hotair--2020-06-16--CBC chair: Let's face it, "defund the police" is "one of the worst slogans ever"

Certainly true in light of the common political axiom — if you ’ re explaining , you ’ re losing .
Ever since “ Defund the Police ” became the rallying cry of the Left , Democratic Party leaders and media outlets have rushed to the barricades to explain that “ defund ” doesn ’ t mean , er … “ defund.
” Needless to say , that explanation not only sounds like double-speak , it has gotten actively discredited by people like the Minneapolis city council that insist that they intend to defund and disband local police departments .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the worst slogans ever , ” the current chair of the Congressional Black Caucus , Rep. Karen Bass ( D-CA ) is only offering a recognition of reality , on multiple levels : Rep. Karen Bass , the chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus , described calls to “ defund the police ” a terrible rallying cry but said law enforcement officers shouldn ’ t have to become involved in situations that could be better handled by social workers .
“ I told some friends that ’ s probably one of the worst @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) said during a Washington Post live broadcast on Monday .
She said police department budgets could be reduced if communities shift some of the burdens to other agencies .
“ Police officers are the first ones to say they are law-enforcement officers , they ’ re not social workers .
What we have done in our country is , we have not invested in health , social and economic problems in communities .
We leave the police to pick up the pieces , ” Bass , of Los Angeles , said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , on any given night , we have over 40,000 people who are homeless .
Why should the police be involved with that ?
” Er … because local authorities pass laws against some of that activity ?
This points up the first problem with “ Defund the Police , ” which is that law enforcement follows law creation .
If police get too involved in people ’ s lives , it ’ s because politicians in local communities and states pass laws to respond to complaints from their constituents .
Passing laws @ @ @ @ @ @ @ laws we pass , the more police we need .
If people want less police contact in their lives , they should consider repealing laws that keep putting police in contact with them .
Whose responsibility is that ?
Local city councils and state legislatures , primarily .
Democrats almost completely control the former , and while Republicans tend to control the latter , there has been little movement at either level to repeal intrusive laws .
Congress and the White House have no formal jurisdiction and really no informal influence either , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those institutions are guilty of the same impulse to pass laws first and ask questions later .
Another bad aspect to this slogan — at least for Democrats — is the way it sets expectations for the impossible .
Not only are police not going away , the real way to deal with the problems at hand is to emphasize community policing , which requires more police rather than fewer .
When the result of all this sturm und drang becomes more officers in the streets , these activists are going to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ abandon the Democrats for fringier parties to give vent to their disillusionment .
That ’ s the price they will pay for promoting a slogan that promises an impossibility .
Besides , as Harvard professor Roland Fryer told College Fix ’ s Troy Sargent , fewer police would end up putting a disproportionate number of black lives at risk .
Fryer , himself an African-American , says # DefundthePolice could cost “ thousands of black lives ” : Fryer and Harvard doctoral student Tanaya Devi studied “ Pattern-or-Practice ” investigations into viral incidents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ black person who died .
Each reviewed video of these incidents had received at least 2 million views at the time of the study .
“ Pattern-or-Practice ” investigations are used by federal and state governments to mitigate unconstitutional police activity including , but not limited to , excessive force and racial bias .
According to the Harvard scholars ’ working paper on the impact of these investigations into police activity on homicide and crime rates , published in early June , the investigations resulted in “ almost 900 excess homicides and almost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the crime rate occurred over the course of two years in the five cities where those deaths and viral incidents occurred : Freddie Gray in Baltimore , Laquan McDonald in Chicago , Timothy Thomas in Cincinnati , Tyisha Miller in Riverside , California , and Michael Brown in Ferguson , Missouri .
While the underlying cause of this dramatic spike is unknown , Fryer and Devi hypothesize that it is caused by a substantial decrease in proactive police activity .
… “ If the price of policing increases , officers are rational to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ And , retreating disproportionately costs black lives .
”

Certainly true in light of the common political axiom — if you’re explaining, you’re losing. Ever since “Defund the Police” became the rallying cry of the Left, Democratic Party leaders and media outlets have rushed to the barricades to explain that “defund” doesn’t mean, er … “defund.” Needless to say, that explanation not only sounds like double-speak, it has gotten actively discredited by people like the Minneapolis city council that insist that they intend to defund and disband local police departments.
In calling it “probably one of the worst slogans ever,” the current chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, Rep. Karen Bass (D-CA) is only offering a recognition of reality, on multiple levels:
Rep. Karen Bass, the chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus, described calls to “defund the police” a terrible rallying cry but said law enforcement officers shouldn’t have to become involved in situations that could be better handled by social workers. “I told some friends that’s probably one of the worst slogans ever,” Bass (D-Calif.) said during a Washington Post live broadcast on Monday. She said police department budgets could be reduced if communities shift some of the burdens to other agencies. “Police officers are the first ones to say they are law-enforcement officers, they’re not social workers. What we have done in our country is, we have not invested in health, social and economic problems in communities. We leave the police to pick up the pieces,” Bass, of Los Angeles, said. “In my city, for example, on any given night, we have over 40,000 people who are homeless. Why should the police be involved with that?”
Er … because local authorities pass laws against some of that activity? This points up the first problem with “Defund the Police,” which is that law enforcement follows law creation. If police get too involved in people’s lives, it’s because politicians in local communities and states pass laws to respond to complaints from their constituents. Passing laws requires enforcing laws, so the more laws we pass, the more police we need. If people want less police contact in their lives, they should consider repealing laws that keep putting police in contact with them.
Whose responsibility is that? Local city councils and state legislatures, primarily. Democrats almost completely control the former, and while Republicans tend to control the latter, there has been little movement at either level to repeal intrusive laws. Congress and the White House have no formal jurisdiction and really no informal influence either, except to the extent that both of those institutions are guilty of the same impulse to pass laws first and ask questions later.
Another bad aspect to this slogan — at least for Democrats — is the way it sets expectations for the impossible. Not only are police not going away, the real way to deal with the problems at hand is to emphasize community policing, which requires more police rather than fewer. When the result of all this sturm und drang becomes more officers in the streets, these activists are going to be furious — and some of them will abandon the Democrats for fringier parties to give vent to their disillusionment. That’s the price they will pay for promoting a slogan that promises an impossibility.
Besides, as Harvard professor Roland Fryer told College Fix’s Troy Sargent, fewer police would end up putting a disproportionate number of black lives at risk. Fryer, himself an African-American, says #DefundthePolice could cost “thousands of black lives”:
Fryer and Harvard doctoral student Tanaya Devi studied “Pattern-or-Practice” investigations into viral incidents of alleged police brutality that involved a black person who died. Each reviewed video of these incidents had received at least 2 million views at the time of the study. “Pattern-or-Practice” investigations are used by federal and state governments to mitigate unconstitutional police activity including, but not limited to, excessive force and racial bias. According to the Harvard scholars’ working paper on the impact of these investigations into police activity on homicide and crime rates, published in early June, the investigations resulted in “almost 900 excess homicides and almost 34,000 excess felonies.” This spike in the crime rate occurred over the course of two years in the five cities where those deaths and viral incidents occurred: Freddie Gray in Baltimore, Laquan McDonald in Chicago, Timothy Thomas in Cincinnati, Tyisha Miller in Riverside, California, and Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri. While the underlying cause of this dramatic spike is unknown, Fryer and Devi hypothesize that it is caused by a substantial decrease in proactive police activity. … “If the price of policing increases, officers are rational to retreat,” the research paper concludes. “And, retreating disproportionately costs black lives.”
It’s a bad slogan. It’s an even worse idea.


hotair--2020-06-16--A group of woke celebrities are promoting a clip of Louis Farrakhan

Comedian Chelsea Handler posted a clip of Louis Farrakhan on Instagram yesterday with the comment , “ I learned a lot from watching this powerful video.
” The 9-minute clip showed Farrakhan answering questions from a mostly white audience on “ The Phil Donahue Show.
” As you can see , Handler ’ s post has been liked more than 90,000 times .
She was challenged by many people leaving comments , one of whom asked if she would share a clip of Hitler too if he said something she liked .
One replied , “ So , based on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ video of Hitler saying something positive and powerful , will you feel equally compelled to share it ?
You gave hate credibility and a large platform today.
” Handler responded , “ No , because Hitler was responsible for killing millions of lives .
Farrakhan is just responsible for his own promotion of anti-Semitic beliefs .
They are very different.
” She added , “ Another thing : perhaps Farrakhan ’ s anti-Semitic views took form during his own oppression , ” she wrote .
“ We know now that oppression of one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ races.
” So we know that Handler is aware of Farrakhan ’ s anti-Semitic views , she ’ s just looking to make excuses for them .
Several other celebrities joined in the praise for one of the country ’ s leading anti-Semites .
Here are screeshots of some of those re-postings : Mediaite is reporting that “ fellow celebrities Jennifer Aniston , Jennifer Garner , and Michelle Pfeiffer ” also liked the post .
And all of this comes a couple days after Ice Cube put up a tweet post praising Farrakhan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many times before but for those who aren ’ t familiar with his long history of anti-Semitism this ADL primer is a good place to start .
You ’ ll need about 15-20 minutes to read through all of it though .
Farrakhan doesn ’ t just hate Jews , he also hates gays and white people so he ’ s quite a role model .
Here ’ s a sample : “ You and I are going to have to learn to distinguish between the righteous Jew and the Satanic Jews who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and deceit.
” — Speech at Mosque Maryam , Chicago , Illinois , 5/27/18 “ When you want something in this world , the Jew holds the door.
” — Saviours ’ Day speech , 2/25/18 If you ’ re wondering why Handler is promoting Farrakhan at this moment , she has been re-branding herself as the wokest of woke celebrities recently .
Last September Netflix released a special titled , “ Hello , Privilege .
It ’ s Me , Chelsea.
” I haven ’ t seen it but here ’ s @ @ @

Comedian Chelsea Handler posted a clip of Louis Farrakhan on Instagram yesterday with the comment, “I learned a lot from watching this powerful video.”
The 9-minute clip showed Farrakhan answering questions from a mostly white audience on “The Phil Donahue Show.” As you can see, Handler’s post has been liked more than 90,000 times. She was challenged by many people leaving comments, one of whom asked if she would share a clip of Hitler too if he said something she liked.
One replied, “So, based on this logic, if you find a video of Hitler saying something positive and powerful, will you feel equally compelled to share it? You gave hate credibility and a large platform today.” Handler responded, “No, because Hitler was responsible for killing millions of lives. Farrakhan is just responsible for his own promotion of anti-Semitic beliefs. They are very different.” She added, “Another thing: perhaps Farrakhan’s anti-Semitic views took form during his own oppression,” she wrote. “We know now that oppression of one race leads to an oppression of all races.”
So we know that Handler is aware of Farrakhan’s anti-Semitic views, she’s just looking to make excuses for them. Several other celebrities joined in the praise for one of the country’s leading anti-Semites.
Actress Jessica Chastain also re-posted the video clip to her Instagram story, and according to several circulating screencaps of Jameela Jamil’s Instagram, she too may have posted it before deleting. “Powerful,” Lisa Rinna wrote in the comments to Handler’s video. “This should be played on a loop. Everywhere. Always,” wrote Sean Hayes.
Here are screeshots of some of those re-postings:
In the past 24 hours, Jameela Jamil, Chelsea Handler & Jessica Chastain have shared on Instagram a video of vicious anti-Semite Louis Farrakhan discussing racism. They say: "Extraordinary." "Powerful." They have over 10M followers. @jameelajamil @chelseahandler @jes_chastain pic.twitter.com/xfdr4aKRch — John-Paul Pagano (@johnpaulpagano) June 16, 2020
Mediaite is reporting that “fellow celebrities Jennifer Aniston, Jennifer Garner, and Michelle Pfeiffer” also liked the post. And all of this comes a couple days after Ice Cube put up a tweet post praising Farrakhan.
The Honorable Louis Farrakhan continues to warn America to this very second and he’s labeled one of your “evil names” and you turn your ears off. Why is the truth so offensive that you can’t stand to hear it? pic.twitter.com/dhkMZTCyLQ — Ice Cube (@icecube) June 11, 2020
We’ve written about Farrakhan many times before but for those who aren’t familiar with his long history of anti-Semitism this ADL primer is a good place to start. You’ll need about 15-20 minutes to read through all of it though. Farrakhan doesn’t just hate Jews, he also hates gays and white people so he’s quite a role model. Here’s a sample:
“You and I are going to have to learn to distinguish between the righteous Jew and the Satanic Jews who have infected the whole world with poison and deceit.” — Speech at Mosque Maryam, Chicago, Illinois, 5/27/18 “When you want something in this world, the Jew holds the door.” — Saviours’ Day speech, 2/25/18
If you’re wondering why Handler is promoting Farrakhan at this moment, she has been re-branding herself as the wokest of woke celebrities recently. Last September Netflix released a special titled, “Hello, Privilege. It’s Me, Chelsea.” I haven’t seen it but here’s the trailer.


hotair--2020-06-16--Scientists: There are three dozen other intelligent civilizations in our galaxy

Looking at the title , I would imagine the first question most of you have is… how do they know ?
Did someone accidentally dial into a massive Zoom call between the White House and all of these civilizations where they were planning which humans to abduct next ?
Nothing quite so flashy or definitive , I ’ m afraid .
A recent article at Forbes is describing the findings in a report published in The Astrophysical Journal where a group of scientists has run the numbers and concluded that there are probably 36 different Communicating Extra-Terrestrial Intelligent ( CETI @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if conditions can be expected to be the same everywhere , given the staggering number of galaxies we ’ ve found in the universe so far , intelligent , technologically advanced civilizations are more common than hair lice in a kindergarten class .
It ’ s the oldest and the greatest cosmic question of all : is there anybody out there ?
For years all we ’ ve had is the Drake Equation to help us understand the question , but no indication of an answer .
Now a group of scientists at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ve come up with a new “ cosmic evolution ” -based calculation—or , rather , an estimation—that suggests that there are likely to be at least 36 ongoing intelligent civilizations in our Milky Way galaxy .
The Milky Way , home to our Solar System , is estimated to have 100 billion to 400 billion stars , and roughly one exoplanet per star in our galaxy .
Published today in The Astrophysical Journal , the new paper examines the likely number of Communicating Extra-Terrestrial Intelligent ( CETI ) civilizations in the Milky Way @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to occur on other planets much as it has done on our own planet .
Before we get too excited , this prediction is essentially based on nothing more than guesses .
And they ’ re the same guesses we ’ ve been using for ages , leading us originally to the Drake Equation .
Scientists working in this field have the luxury of tossing out theories like this because there ’ s absolutely no way of proving or disproving them and there likely won ’ t be in their lifetimes .
This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ number of assumptions .
And other authors at the same outlet have already pointed out that it ’ s a preposterous number of assumptions , most of which are easily challenged .
The first assumption of note is that they ’ re calling for an average of one planet per star .
If Kepler taught us anything , it ’ s that planetary formation during the birth and evolution of a star is almost a given .
The longer we stare at the stars and the closer we measure their movements , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ considerably higher .
The next quirk of this theory is that it limits the possibility of life to only rocky worlds similar to ours that are orbiting yellow stars that are like our own sun .
These are the usual blinders that scientists wind up wearing because we thus far only have one example of life in the universe to study and that ’ s on Earth .
For all we know , life could exist in the atmosphere of gas giants or on nearly airless , tiny worlds like Mercury .
Some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could even evolve in the vacuum of space .
This team also assumes that a planet will take 4.5 billion years to evolve technologically advanced life because that ’ s how long we think it took here .
That ’ s a rather anthropocentric approach to the question , isn ’ t it ?
Again , we ’ re basing everything on a sample of one planet .
The galaxy ( and the universe ) could be simply lousy with life .
Or maybe there ’ s nobody out there .
We won @ @ @ @ @ @ @ find them .
Personally , I still prefer to believe that there are plenty of intelligent lifeforms out there .
And while we have zero evidence to prove it definitively , I suspect that some of the recent “ activity ” we ’ ve seen in our airspace suggests that at least some of them have found their way to our planet .
At this point , it ’ s probably the biggest question I ’ m craving an answer to before I shuffle off this mortal coil .

Looking at the title, I would imagine the first question most of you have is… how do they know? Did someone accidentally dial into a massive Zoom call between the White House and all of these civilizations where they were planning which humans to abduct next? Nothing quite so flashy or definitive, I’m afraid. A recent article at Forbes is describing the findings in a report published in The Astrophysical Journal where a group of scientists has run the numbers and concluded that there are probably 36 different Communicating Extra-Terrestrial Intelligent (CETI) civilizations in our galaxy. And if conditions can be expected to be the same everywhere, given the staggering number of galaxies we’ve found in the universe so far, intelligent, technologically advanced civilizations are more common than hair lice in a kindergarten class.
It’s the oldest and the greatest cosmic question of all: is there anybody out there? For years all we’ve had is the Drake Equation to help us understand the question, but no indication of an answer. Now a group of scientists at the University of Nottingham think they’ve come up with a new “cosmic evolution”-based calculation—or, rather, an estimation—that suggests that there are likely to be at least 36 ongoing intelligent civilizations in our Milky Way galaxy. The Milky Way, home to our Solar System, is estimated to have 100 billion to 400 billion stars, and roughly one exoplanet per star in our galaxy. Published today in The Astrophysical Journal, the new paper examines the likely number of Communicating Extra-Terrestrial Intelligent (CETI) civilizations in the Milky Way. It assumes that intelligent life comes to occur on other planets much as it has done on our own planet.
Before we get too excited, this prediction is essentially based on nothing more than guesses. And they’re the same guesses we’ve been using for ages, leading us originally to the Drake Equation. Scientists working in this field have the luxury of tossing out theories like this because there’s absolutely no way of proving or disproving them and there likely won’t be in their lifetimes.
This latest theory is based on a wild number of assumptions. And other authors at the same outlet have already pointed out that it’s a preposterous number of assumptions, most of which are easily challenged. The first assumption of note is that they’re calling for an average of one planet per star. If Kepler taught us anything, it’s that planetary formation during the birth and evolution of a star is almost a given. The longer we stare at the stars and the closer we measure their movements, it seems likely that the number is probably considerably higher.
The next quirk of this theory is that it limits the possibility of life to only rocky worlds similar to ours that are orbiting yellow stars that are like our own sun. These are the usual blinders that scientists wind up wearing because we thus far only have one example of life in the universe to study and that’s on Earth. For all we know, life could exist in the atmosphere of gas giants or on nearly airless, tiny worlds like Mercury. Some have already speculated that life exists and could even evolve in the vacuum of space.
This team also assumes that a planet will take 4.5 billion years to evolve technologically advanced life because that’s how long we think it took here. That’s a rather anthropocentric approach to the question, isn’t it? Again, we’re basing everything on a sample of one planet. The galaxy (and the universe) could be simply lousy with life. Or maybe there’s nobody out there. We won’t know for sure until we find them.
Personally, I still prefer to believe that there are plenty of intelligent lifeforms out there. And while we have zero evidence to prove it definitively, I suspect that some of the recent “activity” we’ve seen in our airspace suggests that at least some of them have found their way to our planet. At this point, it’s probably the biggest question I’m craving an answer to before I shuffle off this mortal coil.


hotair--2020-06-16--The CHAZ effect: *Nineteen* 911 calls get zero response after burglary, arson suspect held

What would happen if you called 911 and no one answered ?
Or even worse , they answered but no one bothered to show up — even after you caught the perp yourself ?
Seattle residents are getting a taste of a community with no police after KIRO-TV reported on an auto shop owner ’ s travails near the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone yesterday .
After foiling an arson and catching the suspect , John McDermott repeatedly called 911 for both the fire and the arrest of the man responsible .
After much hemming and hawing , Seattle police finally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
What in the … ?
“ I chased him down and a s soon as I came face to face , he came at me so I put him on the ground , ” Mason McDermott said .
He said he had the suspect pinned while his dad repeatedly called 911 .
“ At some point he tried to cut me with a box cutter , ” Mason said .
He pointed to a large rip on his jeans from where the knife cut just his pants .
McDermott said he kept @ @ @ @ @ @ @ m told 19 times , ” he said .
“ They alluded they were sending someone… finally said they weren ’ t going to send somebody , ” McDermott said .
“ I don ’ t know what to expect next .
If you can ’ t call the police department , you can ’ t call the fire department to respond , what do you have ?
” McDermott said .
“ Heartbroken .
I mean , they are the cavalry , ” he said .
In this case , perhaps almost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by hostile forces that demanded the release of the suspect .
The owners had already released him by that time , wisely assessing the situation as hopeless .
That provided the McDermotts with a moment of clarity that has thus far escaped elected leadership in the state of Washington and the city of Seattle : “ It could ’ ve really gotten out of hand , ” he said .
… “ Nobody showed up when literally our lives are on the line , ” Mason said .
“ I think the mayor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ together- because this is beyond a protest , ” he said .
Bear in mind that this shop is outside the CHAZ or CHOP , depending on your preferred nomenclature .
The “ protesters ” came to the shop to demand the release of the suspect and to intimidate the McDermotts into doing so .
Governments are constituted locally and otherwise to prevent this kind of mob rule , but if those governments never bother to show up , it ’ s a real question as to whether they exist at all .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ or collapses ?
Oh , the usual suspects … complete with guillotines .
It ’ s the French revolution all over again , which makes the new CHOP nomenclature more accurate : No guillotines yet , but unless Jenny Durkan and Jay Inslee act quickly , it won ’ t be long .
And that autonomous zone might end up taking over all of Seattle if legitimate government doesn ’ t reassert itself .

What would happen if you called 911 and no one answered? Or even worse, they answered but no one bothered to show up — even after you caught the perp yourself? Seattle residents are getting a taste of a community with no police after KIRO-TV reported on an auto shop owner’s travails near the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone yesterday.
After foiling an arson and catching the suspect, John McDermott repeatedly called 911 for both the fire and the arrest of the man responsible. After much hemming and hawing, Seattle police finally admitted that they wouldn’t respond.
What in the …?
“I chased him down and a s soon as I came face to face, he came at me so I put him on the ground,” Mason McDermott said. He said he had the suspect pinned while his dad repeatedly called 911. “At some point he tried to cut me with a box cutter,” Mason said. He pointed to a large rip on his jeans from where the knife cut just his pants. McDermott said he kept trying to call 911 “I’m told 19 times,” he said. “They alluded they were sending someone… finally said they weren’t going to send somebody,” McDermott said. “I don’t know what to expect next. If you can’t call the police department, you can’t call the fire department to respond, what do you have?” McDermott said. “Heartbroken. I mean, they are the cavalry,” he said.
In this case, perhaps almost literally. The McDermotts found themselves surrounded by hostile forces that demanded the release of the suspect. The owners had already released him by that time, wisely assessing the situation as hopeless. That provided the McDermotts with a moment of clarity that has thus far escaped elected leadership in the state of Washington and the city of Seattle:
“It could’ve really gotten out of hand,” he said. … “Nobody showed up when literally our lives are on the line,” Mason said. “I think the mayor and governor need to get their act together- because this is beyond a protest,” he said.
Bear in mind that this shop is outside the CHAZ or CHOP, depending on your preferred nomenclature. The “protesters” came to the shop to demand the release of the suspect and to intimidate the McDermotts into doing so. Governments are constituted locally and otherwise to prevent this kind of mob rule, but if those governments never bother to show up, it’s a real question as to whether they exist at all.
And what replaces government when it retreats or collapses? Oh, the usual suspects … complete with guillotines. It’s the French revolution all over again, which makes the new CHOP nomenclature more accurate:
“Does anybody know what happened to the people who did not get on board with the French Revolution?” “CHOPPED,” the crowd answered. pic.twitter.com/FfyUAvcUhM — Shelby Talcott (@ShelbyTalcott) June 15, 2020
No guillotines yet, but unless Jenny Durkan and Jay Inslee act quickly, it won’t be long. And that autonomous zone might end up taking over all of Seattle if legitimate government doesn’t reassert itself.


hotair--2020-06-16--Some good news at last: Researchers say common steroid reduces COVID-19 deaths

Doctors ( well , some doctors ) are being cautious here , for good reason .
After the fiasco of that last big hydroxychloroquine study , every splashy new finding about the coronavirus and drug efficacy is suspect .
Researchers are paddling around in a toxic brew of political narratives , miracle-cure claims , and media glory for whoever makes a “ breakthrough.
” The temptation towards confirmation bias is enormous .
This would be wonderful news if it bears out , though .
Until this morning there was no known drug that successfully reduced deaths from COVID-19 .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ faster , remdesivir , didn ’ t reduce mortality rates in a statistically significant way in Gilead ’ s trials .
A drug that helps people who aren ’ t severely ill get better sooner is good ; a drug that stops severely ill people from dying is better .
Oxford ’ s team says they have it — dexamethasone .
The best part : Unlike remdesivir , it ’ s not an obscure , expensive medication .
It ’ s a common steroid .
Cheap and widely available .
The study randomly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of dexamethasone once a day , by mouth or intravenous injection .
These were compared to 4,321 patients assigned to receive usual care alone .
In patients who needed to be on a ventilator , dexamethasone reduced the death rate by 35 % , meaning that doctors would prevent one death by treating eight ventilated patients .
In those who needed oxygen but were not ventilated , the death rate was reduced 20 % , meaning doctors would need to treat 25 patients to save one life .
Both results were statistically significant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who didn ’ t require any oxygen .
One in 25 sounds underwhelming in the abstract sense but it amounts to thousands of saved lives given the magnitude of the death toll in the U.S. ( The IHME model now predicts 200,000 dead here — by October , which is right around when scientists expect the second wave to begin . )
Outside scientists are suspicious that today ’ s results were reported via press release rather than a peer-reviewed paper whose methodology could be closely scrutinized… …but the researchers behind the study @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only drug so far that has been shown to reduce mortality , and it reduces it significantly .
It ’ s a major breakthrough , ” Dr. Peter Horby , chief investigator on the study , said in a statement .
Head researcher Dr. Martin Landray added that the drug ’ s low cost would lead to an even greater impact .
“ There is a clear , clear benefit .
The treatment is up to 10 days of dexamethasone and it costs about £5 per patient .
So essentially it costs £35 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a drug that is globally available , ” he said , emphasizing that for every eight patients on ventilators that are treated with the drug , one life could be saved .
The British government ’ s chief science advisor called it “ a ground-breaking development in our fight against the disease.
” Why would a steroid work on a virus like SARS-Cov-2 ?
It might not , actually ; rather , the steroid may be mitigating one of the most notorious complications of COVID-19 , the “ cytokine storm ” that happens @ @ @ @ @ @ @ goes haywire in trying to fight the virus off and begins attacking the body itself .
Steroids reduce inflammation .
It may be that dexamethasone is suppressing the inflammation in some far-gone patients just enough to help them beat back the virus and eventually recover .
That would also explain why it has no benefit on patients who are infected but don ’ t require oxygen .
In a mild-ish case like that , when the immune system hasn ’ t turned hyperactive , a steroid logically might not do much of anything @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s happening here , that the drug is essentially mitigating fatal side effects of COVID-19 rather than the virus itself , then it ’ s of no use as a prophylactic .
It ’ s for people who are at death ’ s door .
Speaking of higher survival rates , a mystery has begun to brew here at home .
While it ’ s true that some states like Texas and Arizona are seeing worrisome spikes , the national picture overall continues to look a bit brighter .
Yesterday just 375 deaths @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the U.S. down to 700 or so after it routinely topped 2,000 daily on weekdays in April .
Check out the trend via Worldometer : Good stuff .
But here ’ s the mysterious part : The trend in confirmed cases doesn ’ t resemble it .
It ’ s basically flat , not downward .
If roughly the same number of people are getting sick each day as were getting sick weeks ago , and yet the number of deaths is declining , why is that ?
The case fatality rate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
Pundits are kicking around theories : All good theories .
Maybe the weather plus better treatment at hospitals plus older people being stricter about self-isolating plus the “ dry tinder ” effect Foster mentions means that we ’ ve reached a phase where infections are more common among Americans who are better able to fight them off .
But here ’ s another possibility , more prosaic : Maybe the trend in confirmed cases captured in the graph above is simply bogus .
Our testing capacity continues to improve from its woeful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could be that there were many , many more infections in March and April than were known because testing was largely unavailable at the time and that there are many fewer now .
In that case , the reason the graph of confirmed cases looks “ flat ” isn ’ t because infection levels are steady , it ’ s that we ’ re simply detecting more infections even though there are less of them out there .
This isn ’ t true everywhere — cases really are going up in Texas and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the same testing capacity on March 15 , say , as we have now , the confirmed-cases graph might look very much like the fatality graph .
A huge spike , followed by a ( more or less ) continually descending downward slope .

Doctors (well, some doctors) are being cautious here, for good reason. After the fiasco of that last big hydroxychloroquine study, every splashy new finding about the coronavirus and drug efficacy is suspect. Researchers are paddling around in a toxic brew of political narratives, miracle-cure claims, and media glory for whoever makes a “breakthrough.” The temptation towards confirmation bias is enormous.
This would be wonderful news if it bears out, though. Until this morning there was no known drug that successfully reduced deaths from COVID-19. The one drug proven to help patients recover faster, remdesivir, didn’t reduce mortality rates in a statistically significant way in Gilead’s trials. A drug that helps people who aren’t severely ill get better sooner is good; a drug that stops severely ill people from dying is better. Oxford’s team says they have it — dexamethasone.
The best part: Unlike remdesivir, it’s not an obscure, expensive medication. It’s a common steroid. Cheap and widely available.
The study randomly assigned 2,104 patients to receive six milligrams of dexamethasone once a day, by mouth or intravenous injection. These were compared to 4,321 patients assigned to receive usual care alone. In patients who needed to be on a ventilator, dexamethasone reduced the death rate by 35%, meaning that doctors would prevent one death by treating eight ventilated patients. In those who needed oxygen but were not ventilated, the death rate was reduced 20%, meaning doctors would need to treat 25 patients to save one life. Both results were statistically significant. There was no benefit in patients who didn’t require any oxygen.
One in 25 sounds underwhelming in the abstract sense but it amounts to thousands of saved lives given the magnitude of the death toll in the U.S. (The IHME model now predicts 200,000 dead here — by October, which is right around when scientists expect the second wave to begin.) Outside scientists are suspicious that today’s results were reported via press release rather than a peer-reviewed paper whose methodology could be closely scrutinized…
It will be great news if dexamethasone, a cheap steroid, really does cut deaths by 1/3 in ventilated patients with COVID19, but after all the retractions and walk backs, it is unacceptable to tout study results by press release without releasing the paper. https://t.co/ZP5GVMUCW3 — Atul Gawande (@Atul_Gawande) June 16, 2020
…but the researchers behind the study are ecstatic:
“This is the only drug so far that has been shown to reduce mortality, and it reduces it significantly. It’s a major breakthrough,” Dr. Peter Horby, chief investigator on the study, said in a statement. Head researcher Dr. Martin Landray added that the drug’s low cost would lead to an even greater impact. “There is a clear, clear benefit. The treatment is up to 10 days of dexamethasone and it costs about £5 per patient. So essentially it costs £35 to save a life. This is a drug that is globally available,” he said, emphasizing that for every eight patients on ventilators that are treated with the drug, one life could be saved.
The British government’s chief science advisor called it “a ground-breaking development in our fight against the disease.” Why would a steroid work on a virus like SARS-Cov-2? It might not, actually; rather, the steroid may be mitigating one of the most notorious complications of COVID-19, the “cytokine storm” that happens in some patients when their immune system goes haywire in trying to fight the virus off and begins attacking the body itself. Steroids reduce inflammation. It may be that dexamethasone is suppressing the inflammation in some far-gone patients just enough to help them beat back the virus and eventually recover.
That would also explain why it has no benefit on patients who are infected but don’t require oxygen. In a mild-ish case like that, when the immune system hasn’t turned hyperactive, a steroid logically might not do much of anything. If that’s what’s happening here, that the drug is essentially mitigating fatal side effects of COVID-19 rather than the virus itself, then it’s of no use as a prophylactic. It’s for people who are at death’s door.
Speaking of higher survival rates, a mystery has begun to brew here at home. While it’s true that some states like Texas and Arizona are seeing worrisome spikes, the national picture overall continues to look a bit brighter. Yesterday just 375 deaths were recorded, pushing the seven-day average in the U.S. down to 700 or so after it routinely topped 2,000 daily on weekdays in April. Check out the trend via Worldometer:
Good stuff. But here’s the mysterious part: The trend in confirmed cases doesn’t resemble it. It’s basically flat, not downward.
If roughly the same number of people are getting sick each day as were getting sick weeks ago, and yet the number of deaths is declining, why is that? The case fatality rate is clearly dropping — but how come? Pundits are kicking around theories:
What I mean by that: Most ppl know now that this disease is more dangerous for older ppl. It's possible, then, that young ppl might be taking more risks compared to old ppl and getting sick more. So new cases are more concentrated among a group with a lower fatality rate. — Derek Thompson (@DKThomp) June 16, 2020
https://twitter.com/DanFosterType/status/1272895737559494659
All good theories. Maybe the weather plus better treatment at hospitals plus older people being stricter about self-isolating plus the “dry tinder” effect Foster mentions means that we’ve reached a phase where infections are more common among Americans who are better able to fight them off.
But here’s another possibility, more prosaic: Maybe the trend in confirmed cases captured in the graph above is simply bogus. Our testing capacity continues to improve from its woeful levels earlier in the pandemic. It could be that there were many, many more infections in March and April than were known because testing was largely unavailable at the time and that there are many fewer now. In that case, the reason the graph of confirmed cases looks “flat” isn’t because infection levels are steady, it’s that we’re simply detecting more infections even though there are less of them out there. This isn’t true everywhere — cases really are going up in Texas and Arizona. But if we had had the same testing capacity on March 15, say, as we have now, the confirmed-cases graph might look very much like the fatality graph. A huge spike, followed by a (more or less) continually descending downward slope.


hotair--2020-06-16--No face mask? If you travel with this airline, you'll be placed on an internal list

It ’ s a 2020 version of a no-fly list .
United Airlines will now treat its customers like potential terrorists are treated if they refuse to wear a face mask while flying .
The airline is doubling down on its policy of mandatory face masks .
United Airlines is implementing an “ internal travel restriction list ” which sounds very Big Brother-ish .
It goes into effect Thursday , so heads-up if you plan to fly on United in the near future and aren ’ t a mask-wearing kind of traveler .
Other airlines have mandatory mask rules during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Southwest , Alaska , Frontier , Spirit , and JetBlue .
This is the first I ’ ve seen of an internal list keeping track of passengers who will not comply .
At least the passenger won ’ t be kicked off the flight .
And the flight attendant is supposed to remain calm .
A report will be filed by the flight attendant and a formal review of the incident will happen after the flight .
Under this new policy , if a flight attendant notices or is informed of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ face covering and that passenger does not fall within an exception , the flight attendant will proactively inform the customer that for the health and safety of everyone , face coverings are mandatory for all customers and crew on board .
They will also offer to provide the customer with a mask if needed .
If the customer continues to be non-compliant , flight attendants will do their best to de-escalate the situation , again inform the customer of United ’ s policy , and provide the passenger with an In-Flight Mask policy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to not comply , the flight attendant will file a report of the incident , which will initiate a formal review process .
Any final decision or actions regarding a customer ’ s future flight benefits will not occur onboard but instead take place after the flight has reached its destination and the security team has investigated the incident .
“ U.S .
airlines are very serious about requiring face coverings on their flights .
Carriers are stepping up enforcement of face coverings and implementing substantial consequences for those who do not comply @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President and CEO Nicholas E. Calio .
“ Face coverings are one of several public health measures recommended by the CDC as an important layer of protection for passengers and customer-facing employees.
” Exceptions to the mandatory mask requirement include passengers who have a medical condition or a disability that prevents them from wearing a face covering , those who can not put on or remove a face covering themselves and small children .
Masks must be worn for the duration of the flight except when eating or drinking .
The mandatory mask @ @ @ @ @ @ @ since early May .
The rule is to be in effect for sixty days , maybe longer .
Flight attendants , pilots , customer service agents , and ramp workers are also required to wear masks .
Last week , United Airlines began requiring a preflight health checklist during check-in from passengers .
It ’ s called a “ Ready to Fly ’ checklist “ to confirm , among other things , that they have not had COVID-19-related symptoms in the past 14 days ; been diagnosed with the virus in the past @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with someone who has COVID-19 in the past 14 days.
” This internal list shows the airline is serious or something .
“ Every reputable heath institution says wearing a mask is one of the most effective things people can do to protect others from contracting COVID-19 , especially in places like an aircraft where social distancing is a challenge , ” said United ’ s Chief Customer Officer , Toby Enqvist .
“ We have been requiring our customers to wear masks onboard United aircraft since May 4 and we have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ readily comply with our policy .
Today ’ s announcement is an unmistakable signal that we ’ re prepared to take serious steps , if necessary , to protect our customers and crew.
” It sounds like United is looking out for any future lawsuits , covering itself from liability lawsuits if passengers are diagnosed with COVID-19 after a flight .
Flying is uncomfortable enough under the best of circumstances and now with the threat of being on an internal no-fly list over the compliance of wearing a face mask , well , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ passengers who think airline employees are less than friendly , to begin with , right ?
Oh , by the way , don ’ t worry about the air circulating around the cabin .
United says it ’ s safe .
American Airlines is looking at following United ’ s lead in this internal list business .
It , too , may deny future travel to anyone refusing to wear a mask .
The airline already has a policy of refusing to board customers who refuse to wear a face mask .
By @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deny future travel , the airline would be upping the ante .
Flying the friendly skies just got a little bit harder .

It’s a 2020 version of a no-fly list. United Airlines will now treat its customers like potential terrorists are treated if they refuse to wear a face mask while flying. The airline is doubling down on its policy of mandatory face masks.
United Airlines is implementing an “internal travel restriction list” which sounds very Big Brother-ish. It goes into effect Thursday, so heads-up if you plan to fly on United in the near future and aren’t a mask-wearing kind of traveler. Other airlines have mandatory mask rules during the coronavirus pandemic, such as Delta, Southwest, Alaska, Frontier, Spirit, and JetBlue. This is the first I’ve seen of an internal list keeping track of passengers who will not comply. At least the passenger won’t be kicked off the flight. And the flight attendant is supposed to remain calm. A report will be filed by the flight attendant and a formal review of the incident will happen after the flight.
Under this new policy, if a flight attendant notices or is informed of a customer onboard who is not wearing a face covering and that passenger does not fall within an exception, the flight attendant will proactively inform the customer that for the health and safety of everyone, face coverings are mandatory for all customers and crew on board. They will also offer to provide the customer with a mask if needed. If the customer continues to be non-compliant, flight attendants will do their best to de-escalate the situation, again inform the customer of United’s policy, and provide the passenger with an In-Flight Mask policy reminder card. If a customer continues to not comply, the flight attendant will file a report of the incident, which will initiate a formal review process. Any final decision or actions regarding a customer’s future flight benefits will not occur onboard but instead take place after the flight has reached its destination and the security team has investigated the incident. “U.S. airlines are very serious about requiring face coverings on their flights. Carriers are stepping up enforcement of face coverings and implementing substantial consequences for those who do not comply with the rules,” said A4A President and CEO Nicholas E. Calio. “Face coverings are one of several public health measures recommended by the CDC as an important layer of protection for passengers and customer-facing employees.”
Exceptions to the mandatory mask requirement include passengers who have a medical condition or a disability that prevents them from wearing a face covering, those who cannot put on or remove a face covering themselves and small children. Masks must be worn for the duration of the flight except when eating or drinking. The mandatory mask requirement has been in effect for customers since early May. The rule is to be in effect for sixty days, maybe longer. Flight attendants, pilots, customer service agents, and ramp workers are also required to wear masks.
Last week, United Airlines began requiring a preflight health checklist during check-in from passengers. It’s called a “Ready to Fly’ checklist “to confirm, among other things, that they have not had COVID-19-related symptoms in the past 14 days; been diagnosed with the virus in the past 21 days; or had close contact with someone who has COVID-19 in the past 14 days.” This internal list shows the airline is serious or something.
“Every reputable heath institution says wearing a mask is one of the most effective things people can do to protect others from contracting COVID-19, especially in places like an aircraft where social distancing is a challenge,” said United’s Chief Customer Officer, Toby Enqvist. “We have been requiring our customers to wear masks onboard United aircraft since May 4 and we have been pleased that the overwhelming majority of passengers readily comply with our policy. Today’s announcement is an unmistakable signal that we’re prepared to take serious steps, if necessary, to protect our customers and crew.”
The next time you check in for a flight you will see a "Ready-to-fly" checklist. Based on recommendations from @ClevelandClinic, the self-assessment is one of many ways our CleanPlus program is prioritizing health and safety during travel. https://t.co/19l6nr0gcj pic.twitter.com/j5FZbyHVDd — United Airlines (@united) June 10, 2020
It sounds like United is looking out for any future lawsuits, covering itself from liability lawsuits if passengers are diagnosed with COVID-19 after a flight. Flying is uncomfortable enough under the best of circumstances and now with the threat of being on an internal no-fly list over the compliance of wearing a face mask, well, it doesn’t bode well for passengers who think airline employees are less than friendly, to begin with, right?
Oh, by the way, don’t worry about the air circulating around the cabin. United says it’s safe.
High-efficiency (HEPA) filters on our aircraft completely recirculate cabin air every 2-3 minutes and remove 99.97% of airborne particles, including viruses and bacteria. Learn more about United CleanPlus, our commitment to your health and safety: https://t.co/YP5JXQobV2 pic.twitter.com/BMw2zgjtDM — United Airlines (@united) June 12, 2020
American Airlines is looking at following United’s lead in this internal list business. It, too, may deny future travel to anyone refusing to wear a mask. The airline already has a policy of refusing to board customers who refuse to wear a face mask. By considering making its own internal list to deny future travel, the airline would be upping the ante. Flying the friendly skies just got a little bit harder.


hotair--2020-06-16--Idaho to pay people to go back to work

Idaho to pay people to go back to work

This is a subject that we ’ ve been covering here ever since the coronavirus stimulus bill was first being debated in Congress .
Having passed a measure providing enhanced unemployment benefits with no cap on the amount of the payments based on the worker ’ s previous rate of pay , a condition was created where a majority of the unemployed are now collecting more than they did on their last job .
That doesn ’ t provide much of an incentive to go back to work , particularly if you can point to your concerns about the virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In Idaho , Republican Governor Brad Little and his colleagues would like to “ lure ” these idled workers back onto the job and off of the federally enhanced unemployment system with a rather straightforward deal .
They ’ ll simply bribe them to go back to work .
They ’ re talking about a one-time $ 1,500 payment if the workers agree to get off of the benefits train and go back on the job .
Is this generous or pointless ?
We ’ ll discuss that here today .
( CNN @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1,500 to lure them back to work and off federally enhanced unemployment benefits .
The effort mirrors a proposal being floated by Republicans on Capitol Hill , who must soon decide whether to continue supporting the millions of Americans who lost their jobs due to the coronavirus pandemic shutdowns .
Several GOP lawmakers favor return-to-work bonuses such as the one being implemented by Idaho ’ s Republican Gov .
Brad Little , while congressional Democrats generally want to extend the $ 600 weekly boost to benefits passed by Congress in March as part @ @ @ @ @ @ @ package .
At this point , we ’ ve painted ourselves into a corner where we ’ re struggling to solve a problem of our own creation .
When the enhanced benefits were being debated , Senate Republicans tried to put a cap on the benefits based on the worker ’ s previous income , but the Democrats screamed racism , wealthism and every other ism in the book and the GOP folded .
Now , as noted above , employers are starting to reopen , but literally tens of millions of people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ What did we think was going to happen ?
I ’ m not sure how much of a viable solution Idaho is proposing here .
They ’ re talking about a one-time payment of $ 1,500 dollars .
The maximum unemployment benefit in Idaho is $ 405 per week .
After you tack on the $ 600 federal enhancement , that ’ s more than $ 1,000 per week .
They ’ ll make more in two weeks on unemployment than they ’ ll get from that single check .
How many people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bench if they weren ’ t already motivated to get back to work ?
Of course , at least in theory , if you refuse a job that ’ s offered to you you ’ re supposed to disqualify yourself from unemployment benefits .
But that ’ s only if the state finds out that you declined the job .
If your previous boss calls or emails you to say that your position is once again available , will the state find out about it and take action ?
The threat of being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ might be enough to scare some workers back to work , but certainly not all of them .
What we really need is some sort of notification system so that employers can publicly announce that they are ready to do business and their former workers are welcome back .
If that data can be parsed against the unemployment rolls , we could probably get closer to the saturation point .
And you wouldn ’ t need to send everyone a check to get them back to work , either .

This is a subject that we’ve been covering here ever since the coronavirus stimulus bill was first being debated in Congress. Having passed a measure providing enhanced unemployment benefits with no cap on the amount of the payments based on the worker’s previous rate of pay, a condition was created where a majority of the unemployed are now collecting more than they did on their last job. That doesn’t provide much of an incentive to go back to work, particularly if you can point to your concerns about the virus as a reason to stay home.
In Idaho, Republican Governor Brad Little and his colleagues would like to “lure” these idled workers back onto the job and off of the federally enhanced unemployment system with a rather straightforward deal. They’ll simply bribe them to go back to work. They’re talking about a one-time $1,500 payment if the workers agree to get off of the benefits train and go back on the job. Is this generous or pointless? We’ll discuss that here today. (CNN)
Idaho will pay jobless residents $1,500 to lure them back to work and off federally enhanced unemployment benefits. The effort mirrors a proposal being floated by Republicans on Capitol Hill, who must soon decide whether to continue supporting the millions of Americans who lost their jobs due to the coronavirus pandemic shutdowns. Several GOP lawmakers favor return-to-work bonuses such as the one being implemented by Idaho’s Republican Gov. Brad Little, while congressional Democrats generally want to extend the $600 weekly boost to benefits passed by Congress in March as part of the $2 trillion coronavirus relief package.
At this point, we’ve painted ourselves into a corner where we’re struggling to solve a problem of our own creation. When the enhanced benefits were being debated, Senate Republicans tried to put a cap on the benefits based on the worker’s previous income, but the Democrats screamed racism, wealthism and every other ism in the book and the GOP folded. Now, as noted above, employers are starting to reopen, but literally tens of millions of people are making more by staying home. What did we think was going to happen?
I’m not sure how much of a viable solution Idaho is proposing here. They’re talking about a one-time payment of $1,500 dollars. The maximum unemployment benefit in Idaho is $405 per week. After you tack on the $600 federal enhancement, that’s more than $1,000 per week. They’ll make more in two weeks on unemployment than they’ll get from that single check. How many people is that going to bring off the bench if they weren’t already motivated to get back to work?
Of course, at least in theory, if you refuse a job that’s offered to you you’re supposed to disqualify yourself from unemployment benefits. But that’s only if the state finds out that you declined the job. If your previous boss calls or emails you to say that your position is once again available, will the state find out about it and take action? The threat of being caught up in a benefits fraud case might be enough to scare some workers back to work, but certainly not all of them.
What we really need is some sort of notification system so that employers can publicly announce that they are ready to do business and their former workers are welcome back. If that data can be parsed against the unemployment rolls, we could probably get closer to the saturation point. And you wouldn’t need to send everyone a check to get them back to work, either.


hotair--2020-06-16--Denver protesters add ICE abolishment to George Floyd demands

The protesters in Denver , Colorado who are calling for “ racial and societal justice ” have been upping their game this week .
In the wake of George Floyd ’ s killing , the activists had been demanding accountability and reform for the police , if not defunding or simply abolishing them .
But during an automobile caravan on Saturday , they added some additional demands to the list .
Apparently , because they feel that Floyd was murdered by an out of control cop , there should also be an end to evictions for those who haven ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and they would like ICE to be abolished also .
( CBS Denver ) About 100 cars took part in a caravan for racial and societal justice on Saturday afternoon .
A dozen organizations banded together for the event which demanded changes from the state ’ s eviction moratorium to abolishing Immigration Customs and Enforcement .
“ I think what we ’ ve been feeling these past couple weeks is that people are really fed up , ” said Lillian House , a spokeswoman for the Party for Socialism and Liberation-Denver .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the kinds of violence that the system is inflicting on them and with people we care about.
” The caravan gathered north of downtown Denver and made its way with signs , honking , and cheering to the detention center used by ICE in Aurora .
Many people have fallen behind on their rent or mortgage payments since the novel coronavirus broke out and governments forced many employers to shut down .
Those issues were compounded by unemployment processing systems being overwhelmed by the volume of applicants resulting in too many being able @ @ @ @ @ @ @ care to tell me what George Floyd has to do with this issue ?
Was he being evicted ?
Even more to the point , how does ICE figure into the entire Floyd saga ?
He wasn ’ t picked up by Immigration and Customs Enforcement for allegedly passing a counterfeit bill .
Was he an illegal alien but nobody in the media has bothered reporting that tidbit ?
Obviously , these things are unrelated except in the minds of the social justice warriors who can make a connection between racism and virtually @ @ @ @ @ @ @ currently held in the Aurora detention center used by ICE be released .
Why ?
They managed to tie two different SJW complaints into this demand .
First of all , they said that “ immigration ” isn ’ t illegal , ergo it ’ s inherently racist to detain illegal aliens .
As a bonus , they threw in the COVID-19 outbreak .
There were allegedly 13 cases of the disease at the detention center at the end of last month .
It ’ s unclear how they are doing this week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that we ’ re seeing all over the country right now .
Liberal protesters obviously feel that the horrific video of George Floyd being killed has both the police and the government in general back on their heels and ready to make concessions .
And if that ’ s the case , they ’ re going to pile on every item from the SJW wishlist that they can while they believe that an opportunity exists .
George Floyd has quickly transformed from a symbol of the need for reform in some police precincts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ve been asking for or we ’ ll burn down your cities.
” The worst part is that there are far too many liberal , municipal leaders who appear to more than willing to go along with this plan .
Never let a good crisis go to waste , as the saying goes .

The protesters in Denver, Colorado who are calling for “racial and societal justice” have been upping their game this week. In the wake of George Floyd’s killing, the activists had been demanding accountability and reform for the police, if not defunding or simply abolishing them. But during an automobile caravan on Saturday, they added some additional demands to the list. Apparently, because they feel that Floyd was murdered by an out of control cop, there should also be an end to evictions for those who haven’t paid their rent. Oh, and they would like ICE to be abolished also. (CBS Denver)
About 100 cars took part in a caravan for racial and societal justice on Saturday afternoon. A dozen organizations banded together for the event which demanded changes from the state’s eviction moratorium to abolishing Immigration Customs and Enforcement. “I think what we’ve been feeling these past couple weeks is that people are really fed up,” said Lillian House, a spokeswoman for the Party for Socialism and Liberation-Denver. “People are really fed up with all the kinds of violence that the system is inflicting on them and with people we care about.” The caravan gathered north of downtown Denver and made its way with signs, honking, and cheering to the detention center used by ICE in Aurora.
Many people have fallen behind on their rent or mortgage payments since the novel coronavirus broke out and governments forced many employers to shut down. Those issues were compounded by unemployment processing systems being overwhelmed by the volume of applicants resulting in too many being able to access benefits. But would anyone care to tell me what George Floyd has to do with this issue? Was he being evicted?
Even more to the point, how does ICE figure into the entire Floyd saga? He wasn’t picked up by Immigration and Customs Enforcement for allegedly passing a counterfeit bill. Was he an illegal alien but nobody in the media has bothered reporting that tidbit?
Obviously, these things are unrelated except in the minds of the social justice warriors who can make a connection between racism and virtually anything. They were demanding that everyone currently held in the Aurora detention center used by ICE be released. Why? They managed to tie two different SJW complaints into this demand. First of all, they said that “immigration” isn’t illegal, ergo it’s inherently racist to detain illegal aliens. As a bonus, they threw in the COVID-19 outbreak. There were allegedly 13 cases of the disease at the detention center at the end of last month. It’s unclear how they are doing this week.
This is just a repeating pattern that we’re seeing all over the country right now. Liberal protesters obviously feel that the horrific video of George Floyd being killed has both the police and the government in general back on their heels and ready to make concessions. And if that’s the case, they’re going to pile on every item from the SJW wishlist that they can while they believe that an opportunity exists. George Floyd has quickly transformed from a symbol of the need for reform in some police precincts to “give us everything we’ve been asking for or we’ll burn down your cities.”
The worst part is that there are far too many liberal, municipal leaders who appear to more than willing to go along with this plan. Never let a good crisis go to waste, as the saying goes.


hotair--2020-06-16--Here is why NIH handed out pink slips to 54 scientists

In August 2018 the National Institutes of Health ( NIH ) launched an investigation that is shaking up the U.S. biomedical community .
A new round of terminations has resulted in 54 scientists losing their jobs with the taxpayer-funded institute .
The investigation is on-going .
The scientists , all grant recipients , failed to disclose financial ties to a foreign government – mostly China.189 researchers were investigated and 93 % were found to be tied to China .
So , 54 researchers were terminated or resigned for violating NIH rules against simultaneously receiving funds from the U.S. government and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the scientists aren ’ t allowed to be paid by the U.S. government , do the research and other tasks , and then be paid by another country in exchange for that research information .
It seems that the Communist Chinese Party ( CCP ) has gotten really good at recruiting scientists to provide research information to advance President Xi Jinping ’ s 2013 decree : “ Only by controlling core technology in one ’ s own hands , can one seize the initiative in competition and development , and absolutely guarantee national @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CCP is doing that by forking over a lot of money to 174 researchers in 27 states and 59 cities , in the form of direct compensation or research grants .
The amounts total up to $ 678,000 .
That ’ s chump change for the wealthy Chinese government but the payments handsomely rewarded the scientists for doing what amounts to espionage against the U.S. government while the American taxpayers funded the NIH .
Remember , this is the parent organization for high profile scientists like Dr. Anthony Fauci .
The NIH has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ budget .
The new numbers come from Michael Lauer , NIH ’ s head of extramural research .
Lauer had previously provided some information on the scope of NIH ’ s investigation , which had targeted 189 scientists at 87 institutions .
But his presentation today to a senior advisory panel offered by far the most detailed breakout of an effort NIH launched in August 2018 that has roiled the U.S. biomedical community , and resulted in criminal charges against some prominent researchers , including Charles Lieber , chair of Harvard University ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ It ’ s not what we had hoped , and it ’ s not a fun task , ” NIH Director Francis Collins said in characterizing the ongoing investigation .
He called the data “ sobering.
” Lieber was arrested , charged with lying about his ties to the Chinese government and sharing information to the CCP for financial compensation , and this month he was indicted by a grand jury .
Three tactics have come to light from the working group ‘ s investigation : 1 .
Failure to disclose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , foreign grant support , in many cases the American institution was unaware ) , 2 .
Failure to disclose significant foreign FCOI , patents , and 3 .
Peer review violations .
An interesting point brought out is that 399 researchers were suspected of being on a foreign payroll , but only 189 of them ended up being pursued .
Lauer provided some numbers from that larger investigation .
Lauer ’ s presentation also provided a glimpse into the scope of that broader investigation .
There are 399 scientists “ of possible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the advisory council , and the Federal Bureau of Investigation has fingered 30 % ( 121 ) of them .
An additional 44 have been flagged by their own institutions .
Of that pool , Lauer said , investigations into 63 % , or 256 scientists , came out “ positive.
” Investigations into some 19 % came up “ negative , ” he noted , whereas the status of the remaining 18 % is “ pending.
” The CCP targets a certain type of scientist for its dirty work – Asian men @ @ @ @ @ @ @ majority of cases , Lauer reported , the person being investigated has been an Asian man in his 50s .
Some three-quarters of those under investigation had active NIH grants , and nearly half had at least two grants .
The 285 active grants totaled $ 164 million .
Lauer also presented data on the nature of the violations that NIH has uncovered .
Some 70 % ( 133 ) of the researchers had failed to disclose to NIH the receipt of a foreign grant , and 54 % had failed to disclose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In contrast , Lauer said , only 9 % hid ties to a foreign company , and only 4 % had an undisclosed foreign patent .
Some 5 % of cases involved a violation of NIH ’ s peer-review system .
Lauer said the fact that 82 % of those being investigated are Asian “ is not surprising ” because “ that ’ s who the Chinese target ” in their foreign talent recruitment programs .
Some 82 % are men , and their median age is 56 , with the youngest being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than one-half had been an NIH peer reviewer in the past 2 years , and 41 % of those under investigation ( 77 scientists ) have been banned from further participation in NIH ’ s well-regarded system of vetting grant proposals .
It ’ s a start getting rid of some of these bad apples .
There are bills in Congress that address the national security concerns and economic concerns .
Perhaps it is time to eliminate Chinese scientists coming to the United States and restrict access to federally funded research for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allowing corrupt scientists to give away American research findings .

In August 2018 the National Institutes of Health (NIH) launched an investigation that is shaking up the U.S. biomedical community. A new round of terminations has resulted in 54 scientists losing their jobs with the taxpayer-funded institute. The investigation is on-going.
The scientists, all grant recipients, failed to disclose financial ties to a foreign government – mostly China.189 researchers were investigated and 93% were found to be tied to China. So, 54 researchers were terminated or resigned for violating NIH rules against simultaneously receiving funds from the U.S. government and foreign entities. In other words, the scientists aren’t allowed to be paid by the U.S. government, do the research and other tasks, and then be paid by another country in exchange for that research information.
It seems that the Communist Chinese Party (CCP) has gotten really good at recruiting scientists to provide research information to advance President Xi Jinping’s 2013 decree: “Only by controlling core technology in one’s own hands, can one seize the initiative in competition and development, and absolutely guarantee national economic security, defense security.” The CCP is doing that by forking over a lot of money to 174 researchers in 27 states and 59 cities, in the form of direct compensation or research grants. The amounts total up to $678,000. That’s chump change for the wealthy Chinese government but the payments handsomely rewarded the scientists for doing what amounts to espionage against the U.S. government while the American taxpayers funded the NIH. Remember, this is the parent organization for high profile scientists like Dr. Anthony Fauci. The NIH has 6,000 research scientists and a multi-billion dollar budget.
The new numbers come from Michael Lauer, NIH’s head of extramural research. Lauer had previously provided some information on the scope of NIH’s investigation, which had targeted 189 scientists at 87 institutions. But his presentation today to a senior advisory panel offered by far the most detailed breakout of an effort NIH launched in August 2018 that has roiled the U.S. biomedical community, and resulted in criminal charges against some prominent researchers, including Charles Lieber, chair of Harvard University’s department of chemistry and chemical biology. “It’s not what we had hoped, and it’s not a fun task,” NIH Director Francis Collins said in characterizing the ongoing investigation. He called the data “sobering.”
Lieber was arrested, charged with lying about his ties to the Chinese government and sharing information to the CCP for financial compensation, and this month he was indicted by a grand jury.
Three tactics have come to light from the working group‘s investigation: 1. Failure to disclose substantial foreign resources (foreign employment arrangements, foreign grant support, in many cases the American institution was unaware), 2. Failure to disclose significant foreign FCOI, patents, and 3. Peer review violations. An interesting point brought out is that 399 researchers were suspected of being on a foreign payroll, but only 189 of them ended up being pursued. Lauer provided some numbers from that larger investigation.
Lauer’s presentation also provided a glimpse into the scope of that broader investigation. There are 399 scientists “of possible concern” to NIH, he told the advisory council, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation has fingered 30% (121) of them. An additional 44 have been flagged by their own institutions. Of that pool, Lauer said, investigations into 63%, or 256 scientists, came out “positive.” Investigations into some 19% came up “negative,” he noted, whereas the status of the remaining 18% is “pending.”
The CCP targets a certain type of scientist for its dirty work – Asian men in their 50s.
In the vast majority of cases, Lauer reported, the person being investigated has been an Asian man in his 50s. Some three-quarters of those under investigation had active NIH grants, and nearly half had at least two grants. The 285 active grants totaled $164 million. Lauer also presented data on the nature of the violations that NIH has uncovered. Some 70% (133) of the researchers had failed to disclose to NIH the receipt of a foreign grant, and 54% had failed to disclose participation in a foreign talent program. In contrast, Lauer said, only 9% hid ties to a foreign company, and only 4% had an undisclosed foreign patent. Some 5% of cases involved a violation of NIH’s peer-review system. Lauer said the fact that 82% of those being investigated are Asian “is not surprising” because “that’s who the Chinese target” in their foreign talent recruitment programs. Some 82% are men, and their median age is 56, with the youngest being 48 and the oldest 59. Slightly more than one-half had been an NIH peer reviewer in the past 2 years, and 41% of those under investigation (77 scientists) have been banned from further participation in NIH’s well-regarded system of vetting grant proposals.
It’s a start getting rid of some of these bad apples. There are bills in Congress that address the national security concerns and economic concerns. Perhaps it is time to eliminate Chinese scientists coming to the United States and restrict access to federally funded research for cutting-edge technologies and new industries. Stop allowing corrupt scientists to give away American research findings.


hotair--2020-06-17--Colin Kaepernick deserves another shot in the NFL, says ... Trump?

I regret to inform you that the president of the United States is woke now .
I mean , he has to realize that if Kaepernick comes back he ’ s going to kneel during the anthem — along with most , if not all , of the rest of the league this fall .
Remember what Trump said about that a few years ago ?
“ Wouldn ’ t you love to see one of these NFL owners , when someone disrespects our flag to say , ` Get that son of a bitch off the field right now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ !
He ’ s fired !
” To be clear , he ’ s still against the kneeling protests… …he just doesn ’ t seem to think they ’ re disqualifying anymore .
Why not ?
Here ’ s another highly uncharacteristic comment from this same interview .
Did he get some bad polling news this afternoon ( apart from the obvious one from Reuters ) ?
It sounds like something put the fear of God into him to convince him that he needs to be more conciliatory about protests of all sorts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with every aspect of them : Coincidentally , the Times has a story out this afternoon about Trump ’ s aides worrying that his behavior lately has seemed so “ trapped and defensive ” that “ many advisers wonder if he is truly interested in serving a second term.
” Quote : “ With the Russia investigation and impeachment , White House officials and others said , Mr. Trump was eager to fight , and did so fairly effectively .
Now , they see his behavior as self-defeating , and his bursts of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an invisible enemy like the virus and a protest movement he ’ s shown little sympathy for.
” But there ’ s a notable recent exception to that rule , the article goes on to note : Yeah , rescheduling his rally so that it didn ’ t coincide with Juneteenth was an unusual show of deference by him to the priorities of a group that isn ’ t part of his base .
Maybe his aides really have managed to impress upon him lately that a softer touch , especially with respect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rebound against Biden .
The latest numbers bear that out .
New from Quinnipiac : The only group that opposes the protests is Republicans .
Even Trump ’ s base of whites without a college degree are 51/41 in favor .
The numbers looked similar across various groups in response to the question , “ Do you think that discrimination against black people in the United States today is a serious problem , or don ’ t you think so ?
” Americans want to believe that their president shares their attitudes about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in reality .
Trump reportedly made a good show yesterday behind closed doors when the met with the families of several victims of race-related violence , with Ahmaud Arbery ’ s mother saying afterward , “ I was very , very emotional throughout the whole conference .
He was very compassionate .
He showed major concern for all families .
Not just one family , but for all families.
” More of that can only help him .
By the way , the same Quinnipiac poll asked Americans how they feel about the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ departments .
Answer : Not great .
People were more receptive to the idea of reducing funding for the local PD and shifting that money to social services , but only up to a point .
That polled at 41/54 .
And there was a revealing gap when people were asked whether they approve of the job the police are doing generally in the United States versus whether they approve of the job the police are doing in their specific community .
It was 49/44 on the former — but 77/19 on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ black Americans saying they approve .
That reminds me of polls showing that people hate Congress generally but tend to approve of the performance of their local representative .
People may dislike the institution and deem it in need of reform but it seems to work well enough for their personal needs .
Here ’ s Charles Barkley identifying a minor flaw in the “ defund the police ” argument .

I regret to inform you that the president of the United States is woke now.
I mean, he has to realize that if Kaepernick comes back he’s going to kneel during the anthem — along with most, if not all, of the rest of the league this fall. Remember what Trump said about that a few years ago? “Wouldn’t you love to see one of these NFL owners, when someone disrespects our flag to say, `Get that son of a bitch off the field right now! Out. He’s fired! He’s fired!”
To be clear, he’s still against the kneeling protests…
"I was very disappointed in the @NFL" and "I was very disappointed in @ussoccer" -President Trump tells me on the issue of kneeling & race relations. #NFL @USWNT #soccer pic.twitter.com/0vaVdEU3LY — Scott Thuman (@ScottThuman) June 17, 2020
…he just doesn’t seem to think they’re disqualifying anymore. Why not?
Here’s another highly uncharacteristic comment from this same interview. Did he get some bad polling news this afternoon (apart from the obvious one from Reuters)? It sounds like something put the fear of God into him to convince him that he needs to be more conciliatory about protests of all sorts even if he doesn’t agree with every aspect of them:
"If I could…I would do tone." –@POTUS answers when I ask for 1 thing he would change about his handling of the race relations crisis. #protests2020 #JusticeInPolicing pic.twitter.com/9xsAE1slIl — Scott Thuman (@ScottThuman) June 17, 2020
Coincidentally, the Times has a story out this afternoon about Trump’s aides worrying that his behavior lately has seemed so “trapped and defensive” that “many advisers wonder if he is truly interested in serving a second term.” Quote: “With the Russia investigation and impeachment, White House officials and others said, Mr. Trump was eager to fight, and did so fairly effectively. Now, they see his behavior as self-defeating, and his bursts of both anger and self-praise as futile against an invisible enemy like the virus and a protest movement he’s shown little sympathy for.” But there’s a notable recent exception to that rule, the article goes on to note:
This past weekend, Mr. Trump eventually made what allies called a wise political move in abruptly announcing he would change the date of a rally his aides had planned for him in Tulsa, Okla., on Juneteenth, a holiday honoring the end of slavery in the United States. Even that was done in an ad-hoc fashion as Mr. Trump failed to tell aides about the change before tweeting it.
Yeah, rescheduling his rally so that it didn’t coincide with Juneteenth was an unusual show of deference by him to the priorities of a group that isn’t part of his base. Maybe his aides really have managed to impress upon him lately that a softer touch, especially with respect to racial matters, might help him rebound against Biden.
The latest numbers bear that out. New from Quinnipiac:
The only group that opposes the protests is Republicans. Even Trump’s base of whites without a college degree are 51/41 in favor. The numbers looked similar across various groups in response to the question, “Do you think that discrimination against black people in the United States today is a serious problem, or don’t you think so?” Americans want to believe that their president shares their attitudes about this, however unlikely that may be in reality. Trump reportedly made a good show yesterday behind closed doors when the met with the families of several victims of race-related violence, with Ahmaud Arbery’s mother saying afterward, “I was very, very emotional throughout the whole conference. He was very compassionate. He showed major concern for all families. Not just one family, but for all families.” More of that can only help him.
By the way, the same Quinnipiac poll asked Americans how they feel about the left’s idea of abolishing police departments. Answer: Not great.
People were more receptive to the idea of reducing funding for the local PD and shifting that money to social services, but only up to a point. That polled at 41/54. And there was a revealing gap when people were asked whether they approve of the job the police are doing generally in the United States versus whether they approve of the job the police are doing in their specific community. It was 49/44 on the former — but 77/19 on the latter, with even a majority of black Americans saying they approve. That reminds me of polls showing that people hate Congress generally but tend to approve of the performance of their local representative. People may dislike the institution and deem it in need of reform but it seems to work well enough for their personal needs.
Here’s Charles Barkley identifying a minor flaw in the “defund the police” argument.


hotair--2020-06-17--Norm Coleman to Minneapolis city council: How about defunding and dismantling ... yourself?

So much for the quiet , in both real and political terms .
After police calls dipped below normal levels following the riots , Minneapolis had several shootings overnight .
Eight people got hit , although all survived — at least one thanks to the quick response of the police , who saved the woman ’ s life : The violence started shortly after 10 p.m. Tuesday , when officers responded to calls of gunfire in the 2900 block of Columbus Avenue , only to learn that a male victim had been dropped off at an area hospital .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ preceded by an argument between a group of people , according to police , who offered few other details .
About 11:25 p.m. , police were dispatched to a reported drive-by shooting in the 1100 block of 21st Avenue N. , a block west of the Hawthorne Crossings strip mall .
When they arrived , they found two women suffering from gunshot wounds , with officers applying a tourniquet to help save one of the women ’ s lives , a department spokesman said .
A third victim showed up at an area @ @ @ @ @ @ @ non-life threatening injury from the same incident , police said .
Police say that about seven minutes after the 21st Avenue shooting , gunfire broke out a few blocks east of that location , in the area of N. 5th and W. Broadway Avenue ; two male victims were dropped off at a nearby hospital , both suffering from non-life threatening injuries , police said .
Around the same time , two men with gunshot wounds were dropped off at HCMC , after apparently being injured when gunfire rang out in the area @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The block , which was thrust into the international spotlight after Floyd ’ s death at the hands of a former Minneapolis officer on May 25 , has long had a reputation for gang violence , police and neighbors say .
No arrests have been made in any of the shootings , including a standoff with a barricaded suspect .
The hours-long effort drew a lot of attention in the north Minneapolis neighborhood , some of it hostile but still peaceful , but the suspect slipped away without police realizing it .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the hospital is also expected to survive .
The city has had three other fatal shootings since the beginning of the month , even though calls for shootings had briefly declined .
None of this is likely to convince the city ’ s residents that this is the moment to dismantle the city ’ s police department in favor of a “ new public safety model.
” That may be even more true after the cost of the true tally of damage from the riots .
According to local CBS affiliate WCCO , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , or destroyed — which means businesses and jobs may be a long time in coming back to the city : Voters will also likely wonder , as does former St. Paul mayor and US Senator Norm Coleman does , why the city council wants to jettison policing rather than just run it more responsibly .
In a blistering column in today ’ s Star Tribune that should be read in its entirety , Coleman concludes the only body it needs to dismantle is itself — and replace it with city government that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , in times of great tragedy there are those who rise from the ashes to give comfort to the afflicted .
There are those who provide leadership when communities are clamoring for a way out from desperation .
There are people who bring the best and the brightest ideas to bear to change bad systems and bad processes .
And then there is the Minneapolis City Council .
Coleman doesn ’ t buy the excuse from Jacob Frey and his predecessors R.T. Rybak and Betsy Hodges that they were hamstrung by the city @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Blaming the police union is , no pun intended , a cop-out , ” Coleman writes , and so is blaming “ systemic racism.
” Just exactly who has been running Minneapolis for the last several decades , Coleman asks ?
If “ systemic racism ” exists in Minneapolis ’ government , it must be part of the progressives that have controlled it for most of our lifetimes .
And with that said … Mayors Frey , Rybak and Hodges and the City Council all claim they were impotent because the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
If that is true then the remedy isn ’ t to defund and disband the Police Department .
It ’ s time to defund and disband the current elected leadership at Minneapolis City Hall and find people with the courage and conviction to protect all of the people of Minneapolis , all of the time , everywhere in the city .
In fairness , Frey at least opposes the defund-and-dismantle effort spearheaded by city council president Lisa Bender , but he ’ s also quick to dodge the responsibility , too .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the streets after the murder of George Floyd , Frey let them withdraw — and then all but disappeared himself , except to tearfully ( and inaccurately ) scold Donald Trump about the strength of the city ’ s government .
Only after Tim Walz belatedly seized the streets himself with the National Guard and state police did the riots in Minneapolis finally slow down .
There are and have been longstanding issues with the police in the city — practically everyone in the Metro has a story or two — and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ city council , however , needs to have the intestinal fortitude to fight adversarially with public-employee unions in general , including the police union , to secure the city properly .
If they can ’ t handle that job or deal with the aftermath of their own policy decisions , then they should take Norm Coleman ’ s advice … and disband themselves .

So much for the quiet, in both real and political terms. After police calls dipped below normal levels following the riots, Minneapolis had several shootings overnight. Eight people got hit, although all survived — at least one thanks to the quick response of the police, who saved the woman’s life:
The violence started shortly after 10 p.m. Tuesday, when officers responded to calls of gunfire in the 2900 block of Columbus Avenue, only to learn that a male victim had been dropped off at an area hospital. A preliminary investigation showed that the shooting was preceded by an argument between a group of people, according to police, who offered few other details. About 11:25 p.m., police were dispatched to a reported drive-by shooting in the 1100 block of 21st Avenue N., a block west of the Hawthorne Crossings strip mall. When they arrived, they found two women suffering from gunshot wounds, with officers applying a tourniquet to help save one of the women’s lives, a department spokesman said. A third victim showed up at an area hospital some time later, with a non-life threatening injury from the same incident, police said. Police say that about seven minutes after the 21st Avenue shooting, gunfire broke out a few blocks east of that location, in the area of N. 5th and W. Broadway Avenue; two male victims were dropped off at a nearby hospital, both suffering from non-life threatening injuries, police said. Around the same time, two men with gunshot wounds were dropped off at HCMC, after apparently being injured when gunfire rang out in the area of S. 38th and Chicago avenues. The block, which was thrust into the international spotlight after Floyd’s death at the hands of a former Minneapolis officer on May 25, has long had a reputation for gang violence, police and neighbors say.
No arrests have been made in any of the shootings, including a standoff with a barricaded suspect. The hours-long effort drew a lot of attention in the north Minneapolis neighborhood, some of it hostile but still peaceful, but the suspect slipped away without police realizing it. The victim in that shooting made it to the hospital is also expected to survive. The city has had three other fatal shootings since the beginning of the month, even though calls for shootings had briefly declined.
None of this is likely to convince the city’s residents that this is the moment to dismantle the city’s police department in favor of a “new public safety model.” That may be even more true after the cost of the true tally of damage from the riots. According to local CBS affiliate WCCO, 700 buildings were either damaged, burned, or destroyed — which means businesses and jobs may be a long time in coming back to the city:
Voters will also likely wonder, as does former St. Paul mayor and US Senator Norm Coleman does, why the city council wants to jettison policing rather than just run it more responsibly. In a blistering column in today’s Star Tribune that should be read in its entirety, Coleman concludes the only body it needs to dismantle is itself — and replace it with city government that takes its responsibilities more seriously:
Meanwhile, in times of great tragedy there are those who rise from the ashes to give comfort to the afflicted. There are those who provide leadership when communities are clamoring for a way out from desperation. There are people who bring the best and the brightest ideas to bear to change bad systems and bad processes. And then there is the Minneapolis City Council.
Coleman doesn’t buy the excuse from Jacob Frey and his predecessors R.T. Rybak and Betsy Hodges that they were hamstrung by the city’s contract with the police union. “Blaming the police union is, no pun intended, a cop-out,” Coleman writes, and so is blaming “systemic racism.” Just exactly who has been running Minneapolis for the last several decades, Coleman asks? If “systemic racism” exists in Minneapolis’ government, it must be part of the progressives that have controlled it for most of our lifetimes.
And with that said …
Mayors Frey, Rybak and Hodges and the City Council all claim they were impotent because the police union was too strong for them. If that is true then the remedy isn’t to defund and disband the Police Department. It’s time to defund and disband the current elected leadership at Minneapolis City Hall and find people with the courage and conviction to protect all of the people of Minneapolis, all of the time, everywhere in the city.
In fairness, Frey at least opposes the defund-and-dismantle effort spearheaded by city council president Lisa Bender, but he’s also quick to dodge the responsibility, too. Rather than use police wisely in securing the streets after the murder of George Floyd, Frey let them withdraw — and then all but disappeared himself, except to tearfully (and inaccurately) scold Donald Trump about the strength of the city’s government. Only after Tim Walz belatedly seized the streets himself with the National Guard and state police did the riots in Minneapolis finally slow down.
There are and have been longstanding issues with the police in the city — practically everyone in the Metro has a story or two — and the union might be one obstacle. The city council, however, needs to have the intestinal fortitude to fight adversarially with public-employee unions in general, including the police union, to secure the city properly. If they can’t handle that job or deal with the aftermath of their own policy decisions, then they should take Norm Coleman’s advice … and disband themselves.