hotair--2020-07-12--No masks? Retail employees are not law enforcement officers

One aspect of the various executive orders being issued all around the country impacts most retail businesses and private social groups , as well as public offices and spaces .
Many of these EOs require stores and other public-facing operations wishing to reopen to mandate the wearing of face masks for not only employees but visitors to the establishment .
This is quite common where I live , and the rules apply to most operations in a large number of states .
But such an order leaves one very big question unanswered .
What if the customer or visitor refuses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ responsible for forcing them into compliance or physically blocking their entrance to the facility ?
That ’ s a question plaguing some of the nation ’ s major employers this month .
NBC News published a brief report on this topic this week .
( YouTube ) While this may not sound like a huge deal to some people , at least at first glance , we have already seen numerous examples of just how wrong such a situation can go .
One of the worst of them took place in France , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of not allowing any passengers onboard sans face mask .
One bus driver attempted to follow this mandate by asking four passengers to put on masks before boarding .
He was rewarded for his trouble by being dragged out of his bus and literally beaten to death .
( CNN ) A bus driver in France who was beaten up by passengers refusing to wear mandatory face masks died in hospital Friday , French Prime Minister Jean Castex and the victim ’ s family have said .
Philippe Monguillot , 59 , was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the southwestern city of Bayonne on July 5 .
His family decided to switch of his life support on Friday , news agency Agence France-Presse reported .
“ We decided to let him go .
The doctors were in favor and we were as well , ” the victim ’ s 18-year-old daughter , Marie Monguillot , told AFP .
Four men were detained and charged following the assault .
We ’ ve seen plenty of examples of similar incidents in the United States already , though thankfully none quite so brutal as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ surprised if the same thing happens in America at some point .
And that brings us to the question of the day .
If the local , municipal or state government issues an order saying that masks are mandatory inside of stores , churches , or anyplace else in the private sector , whose responsibility is it to enforce that decree ?
Sure , the store can put up a sign saying that masks are “ required ” to enter and do business .
I don ’ t leave the house much these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ve seen plenty of such signs on the rare occasions when I ’ ve had to venture out .
But what happens if someone ignores the sign and walks in anyway ?
Certainly , an employee or manager could politely remind them , but the person could just as easily refuse .
And then what ?
You can tell them that they won ’ t be served and wait for them to give up and leave , I suppose .
But if they become belligerent , you ’ re probably going to have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Given how long the average police response time is , you now have some time on your hands with a stock clerk or cashier facing down a potentially violent individual .
And I ’ m sure that stories about your place of business calling the cops on somebody looking to pick up a bag of grass seed will do wonders for your customer approval ratings .
I ’ m not saying there ’ s an ideal solution to this problem staring us in the face .
There aren ’ t enough cops in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one outside every Target , Walmart and gas station to make sure everyone is complying with the local mask orders .
But it ’ s the consumer who refuses to wear the mask who should be held accountable if anyone must be .
Fining or otherwise punishing businesses and churches for being unable to control the behavior of their customers or members can not be allowed as long as a good-faith effort was made to inform the public of the rules .

One aspect of the various executive orders being issued all around the country impacts most retail businesses and private social groups, as well as public offices and spaces. Many of these EOs require stores and other public-facing operations wishing to reopen to mandate the wearing of face masks for not only employees but visitors to the establishment. This is quite common where I live, and the rules apply to most operations in a large number of states. But such an order leaves one very big question unanswered. What if the customer or visitor refuses to don a mask? Who is responsible for forcing them into compliance or physically blocking their entrance to the facility? That’s a question plaguing some of the nation’s major employers this month. NBC News published a brief report on this topic this week. (YouTube)
Countless viral videos show retail and restaurant employees taking heat from customers over mask requirements. While some business owners are training staff on how to deescalate the situation, others think employees shouldn’t be the ones required to enforce mask policies.
While this may not sound like a huge deal to some people, at least at first glance, we have already seen numerous examples of just how wrong such a situation can go. One of the worst of them took place in France, where bus drivers were given the responsibility of not allowing any passengers onboard sans face mask. One bus driver attempted to follow this mandate by asking four passengers to put on masks before boarding. He was rewarded for his trouble by being dragged out of his bus and literally beaten to death. (CNN)
A bus driver in France who was beaten up by passengers refusing to wear mandatory face masks died in hospital Friday, French Prime Minister Jean Castex and the victim’s family have said. Philippe Monguillot, 59, was left brain dead after the attack in the southwestern city of Bayonne on July 5. His family decided to switch of his life support on Friday, news agency Agence France-Presse reported. “We decided to let him go. The doctors were in favor and we were as well,” the victim’s 18-year-old daughter, Marie Monguillot, told AFP. Four men were detained and charged following the assault.
We’ve seen plenty of examples of similar incidents in the United States already, though thankfully none quite so brutal as this. But don’t be surprised if the same thing happens in America at some point.
And that brings us to the question of the day. If the local, municipal or state government issues an order saying that masks are mandatory inside of stores, churches, or anyplace else in the private sector, whose responsibility is it to enforce that decree? Sure, the store can put up a sign saying that masks are “required” to enter and do business. I don’t leave the house much these days (obviously) but I’ve seen plenty of such signs on the rare occasions when I’ve had to venture out. But what happens if someone ignores the sign and walks in anyway?
Certainly, an employee or manager could politely remind them, but the person could just as easily refuse. And then what? You can tell them that they won’t be served and wait for them to give up and leave, I suppose. But if they become belligerent, you’re probably going to have to call the cops on them. Given how long the average police response time is, you now have some time on your hands with a stock clerk or cashier facing down a potentially violent individual. And I’m sure that stories about your place of business calling the cops on somebody looking to pick up a bag of grass seed will do wonders for your customer approval ratings.
I’m not saying there’s an ideal solution to this problem staring us in the face. There aren’t enough cops in any precinct in the nation to station one outside every Target, Walmart and gas station to make sure everyone is complying with the local mask orders. But it’s the consumer who refuses to wear the mask who should be held accountable if anyone must be. Fining or otherwise punishing businesses and churches for being unable to control the behavior of their customers or members can not be allowed as long as a good-faith effort was made to inform the public of the rules.


hotair--2020-07-12--The mystery of unlocking the mysteries: Sunday reflection

On that day , Jesus went out of the house and sat down by the sea .
Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat down , and the whole crowd stood along the shore .
And he spoke to them at length in parables , saying : “ A sower went out to sow .
And as he sowed , some seed fell on the path , and birds came and ate it up .
Some fell on rocky ground , where it had little soil .
It sprang up at once because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when the sun rose it was scorched , and it withered for lack of roots .
Some seed fell among thorns , and the thorns grew up and choked it .
But some seed fell on rich soil , and produced fruit , a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold .
Whoever has ears ought to hear.
” The disciples approached him and said , “ Why do you speak to them in parables ?
” He said to them in reply , “ Because knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to them it has not been granted .
To anyone who has , more will be given and he will grow rich ; from anyone who has not , even what he has will be taken away .
This is why I speak to them in parables , because they look but do not see , and hear but do not listen or understand .
Isaiah ’ s prophecy is fulfilled in them , which says : You shall indeed hear but not understand , you shall indeed look but never see .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , they will hardly hear with their ears , they have closed their eyes , lest they see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their hearts and be converted , and I heal them .
“ But blessed are your eyes , because they see , and your ears , because they hear .
Amen , I say to you , many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it , and to hear what you hear but did not hear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the sower .
The seed sown on the path is the one who hears the word of the kingdom without understanding it , and the evil one comes and steals away what was sown in his heart .
The seed sown on rocky ground is the one who hears the word and receives it at once with joy .
But he has no root and lasts only for a time .
When some tribulation or persecution comes because of the word , he immediately falls away .
The seed sown among thorns @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but then worldly anxiety and the lure of riches choke the word and it bears no fruit .
But the seed sown on rich soil is the one who hears the word and understands it , who indeed bears fruit and yields a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold.
” How many people would sit through murder mysteries if the real killer was revealed in the first five minutes ?
What about books that start with the ending and then go into everything that led up to it ?
A few of those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when they ’ re well done , they manage to keep us engaged for the long haul .
Even those examples , however , usually have a few curveballs along the way , which transform what we first read into something entirely different with that context .
Today ’ s reading offers us one of the most famous of all Christ ’ s parables , The Parable of the Sower .
There is much to glean from that , pardon the pun , but the long version of today ’ s reading asks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more about our nature than perhaps the parable itself does .
( Some may have only heard the short reading at Mass , which stops after “ Whoever has ears ought to hear . )
The disciples heard parables often enough to wonder why Jesus employed so many of them in his teaching , a question that has echoed in hearts ever since : why not just come out and speak the truth plainly ?
Christ gives a direct answer to this question , one that speaks to preparation and capability for discernment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been granted the grace to hear the Word directly , but not everyone has been so anointed .
Jesus quotes Isaiah , whose words describe the human condition then and pretty much ever since .
We are too often closed off to truth and love , and so wrapped up in ourselves , that hearing it plainly simply doesn ’ t work .
To use the parable ’ s own terms , it ’ s just as useful to toss seeds on the path or rocky ground ; it won ’ t take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is the history of the Word in humanity .
In the beginning , God lifted up Adam and Eve and embraced them in close communion to Himself .
He only had one commandment , which was to obey Him — to follow His leadership on right and wrong , good and evil .
He delivered that commandment in direct terms .
And yet Adam and Eve desired to replace God with their own judgment on good and evil and become His equals , the original sin which remains a part of humanity to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sent Moses to rescue the Israelites from bondage in Egypt , He went before them and performed miracles to complete the rescue .
He then carved ten commandments on stone for them to follow — just ten , and in very direct terms .
That didn ’ t exactly work either ; before Moses could even come down from Sinai , the Israelites had molded the Golden Calf as an idol to replace the Lord .
Between then and Jesus ’ ministry , there followed a constant succession of prophets who offered direct @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Judeans .
When they strayed from their mission to be a nation of priests to convert the world , the prophets routinely warned them of the Lord ’ s wrath and coming catastrophes .
That didn ’ t work well either ; they either ignored the prophets or chased them away , or worse .
Direct commands don ’ t work well with human beings , it turns out .
Nor does that match what the Lord has in mind for our salvation .
Of course the Lord could bend us to His @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but that would not be love .
It would be slavery , and a denial of the free will that makes us human .
The Lord does not need or want servants forced into His service ; He wants loving children who come to Him because that is what they want .
Thus , Christ leaves us the parables to teach us about the Father ’ s love for His children .
This is the way to unlock human hearts , which Jesus understood only too well .
People need to come @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , in ways that allow us to truly integrate it into our beings .
Jesus does not storm the doors of our will ; He gently knocks and waits for us to gather the wisdom and will to open them ourselves .
Earlier today — yes , I went to an early-morning Mass — our priest offered a homily with a completely different focus , but he mentioned his favorite “ go to ” scripture , Revelation 3:20 .
It reads : He also mentioned the painting “ The Light of the World @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our front-page image .
It depicts Christ knocking on the door , with a lantern in hand , waiting for an answer .
The darkened door in the middle of a forest is covered in vines and weeds , but our pastor noted that the most significant feature of the painting is what is missing from it — a handle .
The door can only be opened from the inside .
This represents the human heart , and Christ ’ s gentle knock — which can be seen from the positioning of his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
They are the gentle knock on our hearts , and Christ awaits our decision to allow Him to enter and reveal the truths in that same personal communion Adam and Eve rejected .
This is the heart of the mysteries .
We can only unlock them by unlocking our hearts and allowing the Holy Spirit to dwell within us .
Once we do that , the meaning of all these parables unfold for us and teach us just how much God loves us .
He loves us so much that He is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ takes for us to answer that gentle knocking .
The front-page image is a detail from “ The Light of the World ” by William Holman Hunt , c. 1854 .
Currently on display in the side chapel at Keble College , Oxford , UK .
Via Wikimedia Commons .
“ Sunday Reflection ” is a regular feature , looking at the specific readings used in today ’ s Mass in Catholic parishes around the world .
The reflection represents only my own point of view , intended to help prepare myself for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spark a meaningful discussion .
Previous Sunday Reflections from the main page can be found here .

This morning’s Gospel reading is Matthew 13:1–23:
On that day, Jesus went out of the house and sat down by the sea. Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat down, and the whole crowd stood along the shore. And he spoke to them at length in parables, saying: “A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path, and birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky ground, where it had little soil. It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep, and when the sun rose it was scorched, and it withered for lack of roots. Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it. But some seed fell on rich soil, and produced fruit, a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold. Whoever has ears ought to hear.” The disciples approached him and said, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” He said to them in reply, “Because knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven has been granted to you, but to them it has not been granted. To anyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich; from anyone who has not, even what he has will be taken away. This is why I speak to them in parables, because they look but do not see, and hear but do not listen or understand. Isaiah’s prophecy is fulfilled in them, which says: You shall indeed hear but not understand, you shall indeed look but never see. Gross is the heart of this people, they will hardly hear with their ears, they have closed their eyes, lest they see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their hearts and be converted, and I heal them. “But blessed are your eyes, because they see, and your ears, because they hear. Amen, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it. “Hear then the parable of the sower. The seed sown on the path is the one who hears the word of the kingdom without understanding it, and the evil one comes and steals away what was sown in his heart. The seed sown on rocky ground is the one who hears the word and receives it at once with joy. But he has no root and lasts only for a time. When some tribulation or persecution comes because of the word, he immediately falls away. The seed sown among thorns is the one who hears the word, but then worldly anxiety and the lure of riches choke the word and it bears no fruit. But the seed sown on rich soil is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold.”
How many people would sit through murder mysteries if the real killer was revealed in the first five minutes? What about books that start with the ending and then go into everything that led up to it? A few of those examples exist, of course, and when they’re well done, they manage to keep us engaged for the long haul. Even those examples, however, usually have a few curveballs along the way, which transform what we first read into something entirely different with that context.
Today’s reading offers us one of the most famous of all Christ’s parables, The Parable of the Sower. There is much to glean from that, pardon the pun, but the long version of today’s reading asks an even more potent question and reveals more about our nature than perhaps the parable itself does. (Some may have only heard the short reading at Mass, which stops after “Whoever has ears ought to hear.) The disciples heard parables often enough to wonder why Jesus employed so many of them in his teaching, a question that has echoed in hearts ever since: why not just come out and speak the truth plainly?
Christ gives a direct answer to this question, one that speaks to preparation and capability for discernment in the audience. The disciples have been granted the grace to hear the Word directly, but not everyone has been so anointed. Jesus quotes Isaiah, whose words describe the human condition then and pretty much ever since. We are too often closed off to truth and love, and so wrapped up in ourselves, that hearing it plainly simply doesn’t work. To use the parable’s own terms, it’s just as useful to toss seeds on the path or rocky ground; it won’t take root.
What this does not address is the history of the Word in humanity. In the beginning, God lifted up Adam and Eve and embraced them in close communion to Himself. He only had one commandment, which was to obey Him — to follow His leadership on right and wrong, good and evil. He delivered that commandment in direct terms. And yet Adam and Eve desired to replace God with their own judgment on good and evil and become His equals, the original sin which remains a part of humanity to this very day.
When the Lord sent Moses to rescue the Israelites from bondage in Egypt, He went before them and performed miracles to complete the rescue. He then carved ten commandments on stone for them to follow — just ten, and in very direct terms. That didn’t exactly work either; before Moses could even come down from Sinai, the Israelites had molded the Golden Calf as an idol to replace the Lord.
Between then and Jesus’ ministry, there followed a constant succession of prophets who offered direct rebukes to the Israelites and later the Judeans. When they strayed from their mission to be a nation of priests to convert the world, the prophets routinely warned them of the Lord’s wrath and coming catastrophes. That didn’t work well either; they either ignored the prophets or chased them away, or worse.
Direct commands don’t work well with human beings, it turns out. Nor does that match what the Lord has in mind for our salvation. Of course the Lord could bend us to His will by command if He so chose, but that would not be love. It would be slavery, and a denial of the free will that makes us human. The Lord does not need or want servants forced into His service; He wants loving children who come to Him because that is what they want.
Thus, Christ leaves us the parables to teach us about the Father’s love for His children. This is the way to unlock human hearts, which Jesus understood only too well. People need to come to the truth on their own terms, in ways that allow us to truly integrate it into our beings. Jesus does not storm the doors of our will; He gently knocks and waits for us to gather the wisdom and will to open them ourselves.
Earlier today — yes, I went to an early-morning Mass — our priest offered a homily with a completely different focus, but he mentioned his favorite “go to” scripture, Revelation 3:20. It reads:
Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me.
He also mentioned the painting “The Light of the World,” a detail of which is our front-page image. It depicts Christ knocking on the door, with a lantern in hand, waiting for an answer. The darkened door in the middle of a forest is covered in vines and weeds, but our pastor noted that the most significant feature of the painting is what is missing from it — a handle. The door can only be opened from the inside. This represents the human heart, and Christ’s gentle knock — which can be seen from the positioning of his hand — is what the parables are. They are the gentle knock on our hearts, and Christ awaits our decision to allow Him to enter and reveal the truths in that same personal communion Adam and Eve rejected.
This is the heart of the mysteries. We can only unlock them by unlocking our hearts and allowing the Holy Spirit to dwell within us. Once we do that, the meaning of all these parables unfold for us and teach us just how much God loves us. He loves us so much that He is willing to wait as long as it takes for us to answer that gentle knocking.
The front-page image is a detail from “The Light of the World” by William Holman Hunt, c. 1854. Currently on display in the side chapel at Keble College, Oxford, UK. Via Wikimedia Commons.
“Sunday Reflection” is a regular feature, looking at the specific readings used in today’s Mass in Catholic parishes around the world. The reflection represents only my own point of view, intended to help prepare myself for the Lord’s day and perhaps spark a meaningful discussion. Previous Sunday Reflections from the main page can be found here.


hotair--2020-07-12--Judge: Recall of Seattle Mayor can move forward

Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan can ’ t be feeling terribly popular these days .
No matter what she does ( or in most cases , what she doesn ’ t do ) , people seem to be upset with her .
Some of her city ’ s residents are so fed up that they ’ ve kicked off an effort to recall her from office .
Well , there are multiple efforts , actually , but only one of them has made significant progress .
That recall effort was challenged in court by the Mayor , but on Friday a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ effort can move forward , though only one of the original accusations was approved .
( Associated Press ) A King County Superior Court judge has approved a petition for an election to recall Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan .
The Seattle Times reports the ruling Friday on charges filed by a group of five people last month comes after weeks of local protests against racism and police brutality — sparked by the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis .
Once any recall petition is approved , signatures are needed to qualify for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , within 180 days , collect valid signatures from a number of voters equal to 25 % of the votes cast in the last election .
In this case , signatures from more than 50,000 Seattle voters would be needed .
As I mentioned above , there are multiple groups trying to remove the Mayor from office , but looking at the charges in this petition it ’ s fairly obvious which group is pushing it , and it ’ s the BLM protesters and Antifa .
The charges against the Mayor that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) the peace and safety of the community by allowing police to leak false information about fabricated crimes and threats to the media and issuing a citywide curfew without sufficient notice to the public.
” These are the complaints of individuals who were being affected by the scant efforts Durkan allowed the police to make to keep the mob under control .
The charge that the judge allowed to stand involved “ allowing tear gas and other crowd-control weapons to be used.
” That is similarly the sort of complaint you would expect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also mirrors one of two Change.org petitions to recall the Mayor .
This one calls out the Mayor for “ allow ( ing ) the Seattle Police Department to use chemical warfare against us , the residents of Seattle.
” At the same time , there is a far better-formulated petition that calls out the Mayor for failing to keep the city safe and not protecting citizens from violence , among other things .
And they don ’ t just want to recall the Mayor .
They want the entire City Council removed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
These are the complaints of the business owners and citizens who have suffered at the hands of the rioters , seeing deaths , injuries and massive property damage .
The petition goes on to note that the police have stopped enforcing federal drug laws , turning the city into an open-air illegal drug market , fostering an environment of violence and crime .
Will either of these efforts bear fruit ?
The two groups are coming at the situation from diametrically opposing points of view .
One says that the Mayor has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and violence while the other absurdly complains that she ’ s done too much .
But their end goal is the same .
It ’ s not hard to imagine that those collecting the required 50,000 plus signatures could approach residents from either camp and simply say , “ would you like to sign and help recall the mayor ?
” No matter what ’ s motivating them , they ’ ll probably sign .
If they succeed in getting the required signatures within six months , the city will move on to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is recalled , what sort of platform will her replacements adopt ?
Whether they crack down on the violence or become even laxer in handling the riots , somebody is going to be unhappy .

Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan can’t be feeling terribly popular these days. No matter what she does (or in most cases, what she doesn’t do), people seem to be upset with her. Some of her city’s residents are so fed up that they’ve kicked off an effort to recall her from office. Well, there are multiple efforts, actually, but only one of them has made significant progress. That recall effort was challenged in court by the Mayor, but on Friday a Superior Court judge ruled that the recall effort can move forward, though only one of the original accusations was approved. (Associated Press)
A King County Superior Court judge has approved a petition for an election to recall Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan. The Seattle Times reports the ruling Friday on charges filed by a group of five people last month comes after weeks of local protests against racism and police brutality — sparked by the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Once any recall petition is approved, signatures are needed to qualify for a special election ballot. The petitioners must, within 180 days, collect valid signatures from a number of voters equal to 25% of the votes cast in the last election. In this case, signatures from more than 50,000 Seattle voters would be needed.
As I mentioned above, there are multiple groups trying to remove the Mayor from office, but looking at the charges in this petition it’s fairly obvious which group is pushing it, and it’s the BLM protesters and Antifa.
The charges against the Mayor that were rejected include “endanger(ing) the peace and safety of the community by allowing police to leak false information about fabricated crimes and threats to the media and issuing a citywide curfew without sufficient notice to the public.” These are the complaints of individuals who were being affected by the scant efforts Durkan allowed the police to make to keep the mob under control.
The charge that the judge allowed to stand involved “allowing tear gas and other crowd-control weapons to be used.” That is similarly the sort of complaint you would expect to come from the rioters. It also mirrors one of two Change.org petitions to recall the Mayor. This one calls out the Mayor for “allow(ing) the Seattle Police Department to use chemical warfare against us, the residents of Seattle.”
At the same time, there is a far better-formulated petition that calls out the Mayor for failing to keep the city safe and not protecting citizens from violence, among other things. And they don’t just want to recall the Mayor. They want the entire City Council removed. Here are some of their complaints.
Failure to uphold public safety and sanitation.
Failure to uphold oath of office
Failure to make the city business friendly
Regressive taxes that hurt poor people.
Allowing an illegal occupation of taxpayer land
Allowing a dangerous environment and allowing murder.
These are the complaints of the business owners and citizens who have suffered at the hands of the rioters, seeing deaths, injuries and massive property damage. The petition goes on to note that the police have stopped enforcing federal drug laws, turning the city into an open-air illegal drug market, fostering an environment of violence and crime.
Will either of these efforts bear fruit? The two groups are coming at the situation from diametrically opposing points of view. One says that the Mayor has done too little to control the rioting and violence while the other absurdly complains that she’s done too much. But their end goal is the same. It’s not hard to imagine that those collecting the required 50,000 plus signatures could approach residents from either camp and simply say, “would you like to sign and help recall the mayor?” No matter what’s motivating them, they’ll probably sign.
If they succeed in getting the required signatures within six months, the city will move on to a recall election. But if Durkan is recalled, what sort of platform will her replacements adopt? Whether they crack down on the violence or become even laxer in handling the riots, somebody is going to be unhappy.


hotair--2020-07-12--Trump dons a face mask for first time in public during visit to Walter Reed

There is a first time for everything and Saturday was the first time President Trump publicly appeared wearing a face mask .
The sight of the president in a face mask was enough for the cameras in the traveling press to burst into an explosive sounding chorus in Walter Reed Medical Center .
The president has been signaling his willingness to wear a face mask , when appropriate , in recent days .
On Saturday , he told reporters that in a hospital setting , wearing a face mask is the right thing to do .
He traveled to Walter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and front-line health care workers .
When he landed and exited the helicopter , he wasn ’ t wearing a mask .
But , once inside the facility , he wore one , as did all the people around him .
In fact , the sight of the masked president surrounded by military officers also in face masks is pretty impressive .
Before Saturday , the only time President Trump is known to have donned a face mask was during a private part of a tour at a Ford plant in Michigan .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ by someone on the tour at the time .
Trump said he stayed out of sight of the press so as not to make a big deal out of it .
He wasn ’ t eager to be photographed in a face mask .
He has since come to accept wearing one publicly if Saturday ’ s trip to Walter Reed is any indication .
His attitude is that wearing a mask is a time and place kind of issue .
When necessary , when social distancing isn ’ t possible , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
President Trump can send a powerful message to Americans that wearing a mask doesn ’ t make anyone look weak or silly .
It is a way of protecting those around you and to protect yourself from others .
The president said during an interview with Telemundo that he ’ ll wear a mask when necessary and he thinks he looks good in one – like the Lone Ranger .
That was a bit of levity for a subject that the press loves to hound him on .
His face mask with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a fashion statement .
Members of the press , by the way , only recently began wearing face masks themselves .
To wear a face mask or not to wear a face mask has been the question for most Americans from the beginning .
The message has been mixed , to put it mildly , along the way .
In the first days of mitigating the coronavirus , most of the so-called experts were busy telling everyone it wasn ’ t really necessary to wear a face mask .
It turned out that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ concern for the supply of personal protection equipment ( PPE ) for medical personnel and first responders .
Dr. Fauci , the CDC , the Surgeon General , and everyone else then flipped on the subject and started instructing everyone to wear a mask in public .
As we know , the matter even became politicized , because , 2020 .
Speaking of politics , the Biden campaign had a little something to say about President Trump wearing a face mask Saturday , naturally .
It proves that whatever Trump does , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They will always demand more while they are trashing his decisions , many of which saved lives .
Perhaps instead of worrying about President Trump ’ s face mask , Team Biden should give Status Quo Joe a refresher lesson on how to properly wear one .
Lots of times , his mask leaves his nose unprotected .
It is certainly important that Biden ’ s campaign take extra precautions for their candidate since he is older and noticeably more feeble than President Trump , who looks downright robust up against Joe .
@ @ @ @

There is a first time for everything and Saturday was the first time President Trump publicly appeared wearing a face mask. The sight of the president in a face mask was enough for the cameras in the traveling press to burst into an explosive sounding chorus in Walter Reed Medical Center.
The president has been signaling his willingness to wear a face mask, when appropriate, in recent days. On Saturday, he told reporters that in a hospital setting, wearing a face mask is the right thing to do. He traveled to Walter Reed Medical Center to visit wounded soldiers and front-line health care workers.
“I think when you are in a hospital, especially in that particular setting when you are talking to a lot of soldiers, people that in some cases just got off the operating table, I think it’s a great thing to wear a mask,” Trump told reporters at the White House just before his visit to Walter Reed.
When he landed and exited the helicopter, he wasn’t wearing a mask. But, once inside the facility, he wore one, as did all the people around him.
MOMENTS AGO: President Trump lands at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. He is not wearing a mask upon arrival. pic.twitter.com/TZqq0axQUx — The Hill (@thehill) July 11, 2020
In fact, the sight of the masked president surrounded by military officers also in face masks is pretty impressive.
WATCH: President Donald Trump wears a mask during a scheduled visit to the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, a rare instance of doing so publicly as #coronavirus cases continue to pile up in the U.S. pic.twitter.com/Ksz3vQOryn — Bloomberg Quicktake (@Quicktake) July 11, 2020
Before Saturday, the only time President Trump is known to have donned a face mask was during a private part of a tour at a Ford plant in Michigan. A photo was leaked to the press by someone on the tour at the time. Trump said he stayed out of sight of the press so as not to make a big deal out of it. He wasn’t eager to be photographed in a face mask.
During a visit to a Michigan Ford plant, President Trump opted not to wear a mask in front of the media and drew backlash for praising company founder Henry Ford, who had a documented history of antisemitism. https://t.co/67ktB1uLVM — Twitter Moments (@TwitterMoments) May 22, 2020
He has since come to accept wearing one publicly if Saturday’s trip to Walter Reed is any indication. His attitude is that wearing a mask is a time and place kind of issue. When necessary, when social distancing isn’t possible, he will. That’s good news. President Trump can send a powerful message to Americans that wearing a mask doesn’t make anyone look weak or silly. It is a way of protecting those around you and to protect yourself from others.
The president said during an interview with Telemundo that he’ll wear a mask when necessary and he thinks he looks good in one – like the Lone Ranger. That was a bit of levity for a subject that the press loves to hound him on. His face mask with the presidential seal on it is quite a fashion statement. Members of the press, by the way, only recently began wearing face masks themselves.
President Trump questioned the need for a mask mandate but said he’d have “no problem” wearing a face mask if he were in a “tight situation” with people nearby. https://t.co/G0x8kn2gqw — Twitter Moments (@TwitterMoments) July 2, 2020
To wear a face mask or not to wear a face mask has been the question for most Americans from the beginning. The message has been mixed, to put it mildly, along the way. In the first days of mitigating the coronavirus, most of the so-called experts were busy telling everyone it wasn’t really necessary to wear a face mask. It turned out that that message was being delivered out of concern for the supply of personal protection equipment (PPE) for medical personnel and first responders. Dr. Fauci, the CDC, the Surgeon General, and everyone else then flipped on the subject and started instructing everyone to wear a mask in public. As we know, the matter even became politicized, because, 2020.
Speaking of politics, the Biden campaign had a little something to say about President Trump wearing a face mask Saturday, naturally. It proves that whatever Trump does, it is never enough for his critics. They will always demand more while they are trashing his decisions, many of which saved lives.
A spokesman for Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden said Trump had spent months ignoring the advice of medical experts and politicizing wearing a mask. “Rather than taking responsibility and leading, he wasted four months that Americans have been making sacrifices by stoking divisions and actively discouraging people from taking a very basic step to protect each other,” said the spokesman, Andrew Bates.
Perhaps instead of worrying about President Trump’s face mask, Team Biden should give Status Quo Joe a refresher lesson on how to properly wear one. Lots of times, his mask leaves his nose unprotected. It is certainly important that Biden’s campaign take extra precautions for their candidate since he is older and noticeably more feeble than President Trump, who looks downright robust up against Joe. Just an observation.


hotair--2020-07-13--Wisconsin's vote-by-mail looked bad. It was actually worse

Back on April 7th , Wisconsin held the first in-person primary election since the pandemic outbreak began .
Well , it was at least partially “ in-person ” but the state attempted at the last minute to turn it into some sort of hybrid , combining a smaller number of in-person polling places with the option to request mail-in ballots .
And the results were predictably chaotic .
There was confusion regarding where and how to vote and the massive increase in mail-in voting meant the results were delayed far longer than normal .
In short , it was a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ got sorted out , right ?
Not so fast there , folks .
An investigation was launched by the postal service ’ s Inspector General , with the results only being released this week .
And as it turns out , things were even worse than they first appeared .
There were extensive problems with the mail-in ballots , with many either arriving too late to be counted , going to the wrong destination or never even making it to the voters at all .
By the time all was said and done @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if they even produced any valid winners .
( Milwaukee Journal-Sentinal ) The U.S .
Postal Service has identified hundreds of absentee ballots for the April election that never made it to voters or couldn ’ t be counted because of postmark problems , a new report says .
The post office ’ s internal watchdog chalked the problems up to receiving outgoing absentee ballots at the last moment from election officials , inconsistent postmarking of ballots and one mail carrier ’ s inattention to getting absentee ballots to voters in Fox Point @ @ @ @ @ @ @ service ’ s inspector general accounts for some but not all of the problems that marred voting for the April election for state Supreme Court .
Nearly 1 million people turned to mail voting because of the coronavirus pandemic .
Digging into the details of the IG ’ s report , this was more than just a case of a few random errors .
In Fox Valley , they tracked three “ mail tubs ” full of ballots , totaling nearly 750 of them , that didn ’ t reach the voters in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out and returned .
That debacle seems to have involved the postal service ’ s use of a third-party vendor to handle some of the workload .
They didn ’ t deliver the ballots to the local post offices for delivery until 6 pm on the night before the election .
And that wasn ’ t even all of them .
The state Election Commission said that the number was closer to 1,600 ballots that failed to arrive in time just from that one district .
In Fox Point ( not to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mail carrier was found to have taken hundreds of blank ballots and delivered them to the County Election Office rather than to the homes of the voters who requested them .
Apparently the address labels all said “ Village of Fox Point ” in bold letters above the name of the voter , so the carrier because confused .
By the time the error was recognized , it was too late to correct the situation .
In Milwaukee , a “ significant ” number of absentee ballots that had been requested by voters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s because they were never even printed .
The investigation found that this series of errors was caused by a “ computer glitch ” at the Board of Elections , not the Post Office .
This came as scant comfort to all of the voters who were waiting for ballots that never arrived .
I ’ m not sure precisely what lesson we ’ re supposed to take away from all of this other than the obvious fact that most states that don ’ t regularly vote by mail are entirely unprepared @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on short notice .
And the problems aren ’ t just on the government end or with the Postal Service , either .
Voters who are used to going down to their polling place in person and filling out a ballot don ’ t know how these new procedures are supposed to work .
And that ’ s not a problem you solve in a few weeks or even a few months .
Now take these problems and multiply them by the populations of all the states in the country that don ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ That ’ s the barrel that we ’ re staring down for this November if people keep pushing for massive mail-in voting in the general election .
What was it that someone was saying recently about the need to ensure the integrity of the election and the public ’ s confidence in the results ?
Fasten your seatbelts , kids .
We may be hitting a rough stretch of road .

Back on April 7th, Wisconsin held the first in-person primary election since the pandemic outbreak began. Well, it was at least partially “in-person” but the state attempted at the last minute to turn it into some sort of hybrid, combining a smaller number of in-person polling places with the option to request mail-in ballots. And the results were predictably chaotic. There was confusion regarding where and how to vote and the massive increase in mail-in voting meant the results were delayed far longer than normal. In short, it was a mess.
But at least it all got sorted out, right? Not so fast there, folks. An investigation was launched by the postal service’s Inspector General, with the results only being released this week. And as it turns out, things were even worse than they first appeared. There were extensive problems with the mail-in ballots, with many either arriving too late to be counted, going to the wrong destination or never even making it to the voters at all. By the time all was said and done, it’s not entirely clear if they even produced any valid winners. (Milwaukee Journal-Sentinal)
The U.S. Postal Service has identified hundreds of absentee ballots for the April election that never made it to voters or couldn’t be counted because of postmark problems, a new report says. The post office’s internal watchdog chalked the problems up to receiving outgoing absentee ballots at the last moment from election officials, inconsistent postmarking of ballots and one mail carrier’s inattention to getting absentee ballots to voters in Fox Point. The 17-page report by the postal service’s inspector general accounts for some but not all of the problems that marred voting for the April election for state Supreme Court. Nearly 1 million people turned to mail voting because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Digging into the details of the IG’s report, this was more than just a case of a few random errors. In Fox Valley, they tracked three “mail tubs” full of ballots, totaling nearly 750 of them, that didn’t reach the voters in time for them to be legally filled out and returned. That debacle seems to have involved the postal service’s use of a third-party vendor to handle some of the workload. They didn’t deliver the ballots to the local post offices for delivery until 6 pm on the night before the election. And that wasn’t even all of them. The state Election Commission said that the number was closer to 1,600 ballots that failed to arrive in time just from that one district.
In Fox Point (not to be confused with Fox Valley), one mail carrier was found to have taken hundreds of blank ballots and delivered them to the County Election Office rather than to the homes of the voters who requested them. Apparently the address labels all said “Village of Fox Point” in bold letters above the name of the voter, so the carrier because confused. By the time the error was recognized, it was too late to correct the situation.
In Milwaukee, a “significant” number of absentee ballots that had been requested by voters never arrived in the mail. That’s because they were never even printed. The investigation found that this series of errors was caused by a “computer glitch” at the Board of Elections, not the Post Office. This came as scant comfort to all of the voters who were waiting for ballots that never arrived.
I’m not sure precisely what lesson we’re supposed to take away from all of this other than the obvious fact that most states that don’t regularly vote by mail are entirely unprepared to learn how to pull this off on short notice. And the problems aren’t just on the government end or with the Postal Service, either. Voters who are used to going down to their polling place in person and filling out a ballot don’t know how these new procedures are supposed to work. And that’s not a problem you solve in a few weeks or even a few months.
Now take these problems and multiply them by the populations of all the states in the country that don’t vote entirely by mail already. That’s the barrel that we’re staring down for this November if people keep pushing for massive mail-in voting in the general election. What was it that someone was saying recently about the need to ensure the integrity of the election and the public’s confidence in the results? Fasten your seatbelts, kids. We may be hitting a rough stretch of road.


hotair--2020-07-13--Axios: White House chief of staff leading good old-fashioned mole hunt

Isn ’ t the first rule of Mole Hunt Club that you don ’ t talk about mole hunts ?
Under normal circumstances , perhaps , but the Donald Trump White House isn ’ t “ normal ” in more than one way .
Chief of staff Mark Meadows has made it clear that plugging leaks to media is Job One , and he ’ s made his strategy for closing the spigots unusually plain , Axios ’ Jonathan Swan reports : President Trump ’ s chief of staff , Mark Meadows , has told several White House staffers he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to suspected leakers to see if they pass them on to reporters — a trap that would confirm his suspicions .
“ Meadows told me he was doing that , ” said one former White House official .
“ I don ’ t know if it ever worked.
” Why it matters : This hunt for leakers has put some White House staffers on edge , with multiple officials telling Axios that Meadows has been unusually vocal about his tactics .
So far , he ’ s caught only one person , for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump ’ s fourth chief of staff in three and a half years , faces the same problem all of his predecessors face : In the leakiest White House in modern history , how does one possibly satisfy a president who has privately said he feels like he ’ s surrounded by snakes ?
This is a typical mole-hunt or leaker-hunt tactic , but it has its own problems .
First , the dissemination of false information makes it tough to get work accomplished .
The staff usually works off of the best @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The kind of bait that Meadows has to spread around will interfere with that , which means the team becomes less efficient and more prone to error .
Second , the “ White House ” encompasses a large number of individuals , not all necessarily contained to the West Wing .
It ’ s not easy to keep track of all the bait , and there ’ s no guarantee that the leaker was the primary recipient of it .
All of these people have to share information with each other to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any organization requires .
In fact , a smart leaker would take care not to give something away to which only he or she had access , at least not one hoping to hang onto a job .
The next step , even if the bait works , is to start interrogating people to trace out where that information went , and hoping that it ’ s narrow enough to pinpoint the leaker .
That leads to a massive hit on morale and an even greater reduction in efficiency and success .
That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mole Hunt Club is not to talk about Mole Hunt Club .
So why is Meadows being “ unusually vocal ” about it ?
Two reasons come to mind .
Meadows wants to disincentivize leaking internally , of course .
However , he might also want to reduce or eliminate any credibility leakers have with their contacts in the media .
After all , reporters don ’ t want to get caught with their pants down passing along false information , especially if it ’ s easily disproven .
Although , the widespread @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up the possibilities for creating “ fake news ” arguments for the White House .
Hmmmm .
Speaking of morale , the dangers from mole hunts spare no one , not even the top hunter : Three-and-a-half months in , he has told people he is struggling with the chief ’ s job and that if Trump wins re-election , he ’ ll only stay in the role for an additional year , if that long .
While he has brought in a handful of staffers loyal to him in the legislative affairs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has yet to establish a strong power base in a White House known for backbiting — and he has not been able to execute on many conservative priorities , according to interviews with a dozen current and former senior administration officials and Republicans close to the White House .
And while Baker has boasted of masterminding the 1984 drubbing of Walter Mondale “ right out of the chief of staff ’ s office , ” Meadows ’ boss is currently down nearly 10 points in national polls and looking increasingly doomed in November @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Meadows is having an almost impossible time because it is mission impossible being Trump ’ s chief of staff , ” said Chris Whipple , an author who has written extensively about White House chiefs of staff and whose upcoming book is The Spymasters : How the CIA Directors Shape History and the Future .
“ Look at what has happened on Meadows ’ watch : the walk to Lafayette Square , the complete mishandling of the Covid-19 crisis , the defense of the Confederate flag and the botched handling of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ soldiers .
We could go on and on .
It has been one of the worst stretches of the Trump presidency , ” Whipple added .
“ He took the job , so he owns it .
That was his first big mistake.
” Maybe the mole hunt is Meadows ’ attempt to score a win that Trump will appreciate .
If so , it won ’ t come cost free .

Isn’t the first rule of Mole Hunt Club that you don’t talk about mole hunts? Under normal circumstances, perhaps, but the Donald Trump White House isn’t “normal” in more than one way. Chief of staff Mark Meadows has made it clear that plugging leaks to media is Job One, and he’s made his strategy for closing the spigots unusually plain, Axios’ Jonathan Swan reports:
President Trump’s chief of staff, Mark Meadows, has told several White House staffers he’s fed specific nuggets of information to suspected leakers to see if they pass them on to reporters — a trap that would confirm his suspicions. “Meadows told me he was doing that,” said one former White House official. “I don’t know if it ever worked.” Why it matters: This hunt for leakers has put some White House staffers on edge, with multiple officials telling Axios that Meadows has been unusually vocal about his tactics. So far, he’s caught only one person, for a minor leak. … Meadows, Trump’s fourth chief of staff in three and a half years, faces the same problem all of his predecessors face: In the leakiest White House in modern history, how does one possibly satisfy a president who has privately said he feels like he’s surrounded by snakes?
This is a typical mole-hunt or leaker-hunt tactic, but it has its own problems. First, the dissemination of false information makes it tough to get work accomplished. The staff usually works off of the best information they have to achieve their objectives. The kind of bait that Meadows has to spread around will interfere with that, which means the team becomes less efficient and more prone to error.
Second, the “White House” encompasses a large number of individuals, not all necessarily contained to the West Wing. It’s not easy to keep track of all the bait, and there’s no guarantee that the leaker was the primary recipient of it. All of these people have to share information with each other to get their jobs done, just like any organization requires. In fact, a smart leaker would take care not to give something away to which only he or she had access, at least not one hoping to hang onto a job. The next step, even if the bait works, is to start interrogating people to trace out where that information went, and hoping that it’s narrow enough to pinpoint the leaker. That leads to a massive hit on morale and an even greater reduction in efficiency and success.
That’s why the first rule of Mole Hunt Club is not to talk about Mole Hunt Club. So why is Meadows being “unusually vocal” about it? Two reasons come to mind. Meadows wants to disincentivize leaking internally, of course. However, he might also want to reduce or eliminate any credibility leakers have with their contacts in the media. After all, reporters don’t want to get caught with their pants down passing along false information, especially if it’s easily disproven.
Although, the widespread use of disinformation bait does certainly open up the possibilities for creating “fake news” arguments for the White House. Hmmmm.
Speaking of morale, the dangers from mole hunts spare no one, not even the top hunter:
Three-and-a-half months in, he has told people he is struggling with the chief’s job and that if Trump wins re-election, he’ll only stay in the role for an additional year, if that long. While he has brought in a handful of staffers loyal to him in the legislative affairs, communications and press offices, Meadows has yet to establish a strong power base in a White House known for backbiting — and he has not been able to execute on many conservative priorities, according to interviews with a dozen current and former senior administration officials and Republicans close to the White House. And while Baker has boasted of masterminding the 1984 drubbing of Walter Mondale “right out of the chief of staff’s office,” Meadows’ boss is currently down nearly 10 points in national polls and looking increasingly doomed in November. “It should not surprise anyone that Meadows is having an almost impossible time because it is mission impossible being Trump’s chief of staff,” said Chris Whipple, an author who has written extensively about White House chiefs of staff and whose upcoming book is The Spymasters: How the CIA Directors Shape History and the Future. “Look at what has happened on Meadows’ watch: the walk to Lafayette Square, the complete mishandling of the Covid-19 crisis, the defense of the Confederate flag and the botched handling of the intelligence on the Russian bounties on U.S. soldiers. We could go on and on. It has been one of the worst stretches of the Trump presidency,” Whipple added. “He took the job, so he owns it. That was his first big mistake.”
Maybe the mole hunt is Meadows’ attempt to score a win that Trump will appreciate. If so, it won’t come cost free.


hotair--2020-07-13--Rollback: California extends shutdown of bars, gyms, churches, major school systems will remain onli

Rollback: California extends shutdown of bars, gyms, churches, major school systems will remain online this fall

California Gov .
Gavin Newsom announced today that he would be shutting down nearly everything in the state that involves groups of people gathering indoors .
The order had two parts , the first applying to everyone in the state and the second apply to counties on a state monitoring list which currently includes the major population centers of the state : California Gov .
Gavin Newsom ordered all dine-in restaurants , bars , movie theaters , museums and other indoor businesses across the state to close Monday as Covid-19 cases continue to climb .
The businesses ordered to close @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wineries and tasting rooms , movie theaters , family entertainment centers , zoos and museums , cardrooms and bars .
They will be allowed to operate outdoors , if possible , he said… In addition to the statewide order , Newsom also ordered the closure of indoor operations for fitness centers , worship services , personal care services , malls , offices , hair salons and barbershops for all counties which have been on California ’ s monitoring list for three or more consecutive days , which represent 80 % of the state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 30 counties on the list , including Los Angeles , San Diego and Orange counties , Newsom said .
This tweet sums up the new announcement : You ’ ll notice that schools aren ’ t mentioned in either list , but as Jazz mentioned earlier LA County Unified , which is the largest school district in the state , announced today that it will be doing online classes only in the fall .
Los Angeles campuses will not reopen for classes on Aug. 18 , and the nation ’ s second-largest school @ @ @ @ @ @ @ further notice , because of the worsening coronavirus surge , Supt .
Austin Beutner announced Monday… In California , day by day , more school systems are choosing to keep campuses closed and reopen online only as health officials sound the alarm about the rising number of coronavirus cases .
In Northern California those districts include West Contra Costa County , East Side Union in San Jose and the Oakland Unified School District .
Also today , San Diego ’ s school district ( the state ’ s 2nd largest ) announced it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a proposed hybrid schedule that would have students on campus part time .
Orange County is holding a meeting tonight to discuss plans to reopen schools .
All of this is obviously going to be bad news for the state ’ s ( and the country ’ s ) economy .
During his announcement today , Gov .
Newsom went into detail on why he is making this change today .
It comes down to a growth in the number of new cases and the death toll .

California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced today that he would be shutting down nearly everything in the state that involves groups of people gathering indoors. The order had two parts, the first applying to everyone in the state and the second apply to counties on a state monitoring list which currently includes the major population centers of the state:
California Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered all dine-in restaurants, bars, movie theaters, museums and other indoor businesses across the state to close Monday as Covid-19 cases continue to climb. The businesses ordered to close statewide include indoor operations at restaurants, wineries and tasting rooms, movie theaters, family entertainment centers, zoos and museums, cardrooms and bars. They will be allowed to operate outdoors, if possible, he said… In addition to the statewide order, Newsom also ordered the closure of indoor operations for fitness centers, worship services, personal care services, malls, offices, hair salons and barbershops for all counties which have been on California’s monitoring list for three or more consecutive days, which represent 80% of the state’s population. There are now 30 counties on the list, including Los Angeles, San Diego and Orange counties, Newsom said.
This tweet sums up the new announcement:
Effective immediately, CA is closing some indoor business operations statewide and additional indoor business operations in counties on @CAPublicHealth Monitoring List for 3 consecutive days. 📍Find the updated list of counties here: https://t.co/snYe5v55Rw pic.twitter.com/W3wBJp2ap5 — Office of the Governor of California (@CAgovernor) July 13, 2020
You’ll notice that schools aren’t mentioned in either list, but as Jazz mentioned earlier LA County Unified, which is the largest school district in the state, announced today that it will be doing online classes only in the fall.
Los Angeles campuses will not reopen for classes on Aug. 18, and the nation’s second-largest school system will continue with online learning until further notice, because of the worsening coronavirus surge, Supt. Austin Beutner announced Monday… In California, day by day, more school systems are choosing to keep campuses closed and reopen online only as health officials sound the alarm about the rising number of coronavirus cases. In Northern California those districts include West Contra Costa County, East Side Union in San Jose and the Oakland Unified School District.
Also today, San Diego’s school district (the state’s 2nd largest) announced it would be doing online classes instead of a proposed hybrid schedule that would have students on campus part time. Orange County is holding a meeting tonight to discuss plans to reopen schools.
All of this is obviously going to be bad news for the state’s (and the country’s) economy. During his announcement today, Gov. Newsom went into detail on why he is making this change today. It comes down to a growth in the number of new cases and the death toll.


hotair--2020-07-13--Democrats to double down on immigration reform if Biden wins

So if the Democrats somehow manage to drag Joe Biden across the finish line and install him as President , a number of liberal senators have been telling reporters that item one on their agenda as soon as Uncle Joe is sworn in is ready to go .
Is it a better solution to the government ’ s handling of the pandemic ?
Taming the unrest and violence in the streets ?
Getting everyone safely back to work ?
Nope .
It ’ s a “ pathway to citizenship ” for certain illegal aliens .
And they ’ ve even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ send Congress a bill “ on day one ” to do just that .
( The Hill ) Democrats are vowing to move forward with immigration reform if presumptive nominee Joe Biden is elected president and the party also takes back the Senate in this fall ’ s elections .
The prospect would set up a bruising battle in Congress next year , one that Democrats shied away from in 2009 and 2010 , after Barack Obama won the presidency in 2008 and Democrats expanded their Senate majority and controlled the House .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2020 election .
Polls show that Biden has built a lead nationally and in swing states , and Democrats increasingly like their chances of winning back the Senate majority .
As noted in that excerpt , there ’ s one little catch in this plan .
Just winning the White House isn ’ t enough .
The Democrats will have to take back the Senate as well or at least get to a 50-50 tie so Biden ’ s VP can camp out there permanently to break evenly split votes .
And as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that ’ s not going to be an easy trick to pull off .
No matter how poorly Donald Trump may be polling , the only seat that definitely looks ready to flip from red to blue is Cory Gardner in Colorado .
And even there , the Democrats may not have an easy glide path now that their candidate ( Hickenlooper ) has gotten himself convicted on some ethics charges .
On top of that , the Democrats are in no way sure to hold on to their seat in Alabama , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ running for it .
A loss there would cancel out their win in Colorado and then they ’ re starting over from scratch .
But let ’ s just say that they somehow pull off the hat trick and not only defeat Donald Trump but get 50 seats in the Senate .
Is immigration reform really what the country is pining for in the midst of all the chaos of 2020 ?
( And frankly , should we expect 2021 to be that much better ?
People are already printing up next year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . )
There should , at least in theory , be some bipartisan options on the table to deal with the virus , the rioting and the rest of the madness .
But instead , they ’ re going to pick one of the most divisive issues on the table to ram through ?
Amnesty has never been a winner in public polling , although a path to some sort of permanent resident status for the Dreamers is still rather popular .
But a “ pathway to citizenship ?
” I don ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ votes for that , to say nothing of sixty .
Oh , and that ’ s the other fly in the ointment .
In order to ram this debacle through , they will first have to eliminate the legislative filibuster entirely .
Not that they won ’ t do it , of course .
But that ’ s not going to make them much more popular either .
At any rate , there ’ s a sneak preview of what you have coming if the Democrats run the table in November .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not let that happen .

So if the Democrats somehow manage to drag Joe Biden across the finish line and install him as President, a number of liberal senators have been telling reporters that item one on their agenda as soon as Uncle Joe is sworn in is ready to go. Is it a better solution to the government’s handling of the pandemic? Taming the unrest and violence in the streets? Getting everyone safely back to work? Nope. It’s a “pathway to citizenship” for certain illegal aliens. And they’ve even convinced Biden to say that he would send Congress a bill “on day one” to do just that. (The Hill)
Democrats are vowing to move forward with immigration reform if presumptive nominee Joe Biden is elected president and the party also takes back the Senate in this fall’s elections. The prospect would set up a bruising battle in Congress next year, one that Democrats shied away from in 2009 and 2010, after Barack Obama won the presidency in 2008 and Democrats expanded their Senate majority and controlled the House. It also underscores the stakes for the 2020 election. Polls show that Biden has built a lead nationally and in swing states, and Democrats increasingly like their chances of winning back the Senate majority.
As noted in that excerpt, there’s one little catch in this plan. Just winning the White House isn’t enough. The Democrats will have to take back the Senate as well or at least get to a 50-50 tie so Biden’s VP can camp out there permanently to break evenly split votes. And as we’ve discussed here previously, that’s not going to be an easy trick to pull off. No matter how poorly Donald Trump may be polling, the only seat that definitely looks ready to flip from red to blue is Cory Gardner in Colorado. And even there, the Democrats may not have an easy glide path now that their candidate (Hickenlooper) has gotten himself convicted on some ethics charges.
On top of that, the Democrats are in no way sure to hold on to their seat in Alabama, whether it’s Sessions or Tuberville running for it. A loss there would cancel out their win in Colorado and then they’re starting over from scratch.
But let’s just say that they somehow pull off the hat trick and not only defeat Donald Trump but get 50 seats in the Senate. Is immigration reform really what the country is pining for in the midst of all the chaos of 2020? (And frankly, should we expect 2021 to be that much better? People are already printing up next year’s Bingo cards as we speak.) There should, at least in theory, be some bipartisan options on the table to deal with the virus, the rioting and the rest of the madness. But instead, they’re going to pick one of the most divisive issues on the table to ram through?
Amnesty has never been a winner in public polling, although a path to some sort of permanent resident status for the Dreamers is still rather popular. But a “pathway to citizenship?” I don’t know if they could get 50 votes for that, to say nothing of sixty. Oh, and that’s the other fly in the ointment. In order to ram this debacle through, they will first have to eliminate the legislative filibuster entirely. Not that they won’t do it, of course. But that’s not going to make them much more popular either.
At any rate, there’s a sneak preview of what you have coming if the Democrats run the table in November. And this makes it even more important to not let that happen.


hotair--2020-07-13--Groundbreaking: Scientists create an air filter that kills the coronavirus

The coronavirus is spurring on all kinds of innovation and creativity from the scientific community as well as the business community .
The main focus now is on developing a vaccine and therapeutic drugs to combat the virus .
Businesses have shut down normal production of products and switched to manufacturing essential medical equipment , like ventilators , as well as personal protection equipment to meet the needs of hospitals and first responders .
All of this is good .
Meanwhile , researchers at the University of Houston ( UH ) have developed an air filter that kills the coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kill ” filter and it sounds really promising .
It traps the virus and other pathogens and instantly kills them .
The researchers teamed up with others to make it happen .
Zhifeng Ren , director of the Texas Center for Superconductivity at UH and Monzer Hourani , CEO of Medistar , a Houston-based medical real estate development firm , as well as other researchers , came together to design the filter .
With just one pass through the filter , 99.8 % of the germs were killed .
Think of the possible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for instance , could more safely re-open if classrooms had these filters .
Other places that Ren , MD Anderson Chair Professor of Physics at UH and the co-corresponding author for the paper published in Materials Today Physics , suggests are airports , airplanes , and cruise ships .
Medistar executives also suggest building a desktop model to purify the air in an office worker ’ s immediate area .
Medistar approached the Texas Center for Superconductivity at the University of Houston in March for help in developing the filter .
We know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can potentially linger in the air for up to three hours .
The filter can certainly act as a tool to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus in places where social distancing may not be very practical .
Researchers knew the virus doesn ’ t hold up in the heat – nothing above about 158 degrees Fahrenheit ( 70 degrees Centigrade ) – so they decided to use a heated filter .
They wanted to make the filter temperature hotter , at least 200 degrees Centigrade to instantly kill the germs .
At @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then adjustments had to be made .
But nickel foam has low resistivity , making it difficult to raise the temperature high enough to quickly kill the virus .
The researchers solved that problem by folding the foam , connecting multiple compartments with electrical wires to increase the resistance high enough to raise the temperature as high as 250 degrees C. By making the filter electrically heated , rather than heating it from an external source , the researchers said they minimized the amount of heat that escaped from the filter , allowing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
A prototype was built by a local workshop and first tested at Ren ’ s lab for the relationship between voltage/current and temperature ; it then went to the Galveston lab to be tested for its ability to kill the virus .
Ren said it satisfies the requirements for conventional heating , ventilation and air conditioning ( HVAC ) systems .
The part about heating up and interfering with air conditioning systems was what my concern was when I first read about it .
In this part of the country , air @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , no one wants anything to interfere with it .
A phased-in rollout of the filter is called for by the creators .
It makes sense that workers at elevated risk should get the filter first – hospital workers , health care facilities , schools , even public transportation environments like airplanes .
These filters can allow workers additional protection from the germs that infect them with the virus and also allow people and school kids to get back to work and classes safely .
Protection from the airborne germs is even more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ according to many scientists who are now asking the WHO and other public health organizations to adjust guidelines to emphasize the risk .
“ Respiratory droplets are very large droplets that when you sneeze , for example , they shoot out of your mouth and they drop right to the ground because of gravity , ” Dr. Ron Elfenbein , an emergency care physician , explained Monday on CBSN .
“ Whereas airborne means that the virus can hang out in the air for a long time and all you have to do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and inhale it and you ’ re going to catch it.
” The smaller particles could spread by infected individuals simply breathing , laughing or talking , said Elfenbein , who said he agrees with the scientists behind the letter .
In some cases , those tiny particles called aerosols can travel up to 30 feet , and there ’ s concern they may play a significant role in the spread of COVID-19 .
The scientists can argue among themselves how far the particles travel in the air but social distancing at six @ @ @ @ @ @ @ feet is impossibly impractical .
The advice and guidelines continue to shift as scientists continue to learn more about the coronavirus .
It ’ s frustrating and confusing to most of us how little the experts still know about the virus .
This new filter is really encouraging , though , and sounds like it could be a real help in containing the spread of coronavirus germs .

The coronavirus is spurring on all kinds of innovation and creativity from the scientific community as well as the business community. The main focus now is on developing a vaccine and therapeutic drugs to combat the virus. Businesses have shut down normal production of products and switched to manufacturing essential medical equipment, like ventilators, as well as personal protection equipment to meet the needs of hospitals and first responders. All of this is good.
Meanwhile, researchers at the University of Houston (UH) have developed an air filter that kills the coronavirus. It is a “catch and kill” filter and it sounds really promising. It traps the virus and other pathogens and instantly kills them. The researchers teamed up with others to make it happen. Zhifeng Ren, director of the Texas Center for Superconductivity at UH and Monzer Hourani, CEO of Medistar, a Houston-based medical real estate development firm, as well as other researchers, came together to design the filter. With just one pass through the filter, 99.8% of the germs were killed.
The researchers reported that virus tests at the Galveston National Laboratory found 99.8% of the novel SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, was killed in a single pass through a filter made from commercially available nickel foam heated to 200 degrees Centigrade, or about 392 degrees Fahrenheit. It also killed 99.9% of the anthrax spores in testing at the national lab, which is run by the University of Texas Medical Branch.
Think of the possible uses for this filter. Schools, for instance, could more safely re-open if classrooms had these filters. Other places that Ren, MD Anderson Chair Professor of Physics at UH and the co-corresponding author for the paper published in Materials Today Physics, suggests are airports, airplanes, and cruise ships. Medistar executives also suggest building a desktop model to purify the air in an office worker’s immediate area.
Medistar approached the Texas Center for Superconductivity at the University of Houston in March for help in developing the filter. We know the virus is an airborne one that can potentially linger in the air for up to three hours. The filter can certainly act as a tool to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus in places where social distancing may not be very practical.
Researchers knew the virus doesn’t hold up in the heat – nothing above about 158 degrees Fahrenheit (70 degrees Centigrade) – so they decided to use a heated filter. They wanted to make the filter temperature hotter, at least 200 degrees Centigrade to instantly kill the germs. At first, they used nickel foam, then adjustments had to be made.
But nickel foam has low resistivity, making it difficult to raise the temperature high enough to quickly kill the virus. The researchers solved that problem by folding the foam, connecting multiple compartments with electrical wires to increase the resistance high enough to raise the temperature as high as 250 degrees C. By making the filter electrically heated, rather than heating it from an external source, the researchers said they minimized the amount of heat that escaped from the filter, allowing air conditioning to function with minimal strain. A prototype was built by a local workshop and first tested at Ren’s lab for the relationship between voltage/current and temperature; it then went to the Galveston lab to be tested for its ability to kill the virus. Ren said it satisfies the requirements for conventional heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems.
The part about heating up and interfering with air conditioning systems was what my concern was when I first read about it. In this part of the country, air conditioning is essential, and believe me, no one wants anything to interfere with it.
A phased-in rollout of the filter is called for by the creators. It makes sense that workers at elevated risk should get the filter first – hospital workers, health care facilities, schools, even public transportation environments like airplanes. These filters can allow workers additional protection from the germs that infect them with the virus and also allow people and school kids to get back to work and classes safely.
Protection from the airborne germs is even more important than hand washing and social distancing according to many scientists who are now asking the WHO and other public health organizations to adjust guidelines to emphasize the risk.
“Respiratory droplets are very large droplets that when you sneeze, for example, they shoot out of your mouth and they drop right to the ground because of gravity,” Dr. Ron Elfenbein, an emergency care physician, explained Monday on CBSN. “Whereas airborne means that the virus can hang out in the air for a long time and all you have to do is walk by a cloud of this and inhale it and you’re going to catch it.” The smaller particles could spread by infected individuals simply breathing, laughing or talking, said Elfenbein, who said he agrees with the scientists behind the letter. In some cases, those tiny particles called aerosols can travel up to 30 feet, and there’s concern they may play a significant role in the spread of COVID-19.
The scientists can argue among themselves how far the particles travel in the air but social distancing at six feet apart is difficult enough, 30 feet is impossibly impractical. The advice and guidelines continue to shift as scientists continue to learn more about the coronavirus. It’s frustrating and confusing to most of us how little the experts still know about the virus. This new filter is really encouraging, though, and sounds like it could be a real help in containing the spread of coronavirus germs.


hotair--2020-07-13--AOC's explanation for crime surge in NYC doesn't make a lot of sense (Update: AOC doubles down)

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez held a town hall meeting last Thursday during which she speculated about why crime is up sharply in New York City .
We ’ ll get to her explanation in a moment , but first here ’ s the NY Times on the surge in shootings in NYC : It has been nearly a quarter century since New York City experienced as much gun violence in the month of June as it has seen this year .
The city logged 125 shootings in the first three weeks of the month , more than double the number recorded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ police data show .
Gunmen opened fire during house parties , barbecues and dice games , and carried out coldly calculated street executions .
More than a dozen people have been fatally shot , including a teenager at her college graduation party and a clothing designer who was washing his car .
“ You have to go back to 1996 to have a worse start of June , ” Michael LiPetri , the chief of crime control strategies , said in an interview on Monday .
So , again , AOC was speculating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s what she camp up wth : “ So why is the uptick in crime happening ?
Well , let ’ s think about it , ” AOC said .
She continued , “ Do we think this has to do with the fact that there is record unemployment in the United States right now ?
The fact that people are at a level of economic desperation that we have not seen since the great recession .
“ Maybe this has to do with the fact that people aren ’ t paying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their rent and so they go out and they need to feed their child and they don ’ t have money so you maybe have to—they ’ re put in a position where they feel like they either need to shoplift some bread or go hungry that night.
” Here ’ s the clip .
AOC is correct that the $ 1 billion in cuts for the NYPD have not taken effect yet .
However , other changes have taken effect including the disbanding of the plainclothes anti-crime units .
In any case @ @ @ @ @ @ @ touch here .
The crimes that are skyrocketing in New York City right now are murder , burglary and grand theft .
The increase in burglary may largely be tied to the looting that happened in New York a few weeks ago .
Over the last month , burglaries have sharply increased , with 1,691 incidents as compared to 759 the year before .
Looting incidents that took place during demonstrations earlier in the month are included in the burglaries figure .
For the year , burglaries are up 47 % compared to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to 6,595 .
Car thefts , known as grand larceny auto , have also increased over 60 % , with 3,078 incidents happening this year , up from 1,893 at this point last year .
The car theft numbers are part of a national trend as fewer Americans travel and more cars sit idle in driveways and parking garages .
At the same time , comparing this past month to the same period last year , criminal complaints of rape are down 33 % , complaints of robbery are down 23 % , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 44 % , according to NYPD .
Remember the crews of looters who were arriving in front of stores in luxury cars and then driving off with the goods ?
Does this have any connection to people stealing a loaf of bread so they don ’ t starve ?
I don ’ t think so .
As for the increase in shootings , here ’ s what CNN reported about that : “ The uptick in murders is tied to gang and drug activity , with drug dealers fighting over territory , another @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weekend a 1-year-old baby was killed at a cookout : A 1-year-old baby boy was killed and three men were wounded on Sunday night when two gunmen opened fire on people at a cookout in a Brooklyn park , the latest casualty in a summer of spiraling gun violence in New York , the police said… The baby , Davell Gardner , was in his stroller when the shooting broke out at about 11:30 p.m. near the Raymond Bush Playground in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood , the police said .
Two gunmen , dressed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , fired and fled , the police said .
Davell was hit in the abdomen and later died at a local hospital , the police said .
To be clear in case AOC doesn ’ t get it , the shooters weren ’ t there to steal hot dogs from the cookout because they can ’ t afford food .
They were there to shoot people probably because of some gang issue .
This uptick in crime , which is happening in other cities too , may not be connected to the budget @ @ @ @ @ @ @ yet , but it could be connected to the sentiment behind those cuts .
That anti-police sentiment is why police in many of these cities looking for the exit .
AOC supports defunding the police so she ’ s not going to consider the possibility that what we ’ re seeing now is just a preview of things to come .
Update : AOC thinks Republicans are upset because she ’ s dropping so much knowledge .
Is she making excuses for gangs killing one another now ?
Remember this started with her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bread to avoid starvation .
Now she ’ s apparently talking about cooking crystal meth to get by…or something .
AOC never ever admits it when she says something dumb .
She is always in teaching mode , especially after she makes a fool of herself .
I think the Babylon Bee pretty much nailed this one though .

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez held a town hall meeting last Thursday during which she speculated about why crime is up sharply in New York City. We’ll get to her explanation in a moment, but first here’s the NY Times on the surge in shootings in NYC:
It has been nearly a quarter century since New York City experienced as much gun violence in the month of June as it has seen this year. The city logged 125 shootings in the first three weeks of the month, more than double the number recorded over the same period last year, police data show. Gunmen opened fire during house parties, barbecues and dice games, and carried out coldly calculated street executions. More than a dozen people have been fatally shot, including a teenager at her college graduation party and a clothing designer who was washing his car. “You have to go back to 1996 to have a worse start of June,” Michael LiPetri, the chief of crime control strategies, said in an interview on Monday.
So, again, AOC was speculating about why crime is up and here’s what she camp up wth: “So why is the uptick in crime happening? Well, let’s think about it,” AOC said. She continued, “Do we think this has to do with the fact that there is record unemployment in the United States right now? The fact that people are at a level of economic desperation that we have not seen since the great recession.
“Maybe this has to do with the fact that people aren’t paying their rent and are scared to pay their rent and so they go out and they need to feed their child and they don’t have money so you maybe have to—they’re put in a position where they feel like they either need to shoplift some bread or go hungry that night.” Here’s the clip.
AOC on increased NYC crime: "Maybe this has to do with the fact that people aren't paying their rent & are scared to pay their rent & so they go out & they need to feed their child & they don't have money so… they feel like they either need to shoplift some bread or go hungry." pic.twitter.com/oHSTWWJZ6a — The Hill (@thehill) July 12, 2020
AOC is correct that the $1 billion in cuts for the NYPD have not taken effect yet. However, other changes have taken effect including the disbanding of the plainclothes anti-crime units.
In any case, AOC mostly just sounds out of touch here. The crimes that are skyrocketing in New York City right now are murder, burglary and grand theft. The increase in burglary may largely be tied to the looting that happened in New York a few weeks ago.
Over the last month, burglaries have sharply increased, with 1,691 incidents as compared to 759 the year before. Looting incidents that took place during demonstrations earlier in the month are included in the burglaries figure. For the year, burglaries are up 47% compared to this point last year, from 4,480 to 6,595. Car thefts, known as grand larceny auto, have also increased over 60%, with 3,078 incidents happening this year, up from 1,893 at this point last year. The car theft numbers are part of a national trend as fewer Americans travel and more cars sit idle in driveways and parking garages. At the same time, comparing this past month to the same period last year, criminal complaints of rape are down 33%, complaints of robbery are down 23%, and complaints of grand larceny are down 44%, according to NYPD.
Remember the crews of looters who were arriving in front of stores in luxury cars and then driving off with the goods?
Does this have any connection to people stealing a loaf of bread so they don’t starve? I don’t think so. As for the increase in shootings, here’s what CNN reported about that: “The uptick in murders is tied to gang and drug activity, with drug dealers fighting over territory, another law enforcement official said.” Just this weekend a 1-year-old baby was killed at a cookout:
A 1-year-old baby boy was killed and three men were wounded on Sunday night when two gunmen opened fire on people at a cookout in a Brooklyn park, the latest casualty in a summer of spiraling gun violence in New York, the police said… The baby, Davell Gardner, was in his stroller when the shooting broke out at about 11:30 p.m. near the Raymond Bush Playground in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood, the police said. Two gunmen, dressed all in black, approached the group, fired and fled, the police said. Davell was hit in the abdomen and later died at a local hospital, the police said.
To be clear in case AOC doesn’t get it, the shooters weren’t there to steal hot dogs from the cookout because they can’t afford food. They were there to shoot people probably because of some gang issue.
This uptick in crime, which is happening in other cities too, may not be connected to the budget cuts which haven’t taken effect yet, but it could be connected to the sentiment behind those cuts. That anti-police sentiment is why police in many of these cities looking for the exit.
AOC supports defunding the police so she’s not going to consider the possibility that what we’re seeing now is just a preview of things to come.
Update: AOC thinks Republicans are upset because she’s dropping so much knowledge.
Republicans are all upset that I’m connecting the dots between poverty and crime. I know most of them haven’t experienced or seen these issues first hand, but I have. This may be hard for them to admit, but poverty and crime are highly linked, both violent & nonviolent alike. https://t.co/4t34dCLZlw — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) July 13, 2020
It’s virtually impossible to pay rent on $8/hr. And when you are teenage boy in a fatherless home (his dad passed away), there is a drive to be “the man of the house.” To help your mom. And what makes money fast when a full time job doesn’t pay enough to live? Selling weed. /3 — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) July 13, 2020
Mind you, there are entire TV series glamorizing, humanizing, and sympathizing White Americans in this exact situation of selling drugs to live – Weeds, Breaking Bad, etc. But fact is, Black & Brown communities have been in this predicament forever & get called “animals.” /5 — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) July 13, 2020
Is she making excuses for gangs killing one another now? Remember this started with her claiming people were stealing a loaf of bread to avoid starvation. Now she’s apparently talking about cooking crystal meth to get by…or something.
AOC never ever admits it when she says something dumb. She is always in teaching mode, especially after she makes a fool of herself. I think the Babylon Bee pretty much nailed this one though.