hotair--2020-06-01--Doctors: Yes, these protests are probably going to cause a spike in coronavirus cases

Under the worst of circumstances , a chunk of the country has decided to embark impromptu on a major scientific experiment .
In a few weeks we ’ ll have a decent idea of just how transmissible the coronavirus is in mass gatherings of mostly young adults taking place outdoors in warming weather .
Best-case scenario : Few infections , leading to growing confidence that the virus can be held at bay for the rest of the summer without a true second wave .
Worst-case scenario : Second wave with a vengeance .
Calling it an impromptu experiment is too @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anti-lockdown protesters held their own “ experiments ” at state capitols in April and got endless grief for the risk they created to themselves and people they ’ re in contact with .
Why is it , asked Robby Soave , that the likes of Gavin Newsom ended up hyperventilating about people ignoring stay-at-home orders for that but now that others are ignoring them en masse to protest police brutality all he can do is mumble about solidarity ?
“ Media and government experts who fail to consistently call out social distancing violations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to zealous enforcement of public health measures wasn ’ t as absolute as they claimed , ” wrote Soave .
“ It turns out they are willing to make exceptions for their preferred causes.
” Indeed .
If you want to be charitable , you might say that it ’ s pointless for Newsom to try to discourage people from mass demonstrations under the present circumstances .
Anyone who ’ s willing to risk a dangerous confrontation with armed cops to voice their outrage about George Floyd — or to loot , or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — isn ’ t going to be turned back by finger-wagging about social distancing .
But Soave ’ s read is fair too .
Maybe for Newsom there ’ s a hierarchy of values here : Protesting social injustice is more important than containing the spread of a novel deadly disease , whereas containing the spread of a novel deadly disease is more important than , uh , employment for 40 million people .
It ’ s not just that the density of mass gatherings like protests that make them dangerous , say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of behavior at protests that heighten the risk .
Granted , there are aspects of the demonstrations that should reduce the threat — they ’ re outdoors , participants are young , many are wearing masks , people are typically in motion rather than standing still and breathing the same air .
But : “ Yes , the protests are outside , but they are all really close to each other , and in those cases , being outside doesn ’ t protect you nearly as much , ” Dr. Markel said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ it doesn ’ t matter what you ’ re protesting or cheering .
That ’ s one reason we ’ re not having large baseball games and may not have college football this fall.
” Though many protesters were wearing masks , others were not .
SARS-CoV-2 , the virus that causes the Covid-19 disease , is mainly transmitted through respiratory droplets spread when people talk , cough or sneeze ; screaming and shouting slogans during a protest can accelerate the spread , Dr. Markel said .
Tear gas and pepper spray , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , cause people to tear up and cough , and increase respiratory secretions from the eyes , nose and mouth , further enhancing the possibility of transmission .
Police efforts to move crowds through tight urban areas can result in corralling people closer together , or end up penning people into tight spaces .
Tear gas may also cause protesters to remove their masks to reduce the discomfort .
And it ’ s not just what happens at the protest that matters , it ’ s what happens around the protest .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , using public bathrooms , and taking public transportation , all of those things are helping the virus move from one place to another because humans are vectors , ” said one expert to the Daily Beast .
That reminds me of this WSJ report about the soccer match in Italy in mid-February that scientists believe seeded the catastrophic outbreak in Lombardy .
It wasn ’ t just fans breathing the same air inside the stadium that spread the virus , they believe .
Social activity in more confined quarters before and after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Atalanta supporter Luca Brignoli , 57 , thinks back to his subway ride to the San Siro from downtown Milan , bodies jammed against the door .
He remembers milling around the piazza in front of the stadium , where fans from both sides mixed and drank and snacked from food trucks .
He wonders how many people might have coughed or sneezed while navigating the stadium ’ s turnstiles and narrow passages.
” There ’ s an X factor lurking here , though , that may be leading people to show more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the protests .
I speak from experience on this .
When voters in Wisconsin lined up in mid-April for their primary , I remember seeing photos of them queued up by the thousands and thinking , “ Here comes the second wave.
” Nope .
Didn ’ t happen .
Then the anti-lockdown protesters descended on state capitols , gathering by the hundreds in small spaces .
“ Ah , *here ’ s* the second wave , ” I thought .
Nope , wrong again .
No major outbreaks from those either .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ that he hasn ’ t seen any data demonstrating that people who attended the reopening protests ended up contracting COVID-19 at higher rates , ” said Rolling Stone of one scientist it interviewed .
Just this afternoon I got another reminder via political Twitter : Remember that ?
Some preliminary CDC modeling leaked suggesting that reopening would lead to a 50 percent increase in deaths by now from the 2,000 or so daily we were averaging at the time .
Deaths are actually down about 50 percent since then .
The X factor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about what we do and don ’ t really know about this virus after living with it for three months .
Why are some people severely ill and others end up asymptomatic ?
Scientists don ’ t know .
Do children spread it or are they immune ?
Scientists are examining it .
Is the warmer weather helping to suppress the virus ?
Could be , but Brazil is pretty warm and they ’ re the worst hot spot on Earth right now .
Are there multiple strains of virus out there , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the country ?
Could be , but nothing definitive so far .
Are masks useful to limiting infection ?
Pretty clearly yes , but whether they ’ re somewhat useful or a total gamechanger remains uncertain .
We don ’ t know much of anything , even now .
So although mass demonstrations seem like a really dangerous idea , would anyone want to bet the mortgage that we ’ ll see a second wave after all the previous doomsaying didn ’ t pan out ?
Still , doctors seem pretty confident @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of some sort , even if it ’ s not apocalyptic .
“ I don ’ t think there ’ s a question of whether there will be spikes in cases in 10 to 14 days , ” a researcher at Harvard told the Atlantic .
“ With so many protests happening , that are getting so much bigger , I don ’ t think it ’ s a question of if , but when and where.
” Only one scientist in any of the articles about this that I ’ ve read @ @ @ @ @ @ @ risk that they ’ ll contribute to the spread .
I ’ ll leave you with that , from the same Atlantic piece :

Under the worst of circumstances, a chunk of the country has decided to embark impromptu on a major scientific experiment. In a few weeks we’ll have a decent idea of just how transmissible the coronavirus is in mass gatherings of mostly young adults taking place outdoors in warming weather.
Best-case scenario: Few infections, leading to growing confidence that the virus can be held at bay for the rest of the summer without a true second wave. Worst-case scenario: Second wave with a vengeance.
Calling it an impromptu experiment is too flip, though. After all, anti-lockdown protesters held their own “experiments” at state capitols in April and got endless grief for the risk they created to themselves and people they’re in contact with. Why is it, asked Robby Soave, that the likes of Gavin Newsom ended up hyperventilating about people ignoring stay-at-home orders for that but now that others are ignoring them en masse to protest police brutality all he can do is mumble about solidarity? “Media and government experts who fail to consistently call out social distancing violations risk giving the impression that their commitment to zealous enforcement of public health measures wasn’t as absolute as they claimed,” wrote Soave. “It turns out they are willing to make exceptions for their preferred causes.”
Indeed. If you want to be charitable, you might say that it’s pointless for Newsom to try to discourage people from mass demonstrations under the present circumstances. Anyone who’s willing to risk a dangerous confrontation with armed cops to voice their outrage about George Floyd — or to loot, or to just smash sh*t up like Antifa — isn’t going to be turned back by finger-wagging about social distancing. But Soave’s read is fair too. Maybe for Newsom there’s a hierarchy of values here: Protesting social injustice is more important than containing the spread of a novel deadly disease, whereas containing the spread of a novel deadly disease is more important than, uh, employment for 40 million people.
It’s not just that the density of mass gatherings like protests that make them dangerous, say doctors. It’s particular types of behavior at protests that heighten the risk. Granted, there are aspects of the demonstrations that should reduce the threat — they’re outdoors, participants are young, many are wearing masks, people are typically in motion rather than standing still and breathing the same air. But:
“Yes, the protests are outside, but they are all really close to each other, and in those cases, being outside doesn’t protect you nearly as much,” Dr. Markel said. “Public gatherings are public gatherings — it doesn’t matter what you’re protesting or cheering. That’s one reason we’re not having large baseball games and may not have college football this fall.” Though many protesters were wearing masks, others were not. SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes the Covid-19 disease, is mainly transmitted through respiratory droplets spread when people talk, cough or sneeze; screaming and shouting slogans during a protest can accelerate the spread, Dr. Markel said. Tear gas and pepper spray, which police have used to disperse crowds, cause people to tear up and cough, and increase respiratory secretions from the eyes, nose and mouth, further enhancing the possibility of transmission. Police efforts to move crowds through tight urban areas can result in corralling people closer together, or end up penning people into tight spaces.
Tear gas may also cause protesters to remove their masks to reduce the discomfort.
And it’s not just what happens at the protest that matters, it’s what happens around the protest. “If they’re stopping in restaurants, using public bathrooms, and taking public transportation, all of those things are helping the virus move from one place to another because humans are vectors,” said one expert to the Daily Beast. That reminds me of this WSJ report about the soccer match in Italy in mid-February that scientists believe seeded the catastrophic outbreak in Lombardy. It wasn’t just fans breathing the same air inside the stadium that spread the virus, they believe. Social activity in more confined quarters before and after the match doubtless helped too: “Atalanta supporter Luca Brignoli, 57, thinks back to his subway ride to the San Siro from downtown Milan, bodies jammed against the door. He remembers milling around the piazza in front of the stadium, where fans from both sides mixed and drank and snacked from food trucks. He wonders how many people might have coughed or sneezed while navigating the stadium’s turnstiles and narrow passages.”
There’s an X factor lurking here, though, that may be leading people to show more caution about predicting a new outbreak from the protests. I speak from experience on this. When voters in Wisconsin lined up in mid-April for their primary, I remember seeing photos of them queued up by the thousands and thinking, “Here comes the second wave.” Nope. Didn’t happen. Then the anti-lockdown protesters descended on state capitols, gathering by the hundreds in small spaces. “Ah, *here’s* the second wave,” I thought. Nope, wrong again. No major outbreaks from those either. “At this point, Adalja says that he hasn’t seen any data demonstrating that people who attended the reopening protests ended up contracting COVID-19 at higher rates,” said Rolling Stone of one scientist it interviewed. Just this afternoon I got another reminder via political Twitter:
"reaching about 3,000 daily deaths on June 1," https://t.co/124WLnj3jZ — Shirin Ghaffary (@shiringhaffary) May 4, 2020
Remember that? Some preliminary CDC modeling leaked suggesting that reopening would lead to a 50 percent increase in deaths by now from the 2,000 or so daily we were averaging at the time. Deaths are actually down about 50 percent since then.
The X factor, in other words, is humility about what we do and don’t really know about this virus after living with it for three months. Why are some people severely ill and others end up asymptomatic? Scientists don’t know. Do children spread it or are they immune? Scientists are examining it. Is the warmer weather helping to suppress the virus? Could be, but Brazil is pretty warm and they’re the worst hot spot on Earth right now. Are there multiple strains of virus out there, with the less deadly strain affecting most of the country? Could be, but nothing definitive so far. Are masks useful to limiting infection? Pretty clearly yes, but whether they’re somewhat useful or a total gamechanger remains uncertain.
We don’t know much of anything, even now. So although mass demonstrations seem like a really dangerous idea, would anyone want to bet the mortgage that we’ll see a second wave after all the previous doomsaying didn’t pan out?
Still, doctors seem pretty confident that we’ll have an uptick of some sort, even if it’s not apocalyptic. “I don’t think there’s a question of whether there will be spikes in cases in 10 to 14 days,” a researcher at Harvard told the Atlantic. “With so many protests happening, that are getting so much bigger, I don’t think it’s a question of if, but when and where.” Only one scientist in any of the articles about this that I’ve read today explicitly condoned the protests *despite* the risk that they’ll contribute to the spread. I’ll leave you with that, from the same Atlantic piece:


hotair--2020-06-01--Independent autopsy concludes George Floyd asphyxiated because of pressure on his neck and back

Last week we learned that the autopsy carried out by the Hennepin County Medical Examiner had concluded that there was no evidence George Floyd had asphyxiated as a result of police officers leaning on his back and neck .
As Allahpundit mentioned , that wasn ’ t expected to be the last word because Dr. Michael Baden had already agreed to perform an independent medical examination on behalf of Floyd ’ s family .
Today the results of that autopsy were revealed .
According to Dr. Baden , Floyd was asphyxiated by police : “ Not only was the knee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of his death , but so was the weight of the other two police officers on his back , who not only prevented blood flow into his brain but also air flow into his lungs , ” said Antonio Romanucci , a lawyer for the family .
The new autopsy also contradicted the claim that Floyd had underlying conditions that contributed to his death .
Prosecutors intimated in the criminal complaint that other factors were involved in Mr. Floyd ’ s death , including coronary artery disease and hypertensive heart disease .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ restrained by the police , his underlying health conditions and any potential intoxicants in his system likely contributed to his death , ” the criminal complaint said .
But Dr. Baden said : “ The autopsy shows that Mr. Floyd had no underlying medical problem that caused or contributed to his death .
This is confirmed by information provided to Dr. Wilson and myself by the family.
” One of the things being stressed by the family ’ s attorney Benjamin Crump is that Floyd was already dead by the time the ambulance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the EMT report that we have in our possession , performed pulse checks several times finding none and delivered one shock by their monitor , but George ’ s condition did not change , ” he said .
“ They delivered him to the hospital , continued ventilation , but that last report was the patient was still pulseless.
” Crump ’ s co-counsel argued that because Floyd died at the scene from the pressure on his neck and back , the other officers at the scene are also directly responsible for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officer Derek Chauvin has been charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter .
Three other officers have been fired but have not been charged , though the County Attorney has said he expects they will be .
The full press conference about the results is available below .
It ’ s about 45 minutes long .
I have it queued up to the statement from Dr. Baden .
It really sounds as if Baden is saying the evidence that Floyd ’ s death was via asphyxiation can ’ t be seen in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of his death .
He says evidence of the compression of Floyd ’ s neck and back can ’ t be seen because the pressure has since been released but he walks through what he sees in the video to make the case that Floyd suffocated because of the pressure on his neck and back .

Last week we learned that the autopsy carried out by the Hennepin County Medical Examiner had concluded that there was no evidence George Floyd had asphyxiated as a result of police officers leaning on his back and neck. As Allahpundit mentioned, that wasn’t expected to be the last word because Dr. Michael Baden had already agreed to perform an independent medical examination on behalf of Floyd’s family. Today the results of that autopsy were revealed. According to Dr. Baden, Floyd was asphyxiated by police:
“Not only was the knee on George’s neck a cause of his death, but so was the weight of the other two police officers on his back, who not only prevented blood flow into his brain but also air flow into his lungs,” said Antonio Romanucci, a lawyer for the family.
The new autopsy also contradicted the claim that Floyd had underlying conditions that contributed to his death.
Prosecutors intimated in the criminal complaint that other factors were involved in Mr. Floyd’s death, including coronary artery disease and hypertensive heart disease. “The combined effects of Mr. Floyd being restrained by the police, his underlying health conditions and any potential intoxicants in his system likely contributed to his death,” the criminal complaint said. But Dr. Baden said: “The autopsy shows that Mr. Floyd had no underlying medical problem that caused or contributed to his death. This is confirmed by information provided to Dr. Wilson and myself by the family.”
One of the things being stressed by the family’s attorney Benjamin Crump is that Floyd was already dead by the time the ambulance arrived.
“The medics, based on the EMT report that we have in our possession, performed pulse checks several times finding none and delivered one shock by their monitor, but George’s condition did not change,” he said. “They delivered him to the hospital, continued ventilation, but that last report was the patient was still pulseless.”
Crump’s co-counsel argued that because Floyd died at the scene from the pressure on his neck and back, the other officers at the scene are also directly responsible for his death.
So far, former officer Derek Chauvin has been charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. Three other officers have been fired but have not been charged, though the County Attorney has said he expects they will be.
The full press conference about the results is available below. It’s about 45 minutes long. I have it cued up to the statement from Dr. Baden. It really sounds as if Baden is saying the evidence that Floyd’s death was via asphyxiation can’t be seen in the autopsy so much as in the video of his death. He says evidence of the compression of Floyd’s neck and back can’t be seen because the pressure has since been released but he walks through what he sees in the video to make the case that Floyd suffocated because of the pressure on his neck and back.


hotair--2020-06-01--Can Derek Chauvin be convicted?

Can Derek Chauvin be convicted?

At least thus far , former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin is the only person to be arrested in connection with the death of George Floyd .
Some or all of the other officers present when Floyd died may be charged later , but the investigation is ongoing .
As far as Chauvin goes , Floyd ’ s family has already stated that they feel the charges against him – third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter – were insufficient and they would like to see first-degree murder charged instead .
That ’ s clearly understandable for a grieving family , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up this week at the Washington Post by Georgetown University Law Professor Paul Butler .
As he points out , charging and arresting Chauvin was the easy part .
All it takes is a determination by the prosecutor .
But convicting him is another matter , assuming he ’ s guilty .
That ’ s going to be significantly harder if it ’ s possible at all .
Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin has finally been arrested for the murder of George Floyd .
Now comes the hard part .
As the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of public opinion to the Hennepin County District Court , prosecutors will face significant challenges in securing a conviction… As a former prosecutor , though , I am well aware of the difficulty of convicting a police officer .
The odds are against it .
Since 2005 , approximately 100 officers have been charged with homicide for using deadly force in the line duty .
But most of those officers walked ; the charges were dismissed or they were acquitted .
As of 2019 , there had been only 35 convictions , almost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not murder .
Butler is bringing up a number of points in this column that mirror questions I previously raised about the pending trials of the McMichaels in Glynn County , Georgia .
It ’ s almost never easy to convict a police officer ( or sometimes even an ex-police officer ) in a case of lethal force .
It ’ s true that the prosecution will have that video to show to the jury ( assuming Chauvin goes with a jury trial ) , and it certainly looks like a damning piece @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the bar for most jurors as proof that Chauvin ’ s actions were “ eminently dangerous ” and displayed “ depraved ” indifference to George Floyd ’ s life .
This is the standard that the prosecution must prove to obtain a third-degree murder conviction .
What the video can ’ t speak to is intent .
In order to go for first-degree murder , the jury must be convinced that Chauvin knew that he was in the process of ending Floyd ’ s life and it was his direct intention to make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Floyd was resisting arrest and Chauvin was simply trying to subdue him and things got out of control .
I would argue that it might not even be a slam dunk to secure a conviction on either of the current charges .
Again , assuming that Chauvin is guilt and that he goes with a jury trial ( and any lawyer that let him go with a bench trial should probably be disbarred for malpractice ) , a lot of curious things can happen in the courtroom and in the jury ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going to take is one or two people on the jury who are predisposed to believe police officers deserve the benefit of the doubt and are looking for an excuse to find him not guilty .
And they ’ ll be given plenty of excuses .
There ’ s already a coroner ’ s report indicating that Floyd had some underlying health issues that might have contributed to his death .
I agree with Professor Butler that it seems unlikely in the extreme that George Floyd just “ happened to die ” while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but the defense will argue that it ’ s possible that a healthier person would have only been rendered unconscious and Chauvin had no way of knowing he would die .
At that point , you would be lucky if a favorably disposed juror would even find him guilty of homicide .
The vast majority of instances where police wind up using lethal force don ’ t bring convictions because the vast majority of police only use such force as a last resort when they feel that their lives or the lives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ While I admittedly have nothing to go on here but a couple of bystander videos , that doesn ’ t appear to be the case in the death of George Floyd .
But if anyone is under the impression that he ’ s definitely going down for this , to say nothing of the other officers on the scene , I would suggest that you ’ re getting ahead of yourself .

At least thus far, former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin is the only person to be arrested in connection with the death of George Floyd. Some or all of the other officers present when Floyd died may be charged later, but the investigation is ongoing. As far as Chauvin goes, Floyd’s family has already stated that they feel the charges against him – third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter – were insufficient and they would like to see first-degree murder charged instead.
That’s clearly understandable for a grieving family, but it’s also a subject brought up this week at the Washington Post by Georgetown University Law Professor Paul Butler. As he points out, charging and arresting Chauvin was the easy part. All it takes is a determination by the prosecutor. But convicting him is another matter, assuming he’s guilty. That’s going to be significantly harder if it’s possible at all.
Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin has finally been arrested for the murder of George Floyd. Now comes the hard part. As the case against him moves from the court of public opinion to the Hennepin County District Court, prosecutors will face significant challenges in securing a conviction… As a former prosecutor, though, I am well aware of the difficulty of convicting a police officer. The odds are against it. Since 2005, approximately 100 officers have been charged with homicide for using deadly force in the line duty. But most of those officers walked; the charges were dismissed or they were acquitted. As of 2019, there had been only 35 convictions, almost all for manslaughter or negligent homicide, not murder.
Butler is bringing up a number of points in this column that mirror questions I previously raised about the pending trials of the McMichaels in Glynn County, Georgia. It’s almost never easy to convict a police officer (or sometimes even an ex-police officer) in a case of lethal force. It’s true that the prosecution will have that video to show to the jury (assuming Chauvin goes with a jury trial), and it certainly looks like a damning piece of evidence. It might even meet the bar for most jurors as proof that Chauvin’s actions were “eminently dangerous” and displayed “depraved” indifference to George Floyd’s life. This is the standard that the prosecution must prove to obtain a third-degree murder conviction.
What the video can’t speak to is intent. In order to go for first-degree murder, the jury must be convinced that Chauvin knew that he was in the process of ending Floyd’s life and it was his direct intention to make that happen. The defense will argue that Floyd was resisting arrest and Chauvin was simply trying to subdue him and things got out of control.
I would argue that it might not even be a slam dunk to secure a conviction on either of the current charges. Again, assuming that Chauvin is guilt and that he goes with a jury trial (and any lawyer that let him go with a bench trial should probably be disbarred for malpractice), a lot of curious things can happen in the courtroom and in the jury’s quarters. All it’s going to take is one or two people on the jury who are predisposed to believe police officers deserve the benefit of the doubt and are looking for an excuse to find him not guilty.
And they’ll be given plenty of excuses. There’s already a coroner’s report indicating that Floyd had some underlying health issues that might have contributed to his death. I agree with Professor Butler that it seems unlikely in the extreme that George Floyd just “happened to die” while he was pinned down on the street, but the defense will argue that it’s possible that a healthier person would have only been rendered unconscious and Chauvin had no way of knowing he would die. At that point, you would be lucky if a favorably disposed juror would even find him guilty of homicide.
The vast majority of instances where police wind up using lethal force don’t bring convictions because the vast majority of police only use such force as a last resort when they feel that their lives or the lives of others are in imminent danger. While I admittedly have nothing to go on here but a couple of bystander videos, that doesn’t appear to be the case in the death of George Floyd. But if anyone is under the impression that he’s definitely going down for this, to say nothing of the other officers on the scene, I would suggest that you’re getting ahead of yourself.


hotair--2020-06-01--Biden: We need to teach cops to aim for the leg in shooting people instead of the heart

Lay aside the logistical problems in what Biden says , like the fact that many suspects will die anyway from being shot in the leg as their femoral artery is severed .
Or the improbability that an officer in a life-and-death situation will shoot to wound when the criminal he ’ s confronting has a deadly weapon and aims to kill .
As Ed says , “ You aim for center mass to minimize the probability of missing your target and HITTING SOMEONE ELSE.
” It ’ s the political implications that make this next-level goofy .
It ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden as a retrograde establishment politician , particularly on the subject of criminal justice .
A Twitter pal summed up his view this way : “ Biden 2020 : What if We Shoot the Black People Differently.
” This is the same guy who once told his wife that if she ever had reason to fear for her safety at home , she should walk out on the balcony of their home and fire two blasts from a double-barreled shotgun .
Asking cops to shoot suspects in the leg actually represents progress for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at it this way : Biden ’ s an incrementalist , and there ’ s lots of incrementalist potential here .
For instance , he could not only pledge to retrain every cop in America to aim for the leg by the end of his first term , he could promise to train them to aim for the arm by the end of his second .
No more kneeling on people ’ s necks while they gasp for air either .
From now on , in the Biden era , if a cop @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , he has to use his elbow .
Knee-chokes will be limited to six minutes , tops .
I don ’ t know .
Maybe Biden ’ s just trying to overcorrect for the radical trash in his base who swoon at the sight of windows being smashed and businesses being burned : Fairfax County isn ’ t some impoverished far-left district in California somewhere , notes Josh Kraushaar .
This is northern Virginia , the D.C. suburbs where the well-to-do “ moderates ” live .
Even the moderates aren ’ t moderate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s shoot- ’ em-in-the-leg comment as further evidence of senescence ?
The GOP ’ s eager to convince voters that he ’ s lost a step mentally ; every time he has an awkward moment in an interview — and there ’ s usually one or more in *every* interview — they clip it and upload it to YouTube , part of their “ Biden has dementia ” pitch to the electorate .
The problem is that , per WaPo ’ s new poll , voters seem to think mental “ sharpness @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump than for the Democrat .
Here ’ s Biden ’ s polling on an array of personal attributes .
Note “ e ” : And here ’ s Trump ’ s polling on the same questions : On only one of those five measurements does Trump outpoll Biden , but it ’ s a big one in light of the country ’ s momentary paralysis by street violence : “ Strength.
” Lefties and righties on political Twitter spent the weekend chattering about whether the riots will end up helping Trump in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ strong , “ law and order ” president .
That ’ s how Nixon got elected in 1968 , isn ’ t it ?
Right , says Philip Klein , but there ’ s a momentous difference between Nixon and Trump .
Nixon was the challenger ; he could watch from the sidelines as the sitting president , LBJ , struggled to quiet the tumult and vow that things would be different once he was in charge .
Trump is LBJ , not Nixon : [ A ] s the incumbent , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a message to restore law and order when major American cities descended into chaos under your watch .
When I noted this on Twitter , the defense of Trump was that the violence is happening in cities run by Democrats .
But that doesn ’ t really change anything .
Reelecting Trump won ’ t change Democratic control of the cities .
So if Trump was unable to overcome Democratic mismanagement of urban centers and restore order in his first term , why would he be able to do so in a second @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden arguing to white suburbanites that the way to restore order is to address the root causes of the violence and to have a president who doesn ’ t say incendiary things during an already volatile situation .
One could just as easily read Nixon ’ s appeal in 1968 the way Benjy Sarlin does , as a return to normalcy after an era of upheaval .
In which case Biden is a better analogue : Fine points all , but the correct answer to the question of whether the riots will help @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most voters won ’ t even remember them because we have 5,000 insane news cycles to endure between now and then .
Remember when impeachment was going to be a factor in November ?
Now we have a pandemic , an economic collapse , and riots over police brutality .
We ’ ll probably have an alien visitation or The Rapture before Election Day at the rate we ’ re going .
That ’ s where I ’ m focusing my own pundit energies , in fact : “ What effect will The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to turn out evangelicals ?
” Not looking good for him , I have to say .

Lay aside the logistical problems in what Biden says, like the fact that many suspects will die anyway from being shot in the leg as their femoral artery is severed. Or the improbability that an officer in a life-and-death situation will shoot to wound when the criminal he’s confronting has a deadly weapon and aims to kill. As Ed says, “You aim for center mass to minimize the probability of missing your target and HITTING SOMEONE ELSE.”
It’s the political implications that make this next-level goofy. It’s practically self-parody given the progressive view of Biden as a retrograde establishment politician, particularly on the subject of criminal justice.
A Twitter pal summed up his view this way: “Biden 2020: What if We Shoot the Black People Differently.”
Biden today said "there are a lot of different things that can change" about police training. One example he said was if cops are rushed by an "unarmed" person "with a knife or something" the cops could "shoot them in the leg instead of the heart is a very different thing." — Bo Erickson CBS (@BoKnowsNews) June 1, 2020
This is the same guy who once told his wife that if she ever had reason to fear for her safety at home, she should walk out on the balcony of their home and fire two blasts from a double-barreled shotgun.
Asking cops to shoot suspects in the leg actually represents progress for him on gun safety.
But look at it this way: Biden’s an incrementalist, and there’s lots of incrementalist potential here. For instance, he could not only pledge to retrain every cop in America to aim for the leg by the end of his first term, he could promise to train them to aim for the arm by the end of his second.
No more kneeling on people’s necks while they gasp for air either. From now on, in the Biden era, if a cop wants to choke someone for nine minutes, he has to use his elbow.
Knee-chokes will be limited to six minutes, tops.
I don’t know. Maybe Biden’s just trying to overcorrect for the radical trash in his base who swoon at the sight of windows being smashed and businesses being burned:
Fairfax County isn’t some impoverished far-left district in California somewhere, notes Josh Kraushaar. This is northern Virginia, the D.C. suburbs where the well-to-do “moderates” live. Even the moderates aren’t moderate anymore.
Should we file away Biden’s shoot-’em-in-the-leg comment as further evidence of senescence? The GOP’s eager to convince voters that he’s lost a step mentally; every time he has an awkward moment in an interview — and there’s usually one or more in *every* interview — they clip it and upload it to YouTube, part of their “Biden has dementia” pitch to the electorate. The problem is that, per WaPo’s new poll, voters seem to think mental “sharpness” is more of an issue for Trump than for the Democrat. Here’s Biden’s polling on an array of personal attributes. Note “e”:
And here’s Trump’s polling on the same questions:
On only one of those five measurements does Trump outpoll Biden, but it’s a big one in light of the country’s momentary paralysis by street violence: “Strength.” Lefties and righties on political Twitter spent the weekend chattering about whether the riots will end up helping Trump in November by enhancing the case for a strong, “law and order” president. That’s how Nixon got elected in 1968, isn’t it? Right, says Philip Klein, but there’s a momentous difference between Nixon and Trump. Nixon was the challenger; he could watch from the sidelines as the sitting president, LBJ, struggled to quiet the tumult and vow that things would be different once he was in charge. Trump is LBJ, not Nixon:
[A]s the incumbent, it’s much harder to run on a message to restore law and order when major American cities descended into chaos under your watch. When I noted this on Twitter, the defense of Trump was that the violence is happening in cities run by Democrats. But that doesn’t really change anything. Reelecting Trump won’t change Democratic control of the cities. So if Trump was unable to overcome Democratic mismanagement of urban centers and restore order in his first term, why would he be able to do so in a second term? One could also imagine Joe Biden arguing to white suburbanites that the way to restore order is to address the root causes of the violence and to have a president who doesn’t say incendiary things during an already volatile situation.
One could just as easily read Nixon’s appeal in 1968 the way Benjy Sarlin does, as a return to normalcy after an era of upheaval. In which case Biden is a better analogue:
People keep making Nixon/Trump comparison with law and order, but may be just as relevant than Nixon and Biden are both extremely square two-term VPs offering something familiar in midst of chaos. — Benjy Sarlin (@BenjySarlin) June 1, 2020
Fine points all, but the correct answer to the question of whether the riots will help or hurt Trump this fall is that most voters won’t even remember them because we have 5,000 insane news cycles to endure between now and then. Remember when impeachment was going to be a factor in November? Now we have a pandemic, an economic collapse, and riots over police brutality. We’ll probably have an alien visitation or The Rapture before Election Day at the rate we’re going. That’s where I’m focusing my own pundit energies, in fact: “What effect will The Rapture have on Trump’s ability to turn out evangelicals?” Not looking good for him, I have to say.


hotair--2020-06-01--Rep. John Lewis' call to end the riots rejected by Black Lives Matter co-founder

Rep. John Lewis was one of the leaders of the Civil Rights movement in the 1960s .
He helped organize the March on Washington with Dr. King .
He was beaten by Alabama police after a peaceful march across the Edmund Pettus bridge .
Unfortunately , Lewis is suffering from pancreatic cancer , but in the wake of the death of George Floyd and the subsequent riots , he issued a statement comparing Floyd ’ s death to that of Emmett Till .
Sixty-five years have passed , and I still remember the face of young Emmett Till .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ old — just a year older than him .
What happened that summer in Money , Mississippi , and the months that followed — the recanted accusation , the sham trial , the dreaded verdict — shocked the country to its core .
And it helped spur a series of non-violent events by everyday people who demanded better from our country .
Despite real progress , I can ’ t help but think of young Emmett today as I watch video after video after video of unarmed Black Americans being killed , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these men and women , their families , and the country that let them down — again .
My fellow Americans , this is a special moment in our history .
Just as people of all faiths and no faiths , and all backgrounds , creeds , and colors banded together decades ago to fight for equality and justice in a peaceful , orderly , non-violent fashion , we must do so again .
To the rioters here in Atlanta and across the country : I see you , and I hear you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rage , your sense of despair and hopelessness .
Justice has , indeed , been denied for far too long .
Rioting , looting , and burning is not the way .
Organize .
Demonstrate .
Sit-in .
Stand-up .
Vote .
Be constructive , not destructive .
History has proven time and again that non-violent , peaceful protest is the way to achieve the justice and equality that we all deserve .
Our work won ’ t be easy — nothing worth having ever is — but I strongly believe , as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the arc of the moral universe is long , it bends toward justice .
But despite Lewis ’ unassailable record as a champion of civil rights for black Americans , his statement has been rejected by many people who think the time for non-violence is over .
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution published a piece about some of the reactions titled , “ Reactions mixed after Rep. John Lewis rebukes protest violence.
” Most of the reactions they cite come from random people on Twitter with small follower counts .
But yesterday the New Yorker @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Alicia Garza the co-founder of Black Lives Matter .
Garza says she respects Lewis but she clearly thinks he ’ s wrong to emphasize non-violence : Alicia Garza , one of the co-founders of Black Lives Matter Global Network , said that although she deeply respected Lewis , she differed with his emphasis .
“ It ’ s a familiar pattern : to call for peace and calm but direct it in the wrong places , ” she told me .
“ Why are we having this conversation about protest and property when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before our eyes ?
“ I ’ m not going to spend my time telling people to go home , ” Garza continued .
“ All I can think about right now is , What ’ s happening with this investigation ?
Why are three of the four officers still at home with their families while George Floyd ’ s family is destroyed ?
Why is there no state of emergency around white nationalists trying to create chaos ?
We don ’ t have time to finger-wag at protesters about property .
That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The stores will reopen .
That ’ s assured .
What is not assured is our safety and real justice.
” Let ’ s look at Garza ’ s claim in detail .
The claim about white nationalists behind the protest was spread widely last week by left-wing outlets .
There is some evidence that a handful of these people have shown up at recent protests but the idea that they are motivating most of the violence is not supported by the facts .
We know that at least some of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are definitely not white supremacists .
In any case , Garza is pretty clearly rejecting concern over property destruction as if it ’ s not that significant .
But it is significant for the business owners whose livelihoods are destroyed , some of whom don ’ t have insurance that covers rioting .
There ’ s another , much bigger problem that Garza overlooks .
Riots , by definition , are violent acts .
So what happens when the business owners try to get between the looters and the property they own ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ against the owners : And in some cases , it ’ s not the owners who get threatened or beaten up , it ’ s the would-be looters .
This video shows the owner of a cigar shop chasing people out at gunpoint .
There have been lots of incidents during these riots when things spiraled out of control and went beyond destruction of property : There ’ s a lot more like this out there .
People are getting hurt and even killed during the rioting .
So shrugging off riots as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ overlooks the fact that once the destruction starts lots of people get hurt or even killed .
We ’ ve already had several deaths of protesters directly connected to the rioting .
And yet , the idea that riots create progress seems to be increasingly popular on the left .
Even the Democratic Party of Fairfax , Va was making this case over the weekend .
And Mayor Ted Wheeler of Portland is also excusing riots as a path to change .
The bottom line is that the non-violent Civil Rights movement of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the left today .
There is a growing consensus that rioting either doesn ’ t matter ( it ’ s just property and it ’ s insured ) or might even be a beneficial path to social justice .

Rep. John Lewis was one of the leaders of the Civil Rights movement in the 1960s. He helped organize the March on Washington with Dr. King. He was beaten by
Alabama police after a peaceful march across the Edmund Pettus bridge. Unfortunately, Lewis is suffering from pancreatic cancer, but in the wake of the death of George Floyd and the subsequent riots, he issued a statement comparing Floyd’s death to that of Emmett Till.
Sixty-five years have passed, and I still remember the face of young Emmett Till. It was 1955. I was 15 years old — just a year older than him. What happened that summer in Money, Mississippi, and the months that followed — the recanted accusation, the sham trial, the dreaded verdict — shocked the country to its core. And it helped spur a series of non-violent events by everyday people who demanded better from our country. Despite real progress, I can’t help but think of young Emmett today as I watch video after video after video of unarmed Black Americans being killed, and falsely accused. My heart breaks for these men and women, their families, and the country that let them down — again. My fellow Americans, this is a special moment in our history. Just as people of all faiths and no faiths, and all backgrounds, creeds, and colors banded together decades ago to fight for equality and justice in a peaceful, orderly, non-violent fashion, we must do so again. To the rioters here in Atlanta and across the country: I see you, and I hear you. I know your pain, your rage, your sense of despair and hopelessness. Justice has, indeed, been denied for far too long. Rioting, looting, and burning is not the way. Organize. Demonstrate. Sit-in. Stand-up. Vote. Be constructive, not destructive. History has proven time and again that non-violent, peaceful protest is the way to achieve the justice and equality that we all deserve. Our work won’t be easy — nothing worth having ever is — but I strongly believe, as Dr. King once said, that while the arc of the moral universe is long, it bends toward justice.
But despite Lewis’ unassailable record as a champion of civil rights for black Americans, his statement has been rejected by many people who think the time for non-violence is over. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution published a piece about some of the reactions titled, “Reactions mixed after Rep. John Lewis rebukes protest violence.” Most of the reactions they cite come from random people on Twitter with small follower counts. But yesterday the New Yorker published a piece containing a reaction by Alicia Garza the co-founder of Black Lives Matter. Garza says she respects Lewis but she clearly thinks he’s wrong to emphasize non-violence:
Alicia Garza, one of the co-founders of Black Lives Matter Global Network, said that although she deeply respected Lewis, she differed with his emphasis. “It’s a familiar pattern: to call for peace and calm but direct it in the wrong places,” she told me. “Why are we having this conversation about protest and property when a man’s life was extinguished before our eyes? “I’m not going to spend my time telling people to go home,” Garza continued. “All I can think about right now is, What’s happening with this investigation? Why are three of the four officers still at home with their families while George Floyd’s family is destroyed? Why is there no state of emergency around white nationalists trying to create chaos? We don’t have time to finger-wag at protesters about property. That can be rebuilt. Target will reopen. The stores will reopen. That’s assured. What is not assured is our safety and real justice.”
Let’s look at Garza’s claim in detail. The claim about white nationalists behind the protest was spread widely last week by left-wing outlets. There is some evidence that a handful of these people have shown up at recent protests but the idea that they are motivating most of the violence is not supported by the facts. We know that at least some of the violence has come directly from people who are definitely not white supremacists.
In any case, Garza is pretty clearly rejecting concern over property destruction as if it’s not that significant. But it is significant for the business owners whose livelihoods are destroyed, some of whom don’t have insurance that covers rioting.
“I am protecting my business and they’ve robbed us after being closed for 3 months,” a Boston business owner cries out after watching his shop being smashed and rioters trying to loot it overnight. You can hear the pain in his voice. @alainapinto has more on the cleanup on #7News pic.twitter.com/674Fx7PYuT — Juliana Mazza (@julianamazzatv) June 1, 2020
https://twitter.com/whathesaid7/status/1266626461169057792
There’s another, much bigger problem that Garza overlooks. Riots, by definition, are violent acts. So what happens when the business owners try to get between the looters and the property they own? In some cases it results in violence against the owners:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6dxfqxdStuY
And in some cases, it’s not the owners who get threatened or beaten up, it’s the would-be looters. This video shows the owner of a cigar shop chasing people out at gunpoint.
There have been lots of incidents during these riots when things spiraled out of control and went beyond destruction of property:
Portland: A man tried to help the man carrying a US flag who was getting beaten on the ground at yesterday’s antifa/BLM riot. They chased him away and kicked him in the face when he was unconscious on the ground: #Antifa #BlackLivesMatter https://t.co/xqKTYT5tPl — Andy Ngô (@MrAndyNgo) May 31, 2020
There’s a lot more like this out there. People are getting hurt and even killed during the rioting. So shrugging off riots as if property destruction is no big deal overlooks the fact that once the destruction starts lots of people get hurt or even killed. We’ve already had several deaths of protesters directly connected to the rioting.
And yet, the idea that riots create progress seems to be increasingly popular on the left. Even the Democratic Party of Fairfax, Va was making this case over the weekend.
Yesterday afternoon, Fairfax Dems were lauding riots. pic.twitter.com/PDjPKDqqxK — Fairfax GOP (@FairfaxGOP) May 31, 2020
And Mayor Ted Wheeler of Portland is also excusing riots as a path to change.
We talked about agitation – yes even violent agitation and how it has historically occurred with purpose and resulted in change that has moved this country forward. We talked about educational disparities. Health disparities. Housing disparities. Employment disparities. — Mayor Ted Wheeler (@tedwheeler) May 31, 2020
The bottom line is that the non-violent Civil Rights movement of the 1960s is considered out-of-fashion by many on the left today. There is a growing consensus that rioting either doesn’t matter (it’s just property and it’s insured) or might even be a beneficial path to social justice.


hotair--2020-06-01--Since you're in isolation anyway, would you like a job with NASA?

By this point , we ’ ve heard from plenty of readers and social media contacts who have been clawing at the walls after being locked down at home for weeks or months .
That ’ s totally understandable .
But now that you ’ ve got some practice in operating from isolation , perhaps you ’ d like to put those new skills to use and get paid for it to boot .
NASA wants to do some long-term testing on human subjects to see how a group of them make out living together in a cramped environment for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the conditions astronauts are expected to endure during future missions to the moon and to Mars .
( VOA News ) NASA is seeking candidates to go into isolation for eight months in an experiment to help prepare for long-term stays on the moon and Mars .
Researchers say results of the study will help them better understand the physical and mental effects on humans spending extended periods in space .
The experiment is part of NASA ’ s Human Research Program .
The program seeks to discover and develop “ the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , productive human space travel.
” Until now , American astronauts have only spent long space stays on the International Space Station – ISS .
Most of these missions lasted several months , with the longest reaching nearly a year .
Before you get too excited , you don ’ t actually get to go to Mars or the moon when this is over .
The job is to be a guinea pig so they can study what happens to you both physically and mentally over an extended period of time .
This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ long-haul space missions .
Of course , it ’ s not an exact simulation .
You won ’ t be bombarded by radiation 24/7 like you would be in space and you won ’ t suffer from bone density degradation from a zero-G environment .
There are a few requirements to be aware of before you apply .
You ’ ll need to be between the ages of 30 and 55 .
You ’ ll also need to fluently speak both English and Russian .
You ’ ll need either a college degree @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and you ’ ll have to be able to pass a physical and a psychological exam .
This sounds very similar to another simulation conducted in 2016 in Hawaii .
Three men and three women lived in isolation in an enclosure for an entire year doing various tests and tasks every day .
There was a wonderful podcast made about their experiences called The Habitat which I listened to a couple of years ago .
Things didn ’ t really go as well as expected .
Two of the subjects started a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ long , splitting off from everyone else .
One person became pretty much hated by the rest of the group .
Some of them went into periods of depression and they started failing to complete all of their tasks and file the required reports .
NASA learned a lot from that experiment , but it wasn ’ t easy on the subjects .
So… still interested ?
Even if I met the qualifications I couldn ’ t see myself applying .
Eight months cooped up with five complete strangers sounds like a very @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But for you younger folks who may be harboring dreams of spaceflight someday , maybe it ’ s not so crazy after all .

By this point, we’ve heard from plenty of readers and social media contacts who have been clawing at the walls after being locked down at home for weeks or months. That’s totally understandable. But now that you’ve got some practice in operating from isolation, perhaps you’d like to put those new skills to use and get paid for it to boot. NASA wants to do some long-term testing on human subjects to see how a group of them make out living together in a cramped environment for eight months. This will simulate some of the conditions astronauts are expected to endure during future missions to the moon and to Mars. (VOA News)
NASA is seeking candidates to go into isolation for eight months in an experiment to help prepare for long-term stays on the moon and Mars. Researchers say results of the study will help them better understand the physical and mental effects on humans spending extended periods in space. The experiment is part of NASA’s Human Research Program. The program seeks to discover and develop “the best methods and technologies to support safe, productive human space travel.” Until now, American astronauts have only spent long space stays on the International Space Station – ISS. Most of these missions lasted several months, with the longest reaching nearly a year.
Before you get too excited, you don’t actually get to go to Mars or the moon when this is over. The job is to be a guinea pig so they can study what happens to you both physically and mentally over an extended period of time. This will allegedly help them screen candidates for long-haul space missions. Of course, it’s not an exact simulation. You won’t be bombarded by radiation 24/7 like you would be in space and you won’t suffer from bone density degradation from a zero-G environment.
There are a few requirements to be aware of before you apply. You’ll need to be between the ages of 30 and 55. You’ll also need to fluently speak both English and Russian. You’ll need either a college degree or military experience as well. Oh, and you’ll have to be able to pass a physical and a psychological exam.
This sounds very similar to another simulation conducted in 2016 in Hawaii. Three men and three women lived in isolation in an enclosure for an entire year doing various tests and tasks every day. There was a wonderful podcast made about their experiences called The Habitat which I listened to a couple of years ago. Things didn’t really go as well as expected. Two of the subjects started a romantic (physical) relationship before very long, splitting off from everyone else. One person became pretty much hated by the rest of the group. Some of them went into periods of depression and they started failing to complete all of their tasks and file the required reports. NASA learned a lot from that experiment, but it wasn’t easy on the subjects.
So… still interested? Even if I met the qualifications I couldn’t see myself applying. Eight months cooped up with five complete strangers sounds like a very personalized version of hell, to me. But for you younger folks who may be harboring dreams of spaceflight someday, maybe it’s not so crazy after all.


hotair--2020-06-01--Trump to governors: Either "dominate" or get out of the way

Lots and lots of tongue-clucking in the media over this conference-call lecture today , but not a whole lot of recognition that Donald Trump is correct , at least in terms of riot response .
In a video conference today , Trump scolded governors around the country for not acting assertively to stop rioting before it spread , with disastrous results across the country .
If they didn ’ t act with strength soon , Trump threatened , he ’ d be forced to act instead : “ You have to dominate or you ’ ll look like a bunch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and try people , ” the President told governors in a call from the basement White House Situation Room .
In the conversation , which also included law enforcement and national security officials , Trump also emphasized it was his belief the violence is being brought on by forces from the “ radical left ” .
“ It ’ s a movement , if you don ’ t put it down it will get worse and worse , ” Trump said .
“ The only time its successful is when you ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Trump said the “ whole world was laughing at Minneapolis over the police station getting burned , ” referring to the city where protests began last week after the death of an unarmed black man who was being taken into police custody .
Reportedly , Trump warned that he would “ activate ” Attorney General William Barr and even the Joint Chiefs to deal with the situation .
Earlier , Sen. Tom Cotton urged Trump to use the Insurrection Act of 1807 to take control of the situation in the worst spots @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during the Rodney King riots in Los Angeles .
The US Army would make short shrift of Antifa , Cotton argued on Twitter : That ’ s premature at this point , but it does reflect frustration over the lack of firm response to the lawlessness breaking out into the streets .
That passivity is what created a vacuum for the 1992 King riots to spread , after police retreated in the wake of the acquittal of the cops involved in the beating .
Surrendering ground only encourages anarchists to fill the void @ @ @ @ @ @ @ feeds on itself and creates momentum for more destruction .
That same passivity allowed the destruction to spread in the Twin Cities as well .
Only when the state decided to “ toughen up , ” in Trump ’ s words , did the momentum finally start to shift towards order .
The Star Tribune took note of that this morning as well : Thousands of Minnesota National Guard members and law enforcement officers from all over the state swarmed the streets of Minneapolis and St. Paul as night fell Saturday , quelling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the state ’ s two largest cities for several days .
They were on foot and in police cruisers , military Humvees and helicopters , fanning out to try to disperse crowds , to stop looting and violence before it began across both cities .
They used tear gas and projectiles and handed out curfew violations instead of waiting to contain unrest .
… Col. Matt Langer , chief of the Minnesota State Patrol , said officers , working under the orders of the governor , were trying to function in “ a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ heavy gear and helmets , with bottles of gas or urine and other things being thrown at them .
“ These aren ’ t particularly pretty actions that we take , ” Langer said .
That appeared to be much more effective last night than on Saturday evening , where violence continued in spots .
After several days of retreats and tearful pleas alone , it will likely take several days of robust enforcement and dispersal to re-establish proper order and governance .
Without it , it ’ s impossible to take control @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
That leaves the law-abiding citizenry wondering where their legitimate government has gone , and deciding whether or not to take matters into their own hands — which will create a whole new level of urban warfare .
There ’ s nothing at all remarkable about this advice .
The basic function of government is to protect its citizens from threats to peace and safety , and to use the authority and power granted to it to accomplish that task ASAP .
We learned all this again in 1992 , and yet no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to put those lessons into place .
Don ’ t blame Trump for pointing out the obvious , especially when his advice literally just got proven correct in Minnesota over the last 24 hours .

Lots and lots of tongue-clucking in the media over this conference-call lecture today, but not a whole lot of recognition that Donald Trump is correct, at least in terms of riot response. In a video conference today, Trump scolded governors around the country for not acting assertively to stop rioting before it spread, with disastrous results across the country. If they didn’t act with strength soon, Trump threatened, he’d be forced to act instead:
Trump: "I live in Manhattan—what’s going on in Manhattan, I have no idea. New York’s finest…they need to do their jobs. I don’t know what’s happening in Manhattan, but it’s terrible…. So they really spend a lot of time on it but New York’s gonna have to toughen up." pic.twitter.com/uf23SA6yo3 — Manu Raju (@mkraju) June 1, 2020
“You have to dominate or you’ll look like a bunch of jerks, you have to arrest and try people,” the President told governors in a call from the basement White House Situation Room. In the conversation, which also included law enforcement and national security officials, Trump also emphasized it was his belief the violence is being brought on by forces from the “radical left”. “It’s a movement, if you don’t put it down it will get worse and worse,” Trump said. “The only time its successful is when you’re weak and most of you are weak.” Trump said the “whole world was laughing at Minneapolis over the police station getting burned,” referring to the city where protests began last week after the death of an unarmed black man who was being taken into police custody.
Reportedly, Trump warned that he would “activate” Attorney General William Barr and even the Joint Chiefs to deal with the situation. Earlier, Sen. Tom Cotton urged Trump to use the Insurrection Act of 1807 to take control of the situation in the worst spots, a move last made in 1992 during the Rodney King riots in Los Angeles. The US Army would make short shrift of Antifa, Cotton argued on Twitter:
Anarchy, rioting, and looting needs to end tonight. If local law enforcement is overwhelmed and needs backup, let's see how tough these Antifa terrorists are when they're facing off with the 101st Airborne Division. We need to have zero tolerance for this destruction. — Tom Cotton (@TomCottonAR) June 1, 2020
And, if necessary, the 10th Mountain, 82nd Airborne, 1st Cav, 3rd Infantry—whatever it takes to restore order. No quarter for insurrectionists, anarchists, rioters, and looters. https://t.co/OnNJmnDrYM — Tom Cotton (@TomCottonAR) June 1, 2020
That’s premature at this point, but it does reflect frustration over the lack of firm response to the lawlessness breaking out into the streets. That passivity is what created a vacuum for the 1992 King riots to spread, after police retreated in the wake of the acquittal of the cops involved in the beating. Surrendering ground only encourages anarchists to fill the void with destruction, the success of which feeds on itself and creates momentum for more destruction.
That same passivity allowed the destruction to spread in the Twin Cities as well. Only when the state decided to “toughen up,” in Trump’s words, did the momentum finally start to shift towards order. The Star Tribune took note of that this morning as well:
Thousands of Minnesota National Guard members and law enforcement officers from all over the state swarmed the streets of Minneapolis and St. Paul as night fell Saturday, quelling some of the unrest that had destabilized the state’s two largest cities for several days. They were on foot and in police cruisers, military Humvees and helicopters, fanning out to try to disperse crowds, to stop looting and violence before it began across both cities. They used tear gas and projectiles and handed out curfew violations instead of waiting to contain unrest. … Col. Matt Langer, chief of the Minnesota State Patrol, said officers, working under the orders of the governor, were trying to function in “a dynamic, dangerous situation,” wearing heavy gear and helmets, with bottles of gas or urine and other things being thrown at them. “These aren’t particularly pretty actions that we take,” Langer said.
That appeared to be much more effective last night than on Saturday evening, where violence continued in spots. After several days of retreats and tearful pleas alone, it will likely take several days of robust enforcement and dispersal to re-establish proper order and governance. Without it, it’s impossible to take control of streets rife with riots and looting. That leaves the law-abiding citizenry wondering where their legitimate government has gone, and deciding whether or not to take matters into their own hands — which will create a whole new level of urban warfare.
There’s nothing at all remarkable about this advice. The basic function of government is to protect its citizens from threats to peace and safety, and to use the authority and power granted to it to accomplish that task ASAP. We learned all this again in 1992, and yet no one appears to have the political willpower to put those lessons into place. Don’t blame Trump for pointing out the obvious, especially when his advice literally just got proven correct in Minnesota over the last 24 hours.


hotair--2020-06-01--China, Iran are lecturing the United States on human rights

Protests over the death of George Floyd have now spread around the world .
Today the NY Times reports that protesters in Berlin , Paris , London , and Toronto have held marches , partly prompted by Floyd ’ s death but also connecting his death to local cases where minorities have been killed by police .
But for America ’ s opponents on the world stage , the incident has become an opportunity to turn the tables on U.S. which frequently calls on China and Iran to respect human rights .
In China , where officials have chafed at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ handled the coronavirus outbreak , the state-run news media heavily featured reports about Mr. Floyd ’ s death and portrayed the protests as another sign of America ’ s decline .
The violent protests were covered extensively in the news media and on the social media platform Weibo .
“ BunkerBoy ” became a trending topic after reports that Secret Service agents rushed Mr. Trump to a bunker on Friday night as hundreds of protesters gathered outside the White House .
Pierre Haski , a noted French journalist , commented on France Inter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have hoped for a better gift .
The country that designates China as the culprit of all evils is making headlines around the world with the urban riots.
” When an American official on Saturday attacked the ruling Communist Party on Twitter for moving to impose national security legislation to quash dissent in Hong Kong , a spokeswoman for the Chinese government fired back with a popular refrain among protesters in the United States .
China does not care about human rights , obviously .
This is the country that has rounded up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them in re-education camps where they are forced to memorize Chinese propaganda for hours every day or be beaten for not doing so .
This is the country that has ‘ disappeared ‘ doctors and independent reporters who tried to tell the world about the country ’ s coronavirus response .
It ’ s the country that just effectively ended independent government for 7.5 million people in Hong Kong .
It ’ s the country that just recently launched a wave of anti-foreigner and indeed anti-African sentiment after portraying all cases of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ China doesn ’ t care about George Floyd or rights for minorities , it cares about making Xi Jinping and the communist party look strong .
The riots in American cities are just another opportunity to do that .
Iran is also getting in on the act .
In case you ’ ve forgotten how Iran handles protesters , let me remind you .
It usually involves shutting off the internet and then firing live ammunition at protesters .
Just the other day , Iran admitted to killing hundreds of protesters .
By @ @ @ @ @ @ @ belatedly admitting to are false .
Reuters reported the actual total is probably close to 1,500 dead .
And yet , here ’ s Iran ’ s foreign ministry spokesman making a weepy speech ( in English ) about the American protests today .

Protests over the death of George Floyd have now spread around the world. Today the NY Times reports that protesters in Berlin, Paris, London, and Toronto have held marches, partly prompted by Floyd’s death but also connecting his death to local cases where minorities have been killed by police. But for America’s opponents on the world stage, the incident has become an opportunity to turn the tables on U.S. which frequently calls on China and Iran to respect human rights.
In China, where officials have chafed at Mr. Trump’s criticism of they handled the coronavirus outbreak, the state-run news media heavily featured reports about Mr. Floyd’s death and portrayed the protests as another sign of America’s decline. The violent protests were covered extensively in the news media and on the social media platform Weibo. “BunkerBoy” became a trending topic after reports that Secret Service agents rushed Mr. Trump to a bunker on Friday night as hundreds of protesters gathered outside the White House. Pierre Haski, a noted French journalist, commented on France Inter on Monday: “Beijing could not have hoped for a better gift. The country that designates China as the culprit of all evils is making headlines around the world with the urban riots.” When an American official on Saturday attacked the ruling Communist Party on Twitter for moving to impose national security legislation to quash dissent in Hong Kong, a spokeswoman for the Chinese government fired back with a popular refrain among protesters in the United States. https://twitter.com/SpokespersonCHN/status/1266741986096107520
China does not care about human rights, obviously. This is the country that has rounded up at least a million Muslims and put them in re-education camps where they are forced to memorize Chinese propaganda for hours every day or be beaten for not doing so. This is the country that has ‘disappeared‘ doctors and independent reporters who tried to tell the world about the country’s coronavirus response. It’s the country that just effectively ended independent government for 7.5 million people in Hong Kong. It’s the country that just recently launched a wave of anti-foreigner and indeed anti-African sentiment after portraying all cases of the coronavirus as coming from traveling foreigners.
China doesn’t care about George Floyd or rights for minorities, it cares about making Xi Jinping and the communist party look strong. The riots in American cities are just another opportunity to do that. Iran is also getting in on the act.
Some don't think #BlackLivesMatter. To those of us who do: it is long overdue for the entire world to wage war against racism. Time for a #WorldAgainstRacism. pic.twitter.com/06p1LmmwgF — Javad Zarif (@JZarif) May 30, 2020
In case you’ve forgotten how Iran handles protesters, let me remind you. It usually involves shutting off the internet and then firing live ammunition at protesters. Just the other day, Iran admitted to killing hundreds of protesters.
#Iran's Interior Minister implicitly suggested that around 200 to 225 people were killed in November 2019 protests, by saying "20% of those who died, more than 40 to 45 people, were innocent & considered 'martyrs' who were killed by guns that didn't belong to our security forces" pic.twitter.com/mUXsk6JyZX — Abas Aslani (@AbasAslani) May 31, 2020
By the way, those numbers they are belatedly admitting to are false. Reuters reported the actual total is probably close to 1,500 dead. And yet, here’s Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman making a weepy speech (in English) about the American protests today.


hotair--2020-06-01--It's on: Salem sues Pritzker for banning radio host that broke story on Pritzker family's travels

Just who decides whether a reporter is “ legitimate ” ?
That question goes to the heart of a lawsuit filed by Salem Media Group , parent company of Townhall Media Group ( and this website ) , against Illinois governor J .
B. Pritzker .
Amy Jacobson , a radio host and reporter for Salem ’ s Chicago affiliate , had regularly attended Pritzker ’ s briefings on COVID-19 , questioning his hardline stance on movement and commerce .
Jacobson found herself blocked from attending after reporting on the Pritzker family ’ s movements between Florida , Wisconsin , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wants her access restored .
The Liberty Justice Center has taken up the case , which was filed this morning : Veteran Chicago journalist Amy Jacobson and the news station she reports for , Salem Media , have filed a federal lawsuit against Illinois Gov .
J.B. Pritzker after he announced Jacobson is no longer allowed at his media briefings .
The lawsuit , Salem Media of Illinois , LLC v. Pritzker , was filed today in the Northern District of Illinois .
Attorneys also are asking the court to take immediate action @ @ @ @ @ @ @ briefings .
The lawsuit was filed by attorneys from the Liberty Justice Center , a public interest law firm that won the 2018 Supreme Court case Janus v. AFSCME .
Pritzker and his office have argued that Jacobson ’ s appearance at an anti-shutdown rally made her an “ extremist.
” They based that not on what she actually said at the rally , but on signs held by others — even though , as LJC notes , Jacobson explicitly rebuked those messages : On Friday , May 15 , Jacobson broke the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ traveled to their equestrian estate in Wisconsin amid Illinois ’ stay-at-home order — weeks after it was reported that his family was at another estate in Florida .
The news raised questions about why the stay-at-home order did not apply to the governor ’ s family .
On the day of the governor ’ s next press briefing , Pritzker ’ s press secretary told Jacobson she was banned from the briefings because she had attended a rally advocating for Illinois to end its lockdown .
When questioned by reporters about Jacobson ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told the press corps that Jacobson could not attend because advocating for Illinois to end its stay-at-home order represents an “ extreme position.
” The governor went on to say : “ That is not a reporter … once upon a time she was a reporter , but she proved that she is no longer a reporter.
” “ Gov .
Pritzker has been in the hot seat over his handling of the coronavirus pandemic , and it ’ s visible from his reactions to Amy Jacobson ’ s questions that her reporting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ governor appears to not understand is that Americans have a right to hold their elected officials accountable , and one of the ways they do this is through a vibrant , free press , ” said Patrick Hughes , president and co-founder of the Liberty Justice Center .
“ It ’ s not up to Gov .
Pritzker to pick and choose which reporters can cover him based on how much he agrees with their coverage or their points of view .
And keeping reporters out of the room because he disagrees with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ view is a gross violation of the First Amendment.
” This was the e-mail Jacobson received from Pritzker ’ s staff two weeks ago barring her from attending any further briefings : Two days prior to this e-mail on 5/18 , however , Jacobson publicly scolded attendees for precisely this kind of behavior at the rally : This sets up a bizarre standard for access — or indeed for anyone who speaks at a public event .
If one or two people show up with offensive signs , does that mean everyone gets @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these signs at a Pritzker event , would he need to resign his office ?
The public protests over shutdown policies are legitimate , and especially after the last week of riots in the Twin Cities and around the country , look almost quaint in comparison .
Clearly , this is nothing more than some Chicagoland payback for getting under Pritzker ’ s skin .
They ’ re not concerned that Jacobson is an extremist .
They ’ re concerned that she ’ s effective .
Of note : Amy is a colleague @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been kind enough to have me as a guest on her morning show on WIND ; in fact , I ’ ll be on tomorrow morning for a segment .
Even apart from that , though , this kind of credentialism by government officials is offensive and dangerous .
Left as precedent , elected officials like Pritzker would be able to surround himself with only friendly reporters reliably tossing softball questions , which isn ’ t in anyone ’ s interest .
Will the same people who demanded Jim Acosta ’ s White @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Amy Jacobson ’ s ban from Pritzker ’ s briefings ?

Just who decides whether a reporter is “legitimate”? That question goes to the heart of a lawsuit filed by Salem Media Group, parent company of Townhall Media Group (and this website), against Illinois governor J. B. Pritzker. Amy Jacobson, a radio host and reporter for Salem’s Chicago affiliate, had regularly attended Pritzker’s briefings on COVID-19, questioning his hardline stance on movement and commerce. Jacobson found herself blocked from attending after reporting on the Pritzker family’s movements between Florida, Wisconsin, and Illinois, however, and Salem wants her access restored.
The Liberty Justice Center has taken up the case, which was filed this morning:
Veteran Chicago journalist Amy Jacobson and the news station she reports for, Salem Media, have filed a federal lawsuit against Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker after he announced Jacobson is no longer allowed at his media briefings. The lawsuit, Salem Media of Illinois, LLC v. Pritzker, was filed today in the Northern District of Illinois. Attorneys also are asking the court to take immediate action to allow Jacobson back into the press briefings. The lawsuit was filed by attorneys from the Liberty Justice Center, a public interest law firm that won the 2018 Supreme Court case Janus v. AFSCME.
Pritzker and his office have argued that Jacobson’s appearance at an anti-shutdown rally made her an “extremist.” They based that not on what she actually said at the rally, but on signs held by others — even though, as LJC notes, Jacobson explicitly rebuked those messages:
On Friday, May 15, Jacobson broke the story that Pritzker’s family had traveled to their equestrian estate in Wisconsin amid Illinois’ stay-at-home order — weeks after it was reported that his family was at another estate in Florida. The news raised questions about why the stay-at-home order did not apply to the governor’s family. On the day of the governor’s next press briefing, Pritzker’s press secretary told Jacobson she was banned from the briefings because she had attended a rally advocating for Illinois to end its lockdown. When questioned by reporters about Jacobson’s exclusion the next day, Pritzker told the press corps that Jacobson could not attend because advocating for Illinois to end its stay-at-home order represents an “extreme position.” The governor went on to say: “That is not a reporter … once upon a time she was a reporter, but she proved that she is no longer a reporter.” “Gov. Pritzker has been in the hot seat over his handling of the coronavirus pandemic, and it’s visible from his reactions to Amy Jacobson’s questions that her reporting made him uncomfortable. But what the governor appears to not understand is that Americans have a right to hold their elected officials accountable, and one of the ways they do this is through a vibrant, free press,” said Patrick Hughes, president and co-founder of the Liberty Justice Center. “It’s not up to Gov. Pritzker to pick and choose which reporters can cover him based on how much he agrees with their coverage or their points of view. And keeping reporters out of the room because he disagrees with their line of questioning or point of view is a gross violation of the First Amendment.”
This was the e-mail Jacobson received from Pritzker’s staff two weeks ago barring her from attending any further briefings:
Two days prior to this e-mail on 5/18, however, Jacobson publicly scolded attendees for precisely this kind of behavior at the rally:
This sets up a bizarre standard for access — or indeed for anyone who speaks at a public event. If one or two people show up with offensive signs, does that mean everyone gets canceled? If someone showed up with these signs at a Pritzker event, would he need to resign his office? The public protests over shutdown policies are legitimate, and especially after the last week of riots in the Twin Cities and around the country, look almost quaint in comparison.
Clearly, this is nothing more than some Chicagoland payback for getting under Pritzker’s skin. They’re not concerned that Jacobson is an extremist. They’re concerned that she’s effective.
Of note: Amy is a colleague and a friend, and she has been kind enough to have me as a guest on her morning show on WIND; in fact, I’ll be on tomorrow morning for a segment. Even apart from that, though, this kind of credentialism by government officials is offensive and dangerous. Left as precedent, elected officials like Pritzker would be able to surround himself with only friendly reporters reliably tossing softball questions, which isn’t in anyone’s interest. Will the same people who demanded Jim Acosta’s White House access be restored weigh in on Amy Jacobson’s ban from Pritzker’s briefings?


hotair--2020-06-01--Sheriff in Michigan county walks with protesters

This is admirable leadership , and brave , but he had the good fortune to address a crowd that was peaceful and receptive to his gesture .
Not every cop is so lucky .
Not every protester is so lucky as to encounter a cop in the mood for conciliation either .
Some protesters have shrewdly begun riding herd on the miscreants in their midst .
I posted a clip yesterday of demonstrators blocking off a Target in Brooklyn that was about to be looted .
Last night in D.C. people gang-tackled some degenerate who was knocking bricks out of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have something to throw through windows — or at cops — and they literally handed him over to the police .
The Michigan sheriff , Christopher Swanson of Genesee County , said afterwards that he was afraid to take off his gear and wade into a crowd which he knew was suspicious of police but that de-escalation required it .
And de-escalation is the only way out of this that won ’ t make things worse , especially long-term .
“ Police leadership needs to take action on breaking down the first barrier @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Press .
“ Police leadership , if they ’ re not doing it already , come from behind your podiums , come from outside the conference rooms and the incident command centers , talk to the people .
That is the difference .
People that have something to say when nobody listens continues to be enraged and we are not going to fix the divide overnight , but you can see what happened instantaneously.
” Watch two clips here , the start of the march and the end .

This is admirable leadership, and brave, but he had the good fortune to address a crowd that was peaceful and receptive to his gesture. Not every cop is so lucky.
NYPD: high degree of confidence anarchist groups planned violent interactions and vandalism. Complex network of scouts were in place to direct breakaway groups to commit vandalism with rocks and accelerants. — jonathan dienst (@jonathan4ny) May 31, 2020
Watch this video. White anarchists driving around trying to give bricks to black protesters to try to incite violence. Thankfully this woman intervened and called them out.https://t.co/9YEIVtgFzi — AG (@AGHamilton29) June 1, 2020
Not every protester is so lucky as to encounter a cop in the mood for conciliation either.
Salt Lake City cops shove down an elderly man with a cane for the crime of standing along the street: pic.twitter.com/PCLkHqQtJg — Timothy Burke (@bubbaprog) May 31, 2020
NYPD officer just called a female protester a “stupid fucking bitch” and threw her to the ground pic.twitter.com/18YUHYmqQa — Jason Lemon (@JasonLemon) May 30, 2020
they were literally SITTING????????? PEACEFULLY??????? this is absolutely insane. pic.twitter.com/0xmFiZBgYb — 𝓉 ⚢ (@theresakost13) May 31, 2020
Some protesters have shrewdly begun riding herd on the miscreants in their midst. I posted a clip yesterday of demonstrators blocking off a Target in Brooklyn that was about to be looted. Last night in D.C. people gang-tackled some degenerate who was knocking bricks out of the sidewalk so that he’d have something to throw through windows — or at cops — and they literally handed him over to the police.
https://twitter.com/breaking911/status/1267249136937689089
The Michigan sheriff, Christopher Swanson of Genesee County, said afterwards that he was afraid to take off his gear and wade into a crowd which he knew was suspicious of police but that de-escalation required it. And de-escalation is the only way out of this that won’t make things worse, especially long-term. “Police leadership needs to take action on breaking down the first barrier,” he told the Detroit Free Press. “Police leadership, if they’re not doing it already, come from behind your podiums, come from outside the conference rooms and the incident command centers, talk to the people. That is the difference. People that have something to say when nobody listens continues to be enraged and we are not going to fix the divide overnight, but you can see what happened instantaneously.” Watch two clips here, the start of the march and the end.
Amazing scene unfolding in Flint, Twp, Michigan. Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson has joined protesters in a peaceful march. Read More: https://t.co/4ioyUnymNv @MichStatePolice @GovWhitmer pic.twitter.com/nMCVuXQ0TZ — Mid-Michigan NOW (@midmichigannow) May 31, 2020


hotair--2020-06-01--Here's why looters chose Target stores as focus of rage

One question that arose during the non-stop weekend coverage of the chaos and mayhem created by rioters and looters was why are they focusing on Target stores ?
It ’ s not just happening in Minneapolis , the city of the company ’ s headquarters , but in other cities , too .
There may be a reason – there ’ s a history here .
Adweek has an interesting piece on why Target is being , well , targeted by the anarchists and thieves who are looting stores in the chain .
It ’ s not a random choice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Twitter thread explaining the corporation ’ s history of supporting and funding local police .
I would post that Twitter thread but her account is protected now – not available to be seen by the public .
I assume she started receiving blowback and didn ’ t want the negative attention .
Minneapolis is the epicenter of Target branding .
Target ’ s Bull Terrier mascot is seen when the Twins make a home run at Target Field .
Target Center is the home of the Minnesota Timberwolves and Minnesota Lynx .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Minneapolis Police Department .
That makes the corporation an enemy in the eyes of the rioters .
In 2004 , Target donated $ 300,000 to the city ’ s police department to set up surveillance cameras throughout downtown Minneapolis—reportedly covering a roughly 40-block radius—as part of its SafeZone Collaborative program .
It later evolved into a nonprofit called the Downtown Improvement District , and while it no longer relies on Target ’ s donations , Target still supports and hosts initiatives with police ( like its decade-long Heroes and Helpers program ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forensics crime lab at its campus in Brooklyn Park , Minn. , which creates high-resolution images from surveillance data collected by cameras .
Minneapolis police told MPR News in 2011 that they don ’ t use Target ’ s forensic services often , but they sometimes do ( free of charge ) .
To state the obvious , anarchists and the far left don ’ t support the police .
In their backward world , the people paid to protect and serve are the bad guys .
A $ 2.8 million hiring discrimination @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Employment Opportunity Commission ( EEOC ) was settled with Target in 2015 .
According to the EEOC , the corporation used three employee assessments in the application process that disproportionally kicked out applicants based on race , gender and ability .
Another layer added to the discontent of the rioters and looters is the claim that the Lake Street store that received so much social media attention last week was refusing to sell rioters supplies to help those affected by chemical sprays used by law enforcement .
Items like milk and baking soda @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or are exposed to chemical irritants .
There is video from a St. Paul resident that contradicts that alleged grievance , though .
The Target on Lake Street , a major commercial corridor , is in front of the 3rd Precinct police station that protesters overtook and burned down on Thursday night .
Target was cleaned out by looters .
The Midway location of a Target store is thought to have been targeted because of its location in what was once St. Paul ’ s largest black neighborhood , Rondo .
It was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1960s to build an interstate highway , I-94 .
A spokesperson for Target explained that the Lake Street Target was closed early on Wednesday out of safety concerns for its employees .
Target ’ s CEO Brian Cornwell hopes to have the Lake Street store rebuilt by the end of the year .
The store employs 200 people .
So far an assessment of the damage hasn ’ t been possible .
“ It ’ s just so hard to tell until you get the team inside and really understand the extent of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Star Tribune .
“ But we ’ ll do our very best to get the store back up and running as soon as we can , hopefully by the end of the year.
” The store ’ s 200 employees will be paid for at least two weeks and will be able to transfer to other locations .
In addition to the Target store , a Cub Foods and Aldi store that were key sources of groceries for the neighborhood have also been damaged and remain closed .
In the interim , Target @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first aid equipment , medicine , bottled water , baby formula , diapers and other essentials for the community .
Most Americans are happy to see companies support local police and law enforcement agencies in their communities .
Anarchists have no interest in building safe , livable communities .
They are absolutely shameless , destroying property and looting in broad daylight .
Their mission is to create divisions and chaos .
The riots are particularly hard to watch at this time when so many businesses and their employees are struggling to reopen after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ economy .
Now these employees , who managed to hang on to their jobs during the pandemic , face unemployment due to the violence that comes from these protests .

One question that arose during the non-stop weekend coverage of the chaos and mayhem created by rioters and looters was why are they focusing on Target stores? It’s not just happening in Minneapolis, the city of the company’s headquarters, but in other cities, too. There may be a reason – there’s a history here.
Adweek has an interesting piece on why Target is being, well, targeted by the anarchists and thieves who are looting stores in the chain. It’s not a random choice. A young woman aired grievances via a Twitter thread explaining the corporation’s history of supporting and funding local police. I would post that Twitter thread but her account is protected now – not available to be seen by the public. I assume she started receiving blowback and didn’t want the negative attention.
Minneapolis is the epicenter of Target branding. Target’s Bull Terrier mascot is seen when the Twins make a home run at Target Field. Target Center is the home of the Minnesota Timberwolves and Minnesota Lynx. Target also has a history of supporting the Minneapolis Police Department. That makes the corporation an enemy in the eyes of the rioters.
In 2004, Target donated $300,000 to the city’s police department to set up surveillance cameras throughout downtown Minneapolis—reportedly covering a roughly 40-block radius—as part of its SafeZone Collaborative program. It later evolved into a nonprofit called the Downtown Improvement District, and while it no longer relies on Target’s donations, Target still supports and hosts initiatives with police (like its decade-long Heroes and Helpers program). In 2011, Target established a forensics crime lab at its campus in Brooklyn Park, Minn., which creates high-resolution images from surveillance data collected by cameras. Minneapolis police told MPR News in 2011 that they don’t use Target’s forensic services often, but they sometimes do (free of charge).
To state the obvious, anarchists and the far left don’t support the police. In their backward world, the people paid to protect and serve are the bad guys.
Did you know that in 2004 Target spent 300k on cameras in downtown #Minneapolis to help MPD terrorize black + brown community members? And that Target actively funds the lie that cops exist to “protect communities”? pic.twitter.com/uQIKxumOX9 — Denise 🌾 (@denisecheeseman) May 28, 2020
A $2.8 million hiring discrimination complaint filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) was settled with Target in 2015. According to the EEOC, the corporation used three employee assessments in the application process that disproportionally kicked out applicants based on race, gender and ability.
Another layer added to the discontent of the rioters and looters is the claim that the Lake Street store that received so much social media attention last week was refusing to sell rioters supplies to help those affected by chemical sprays used by law enforcement. Items like milk and baking soda are used by those who are sprayed or are exposed to chemical irritants. There is video from a St. Paul resident that contradicts that alleged grievance, though.
Protesters got milk from the target across the street from the MPLS Police station to help people who got caught in tear gas #GeorgeFloyd pic.twitter.com/kFprOvn6Zu — Say-Zar (@SupremeCesarr) May 27, 2020
The Target on Lake Street, a major commercial corridor, is in front of the 3rd Precinct police station that protesters overtook and burned down on Thursday night. Target was cleaned out by looters.
The Midway location of a Target store is thought to have been targeted because of its location in what was once St. Paul’s largest black neighborhood, Rondo. It was disrupted by developers in the 1950s and 1960s to build an interstate highway, I-94.
A spokesperson for Target explained that the Lake Street Target was closed early on Wednesday out of safety concerns for its employees.
“We are heartbroken by the death of George Floyd and the pain it is causing our community,” Target spokeswoman Danielle Schumann told Business Insider in a statement. “We decided to close our Lake Street store earlier today and worked to ensure all of our team members were accounted for and safe. Our focus will remain on our team members’ safety and helping our community heal. Until further notice, our store will remain closed.”
Target’s CEO Brian Cornwell hopes to have the Lake Street store rebuilt by the end of the year. The store employs 200 people. So far an assessment of the damage hasn’t been possible.
“It’s just so hard to tell until you get the team inside and really understand the extent of the damages,” he told the Star Tribune. “But we’ll do our very best to get the store back up and running as soon as we can, hopefully by the end of the year.” The store’s 200 employees will be paid for at least two weeks and will be able to transfer to other locations. In addition to the Target store, a Cub Foods and Aldi store that were key sources of groceries for the neighborhood have also been damaged and remain closed. In the interim, Target is working with local nonprofits to provide first aid equipment, medicine, bottled water, baby formula, diapers and other essentials for the community.
Most Americans are happy to see companies support local police and law enforcement agencies in their communities. Anarchists have no interest in building safe, livable communities. They are absolutely shameless, destroying property and looting in broad daylight. Their mission is to create divisions and chaos. The riots are particularly hard to watch at this time when so many businesses and their employees are struggling to reopen after the coronavirus pandemic shut down the national economy. Now these employees, who managed to hang on to their jobs during the pandemic, face unemployment due to the violence that comes from these protests.