hotair--2020-09-17--Grad student admits falsely claiming to be black based on 'unproven family history' (Sen. Warren cal

Grad student admits falsely claiming to be black based on 'unproven family history' (Sen. Warren call your office)

A grad student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison has admitted to falsely claiming to be black .
And once again the confession appeared on Medium .
The Wisconsin-State Journal reported over the weekend : CV Vitolo-Haddad , a graduate student in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication who uses they/them pronouns , said they identify as Southern Italian/Sicilian .
But in a series of apologies issued over the past week , they said they have distorted their ancestry , failed to correct others ’ assumptions about their ethnic origins and relied on their parents ’ “ conflicting stories ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ let guesses about my ancestry become answers I wanted but couldn ’ t prove , ” Vitolo-Haddad wrote in an apology posted Sunday on the blogging platform Medium .
“ I have let people make assumptions when I should have corrected them.
” In a second apology posted Tuesday , Vitolo-Haddad wrote that when asked if they identify as Black on three separate occasions , they did not say no .
Yes , you read that right .
There are two apologies in this case .
In the 2nd apology the author claims @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unproven family history.
” What I know is that I am Southern Italian/Sicilian .
In trying to make sense of my experiences with race , I grossly misstepped .
I went along with however people saw me .
I over-identified with unreliable and unproven family history and latched onto anything I remembered growing up .
All of those actions were deeply misguided and have caused an incredible amount of hurt for the Madison community , those I organize with , and everyone who has been exposed to this public reckoning .
It was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ differently .
CV also claimed to have never benefited professionally from this deception in any way : Vitolo-Haddad told Inside Higher Ed that they benefited “ socially ” in certain ways from the situation but never applied for scholarships , fellowships or awards for people of color , nor did they identify as Black on any forms asking about their identification .
Vitolo-Haddad ’ s scholarship includes papers on white nationalism and the rhetoric of far-right groups , but they said they had never posed as Black in their published work .
Why @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
Oh , right… Unlike Sen. Warren , CV didn ’ t try to hold on to her job while admitting her family stories weren ’ t true .
Indeed , her first step was to resign from her job at UW-Madison .
I guess she has higher standards than Sen. Warren : I am taking some time to reflect so I can offer a real apology .
I know it will take time for many of you to be willing to redress this .
The first step towards that , however , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Teaching Assistants ’ Association ( TAA ) .
I can ’ t redress harm while in a position of organizational power .
Second , I have resigned from my teaching position at UW-Madison .
Education is build on a foundation of trust and accountability , and until I repair that I should not be teaching .
The Teaching Assistant ’ s Association released an outraged statement about her “ gaslighting ” of actual “ Black and Brown community members.
” This is just a sample : We condemn CV Vitolo-Haddad ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in no uncertain terms .
They have resigned as co-president , and we have removed their access to our website , social media , and all other internal accounts .
We can not speak for CV , but we as TAA leaders are profoundly sorry for the harm they have caused members of the Madison community by 1 ) claiming Black and Brown identities , 2 ) using those identities to silence and alienate activists in organizing spaces , and 3 ) manipulating and gaslighting Black and Brown community members who tried holding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ harm by electing them to a position of power in our union : we have unknowingly rewarded the toxic opportunism of performing Blackness .
We intend to immediately begin the work of repairing this harm .
Isn ’ t it weird that not one progressive said anything like this about Sen. Warren ?
I guess the moral of this story is that it ’ s good to be a progressive but it ’ s better to be an important progressive senator .
If only CV achieved more success before this admission they might @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them for years while they continued to gaslight the country .

A grad student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison has admitted to falsely claiming to be black. And once again the confession appeared on Medium. The Wisconsin-State Journal reported over the weekend:
CV Vitolo-Haddad, a graduate student in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication who uses they/them pronouns, said they identify as Southern Italian/Sicilian. But in a series of apologies issued over the past week, they said they have distorted their ancestry, failed to correct others’ assumptions about their ethnic origins and relied on their parents’ “conflicting stories” of their heritage. “I have let guesses about my ancestry become answers I wanted but couldn’t prove,” Vitolo-Haddad wrote in an apology posted Sunday on the blogging platform Medium. “I have let people make assumptions when I should have corrected them.” In a second apology posted Tuesday, Vitolo-Haddad wrote that when asked if they identify as Black on three separate occasions, they did not say no.
Yes, you read that right. There are two apologies in this case. In the 2nd apology the author claims to have “over-identified with unreliable and unproven family history.”
What I know is that I am Southern Italian/Sicilian. In trying to make sense of my experiences with race, I grossly misstepped. I went along with however people saw me. I over-identified with unreliable and unproven family history and latched onto anything I remembered growing up. All of those actions were deeply misguided and have caused an incredible amount of hurt for the Madison community, those I organize with, and everyone who has been exposed to this public reckoning. It was my choice and error to identify any differently.
CV also claimed to have never benefited professionally from this deception in any way:
Vitolo-Haddad told Inside Higher Ed that they benefited “socially” in certain ways from the situation but never applied for scholarships, fellowships or awards for people of color, nor did they identify as Black on any forms asking about their identification. Vitolo-Haddad’s scholarship includes papers on white nationalism and the rhetoric of far-right groups, but they said they had never posed as Black in their published work.
Why does all of this sound so familiar? Oh, right…
Unlike Sen. Warren, CV didn’t try to hold on to her job while admitting her family stories weren’t true. Indeed, her first step was to resign from her job at UW-Madison. I guess she has higher standards than Sen. Warren:
I am taking some time to reflect so I can offer a real apology. I know it will take time for many of you to be willing to redress this. The first step towards that, however, is to resign my position as co-president of the Teaching Assistants’ Association (TAA). I can’t redress harm while in a position of organizational power. Second, I have resigned from my teaching position at UW-Madison. Education is build on a foundation of trust and accountability, and until I repair that I should not be teaching.
The Teaching Assistant’s Association released an outraged statement about her “gaslighting” of actual “Black and Brown community members.” This is just a sample:
We condemn CV Vitolo-Haddad’s appropriation of Black and Brown identities in no uncertain terms. They have resigned as co-president, and we have removed their access to our website, social media, and all other internal accounts. We cannot speak for CV, but we as TAA leaders are profoundly sorry for the harm they have caused members of the Madison community by 1) claiming Black and Brown identities, 2) using those identities to silence and alienate activists in organizing spaces, and 3) manipulating and gaslighting Black and Brown community members who tried holding them accountable. The TAA enabled this harm by electing them to a position of power in our union: we have unknowingly rewarded the toxic opportunism of performing Blackness. We intend to immediately begin the work of repairing this harm.
Isn’t it weird that not one progressive said anything like this about Sen. Warren? I guess the moral of this story is that it’s good to be a progressive but it’s better to be an important progressive senator. If only CV achieved more success before this admission they might have had the entire national media defending them for years while they continued to gaslight the country.


hotair--2020-09-17--White House nixed plan in spring to distribute five reusable masks to every U.S. household

A phenomenal what-if for present-day epidemiologists and future historians : What if the White House had pulled the trigger and placed masks in the hands of every American within the first few months of the pandemic , before the summer wave arrived in the Sun Belt and California ?
What effect might it have had on case counts and deaths ?
What might a measure like that have done to help masks gain early cultural acceptance in the U.S. ?
How would public perceptions of Trump ’ s handling of the crisis have changed ?
The single biggest liability he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public ’ s sense that he ’ s never taken the pandemic seriously enough .
Had he sent masks to every household in America in April , he ’ d have a strong reply to that charge right now .
Think how often he mentions the fact that he banned travel from China on January 31 as evidence that he was proactive .
Being able to say that he put masks on the faces of the entire country months ago would be a much more vivid and powerful version of that , especially @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Robert Redfield have since endorsed masking .
If Trump loses the election , the chattering classes will spend years arguing over which single decision more than any other ended up costing him the presidency .
Don ’ t sleep on the White House canceling the big planned mask giveaway as a possible correct answer .
Some top administration officials even hoped to tap the mail service ’ s vast network — and its unrivaled ability to reach every U.S. Zip code — to help Americans obtain personal protective equipment .
The idea originated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Human Services , which suggested a pack of five reusable masks be sent to every residential address in the country , with the first shipments going to the hardest-hit areas… Before the news release was sent , however , the White House nixed the plan , according to senior administration officials , who spoke on the condition of anonymity to share internal deliberations .
Instead , HHS created Project America Strong , a $ 675 million effort to distribute “ reusable cotton face masks to critical infrastructure sectors , companies , healthcare facilities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the country.
” About 600 million of the 650 million masks ordered have been distributed , according to an HHS spokesperson , including 125 million set aside for schools .
“ There was concern from some in the White House Domestic Policy Council and the office of the vice president that households receiving masks might create concern or panic , ” one administration official said in response to the scrapped mask plan .
WaPo obtained a copy of the original draft press release by the Postal Service announcing the mask program , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ set to start in Seattle , Detroit , and of course New York , three of the hardest-hit areas of the country in March and April .
What ’ s missing from the press release and WaPo ’ s story about it is a concrete date .
It ’ s unclear precisely when the White House was mulling this and ultimately decided against it , although the press release is dated “ April XX , 2020.
” If in fact this idea was being kicked around in April , it ’ s impossible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fear of causing “ panic.
” Panic was already rampant .
The country had been locked down for weeks .
New York recorded 999 deaths in a single day on April 9 .
To the extent a supply of free masks would have had any effect on public panic at that point , it probably would have reduced it a bit .
It ’ s like saying you don ’ t want to give someone a free fire extinguisher for their home because doing so might panic them about fire .
While a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ room .
The need to avert panic also happens to be the explanation Trump gave recently for why he told Bob Woodward on March 19 that he had taken to playing down the threat from the virus .
Again , that timeline doesn ’ t make sense — the country was locking down circa March 19 , an unprecedented development that communicated the risk from COVID in a far more dire way than anything Trump could have said .
But March 19 was , at least , before New York ’ s darkest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ via the Postal Service came during or slightly after that dark period , long after panic had already set in .
So what ’ s the real reason the White House rejected the idea ?
Is it because Trump has always been ambivalent at best about masks , especially early this year when he was more worried about how the pandemic might hurt his electoral chances by tanking the stock market than he was about how it would affect the public ?
It makes no sense to have worried about a national mask @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in April , when COVID had already hit with full force .
But it makes *some* sense , per Trump-logic , to worry about that program causing panic among investors , since free masks for everyone would have suggested that the crisis wouldn ’ t be over quickly .
You don ’ t undertake to supply 330 million people with some essential good if , as Trump was saying at the time , the country would be getting back to normal by summer .
You do something drastic like that if you think @ @ @ @ @ @ @ slog destined to drag the Dow Jones average down over time .
But we shouldn ’ t assume nefarious motives where simple incompetence might explain things better .
Maybe these dopes really did convince themselves that once the virus had washed through New York , New Jersey , and a couple of hard-hit urban centers , we ’ d be done with it .
Why send masks to the entire country if you believed only a few cities would end up having a problem with the virus ?
I want to hear more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ free-mask program and why .
Hopefully reporters are already working on it .
In the meantime , here ’ s a fun update to last night ’ s post about the ongoing sh*tshow between Trump and the CDC .
After the president humiliated Redfield at yesterday ’ s briefing by insisting that he misstated the timeline for the coming vaccine , the CDC put out a statement that appeared to back Trump up — and then retracted it an hour or so later .
God only knows what happened behind the scenes .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ displeasure , then panicked again when his underlings saw his statement and lambasted him for caving in to Trump ’ s talking points .
Or maybe some Trumpist political crony somewhere in the HHS/CDC hierarchy took it upon himself to issue that statement on behalf of Redfield and then got an earful from Redfield himself afterward .
Or maybe Redfield really did screw up the vaccine timeline but he ’ s too embarrassed to flatly admit to it now .
There ’ s no telling who ’ s in charge , who ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who ’ s acting for scientific rather than political reasons .
Exactly what you ’ d want from your government when managing a killer pandemic .

A phenomenal what-if for present-day epidemiologists and future historians: What if the White House had pulled the trigger and placed masks in the hands of every American within the first few months of the pandemic, before the summer wave arrived in the Sun Belt and California? What effect might it have had on case counts and deaths?
What might a measure like that have done to help masks gain early cultural acceptance in the U.S.?
How would public perceptions of Trump’s handling of the crisis have changed? The single biggest liability he has as the election approaches is the public’s sense that he’s never taken the pandemic seriously enough. Had he sent masks to every household in America in April, he’d have a strong reply to that charge right now. Think how often he mentions the fact that he banned travel from China on January 31 as evidence that he was proactive. Being able to say that he put masks on the faces of the entire country months ago would be a much more vivid and powerful version of that, especially given how enthusiastically public health authorities like Robert Redfield have since endorsed masking.
If Trump loses the election, the chattering classes will spend years arguing over which single decision more than any other ended up costing him the presidency. Don’t sleep on the White House canceling the big planned mask giveaway as a possible correct answer.
Some top administration officials even hoped to tap the mail service’s vast network — and its unrivaled ability to reach every U.S. Zip code — to help Americans obtain personal protective equipment. The idea originated out of the Department of Health and Human Services, which suggested a pack of five reusable masks be sent to every residential address in the country, with the first shipments going to the hardest-hit areas… Before the news release was sent, however, the White House nixed the plan, according to senior administration officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to share internal deliberations. Instead, HHS created Project America Strong, a $675 million effort to distribute “reusable cotton face masks to critical infrastructure sectors, companies, healthcare facilities, and faith-based and community organizations across the country.” About 600 million of the 650 million masks ordered have been distributed, according to an HHS spokesperson, including 125 million set aside for schools. “There was concern from some in the White House Domestic Policy Council and the office of the vice president that households receiving masks might create concern or panic,” one administration official said in response to the scrapped mask plan.
WaPo obtained a copy of the original draft press release by the Postal Service announcing the mask program, which you can read here. It was set to start in Seattle, Detroit, and of course New York, three of the hardest-hit areas of the country in March and April.
What’s missing from the press release and WaPo’s story about it is a concrete date. It’s unclear precisely when the White House was mulling this and ultimately decided against it, although the press release is dated “April XX, 2020.” If in fact this idea was being kicked around in April, it’s impossible to believe that it was nixed for fear of causing “panic.” Panic was already rampant. The country had been locked down for weeks. New York recorded 999 deaths in a single day on April 9. To the extent a supply of free masks would have had any effect on public panic at that point, it probably would have reduced it a bit.
It’s like saying you don’t want to give someone a free fire extinguisher for their home because doing so might panic them about fire. While a fire is already busy consuming their living room.
The need to avert panic also happens to be the explanation Trump gave recently for why he told Bob Woodward on March 19 that he had taken to playing down the threat from the virus. Again, that timeline doesn’t make sense — the country was locking down circa March 19, an unprecedented development that communicated the risk from COVID in a far more dire way than anything Trump could have said. But March 19 was, at least, before New York’s darkest days. The idea of distributing masks via the Postal Service came during or slightly after that dark period, long after panic had already set in. So what’s the real reason the White House rejected the idea?
Is it because Trump has always been ambivalent at best about masks, especially early this year when he was more worried about how the pandemic might hurt his electoral chances by tanking the stock market than he was about how it would affect the public? It makes no sense to have worried about a national mask giveaway causing panic among the general population in April, when COVID had already hit with full force. But it makes *some* sense, per Trump-logic, to worry about that program causing panic among investors, since free masks for everyone would have suggested that the crisis wouldn’t be over quickly. You don’t undertake to supply 330 million people with some essential good if, as Trump was saying at the time, the country would be getting back to normal by summer. You do something drastic like that if you think you’re staring at a long slog destined to drag the Dow Jones average down over time.
But we shouldn’t assume nefarious motives where simple incompetence might explain things better. Maybe these dopes really did convince themselves that once the virus had washed through New York, New Jersey, and a couple of hard-hit urban centers, we’d be done with it. Why send masks to the entire country if you believed only a few cities would end up having a problem with the virus?
I want to hear more about who, precisely, canceled the free-mask program and why. Hopefully reporters are already working on it. In the meantime, here’s a fun update to last night’s post about the ongoing sh*tshow between Trump and the CDC. After the president humiliated Redfield at yesterday’s briefing by insisting that he misstated the timeline for the coming vaccine, the CDC put out a statement that appeared to back Trump up — and then retracted it an hour or so later.
And statement from spox for @CDCDirector Dr Redfield on what he said at today’s hearing re vaccine timeline (h/t @AnneKFlaherty) pic.twitter.com/BZAeNOoZWI — Karen Travers (@karentravers) September 16, 2020
Yup, retracting the retraction: After being called out by the president, the CDC gave a statement re-adjusting its vaccine timeline to sound more in line the president. But less than hour later, an agency spokesman said the information should not be used. https://t.co/lgedUnc9Rx — Anne Flaherty (@AnneKFlaherty) September 16, 2020
God only knows what happened behind the scenes. Maybe Redfield panicked at Trump’s displeasure, then panicked again when his underlings saw his statement and lambasted him for caving in to Trump’s talking points. Or maybe some Trumpist political crony somewhere in the HHS/CDC hierarchy took it upon himself to issue that statement on behalf of Redfield and then got an earful from Redfield himself afterward. Or maybe Redfield really did screw up the vaccine timeline but he’s too embarrassed to flatly admit to it now. There’s no telling who’s in charge, who’s semi-competent versus grossly incompetent, and who’s acting for scientific rather than political reasons. Exactly what you’d want from your government when managing a killer pandemic.


hotair--2020-09-17--Portland protesters are unhappy that Andy Ngo is tweeting out their mugshots (Update: No record alle

Portland protesters are unhappy that Andy Ngo is tweeting out their mugshots (Update: No record alleged harassment happened)

As you may already know , many of the protesters/rioters arrested in Portland eventually have the charges against them dropped by DA Mike Schmidt , which means they often face no real consequences .
In the short term , bail money is often provided meaning those arrested are back on the street in a matter of hours .
However , getting arrested means they still get booked and that includes having a mugshot taken by the police .
Those mugshots are public records and are published online by the Portland Police Bureau .
Reporter Andy Ngo , who covers Antifa @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those images along with some public information about the individuals pictured .
But the Willamette Week ran a story yesterday in which several people complain that they ’ ve received threats because their mugshots were tweeted out .
On Aug. 7 , Black activist Ragina Gray was tackled by Portland police at a protest and charged with disorderly conduct , resisting arrest , and interfering with an officer .
That same day , conservative Portland activist Andy Ngo shared Gray ’ s name and mug shot on Twitter .
“ Gray , 30 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officer , resisting arrest and more , ” Ngo wrote on Twitter .
“ She was arrested at the violent antifa protest in Portland and quickly bailed out .
Gray is frequently photographed with kids at protests and rants about white terrorism.
” The photo was retweeted by 475 people .
Twelve nights later , on Aug. 19 , a man showed up on the doorstep of Gray ’ s mother ’ s eastside home .
“ He was sweaty and nervous looking , and he asked for Ragina by name , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mom .
“ He mentioned [ Gray ’ s ] son , and I noticed he had a gun in his hand.
” Fisher slammed the door and called the police… Gray has no direct evidence that Ngo ’ s robust social media presence is the reason an armed man arrived at her mom ’ s house… Ragina Gray continues to attend protests , despite threatening messages she receives on Instagram and Twitter .
She says she deletes them as soon as she gets them , but says “ people are calling me @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” And the messengers , she says , are “ Mostly white men .
All white men.
” First , let me say up front that obviously no one should be making threats online much less showing up at someone ’ s house with a gun .
That is crazy behavior and shouldn ’ t be happening to anyone .
That said , I have several problems with this story , starting with the fact that as both Gray and the author admit , there ’ s no proof this incident has any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re just supposed to assume that one of his followers might be the reason this person showed up at the door .
But we actually don ’ t know that and reporters shouldn ’ t be insinuating that when they don ’ t know .
That ’ s not my only problem with this .
Here ’ s another one : Do we even know for certain that this happened as it was described ?
The author apparently spoke to Gray ’ s mother who said she called the police .
That ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but is there a police report ?
Is there 911 audio of the call ?
Maybe there is but we ’ re not shown any of that supporting information in this story .
I ’ ll be blunt about why I want to see that supporting documentation in this case : Far left protesters lie .
I ’ ve seen protesters shove themselves onto the bumper of cars and then claim they were being attacked by the driver .
I ’ ve seen protesters claim they were having a seizure during an arrest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fails .
And I ’ ve seen many groups of protesters committing crimes in the street while chanting “ What did you see ?
I didn ’ t see s**t !
” So yes , some of these people not only lie but make lying part of the foundation of their behavior in the streets .
And the fact that Andy Ngo is widely hated by these same people would seem to provide a motive for someone to lie in this case .
Again , maybe this story is 100 % true but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ skepticism is warranted here .
The other problem with this is that the author admits up front Andy Ngo hasn ’ t done anything illegal .
The subhead for this story reads , “ What Andy Ngo is doing is legal .
The mug shots are public records .
And Ngo told WW that it is his ‘ duty ’ to report on protesters who have been arrested.
” Here ’ s Ngo ’ s own response to the story ( at least the portion they chose to include ) : He makes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ve pointed out before , photographers at the nightly protests/riots in Portland often seem to be very careful about not including any faces in their video or photos .
I posted a photo recently in which you could see the arm of a person squirting lighter fluid onto a fire started at the police union building , but the face of that person was left just out of the frame .
Why is that ?
Why are reporters intentionally protecting the face of an arsonist ?
So again , the story here is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that has already been posted elsewhere online .
He ’ s not releasing private information like addresses or phone numbers .
If a few individuals are gathering that information on their own and using it to harass people , that ’ s wrong .
I fully support the police looking into incidents like the one Ragina Gray ’ s mother described .
But those crimes are on the individuals committing them , not on Andy Ngo .
Update : Here ’ s Ngo , pointing out his full response to this report .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ s much longer and more comprehensive than the bit they published .
Update : Well , I can ’ t say I ’ m surprised .
Andy Ngo contacted a public information officer with the Portland police and was told there is no police report or record of a call about the alleged incident described above .
He asked the reporter for an update and she told him to talk to her editor .
( She has also protected her tweets .
Not sure if that was in response to this or happened @ @ @ @

As you may already know, many of the protesters/rioters arrested in Portland eventually have the charges against them dropped by DA Mike Schmidt, which means they often face no real consequences. In the short term, bail money is often provided meaning those arrested are back on the street in a matter of hours. However, getting arrested means they still get booked and that includes having a mugshot taken by the police.
Those mugshots are public records and are published online by the Portland Police Bureau. Reporter Andy Ngo, who covers Antifa as a beat, often tweets out those images along with some public information about the individuals pictured. But the Willamette Week ran a story yesterday in which several people complain that they’ve received threats because their mugshots were tweeted out.
On Aug. 7, Black activist Ragina Gray was tackled by Portland police at a protest and charged with disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, and interfering with an officer. That same day, conservative Portland activist Andy Ngo shared Gray’s name and mug shot on Twitter. “Gray, 30, is charged with interfering with an officer, resisting arrest and more,” Ngo wrote on Twitter. “She was arrested at the violent antifa protest in Portland and quickly bailed out. Gray is frequently photographed with kids at protests and rants about white terrorism.” The photo was retweeted by 475 people. Twelve nights later, on Aug. 19, a man showed up on the doorstep of Gray’s mother’s eastside home. “He was sweaty and nervous looking, and he asked for Ragina by name,” says Lucinda Fisher, Gray’s mom. “He mentioned [Gray’s] son, and I noticed he had a gun in his hand.” Fisher slammed the door and called the police… Gray has no direct evidence that Ngo’s robust social media presence is the reason an armed man arrived at her mom’s house… Ragina Gray continues to attend protests, despite threatening messages she receives on Instagram and Twitter. She says she deletes them as soon as she gets them, but says “people are calling me a terrorist, calling me a n—–.” And the messengers, she says, are “Mostly white men. All white men.”
First, let me say up front that obviously no one should be making threats online much less showing up at someone’s house with a gun. That is crazy behavior and shouldn’t be happening to anyone.
That said, I have several problems with this story, starting with the fact that as both Gray and the author admit, there’s no proof this incident has any connection to Andy Ngo. We’re just supposed to assume that one of his followers might be the reason this person showed up at the door. But we actually don’t know that and reporters shouldn’t be insinuating that when they don’t know.
That’s not my only problem with this. Here’s another one: Do we even know for certain that this happened as it was described? The author apparently spoke to Gray’s mother who said she called the police. That’s a bit ironic in itself, but is there a police report? Is there 911 audio of the call? Maybe there is but we’re not shown any of that supporting information in this story.
I’ll be blunt about why I want to see that supporting documentation in this case: Far left protesters lie.
I’ve seen protesters shove themselves onto the bumper of cars and then claim they were being attacked by the driver. I’ve seen protesters claim they were having a seizure during an arrest and then suddenly recover once that tactic fails. And I’ve seen many groups of protesters committing crimes in the street while chanting “What did you see? I didn’t see s**t!” So yes, some of these people not only lie but make lying part of the foundation of their behavior in the streets. And the fact that Andy Ngo is widely hated by these same people would seem to provide a motive for someone to lie in this case. Again, maybe this story is 100% true but under the circumstances I think some additional skepticism is warranted here.
The other problem with this is that the author admits up front Andy Ngo hasn’t done anything illegal. The subhead for this story reads, “What Andy Ngo is doing is legal. The mug shots are public records. And Ngo told WW that it is his ‘duty’ to report on protesters who have been arrested.” Here’s Ngo’s own response to the story (at least the portion they chose to include):
“If you feel that transparency and public right to know should be outweighed by arrestee rights to privacy, this is a complaint for the Legislature, not for journalists reporting in compliance with state and federal law,” he said. “A better question would be, ‘Why do some journalists feel compelled to hide the identities of suspected criminals from the public?’ Another would be, ‘Whose interests does the suppression of criminal arrest data serve?'”
He makes a good point. As I’ve pointed out before, photographers at the nightly protests/riots in Portland often seem to be very careful about not including any faces in their video or photos. I posted a photo recently in which you could see the arm of a person squirting lighter fluid onto a fire started at the police union building, but the face of that person was left just out of the frame. Why is that? Why are reporters intentionally protecting the face of an arsonist?
So again, the story here is that Andy Ngo is reposting public information that has already been posted elsewhere online. He’s not releasing private information like addresses or phone numbers. If a few individuals are gathering that information on their own and using it to harass people, that’s wrong. I fully support the police looking into incidents like the one Ragina Gray’s mother described. But those crimes are on the individuals committing them, not on Andy Ngo.
Update: Here’s Ngo, pointing out his full response to this report. As you can see, it’s much longer and more comprehensive than the bit they published.
Portland paper @wweek is publishing a story about riot arrestees who are upset I post public records. This is my full emailed response to the reporter. If city officials like @JoAnnPDX are right that white supremacists are rioting in Portland, then we should know who they are. pic.twitter.com/Wn2ZgkEbgZ — Andy Ngô (@MrAndyNgo) September 13, 2020
Update: Well, I can’t say I’m surprised. Andy Ngo contacted a public information officer with the Portland police and was told there is no police report or record of a call about the alleged incident described above. He asked the reporter for an update and she told him to talk to her editor. (She has also protected her tweets. Not sure if that was in response to this or happened before this.)
Update: So there appears to be no record of the police report or call to police, contradicting a key point of the WW report about the people who had their lives “upturned” because of the release of their arrest info. I have forwarded my inquiry on to WW editor @AaronMesh. pic.twitter.com/RFhH6h4A1i — Andy Ngô (@MrAndyNgo) September 17, 2020
How did reporter @sophiegreenleaf verify the claim that an armed man showed up to Ragina Gray's family home after her booking photo was published? The story says her mother, Lucinda Fisher, immediately called police. But this is what @PortlandPolice just told me: pic.twitter.com/DYbRdtnNjT — Andy Ngô (@MrAndyNgo) September 16, 2020
Update 9/18: Willamette Week has added an update to the original story confirming what Andy Ngo discovered, i.e. the police have no record of a call about the alleged incident described in the story.
(Update: After this story was published, readers questioned whether Lucinda Fisher had called police. On Sept. 17, The Portland Bureau of Emergency Communications, which fields calls to 911, told WW it can find no record of a call from Fisher or an associated number and address on Aug. 19. Gray and Fisher stand by their account and maintain that Fisher called police. The other subjects in the story, Philip Wenzel and April Epperson, do not claim to have contacted police regarding harassment.)
That raises the next question which I already asked above: Did the alleged harassment happen?
If someone showed up at my house with a gun I’d definitely call the police. But there’s no record of such a call. All we have at this point to back up the whole story is the word of two people who’ve shown they can’t be taken at their word.


hotair--2020-09-17--Pelosi on House floor: We support peaceful protesters but not looters and rioters

“ She was too busy eating ice cream and getting her hair done to say this for several months , ” says Ben Shapiro .
It ’ s actually worse than that , notes Drew Holden .
At times Pelosi has sounded quite sanguine about destruction to property by left-wingers .
“ People will do what they do , ” said the California Democrat .
She was responding to a question about a 14-foot , marble statue of Christopher Columbus erected in Baltimore ’ s Little Italy neighborhood in 1984 .
A mob of protesters pulled the statue down on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into the Inner Harbor .
Parts of the statue have been retrieved .
Pelosi said , “ It would have been a good idea ” for city officials to take down the statue “ from a safety standpoint ” if the community does not want it , even if it is not formally decided to remove it .
“ It could just be a community view , ” Pelosi said .
“ If the community doesn ’ t want the statue , the statue shouldn ’ t be there.
” Sounds like she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the “ law and order ” issue , Holden adds .
Could be .
Although this result , out today from KFF and the Cook Political Report , isn ’ t too bad for Democrats .
Biden ’ s a point ahead of Trump in Sun Belt states on who ’ d handle “ criminal justice and policing ” better .
That jibes with some other recent polls , like the one of Wisconsin that the Times published last weekend .
On balance Wisconsinites thought that Biden hadn ’ t done enough @ @ @ @ @ @ @ experienced in Kenosha , but he ran slightly ahead of Trump on who ’ d better handle “ law and order ” because people think he ’ d do a better job of lowering the temperature culturally .
On the other hand , this new one from SurveyMonkey and Axios shows a major problem for Democrats potentially : Democrats are counting on white suburbanites to be the difference for them in November the same way they were in 2018 , especially given Biden ’ s weak performance with Latinos .
He ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s more than offsetting his losses among minority groups with gains among the GOP ’ s much bigger constituency of whites .
If that changes , all bets are off .
What Axios ’ s data tells us is that there ’ s real potential for it to change ; if anything happens between now and Election Day to make suburbanites feel less safe , there could be a major shift towards Trump .
Anyway , whatever her motivation , it ’ s nice of Pelosi to get around to denouncing rioting some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

“She was too busy eating ice cream and getting her hair done to say this for several months,” says Ben Shapiro. It’s actually worse than that, notes Drew Holden. At times Pelosi has sounded quite sanguine about destruction to property by left-wingers.
“People will do what they do,” said the California Democrat. She was responding to a question about a 14-foot, marble statue of Christopher Columbus erected in Baltimore’s Little Italy neighborhood in 1984. A mob of protesters pulled the statue down on the Fourth of July and dumped it into the Inner Harbor. Parts of the statue have been retrieved. Pelosi said, “It would have been a good idea” for city officials to take down the statue “from a safety standpoint” if the community does not want it, even if it is not formally decided to remove it. “It could just be a community view,” Pelosi said. “If the community doesn’t want the statue, the statue shouldn’t be there.”
Sounds like she’s since seen some ominous polling on the “law and order” issue, Holden adds. Could be. Although this result, out today from KFF and the Cook Political Report, isn’t too bad for Democrats. Biden’s a point ahead of Trump in Sun Belt states on who’d handle “criminal justice and policing” better.
That jibes with some other recent polls, like the one of Wisconsin that the Times published last weekend. On balance Wisconsinites thought that Biden hadn’t done enough to condemn the sort of violence they experienced in Kenosha, but he ran slightly ahead of Trump on who’d better handle “law and order” because people think he’d do a better job of lowering the temperature culturally.
On the other hand, this new one from SurveyMonkey and Axios shows a major problem for Democrats potentially:
Democrats are counting on white suburbanites to be the difference for them in November the same way they were in 2018, especially given Biden’s weak performance with Latinos. He’s ahead right now only because he’s more than offsetting his losses among minority groups with gains among the GOP’s much bigger constituency of whites. If that changes, all bets are off. What Axios’s data tells us is that there’s real potential for it to change; if anything happens between now and Election Day to make suburbanites feel less safe, there could be a major shift towards Trump.
Anyway, whatever her motivation, it’s nice of Pelosi to get around to denouncing rioting some four months or so after it started.


hotair--2020-09-17--Today's hot topics on #TEMS: Ground blame, Kerry's Mideast claim, authoritarians gain?, Pelosi discl

Today's hot topics on #TEMS: Ground blame, Kerry's Mideast claim, authoritarians gain?, Pelosi disclaims, Zoom game, and more!

Today on The Ed Morrissey Show ( 4 pm ET ) , we have another great lineup for the news of the day !
The show will be streamed on Hot Air ’ s Facebook page and embedded here and on the show page for those who are not on Facebook .
Join us as we welcome : • Duane “ Generalissimo ” Patterson brings us up to date on the week ’ s top stories and gives us a preview of tomorrow ’ s Hugh Hewitt show .
For the first time , Duane and I will try Zoom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to pass the popcorn when it all goes to hell .
• Kidding !
It ’ ll be great , and we ’ ll have lots of time to discuss the ongoing “ war zone ” in the Twin Cities and the “ Minneapolis effect.
” How bad must the polling be to have Nancy Pelosi suddenly disclaim rioters ?
We ’ ll also talk about why The Atlantic doesn ’ t want to give peace a chance , and why the words “ ground game ” are giving Democrats the shivers .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ online event for AM1280 The Patriot starring Larry Elder and Candace Owens !
Starting at 8 pm CT on September 17 , Unbiased : Unvarnished Truth Behind Race in America will delve into the unrest following the death of George Floyd : • “ Are we tackling the issue of race in America honestly ?
And , are we correct to believe that one ’ s skin color should play a larger role in our interactions than the content of one ’ s character ?
” These questions and more are here to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if we want to move toward a better collective future .
That ’ s why we ’ re bringing AM 1280 The Patriot ’ s , Larry Elder together with author and commentator , Candace Owens for a one-of-a-kind virtual event called : Unbiased : Unvarnished Truth Behind Race in America.
” • Tickets for the event cost $ 8 — an incredible deal for the opportunity to hear from Larry Elder and Candace Owens in this live online event !
The Ed Morrissey Show and its dynamic chatroom can be seen on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to join us , and don ’ t forget to keep up with the debate on my Facebook page , too !
How can Republicans and conservatives keep winning after 2016 ?
Find out in GOING RED , published in April from Crown Forum !

Today on The Ed Morrissey Show (4 pm ET), we have another great lineup for the news of the day! The show will be streamed on Hot Air’s Facebook page and embedded here and on the show page for those who are not on Facebook.
Join us as we welcome:
Duane “Generalissimo” Patterson brings us up to date on the week’s top stories and gives us a preview of tomorrow’s Hugh Hewitt show. For the first time, Duane and I will try Zoom for our connection … so be sure to pass the popcorn when it all goes to hell.
Kidding! It’ll be great, and we’ll have lots of time to discuss the ongoing “war zone” in the Twin Cities and the “Minneapolis effect.” How bad must the polling be to have Nancy Pelosi suddenly disclaim rioters? We’ll also talk about why The Atlantic doesn’t want to give peace a chance, and why the words “ground game” are giving Democrats the shivers.
Tonight, I will moderate an online event for AM1280 The Patriot starring Larry Elder and Candace Owens! Starting at 8 pm CT on September 17, Unbiased: Unvarnished Truth Behind Race in America will delve into the unrest following the death of George Floyd:
“Are we tackling the issue of race in America honestly? And, are we correct to believe that one’s skin color should play a larger role in our interactions than the content of one’s character?”These questions and more are here to stay and demand fair and truthful responses if we want to move toward a better collective future. That’s why we’re bringing AM 1280 The Patriot’s, Larry Elder together with author and commentator, Candace Owens for a one-of-a-kind virtual event called: Unbiased: Unvarnished Truth Behind Race in America.”
Tickets for the event cost $8 — an incredible deal for the opportunity to hear from Larry Elder and Candace Owens in this live online event!
The Ed Morrissey Show and its dynamic chatroom can be seen on the permanent TEMS page. Be sure to join us, and don’t forget to keep up with the debate on my Facebook page, too!
How can Republicans and conservatives keep winning after 2016? Find out in GOING RED, published in April from Crown Forum!


hotair--2020-09-17--Pew: Black Lives Matter support dropped 12 points over the summer

Gee , I wonder why ?
After the death of George Floyd , both interest in and support for Black Lives Matter jumped upward in all demographics .
After watching their protests and demonstrations devolve into riots , anarchy , and demands for a Marxist political agenda , Americans have largely cooled on BLM , Pew finds in its latest survey .
However , they still remain strong in very specific demos , while the decline has been a bit more broad : As racial justice protests have intensified following the shooting of Jacob Blake , public support for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ according to a new Pew Research Center survey .
A majority of U.S. adults ( 55 % ) now express at least some support for the movement , down from 67 % in June amid nationwide demonstrations sparked by the death of George Floyd .
The share who say they strongly support the movement stands at 29 % , down from 38 % three months ago .
… The recent decline in support for the Black Lives Matter movement is particularly notable among White and Hispanic adults .
In June , a majority @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said they supported the movement at least somewhat ; now , fewer than half ( 45 % ) express at least some support .
The share of Hispanic adults who support the movement has decreased 11 percentage points , from 77 % in June to 66 % today .
By comparison , support for the Black Lives Matter movement has remained virtually unchanged among Black and Asian adults .
Support for the Black Lives Matter movement remains particularly widespread among Black adults .
Some 87 % of Black Americans say they support the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said this in June .
However , the share of Black adults expressing strong support for the movement has decreased 9 points , from 71 % to 62 % .
The change in position hasn ’ t exactly been crippling for BLM .
Most politicians would looove to get a 55 % favorable rating , and the mainstream political parties haven ’ t seen that level of approval in years .
BLM at least still gets majority approval overall , and high marks among most demos .
However , one difference between BLM @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voters are intimately familiar with the goals and aims of the latter .
Until the Floyd demonstrations and riots began , most Americans only knew of BLM as a slogan — one that , on its face , is tough to dispute .
Heritage Foundation predicted in July that as the BLM organization became more familiar to voters , and especially its goals , aims , and tactics , its popularity would drop precipitously : Just ask BLM leaders Alicia Garza , Patrisse Cullors and Opal TometiIn a revealing 2015 interview , Cullors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ particular are trained organizers .
We are trained Marxists.
” That same year , Tometi was hobnobbing with Venezuela ’ s Marxist dictator Nicolás Maduro , of whose regime she wrote : “ In these last 17 years , we have witnessed the Bolivarian Revolution champion participatory democracy and construct a fair , transparent election system recognized as among the best in the world.
” Millions of Venezuelans suffering under Maduro ’ s murderous misrule presumably couldn ’ t be reached for comment .
Visit the Black Lives Matter website , and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crowd with fists raised and the slogan “ Now We Transform.
” Read the list of demands , and you get a sense of how deep a transformation they seek .
One proclaims : “ We disrupt the Western-prescribed nuclear-family-structure requirement by supporting each other as extended families and ‘ villages ’ that collectively care for one another.
” A partner organization , the Movement for Black Lives , or M4BL , calls for abolishing all police and all prisons .
It also calls for a “ progressive restructuring of tax codes at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to ensure a radical and sustainable redistribution of wealth.
” Another M4BL demand is “ the retroactive decriminalization , immediate release and record expungement of all drug-related offenses and prostitution and reparations for the devastating impact of the ‘ war on drugs ’ and criminalization of prostitution.
” This agenda isn ’ t what most people signed up for when they bought their Spanx or registered for Airbnb .
Nor is it what most people understood when they expressed sympathy with the slogan that Black Lives Matter .
The sudden , sharp trend @ @ @ @ @ @ @ key demos appears to have validated Heritage ’ s warning .
BLM support among its core African-American demo remains essentially unchanged at 87 % , and the same is true among Democrats , declining within the MoE from 92 % to 88 % .
However , support has slipped 15 points among whites to 45 % , eleven points among Hispanics to 66 % , and 21 points among Republicans to 16 % .
Furthermore , enthusiastic support seems pretty thin among all demos except blacks ( 62 % strongly support ) and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s only 31 % among Hispanics , not all that much more than the 22 % among whites and about even with the 30 % among Asians .
Overall , only 29 % of adults express strong support for BLM , which tends to suggest that its support is mainly a cultural statement about the slogan more than the agenda .
It ’ s a mile wide and an inch thick in most of these demos .
As the riots continue , and as people get a closer look at their goals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ keep burning off .
Those who rushed to embrace BLM may be left on the fringes in the end .

Gee, I wonder why? After the death of George Floyd, both interest in and support for Black Lives Matter jumped upward in all demographics. After watching their protests and demonstrations devolve into riots, anarchy, and demands for a Marxist political agenda, Americans have largely cooled on BLM, Pew finds in its latest survey. However, they still remain strong in very specific demos, while the decline has been a bit more broad:
As racial justice protests have intensified following the shooting of Jacob Blake, public support for the Black Lives Matter movement has declined, according to a new Pew Research Center survey. A majority of U.S. adults (55%) now express at least some support for the movement, down from 67% in June amid nationwide demonstrations sparked by the death of George Floyd. The share who say they strongly support the movement stands at 29%, down from 38% three months ago. … The recent decline in support for the Black Lives Matter movement is particularly notable among White and Hispanic adults. In June, a majority of White adults (60%) said they supported the movement at least somewhat; now, fewer than half (45%) express at least some support. The share of Hispanic adults who support the movement has decreased 11 percentage points, from 77% in June to 66% today. By comparison, support for the Black Lives Matter movement has remained virtually unchanged among Black and Asian adults. Support for the Black Lives Matter movement remains particularly widespread among Black adults. Some 87% of Black Americans say they support the movement, similar to the share who said this in June. However, the share of Black adults expressing strong support for the movement has decreased 9 points, from 71% to 62%.
The change in position hasn’t exactly been crippling for BLM. Most politicians would looove to get a 55% favorable rating, and the mainstream political parties haven’t seen that level of approval in years. BLM at least still gets majority approval overall, and high marks among most demos.
However, one difference between BLM and the two major parties are that voters are intimately familiar with the goals and aims of the latter. Until the Floyd demonstrations and riots began, most Americans only knew of BLM as a slogan — one that, on its face, is tough to dispute. Heritage Foundation predicted in July that as the BLM organization became more familiar to voters, and especially its goals, aims, and tactics, its popularity would drop precipitously:
Just ask BLM leaders Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors and Opal TometiIn a revealing 2015 interview, Cullors said, “Myself and Alicia in particular are trained organizers. We are trained Marxists.” That same year, Tometi was hobnobbing with Venezuela’s Marxist dictator Nicolás Maduro, of whose regime she wrote: “In these last 17 years, we have witnessed the Bolivarian Revolution champion participatory democracy and construct a fair, transparent election system recognized as among the best in the world.” Millions of Venezuelans suffering under Maduro’s murderous misrule presumably couldn’t be reached for comment. Visit the Black Lives Matter website, and the first frame you get is a large crowd with fists raised and the slogan “Now We Transform.” Read the list of demands, and you get a sense of how deep a transformation they seek. One proclaims: “We disrupt the Western-prescribed nuclear-family-structure requirement by supporting each other as extended families and ‘villages’ that collectively care for one another.” A partner organization, the Movement for Black Lives, or M4BL, calls for abolishing all police and all prisons. It also calls for a “progressive restructuring of tax codes at the local, state and federal levels to ensure a radical and sustainable redistribution of wealth.” Another M4BL demand is “the retroactive decriminalization, immediate release and record expungement of all drug-related offenses and prostitution and reparations for the devastating impact of the ‘war on drugs’ and criminalization of prostitution.” This agenda isn’t what most people signed up for when they bought their Spanx or registered for Airbnb. Nor is it what most people understood when they expressed sympathy with the slogan that Black Lives Matter.
The sudden, sharp trend downward in overall support and in some key demos appears to have validated Heritage’s warning. BLM support among its core African-American demo remains essentially unchanged at 87%, and the same is true among Democrats, declining within the MoE from 92% to 88%. However, support has slipped 15 points among whites to 45%, eleven points among Hispanics to 66%, and 21 points among Republicans to 16%.
Furthermore, enthusiastic support seems pretty thin among all demos except blacks (62% strongly support) and Democrats (51%). It’s only 31% among Hispanics, not all that much more than the 22% among whites and about even with the 30% among Asians. Overall, only 29% of adults express strong support for BLM, which tends to suggest that its support is mainly a cultural statement about the slogan more than the agenda. It’s a mile wide and an inch thick in most of these demos.
As the riots continue, and as people get a closer look at their goals and tactics, that loose-affiliation approval will keep burning off. Those who rushed to embrace BLM may be left on the fringes in the end.


hotair--2020-09-17--Asked about ethical problems at CNN, Brian Stelter says we should all just be friends

Brian Stelter is on a book tour for his book Hoax which is about Trump and Fox News .
Yesterday Stelter went on the View and explained , “ I had to write this book because these guys are hypocrites .
Sean Hannity is a hypocrite.
” He was referring to Hannity ’ s distrust of anonymous sources in news stories even as he himself relies on an anonymous sources for his show ( specifically President Trump according to Stelter ) .
“ Fox is misinforming the president about everything from North Korea , you know , to the weather @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” he added .
The book and the appearance are basically about bashing Fox News .
That ’ s fair game .
Plenty of people have made careers attacking Fox News .
It ’ s not like Stelter is plowing any new ground with an anti-Fox News book .
Things got interesting when Meghan McCain decided to ask Stelter about ethics at CNN .
“ There ’ s a 2016 audio of your president Jeff Zucker offering debate advice to President Trump that was released , ” she said .
She was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continued , “ Jake Tapper was recently caught trying to allegedly influence a congressional election .
And I had serious problems with the way Chris Cuomo had a recurring primetime , sort of comic routine with his brother instead of asking about policies that were literally sending my friend Janice Dean ’ s older relatives to die in nursing homes .
“ So with the criticism of CNN do you believe that this is acceptable and don ’ t you think that there ’ s enough fair criticism to go all the way @ @ @ @ @ @ @ networks are run ?
” In short , do you have any criticism to spare for problems at CNN ?
Stelter ’ s answer is not surprising but it is revealing .
“ Well first I think that you should write a book , ” Stelter said .
That ’ s interesting because he ’ s sort of acknowledging that criticizing CNN is someone else ’ s job .
It ’ s not part of his book or why he ’ s there .
He continued , “ I think you ’ ve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
A lot of them though are cherry-picked , you know , coming from these audio tapes that Tucker Carlson has been airing .
And I do have a question about this that relates to my book.
” Stelter then suggested that maybe the tapes were leaked by Trump to Fox News .
Stelter doesn ’ t seem to see it this way but what he ’ s doing is questioning the sourcing of the story rather than dealing with the content .
Didn ’ t he just criticize Sean Hannity for something @ @ @ @ @ @ @ excuse for his non-responsive answer .
“ But look I ’ m not a spokesperson for CNN or Fox .
I ’ m not a spokesperson for CNN .
It ’ s not for me to comment on these tapes , ” he said .
Wait , didn ’ t he just write an entire book commenting on Fox News even though you ’ re he ’ s not a spokesperson for them ?
Why can ’ t you comment on the tapes and CNN ?
Obviously it ’ s because he doesn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ covers Fox News , which is evident to anyone who has ever watched his show .
But after saying it wasn ’ t his job to comment on stories about CNN , he went ahead and commented on it anyway .
“ Here ’ s what I do think is sad though .
I think it ’ s sad that private conversations get leaked out , get distorted and then they become polarized and weaponized .
That ’ s the environment we ’ re in and that ’ s sad.
” He goes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can all learn to be friends again .
The crocodile tears were a bit much for the Washington Post ’ s Erik Wemple .
Wemple is no fan of Fox News , but he ’ s still willing to call out BS when he hears it : Here ’ s the clip that Wemple linked in that tweet .
It ’ s literally Brian Stelter commenting on leaked texts between Manafort and Hannity on his CNN show .
Shockingly , he ’ s not expressing any sadness about the leak .
I appreciate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out by asking if he felt any lament about this .
That ’ s a generous thing to do , but let ’ s face it , Stelter is actually chuckling in this clip .
He ’ s wasn ’ t sad about this , he was excited .
Bottom line , the same guy who started his View segment calling Sean Hannity a hypocrite is himself a hypocrite .
He ’ s giddy when he can talk about a leak involving Hannity on CNN but he ’ s sad and deeply hurt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there ’ s a leak involving his boss being talked about on Fox News .
The real question is this : Why does anyone take Stelter seriously as a commentator on the media ?
He ’ s clearly a partisan , sometimes hilariously so , who refuses to hold his own network , and more importantly himself , to the standards he expects other networks to uphold .
That ’ s been obvious for a while now to anyone who cared to look .
Here ’ s Stelter ’ s appearance on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Meghan McCain ’ s question but you can scroll back if you want to see the whole thing .

Brian Stelter is on a book tour for his book Hoax which is about Trump and Fox News. Yesterday Stelter went on the View and explained, “I had to write this book because these guys are hypocrites. Sean Hannity is a hypocrite.” He was referring to Hannity’s distrust of anonymous sources in news stories even as he himself relies on an anonymous sources for his show (specifically President Trump according to Stelter). “Fox is misinforming the president about everything from North Korea, you know, to the weather and that’s fundamentally the problem,” he added.
The book and the appearance are basically about bashing Fox News. That’s fair game. Plenty of people have made careers attacking Fox News. It’s not like Stelter is plowing any new ground with an anti-Fox News book.
Things got interesting when Meghan McCain decided to ask Stelter about ethics at CNN. “There’s a 2016 audio of your president Jeff Zucker offering debate advice to President Trump that was released,” she said. She was likely referring to this clip. She continued, “Jake Tapper was recently caught trying to allegedly influence a congressional election. And I had serious problems with the way Chris Cuomo had a recurring primetime, sort of comic routine with his brother instead of asking about policies that were literally sending my friend Janice Dean’s older relatives to die in nursing homes.
“So with the criticism of CNN do you believe that this is acceptable and don’t you think that there’s enough fair criticism to go all the way around right now in just how news networks are run?”
In short, do you have any criticism to spare for problems at CNN? Stelter’s answer is not surprising but it is revealing.
“Well first I think that you should write a book,” Stelter said. That’s interesting because he’s sort of acknowledging that criticizing CNN is someone else’s job. It’s not part of his book or why he’s there.
He continued, “I think you’ve listed off all of these story lines. A lot of them though are cherry-picked, you know, coming from these audio tapes that Tucker Carlson has been airing. And I do have a question about this that relates to my book.” Stelter then suggested that maybe the tapes were leaked by Trump to Fox News.
Stelter doesn’t seem to see it this way but what he’s doing is questioning the sourcing of the story rather than dealing with the content. Didn’t he just criticize Sean Hannity for something similar? And then he offered an excuse for his non-responsive answer.
“But look I’m not a spokesperson for CNN or Fox. I’m not a spokesperson for CNN. It’s not for me to comment on these tapes,” he said.
Wait, didn’t he just write an entire book commenting on Fox News even though you’re he’s not a spokesperson for them? Why can’t you comment on the tapes and CNN? Obviously it’s because he doesn’t cover CNN the way he covers Fox News, which is evident to anyone who has ever watched his show. But after saying it wasn’t his job to comment on stories about CNN, he went ahead and commented on it anyway.
“Here’s what I do think is sad though. I think it’s sad that private conversations get leaked out, get distorted and then they become polarized and weaponized. That’s the environment we’re in and that’s sad.” He goes on to say that he hopes we can all learn to be friends again.
The crocodile tears were a bit much for the Washington Post’s Erik Wemple. Wemple is no fan of Fox News, but he’s still willing to call out BS when he hears it:
But when Stelter says it's "sad" that conversations and text messages get leaked and "weaponized" — what line of work is he in, anyway? Did he lament this dynamic when the Manafort-@seanhannity texts got released? (real question, not snark). https://t.co/IpblgRUIau — ErikWemple (@ErikWemple) September 16, 2020
Here’s the clip that Wemple linked in that tweet. It’s literally Brian Stelter commenting on leaked texts between Manafort and Hannity on his CNN show. Shockingly, he’s not expressing any sadness about the leak.

I appreciate that Wemple is giving Stelter a possible out by asking if he felt any lament about this. That’s a generous thing to do, but let’s face it, Stelter is actually chuckling in this clip. He’s wasn’t sad about this, he was excited.
Bottom line, the same guy who started his View segment calling Sean Hannity a hypocrite is himself a hypocrite. He’s giddy when he can talk about a leak involving Hannity on CNN but he’s sad and deeply hurt about the state of the world when there’s a leak involving his boss being talked about on Fox News.
The real question is this: Why does anyone take Stelter seriously as a commentator on the media? He’s clearly a partisan, sometimes hilariously so, who refuses to hold his own network, and more importantly himself, to the standards he expects other networks to uphold. That’s been obvious for a while now to anyone who cared to look.
Here’s Stelter’s appearance on the View. I have this cued up to Meghan McCain’s question but you can scroll back if you want to see the whole thing.


hotair--2020-09-17--The Atlantic: Authoritarianism is the big winner in the Abraham Accords while Iran and Palestinians

The Atlantic: Authoritarianism is the big winner in the Abraham Accords while Iran and Palestinians hardest hit, or something

The “ winners and losers ” genre of column-writing has always been trite , but this entry from Jeffrey Goldberg at The Atlantic has the additional quality of being an outright embarrassment .
In it , Goldberg claims that “ authoritarians ” have won at the expense of Iran and the Palestinians , along with taking shots at the idea that the Abraham Accords are actually peace treaties .
At no time , however , does Goldberg explain how the losers aren ’ t also authoritarians : And here ’ s his entry on the losers : Israel and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gulf states ) have secretly cooperated with each other against their common enemy , the Islamic Republic of Iran , for more than a decade .
The normalization of relations strengthens this coalition , the members of which ( mainly correctly ) see Iran and its various terrorist appendages as threats to their stability and territorial integrity , and even to their existence .
A dark and cruel joke I once heard in Saudi Arabia : What ’ s the difference between Arab Gulf leaders and Netanyahu ’ s Likud party ?
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Once again , Arab leaders are signaling to the Palestinians that they have grown tired of what they see as Palestinian rejectionism and obduracy , and also that they would very much like to be partners with Israel in high-tech development and in the fight against Iran .
Two years ago , bin Salman told me in an interview : “ I believe that each people , anywhere , has a right to live in their peaceful nation .
I believe the Palestinians and the Israelis have the right to have their own @ @ @ @ @ @ @ correctly , as an invitation to Arab states to deepen their ties to Israel .
It ’ s curious , although certainly understandable , that Goldberg doesn ’ t acknowledge the fact that the Iranians and the Palestinians are both authoritarian entities too .
The Iranian mullahs use the IRGC to suppress dissent and to tightly control its population , as well as to impose its hegemonic ambitions in the region .
The Palestinian Authority hasn ’ t had a leadership change since Yasser Arafat died and the terror group Hamas took control @ @ @ @ @ @ @ PA held , over a decade ago .
With the exception of Israel , the fitful democratic efforts in Iraq , and maybe Lebanon if you ignore Hezbollah ’ s control on behalf of Tehran , there aren ’ t any other kinds of government in the region except authoritarians on any side of this equation .
Did the Atlantic lament the victory of “ authoritarianism ” when the Obama administration sent pallets of cash to the Iranians ?
I ’ d be happy to add a link to any such claim , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then as any acknowledgment of Iranian and Palestinian authoritarianism is now .
As to Goldberg ’ s pedantry over the term “ peace treaty , ” that ’ s as silly as his other argument .
The Arabs have conducted multiple wars against Israel over the last 72 years in various alliances and configurations ; the Arab League has been adamantly opposed to normalization in any sense until now .
Recognition of Israel might not have put an end to any hot combat , but it is a declaration that these Arab nations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to exist .
By the way , if Goldberg ’ s offended by authoritarianism , then perhaps he should be cheering the effect of the Abraham Accords on the Palestinians .
For the first time in quite a while , it appears that they want a change of leadership from the old guard who led them into six decades of dead ends : The Abraham Accords have prompted some Palestinians to question their leadership , according to Dana El Kurd , who teaches at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies .
“ People @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anger with Palestinian leadership at letting the situation devolve to this degree and rightfully accusing them of having no strategy , ” Kurd said .
Buttu , the lawyer in the West Bank , also thinks it ’ s time for new elections .
“ If you were born anytime after 1989 , you ’ ve not been able to vote in any Palestinian election , ” Buttu said , “ and I think really now is the time for us to be looking at this leadership and asking the question not only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this is the right path.
” That could send the Palestinians into an even more radical direction , but at least they would choose that dead end for themselves .
And this time the Arab League won ’ t be around to buffer their leadership from their disastrous choices .
In the end , Goldberg ’ s lament is a long paean to sour grapes .
He ’ s unhappy the wrong administration took the right path to reconciliation between Israel and its Arab neighbors , and nothing more .
Update : Why @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t we just agree that peace and normal relations between Israel and Arab nations is good ?
Such is the nature of negative partisanship .
A seemingly-unattainable foreign policy goal is achieved in the most labyrinthine geo-political situation on earth , and yet we read this , this and this from anti-Israel blue checks reciting talking points .
Hate Trump and advocate for his administration ’ s end all you want , but when Islamist nations sue for peace , Iran ’ s nuclear proliferation is curbed , and their terror proxies also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ day .
… In a tumultuous year , Sept. 15 , 2020 , was an unambiguously good day for America and the peace-loving world .
It ’ d be nice if we could all agree .
Whether or not we all agree , it ’ s still unambiguously true .

The “winners and losers” genre of column-writing has always been trite, but this entry from Jeffrey Goldberg at The Atlantic has the additional quality of being an outright embarrassment. In it, Goldberg claims that “authoritarians” have won at the expense of Iran and the Palestinians, along with taking shots at the idea that the Abraham Accords are actually peace treaties.
At no time, however, does Goldberg explain how the losers aren’t also authoritarians:
The Winners The White House aides who named this agreement “The Abraham Accords” A genius marketing move, though I would have preferred the “Isaac and Ishmael Summit,” or “The Treaty of Ghent,” for that matter. “The Abraham Accords” is grandiose for any number of reasons, including the fact that what was signed yesterday does not even constitute a peace treaty. Peace treaties are made between warring parties, and the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain have never been at war with Israel. My personal preference would have been to deploy the big gun himself, Abraham, the father of monotheism, for a peace treaty between Israelis and Palestinians, which would be the thing that actually ended that Middle East conflict.
The authoritarian leaders, or authoritarian-curious leaders, of four countries
And here’s his entry on the losers:
The Iranian leadership Israel and the United Arab Emirates (along with other Gulf states) have secretly cooperated with each other against their common enemy, the Islamic Republic of Iran, for more than a decade. The normalization of relations strengthens this coalition, the members of which (mainly correctly) see Iran and its various terrorist appendages as threats to their stability and territorial integrity, and even to their existence. The Palestinians A dark and cruel joke I once heard in Saudi Arabia: What’s the difference between Arab Gulf leaders and Netanyahu’s Likud party? The Gulf states really despise the Palestinians. Once again, Arab leaders are signaling to the Palestinians that they have grown tired of what they see as Palestinian rejectionism and obduracy, and also that they would very much like to be partners with Israel in high-tech development and in the fight against Iran. Two years ago, bin Salman told me in an interview: “I believe that each people, anywhere, has a right to live in their peaceful nation. I believe the Palestinians and the Israelis have the right to have their own land.” This statement was seen, correctly, as an invitation to Arab states to deepen their ties to Israel.
It’s curious, although certainly understandable, that Goldberg doesn’t acknowledge the fact that the Iranians and the Palestinians are both authoritarian entities too. The Iranian mullahs use the IRGC to suppress dissent and to tightly control its population, as well as to impose its hegemonic ambitions in the region. The Palestinian Authority hasn’t had a leadership change since Yasser Arafat died and the terror group Hamas took control of Gaza in the last elections the PA held, over a decade ago. With the exception of Israel, the fitful democratic efforts in Iraq, and maybe Lebanon if you ignore Hezbollah’s control on behalf of Tehran, there aren’t any other kinds of government in the region except authoritarians on any side of this equation.
Did the Atlantic lament the victory of “authoritarianism” when the Obama administration sent pallets of cash to the Iranians? I’d be happy to add a link to any such claim, but I suspect that was as absent then as any acknowledgment of Iranian and Palestinian authoritarianism is now.
As to Goldberg’s pedantry over the term “peace treaty,” that’s as silly as his other argument. The Arabs have conducted multiple wars against Israel over the last 72 years in various alliances and configurations; the Arab League has been adamantly opposed to normalization in any sense until now. Recognition of Israel might not have put an end to any hot combat, but it is a declaration that these Arab nations now explicitly acknowledge Israel’s right to exist.
By the way, if Goldberg’s offended by authoritarianism, then perhaps he should be cheering the effect of the Abraham Accords on the Palestinians. For the first time in quite a while, it appears that they want a change of leadership from the old guard who led them into six decades of dead ends:
The Abraham Accords have prompted some Palestinians to question their leadership, according to Dana El Kurd, who teaches at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies. “People are starting to voice their disgust and anger with Palestinian leadership at letting the situation devolve to this degree and rightfully accusing them of having no strategy,” Kurd said. Buttu, the lawyer in the West Bank, also thinks it’s time for new elections. “If you were born anytime after 1989, you’ve not been able to vote in any Palestinian election,” Buttu said, “and I think really now is the time for us to be looking at this leadership and asking the question not only is this the correct leadership but whether this is the right path.”
That could send the Palestinians into an even more radical direction, but at least they would choose that dead end for themselves. And this time the Arab League won’t be around to buffer their leadership from their disastrous choices.
In the end, Goldberg’s lament is a long paean to sour grapes. He’s unhappy the wrong administration took the right path to reconciliation between Israel and its Arab neighbors, and nothing more.
Update: Why, asks AJ Kaufman, can’t we just agree that peace and normal relations between Israel and Arab nations is good?
Such is the nature of negative partisanship. A seemingly-unattainable foreign policy goal is achieved in the most labyrinthine geo-political situation on earth, and yet we read this, this and this from anti-Israel blue checks reciting talking points. Hate Trump and advocate for his administration’s end all you want, but when Islamist nations sue for peace, Iran’s nuclear proliferation is curbed, and their terror proxies also lose, it’s a good day. … In a tumultuous year, Sept. 15, 2020, was an unambiguously good day for America and the peace-loving world. It’d be nice if we could all agree.
Whether or not we all agree, it’s still unambiguously true.


hotair--2020-09-17--Nashville officials hid figures on coronavirus cases tied to bars and restaurants because the number

Nashville officials hid figures on coronavirus cases tied to bars and restaurants because the numbers were too low

Fox 17 in Nashville has quite the scoop .
Somehow it got hold of emails between an adviser to the mayor and the state health department which show them working out a plan to deceive the public about coronavirus numbers .
They weren ’ t worried that the numbers were too high , rather they were concerned the number of cases tied to transmission at bars and restaurants wasn ’ t high enough .
On June 30th , contact tracing was given a small view of coronavirus clusters .
Construction and nursing homes were found to be causing problems with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ each category , but bars and restaurants reported just 22 cases .
Leslie Waller from the health department asks , “ This isn ’ t going to be publicly released , right ?
Just info for Mayor ’ s Office ?
” “ Correct , not for public consumption , ” writes senior advisor [ to the mayor ] Benjamin Eagles .
Almost exactly a month later , a reporter named Nate Rau inquired about the exact number of cases tied to bars and restaurants .
The response from the health department spokesman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” had been tied to bars .
The following morning the same reporter sent a follow up question : “ If there have been over 20,000 positive cases of COVID-19 in Davidson and only 80 or so are traced to restaurants and bars , doesn ’ t that mean restaurants and bars aren ’ t a very big problem ?
” The spokesman immediately sent an email out to five other officials in the health department asking for advice on how to respond to that question .
A few hours later he got @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two cents .
We have certainly refused to give counts per bar because those numbers are low per site… ” Fox 17 is treating this as a gotcha admission that they sat on the numbers because they were so low .
But the email actually goes on to state that “ data release standards ” prohibit the release of counts less than 10 for a given area .
So the author is claiming they had to keep the “ per bar ” figures under wraps because only two bars had more than 10 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ didn ’ t want to single out those two bars .
The email ’ s author ( whose name is cut off ) then added a possible solution for how to respond , “ We could still release the total though , and then a response to the over 80 could be ‘ because that number is increasing all the time and we don ’ t want to say a specific number . '
” So maybe “ data release standards ” explain why “ per bar ” totals weren ’ t released @ @ @ @ @ @ @ answer really addresses the reporter ’ s question , i.e .
doesn ’ t that fact that these figures are so low suggest restaurants and bars aren ’ t a very big factor in spreading the virus ?
The real gotcha here is that the department and the mayor ’ s office apparently sat on these figures , which they knew would be significant if they got out , for a month .
Fox 17 reports that the mayor ’ s office and the health department wouldn ’ t directly confirm the emails @ @ @ @ @ @ @ office told the station to file an FOIA request for the information .
But a city councilman named Steve Glover ( that ’ s him pictured above ) had a staff attorney ask .
Glover claims the mayor ’ s office and the health department both verified the emails were real .
Understandably , Glover is livid .
“ We raised taxes 34 percent and put hundreds literally thousands of people out of work that are now worried about losing their homes , their apartments…and we did it on bogus data , ” @ @ @

Fox 17 in Nashville has quite the scoop. Somehow it got hold of emails between an adviser to the mayor and the state health department which show them working out a plan to deceive the public about coronavirus numbers. They weren’t worried that the numbers were too high, rather they were concerned the number of cases tied to transmission at bars and restaurants wasn’t high enough.
On June 30th, contact tracing was given a small view of coronavirus clusters. Construction and nursing homes were found to be causing problems with more than a thousand cases traced to each category, but bars and restaurants reported just 22 cases. Leslie Waller from the health department asks, “This isn’t going to be publicly released, right? Just info for Mayor’s Office?” “Correct, not for public consumption,” writes senior advisor [to the mayor] Benjamin Eagles.
Almost exactly a month later, a reporter named Nate Rau inquired about the exact number of cases tied to bars and restaurants. The response from the health department spokesman was that “more than 80 cases” had been tied to bars. The following morning the same reporter sent a follow up question: “If there have been over 20,000 positive cases of COVID-19 in Davidson and only 80 or so are traced to restaurants and bars, doesn’t that mean restaurants and bars aren’t a very big problem?”
The spokesman immediately sent an email out to five other officials in the health department asking for advice on how to respond to that question. A few hours later he got a response which said: “My two cents. We have certainly refused to give counts per bar because those numbers are low per site…”
Fox 17 is treating this as a gotcha admission that they sat on the numbers because they were so low. But the email actually goes on to state that “data release standards” prohibit the release of counts less than 10 for a given area. So the author is claiming they had to keep the “per bar” figures under wraps because only two bars had more than 10 cases tied to them and the department didn’t want to single out those two bars. The email’s author (whose name is cut off) then added a possible solution for how to respond, “We could still release the total though, and then a response to the over 80 could be ‘because that number is increasing all the time and we don’t want to say a specific number.'”
So maybe “data release standards” explain why “per bar” totals weren’t released but notice that no part of this answer really addresses the reporter’s question, i.e. doesn’t that fact that these figures are so low suggest restaurants and bars aren’t a very big factor in spreading the virus? The real gotcha here is that the department and the mayor’s office apparently sat on these figures, which they knew would be significant if they got out, for a month.
Fox 17 reports that the mayor’s office and the health department wouldn’t directly confirm the emails were legitimate. The mayor’s office told the station to file an FOIA request for the information. But a city councilman named Steve Glover (that’s him pictured above) had a staff attorney ask. Glover claims the mayor’s office and the health department both verified the emails were real.
Understandably, Glover is livid. “We raised taxes 34 percent and put hundreds literally thousands of people out of work that are now worried about losing their homes, their apartments…and we did it on bogus data,” he said.
Here’s the Fox 17 report:


hotair--2020-09-17--Minneapolis residents: Like living in a "war zone" after the riots

You know what might solve this problem ?
More police on patrol — and a city government that supports them .
Unfortunately , as Minneapolis residents are learning the very hard way , demonizing police and demanding their abolition creates serious consequences for public safety .
Police chief Medaria Arradondo tells WCCO that violence has skyrocketed in the city this summer , with homicides already outstripping all of 2019 and heading to their highest level in five years .
Unfortunately , Arradondo also says , he can ’ t allocate more resources , because more than a hundred Minneapolis police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ city council ’ s abolish-the-police campaigning : WCCO ’ s Reg Chapman went to a neighborhood in north Minneapolis today where residents say the gun violence is like living in a war zone .
The hypnotizing sounds of a wind chime and the view of a pond in their section of north Minneapolis is not enough to escape the sounds of what happens when the sun goes down .
“ Honestly I really haven ’ t been sleeping right now I mean really I can ’ t .
I hear every little thing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the helicopters the gun shooting everything ” Liz Cruz said .
“ You ’ re sleeping and all of a sudden you feel like you are in a war zone .
I have four children and I ’ ll sleep with them all in my room because I am scared and I ’ m terrified something is going to happen to them , ” Cruz said .
That ’ s not the most powerful part of Cruz ’ tearful testimony .
She lashes out at the city council , demanding they start showing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Where are you ?
” Cruz asks .
“ Show your face to us !
… For the love of God , just come here and say something to us the people that are freaking voting for you and depend on you to take care of us !
” The city council may not show their faces to the constituents they left to the criminals , but Mike Pence will .
The VP will appear in Minneapolis next week to support the police department and to head a “ listening session ” on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President Mike Pence will return to Minnesota next Thursday , when he plans to hold a Cops for Trump listening session in Minneapolis .
The police gathering is “ focusing on the Trump administration ’ s unwavering commitment to law enforcement , ” the campaign announced .
It comes as President Donald Trump has focused on a “ law and order ” message on the campaign trail , following civil unrest across the nation after the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody .
If half of politics is showing up , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Minneapolis city council , and on Joe Biden .
By the way , the spike in homicides and crime in general following a police retreat now has a new name .
The Wall Street Journal calls it “ the Minneapolis effect , ” and it ’ s not limited to Minnesota : Chicago ’ s shooting spike reflects what is happening in many major cities across the country .
Researchers have identified a “ structural break ” in homicide numbers , beginning in the last week of May .
Trends for most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stable or moved slightly downward .
What changed in late May ?
The antipolice protests that began across the country around May 27 appear to have resulted in a decline in policing directed at gun violence , producing—perhaps unsurprisingly—an increase in shootings .
… Even as the demonstrations abated , what is commonly called “ proactive ” policing declined .
Police department data show that street and vehicle stops in Minneapolis and Philadelphia dropped sharply in June .
In Chicago and New York , arrests declined steeply .
And in cities around the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suggest a general reluctance by officers to engage in hot-spot and other enforcement efforts that are most effective in deterring gun violence .
The idea that reductions in policing might be leading to more shootings has historical precedent .
Heather Mac Donaldproposed a “ Ferguson Effect ” in May 2015 to explain homicide increases in the aftermath of antipolice protests following Michael Brown ’ s death in Ferguson , Mo.
, the previous year .
Similarly , my research with Richard Fowles identified declines in police street stops as the triggering event for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Beginning in late 2015 , pursuant to an agreement with the American Civil Liberties Union , Chicago police significantly reduced stop-and-frisks in the city .
The result was a deadly homicide spike the following year .
The pattern in Chicago in 2016—a dramatic spike in shootings and homicides but not other crimes—is the pattern in many cities across America today .
What Chicago suffered in 2016 is playing out across a much larger stage today—a new and deadly “ Minneapolis Effect.
” We learned a generation ago that proactive policing keeps crime levels @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
For some reason in 2020 , America has insisted that no policing would work better than proactive policing .
And now we are all relearning the lessons of a generation ago the hard way , and perhaps in the hardest way possible .

You know what might solve this problem? More police on patrol — and a city government that supports them. Unfortunately, as Minneapolis residents are learning the very hard way, demonizing police and demanding their abolition creates serious consequences for public safety. Police chief Medaria Arradondo tells WCCO that violence has skyrocketed in the city this summer, with homicides already outstripping all of 2019 and heading to their highest level in five years.
Unfortunately, Arradondo also says, he can’t allocate more resources, because more than a hundred Minneapolis police officers have left, thanks to the city council’s abolish-the-police campaigning:
WCCO’s Reg Chapman went to a neighborhood in north Minneapolis today where residents say the gun violence is like living in a war zone. The hypnotizing sounds of a wind chime and the view of a pond in their section of north Minneapolis is not enough to escape the sounds of what happens when the sun goes down. “Honestly I really haven’t been sleeping right now I mean really I can’t. I hear every little thing that is going on police sirens like the helicopters the gun shooting everything” Liz Cruz said. “You’re sleeping and all of a sudden you feel like you are in a war zone. I have four children and I’ll sleep with them all in my room because I am scared and I’m terrified something is going to happen to them,” Cruz said.
That’s not the most powerful part of Cruz’ tearful testimony. She lashes out at the city council, demanding they start showing their faces in her neighborhood. “Where are you?” Cruz asks. “Show your face to us! … For the love of God, just come here and say something to us the people that are freaking voting for you and depend on you to take care of us!”
The city council may not show their faces to the constituents they left to the criminals, but Mike Pence will. The VP will appear in Minneapolis next week to support the police department and to head a “listening session” on the crisis in the city:
Vice President Mike Pence will return to Minnesota next Thursday, when he plans to hold a Cops for Trump listening session in Minneapolis. The police gathering is “focusing on the Trump administration’s unwavering commitment to law enforcement,” the campaign announced. It comes as President Donald Trump has focused on a “law and order” message on the campaign trail, following civil unrest across the nation after the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody.
If half of politics is showing up, then Pence has a big jump on the Minneapolis city council, and on Joe Biden.
By the way, the spike in homicides and crime in general following a police retreat now has a new name. The Wall Street Journal calls it “the Minneapolis effect,” and it’s not limited to Minnesota:
Chicago’s shooting spike reflects what is happening in many major cities across the country. Researchers have identified a “structural break” in homicide numbers, beginning in the last week of May. Trends for most other major crime categories have remained generally stable or moved slightly downward. What changed in late May? The antipolice protests that began across the country around May 27 appear to have resulted in a decline in policing directed at gun violence, producing—perhaps unsurprisingly—an increase in shootings. … Even as the demonstrations abated, what is commonly called “proactive” policing declined. Police department data show that street and vehicle stops in Minneapolis and Philadelphia dropped sharply in June. In Chicago and New York, arrests declined steeply. And in cities around the country, both law-enforcement and citizen reports suggest a general reluctance by officers to engage in hot-spot and other enforcement efforts that are most effective in deterring gun violence. The idea that reductions in policing might be leading to more shootings has historical precedent. Heather Mac Donaldproposed a “Ferguson Effect” in May 2015 to explain homicide increases in the aftermath of antipolice protests following Michael Brown’s death in Ferguson, Mo., the previous year. Similarly, my research with Richard Fowles identified declines in police street stops as the triggering event for the 2016 homicide spike in Chicago. Beginning in late 2015, pursuant to an agreement with the American Civil Liberties Union, Chicago police significantly reduced stop-and-frisks in the city. The result was a deadly homicide spike the following year. The pattern in Chicago in 2016—a dramatic spike in shootings and homicides but not other crimes—is the pattern in many cities across America today. What Chicago suffered in 2016 is playing out across a much larger stage today—a new and deadly “Minneapolis Effect.”
We learned a generation ago that proactive policing keeps crime levels down and gets better engagement from communities. For some reason in 2020, America has insisted that no policing would work better than proactive policing. And now we are all relearning the lessons of a generation ago the hard way, and perhaps in the hardest way possible.