents about 13 percent of the total, half of which they have gotten back. The nature of the fraud was the filing of false claims using identities of real people which had previous been stolen online. The fraudulent claims are coming from West Africa, specifically, from a group of Nigerian scammers dubbed “Scattered Canary.”
Over the last several weeks, [cybersecurity firm] Agari has been working alongside law enforcement to share information on the threat group and its methods, said Crane Hassold, Agari’s senior director of threat research. “This is essentially a perfect storm for these groups [to take advantage of],” said Hassold. “You have billions and billions of dollars that is being handed out by the federal government [for emergency purposes], and you have states that need to pay out legitimate claims very quickly. Usually, there is a validation period and a waiting period for most unemployment claims, but because of the current circumstances of COVID-19, these claims need to be paid out immediately.”
The Wall Street Journal reports that the Secret Service put out a memo last month warning about this specific group:
“It is extremely likely every state is vulnerable to this scheme and will be targeted if they have not been already,” the Secret Service memo said. The tactics described resembled attempts to file fraudulent income-tax returns, a problem the Internal Revenue Service and states have faced for years. The Secret Service said hundreds, if not thousands, of “mules,” or intermediaries that help launder stolen money out of the country, appeared to be supporting the fraud scheme, in some cases unknowingly. Local and national banks, as well as credit unions, have been targets.
The Inspector General for the Department of Labor has warned that this type of fraud, beyond this one Nigerian group, could total as much as $26 billion.
Meanwhile, because the fraud involves real people’s identities, officials are having to sort out duplicate claims in some cases, i.e. people whose names were used in the fraud but who also filed real claims because they lost their jobs. Some of those unfortunate people are currently having to wait until the state can sort out which claims are real before they can collect their unemployment.


hotair--2020-06-04--Today's hot topics on #TEMS: Hydroxy flop, Biden's sop, Defund Police slop, Antifa op, and more!

Today on The Ed Morrissey Show ( 4 pm ET ) , we have another great lineup for the news of the day !
The show will be streamed on Hot Air ’ s Facebook page and embedded here and on the show page for those who are not on Facebook .
Join us as we welcome : • Duane “ Generalissimo ” Patterson won ’ t be here today , so instead Jeff Dunetz joins me to do a rundown of the day ’ s top stories .
Will hydroxychloroquine ’ s hysterics ever be the same ?
How @ @ @ @ @ @ @ record ?
The news from the Department of Labor still looks pretty bad , but perhaps the riots will put an end to the shutdowns .
And how exactly did # DefundthePolice put forward such a lame argument ?
• Also : Jeff will tell us about his exposure of Helen Thomas ’ anti-Semitism ten years ago , and why the media still won ’ t acknowledge it .
• Plus , we ’ ll promote a very special TEMS tomorrow at 2 pm ET with Andrew C. McCarthy and Rob O ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ case and police reform .
The Ed Morrissey Show and its dynamic chatroom can be seen on the permanent TEMS page .
Be sure to join us , and don ’ t forget to keep up with the debate on my Facebook page , too !
How can Republicans and conservatives keep winning after 2016 ?
Find out in GOING RED , published in April from Crown Forum !

Today on The Ed Morrissey Show (4 pm ET), we have another great lineup for the news of the day! The show will be streamed on Hot Air’s Facebook page and embedded here and on the show page for those who are not on Facebook.
Join us as we welcome:
Duane “Generalissimo” Patterson won’t be here today, so instead Jeff Dunetz joins me to do a rundown of the day’s top stories. Will hydroxychloroquine’s hysterics ever be the same? How about Joe Biden’s law-and-order track record? The news from the Department of Labor still looks pretty bad, but perhaps the riots will put an end to the shutdowns. And how exactly did #DefundthePolice put forward such a lame argument?
Also: Jeff will tell us about his exposure of Helen Thomas’ anti-Semitism ten years ago, and why the media still won’t acknowledge it.
Plus, we’ll promote a very special TEMS tomorrow at 2 pm ET with Andrew C. McCarthy and Rob O’Donnell, focusing on the George Floyd case and police reform.
The Ed Morrissey Show and its dynamic chatroom can be seen on the permanent TEMS page. Be sure to join us, and don’t forget to keep up with the debate on my Facebook page, too!
How can Republicans and conservatives keep winning after 2016? Find out in GOING RED, published in April from Crown Forum!


hotair--2020-06-04--On anniversary of Tiananmen Square, Hong Kong criminalizes insulting the Chinese anthem

Today is the 31st anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre in China , though the best known image from that event , of a man standing before a tank , happened on June 5 .
Despite the awkward anniversary , China ’ s crackdown on freedom in Hong Kong continues today .
A new law was put in place which makes it a crime to mock or insult the Chinese national anthem .
Thursday marks 31 years since Chinese troops opened fire on June 4 , 1989 , to end student-led unrest around the square in Beijing .
Rights groups @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thousands of protesters , although the official government count was a few hundred .
Hong Kong also passed a law Thursday that criminalizes the insulting of China ’ s national anthem , amid chaotic scenes in the territory ’ s legislature .
The law , passed after three readings , makes it illegal to insult the “ March of the Volunteers ” anthem .
Booing , changing the lyrics or disrespecting the song is now punishable with up to three years in prison or fines equal to about $ 6,450 .
Last May @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the PRC and China created a video full of children and celebrities , including Jackie Chan , singing the anthem : But disrespect for the anthem in Hong Kong made news a few months later when soccer fans booed the anthem before a game and sang a pro-independence song instead : Meanwhile , pro-mainland China protesters in Hong Kong have responded by singing the anthem in public places as a way to push back on pro-democracy protesters .
All of that to say , the anthem has become a real flashpoint in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bill to protect the anthem from mockery led to a brawl on the floor of Hong Kong ’ s parliament two weeks ago .
As you ’ ll see in this clip , some lawmakers were physically carried off the floor .
In the aftermath , pro-democracy legislator Dennis Kwok said , “ Whenever Beijing , whenever Carrie Lam and the pro-establishment don ’ t like something , they will do whatever it takes , including breaking the system that we have , the rules that we have.
” He added , “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their way.
” So in a sense , it seems appropriate that this bill was pushed through on the anniversary of Tiananmen Square .
This is once again China using power to compel obedience .
There are of course no videos of Tiananmen or recognition of this day inside mainland China .
Chinese censors make sure of that .
But China ’ s propaganda outlets are comparing the massacre to President Trump ’ s consideration of sending troops into cities to quell rioting .
Here ’ s the editor of state-run Global Times @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ago on Twitter .
This propaganda isn ’ t meant for China .
It ’ s in English obviously but also Twitter is completely blocked in China .
This is just more Chinese propaganda to cover for their crack down on freedoms in Hong Kong .
Finally , here ’ s the anthem preferred by pro-freedom protesters with lyrics in English .

Today is the 31st anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre in China, though the best known image from that event, of a man standing before a tank, happened on June 5. Despite the awkward anniversary, China’s crackdown on freedom in Hong Kong continues today. A new law was put in place which makes it a crime to mock or insult the Chinese national anthem.
Thursday marks 31 years since Chinese troops opened fire on June 4, 1989, to end student-led unrest around the square in Beijing. Rights groups say the enforcement action may have killed thousands of protesters, although the official government count was a few hundred. Hong Kong also passed a law Thursday that criminalizes the insulting of China’s national anthem, amid chaotic scenes in the territory’s legislature. The law, passed after three readings, makes it illegal to insult the “March of the Volunteers” anthem. Booing, changing the lyrics or disrespecting the song is now punishable with up to three years in prison or fines equal to about $6,450.
Last May was the 70th anniversary of the founding of the PRC and China created a video full of children and celebrities, including Jackie Chan, singing the anthem:
But disrespect for the anthem in Hong Kong made news a few months later when soccer fans booed the anthem before a game and sang a pro-independence song instead:
Meanwhile, pro-mainland China protesters in Hong Kong have responded by singing the anthem in public places as a way to push back on pro-democracy protesters.
All of that to say, the anthem has become a real flashpoint in Hong Kong. The push for a bill to protect the anthem from mockery led to a brawl on the floor of Hong Kong’s parliament two weeks ago. As you’ll see in this clip, some lawmakers were physically carried off the floor. In the aftermath, pro-democracy legislator Dennis Kwok said, “Whenever Beijing, whenever Carrie Lam and the pro-establishment don’t like something, they will do whatever it takes, including breaking the system that we have, the rules that we have.” He added, “They will burn down whatever is in their way.”
So in a sense, it seems appropriate that this bill was pushed through on the anniversary of Tiananmen Square. This is once again China using power to compel obedience.
There are of course no videos of Tiananmen or recognition of this day inside mainland China. Chinese censors make sure of that. But China’s propaganda outlets are comparing the massacre to President Trump’s consideration of sending troops into cities to quell rioting. Here’s the editor of state-run Global Times making the point a couple of days ago on Twitter.
The US is commemorating Tiananmen incident in a unique way. US military is being dispatched to the cities and police are opening fire. The US is proving the importance for China to restore order in 1989. But back then, the destruction of China's order was much worse than US' now. pic.twitter.com/mxyK8brjtA — Hu Xijin 胡锡进 (@HuXijin_GT) June 3, 2020
This propaganda isn’t meant for China. It’s in English obviously but also Twitter is completely blocked in China. This is just more Chinese propaganda to cover for their crack down on freedoms in Hong Kong.
Finally, here’s the anthem preferred by pro-freedom protesters with lyrics in English.