hotair--2020-07-02--Mystery deepens: Third Iran fire in a week damages centrifuge facility

My , but Iran must have a lot of defective “ industrial gas tanks ” lying around .
A week after Iranian officials tried to explain away a massive explosion at Parchin as a civilian-area accident , a large fire at Natanz might prove more difficult to dismiss .
Natanz , like Parchin , is a site where the US alleges that Iran has performed work on their nuclear-weapons program , and experts believe that uranium-enriching centrifuge work might have been the target this time : Iran says there has been an “ incident ” at one of its nuclear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( AEOI ) spokesman Behrouz Kamalvandi did not give details of what happened at the Natanz uranium enrichment plant .
But he said the incident took place in a building that was under construction , and that there were no casualties or concerns about contamination .
The governor of Natanz city was later quoted by Tasnim news agency as describing the incident as a fire .
Don ’ t be so sure that it didn ’ t involve the underground centrifuge operation , experts tell the Associated Press : U.S.-based analysts have told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fire at an Iran nuclear site struck a new centrifuge production facility .
… Two analysts say they believe the fire struck the production , based on a photo released by Iran , the site of the fire and satellite images .
They are Fabian Hinz , a researcher at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies in Monterey , California , and David Albright of the Institute for Science and International Security .
Both study Iran .
Even without knowing for sure what damage took @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week make for quite a coincidence .
Er , make that three , according to the count at the Jerusalem Post : Three mysterious incidents , linked by explosions – at least two of them at secretive nuclear and weapons facilities – have rocked Iran in the past week .
All three have been reported by Iranian media with various excuses about how they are less serious than they appear , that they are being investigated and that there is no major story to tell .
On June 25 , a massive explosion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , burned a hillside near a missile complex at Khojir .
On June 30 , a medical center suffered a fire in Tehran , killing at least 18 people .
And on July 2 , an incident at Iran ’ s Natanz enrichment facility was mentioned by the country ’ s official media , without elaboration .
Officials claimed that only a shed was damaged .
In each case , officials appeared to try to get ahead of the story by obfuscating about the seriousness of the incident or why it took place @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to key questions about why so many explosions or incidents have affected key aspects of Iran ’ s military-industrial complex .
Rumors posted on social media and elsewhere online have suggested not only a cover up but also allegations of a “ cyber ” attack or other concerns about how these incidents unfolded .
Iran alleged a cyber attack harmed Shahid Rajaee port in May , in the wake of an Iranian cyber attack on Israel .
The medical-center fire is an intriguing addition to this list .
How did a fire at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people ?
That raises some questions about what kind of medicine took place there , or perhaps more to the point , what precisely was being researched .
Was it part of “ Iran ’ s military-industrial complex , ” or maybe more precisely , a more significant part of it than otherwise thought ?
These could still be simply coincidences , but that ’ s not how it looks , and the official response from Iran is even more suspicious .
Normally the mullahs would blame everything right up to bad weather @ @ @ @ @ @ @ alone anything that impacts their weapons or missile systems .
Instead , Tehran has gone out of their way to deny that anything other than accidents are in play in these three fires/explosions .
That in itself should raise eyebrows .
Keep an eye out for further “ coincidences.
” Iranians in the streets didn ’ t buy the industrial gas tank explanation for Parchin , and they ’ re not going to buy this explanation for Natanz , either .
One has to wonder whether these are the results of external actors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new campaign from internal groups hoping to undermine the regime and its Revolutionary Guard .
If that ’ s the case , the “ coincidences ” might not be finished yet .

My, but Iran must have a lot of defective “industrial gas tanks” lying around. A week after Iranian officials tried to explain away a massive explosion at Parchin as a civilian-area accident, a large fire at Natanz might prove more difficult to dismiss. Natanz, like Parchin, is a site where the US alleges that Iran has performed work on their nuclear-weapons program, and experts believe that uranium-enriching centrifuge work might have been the target this time:
Iran says there has been an “incident” at one of its nuclear facilities. Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran (AEOI) spokesman Behrouz Kamalvandi did not give details of what happened at the Natanz uranium enrichment plant. But he said the incident took place in a building that was under construction, and that there were no casualties or concerns about contamination. The governor of Natanz city was later quoted by Tasnim news agency as describing the incident as a fire.
Don’t be so sure that it didn’t involve the underground centrifuge operation, experts tell the Associated Press:
U.S.-based analysts have told The Associated Press that they believe a fire at an Iran nuclear site struck a new centrifuge production facility. … Two analysts say they believe the fire struck the production, based on a photo released by Iran, the site of the fire and satellite images. They are Fabian Hinz, a researcher at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies in Monterey, California, and David Albright of the Institute for Science and International Security. Both study Iran.
Even without knowing for sure what damage took place, the two explosions/fires in a week make for quite a coincidence. Er, make that three, according to the count at the Jerusalem Post:
Three mysterious incidents, linked by explosions – at least two of them at secretive nuclear and weapons facilities – have rocked Iran in the past week. All three have been reported by Iranian media with various excuses about how they are less serious than they appear, that they are being investigated and that there is no major story to tell. On June 25, a massive explosion, seen many miles away in Tehran, burned a hillside near a missile complex at Khojir. On June 30, a medical center suffered a fire in Tehran, killing at least 18 people. And on July 2, an incident at Iran’s Natanz enrichment facility was mentioned by the country’s official media, without elaboration. Officials claimed that only a shed was damaged. In each case, officials appeared to try to get ahead of the story by obfuscating about the seriousness of the incident or why it took place at a sensitive facility. This leads to key questions about why so many explosions or incidents have affected key aspects of Iran’s military-industrial complex. Rumors posted on social media and elsewhere online have suggested not only a cover up but also allegations of a “cyber” attack or other concerns about how these incidents unfolded. Iran alleged a cyber attack harmed Shahid Rajaee port in May, in the wake of an Iranian cyber attack on Israel.
The medical-center fire is an intriguing addition to this list. How did a fire at a medical center end up killing 18 people? That raises some questions about what kind of medicine took place there, or perhaps more to the point, what precisely was being researched. Was it part of “Iran’s military-industrial complex,” or maybe more precisely, a more significant part of it than otherwise thought?
These could still be simply coincidences, but that’s not how it looks, and the official response from Iran is even more suspicious. Normally the mullahs would blame everything right up to bad weather on the US and/or Israel, let alone anything that impacts their weapons or missile systems. Instead, Tehran has gone out of their way to deny that anything other than accidents are in play in these three fires/explosions. That in itself should raise eyebrows.
Keep an eye out for further “coincidences.” Iranians in the streets didn’t buy the industrial gas tank explanation for Parchin, and they’re not going to buy this explanation for Natanz, either. One has to wonder whether these are the results of external actors, or whether this might be a new campaign from internal groups hoping to undermine the regime and its Revolutionary Guard. If that’s the case, the “coincidences” might not be finished yet.


hotair--2020-07-02--WHO quietly admits China didn't self-report the coronavirus as initially claimed

Today the Washington Free Beacon points out that the World Health Organization has updated its official timeline of the coronavirus outbreak to make clear that China did not self-report the existence of the virus to WHO in December .
Here ’ s what the old timeline claimed : The revised version of the timeline makes clear that WHO wasn ’ t informed by China directly .
Instead , the virus first came to the attention of WHO when officials noticed Chinese media reports about a “ viral pneumonia ” outbreak : WHO ’ s Country Office in the People ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ media statement by the Wuhan Municipal Health Commission from their website on cases of ‘ viral pneumonia ’ in Wuhan , People ’ s Republic of China .
The Country Office notified the International Health Regulations ( IHR ) focal point in the WHO Western Pacific Regional Office about the Wuhan Municipal Health Commission media statement of the cases and provided a translation of it .
WHO ’ s Epidemic Intelligence from Open Sources ( EIOS ) platform also picked up a media report on ProMED ( a programme of the International Society @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cluster of cases of “ pneumonia of unknown cause ” , in Wuhan .
Several health authorities from around the world contacted WHO seeking additional information .
The new timeline also indicates that WHO made two separate requests to Chinese officials for more information .
They finally got a response three days later .
But the initial version of the timeline , in which China proactively notified WHO , was repeated by news outlets such as CNN as well as promoted by Chinese state-run outlets for weeks .
Rep. Michael McCaul who sits @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Free Beacon in a statement , “ I ’ m glad to see the WHO and the Chinese Communist Party have both read my interim report on the origins of the pandemic and are finally admitting to the world the truth—the CCP never reported the virus outbreak to the WHO in violation of WHO regulation.
” Rep. McCaul is referring to an interim congressional report published last month which the Free Beacon says was first to reveal how the virus really came to the attention of WHO .
The update of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , more than two months after WHO published the original timeline .
On Tuesday , Director General Tedros marked six months since “ WHO received the first reports of a cluster of cases of pneumonia of unknown cause in China.
” He was careful not to say six months since China notified WHO .

Today the Washington Free Beacon points out that the World Health Organization has updated its official timeline of the coronavirus outbreak to make clear that China did not self-report the existence of the virus to WHO in December. Here’s what the old timeline claimed:
31 Dec 2019 Wuhan Municipal Health Commission, China, reported a cluster of cases of pneumonia in Wuhan, Hubei Province. A novel coronavirus was eventually identified.
The revised version of the timeline makes clear that WHO wasn’t informed by China directly. Instead, the virus first came to the attention of WHO when officials noticed Chinese media reports about a “viral pneumonia” outbreak:
31 Dec 2019 WHO’s Country Office in the People’s Republic of China picked up a media statement by the Wuhan Municipal Health Commission from their website on cases of ‘viral pneumonia’ in Wuhan, People’s Republic of China. The Country Office notified the International Health Regulations (IHR) focal point in the WHO Western Pacific Regional Office about the Wuhan Municipal Health Commission media statement of the cases and provided a translation of it. WHO’s Epidemic Intelligence from Open Sources (EIOS) platform also picked up a media report on ProMED (a programme of the International Society for Infectious Diseases) about the same cluster of cases of “pneumonia of unknown cause”, in Wuhan. Several health authorities from around the world contacted WHO seeking additional information.
The new timeline also indicates that WHO made two separate requests to Chinese officials for more information. They finally got a response three days later. But the initial version of the timeline, in which China proactively notified WHO, was repeated by news outlets such as CNN as well as promoted by Chinese state-run outlets for weeks.
Rep. Michael McCaul who sits on the House Foreign Affairs Committee told the Free Beacon in a statement, “I’m glad to see the WHO and the Chinese Communist Party have both read my interim report on the origins of the pandemic and are finally admitting to the world the truth—the CCP never reported the virus outbreak to the WHO in violation of WHO regulation.” Rep. McCaul is referring to an interim congressional report published last month which the Free Beacon says was first to reveal how the virus really came to the attention of WHO.
McCaul’s report makes clear that WHO director general Adhanom parroted China’s claim about self-reporting the virus. “Director General Tedros actively engaged in an effort to defend the CCP’s leadership from criticism, negatively impacting the world’s understanding of the virus and hampering the global response effort,” the report concluded.
The update of the timeline was made Monday of this week, more than two months after WHO published the original timeline. On Tuesday, Director General Tedros marked six months since “WHO received the first reports of a cluster of cases of pneumonia of unknown cause in China.” He was careful not to say six months since China notified WHO.


hotair--2020-07-02--Today's hot topics on #TEMS: Ghislaine caught, job jackpot, Trump/Biden knot, CHAZ swat, and more!

Today on The Ed Morrissey Show ( 4 pm ET ) , we have another great lineup for the news of the day !
The show will be streamed on Hot Air ’ s Facebook page and embedded here and on the show page for those who are not on Facebook .
Join us as we welcome : • Andrew Malcolm joins us for Tuesdays with Andrew !
The Prince of Twitter and I will discuss all of the hot political stories of the day .
The Trump and Biden campaigns had big fundraising numbers for June , but Andrew @ @ @ @ @ @ @ too .
We ’ ll also talk about the big news in the Ghislaine Maxwell/Jeffrey Epstein case , the massive jobs numbers and some reason for caution within them , and what comes next in the COVID-19 fight .
• Jeff Dunetz joins us to talk about the Israeli plan to annex parts of the West Bank , and why that may be on hold , plus we ’ ll also review the Jenny Durkan/Kshama Sawant grudge match in Seattle .
What exactly led to the deconstruction of CHAZ/CHOP ?
The Ed Morrissey @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seen on the permanent TEMS page .
Be sure to join us , and don ’ t forget to keep up with the debate on my Facebook page , too !
How can Republicans and conservatives keep the momentum going ?
Find out in GOING RED , published in April from Crown Forum !

Today on The Ed Morrissey Show (4 pm ET), we have another great lineup for the news of the day! The show will be streamed on Hot Air’s Facebook page and embedded here and on the show page for those who are not on Facebook.
Join us as we welcome:
Andrew Malcolm joins us for Tuesdays with Andrew! The Prince of Twitter and I will discuss all of the hot political stories of the day. The Trump and Biden campaigns had big fundraising numbers for June, but Andrew writes that both have their struggles, too. We’ll also talk about the big news in the Ghislaine Maxwell/Jeffrey Epstein case, the massive jobs numbers and some reason for caution within them, and what comes next in the COVID-19 fight.
Jeff Dunetz joins us to talk about the Israeli plan to annex parts of the West Bank, and why that may be on hold, plus we’ll also review the Jenny Durkan/Kshama Sawant grudge match in Seattle. What exactly led to the deconstruction of CHAZ/CHOP?
The Ed Morrissey Show and its dynamic chatroom can be seen on the permanent TEMS page. Be sure to join us, and don’t forget to keep up with the debate on my Facebook page, too!
How can Republicans and conservatives keep the momentum going? Find out in GOING RED, published in April from Crown Forum!


hotair--2020-07-02--Pitchfork wielding protesters come for Mike Bloomberg in the Hamptons

The angry mob descended upon the Hamptons on Wednesday .
Rolling in on what was described as “ a caravan of protesters ” , the protesters paid a visit to some of the world ’ s richest people .
On the top of their list was the former presidential candidate and New York City billionaire Michael Bloomberg .
Some of the protesters were carrying plastic pitchforks , for added effect .
This is a developing trend now , though .
The protesters are marching into residential areas , not just limiting their demonstrations to downtown areas of large cities .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ trend made headlines – in Beverly Hills , California and in St. Louis , Missouri .
These are wealthy neighborhoods , home to movers and shakers , and the Hampton ’ s location was chosen for the same reason .
These communities are the perfect place for the demonstrators ’ “ Eat the Rich ” sloganeering .
It was all fun and games when protesters were causing a ruckus outside Republican lawmakers ’ homes and running Trump administration officials out of restaurants and movie theatres but now the Marxist left is turning on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drivers and about 200 protesters marched to Bloomberg ’ s $ 20M Southhampton mansion .
Some came from New York City .
They were angry about Governor Cuomo ’ s proposed 20 % cut in state funding from schools , hospitals , and housing agencies .
Instead of those cuts , the protesters demand that the state ’ s 118 billionaires make up for the steep revenue shortfall brought on by the coronavirus pandemic .
They chanted “ Tax the rich , not the poor !
” No points for creativity .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ raising taxes on billionaires , providing relief to taxi medallion owners , and recent proposed cuts to the New York state budget caused by a revenue shortfall tied to the pandemic .
“ Enough is enough — it ’ s time for New York State to raise taxes on the rich instead of cutting services for working people , ” said Alicé Nascimento , director of policy & research , New York Communities for Change , one of the organizers .
Members of the Shinnecock Indian Nation and the New York Taxi Workers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The homes of Blackstone CEO Steven Schwarzman , and real estate developer Stephen Ross were also paid a visit by the protesters .
The inclusion of the New York Taxi Workers Alliance , with about 40 medallion cabs taking part , seems to me as an interesting addition to the pitchfork-welding mob .
Times were tough for many of them before the pandemic shut down the city and then the shut down exacerbated their financial troubles .
At one point , they chanted , “ No more suicides .
No more bankruptcies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ too , voicing their grievances .
Members of the Shinnecock Indian Nation also took part in the protest , including Rebecca Genia , who said in a statement that “ Billionaires take our land to build golf courses and mansions , profit from the ravages of coronavirus , and exploit our labor.
” “ It ’ s clear the real looters in New York are billionaires — and it ’ s time to make them pay their fair share so we can all thrive.
” “ Billionaires are experts in social distancing , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They ’ ve chosen to live in their own world and are separate from realities of everyday people and the people whose lives they have a tremendous impact on.
” Taking the protest to the wealthy enclave shows that “ We are here .
We are affected and not going to stand down .
We ’ re going to make sure our voices are heard.
” Members of the Shinnecock Indian Nation are particularly angry with Bloomberg , citing remarks he made about them during his presidential campaign .
Jennifer E. Cuffee-Wilson , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that she was discouraged by Bloomberg ’ s disparaging remarks about the Shinnecock Nation during his short lived presidential run .
‘ There is a Native American tribe right near where I live , the Shinnecock Nation .
It is just a disaster , ’ Bloomberg told attendees at a rally in March .
‘ There ’ s all sorts of problems… I will help them as well , because we just can ’ t have a group where there ’ s all the domestic violence and drugs and alcoholism .
We ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cuffee-Wilson said she can no longer stand the blatant disrespect .
‘ We ’ ve been dealing with this since 1492 , ’ said Cuffee-Wilson .
‘ I ’ m done with your lies , your totally disrespecting us .
You have shown us absolutely no respect whatsoever.
’ Margo ThunderBird of the Shinnecock tribe had just one message for Bloomberg : ‘ His rent is due.
’ A popular theme during the Democrat primary was that the next president and Congress must raise taxes on the millionaires and billionaires .
Bernie Sanders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ promoted the narrative that billionaires pay taxes at a lesser rate than less wealthy Americans , specifically those in the middle to lower economic class .
And , of course , Elizabeth Warren has the idea that there should now be a “ wealth tax ” on billionaires to finance all of the far left ’ s fever dreams , like the Green New Deal , free college tuition , eliminating student debt , and the list goes on .
Just wait until the mob hears Joe Biden wax poetically about raising taxes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ No one is safe from his tax revenue-grabbing ideas , especially the working-class people who benefited from President Trump ’ s tax cuts earlier in his administration .
The tax-the-rich demands are standard procedure for the left .
Joe Biden is following along , offering no new ideas of his own .

The angry mob descended upon the Hamptons on Wednesday. Rolling in on what was described as “a caravan of protesters”, the protesters paid a visit to some of the world’s richest people. On the top of their list was the former presidential candidate and New York City billionaire Michael Bloomberg.
Some of the protesters were carrying plastic pitchforks, for added effect. This is a developing trend now, though. The protesters are marching into residential areas, not just limiting their demonstrations to downtown areas of large cities. Recently, two specific examples of this trend made headlines – in Beverly Hills, California and in St. Louis, Missouri. These are wealthy neighborhoods, home to movers and shakers, and the Hampton’s location was chosen for the same reason. These communities are the perfect place for the demonstrators’ “Eat the Rich” sloganeering. It was all fun and games when protesters were causing a ruckus outside Republican lawmakers’ homes and running Trump administration officials out of restaurants and movie theatres but now the Marxist left is turning on its own.
More than 100 taxi drivers and about 200 protesters marched to Bloomberg’s $20M Southhampton mansion. Some came from New York City. They were angry about Governor Cuomo’s proposed 20% cut in state funding from schools, hospitals, and housing agencies. Instead of those cuts, the protesters demand that the state’s 118 billionaires make up for the steep revenue shortfall brought on by the coronavirus pandemic. They chanted “Tax the rich, not the poor!” No points for creativity.
The protest groups had disprarate demands, including raising taxes on billionaires, providing relief to taxi medallion owners, and recent proposed cuts to the New York state budget caused by a revenue shortfall tied to the pandemic. “Enough is enough — it’s time for New York State to raise taxes on the rich instead of cutting services for working people,” said Alicé Nascimento, director of policy & research, New York Communities for Change, one of the organizers. Members of the Shinnecock Indian Nation and the New York Taxi Workers Alliance were part of the group protesting.
The homes of Blackstone CEO Steven Schwarzman, and real estate developer Stephen Ross were also paid a visit by the protesters.
The inclusion of the New York Taxi Workers Alliance, with about 40 medallion cabs taking part, seems to me as an interesting addition to the pitchfork-welding mob. Times were tough for many of them before the pandemic shut down the city and then the shut down exacerbated their financial troubles. At one point, they chanted, “No more suicides. No more bankruptcies”. Native Americans joined in, too, voicing their grievances.
Members of the Shinnecock Indian Nation also took part in the protest, including Rebecca Genia, who said in a statement that “Billionaires take our land to build golf courses and mansions, profit from the ravages of coronavirus, and exploit our labor.” “It’s clear the real looters in New York are billionaires — and it’s time to make them pay their fair share so we can all thrive.” “Billionaires are experts in social distancing,” Nascimento told The Post. “They’ve chosen to live in their own world and are separate from realities of everyday people and the people whose lives they have a tremendous impact on.” Taking the protest to the wealthy enclave shows that “We are here. We are affected and not going to stand down. We’re going to make sure our voices are heard.”
Members of the Shinnecock Indian Nation are particularly angry with Bloomberg, citing remarks he made about them during his presidential campaign.
Jennifer E. Cuffee-Wilson, a Shinnecock tribe member, told Newsday that she was discouraged by Bloomberg’s disparaging remarks about the Shinnecock Nation during his short lived presidential run. ‘There is a Native American tribe right near where I live, the Shinnecock Nation. It is just a disaster,’ Bloomberg told attendees at a rally in March. ‘There’s all sorts of problems… I will help them as well, because we just can’t have a group where there’s all the domestic violence and drugs and alcoholism. We’ve just got to do something.’ Cuffee-Wilson said she can no longer stand the blatant disrespect. ‘We’ve been dealing with this since 1492,’ said Cuffee-Wilson. ‘I’m done with your lies, your totally disrespecting us. You have shown us absolutely no respect whatsoever.’ Margo ThunderBird of the Shinnecock tribe had just one message for Bloomberg: ‘His rent is due.’
A popular theme during the Democrat primary was that the next president and Congress must raise taxes on the millionaires and billionaires. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, in particular, promoted the narrative that billionaires pay taxes at a lesser rate than less wealthy Americans, specifically those in the middle to lower economic class. And, of course, Elizabeth Warren has the idea that there should now be a “wealth tax” on billionaires to finance all of the far left’s fever dreams, like the Green New Deal, free college tuition, eliminating student debt, and the list goes on.
Just wait until the mob hears Joe Biden wax poetically about raising taxes, including on the middle class. No one is safe from his tax revenue-grabbing ideas, especially the working-class people who benefited from President Trump’s tax cuts earlier in his administration. The tax-the-rich demands are standard procedure for the left. Joe Biden is following along, offering no new ideas of his own.


hotair--2020-07-02--Feds arrest Antifa supporter who helped direct failed attempt to pull down Andrew Jackson statue

Last week a well-organized group of protesters attempted to pull down a statue of Andrew Jackson in Lafayette Square .
That attempt failed after police pushed their way through a line of protesters and protected the statue .
Today , one of the ringleaders of the operation was arrested by the feds : Law enforcement sources tell Fox News that Jason Charter was arrested at his residence Thursday morning , without incident , and charged with destruction of federal property .
He was arrested by the FBI and U.S. Park Police as part of a joint task force .
These @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Antifa and was in a leadership role on the night of June 22 when a large group of protesters tried to pull down the statue .
“ They were very organized , ” a federal law enforcement official said .
“ Charter was on top of the statue and directing people … they had acid , chisels , straps and a human chain preventing police from getting to the statue.
” The FBI ’ s criminal complaint against Charter attaches screengrabs of local news videos and says Charter “ is plainly visible in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pike Statue and the Jackson Statue , carrying the same Swiss Gear logo backpack , bicycle helmet , walking cane , and armband.
” Charter is active on Twitter and clearly identifies himself as Antifa : He ’ s also been clear where he stands on tearing down statues .
This tweet in particular is mentioned in the criminal complaint : That image appears to come from the tearing down of a statue of Confederate general Albert Pike .
As you can see in this clip , after pulling it down , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ addition to tearing down statues , Charter was recently filmed confronting a reporter for the Daily Caller : Charter isn ’ t the only person charged in connection with the attempt to tear down the statue of Jackson .
On Saturday the DOJ announced charges against four other men : Lee Michael Cantrell , 47 , of Virginia ; Connor Matthew Judd , 20 , of Washington , D.C. ; Ryan Lane , 37 , of Maryland ; and Graham Lloyd , 37 , of Maine , were all charged in a criminal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ property , ” according to the Justice Department ( DOJ ) … The complaint , which was unsealed Saturday , states that on June 22 , the four men participated in damaging the statue alongside other rioters , while also being captured on video “ attempting to pry the statue off its base with a wooden board and trying to pull the statue down with the aid of a yellow strap , ” the DOJ said .
It also claims there is video evidence showing “ Lloyd as he breaks off and destroys @ @ @ @ @ @ @ base of the statue .
Lloyd is then captured on video pulling on ropes in an effort to topple the statue and handing a hammer to an unidentified individual involved in the incident , ” according to the department .
Charter is expected to make his first appearance before a judge today .
Here ’ s video of the failed attempt to pull down the Jackson statue .

Last week a well-organized group of protesters attempted to pull down a statue of Andrew Jackson in Lafayette Square. That attempt failed after police pushed their way through a line of protesters and protected the statue. Today, one of the ringleaders of the operation was arrested by the feds:
Law enforcement sources tell Fox News that Jason Charter was arrested at his residence Thursday morning, without incident, and charged with destruction of federal property. He was arrested by the FBI and U.S. Park Police as part of a joint task force. These sources add that Charter has connections to Antifa and was in a leadership role on the night of June 22 when a large group of protesters tried to pull down the statue. “They were very organized,” a federal law enforcement official said. “Charter was on top of the statue and directing people … they had acid, chisels, straps and a human chain preventing police from getting to the statue.” The FBI’s criminal complaint against Charter attaches screengrabs of local news videos and says Charter “is plainly visible in footage from the destruction of both the Pike Statue and the Jackson Statue, carrying the same Swiss Gear logo backpack, bicycle helmet, walking cane, and armband.”
Charter is active on Twitter and clearly identifies himself as Antifa:
He’s also been clear where he stands on tearing down statues. This tweet in particular is mentioned in the criminal complaint:
Tearing down statues of traitors to the nation is a service to this nation not a crime. #TearThemDown pic.twitter.com/bPti1Txoyg — Jason Charter (@JasonRCharter) June 20, 2020
That image appears to come from the tearing down of a statue of Confederate general Albert Pike. As you can see in this clip, after pulling it down, the protesters set it on fire:
In addition to tearing down statues, Charter was recently filmed confronting a reporter for the Daily Caller:
I actually wanted him ejected for being an agitator. But good job only getting part of the story. An editor from the caller later had him removed from the protest. — Jason Charter (@JasonRCharter) June 27, 2020
Charter isn’t the only person charged in connection with the attempt to tear down the statue of Jackson. On Saturday the DOJ announced charges against four other men:
Lee Michael Cantrell, 47, of Virginia; Connor Matthew Judd, 20, of Washington, D.C.; Ryan Lane, 37, of Maryland; and Graham Lloyd, 37, of Maine, were all charged in a criminal complaint Friday with “destruction of federal property,” according to the Justice Department (DOJ)… The complaint, which was unsealed Saturday, states that on June 22, the four men participated in damaging the statue alongside other rioters, while also being captured on video “attempting to pry the statue off its base with a wooden board and trying to pull the statue down with the aid of a yellow strap,” the DOJ said. It also claims there is video evidence showing “Lloyd as he breaks off and destroys the wheels of cannons located at the base of the statue. Lloyd is then captured on video pulling on ropes in an effort to topple the statue and handing a hammer to an unidentified individual involved in the incident,” according to the department.
Charter is expected to make his first appearance before a judge today. Here’s video of the failed attempt to pull down the Jackson statue.


hotair--2020-07-02--Report: Alabama students threw "COVID party" and gambled on who gets sick first

Does this help solve the mystery of why America ’ s outbreak is spiraling while Europe ’ s is collapsing ?
All this time we ’ ve been hashing out theories that we reopened too soon , or that the George Floyd protests seeded outbreaks .
Maybe the explanation is simpler .
Maybe we ’ ve raised a generation of sociopaths who can ’ t be convinced to care about other people despite 24/7 messaging for months about chains of transmission .
If this is true — and that ’ s a big if — start locking people up .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ is de facto assault on the people around you .
Students in Tuscaloosa , Alabama , are reportedly throwing “ COVID parties ” with their friends and gambling on who will get sick first , according to local officials .
City council member Sonya McKinstry testified Wednesday that a series of previously reported parties were all part of a morbid game that included intentionally inviting COVID-positive students in an attempt to intentionally contract the deadly virus .
“ They put money in a pot and they try to get COVID .
Whoever gets @ @ @ @ @ @ @ makes no sense , ” she said .
The ABC report below links a party held by twentysomethings in Rockland County , New York , to the same phenomenon but the evidence that attendees were trying to get infected is thinner .
Apparently the host of the party was symptomatic ; whether people who showed up saw that and thought “ Eh , I ’ m sure it ’ s nothing ” or thought “ Sweet , I ’ m looking to catch COVID ” is unclear at the moment .
Local authorities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there and might now be at risk by interviewing attendees and tracing their contacts — but some of them won ’ t cooperate .
We ’ ve reached the point where subpoenas need to be issued to get people to help contain an outbreak before it gets rolling .
“ Why were they holding a house party at a moment like this ?
” you ask .
Good question .
Why were they ?
A better question would be , why are attendees considering doing it again ?
Quote : “ County officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people connected with the gathering were considering violating quarantine orders and holding their own parties or attending others this weekend.
” These are extreme examples of younger adults ignoring social distancing rules , obviously , but the fact remains that twentysomethings are the engine of the outbreak that ’ s exploding across the south right now .
Ask them why they ’ re taking risks when they ’ re being begged not to and some will tell you frankly that because their personal risk of death is negligible they just don ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t driving a new outbreak in Europe is a mystery to me .
Their young adults know just as well as ours do that they ’ re all but certain to survive a brush with coronavirus ( although neither cohort may fully realize how long the aftereffects can last ) .
Maybe they ’ re more diligent about mask-wearing , although it ’ s hard for me to imagine , say , French twentysomethings dutifully masked up at bars or parties .
Maybe there ’ s some enforcement mechanism in Europe that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ parties , but I can ’ t imagine what it would be .
They ’ re not surveillance states .
Unless there ’ s something happening with the virus itself in Europe , either a less infectious strain circulating or prevalence so low that people can no longer dose each other with a viral load sufficient to cause infection , one would think it has to be that young Europeans are simply more conscientious about not socializing in groups right now than young Americans are .
I mean : They ’ re putting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ social-distancing guidance out the window .
The outbreaks in the south and California seem destined now to jeopardize America ’ s nascent economic recovery : Consumers who see the risk of infection soaring are unlikely to remain consumers for long .
A debate has been ongoing since March about whether lockdown orders were truly needed to contain the initial outbreak in the U.S .
Some say yes and point to Cuomo ’ s and de Blasio ’ s delays in locking down New York as the factor that doomed that city to a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ point to various data showing that Americans across the country , including in NYC , had begun to isolate themselves in fear of the virus even before stay-at-home orders were issued .
I ’ m sympathetic to that view myself : So long as people have sound , up-to-date information on the state of the pandemic in their community , they ’ ll make rational risk assessments and alter their behavior accordingly — I think .
We ’ re now in the process of testing that theory in the highest-stakes way .
No @ @ @ @ @ @ @ amid the current wave of infections , although targeted restrictions aimed at bars and restaurants have been reimplemented .
The rise in cases , especially in the south , has received heavy media coverage .
Americans in those states know the situation .
They should be changing their behavior right now if they haven ’ t already , which means we should gradually begin seeing cases fall soon despite the lack of top-down state interventions .
If we don ’ t see that , and lockdowns need to be reinstated in order to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ll force a major rethink of my assumptions about “ rational risk assessments.
” I don ’ t where we go from there .

Does this help solve the mystery of why America’s outbreak is spiraling while Europe’s is collapsing? All this time we’ve been hashing out theories that we reopened too soon, or that the George Floyd protests seeded outbreaks.
Maybe the explanation is simpler. Maybe we’ve raised a generation of sociopaths who can’t be convinced to care about other people despite 24/7 messaging for months about chains of transmission.
If this is true — and that’s a big if — start locking people up. Intentionally turning yourself into a virus vector is de facto assault on the people around you.
Students in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, are reportedly throwing “COVID parties” with their friends and gambling on who will get sick first, according to local officials. City council member Sonya McKinstry testified Wednesday that a series of previously reported parties were all part of a morbid game that included intentionally inviting COVID-positive students in an attempt to intentionally contract the deadly virus. “They put money in a pot and they try to get COVID. Whoever gets COVID first gets the pot. It makes no sense,” she said.
The ABC report below links a party held by twentysomethings in Rockland County, New York, to the same phenomenon but the evidence that attendees were trying to get infected is thinner. Apparently the host of the party was symptomatic; whether people who showed up saw that and thought “Eh, I’m sure it’s nothing” or thought “Sweet, I’m looking to catch COVID” is unclear at the moment. Local authorities are trying to find out who was there and might now be at risk by interviewing attendees and tracing their contacts — but some of them won’t cooperate. We’ve reached the point where subpoenas need to be issued to get people to help contain an outbreak before it gets rolling.
Alabama state officials confirm that a group of college students took bets on and intentionally spread COVID-19, and at least 8 cases are linked to a house party in a New York City suburb. @ErielleReshef has the story. https://t.co/JtjzaCVAoG pic.twitter.com/RzLtQA8N2r — Good Morning America (@GMA) July 2, 2020
“Why were they holding a house party at a moment like this?” you ask. Good question. Why were they? A better question would be, why are attendees considering doing it again? Quote: “County officials also are aware that some of the people connected with the gathering were considering violating quarantine orders and holding their own parties or attending others this weekend.”
These are extreme examples of younger adults ignoring social distancing rules, obviously, but the fact remains that twentysomethings are the engine of the outbreak that’s exploding across the south right now. Ask them why they’re taking risks when they’re being begged not to and some will tell you frankly that because their personal risk of death is negligible they just don’t care. Why the same logic isn’t driving a new outbreak in Europe is a mystery to me. Their young adults know just as well as ours do that they’re all but certain to survive a brush with coronavirus (although neither cohort may fully realize how long the aftereffects can last). Maybe they’re more diligent about mask-wearing, although it’s hard for me to imagine, say, French twentysomethings dutifully masked up at bars or parties. Maybe there’s some enforcement mechanism in Europe that’s making it harder to host parties, but I can’t imagine what it would be. They’re not surveillance states.
Unless there’s something happening with the virus itself in Europe, either a less infectious strain circulating or prevalence so low that people can no longer dose each other with a viral load sufficient to cause infection, one would think it has to be that young Europeans are simply more conscientious about not socializing in groups right now than young Americans are. I mean:
With a population of 21 million, Florida announced 10,109 new covid cases today. With a combined population of 2.6 billion, China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Australia, and the European Union are averaging 6,760 new cases. pic.twitter.com/B5zHka3oNn — Matt O'Brien (@ObsoleteDogma) July 2, 2020
They’re putting more than lives at risk by tossing social-distancing guidance out the window. The outbreaks in the south and California seem destined now to jeopardize America’s nascent economic recovery:
Consumers who see the risk of infection soaring are unlikely to remain consumers for long.
A debate has been ongoing since March about whether lockdown orders were truly needed to contain the initial outbreak in the U.S. Some say yes and point to Cuomo’s and de Blasio’s delays in locking down New York as the factor that doomed that city to a ferocious epidemic. Others say no and point to various data showing that Americans across the country, including in NYC, had begun to isolate themselves in fear of the virus even before stay-at-home orders were issued. I’m sympathetic to that view myself: So long as people have sound, up-to-date information on the state of the pandemic in their community, they’ll make rational risk assessments and alter their behavior accordingly — I think. We’re now in the process of testing that theory in the highest-stakes way. No state has reverted to a full lockdown amid the current wave of infections, although targeted restrictions aimed at bars and restaurants have been reimplemented. The rise in cases, especially in the south, has received heavy media coverage. Americans in those states know the situation. They should be changing their behavior right now if they haven’t already, which means we should gradually begin seeing cases fall soon despite the lack of top-down state interventions. If we don’t see that, and lockdowns need to be reinstated in order to keep hospitals from being overwhelmed, that’ll force a major rethink of my assumptions about “rational risk assessments.” I don’t where we go from there.


hotair--2020-07-02--NY lawyers who torched a police car with a Molotov cocktail are out on bail

Urooj Rahman and Colinford Mattis are the two lawyers from New York who made Molotov cocktails and drove around in a minivan looking to hand them out to protesters .
At one point , Rahman got out of the van and threw one at the dashboard of an NYPD vehicle .
No one was inside and no one was injured but the car was destroyed .
The whole thing was caught on video making it pretty much an open and shut case .
For several weeks Rahman and Mattis , through their attorney , have been arguing to be released @ @ @ @ @ @ @ That ’ s the news hook but the bulk of the NPR story is an argument that , while the pair are clearly guilty of firebombing a police car , they are being treated too harshly by the feds : The police say it is an open-and-shut case — a camera outside the 88th Precinct caught the entire episode ; and , if that ’ s true , it is compelling evidence against Rahman and Mattis .
What it doesn ’ t explain , though , is why their case has been treated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — than other Molotov cocktail protester cases around the country… Prosecutors in the U.S. Attorney ’ s Office in the Eastern District of New York decided to charge Rahman and Mattis federally and the charges read like a domestic terrorism case : arson , conspiracy , use of destructive device , civil disorder , making or possessing a destructive device , and the use of explosives during a crime of violence .
That last charge alone – something called 924 ( c ) in the criminal code – carries a mandatory minimum sentence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Paul Shechtman , who represents Urooj Rahman , said he thinks federal prosecutors brought the case because they thought the local prosecutor in Brooklyn would be too lenient .
Thirty years as a minimum does seem extreme for setting a car on fire .
Many murderers don ’ t get that much time .
But there may be some strategy by the prosecutors to bring such heavy charges that the pair caves in and accepts a plea deal rather than take their chances in court .
After all , the whole thing was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a clear photo of Rahman holding a Molotov out of the window of the van ( above ) .
Despite the open-and-shut nature of this case , a friend of Rahman argues that she shouldn ’ t be treated like an extremist : There ’ s just one problem with that claim , as NPR mentions a few paragraphs later .
About an hour before building and throwing the Molotov , Rahman was interviewed on the street explaining exactly what her state of mind was .
“ I think this protest is a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rahman said near the Barclays Center in Brooklyn around 12:15 a.m. May 30 .
“ This s–t won ’ t ever stop unless we f–kin ’ take it all down .
And that ’ s why the anger is being expressed tonight in this way , ” she said… “ This has got to stop .
And the only way they hear , the only way they hear us is through violence , through the means that they use , ” she said .
“ We ’ ve got to use the massa @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tools , that ’ s what my friend always says.
” It ’ s almost comical the way in which this undercuts her friend ’ s defense .
When you say people need to use violence to “ take it all down ” you are a radical , an anarchist and someone on the fringe .
That ’ s exactly what Rahman appears to be .
See the video below .
She ’ s not acting out of personal rage .
This was a considered and strategic action on her part .
Rahman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the charges .
Their trial is expected to start later this month .

Urooj Rahman and Colinford Mattis are the two lawyers from New York who made Molotov cocktails and drove around in a minivan looking to hand them out to protesters. At one point, Rahman got out of the van and threw one at the dashboard of an NYPD vehicle. No one was inside and no one was injured but the car was destroyed. The whole thing was caught on video making it pretty much an open and shut case. For several weeks Rahman and Mattis, through their attorney, have been arguing to be released on bail and yesterday they succeeded:
Two of the three judges decided Tuesday night to reaffirm the decision of the lower court and ordered that Rahman and Mattis be released on bail. The two walked out of the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn a few hours later, ending weeks of solitary confinement at the facility.
That’s the news hook but the bulk of the NPR story is an argument that, while the pair are clearly guilty of firebombing a police car, they are being treated too harshly by the feds:
The police say it is an open-and-shut case — a camera outside the 88th Precinct caught the entire episode; and, if that’s true, it is compelling evidence against Rahman and Mattis. What it doesn’t explain, though, is why their case has been treated so differently — so much more harshly — than other Molotov cocktail protester cases around the country… Prosecutors in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of New York decided to charge Rahman and Mattis federally and the charges read like a domestic terrorism case: arson, conspiracy, use of destructive device, civil disorder, making or possessing a destructive device, and the use of explosives during a crime of violence. That last charge alone – something called 924(c) in the criminal code – carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 30 years in prison… Defense Attorney Paul Shechtman, who represents Urooj Rahman, said he thinks federal prosecutors brought the case because they thought the local prosecutor in Brooklyn would be too lenient.
Thirty years as a minimum does seem extreme for setting a car on fire. Many murderers don’t get that much time. But there may be some strategy by the prosecutors to bring such heavy charges that the pair caves in and accepts a plea deal rather than take their chances in court. After all, the whole thing was caught on video. There’s a clear photo of Rahman holding a Molotov out of the window of the van (above).
Despite the open-and-shut nature of this case, a friend of Rahman argues that she shouldn’t be treated like an extremist:
“She’s not a radical,” her friend Salmah Rizvi said. “She believes in our system. She’s not an anarchist or somebody on the fringe who is disconnected. No, she is quite the opposite.”
There’s just one problem with that claim, as NPR mentions a few paragraphs later. About an hour before building and throwing the Molotov, Rahman was interviewed on the street explaining exactly what her state of mind was.
“I think this protest is a long time coming,” lawyer Urooj Rahman said near the Barclays Center in Brooklyn around 12:15 a.m. May 30. “This s–t won’t ever stop unless we f–kin’ take it all down. And that’s why the anger is being expressed tonight in this way,” she said… “This has got to stop. And the only way they hear, the only way they hear us is through violence, through the means that they use,” she said. “We’ve got to use the massa’s [master’s] tools, that’s what my friend always says.”
It’s almost comical the way in which this undercuts her friend’s defense. When you say people need to use violence to “take it all down” you are a radical, an anarchist and someone on the fringe. That’s exactly what Rahman appears to be. See the video below. She’s not acting out of personal rage. This was a considered and strategic action on her part.
Rahman and Mattis have both pleaded not guilty to the charges. Their trial is expected to start later this month.


hotair--2020-07-02--Checkmate? SCOTUS locks up Mueller grand-jury testimony until 2021 ... at earliest

Access delayed is pretty much access denied , and that doesn ’ t just benefit Donald Trump .
The Supreme Court granted cert in the Department of Justice ’ s battle to keep grand-jury testimony from Robert Mueller ’ s special counsel investigation sealed , which means the court won ’ t take up the case until October at the earliest .
That ’ s bad news for House Democrats who wanted to use the material in the election , but it ’ s also a smart move for the Supreme Court itself : The Supreme Court is denying Congress @ @ @ @ @ @ @ special counsel Robert Mueller ’ s Russia investigation through the November election .
The justices agreed on Thursday to hear the Trump administration ’ s appeal of a lower court order for the material to be turned over to the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives .
The high court ’ s action will keep the documents out of congressional hands at least until the case is resolved , which is not likely to happen before 2021 .
It hardly comes as a surprise to see the Supreme Court take this case .
It requires @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two federal branches , a role traditionally suited for the top court to decide .
In this case , it also concerns competing judicial interests , with grand jury processes a necessary bulwark against prosecutorial overreach — even if not a terribly strong bulwark .
A case involving an extraordinary prosecution that ended up flopping and the clearly political interest in its minutiae makes it an imperative for Supreme Court review .
Or , perhaps , a Supreme Court punt .
Want to bet there are at least four justices who hope never @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Press explains : The delay is a victory for Trump , who also is mounting a Supreme Court fight against congressional efforts to obtain his banking and other financial records .
Those cases are expected to be decided in the coming days or weeks .
The court ’ s action also could mean the justices never have to reach a definitive ruling in a sensitive dispute between the executive and legislative branches of government , if either Trump loses reelection or Republicans regain control of the House next year .
It ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Joe Biden would object to turning over the Mueller documents or House Republicans would continue to press for them .
Don ’ t be so sure that a Biden administration would be so sanguine about permitting access to those records .
That would set a precedent that could easily come back to bite Joe Biden or another Democratic president , if and when another special counsel has to get appointed to deal with corruption allegations .
The next administration has an interest in keeping those records sealed , too — and if Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them , either .
If Trump wins the election , it ’ s not clear just how much enthusiasm House Democrats will have for pressing the case , either .
Even if they manage to hold onto their majority in a Trump win , the voters will have spoken on their impeachment cause .
It ’ s bad enough trying to remove a duly elected president once ; will they want to try it again after Trump gets elected again ?
Perhaps , but at that point more of them will want to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Supreme Court is very lucky , they ’ ll never have to decide the case .
Bet on arguments getting scheduled for mid-November or later .

Access delayed is pretty much access denied, and that doesn’t just benefit Donald Trump. The Supreme Court granted cert in the Department of Justice’s battle to keep grand-jury testimony from Robert Mueller’s special counsel investigation sealed, which means the court won’t take up the case until October at the earliest. That’s bad news for House Democrats who wanted to use the material in the election, but it’s also a smart move for the Supreme Court itself:
The Supreme Court is denying Congress access to secret grand jury testimony from special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation through the November election. The justices agreed on Thursday to hear the Trump administration’s appeal of a lower court order for the material to be turned over to the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives. The high court’s action will keep the documents out of congressional hands at least until the case is resolved, which is not likely to happen before 2021.
It hardly comes as a surprise to see the Supreme Court take this case. It requires balancing competing constitutional interests from the other two federal branches, a role traditionally suited for the top court to decide. In this case, it also concerns competing judicial interests, with grand jury processes a necessary bulwark against prosecutorial overreach — even if not a terribly strong bulwark. A case involving an extraordinary prosecution that ended up flopping and the clearly political interest in its minutiae makes it an imperative for Supreme Court review.
Or, perhaps, a Supreme Court punt. Want to bet there are at least four justices who hope never to hear this case? The Associated Press explains:
The delay is a victory for Trump, who also is mounting a Supreme Court fight against congressional efforts to obtain his banking and other financial records. Those cases are expected to be decided in the coming days or weeks. The court’s action also could mean the justices never have to reach a definitive ruling in a sensitive dispute between the executive and legislative branches of government, if either Trump loses reelection or Republicans regain control of the House next year. It’s hard to imagine an administration of Democrat Joe Biden would object to turning over the Mueller documents or House Republicans would continue to press for them.
Don’t be so sure that a Biden administration would be so sanguine about permitting access to those records. That would set a precedent that could easily come back to bite Joe Biden or another Democratic president, if and when another special counsel has to get appointed to deal with corruption allegations. The next administration has an interest in keeping those records sealed, too — and if Trump loses, no particular reason to unseal them, either.
If Trump wins the election, it’s not clear just how much enthusiasm House Democrats will have for pressing the case, either. Even if they manage to hold onto their majority in a Trump win, the voters will have spoken on their impeachment cause. It’s bad enough trying to remove a duly elected president once; will they want to try it again after Trump gets elected again? Perhaps, but at that point more of them will want to move on to other issues.
If the Supreme Court is very lucky, they’ll never have to decide the case. Bet on arguments getting scheduled for mid-November or later.


hotair--2020-07-02--GOP "ally" to Reuters: McConnell may have to start distancing Senate Republicans from Trump next mon

GOP "ally" to Reuters: McConnell may have to start distancing Senate Republicans from Trump next month

Meh .
What would this even mean in practice ?
It ’ s like saying that the Trump Organization needs to start distancing itself from Trump .
It ’ s his company .
It ’ s defined by him .
What daylight can there be , realistically ?
Imagine telling Mini-Me that it ’ s time to start distancing himself from Dr .
Evil .
Besides , to the extent that “ distancing ” is possible , it ’ s already happening .
“ He has to go back and become an acceptable president and then take the wood to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ close to the White House .
“ People are even actually saying , ‘ Does he want this anymore ? '
” the ally said of fellow Republican supporters .
“ ‘ Is he looking for an exit strategy ? '
” … The source said perhaps as soon as August , Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell may have to advise Republican Senate candidates to distance themselves from Trump if needed to win election and keep their majority… “ He knows he ’ s in trouble , ” [ another ] Republican source @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Three signs that some light distancing has already begun .
One : The Daily Beast reported three weeks ago , even before Trump ’ s polling really hit the skids , that he was starting to disappear from ads run by Senate Republicans .
If his numbers don ’ t turn around , every Republican on the ballot this fall will be running as a de facto independent .
Two : The caucus might defy him on certain niche issues in order to virtue-signal to moderate voters .
They won ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ might really enrage the base , but it sounds like they ’ re prepared to pass the new defense bill that would rename Confederate-named military bases by veto-proof margins .
That ’ s an easy branding opportunity in a low-leverage situation : “ We ’ re not Trump.
” Three : If they ’ re going to break sharply with him on anything , it ’ ll be on handling the pandemic .
That ’ s his and the party ’ s biggest liability this fall and it ’ s getting bigger as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
McConnell ’ s call for destigmatizing mask-wearing a few days ago was a stark example , one which paid off when Trump said a few encouraging words about masks yesterday .
Senate Republicans will probably go their own way on that from here on out .
But even then , they have to be careful about their tone and phrasing .
McConnell , for instance , didn ’ t criticize Trump .
He merely stated his own position and allowed voters to make the contrast themselves .
He ’ s facing an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ typically don ’ t worry about when election forecasts turn grim : Because the president has no loyalty to the party , he won ’ t hold his tongue for strategic reasons if congressional Republicans begin criticizing him to improve their own electoral chances .
A president who ’ s a creature of the party system , like Bush , would zip his lips and let that happen for the greater good of helping Republican incumbents to keep their seats .
Trump isn ’ t a creature of that system , though .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ obsesses about personal “ loyalty , ” which makes him unlikely to appreciate — or care about — the strategic benefit to Senate Republicans in distancing themselves aggressively from him .
He will call them out if they start taking shots at him .
And if he does that , diehard MAGAites will turn on them .
Senate incumbents will start shedding base voters more rapidly than they gain swing voters .
So what sort of meaningful “ distancing ” can really be done here ?
If the impeachment vote were given a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ polling in the toilet , how many more Senate Republicans do we think would vote to remove than voted to do so in February ?
Maybe Murkowski ?
Imagine the president ’ s reaction to a news story next month headlined “ McConnell tells Republicans to begin distancing themselves from Trump.
” You can picture it vividly , right ?
Well , so can Mitch .
Relatedly , here ’ s a new Senate poll out of deep-red Montana .
If the majority flips this fall , this race may be decisive : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s slide for Daines ’ s deficit but the president ’ s not far off of his 2016 pace there .
He beat Hillary 56/36 four years ago .
I think Daines has more of a “ Bullock problem ” than a “ Trump problem , ” as Bullock ’ s universally known due to his two terms as governor and is enjoying some of the higher ratings this year that other state executives have enjoyed after the rise of COVID .
But would higher presidential polling right now help Daines ?
Sure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ may be the difference at the moment between a close Daines win and a close Daines loss .
If the national picture deteriorates further , McConnell himself could end up in a jam in Kentucky .
He ’ s a strong favorite there but his job approval in the state at the end of last year was 37/50 .
His opponent , Amy McGrath , has been showered with rage-bucks by Democratic donors dreaming of finally knocking off McConnell .
Cocaine Mitch ’ s own job is potentially in danger if the bottom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s in danger already .
I mean , it ’ s not a great sign if he ’ s warning Schumer and the Democrats four months out from Election Day not to get rid of the filibuster once they ’ re in charge .
Here ’ s Trump yesterday with Eric Bolling getting a do-over on an important question he flubbed when Sean Hannity asked it last week , namely , what does he want to do with a second term .
One of Reuters ’ s sources pointed to that in today @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be much crisper about .
He does better here than he did with Hannity , although his answer amounts to “ more of the same ” — more trade deals , more jobs repatriated to the U.S. ( especially pharmaceutical jobs ) .
Interestingly , nothing about immigration .

Meh. What would this even mean in practice? It’s like saying that the Trump Organization needs to start distancing itself from Trump.
It’s his company. It’s defined by him. What daylight can there be, realistically?
Imagine telling Mini-Me that it’s time to start distancing himself from Dr. Evil.
Besides, to the extent that “distancing” is possible, it’s already happening.
“He has to go back and become an acceptable president and then take the wood to Biden,” said a Republican ally close to the White House. “People are even actually saying, ‘Does he want this anymore?'” the ally said of fellow Republican supporters. “‘Is he looking for an exit strategy?'”… The source said perhaps as soon as August, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell may have to advise Republican Senate candidates to distance themselves from Trump if needed to win election and keep their majority… “He knows he’s in trouble,” [another] Republican source said. “He has no message.”
Three signs that some light distancing has already begun. One: The Daily Beast reported three weeks ago, even before Trump’s polling really hit the skids, that he was starting to disappear from ads run by Senate Republicans. If his numbers don’t turn around, every Republican on the ballot this fall will be running as a de facto independent.
Two: The caucus might defy him on certain niche issues in order to virtue-signal to moderate voters. They won’t defund the wall or do anything that might really enrage the base, but it sounds like they’re prepared to pass the new defense bill that would rename Confederate-named military bases by veto-proof margins. That’s an easy branding opportunity in a low-leverage situation: “We’re not Trump.”
Three: If they’re going to break sharply with him on anything, it’ll be on handling the pandemic. That’s his and the party’s biggest liability this fall and it’s getting bigger as cases soar in the south and California. McConnell’s call for destigmatizing mask-wearing a few days ago was a stark example, one which paid off when Trump said a few encouraging words about masks yesterday. Senate Republicans will probably go their own way on that from here on out.
But even then, they have to be careful about their tone and phrasing. McConnell, for instance, didn’t criticize Trump. He merely stated his own position and allowed voters to make the contrast themselves. He’s facing an unusual problem right now that congressional leaders typically don’t worry about when election forecasts turn grim: Because the president has no loyalty to the party, he won’t hold his tongue for strategic reasons if congressional Republicans begin criticizing him to improve their own electoral chances. A president who’s a creature of the party system, like Bush, would zip his lips and let that happen for the greater good of helping Republican incumbents to keep their seats. Trump isn’t a creature of that system, though. He beat that system. And he obsesses about personal “loyalty,” which makes him unlikely to appreciate — or care about — the strategic benefit to Senate Republicans in distancing themselves aggressively from him. He will call them out if they start taking shots at him.
And if he does that, diehard MAGAites will turn on them. Senate incumbents will start shedding base voters more rapidly than they gain swing voters. So what sort of meaningful “distancing” can really be done here? If the impeachment vote were given a do-over today, with Trump’s polling in the toilet, how many more Senate Republicans do we think would vote to remove than voted to do so in February? Maybe Murkowski?
Imagine the president’s reaction to a news story next month headlined “McConnell tells Republicans to begin distancing themselves from Trump.” You can picture it vividly, right? Well, so can Mitch.
Relatedly, here’s a new Senate poll out of deep-red Montana. If the majority flips this fall, this race may be decisive:
The temptation is to blame Trump’s slide for Daines’s deficit but the president’s not far off of his 2016 pace there. He beat Hillary 56/36 four years ago. I think Daines has more of a “Bullock problem” than a “Trump problem,” as Bullock’s universally known due to his two terms as governor and is enjoying some of the higher ratings this year that other state executives have enjoyed after the rise of COVID.
But would higher presidential polling right now help Daines? Sure. Trump’s troubles this month may be the difference at the moment between a close Daines win and a close Daines loss. If the national picture deteriorates further, McConnell himself could end up in a jam in Kentucky. He’s a strong favorite there but his job approval in the state at the end of last year was 37/50. His opponent, Amy McGrath, has been showered with rage-bucks by Democratic donors dreaming of finally knocking off McConnell. Cocaine Mitch’s own job is potentially in danger if the bottom falls out. And his majority’s in danger already.
I mean, it’s not a great sign if he’s warning Schumer and the Democrats four months out from Election Day not to get rid of the filibuster once they’re in charge.
Here’s Trump yesterday with Eric Bolling getting a do-over on an important question he flubbed when Sean Hannity asked it last week, namely, what does he want to do with a second term. One of Reuters’s sources pointed to that in today’s story as something he needs to be much crisper about. He does better here than he did with Hannity, although his answer amounts to “more of the same” — more trade deals, more jobs repatriated to the U.S. (especially pharmaceutical jobs). Interestingly, nothing about immigration.


hotair--2020-07-02--"Movement for Black Lives" will unite the country by holding virtual convention... for their own age

"Movement for Black Lives" will unite the country by holding virtual convention... for their own agenda

A virtual convention is being organized for thousands of black activists in support of Black Lives Matter .
The goal is to produce a list of demands for the new administration .
The new political agenda will piggyback off of the mass protests following the death of George Floyd .
The 2020 Black National Convention on August 28 will be held virtually with a live broadcast .
The Electoral Justice Project of the Movement for Black Lives is in charge of organizing the virtual convention with a coalition of more than 150 organizations .
This follows the 2016 “ Vision @ @ @ @ @ @ @ improve lives in Black America with a focus then on mass incarceration , among other policies .
The convention is being organized by the Electoral Justice Project of the Movement for Black Lives , a coalition of more than 150 organizations .
In 2016 , the coalition released its “ Vision for Black Lives ” platform , which called for public divestment from mass incarceration and for adoption of policies that can improve conditions in Black America .
“ What this convention will do is create a Black liberation agenda that is not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lives , but really is rooted as a set of demands for progress , ” said Jessica Byrd , who leads the Electoral Justice Project .
At the end of the convention , participants will ratify a revised platform that will serve as a set of demands for the first 100 days of a new presidential administration , Byrd said .
Participants also will have access to model state and local legislation .
“ What we have the opportunity to do now , as this 50-state rebellion has provided the conditions for change @ @ @ @ @ @ @ need to take action right this minute , ’ ” Byrd said .
“ We ’ re going to set the benchmarks for what we believe progress is and make those known locally and federally.
” These plans tell me two things : 1 .
Democrats fully expect Joe Biden to win the 2020 presidential election .
The black organizations are banding together to push Corn Pop ’ s friend , Joe , all the way over the cliff with a leftist agenda on social justice policy .
Think Joe is twisting like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bringing down Confederate monuments and historically important figures now ?
Just wait until these folks deliver an agenda full of demands to him .
The second thing this tells me is that President Trump will continue to be unworthy of acknowledgment of his successful agenda of reforming the criminal justice system .
The leftists leading the Black Lives Matter movement are not interested in reform , they are interested in burning the system down , at the expense of law enforcement departments and public safety measures .
The irony is that Trump is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ while Status Quo Joe worked for 40 years in elected office and produced crime bills that only served to produce the mass incarcerations that are now pointed to as a measure of racial inequality .
The Movement for Black Lives is striking while the iron is hot .
Black Lives Matter is finding a lot of public support right now , as well as financial support .
Originally , the Black National Convention was scheduled to be held in Detroit , “ the nation ’ s Blackest major city ” , but the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first-ever Black Lives Matter convention was held in Cleveland in 2015 .
There will be a smaller “ Peoples Convention ” on Aug. 6 and 7 held virtually which will include hundreds of delegates from Black-led advocacy groups .
It will serve as a platform committee-style meeting .
Defund the police is still at the top of the list of priorities , with this part of the agenda having been on the first agenda of the first convention in 2015 .
Other platform demands , such as ending cash bail , reducing pretrial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in criminal courts , have become official policy in a handful of local criminal justice systems around the U.S. Cliff Albright , co-founder of Black Voters Matter , which organizes in 15 states , said the 2020 Black National Convention will deepen the solutions to systemic racism and create more alignment within the movement .
“ We ’ re in this stage now where we ’ re getting more specific about how all of this is connected to our local organizing , ” Albright said .
“ The hope is that , when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with greater clarity , more resources , connectivity and energy.
” The coalition behind the convention includes Color of Change , BYP100 , Dream Defenders and the Black Lives Matter Global Network , which has 16 official chapters nationwide .
The Black Lives Matter coalition talks a big game for independence from either political party , but , c ’ mon , with over 90 % of African-Americans voting in the Democrat ’ s largest voting block , that claim is hard to take seriously .
They say they are building “ an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ connect , outside of the white gaze , to say this is what we want for our communities.
” The virtual convention falls on the same day that Al “ Tawana Brawley ” Sharpton will hold a march on D.C. in honor of George Floyd and others who have died in police custody .
I ’ m sure anything organized by a career race-baiter will move the country in the right direction and encourage unity .
( sarcasm ) The Black National Convention will broadcast after the march .
Organizers point to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them to the presidential candidates before the November election because of the current atmosphere of political protests in the streets of cities across the country .
No doubt this virtual convention is expected to rival the two major parties ’ national convention this summer .
In the heat of August , amidst a national march on Washington , D.C. led by Al Sharpton , I fail to see this as a unifying action .
They want a “ 50-state rebellion ” , as they say , and that doesn ’ t scream unity @ @ @

A virtual convention is being organized for thousands of black activists in support of Black Lives Matter. The goal is to produce a list of demands for the new administration. The new political agenda will piggyback off of the mass protests following the death of George Floyd. The 2020 Black National Convention on August 28 will be held virtually with a live broadcast.
The Electoral Justice Project of the Movement for Black Lives is in charge of organizing the virtual convention with a coalition of more than 150 organizations. This follows the 2016 “Vision for Black Lives” platform created to improve lives in Black America with a focus then on mass incarceration, among other policies.
The convention is being organized by the Electoral Justice Project of the Movement for Black Lives, a coalition of more than 150 organizations. In 2016, the coalition released its “Vision for Black Lives” platform, which called for public divestment from mass incarceration and for adoption of policies that can improve conditions in Black America. “What this convention will do is create a Black liberation agenda that is not a duplication of the Vision for Black Lives, but really is rooted as a set of demands for progress,” said Jessica Byrd, who leads the Electoral Justice Project. At the end of the convention, participants will ratify a revised platform that will serve as a set of demands for the first 100 days of a new presidential administration, Byrd said. Participants also will have access to model state and local legislation. “What we have the opportunity to do now, as this 50-state rebellion has provided the conditions for change, is to say, ‘You need to take action right this minute,’” Byrd said. “We’re going to set the benchmarks for what we believe progress is and make those known locally and federally.”
These plans tell me two things: 1. Democrats fully expect Joe Biden to win the 2020 presidential election. The black organizations are banding together to push Corn Pop’s friend, Joe, all the way over the cliff with a leftist agenda on social justice policy. Think Joe is twisting like a pretzel over hot button subjects like bringing down Confederate monuments and historically important figures now? Just wait until these folks deliver an agenda full of demands to him.
The second thing this tells me is that President Trump will continue to be unworthy of acknowledgment of his successful agenda of reforming the criminal justice system. The leftists leading the Black Lives Matter movement are not interested in reform, they are interested in burning the system down, at the expense of law enforcement departments and public safety measures. The irony is that Trump is working to make the system more equitable while Status Quo Joe worked for 40 years in elected office and produced crime bills that only served to produce the mass incarcerations that are now pointed to as a measure of racial inequality.
The Movement for Black Lives is striking while the iron is hot. Black Lives Matter is finding a lot of public support right now, as well as financial support. Originally, the Black National Convention was scheduled to be held in Detroit, “the nation’s Blackest major city”, but the coronavirus pandemic changed those plans. The first-ever Black Lives Matter convention was held in Cleveland in 2015.
There will be a smaller “Peoples Convention” on Aug. 6 and 7 held virtually which will include hundreds of delegates from Black-led advocacy groups. It will serve as a platform committee-style meeting. Defund the police is still at the top of the list of priorities, with this part of the agenda having been on the first agenda of the first convention in 2015.
Other platform demands, such as ending cash bail, reducing pretrial detention and scrapping discriminatory risk-assessment tools used in criminal courts, have become official policy in a handful of local criminal justice systems around the U.S. Cliff Albright, co-founder of Black Voters Matter, which organizes in 15 states, said the 2020 Black National Convention will deepen the solutions to systemic racism and create more alignment within the movement. “We’re in this stage now where we’re getting more specific about how all of this is connected to our local organizing,” Albright said. “The hope is that, when people leave the convention, they leave with greater clarity, more resources, connectivity and energy.” The coalition behind the convention includes Color of Change, BYP100, Dream Defenders and the Black Lives Matter Global Network, which has 16 official chapters nationwide.
The Black Lives Matter coalition talks a big game for independence from either political party, but, c’mon, with over 90% of African-Americans voting in the Democrat’s largest voting block, that claim is hard to take seriously. They say they are building “an alternative container for all of us to connect, outside of the white gaze, to say this is what we want for our communities.”
The virtual convention falls on the same day that Al “Tawana Brawley” Sharpton will hold a march on D.C. in honor of George Floyd and others who have died in police custody. I’m sure anything organized by a career race-baiter will move the country in the right direction and encourage unity. (sarcasm) The Black National Convention will broadcast after the march. Organizers point to the urgency of organizing their demands and delivering them to the presidential candidates before the November election because of the current atmosphere of political protests in the streets of cities across the country.
“What we have the opportunity to do now, as this 50-state rebellion has provided the conditions for change, is to say, ‘You need to take action right this minute,’” Byrd said. “We’re going to set the benchmarks for what we believe progress is and make those known locally and federally.”
No doubt this virtual convention is expected to rival the two major parties’ national convention this summer. In the heat of August, amidst a national march on Washington, D.C. led by Al Sharpton, I fail to see this as a unifying action. They want a “50-state rebellion”, as they say, and that doesn’t scream unity to me.


hotair--2020-07-02--Dungeons and Dragons removing "inherently evil" race descriptions to avoid offending anyone

Before getting to the meat of this story , I should probably start with a bit of disclosure .
When I was younger , I used to play Dungeons and Dragons .
I mean… I played it a lot .
Probably obsessively .
It started when I was in the Navy , but carried on well into my thirties .
That fact is probably what later led me to become somewhat addicted to the online roleplaying game Everquest .
So yes… I was one of those nerds .
With that out of the way , there was a recent announcement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ company that now owns the game , originally created by Gary Gygax ) that took me somewhat by surprise .
Perhaps I should have seen it coming , given the current era of social unrest and wokeness that we ’ re living in , but this development seems like a bit too much even for the most farfetched satire .
There ’ s a change coming to the world of wizards , clerics , druids and mystical creatures .
No more will any of the races in the game be unfairly painted with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ inherently evil.
” That just doesn ’ t work with 21st-century values of equality , you see .
I first heard of this change from a site named The Mary Sue .
Dungeons & Dragons publisher Wizards of the Coast is taking a step that I am sure will make some people mad , but I think it makes for some more interesting storytelling .
The powers that be have decided that no races in the game are going to be characterized as inherently evil anymore .
A blog post that was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the reasoning for these changes and mandates that they will be making decisions with an inclusive team going into the future .
I had to double-check to make sure this wasn ’ t some sort of satirical prank , but it was true .
The company put out a lengthy , detailed explanation of how they have fallen short in their values and how they would improve things going forward .
Here ’ s a shorter version excerpted from a corporate blog post .
Throughout the 50-year history of D & D , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and drow being two of the prime examples—have been characterized as monstrous and evil , using descriptions that are painfully reminiscent of how real-world ethnic groups have been and continue to be denigrated .
That ’ s just not right , and it ’ s not something we believe in .
Despite our conscious efforts to the contrary , we have allowed some of those old descriptions to reappear in the game .
We recognize that to live our values , we have to do an even better job in handling these issues @ @ @ @ @ @ @ priority is to make things right .
The company has made it clear that they “ heard from some players ” about this and were responding accordingly .
Seriously ?
Pardon my curiosity , but who wound up being offended by fictional races of creatures being depicted as walking on the dark side of the struggle ?
It doesn ’ t matter whether you ’ re talking about table-top games , Everquest , World of Warcraft or whatever else .
These are games based on heroic fantasies that have been with us for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s the classic struggle between Good and Evil .
And you don ’ t have a battle if everyone is good .
We need to draw a distinction here between the player characters and the NPCs ( non-player characters ) that exist in the stories being played out in these games .
D & D players have a wide variety of races to choose from , including some of the traditionally evil ones .
That doesn ’ t mean that you have to play your character as an evil creature , however .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ orc or Drow Elf .
( The Drow are a dark-skinned race so that probably started some of this nonsense . )
But at the same time , players have the option of taking their humans , high elves , halflings and other “ good ” race creatures and signing on with a chaotic evil profile and laying waste to all and sundry .
None of these fictional races are evil because of the color of their skin or their socioeconomic backgrounds .
They ’ re evil because they were defined as the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
If you ’ re going to make them all woke social justice warriors , what ’ s the point in fighting them ?
But hey… Wizards of the Coast owns the game now so they can do whatever they want with it , I suppose .
Welcome to capitalism .
But this trend has now officially hit the point of being too bizarre for satire .

Before getting to the meat of this story, I should probably start with a bit of disclosure. When I was younger, I used to play Dungeons and Dragons. I mean… I played it a lot. Probably obsessively. It started when I was in the Navy, but carried on well into my thirties. That fact is probably what later led me to become somewhat addicted to the online roleplaying game Everquest. So yes… I was one of those nerds.
With that out of the way, there was a recent announcement from Wizards of the Coast (the company that now owns the game, originally created by Gary Gygax) that took me somewhat by surprise. Perhaps I should have seen it coming, given the current era of social unrest and wokeness that we’re living in, but this development seems like a bit too much even for the most farfetched satire. There’s a change coming to the world of wizards, clerics, druids and mystical creatures. No more will any of the races in the game be unfairly painted with a broad brush, describing them as “inherently evil.” That just doesn’t work with 21st-century values of equality, you see. I first heard of this change from a site named The Mary Sue.
Dungeons & Dragons publisher Wizards of the Coast is taking a step that I am sure will make some people mad, but I think it makes for some more interesting storytelling. The powers that be have decided that no races in the game are going to be characterized as inherently evil anymore. A blog post that was shared on their official site breaks down the reasoning for these changes and mandates that they will be making decisions with an inclusive team going into the future.
I had to double-check to make sure this wasn’t some sort of satirical prank, but it was true. The company put out a lengthy, detailed explanation of how they have fallen short in their values and how they would improve things going forward. Here’s a shorter version excerpted from a corporate blog post.
Throughout the 50-year history of D&D, some of the peoples in the game—orcs and drow being two of the prime examples—have been characterized as monstrous and evil, using descriptions that are painfully reminiscent of how real-world ethnic groups have been and continue to be denigrated. That’s just not right, and it’s not something we believe in. Despite our conscious efforts to the contrary, we have allowed some of those old descriptions to reappear in the game. We recognize that to live our values, we have to do an even better job in handling these issues. If we make mistakes, our priority is to make things right.
The company has made it clear that they “heard from some players” about this and were responding accordingly. Seriously? Pardon my curiosity, but who wound up being offended by fictional races of creatures being depicted as walking on the dark side of the struggle? It doesn’t matter whether you’re talking about table-top games, Everquest, World of Warcraft or whatever else. These are games based on heroic fantasies that have been with us for most of human history. It’s the classic struggle between Good and Evil. And you don’t have a battle if everyone is good.
We need to draw a distinction here between the player characters and the NPCs (non-player characters) that exist in the stories being played out in these games. D&D players have a wide variety of races to choose from, including some of the traditionally evil ones. That doesn’t mean that you have to play your character as an evil creature, however. You can be a “reformed” orc or Drow Elf. (The Drow are a dark-skinned race so that probably started some of this nonsense.) But at the same time, players have the option of taking their humans, high elves, halflings and other “good” race creatures and signing on with a chaotic evil profile and laying waste to all and sundry.
None of these fictional races are evil because of the color of their skin or their socioeconomic backgrounds. They’re evil because they were defined as the evil opposition to the forces of good. If you’re going to make them all woke social justice warriors, what’s the point in fighting them? But hey… Wizards of the Coast owns the game now so they can do whatever they want with it, I suppose. Welcome to capitalism. But this trend has now officially hit the point of being too bizarre for satire.