hotair--2020-10-02--Was the announcement of Barrett's nomination a superspreader event?

No , actually , Barrett ’ s one of the few people who was there who can presumably be ruled out as contagious .
She had the disease this past summer and recovered .
If she ’ s currently immune and if people who are immune can ’ t spread the virus — two assumptions I ’ m making — then Barrett ’ s not the cause of this chain of transmission .
Here ’ s what we know .
Trump was there .
Mike Lee was there , hugging people with his mask off .
Hope Hicks , given @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was almost certainly there .
And so was the president of Notre Dame , who just discovered today that he ’ s positive for coronavirus as well : Students at his university are understandably annoyed that he turned out to be one of the many miserable hypocrites at that event who preach precautions against COVID and then ignore their own advice when they want to have fun : University President Fr .
John Jenkins and Notre Dame Law School dean G. Marcus Cole both attended Barrett ’ s nomination ceremony .
A video @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protocols or wear a mask at the event — held in the White House Rose Garden — quickly made the rounds on social media .
Cole , seated next to Jenkins at the event , was wearing a mask… His refusal to wear a mask , a simple action he has encouraged in countless email sign-offs to the University community , is puzzling , and we must wonder if it was due to pressure from the surrounding political environment .
Regardless , this is an issue that should never be political .
Many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anger over seeing health and safety guidelines so blatantly broken , with some even resorting to reporting Jenkins on Notre Dame ’ s incident reporting form and others calling for his resignation .
Jenkins is blaming the White House : “ When I arrived at the White House , a medical professional took me to an exam room to obtain a nasal swab for a rapid COVID-19 test .
I was then directed to a room with others , all fully masked , until we were notified that we had all tested negative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to remove our masks.
” I believe him .
But he really , really should have known better than to take Team Trump ’ s advice on whether mask-wearing is important : When America ’ s MAGA elite convene , pandemic precautions are out the window , I guess .
Another example was Trump ’ s fundraiser in Minnesota on Wednesday night : One of the most notorious and instructive outbreaks of the entire pandemic was the superspreader event during a choir practice in Washington in early March , where 52 people where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of that gathering was key : When you ’ re singing , you ’ re projecting your voice — and particles that are in your mouth and throat — much further than when you ’ re speaking normally .
Singing and shouting are the last two things you ’ d want to do in close quarters with strangers .
So naturally it ’ s exactly what the imbeciles at the fundraiser were doing .
This isn ’ t just a Trump problem .
Nikki Haley , a prominent member of the “ reasonable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tweeted this photo yesterday : Contemptible , irresponsible , unfit .
Someone who won ’ t bother to take the most minimal care not to endanger the people around them is unfit to lead others .
New infections at the White House are still being reported as I write this , by the way : There are two wrinkles in the theory that the Barrett announcement seeded the outbreak engulfing the government today .
One is that it took place outdoors .
Granted , no one ever said outdoor transmission was impossible , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ see so much of it from this one event .
Which makes me think maybe the infections didn ’ t happen outdoors .
Jenkins noted in his statement that he and other guests were tested in a room and then told it was okay to remove their masks .
Did someone in that room have a false negative ?
How long were they mingling in that room with their masks off before they went outside ?
Was there some other indoor party or function after the announcement that was attended by Jenkins , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is that , according to the Times , Ronna McDaniel was last in contact with Trump on Friday , September 23 .
The Barrett announcement was the following day .
If that ’ s true then obviously McDaniel didn ’ t get infected at that event .
Maybe her infection and Trump ’ s infection really are completely independent of each other , with the timing just a freakish coincidence .
Or maybe there was an outbreak already brewing at the White House last Friday , McDaniel got infected then , and then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was already infected went about spreading the virus at the Barrett event .

Out: Typhoid Mary. In: COVID Amy.
No, actually, Barrett’s one of the few people who was there who can presumably be ruled out as contagious. She had the disease this past summer and recovered. If she’s currently immune and if people who are immune can’t spread the virus — two assumptions I’m making — then Barrett’s not the cause of this chain of transmission.
Here’s what we know. Trump was there. Mike Lee was there, hugging people with his mask off. Hope Hicks, given her role in the White House, was almost certainly there. And so was the president of Notre Dame, who just discovered today that he’s positive for coronavirus as well:
BREAKING: Notre Dame President Fr. John Jenkins, who was at the WH SCOTUS announcement on Saturday and was criticized for not wearing a mask and shaking hands, has tested positive for COVID-19. This was just sent out to the campus. Unclear if he had it during the WH event. pic.twitter.com/2cR4eaVMzb — Jack Jenkins (@jackmjenkins) October 2, 2020
Students at his university are understandably annoyed that he turned out to be one of the many miserable hypocrites at that event who preach precautions against COVID and then ignore their own advice when they want to have fun:
University President Fr. John Jenkins and Notre Dame Law School dean G. Marcus Cole both attended Barrett’s nomination ceremony. A video of Jenkins failing to follow social distancing protocols or wear a mask at the event — held in the White House Rose Garden — quickly made the rounds on social media. Cole, seated next to Jenkins at the event, was wearing a mask… His refusal to wear a mask, a simple action he has encouraged in countless email sign-offs to the University community, is puzzling, and we must wonder if it was due to pressure from the surrounding political environment. Regardless, this is an issue that should never be political. Many students and staff expressed their frustration and anger over seeing health and safety guidelines so blatantly broken, with some even resorting to reporting Jenkins on Notre Dame’s incident reporting form and others calling for his resignation.
Jenkins is blaming the White House: “When I arrived at the White House, a medical professional took me to an exam room to obtain a nasal swab for a rapid COVID-19 test. I was then directed to a room with others, all fully masked, until we were notified that we had all tested negative and were told that it was safe to remove our masks.” I believe him. But he really, really should have known better than to take Team Trump’s advice on whether mask-wearing is important:
Rep. Tim Ryan (D-OH), who attended debate Tuesday night, on Trump family who also attended: "The rules don’t apply to them,” he said. “They don’t have to pay taxes, they don’t wear masks, they can pay off porn stars. The rules just don’t apply to them.” https://t.co/KRen284FOU — Catherine Rampell (@crampell) October 2, 2020
When America’s MAGA elite convene, pandemic precautions are out the window, I guess. Another example was Trump’s fundraiser in Minnesota on Wednesday night:
Political consultant Blois Olson said on WCCO radio that he had seen images from the Shorewood fundraiser that showed a disregard for COVID-19 precautions. “Staff and guests lingered after the president was there,” Olson told host Dave Lee Friday morning. “They sang karaoke, they had their arms around each other.” Among those pictured: South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, Olson said, citing images of a private Instagram account.
One of the most notorious and instructive outbreaks of the entire pandemic was the superspreader event during a choir practice in Washington in early March, where 52 people where infected. Scientists concluded that the nature of that gathering was key: When you’re singing, you’re projecting your voice — and particles that are in your mouth and throat — much further than when you’re speaking normally. Singing and shouting are the last two things you’d want to do in close quarters with strangers. So naturally it’s exactly what the imbeciles at the fundraiser were doing.
This isn’t just a Trump problem. Nikki Haley, a prominent member of the “reasonable” wing of the GOP, obliviously tweeted this photo yesterday:
New Hampshire is knocking it out of the park with 99 strong, smart, amazing Republican women running for office! I had the pleasure of talking through the challenges of running for office and the rewards of public service. The future is bright in New Hampshire. Go get em ladies! pic.twitter.com/xrNhNnbyCt — Nikki Haley (@NikkiHaley) October 1, 2020
Contemptible, irresponsible, unfit. Someone who won’t bother to take the most minimal care not to endanger the people around them is unfit to lead others.
New infections at the White House are still being reported as I write this, by the way:
News: I have obtained a memo from the @WHCA board to WH reporters with word of "two additional cases of COVID-19 at the White House." A journalist received a preliminary positive result. And a WH staffer who sits in the "lower press" area received a confirmed positive result. — Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) October 2, 2020
There are two wrinkles in the theory that the Barrett announcement seeded the outbreak engulfing the government today. One is that it took place outdoors. Granted, no one ever said outdoor transmission was impossible, but we wouldn’t expect to see so much of it from this one event. Which makes me think maybe the infections didn’t happen outdoors. Jenkins noted in his statement that he and other guests were tested in a room and then told it was okay to remove their masks. Did someone in that room have a false negative? How long were they mingling in that room with their masks off before they went outside?
Was there some other indoor party or function after the announcement that was attended by Jenkins, Lee, etc?
The second wrinkle is that, according to the Times, Ronna McDaniel was last in contact with Trump on Friday, September 23. The Barrett announcement was the following day. If that’s true then obviously McDaniel didn’t get infected at that event. Maybe her infection and Trump’s infection really are completely independent of each other, with the timing just a freakish coincidence. Or maybe there was an outbreak already brewing at the White House last Friday, McDaniel got infected then, and then Trump or some other WH staffer who was already infected went about spreading the virus at the Barrett event.


hotair--2020-10-02--A new migrant caravan is marching north as arrests at the U.S. border rise for fourth straight month

It seemed for a while that we might be done with migrant caravans from Central America .
With the coronavirus spreading around the world , borders were closed and so were shelters that house migrants along the route from Central America to the U.S .
But CBS reported yesterday that a new caravan composed of nearly 1,000 migrants has formed in Honduras and is marching north : Hundreds of migrants began walking Wednesday night from this city in northern Honduras toward the Guatemala border , testing a well-trod migration route now in times of the novel coronavirus .
Calls for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the San Pedro Sula bus station October 1 had been circulating on social media for weeks .
The caravan comes just two weeks after Guatemala reopened its borders after keeping them sealed for months to slow the spread of COVID-19… Governments throughout the region made it known they were watching Wednesday .
Mexico ’ s immigration agency said in a statement that it would enforce “ safe , orderly and legal ” migration and not do anything to promote the formation of a migrant caravan .
The U.S. Embassy in Honduras said via @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was more difficult than ever right now and more dangerous because of COVID-19 .
The reasons for the caravans hasn ’ t changed .
These are economic migrants looking for work or a better life .
The conditions in Central America have only gotten worse because of COVID .
CNN ’ s report makes it very clear these are people fleeing a devastated economy : Hundreds of Hondurans formed a caravan headed towards the United States on Wednesday , seeking to improve their living conditions as the coronavirus has killed over 2,000 people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ American nation , local media reported… “ I ’ m leaving with my husband and my two children .
There is no work here .
There is nothing to do , and if you find a job they only pay you 100 lempiras ( $ 4 ) a day , ” said a woman who identified herself as Cristina to local television program Hoy Mismo .
Wednesday ’ s group marks the first caravan to depart Honduras in 2020 , as the nation suffers the largest recorded economic decline in its history after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at slowing the spread of the novel coronavirus .
So it ’ s clear what is driving this .
But I suspect most of these people will claim asylum if they make it to the U.S. border even though that system was never meant to apply to economic migrants .
In the past , claiming asylum was a quick way to get released into the U.S. but that changed with Trump ’ s remain in Mexico policy .
Speaking of Mexico , the formation of caravans really seemed to stop after Mexico refused @ @ @ @ @ @ @ southern border unimpeded .
I suppose we ’ ll have to wait and see if that ’ s still the case of if President AMLO is too preoccupied with other problems to deal with this .
So far Mexico is saying the caravan won ’ t be allowed to cross the border but saying that and actually stopping it at the border are two very different things .
While this is the first new caravan since the pandemic , border apprehensions have been climbing for each of the past four months .
Last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 50,000 which is up from a low of just 17,000 in April .
The arrests recorded by CBP — the main metric used to gauge border crossings — shows that unauthorized migration to the U.S. continued to increase in the summer , despite the ongoing pandemic and the Trump administration ’ s policy of swiftly expelling most migrants , including asylum-seekers and unaccompanied children , without allowing them to seek humanitarian refuge .
Apprehensions along the U.S.-Mexico border have been increasing since April , when they plummeted to 17,000 .
But they continue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of arrests CBP made during the same time period last year , when hundreds of thousands of families with minors and unaccompanied children journeyed north from Central America .
Here ’ s an Al Jazeera report which shows the new caravan literally pushing their way through the Guatemalan border .
It ’ s very clear from this report that what is driving this is jobs .
One person interviewed said , “ We are dying of starvation .
There are no jobs.
” And yet , I ’ d be willing to bet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ asylum is their best chance to be let into the U.S. , assuming they make it that far .

It seemed for a while that we might be done with migrant caravans from Central America. With the coronavirus spreading around the world, borders were closed and so were shelters that house migrants along the route from Central America to the U.S. But CBS reported yesterday that a new caravan composed of nearly 1,000 migrants has formed in Honduras and is marching north:
Hundreds of migrants began walking Wednesday night from this city in northern Honduras toward the Guatemala border, testing a well-trod migration route now in times of the novel coronavirus. Calls for a new migrant caravan to leave from the San Pedro Sula bus station October 1 had been circulating on social media for weeks. The caravan comes just two weeks after Guatemala reopened its borders after keeping them sealed for months to slow the spread of COVID-19… Governments throughout the region made it known they were watching Wednesday. Mexico’s immigration agency said in a statement that it would enforce “safe, orderly and legal” migration and not do anything to promote the formation of a migrant caravan. The U.S. Embassy in Honduras said via Twitter Wednesday that migration to the U.S. was more difficult than ever right now and more dangerous because of COVID-19.
The reasons for the caravans hasn’t changed. These are economic migrants looking for work or a better life. The conditions in Central America have only gotten worse because of COVID. CNN’s report makes it very clear these are people fleeing a devastated economy:
Hundreds of Hondurans formed a caravan headed towards the United States on Wednesday, seeking to improve their living conditions as the coronavirus has killed over 2,000 people and paralyzed the economy in the Central American nation, local media reported… “I’m leaving with my husband and my two children. There is no work here. There is nothing to do, and if you find a job they only pay you 100 lempiras ($4) a day,” said a woman who identified herself as Cristina to local television program Hoy Mismo. Wednesday’s group marks the first caravan to depart Honduras in 2020, as the nation suffers the largest recorded economic decline in its history after six months of strict lockdown measures aimed at slowing the spread of the novel coronavirus.
So it’s clear what is driving this. But I suspect most of these people will claim asylum if they make it to the U.S. border even though that system was never meant to apply to economic migrants. In the past, claiming asylum was a quick way to get released into the U.S. but that changed with Trump’s remain in Mexico policy.
Speaking of Mexico, the formation of caravans really seemed to stop after Mexico refused to allow them to march across its southern border unimpeded. I suppose we’ll have to wait and see if that’s still the case of if President AMLO is too preoccupied with other problems to deal with this. So far Mexico is saying the caravan won’t be allowed to cross the border but saying that and actually stopping it at the border are two very different things.
While this is the first new caravan since the pandemic, border apprehensions have been climbing for each of the past four months. Last month the total was just shy of 50,000 which is up from a low of just 17,000 in April.
The arrests recorded by CBP — the main metric used to gauge border crossings — shows that unauthorized migration to the U.S. continued to increase in the summer, despite the ongoing pandemic and the Trump administration’s policy of swiftly expelling most migrants, including asylum-seekers and unaccompanied children, without allowing them to seek humanitarian refuge. Apprehensions along the U.S.-Mexico border have been increasing since April, when they plummeted to 17,000. But they continue to be substantially less than the number of arrests CBP made during the same time period last year, when hundreds of thousands of families with minors and unaccompanied children journeyed north from Central America.
Here’s an Al Jazeera report which shows the new caravan literally pushing their way through the Guatemalan border. It’s very clear from this report that what is driving this is jobs. One person interviewed said, “We are dying of starvation. There are no jobs.” And yet, I’d be willing to bet most of these people know that claiming asylum is their best chance to be let into the U.S., assuming they make it that far.


hotair--2020-10-02--Now Mike Lee tests positive for COVID

Now Mike Lee tests positive for COVID

Looks like we do indeed have ourselves an outbreak on Capitol Hill .
As with Ronna McDaniel ’ s infection , it ’ s impossible to know ( yet ) whether Lee contracted the virus in the same chain of transmission as Trump and Hope Hicks .
But he was at the White House a few days ago for the announcement of Amy Coney Barrett as Trump ’ s SCOTUS pick .
He had a mask with him — in his hand , as he hugged and kissed other people there .
If this is all stemming from the White @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inside that building been under way ?
Three days ago , Lee met with Barrett in his office .
Again , without a mask : Barrett tested negative for coronavirus this morning .
The plan is for her to continue her meetings with senators amid the haste to get her confirmed , which seems like an exceedingly bad idea under the circumstances .
It ’ s time for Zoom chat , not grip-and-grins .
Nothing would surprise me at this stage of the mad , hallucinatory narrative of 2020 , including an “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Doctors this morning are trying to guesstimate when Hope Hicks first became infectious , although that assumes that Hicks is located somewhere near the start of the chain of transmission rather than the end of it .
We don ’ t know that she gave Trump COVID ; Trump might have gotten it from someone else and given it to her .
One physician said that , in terms of probability , Hicks was infectious for three days before her positive test on Wednesday .
If so that would mean she was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think it ’ s highly likely that Trump was infected before Wednesday as well , as the virus simply doesn ’ t incubate quickly enough for him to have picked it up from Hicks on Tuesday or Wednesday and then immediately tested positive yesterday .
In fact , some data suggests that older adults have longer incubation periods .
Maybe he picked it up last week , in time to be infectious for the Barrett announcement .
Which means Trump might have been contagious when he was 10 feet away from Biden and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This is good news… …but it could be that Biden is infected and still in the incubation stage .
There may not be detectable levels of virus in his system — yet .
Let ’ s hope the next five days of tests are negative as well .
As for how Hicks would have managed to infect Trump when the people around him are supposedly being tested daily , there ’ s an obvious possibility : They ’ re cutting corners on the tests .
There ’ s another possibility .
No test @ @ @ @ @ @ @ big-swab-up-the-nose one .
Rapid tests of the sort used by the White House are even less reliable : This is why masks should be worn even in an environment when everyone ’ s being tested regularly .
The tests don ’ t catch every infection .
Trump , Lee , and McDaniel are all likely to survive their bouts with COVID , but Trump ’ s presidential chances probably aren ’ t , especially if he ’ s off the trail for two weeks .
The White House should have been more careful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the president ’ s prognosis , there ’ s no good outcome for the country .
If he ends up with a severe case of the disease , that ’ s terrible for humanitarian reasons .
If he ends up with a mild one , that ’ s terrible insofar as the wrong lesson will be gleaned by many millions of idiots from the episode .
This morning Brian Kilmeade previewed how it ’ ll be spun if he ’ s back on the trail in 10 days , hopefully none the worse @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Timothy Carney noted this morning , “ [ t ] hat might confirm for Trump and for millions of his supporters that this virus is nothing to worry about .
A bunch of people hung out in close contact , without masks , and they got a cold ?
And we ’ re shutting down the economy over this ?
!
” Exactly .
The proper lesson from Trump ’ s infection is that even the most well-protected person in the world , whose close contacts are ( supposedly ) being tested @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t safe from infection .
Trump being Trump , he ’ ll probably want to get back on the trail sooner than the two weeks recommended for quarantine if he ’ s feeling better , supposedly to prove how tough he is .
Which will lead to cheers from the 45 percent of the country that ’ s MAGA and sad head-shakes from the other 55 percent that he ’ s still not listening to doctors about how to keep the people around him safe .
No one should need a “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 74-year-old beating the virus at this point .
We know statistically that nearly all of them do .
But they ’ re not quite as safe as younger age cohorts are , and there ’ s no way to tell how debilitated a given COVID patient might be after overcoming the disease .
Trump could have heart problems , neurological problems , blood-clotting issues , and respiratory issues .
Hopefully he ends up fully back to normal , but after 200,000 deaths , anyone who ’ s still dismissing the virus as “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump himself privately rejected months ago — is going to find some reason or other to justify that conclusion .
Trump ’ s recovery will be just the latest pretext .

Looks like we do indeed have ourselves an outbreak on Capitol Hill.
As with Ronna McDaniel’s infection, it’s impossible to know (yet) whether Lee contracted the virus in the same chain of transmission as Trump and Hope Hicks. But he was at the White House a few days ago for the announcement of Amy Coney Barrett as Trump’s SCOTUS pick.
He had a mask with him — in his hand, as he hugged and kissed other people there.
Ah, yes, the best place for your mask as you hug and kiss and greet multiple people is IN YOUR HAND pic.twitter.com/xNDl1Z1fEK — Kate Bennett (@KateBennett_DC) September 26, 2020
If this is all stemming from the White House, how long has the outbreak inside that building been under way?
Three days ago, Lee met with Barrett in his office. Again, without a mask:
I was remarkably impressed by Judge Barrett. My meeting with her was fantastic. She is a judge, a legal scholar, and a lawyer with outstanding credentials. We had a great conversation and I am very much looking forward to speaking with her more during her confirmation hearing. pic.twitter.com/rfGt717PlW — Mike Lee (@SenMikeLee) September 29, 2020
Barrett tested negative for coronavirus this morning. The plan is for her to continue her meetings with senators amid the haste to get her confirmed, which seems like an exceedingly bad idea under the circumstances. It’s time for Zoom chat, not grip-and-grins.
Nothing would surprise me at this stage of the mad, hallucinatory narrative of 2020, including an “Amy Coney Barrett, superspreader” subplot.
Doctors this morning are trying to guesstimate when Hope Hicks first became infectious, although that assumes that Hicks is located somewhere near the start of the chain of transmission rather than the end of it. We don’t know that she gave Trump COVID; Trump might have gotten it from someone else and given it to her. One physician said that, in terms of probability, Hicks was infectious for three days before her positive test on Wednesday. If so that would mean she was infectious at the debate. Other experts think it’s highly likely that Trump was infected before Wednesday as well, as the virus simply doesn’t incubate quickly enough for him to have picked it up from Hicks on Tuesday or Wednesday and then immediately tested positive yesterday. In fact, some data suggests that older adults have longer incubation periods. Maybe he picked it up last week, in time to be infectious for the Barrett announcement.
Which means Trump might have been contagious when he was 10 feet away from Biden and yelling at him on Tuesday night. This is good news…
BREAKING: Joe Biden has tested NEGATIVE for COVID-19, per a senior Biden campaign official. h/t @mikememoli — Peter Alexander (@PeterAlexander) October 2, 2020
…but it could be that Biden is infected and still in the incubation stage. There may not be detectable levels of virus in his system — yet. Let’s hope the next five days of tests are negative as well.
As for how Hicks would have managed to infect Trump when the people around him are supposedly being tested daily, there’s an obvious possibility: They’re cutting corners on the tests.
(2) an asymptomatic spreader to have been undetected and thus get close enough to transmit to POTUS, FLOTUS, and Hicks, and (3) other White House cases to remain undetected because tests haven't been run yet. — Carl T. Bergstrom (@CT_Bergstrom) October 2, 2020
There’s another possibility. No test is perfect, not even the traditional big-swab-up-the-nose one. Rapid tests of the sort used by the White House are even less reliable:
WATCH: @ScottGottliebMD discussed the potential for false negatives with the White House-approved #COVID19 #Abbott testing platform back in May "The reason why the White House prefers the Abbott machine is it gives a result in 5-15 minutes, #GeneXpert takes about 45 minutes" https://t.co/9WPYaxTDgR pic.twitter.com/G9MCLILMCh — Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) October 2, 2020
This is why masks should be worn even in an environment when everyone’s being tested regularly. The tests don’t catch every infection. Trump, Lee, and McDaniel are all likely to survive their bouts with COVID, but Trump’s presidential chances probably aren’t, especially if he’s off the trail for two weeks. The White House should have been more careful for his own sake.
As for the president’s prognosis, there’s no good outcome for the country. If he ends up with a severe case of the disease, that’s terrible for humanitarian reasons. If he ends up with a mild one, that’s terrible insofar as the wrong lesson will be gleaned by many millions of idiots from the episode. This morning Brian Kilmeade previewed how it’ll be spun if he’s back on the trail in 10 days, hopefully none the worse for wear:
“What if the most famous person in the world gets it and in ten days is back out? Doesn’t that also send a message that you can say whatever you want in stats and graphs but I give you an example of somebody who is in that danger age of 74, who gets it and beats it” pic.twitter.com/69l6Bnzghi — Acyn (@Acyn) October 2, 2020
If Trump recovers quickly, Timothy Carney noted this morning, “[t]hat might confirm for Trump and for millions of his supporters that this virus is nothing to worry about. A bunch of people hung out in close contact, without masks, and they got a cold? And we’re shutting down the economy over this?!” Exactly. The proper lesson from Trump’s infection is that even the most well-protected person in the world, whose close contacts are (supposedly) being tested every day before meeting him, isn’t safe from infection. Trump being Trump, he’ll probably want to get back on the trail sooner than the two weeks recommended for quarantine if he’s feeling better, supposedly to prove how tough he is. Which will lead to cheers from the 45 percent of the country that’s MAGA and sad head-shakes from the other 55 percent that he’s still not listening to doctors about how to keep the people around him safe.
No one should need a “message” from a case of a 74-year-old beating the virus at this point. We know statistically that nearly all of them do. But they’re not quite as safe as younger age cohorts are, and there’s no way to tell how debilitated a given COVID patient might be after overcoming the disease. Trump could have heart problems, neurological problems, blood-clotting issues, and respiratory issues. Hopefully he ends up fully back to normal, but after 200,000 deaths, anyone who’s still dismissing the virus as “just a flu” — a conclusion Trump himself privately rejected months ago — is going to find some reason or other to justify that conclusion. Trump’s recovery will be just the latest pretext.


hotair--2020-10-02--Trump-COVID truthers: Michael Moore and others on the left suggest Trump is faking illness

I mentioned this last night , but there ’ s a significant number of people on the left who are expressing skepticism of President Trump ’ s COVID-19 diagnosis .
I saw random people on Twitter expressing this last night and figured it would die down by this morning .
That doesn ’ t seem to be the case .
On the contrary it seems to have picked up steam overnight , enough that even some people on the left are calling it out .
Here ’ s Joy Reid saying it ’ s a lot of what friends are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Reid ’ s unnamed friend wasn ’ t alone in suggesting this was about the debates : As you can see , thousands of people are liking these tweets and nearly everyone responding ( about 1,000 as I write this ) seems to agree something suspicious is happening .
But there ’ s lots more of this stuff circulating : He picked a great moment to indulge conspiracy theories .
But again he ’ s not alone : All of the people I ’ m highlighting have check marks from Twitter .
For @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or thousands more who don ’ t have check marks saying the same thing .
So why is this happening ?
Well , one general theory for conspiracy theories is that people often assume important incidents have important causes .
So JFK couldn ’ t have been shot in Dallas by a Marxist loser with a rifle , it had to be a big conspiracy of some kind .
I think this is similar .
This diagnosis shakes up the race with weeks to go before an election .
So immediately some suspect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a plan behind it .
Michael Moore posted a long statement on Facebook laying out why he believes Trump could be faking this .
I think it ’ s likely a lot of people on the left who are questioning this probably share his views : We must always remain skeptical when it comes to Trump .
He may have it .
But it ’ s also possible he ’ s lying .
That ’ s just a fact .
But why would he lie about this ?
…He would not want to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a hoax .
But — he ’ s losing the election .
And he knows it .
It ’ s not 2016 .
He was hated in 2016 , but he ’ s hated even more now .
Millions of Americans are ON FIRE and on the verge of serving him up a major league ass-whooping and a record landslide defeat .
So he needs – badly – to totally change the conversation about this campaign .
Democrats , liberals , the media and others have always been wrong to simply treat him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a jackass .
Yes , he is all those things .
But he ’ s also canny .
He ’ s clever .
He outfoxed Comey .
He outfoxed Mueller .
He outfoxed 20 Republicans in the GOP primary and then did the same to the Democrats , winning the White House despite receiving fewer votes than his opponent .
He ’ s an evil genius and I raise the possibility of him lying about having COVID-19 to prepare us and counteract his game .
He knows being sick tends to gain one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weaponizing this .
That ’ s the gist of it but Moore takes it one step beyond by combining this nascent conspiracy theory with another conspiracy theory the left has been engaged in for months : So there you have it .
A whole lot of people on the left are considering this sort of thing since last night .
In fact , so many are saying it that there ’ s already a bit of a backlash to it on the left : Paul Krugman doesn ’ t buy the conspiracy theory @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kinda-sorta leaving room for a different conspiracy theory to arise :

I mentioned this last night, but there’s a significant number of people on the left who are expressing skepticism of President Trump’s COVID-19 diagnosis. I saw random people on Twitter expressing this last night and figured it would die down by this morning. That doesn’t seem to be the case. On the contrary it seems to have picked up steam overnight, enough that even some people on the left are calling it out. Here’s Joy Reid saying it’s a lot of what friends are saying to her in text messages:
Here’s how wrecked Trump’s credibility is at this point: I’ve got a cellphone full of texts from people who aren’t sure whether to believe Trump actually has covid. “He lies so much,” one friend just texted. “Is he just doing this to get out of the debates?” others are texting. — Joy-Ann Pro-Democracy & Masks Reid 😷 (@JoyAnnReid) October 2, 2020
Reid’s unnamed friend wasn’t alone in suggesting this was about the debates:
Seems like someone don’t wanna go back to the debate stage. 🤔🤔 — Linda Sarsour (@lsarsour) October 2, 2020
As you can see, thousands of people are liking these tweets and nearly everyone responding (about 1,000 as I write this) seems to agree something suspicious is happening. But there’s lots more of this stuff circulating:
On the one hand, wild conspiracy theories are killing society, but in the other, this is one of the most pathologically dishonest humans in public life surrounded by amoral cultists. — IncitementToResurrectionHat (@Popehat) October 2, 2020
He picked a great moment to indulge conspiracy theories. But again he’s not alone:
Until we hear from Walter Reed, I am skeptical. This White House cannot be trusted. https://t.co/6cUqE83ZJS — Cheri Jacobus (@CheriJacobus) October 2, 2020
Trump is a vehicle for elite criminals' dangerous agendas. He's also a sociopath and constant liar in his own right. I don't know the truth about his diagnosis. I do know that you should watch his backers, foreign and domestic, as closely as you watch Trump. — Sarah Kendzior (@sarahkendzior) October 2, 2020
Questions people are asking me:
– what if Trump is faking, and claims a miraculous recovery?
– what if this is. Republican ploy to take Trump out?
– what if he uses this as an excuse to drop out?
I don’t even know how to answer, bc this is where we are as a country. — Naveed Jamali (@NaveedAJamali) October 2, 2020
Honestly, when a man lies so damn much, am I wrong to imagine another cry of wolf for an October surprise? That Trump is claiming a positive test, will present as asymptomatic, or claim himself cured with bleach, then dismiss COVID again as a Democratic hoax? I'm wrong, right? — David Simon (@AoDespair) October 2, 2020
I will just say this… The timing of Trump's positive test is very interesting and solves a number of immediate problems for him. — Don Winslow (@donwinslow) October 2, 2020
All of the people I’m highlighting have check marks from Twitter. For every person like this there are hundreds or thousands more who don’t have check marks saying the same thing.
So why is this happening? Well, one general theory for conspiracy theories is that people often assume important incidents have important causes. So JFK couldn’t have been shot in Dallas by a Marxist loser with a rifle, it had to be a big conspiracy of some kind. I think this is similar. This diagnosis shakes up the race with weeks to go before an election. So immediately some suspect there must be a bigger purpose and a plan behind it.
Michael Moore posted a long statement on Facebook laying out why he believes Trump could be faking this. I think it’s likely a lot of people on the left who are questioning this probably share his views:
We must always remain skeptical when it comes to Trump. He may have it. But it’s also possible he’s lying. That’s just a fact. But why would he lie about this?…He would not want to admit he‘s come down with a hoax. But — he’s losing the election. And he knows it. It’s not 2016. He was hated in 2016, but he’s hated even more now. Millions of Americans are ON FIRE and on the verge of serving him up a major league ass-whooping and a record landslide defeat. So he needs – badly – to totally change the conversation about this campaign. And he just has. Democrats, liberals, the media and others have always been wrong to simply treat him as a buffoon and a dummy and a jackass. Yes, he is all those things. But he’s also canny. He’s clever. He outfoxed Comey. He outfoxed Mueller. He outfoxed 20 Republicans in the GOP primary and then did the same to the Democrats, winning the White House despite receiving fewer votes than his opponent. He’s an evil genius and I raise the possibility of him lying about having COVID-19 to prepare us and counteract his game. He knows being sick tends to gain one sympathy. He’s not above weaponizing this.
That’s the gist of it but Moore takes it one step beyond by combining this nascent conspiracy theory with another conspiracy theory the left has been engaged in for months:
Most dangerously, HE MAY USE THIS TO PUSH FOR DELAYING/POSTPONING THE ELECTION. The constitution does not allow for this, but he doesn’t give a f*ck about the constitution. He and his thug Attorney General Barr have no shame and will stop at nothing to stay in power. He may even use this as an excuse for losing.
Moore isn’t done yet.
He may use his Covid as a pretext to drop out of the race and move Pence to the top of the ticket. Pence would temporarily become President, and then Pence could pre-emptively pardon Trump for all of his crimes.
So there you have it. A whole lot of people on the left are considering this sort of thing since last night. In fact, so many are saying it that there’s already a bit of a backlash to it on the left:
Trump faking Covid makes no fucking sense. His whole shtick has been minimizing Covid. This makes him look weak and stupid. https://t.co/nFk18kDIAD — Jeet Heer (@HeerJeet) October 2, 2020
People saying Trump is faking it are only slightly better than QAnon. Folks, they had military planes launched yesterday on the coasts 30 minutes before the announcement in the “dont fuck with us” warning signal to nuclear powers that we use at times like this. Stop being loony. — Kurt "Masks Save Lives" Eichenwald (@kurteichenwald) October 2, 2020
Paul Krugman doesn’t buy the conspiracy theory about the diagnosis but he’s kinda-sorta leaving room for a different conspiracy theory to arise:
Now, the course of his infection may be another matter. I personally know people who got Covid-19 but insisted that it was a mild case — only to hear indirectly that it was actually very severe. Just saying 2/ — Paul Krugman (@paulkrugman) October 2, 2020
He’s just saying.


hotair--2020-10-02--Governor Abbott orders drop-off sites for mail-in ballots closed, limits one per county

In a surprise move , Governor Abbott ordered that all drop-off sites for mail-in ballots in Texas be closed , except for one location per county .
This order comes at a time that mail-in ballots in the state are expected to be at an all-time high .
Thursday Abbott issued the order that only one drop-off location will be allowed in each county in Texas .
He did so as a measure for ballot security , he said .
The governor ’ s proclamation notes that the state is still under an emergency declaration due to the coronavirus pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voters , including increasing the period of early voting and opening additional polling places .
Political parties are allowed to install poll watchers at drop-off sites to observe the process .
This is the latest development in the run-up to the general election in Texas .
There have been numerous lawsuits for months over voting .
Democrats have pushed hard for statewide universal mail-in voting though local officials are not prepared for that .
Republicans have argued against that on the grounds of ballot security and the possibility of widespread voter fraud .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ must allow poll watchers to “ observe any activity conducted at the early voting clerk ’ s office ” related to the delivery of marked ballots .
He said the measure was designed to improve ballot security .
“ The state of Texas has a duty to voters to maintain the integrity of our election , ” Abbott said in a statement .
“ These enhanced security protocols will ensure greater transparency and will help stop attempts at illegal voting.
” Democrats complain that this is voter suppression .
Rep. Al Green points @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Texas should again be subject to supervision under the Voting Rights Act .
This is seen as a rebuke to large Democratic-controlled counties that have set up multiple sites to accept mail-in ballots .
In Harris County ( Houston ) , for example , there are twelve sites , eleven of which will now be closed .
All of those locations are county clerk annex offices .
The one remaining site will be located at NRG Arena , the sports stadium set up as a voting location .
Harris County covers 1,777-square-miles @ @ @ @ @ @ @ location will not serve the whole county well .
Harris County is the largest county in the state and controlled by Democrats .
Harris County Clerk Christopher Hollins , a Democrat , accuses the governor of going back on his agreement of making voting easier .
Hollins , you may remember , wanted to send out mail-in ballots to every registered voter in the county for the November general election .
The drop-off sites are an alternative offered for voters who do not want to mail ballots at the post office , thanks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being corrupted by Trump , but do not want to vote in person .
It is an additional service made available to make voting easier .
It looks as though Democrats were taking advantage of it and setting up multiple sites which would all have to be closely monitored , just like any location accepting ballots , such as polling places .
So , the governor acted accordingly to head off any shenanigans that might occur .
The county clerk and an assistant county attorney offered statements .
Hollins accused Abbott of going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ proclamation intended to make voting easier during the pandemic .
He said Harris County for weeks has advertised its dropoff locations .
“ To force hundreds of thousands of seniors and voters with disabilities to use a single dropoff location in a county that stretches nearly 2,000 square miles is prejudicial and dangerous.
” Assistant County Attorney Douglas Ray said the governor ’ s claim that limiting mail ballot collection to one site will combat fraud makes no sense .
At each location the Harris County set up , voters had to deliver @ @ @ @ @ @ @ speak with an assistant clerk and provide identification .
Consolidating that process to one site will make dropping off a ballot more cumbersome , he said .
“ It ’ s a bit like saying we had a hurricane and everybody needs water , so we ’ re going to have everybody go to a single location , ” Ray said .
“ We ’ re not going to distribute it around town.
” The hurricane analogy is silly .
The young socialist-wannabe county judge voiced her disagreement with the governor , too @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Turner have been active on Twitter with partisan political tweets in recent days .
Whether it is over their support for Joe Biden in the presidential election or disagreements with Governor Abbott , there is no mistaking them for non-partisan public officials .
They govern as though only Democrats live in Harris County or Houston .
Harris County has 2.4 registered voters .
More than 207,000 Harris County residents have requested mail ballots so far .
That number is far more than in any previous election .
As of Thursday , 404 had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chris Hollins has launched a mail ballot tracking system so that voters can track their ballot from the time a mail-in ballot is requested to when the ballot is delivered to the clerk ’ s office and processed .
I checked out the site using my own information and it worked .
Democrats always accuse Republicans of suppressing the vote , whether record numbers are voting or not .
In this cycle , Governor Abbott has done everything to make voting easier during the coronavirus pandemic – stopping short of universal mail-in voting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this point is laughable .
Early voting has been extended .
Voters are taking advantage of the virus to claim illness as a reason to vote by mail when it is only a fear of the virus that is the reason for the request .
Never let a crisis go to waste .
Additional voting sites will be open for early voting and on Election Day .
Mail-in voting is in place , as is safe in-person voting .

In a surprise move, Governor Abbott ordered that all drop-off sites for mail-in ballots in Texas be closed, except for one location per county. This order comes at a time that mail-in ballots in the state are expected to be at an all-time high.
Thursday Abbott issued the order that only one drop-off location will be allowed in each county in Texas. He did so as a measure for ballot security, he said. The governor’s proclamation notes that the state is still under an emergency declaration due to the coronavirus pandemic and he has made provisions to accommodate voters, including increasing the period of early voting and opening additional polling places. Political parties are allowed to install poll watchers at drop-off sites to observe the process.
This is the latest development in the run-up to the general election in Texas. There have been numerous lawsuits for months over voting. Democrats have pushed hard for statewide universal mail-in voting though local officials are not prepared for that. Republicans have argued against that on the grounds of ballot security and the possibility of widespread voter fraud.
Abbott’s proclamation also said counties must allow poll watchers to “observe any activity conducted at the early voting clerk’s office” related to the delivery of marked ballots. He said the measure was designed to improve ballot security. “The state of Texas has a duty to voters to maintain the integrity of our election,” Abbott said in a statement. “These enhanced security protocols will ensure greater transparency and will help stop attempts at illegal voting.”
Democrats complain that this is voter suppression. Rep. Al Green points out that this is a clear example that Texas should again be subject to supervision under the Voting Rights Act.
Democrats criticized Abbott's order as a thinly veiled effort to suppress votes in a tight election. pic.twitter.com/ibDg0xtkB9 — Chuck Lindell (@chucklindell) October 1, 2020
This is seen as a rebuke to large Democratic-controlled counties that have set up multiple sites to accept mail-in ballots. In Harris County (Houston), for example, there are twelve sites, eleven of which will now be closed. All of those locations are county clerk annex offices. The one remaining site will be located at NRG Arena, the sports stadium set up as a voting location. Harris County covers 1,777-square-miles, thus the complaints that only one location will not serve the whole county well. Harris County is the largest county in the state and controlled by Democrats. Harris County Clerk Christopher Hollins, a Democrat, accuses the governor of going back on his agreement of making voting easier. Hollins, you may remember, wanted to send out mail-in ballots to every registered voter in the county for the November general election.
The drop-off sites are an alternative offered for voters who do not want to mail ballots at the post office, thanks to Democrat hysteria over the post office being corrupted by Trump, but do not want to vote in person. It is an additional service made available to make voting easier. It looks as though Democrats were taking advantage of it and setting up multiple sites which would all have to be closely monitored, just like any location accepting ballots, such as polling places. So, the governor acted accordingly to head off any shenanigans that might occur. The county clerk and an assistant county attorney offered statements.
Hollins accused Abbott of going back on his word in a July proclamation intended to make voting easier during the pandemic. He said Harris County for weeks has advertised its dropoff locations. “To force hundreds of thousands of seniors and voters with disabilities to use a single dropoff location in a county that stretches nearly 2,000 square miles is prejudicial and dangerous.” Assistant County Attorney Douglas Ray said the governor’s claim that limiting mail ballot collection to one site will combat fraud makes no sense. At each location the Harris County set up, voters had to deliver their own ballots, sign in, speak with an assistant clerk and provide identification. Consolidating that process to one site will make dropping off a ballot more cumbersome, he said. “It’s a bit like saying we had a hurricane and everybody needs water, so we’re going to have everybody go to a single location,” Ray said. “We’re not going to distribute it around town.”
The hurricane analogy is silly. The young socialist-wannabe county judge voiced her disagreement with the governor, too. Both she and Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner have been active on Twitter with partisan political tweets in recent days. Whether it is over their support for Joe Biden in the presidential election or disagreements with Governor Abbott, there is no mistaking them for non-partisan public officials. They govern as though only Democrats live in Harris County or Houston. Harris County has 2.4 registered voters.
Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo also rejected the idea that Abbott’s proclamation protects election integrity, given the ID requirement at dropoff sites. Hidalgo often has disagreed with Abbott during the pandemic but was reluctant to castigate him publicly; her sharp criticism Thursday was a notable shift in tone. “This isn’t security, it’s suppression,” Hidalgo said in a statement. “Mail ballot voters shouldn’t have to drive 30 miles to drop off their ballot or rely on a mail system that’s facing cutbacks.”
More than 207,000 Harris County residents have requested mail ballots so far. That number is far more than in any previous election. As of Thursday, 404 had already been returned. Harris County Clerk Chris Hollins has launched a mail ballot tracking system so that voters can track their ballot from the time a mail-in ballot is requested to when the ballot is delivered to the clerk’s office and processed. I checked out the site using my own information and it worked.
Democrats always accuse Republicans of suppressing the vote, whether record numbers are voting or not. In this cycle, Governor Abbott has done everything to make voting easier during the coronavirus pandemic – stopping short of universal mail-in voting. The charges of voter suppression at this point is laughable. Early voting has been extended. Voters are taking advantage of the virus to claim illness as a reason to vote by mail when it is only a fear of the virus that is the reason for the request. Never let a crisis go to waste. Additional voting sites will be open for early voting and on Election Day. Mail-in voting is in place, as is safe in-person voting.
Early voting begins on October 13.


hotair--2020-10-02--Federal court: Sandmann's libel suits against NYT, ABC, CBS, & Rolling Stone can proceed

But probably not for long .
CNN and the Washington Post settled with Nicholas Sandmann over his libel claim rather than attempt to defend their reporting on the March for Life confrontation with activist Nathan Phillips , and especially their subsequent defamatory commentary even after the full context of that confrontation became clear .
Other news outlets have played out the string , hoping to find a way to shortcut the need to start writing checks to the teenager and his high-powered attorney , Lin Wood .
That strategy looks like it has expired , as Wood announced yesterday afternoon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ links to the four court orders denying the motions to dismiss , all separately for each respondent .
William excerpts the explanation denying the motion from the New York Times as fairly representative of the response to all four : Greatly summarized , the Complaint alleges that Sandmann was libeled by the defendant when it published a news article stating that Sandmann , while at the Lincoln Memorial , “ blocked ” NativeAmerican activist Nathan Phillips and “ prevented Phillips ’ retreat while Nicholas and a mass of other young white boys surrounded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Phillips.
” ( Compl .
¶ 3 ) .
This news story is alleged to be false and defamatory .
( Id. )
.
Sandmann further alleges that this publication by defendant and similar stories by other news media caused him to be harassed by the public , causing him great emotional distress .
( Compl .
¶¶ 25 , 162-164 , 251-257 ) .
Sandmann also alleges that defendant ’ s article “ is now forever a part of the historical Internet record and will haunt and taint Nicholas for the remainder @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reputation for generations to come.
” ( Compl .
¶ 254 ) .
The motion to dismiss argues that this publication is not libelous , but the Court has ruled in companion cases that it is libelous .
The Court continues to hold that opinion for the reason stated in such preceding cases .
See Sandmann v. The Washington Post , Cov .
Case No .
19cv19 ( Docs .
47 , 64 ) ; Sandmann v. Cable News Network , Cov .
Case No .
19cv31 ( Docs .
43 , 44 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ LLC , Cov .
Case No .
19cv56 ( Doc .
43 ) .
However , this excerpt from the court ’ s response to Rolling Stone seems even more germane .
The magazine ’ s attorneys attempted to use Croce v NY Times to argue that all their client did was provide an account of the facts at hand .
The court noted that this precedent technically doesn ’ t apply since all parties agreed to be bound by Kentucky rather than Ohio law , but it won ’ t hold up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ complaint anyway : In Croce , a newspaper published an article that included unflattering allegations against the plaintiff , a university professor and cancer researcher .
The Court held that , in “ full context , ” a “ reasonable reader would interpret the article as a standard piece of investigative journalism ” which simply reported “ newsworthy allegations with appropriate qualifying language.
” Id .
at 794-95 .
That holding is inapplicable under the allegations of the Complaint here .
Sandmann alleges that defendants published a factual , defamatory statement by Phillips @ @ @ @ @ @ @ removes that meaning .
Sandmann further alleges that defendants failed to exercise reasonable journalistic care in determining whether Phillips ’ statements should have been published at all .
Therefore , the Court holds that the Complaint states a claim for relief .
In other words , the magazine arguably had a duty to check that statement before publishing it , or offering context to mitigate it .
The court also addressed that in its response to CBS News : The parties agree that Kentucky law applies to this case .
Under Kentucky law @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it tends to ( 1 ) bring a person into public hatred , contempt or ridicule ; ( 2 ) cause him to be shunned or avoided ; or ( 3 ) injure him in his business or occupation.
” McCall v. Courier-Journal and Louisville Times Co. , 623 S.W.2d 882 , 884 ( Ky. 1981 ) ( citation omitted ) .
The allegations of the Complaint fit this definition precisely .
Sandmann further alleges that defendants ignored an available video that showed the full context of the January 18 encounter , demonstrating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( Compl .
¶ 16 ) ; that defendants failed to engage in “ basic journalistic due diligence , ” which would have revealed Phillips ’ lack of credibility ( Compl .
¶ 20 ) ; that defendants published the statements negligently and maliciously , ( Compl .
¶¶ 247-276 ) ; and that Sandmann suffered public hatred , scorn , and emotional damages as a result ( Compl .
¶¶ 277-283 ) .
These allegations clearly state a valid claim for defamation .
Defendants attack the significance of these allegations and deny @ @ @ @ @ @ @ matters for discovery .
In the motion to dismiss , defendants also argue that the statements at issue can not be libelous because the publications in full included statements more favorable to Sandmann ’ s view of the events .
However , no amount of context removes the meaning of a statement alleged to be defamatory per se .
Note especially the reference to discovery , the process by which attorneys for each side can demand documentation and depositions .
That ’ s what these media outlets want to avoid most .
For @ @ @ @ @ @ @ asymmetrical .
How much discovery can these media outlets get from a teenager ?
On the other hand , Wood can use that process to depose everyone up the managerial chain , right up to the top of the outlets , and use the depositions to wage public war on them .
And they know that ’ s exactly what Wood will do , too , which is why this fight won ’ t last much longer with any of these media outlets .
They ’ ll start cutting checks and negotiating for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ risk .
If this gets in front of a jury , they ’ re almost certain to lose anyway .
If any rational heads are in charge at these outlets , this will be over by Thanksgiving — if not Halloween .

But probably not for long. CNN and the Washington Post settled with Nicholas Sandmann over his libel claim rather than attempt to defend their reporting on the March for Life confrontation with activist Nathan Phillips, and especially their subsequent defamatory commentary even after the full context of that confrontation became clear. Other news outlets have played out the string, hoping to find a way to shortcut the need to start writing checks to the teenager and his high-powered attorney, Lin Wood.
That strategy looks like it has expired, as Wood announced yesterday afternoon:
https://twitter.com/LLinWood/status/1311771933298561024?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1311771933298561024%7Ctwgr%5Eshare_3&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Flegalinsurrection.com%2F2020%2F10%2Fcourt-nicholas-sandmann-lawsuits-against-ny-times-abc-cbs-and-rolling-stone-can-go-forward%2F
Our friend William Jacobson has the links to the four court orders denying the motions to dismiss, all separately for each respondent. William excerpts the explanation denying the motion from the New York Times as fairly representative of the response to all four:
Greatly summarized, the Complaint alleges that Sandmann was libeled by the defendant when it published a news article stating that Sandmann, while at the Lincoln Memorial, “blocked” NativeAmerican activist Nathan Phillips and “prevented Phillips’ retreat while Nicholas and a mass of other young white boys surrounded, taunted, jeered and physically intimidated Phillips.” (Compl. ¶ 3). This news story is alleged to be false and defamatory. (Id.). Sandmann further alleges that this publication by defendant and similar stories by other news media caused him to be harassed by the public, causing him great emotional distress. (Compl. ¶¶ 25, 162-164, 251-257). Sandmann also alleges that defendant’s article “is now forever a part of the historical Internet record and will haunt and taint Nicholas for the remainder of his natural life and impugn his reputation for generations to come.” (Compl. ¶ 254). The motion to dismiss argues that this publication is not libelous, but the Court has ruled in companion cases that it is libelous. The Court continues to hold that opinion for the reason stated in such preceding cases. See Sandmann v. The Washington Post, Cov. Case No. 19cv19 (Docs. 47, 64); Sandmann v. Cable News Network, Cov. Case No. 19cv31 (Docs. 43, 44); Sandmann v. NBCUniversal Media, LLC, Cov. Case No. 19cv56 (Doc. 43).
However, this excerpt from the court’s response to Rolling Stone seems even more germane. The magazine’s attorneys attempted to use Croce v NY Times to argue that all their client did was provide an account of the facts at hand. The court noted that this precedent technically doesn’t apply since all parties agreed to be bound by Kentucky rather than Ohio law, but it won’t hold up in the particulars of Sandmann’s complaint anyway:
In Croce, a newspaper published an article that included unflattering allegations against the plaintiff, a university professor and cancer researcher. The Court held that, in “full context,” a “reasonable reader would interpret the article as a standard piece of investigative journalism” which simply reported “newsworthy allegations with appropriate qualifying language.” Id. at 794-95. That holding is inapplicable under the allegations of the Complaint here. Sandmann alleges that defendants published a factual, defamatory statement by Phillips, period. No amount of context removes that meaning. Sandmann further alleges that defendants failed to exercise reasonable journalistic care in determining whether Phillips’ statements should have been published at all. Therefore, the Court holds that the Complaint states a claim for relief.
In other words, the magazine arguably had a duty to check that statement before publishing it, or offering context to mitigate it. The court also addressed that in its response to CBS News:
The parties agree that Kentucky law applies to this case. Under Kentucky law, a writing is defamatory “if it tends to (1) bring a person into public hatred, contempt or ridicule; (2) cause him to be shunned or avoided; or (3) injure him in his business or occupation.” McCall v. Courier-Journal and Louisville Times Co., 623 S.W.2d 882, 884 (Ky. 1981) (citation omitted). The allegations of the Complaint fit this definition precisely. Sandmann further alleges that defendants ignored an available video that showed the full context of the January 18 encounter, demonstrating the falsity of Phillips’s statements (Compl. ¶ 16); that defendants failed to engage in “basic journalistic due diligence,” which would have revealed Phillips’ lack of credibility (Compl. ¶ 20); that defendants published the statements negligently and maliciously, (Compl. ¶¶ 247-276); and that Sandmann suffered public hatred, scorn, and emotional damages as a result (Compl. ¶¶ 277-283). These allegations clearly state a valid claim for defamation. Defendants attack the significance of these allegations and deny some of them, but that raises matters for discovery. In the motion to dismiss, defendants also argue that the statements at issue cannot be libelous because the publications in full included statements more favorable to Sandmann’s view of the events. However, no amount of context removes the meaning of a statement alleged to be defamatory per se.
Note especially the reference to discovery, the process by which attorneys for each side can demand documentation and depositions. That’s what these media outlets want to avoid most. For one thing, that battle is absurdly asymmetrical. How much discovery can these media outlets get from a teenager? On the other hand, Wood can use that process to depose everyone up the managerial chain, right up to the top of the outlets, and use the depositions to wage public war on them.
And they know that’s exactly what Wood will do, too, which is why this fight won’t last much longer with any of these media outlets. They’ll start cutting checks and negotiating for bilateral gag agreements rather than take that risk. If this gets in front of a jury, they’re almost certain to lose anyway. If any rational heads are in charge at these outlets, this will be over by Thanksgiving — if not Halloween.


hotair--2020-10-02--Another: RNC chair Ronna McDaniel tests positive for COVID

People are complaining this morning that she did a Fox News hit yesterday , apparently after her diagnosis , and didn ’ t think to mention that she was positive .
But since when is one required to share health details with the public ?
Even now , there are outbreaks on pro sports teams and we ’ re never told which athletes are the ones who are infected despite the fact that they ’ re among the most famous people in America .
McDaniel doesn ’ t owe the public a report on her condition .
But she *did* @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been in contact with during the days prior to testing positive .
I ’ m keen to find out if she reached out to anyone to warn them to quarantine or if the plan was to sit by silently as this chain of transmission grew because she preferred that outcome to bad press .
Note the timeline in this report .
Ronna McDaniel , the chairwoman of the Republican National Committee , has tested positive for the coronavirus and is experiencing mild symptoms , according to several people briefed on the situation… She @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and has been at her home in Michigan since then , the people briefed on the matter said .
She received her diagnosis on Wednesday , they said .
After a crowded donor event in March at Mar-a-Lago , the president ’ s private club in Florida , Ms. McDaniel fell ill , but she tested negative at the time .
It could be that she and Trump caught the virus entirely independently , at completely different gatherings , and that the timing is a pure coincidence .
But that would be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they ’ ve both been infected since Friday , with symptoms only beginning to show in the last 48 hours , then it seems possible that Trump — and members of his retinue — were infected and contagious at the debate on Tuesday night .
Did Trump infect Joe Biden ?
Did his selfish family and aides , who refused to wear masks at the debate , infect anyone on Biden ’ s side ?
“ That ’ s all you can do.
” If you think this country is embittered by partisan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Joe Biden or some member of his family got sick because Eric Trump or whoever couldn ’ t be bothered to look “ weak ” by putting on a mask for 90 minutes .
Oh , and of course no one notified the Biden campaign after Hicks ’ s test came back positive : That ’ s not really a partisan thing , though .
Reportedly a small group of White House staffers — presumably including Trump himself , since his health is paramount — found out she had COVID on Wednesday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lot of other people who ’ d recently had contact with her might have it too… …but that didn ’ t stop Trump from carrying out campaign events : He held a rally in Minnesota on Wednesday night at which aides thought he looked “ exhausted.
” Whether he and his team knew of Hicks ’ s diagnosis before or after he went onstage is unknown right now .
If he knew and decided to hold the event anyway , it would be emblematic of his short-sighted , self-sabotaging approach to COVID from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ focusing on containing the virus risked sustained community spread , which would lead to a longer economic slowdown , but he couldn ’ t wait .
Going onstage if he knew that there was a chance he was infected risked a terrible PR backlash because it would prove that Trump was once again taking the virus too lightly , unwilling to self-quarantine to protect the people around him .
But again , he had other priorities .
You would think today would be a fine time for the White House to start aggressively @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ve been lackadaisical about for months inside the building , but no .
Mark Meadows showed up to greet the media without a mask : Scott Atlas , the non-epidemiologist who ’ s now in charge of the COVID task force for some reason , was also seen maskless : I assume they ’ re behaving this way because the boss would rather continue to signal his and his team ’ s deep irresponsibility about protecting others rather than admit they should have been more careful all along , but I don @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Atlas themselves believe it ’ s more important to own the libs at a moment like this than to emphasize to the public that COVID is no joke .
The odds are very much with Trump on recovering .
But the PR damage this is going to do to his campaign , basically just underlining the fact that his administration never took the pandemic seriously enough , is immeasurable .
One more point .
Was the White House actually going to try to cover up Hicks ’ s diagnosis ?
It leaked to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the plan if it didn ’ t ?
Were *any* of the people she ’ d been in contact with going to be told for their own safety ?
The entirety of Congress is wondering this morning whether there ’ s an undiscovered chain of transmission silently working its way through the Capitol right now that might have started by contact with officials from the White House .
CNBC is reporting that “ GOP donors are panicking after being around President Trump during a fundraiser at his golf course in Bedminster .
30 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ feet of the president at the event , most of the interaction was outside.
” Was anyone at risk going to be told if the news didn ’ t leak ?
And is that why it *did* leak ?
Because if it didn ’ t , no one in government and on the campaign would have had fair warning to protect themselves ?

People are complaining this morning that she did a Fox News hit yesterday, apparently after her diagnosis, and didn’t think to mention that she was positive. But since when is one required to share health details with the public? Even now, there are outbreaks on pro sports teams and we’re never told which athletes are the ones who are infected despite the fact that they’re among the most famous people in America.
McDaniel doesn’t owe the public a report on her condition. But she *did* owe it to people she’d been in contact with during the days prior to testing positive. I’m keen to find out if she reached out to anyone to warn them to quarantine or if the plan was to sit by silently as this chain of transmission grew because she preferred that outcome to bad press.
Note the timeline in this report.
Ronna McDaniel, the chairwoman of the Republican National Committee, has tested positive for the coronavirus and is experiencing mild symptoms, according to several people briefed on the situation… She was last with Mr. Trump last Friday, and has been at her home in Michigan since then, the people briefed on the matter said. She received her diagnosis on Wednesday, they said. After a crowded donor event in March at Mar-a-Lago, the president’s private club in Florida, Ms. McDaniel fell ill, but she tested negative at the time.
It could be that she and Trump caught the virus entirely independently, at completely different gatherings, and that the timing is a pure coincidence. But that would be some coincidence. If in fact that they’ve both been infected since Friday, with symptoms only beginning to show in the last 48 hours, then it seems possible that Trump — and members of his retinue — were infected and contagious at the debate on Tuesday night.
Did Trump infect Joe Biden? Did his selfish family and aides, who refused to wear masks at the debate, infect anyone on Biden’s side?
I was there in the debate hall. The entire Trump entourage came in w masks, took them off as soon as they sat down, refused to put them on when asked by Cleveland Clinic personnel. Flouting defiantly the law & rules. And Trump shouting only 8-10 feet from Biden for 90 mins. Oy — Norman Ornstein (@NormOrnstein) October 2, 2020
The pool reporter at the debate filed this note at the time: pic.twitter.com/whWoXRTrRV — Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) October 2, 2020
“That’s all you can do.” If you think this country is embittered by partisan animosity now, let it turn out that Joe Biden or some member of his family got sick because Eric Trump or whoever couldn’t be bothered to look “weak” by putting on a mask for 90 minutes.
Oh, and of course no one notified the Biden campaign after Hicks’s test came back positive:
.@sarahmucha reports: There was no contact from the Trump campaign or the White House to alert the Biden campaign of possible exposure, per a senior campaign official who was with Biden at the debate. — Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) October 2, 2020
That’s not really a partisan thing, though. Reportedly a small group of White House staffers — presumably including Trump himself, since his health is paramount — found out she had COVID on Wednesday night. Naturally that meant a whole lot of other people who’d recently had contact with her might have it too…
MSNBC put together a list 👀 pic.twitter.com/oyYx14DQFe — Acyn (@Acyn) October 2, 2020
…but that didn’t stop Trump from carrying out campaign events:
.@cbsnews has learned Hope Hicks tested negative for COVID-19 Wednesday morning, so she boarded AF1. She developed symptoms during the day and received a second test, which came back positive. The White House knew about this Wed evening but Trump still had a fundraiser Thursday. — Weijia Jiang (@weijia) October 2, 2020
He held a rally in Minnesota on Wednesday night at which aides thought he looked “exhausted.” Whether he and his team knew of Hicks’s diagnosis before or after he went onstage is unknown right now. If he knew and decided to hold the event anyway, it would be emblematic of his short-sighted, self-sabotaging approach to COVID from the beginning. Reopening early instead of focusing on containing the virus risked sustained community spread, which would lead to a longer economic slowdown, but he couldn’t wait. Going onstage if he knew that there was a chance he was infected risked a terrible PR backlash because it would prove that Trump was once again taking the virus too lightly, unwilling to self-quarantine to protect the people around him. But again, he had other priorities.
You would think today would be a fine time for the White House to start aggressively taking precautions against infection, something they’ve been lackadaisical about for months inside the building, but no. Mark Meadows showed up to greet the media without a mask:
Meadows talks to reporters. No mask. pic.twitter.com/6nGvJT3udC — Jim Acosta (@Acosta) October 2, 2020
Scott Atlas, the non-epidemiologist who’s now in charge of the COVID task force for some reason, was also seen maskless:
Scott Atlas outside west wing moments ago. No mask. From our pool feed. pic.twitter.com/316YGpXLLI — Jim Acosta (@Acosta) October 2, 2020
I assume they’re behaving this way because the boss would rather continue to signal his and his team’s deep irresponsibility about protecting others rather than admit they should have been more careful all along, but I don’t know. Maybe Meadows and Atlas themselves believe it’s more important to own the libs at a moment like this than to emphasize to the public that COVID is no joke. The odds are very much with Trump on recovering. But the PR damage this is going to do to his campaign, basically just underlining the fact that his administration never took the pandemic seriously enough, is immeasurable.
One more point. Was the White House actually going to try to cover up Hicks’s diagnosis? It leaked to the media anyway, but what was the plan if it didn’t? Were *any* of the people she’d been in contact with going to be told for their own safety?
It's not just about masks. Hiding a positive test is also *precisely* what we want to discourage people from doing. When Hope Hicks tested positive, everyone she'd had close contact with should have been notified immediately and quarantined. They weren't. — Nicholas Bagley (@nicholas_bagley) October 2, 2020
Several senior staffers did not find out that Hicks had tested positive until last night, despite Meadows saying here they found out around 1:15 p.m. yesterday. https://t.co/rSKtny6yuA — Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) October 2, 2020
The entirety of Congress is wondering this morning whether there’s an undiscovered chain of transmission silently working its way through the Capitol right now that might have started by contact with officials from the White House. CNBC is reporting that “GOP donors are panicking after being around President Trump during a fundraiser at his golf course in Bedminster. 30 to 50 donors were close to six feet of the president at the event, most of the interaction was outside.” Was anyone at risk going to be told if the news didn’t leak?
And is that why it *did* leak? Because if it didn’t, no one in government and on the campaign would have had fair warning to protect themselves?


hotair--2020-10-02--"Let me be clear again": Trump issues explicit condemnation of KKK, "all white supremacists," and Pr

"Let me be clear again": Trump issues explicit condemnation of KKK, "all white supremacists," and Proud Boys

“ I ’ ve condemned them in the past , ” Donald Trump told Sean Hannity last night , calling the issue from the debate “ fake news.
” It ’ s not so fake that Trump ’ s debate response didn ’ t require a clean-up , however , and Trump went to his biggest ally in the cable-news firmament to conduct it .
President Trump explicitly denounced white supremacists in a Thursday night interview , after facing a number of questions in recent days for his controversial comments on the far-right “ Proud Boys ” group during the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ve said it many times , and let me be clear again : I condemn the [ Ku Klux Klan ] .
I condemn all white supremacists .
I condemn the Proud Boys .
I don ’ t know much about the Proud Boys , almost nothing .
But I condemn that , ” Trump told Fox News ’ Sean Hannity .
The president also repeated his view that Vice President Joe Biden should condemn Antifa .
Trump called the left-wing group , known to clash with Proud Boys members , “ a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the air Thursday night after failing in Tuesday night ’ s presidential debate to outright denounce white supremacists or militia groups who have exacerbated violence in cities experiencing frequent protests .
Trump ’ s correct in that he has condemned white supremacists in the past , as well as racism .
As Allahpundit pointed out on Wednesday , he usually has been pushed into it , as it ’ s not high on his radar otherwise , but Trump has been on the record in the past .
Even some of his critics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ covered those times : The media ’ s going to drive its narratives , a point that Trump should know by now .
It ’ s incumbent on Trump to prepare for those efforts , especially in debates on national television .
This clean-up was necessitated by a lack of preparation for a question that any first-year poli-sci student would have seen coming a mile away .
Of course Charlottesville would come up , and of course Trump would be asked about white supremacy .
How could he and his team not prepared @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two nights later ?
It would have defanged the issue and given Trump more credibility to demand that Joe Biden condemn Antifa .
Speaking of which , if you read the debate transcript , that was an obvious question for which Biden didn ’ t seem all that prepared either : Christopher Wray didn ’ t say Antifa was an “ idea , ” nor did he say it was “ not malicious.
” Wray called it an “ ideology , ” a “ real thing , ” and testified that the FBI @ @ @ @ @ @ @ investigations into what we would describe as violent anarchist extremists , ” including people who identify as Antifa .
Wray disputed the idea that it was an organization , preferring to call it a “ movement , ” which irritated Trump no end .
Will Steve Scully , the next debate moderator , follow up with Biden for a condemnation of Antifa ?
Doubtful , so it will be up to Trump to bring it up again .
However , this time Trump had spend more time preparing for the obvious attacks than @ @ @ @ @ @ @

“I’ve condemned them in the past,” Donald Trump told Sean Hannity last night, calling the issue from the debate “fake news.” It’s not so fake that Trump’s debate response didn’t require a clean-up, however, and Trump went to his biggest ally in the cable-news firmament to conduct it.
“Let me be clear again,” Trump declared:
President Trump explicitly denounced white supremacists in a Thursday night interview, after facing a number of questions in recent days for his controversial comments on the far-right “Proud Boys” group during the first presidential debate. “I’ve said it many times, and let me be clear again: I condemn the [Ku Klux Klan]. I condemn all white supremacists. I condemn the Proud Boys. I don’t know much about the Proud Boys, almost nothing. But I condemn that,” Trump told Fox News’ Sean Hannity. The president also repeated his view that Vice President Joe Biden should condemn Antifa. Trump called the left-wing group, known to clash with Proud Boys members, “a horrible group of people.” Trump cleared the air Thursday night after failing in Tuesday night’s presidential debate to outright denounce white supremacists or militia groups who have exacerbated violence in cities experiencing frequent protests.
Trump’s correct in that he has condemned white supremacists in the past, as well as racism. As Allahpundit pointed out on Wednesday, he usually has been pushed into it, as it’s not high on his radar otherwise, but Trump has been on the record in the past. Even some of his critics seem to forget that they’ve covered those times:
The media’s going to drive its narratives, a point that Trump should know by now. It’s incumbent on Trump to prepare for those efforts, especially in debates on national television. This clean-up was necessitated by a lack of preparation for a question that any first-year poli-sci student would have seen coming a mile away. Of course Charlottesville would come up, and of course Trump would be asked about white supremacy. How could he and his team not prepared to deliver the answer Trump gave Hannity two nights later? It would have defanged the issue and given Trump more credibility to demand that Joe Biden condemn Antifa.
Speaking of which, if you read the debate transcript, that was an obvious question for which Biden didn’t seem all that prepared either:
BIDEN: ANTIFA’S an idea, not an organization. TRUMP: Oh, you got to be kidding me. BIDEN: Not malicious. TRUMP: Oh really? BIDEN: That’s what his FBI – (CROSSTALK) TRUMP: OK. BIDEN: — his FBI Director said.
Christopher Wray didn’t say Antifa was an “idea,” nor did he say it was “not malicious.” Wray called it an “ideology,” a “real thing,” and testified that the FBI had “any number of properly predicated investigations into what we would describe as violent anarchist extremists,” including people who identify as Antifa. Wray disputed the idea that it was an organization, preferring to call it a “movement,” which irritated Trump no end.
Will Steve Scully, the next debate moderator, follow up with Biden for a condemnation of Antifa? Doubtful, so it will be up to Trump to bring it up again. However, this time Trump had spend more time preparing for the obvious attacks than he did the first time around.


hotair--2020-10-02--NYT editor: By golly, these anarchists just want to watch the world burn

No kidding .
In an op-ed headlined “ The Truth About Today ’ s Anarchists , ” New York Timed editorial board member Farah Stockman unveils her epiphany about the nature and aims of the people burning down America ’ s cities over the last four months .
She links to the reporting done by photographer Jeremy Lee Quinn , who began to suspect from the first moments of unrest that the riots and looting were not , as many assumed , simply spontaneous outbursts of anger over oppression catalyzed by the death of George Floyd .
Instead , Quinn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ planned , strategically deployed , and had little or nothing to do with the social justice issue du jour .
Quinn also didn ’ t find evidence for the most popular counter-narrative on the Left either , which were that these were conducted by “ white supremacists.
” Antifa is exactly who everyone except media outlets like the NYT thinks they are — leftist “ insurrectionary anarchists ” who just want to watch the world burn : He expected to find white supremacists who wanted to help re-elect President Trump by stoking fear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ instead were true believers in “ insurrectionary anarchism.
” … Mr. Quinn discovered a thorny truth about the mayhem that unfolded in the wake of the police killing of George Floyd , an unarmed Black man in Minneapolis .
It wasn ’ t mayhem at all .
While talking heads on television routinely described it as a spontaneous eruption of anger at racial injustice , it was strategically planned , facilitated and advertised on social media by anarchists who believed that their actions advanced the cause of racial justice .
In some cities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quickly expelled by peaceful organizers .
But in Washington , Portland and Seattle they have attracted a “ cultlike energy , ” Mr. Quinn told me .
Ahem .
The “ talking heads on television ” chose that as a narrative rather than bothering to do any research or connect any dots .
The anarchists have conducted these operations since at least the 1999 World Trade Organization riots in Seattle .
The graffiti hasn ’ t changed , and neither have the tactics or the rhetoric .
We have seen it repeatedly over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ DC at Donald Trump ’ s inauguration , where the very same tactics were deployed .
As Quinn himself notes on his blog , he has seen it since 2014 and Ferguson .
Where was the NYT ?
Had anyone bothered to do the least amount of research , they could have easily diagnosed the issue immediately when the riots started .
In fact , these anarchists have been quite open about their operations and tactics all along : Don ’ t take just Mr. Quinn ’ s word for it .
Take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who lay out the strategy in Crimethinc , an anarchist publication : Black-clad figures break windows , set fires , vandalize police cars , then melt back into the crowd of peaceful protesters .
When the police respond by brutalizing innocent demonstrators with tear gas , rubber bullets and rough arrests , the public ’ s disdain for law enforcement grows .
It ’ s Asymmetric Warfare 101 .
An anarchist podcast called “ The Ex-Worker ” explains that while some anarchists believe in pacifist civil disobedience inspired by Mohandas Gandhi , others @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to wear down the capitalist system .
According to “ The Ex-Worker , ” the term “ insurrectionary anarchist ” dates back at least to the Spanish Civil War and its aftermath , when opponents of the fascist leader Francisco Franco took “ direct action ” against his regime , including assassinating policemen and robbing banks .
No one needs to “ take just Mr. Quinn ’ s word for it , ” but one does have to ask why a major American media outlets didn ’ t connect these dots for itself @ @ @ @ @ @ @ months since the start of these riots , and yet an editorial board member for one of the largest media outlets in the country just figured this out .
And she only figured it out after reading Quinn ’ s blog rather than the work of the reporters she employs .
What does that say about the New York Times and its ability to report the truth rather than regurgitate popular narratives ?
Stockman also notes that “ some Black leaders wish they would go home , ” but that ’ s not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s very true of the people who live in the neighborhoods and their leaders , mainly but not exclusively black , who have been yelling from the rooftops that they need more police ( with reforms on use of force ) , not fewer or none .
Instead of promoting those views , the media has instead promoted Black Lives Matter and its “ abolish the police ” demands as the true voice of the people , and whose own radical agenda requires the destruction that these “ insurrectionary anarchists ” provide .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ when people began to point out their radical aims , but again , that scrutiny never came from media outlets like the NYT .
Stockman ’ s epiphany at the end is almost comical in its tardiness : That ’ s the thing about “ insurrectionary anarchists.
” They make fickle allies .
If they help you get into power , they will try to oust you the following day , since power is what they are against .
Many of them don ’ t even vote .
They are experts at unraveling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at building a new one .
That ’ s why , even after more than 100 days of protest in Portland , activists do not agree on a set of common policy goals .
… In other words , it ’ s not really about George Floyd or Black lives , but insurrection for insurrection ’ s sake .
Again , this might have been information that would have been helpful in late May or early June .
That might have saved us some time in making decisions that would restore order and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” out of business .
It ’ s the kind of information and news that people used to expect media outlets like the NYT to report immediately , especially with all the dots in place to be connected .
Unfortunately , we live in a journalistic era where narrative trumps truth and “ social justice ” as defined by reporters and editors comes before the facts .
Unfortunately for Ms. Stockman , we don ’ t really have a Joker Award for Belatedly Discovering That Some People Want to Watch the World Burn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Alfred Award , anyway . )
However , we do have the Captain Louis Renault Award , and it applies well to an NYT editorial board member who is shocked , shocked to learn that her own paper can ’ t report on reality :

No kidding. In an op-ed headlined “The Truth About Today’s Anarchists,” New York Timed editorial board member Farah Stockman unveils her epiphany about the nature and aims of the people burning down America’s cities over the last four months. She links to the reporting done by photographer Jeremy Lee Quinn, who began to suspect from the first moments of unrest that the riots and looting were not, as many assumed, simply spontaneous outbursts of anger over oppression catalyzed by the death of George Floyd. Instead, Quinn found that the violence and looting were planned, strategically deployed, and had little or nothing to do with the social justice issue du jour.
Quinn also didn’t find evidence for the most popular counter-narrative on the Left either, which were that these were conducted by “white supremacists.” Antifa is exactly who everyone except media outlets like the NYT thinks they are — leftist “insurrectionary anarchists” who just want to watch the world burn:
He expected to find white supremacists who wanted to help re-elect President Trump by stoking fear of Black people. What he discovered instead were true believers in “insurrectionary anarchism.” … Mr. Quinn discovered a thorny truth about the mayhem that unfolded in the wake of the police killing of George Floyd, an unarmed Black man in Minneapolis. It wasn’t mayhem at all. While talking heads on television routinely described it as a spontaneous eruption of anger at racial injustice, it was strategically planned, facilitated and advertised on social media by anarchists who believed that their actions advanced the cause of racial justice. In some cities, they were a fringe element, quickly expelled by peaceful organizers. But in Washington, Portland and Seattle they have attracted a “cultlike energy,” Mr. Quinn told me.
Ahem. The “talking heads on television” chose that as a narrative rather than bothering to do any research or connect any dots. The anarchists have conducted these operations since at least the 1999 World Trade Organization riots in Seattle. The graffiti hasn’t changed, and neither have the tactics or the rhetoric. We have seen it repeatedly over the last generation, including in Washington DC at Donald Trump’s inauguration, where the very same tactics were deployed. As Quinn himself notes on his blog, he has seen it since 2014 and Ferguson. Where was the NYT?
Had anyone bothered to do the least amount of research, they could have easily diagnosed the issue immediately when the riots started. In fact, these anarchists have been quite open about their operations and tactics all along:
Don’t take just Mr. Quinn’s word for it. Take the word of the anarchists themselves, who lay out the strategy in Crimethinc, an anarchist publication: Black-clad figures break windows, set fires, vandalize police cars, then melt back into the crowd of peaceful protesters. When the police respond by brutalizing innocent demonstrators with tear gas, rubber bullets and rough arrests, the public’s disdain for law enforcement grows. It’s Asymmetric Warfare 101. An anarchist podcast called “The Ex-Worker” explains that while some anarchists believe in pacifist civil disobedience inspired by Mohandas Gandhi, others advocate using crimes like arson and shoplifting to wear down the capitalist system. According to “The Ex-Worker,” the term “insurrectionary anarchist” dates back at least to the Spanish Civil War and its aftermath, when opponents of the fascist leader Francisco Franco took “direct action” against his regime, including assassinating policemen and robbing banks.
No one needs to “take just Mr. Quinn’s word for it,” but one does have to ask why a major American media outlets didn’t connect these dots for itself. It’s been over four months since the start of these riots, and yet an editorial board member for one of the largest media outlets in the country just figured this out. And she only figured it out after reading Quinn’s blog rather than the work of the reporters she employs. What does that say about the New York Times and its ability to report the truth rather than regurgitate popular narratives?
Stockman also notes that “some Black leaders wish they would go home,” but that’s not the whole truth either. It’s very true of the people who live in the neighborhoods and their leaders, mainly but not exclusively black, who have been yelling from the rooftops that they need more police (with reforms on use of force), not fewer or none. Instead of promoting those views, the media has instead promoted Black Lives Matter and its “abolish the police” demands as the true voice of the people, and whose own radical agenda requires the destruction that these “insurrectionary anarchists” provide. BLM scrubbed its agenda from its website when people began to point out their radical aims, but again, that scrutiny never came from media outlets like the NYT.
Stockman’s epiphany at the end is almost comical in its tardiness:
That’s the thing about “insurrectionary anarchists.” They make fickle allies. If they help you get into power, they will try to oust you the following day, since power is what they are against. Many of them don’t even vote. They are experts at unraveling an old order but considerably less skilled at building a new one. That’s why, even after more than 100 days of protest in Portland, activists do not agree on a set of common policy goals. … In other words, it’s not really about George Floyd or Black lives, but insurrection for insurrection’s sake.
Again, this might have been information that would have been helpful in late May or early June. That might have saved us some time in making decisions that would restore order and put Antifa’s “insurrectionary anarchists” out of business. It’s the kind of information and news that people used to expect media outlets like the NYT to report immediately, especially with all the dots in place to be connected. Unfortunately, we live in a journalistic era where narrative trumps truth and “social justice” as defined by reporters and editors comes before the facts.
Unfortunately for Ms. Stockman, we don’t really have a Joker Award for Belatedly Discovering That Some People Want to Watch the World Burn. (Maybe that should be an Alfred Award, anyway.) However, we do have the Captain Louis Renault Award, and it applies well to an NYT editorial board member who is shocked, shocked to learn that her own paper can’t report on reality: