hotair--2020-08-04--MSNBC reporter's blast: "We are a cancer and there is no cure"

Expect lots of dunking from MSNBC ’ s ideological opponents over Ariana Pekary ’ s valediction , but she ’ s talking about more than one form of social cancer .
Pekary quit the progressive cable net after becoming disillusioned with its editorial priorities — namely , ratings over facts .
MSNBC isn ’ t the only outlet making that decision , Pekary warns , but she can only quit one job at a time , too : “ We are a cancer and there is no cure , ” a successful and insightful TV veteran said to me .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ cure , it would change the world.
” As it is , this cancer stokes national division , even in the middle of a civil rights crisis .
The model blocks diversity of thought and content because the networks have incentive to amplify fringe voices and events , at the expense of others… all because it pumps up the ratings .
This cancer risks human lives , even in the middle of a pandemic .
The primary focus quickly became what Donald Trump was doing ( poorly ) to address the crisis , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new details have become available about antibodies , a vaccine , or how COVID actually spreads , producers still want to focus on the politics .
Important facts or studies get buried .
This cancer risks our democracy , even in the middle of a presidential election .
Any discussion about the election usually focuses on Donald Trump , not Joe Biden , a repeat offense from 2016 ( Trump smothers out all other coverage ) .
Also important is to ensure citizens can vote by mail this year , but I ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ killed ” numerous times .
Context and factual data are often considered too cumbersome for the audience .
There may be some truth to that ( our education system really should improve the critical thinking skills of Americans ) – but another hard truth is that it is the job of journalists to teach and inform , which means they might need to figure out a better way to do that .
They could contemplate more creative methods for captivating an audience .
Just about anything would improve the current process , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ basing today ’ s content on whatever rated well yesterday , or look to see what ’ s trending online today ) .
The problem for MSNBC and other media outlets with explicitly ideological audiences is that there really is no other way to feed them .
At a conference in Israel a few years ago , I shared a stage with MSNBC president Phil Griffin , who emphasized that their deliberate strategy involved establishing an ideological identity around which a loyal community would form .
And they have largely succeeded , although @ @ @ @ @ @ @ limiting — both in audience reach , and as Pekary makes clear , in informative value too .
That has to be frustrating for journalists like Pekary would value informing over inflaming , and substance over blind partisanship .
Don ’ t think for a moment , though , that this is a problem limited to MSNBC .
And for that matter , don ’ t think for a moment that it ’ s a problem limited to media outlets , either .
This model works because consumers reward it .
They also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stories that argue against their preferred narratives .
Donald Trump has made Fox News a particular target , for instance , when they cover stories that tend to negate his agenda or criticize his performance .
Some are better about this , and perhaps none are as bad as MSNBC is in its ideological conformity .
Don ’ t think for a moment that this cancer is entirely localized at this outlet , though .
The only real cure for this is for consumers to demand journalism over rally points , and to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Until then , we ’ re getting the journalism we reward , and as Pekary declares , we ’ re not getting much of it at all .

Expect lots of dunking from MSNBC’s ideological opponents over Ariana Pekary’s valediction, but she’s talking about more than one form of social cancer. Pekary quit the progressive cable net after becoming disillusioned with its editorial priorities — namely, ratings over facts. MSNBC isn’t the only outlet making that decision, Pekary warns, but she can only quit one job at a time, too:
“We are a cancer and there is no cure,” a successful and insightful TV veteran said to me. “But if you could find a cure, it would change the world.” As it is, this cancer stokes national division, even in the middle of a civil rights crisis. The model blocks diversity of thought and content because the networks have incentive to amplify fringe voices and events, at the expense of others… all because it pumps up the ratings. This cancer risks human lives, even in the middle of a pandemic. The primary focus quickly became what Donald Trump was doing (poorly) to address the crisis, rather than the science itself. As new details have become available about antibodies, a vaccine, or how COVID actually spreads, producers still want to focus on the politics. Important facts or studies get buried. This cancer risks our democracy, even in the middle of a presidential election. Any discussion about the election usually focuses on Donald Trump, not Joe Biden, a repeat offense from 2016 (Trump smothers out all other coverage). Also important is to ensure citizens can vote by mail this year, but I’ve watched that topic get ignored or “killed” numerous times. Context and factual data are often considered too cumbersome for the audience. There may be some truth to that (our education system really should improve the critical thinking skills of Americans) – but another hard truth is that it is the job of journalists to teach and inform, which means they might need to figure out a better way to do that. They could contemplate more creative methods for captivating an audience. Just about anything would improve the current process, which can be pretty rudimentary (think basing today’s content on whatever rated well yesterday, or look to see what’s trending online today).
The problem for MSNBC and other media outlets with explicitly ideological audiences is that there really is no other way to feed them. At a conference in Israel a few years ago, I shared a stage with MSNBC president Phil Griffin, who emphasized that their deliberate strategy involved establishing an ideological identity around which a loyal community would form. And they have largely succeeded, although it has also turned out to be limiting — both in audience reach, and as Pekary makes clear, in informative value too.
That has to be frustrating for journalists like Pekary would value informing over inflaming, and substance over blind partisanship. Don’t think for a moment, though, that this is a problem limited to MSNBC. And for that matter, don’t think for a moment that it’s a problem limited to media outlets, either. This model works because consumers reward it. They also tend to punish media outlets that report stories that argue against their preferred narratives. Donald Trump has made Fox News a particular target, for instance, when they cover stories that tend to negate his agenda or criticize his performance.
Some are better about this, and perhaps none are as bad as MSNBC is in its ideological conformity. Don’t think for a moment that this cancer is entirely localized at this outlet, though.
The only real cure for this is for consumers to demand journalism over rally points, and to eschew news-as-entertainment for truly informative reporting. Until then, we’re getting the journalism we reward, and as Pekary declares, we’re not getting much of it at all.


hotair--2020-08-05--Team Trump to Biden: Let's add a fourth debate -- or at least move the third one to early September

I didn ’ t think I ’ d ever write these words again in my life but here they are : Rudy Giuliani sounds perfectly reasonable here .
And you know what ?
There ’ s enough for both candidates to like about the idea that I think Biden might just accept .
If nothing else , accepting the offer might confound the Trump campaign .
Presumably one reason this proposal was made was the expectation that Biden would say no , handing POTUS a chance to gloat that Sleepy Joe ’ s afraid to debate with less time to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he knows he ’ s not up to the task .
Democrats could deprive Trump of that and throw him a curveball by having Biden reply , “ Anytime , anywhere.
” Strategically , though , there are reasons why Biden might prefer to debate sooner rather than later .
That ’ s a … surprisingly fair point , Rudy !
If we ’ re going to encourage Americans to vote early by mail , and by “ we ” I mean “ every official in the country on both sides except Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we should want those votes to be as informed as possible as soon as possible .
If Biden ’ s destined to drool on himself at one of these things , let ’ s give him an opportunity to do so before the first ballots are mailed so that we don ’ t end up electing someone who ’ s unequal to the duties of the presidency .
The reason Team Trump wants an early debate is obvious .
He ’ s down big right now and needs to change the trajectory of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Moving the debates up gives him that opportunity .
If Biden performs terribly , the election could be competitive again by mid-September .
By the same logic , one would think , Team Joe should want to hold the debates late .
Let the early voters and mail-in voters bank their votes first !
Then , if he performs terribly , there ’ s nothing that can be done to get those votes back .
If you ’ re sitting on a seven-point lead nationally , you want to cash in as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before handing your opponent a chance to shrink it .
That logic is so compelling that , I assume , Biden will reject Giuliani ’ s offer .
But it ’ s not a slam dunk .
There are reasons why he might prefer an early debate too : 1 .
It would signal that he ’ s not hiding from Trump or afraid to talk policy in front of the country for fear of what conclusions might be drawn about his mental acuity .
Democrats might be heartened by the sight of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2 .
If Biden did well at the first debate , it might seal the election .
There may be voters who are leaning towards him , intend to vote early , but are still a bit reluctant to cast their ballot until they see how he handles a debate .
If he proves himself early , it might trigger a wave of voting in his favor that all but locks things up before the end of September .
Then , if we get a great jobs report in early October , or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a bad Biden performance at the second debate , many millions of votes for the Democrat will have already been locked down .
He might essentially neutralize any October surprise Trump has planned .
3 .
Biden ’ s entire strategy to this point has been to stay out of the spotlight and let Trump continue to damage himself with his daily Trumpiness .
He can ’ t do that forever — he has to debate — but certainly he ’ ll want to be out of the spotlight to whatever extent possible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , when late deciders finally make up their minds .
If they hold the final debate in late October and Biden blows it , that may upend the election .
They ’ ll walk into the booth with a sense of Biden ’ s incompetence fresh in their minds .
Whereas if they hold the final debate a week or two earlier and Biden botches it , undecideds may take a second look at Trump and then gradually or suddenly have their attention steered back towards some form of Trump malfeasance .
Dems @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , not a “ choice ” election .
Getting the debates over with and steering late deciders back towards a referendum mentality helps with that .
4 .
Nate Cohn makes an excellent point .
Democrats are scrambling to convince casual voters not just to support Biden but to get their ballots in early to ensure that they ’ re counted in time for Election Day .
The earlier the debates are , the more of a wake-up call it ’ ll be to those casual voters to get cracking .
It might @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The real risk for Biden in moving up the first debate , I think , is that it ’ s a long time until the second one under Giuliani ’ s proposed schedule .
Under the current schedule there are 17 days between debates one and two ; under the Giuliani scheme , there ’ d be 25 .
If Biden screws up in the opening debate , he ’ ll have to wait a long while for a chance to undo the damage , a period during which many Americans will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think the decision on whether they should accept or not comes down to how confident they are that he ’ ll do well .
It ’ d be one of the highest-stakes debates in U.S. history , a chance to put the race away before Labor Day or to open the whole thing up .
By the way , Rudy also suggested some moderators — and many of those ( Bret Baier , Major Garrett , David Muir , Norah O ’ Donnell ) were reasonable too .
What ’ s gotten into @ @

I didn’t think I’d ever write these words again in my life but here they are: Rudy Giuliani sounds perfectly reasonable here.
And you know what? There’s enough for both candidates to like about the idea that I think Biden might just accept.
If nothing else, accepting the offer might confound the Trump campaign. Presumably one reason this proposal was made was the expectation that Biden would say no, handing POTUS a chance to gloat that Sleepy Joe’s afraid to debate with less time to prepare than he was counting on because he knows he’s not up to the task. Democrats could deprive Trump of that and throw him a curveball by having Biden reply, “Anytime, anywhere.”
Strategically, though, there are reasons why Biden might prefer to debate sooner rather than later.
That’s a … surprisingly fair point, Rudy! If we’re going to encourage Americans to vote early by mail, and by “we” I mean “every official in the country on both sides except Trump” (not including Florida), we should want those votes to be as informed as possible as soon as possible. If Biden’s destined to drool on himself at one of these things, let’s give him an opportunity to do so before the first ballots are mailed so that we don’t end up electing someone who’s unequal to the duties of the presidency.
The reason Team Trump wants an early debate is obvious. He’s down big right now and needs to change the trajectory of the race at the earliest possible opportunity. Moving the debates up gives him that opportunity. If Biden performs terribly, the election could be competitive again by mid-September.
By the same logic, one would think, Team Joe should want to hold the debates late. Let the early voters and mail-in voters bank their votes first! Then, if he performs terribly, there’s nothing that can be done to get those votes back. If you’re sitting on a seven-point lead nationally, you want to cash in as much of that lead as you can before handing your opponent a chance to shrink it.
That logic is so compelling that, I assume, Biden will reject Giuliani’s offer. But it’s not a slam dunk. There are reasons why he might prefer an early debate too:
1. It would signal that he’s not hiding from Trump or afraid to talk policy in front of the country for fear of what conclusions might be drawn about his mental acuity. Democrats might be heartened by the sight of him boldly accepting the Republican challenge.
2. If Biden did well at the first debate, it might seal the election. There may be voters who are leaning towards him, intend to vote early, but are still a bit reluctant to cast their ballot until they see how he handles a debate. If he proves himself early, it might trigger a wave of voting in his favor that all but locks things up before the end of September. Then, if we get a great jobs report in early October, or some promising vaccine news, or even a bad Biden performance at the second debate, many millions of votes for the Democrat will have already been locked down. He might essentially neutralize any October surprise Trump has planned.
3. Biden’s entire strategy to this point has been to stay out of the spotlight and let Trump continue to damage himself with his daily Trumpiness. He can’t do that forever — he has to debate — but certainly he’ll want to be out of the spotlight to whatever extent possible during the final weeks of the campaign, when late deciders finally make up their minds. If they hold the final debate in late October and Biden blows it, that may upend the election. They’ll walk into the booth with a sense of Biden’s incompetence fresh in their minds. Whereas if they hold the final debate a week or two earlier and Biden botches it, undecideds may take a second look at Trump and then gradually or suddenly have their attention steered back towards some form of Trump malfeasance. Dems want a referendum on Trump this fall, not a “choice” election. Getting the debates over with and steering late deciders back towards a referendum mentality helps with that.
4. Nate Cohn makes an excellent point. Democrats are scrambling to convince casual voters not just to support Biden but to get their ballots in early to ensure that they’re counted in time for Election Day. The earlier the debates are, the more of a wake-up call it’ll be to those casual voters to get cracking. It might even help with registering new voters.
One possible argument: the last debate is just ten days or so before the election. Some people won’t make up their minds until after the last debate. If you’re worried about mail ballot returns being too late, then you want them deciding–and mailing in ballots–earlier. — Nate Cohn (@Nate_Cohn) August 5, 2020
It is quite clear that new registration numbers are low this year, likely to the disadvantage of Biden. I'd guess that's in part because people are less likely to move right now. But others could use an early prompt — Nate Cohn (@Nate_Cohn) August 5, 2020
The real risk for Biden in moving up the first debate, I think, is that it’s a long time until the second one under Giuliani’s proposed schedule. Under the current schedule there are 17 days between debates one and two; under the Giuliani scheme, there’d be 25. If Biden screws up in the opening debate, he’ll have to wait a long while for a chance to undo the damage, a period during which many Americans will be voting. For his team, I think the decision on whether they should accept or not comes down to how confident they are that he’ll do well. It’d be one of the highest-stakes debates in U.S. history, a chance to put the race away before Labor Day or to open the whole thing up.
By the way, Rudy also suggested some moderators — and many of those (Bret Baier, Major Garrett, David Muir, Norah O’Donnell) were reasonable too. What’s gotten into him?


hotair--2020-08-05--Politico's door-knocking score: Team Trump one million a week, Team Biden ... zero?

Yesterday , the Trump campaign and the RNC claimed they had beaten Democrats in a key election goal — registering new voters , especially in battleground states .
Axios reported that their data showed the GOP had significantly narrowed Democratic registration leads in key states like North Carolina , Arizona , and Iowa — as well as in Pennsylvania and Florida .
That ’ s all fine and good , I wrote in response , but voter registrations are only half the battle .
What matters most is getting those voters to cast their ballots , which is where the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ someone should explain that to Joe Biden .
According to Politico , the RNC and Trump campaign are combining up for one million door-knock contacts a week , a traditional GOTV metric and a big improvement in focus over 2016 .
Team Biden and the DNC have combined for a door-knock total of … zero : The Republican and Democratic parties — from the presidential candidates on down — are taking polar opposite approaches to door-to-door canvassing this fall .
The competing bets on the value of face-to-face campaigning during a pandemic has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ potential wild card in November , especially in close races .
Biden and the Democratic National Committee aren ’ t sending volunteers or staffers to talk with voters at home , and don ’ t anticipate doing anything more than dropping off literature unless the crisis abates .
The campaign and the Democratic National Committee think they can compensate for the lack of in-person canvassing with phone calls , texts , new forms of digital organizing , and virtual meet-ups with voters .
“ At first I was nervous , but our response @ @ @ @ @ @ @ much higher and people are not necessarily wanting someone to go up to their door right now , ” said Jenn Ridder , Biden ’ s national states director .
“ You get to throw a lot of the rule book out the window and try out new things.
” Trump and the Republican National Committee , in contrast , started deploying mask-wearing field staffers and volunteers to the streets in June .
The GOP quickly ramped up and now claims more than a million doors a week despite Covid-19 surges across the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Arizona .
That ’ s one hell of a gamble by Biden and the DNC , but it might be more of an effort to make a virtue out of necessity .
The RNC has been building a candidate-independent GOTV arm originally called the Republican Leadership Initiative ( now called the Trump Victory Leadership Initiative ) , based on the model used by Barack Obama in 2008 and 2012 .
The RNC has heavily invested in that infrastructure , helped by its massive fundraising edge over the DNC the last several years , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which it was designed — having local supporters stoke enthusiasm in their own communities with personal connections .
The DNC simply doesn ’ t have the resources to compete , and Biden ’ s general-election campaign barely had any money before the summer .
They don ’ t have the resources either , nor apparently the urgency needed to raise them .
Their centralized national-messaging strategy is a cheesier , 30,000-foot approach to GOTV that might pay off if people resent porch visits in the age of COVID-19 .
It seems more likely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the impersonal broadcast-text messaging and robocalls to a far greater degree .
Besides , the GOP uses those techniques as well , but the end result seems to be more that voters block those numbers and ignore the messages .
The NRCC ran afoul of our friend and colleague Kurt Schlichter over this very point , but I ’ ve been blocking the annoying GOP text messaging and robocalls for months , too .
I just haven ’ t complained publicly about it , until now anyway .
If Ridder thinks this strategy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she hasn ’ t been around long .
Both Mitt Romney in 2012 and Hillary Clinton in 2016 thought they could win with the same kind of 30,000-foot , national-messaging strategy rather than local voter engagement ; I wrote about the Romney campaign ’ s failure in my book Going Red .
That was a disastrous strategy in the previous two presidential cycles , and it might be the best gift Biden can give to Trump for 2020 .

Yesterday, the Trump campaign and the RNC claimed they had beaten Democrats in a key election goal — registering new voters, especially in battleground states. Axios reported that their data showed the GOP had significantly narrowed Democratic registration leads in key states like North Carolina, Arizona, and Iowa — as well as in Pennsylvania and Florida. That’s all fine and good, I wrote in response, but voter registrations are only half the battle. What matters most is getting those voters to cast their ballots, which is where the ground game really matters most.
Maybe someone should explain that to Joe Biden. According to Politico, the RNC and Trump campaign are combining up for one million door-knock contacts a week, a traditional GOTV metric and a big improvement in focus over 2016. Team Biden and the DNC have combined for a door-knock total of … zero:
The Republican and Democratic parties — from the presidential candidates on down — are taking polar opposite approaches to door-to-door canvassing this fall. The competing bets on the value of face-to-face campaigning during a pandemic has no modern precedent, making it a potential wild card in November, especially in close races. Biden and the Democratic National Committee aren’t sending volunteers or staffers to talk with voters at home, and don’t anticipate doing anything more than dropping off literature unless the crisis abates. The campaign and the Democratic National Committee think they can compensate for the lack of in-person canvassing with phone calls, texts, new forms of digital organizing, and virtual meet-ups with voters. “At first I was nervous, but our response rates on phone calls and texts are much higher and people are not necessarily wanting someone to go up to their door right now,” said Jenn Ridder, Biden’s national states director. “You get to throw a lot of the rule book out the window and try out new things.” Trump and the Republican National Committee, in contrast, started deploying mask-wearing field staffers and volunteers to the streets in June. The GOP quickly ramped up and now claims more than a million doors a week despite Covid-19 surges across the country, including in swing states like Arizona.
That’s one hell of a gamble by Biden and the DNC, but it might be more of an effort to make a virtue out of necessity. The RNC has been building a candidate-independent GOTV arm originally called the Republican Leadership Initiative (now called the Trump Victory Leadership Initiative), based on the model used by Barack Obama in 2008 and 2012. The RNC has heavily invested in that infrastructure, helped by its massive fundraising edge over the DNC the last several years, and this is precisely the task for which it was designed — having local supporters stoke enthusiasm in their own communities with personal connections.
The DNC simply doesn’t have the resources to compete, and Biden’s general-election campaign barely had any money before the summer. They don’t have the resources either, nor apparently the urgency needed to raise them. Their centralized national-messaging strategy is a cheesier, 30,000-foot approach to GOTV that might pay off if people resent porch visits in the age of COVID-19.
It seems more likely, though, that people will resent the impersonal broadcast-text messaging and robocalls to a far greater degree. Besides, the GOP uses those techniques as well, but the end result seems to be more that voters block those numbers and ignore the messages. The NRCC ran afoul of our friend and colleague Kurt Schlichter over this very point, but I’ve been blocking the annoying GOP text messaging and robocalls for months, too. I just haven’t complained publicly about it, until now anyway.
If Ridder thinks this strategy is a “new thing,” she hasn’t been around long. Both Mitt Romney in 2012 and Hillary Clinton in 2016 thought they could win with the same kind of 30,000-foot, national-messaging strategy rather than local voter engagement; I wrote about the Romney campaign’s failure in my book Going Red. That was a disastrous strategy in the previous two presidential cycles, and it might be the best gift Biden can give to Trump for 2020.


hotair--2020-08-05--Gallup: Majority of black Americans want police staffing levels to remain where they are

I don ’ t think for a moment that this is going to matter to anyone in the Black Lives Matter movement , much less to anyone using the nightly protests as an excuse to attack police for their own reasons .
Still , it ’ s worth pointing out that the majority of black Americans say they don ’ t want a decrease in the number of police in their neighborhood : When asked whether they want the police to spend more time , the same amount of time or less time than they currently do in their area @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — want the police presence to remain the same .
This is similar to the 67 % of all U.S. adults preferring the status quo , including 71 % of White Americans .
Meanwhile , nearly equal proportions of Black Americans say they would like the police to spend more time in their area ( 20 % ) as say they ’ d like them to spend less time there ( 19 % ) .
Gallup ’ s poll did find a clear difference in the confidence black Americans have about how respectfully @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This chart sums up the differences among various racial categories .
So , for instance , 12 percent of black Americans are not confident they ’ ll be treated respectfully by police whereas for white Americans the same figure is 2 percent .
Significantly , that 12 percent of black Americans who are not confident about being treated respectfully is the only segment of the population for which a majority want to see fewer police in their neighborhoods .
Every other segment , even those described as “ Not too confident ” have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
According to Gallup , having more interactions with the police doesn ’ t make much of a difference in people ’ s attitudes .
Black Americans who ’ ve interacted with police in the past year are only slightly less likely to favor current policing levels ( 79 % compared to 82 % of those with no recent police interaction ) .
What does seem to matter a great deal is negative experiences with the police : • Forty-five percent of Black Americans who report not being treated with courtesy or respect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ months want less of a police presence in their neighborhood .
Meanwhile , 55 % want the same or more police presence .
• By contrast , just 13 % of those who did feel they were treated respectfully want the police to spend less time in their neighborhood ; 87 % want them there as much or more often .
It makes sense .
If you feel the police were rude to you personally , you ’ re more likely to want to see them less .
The bottom line , according @ @ @ @ @ @ @ polling data lines up with previous polling that found 22 percent of black Americans would support abolishing the police entirely .
This survey seems to suggest that support is largely driven by negative experiences with police .
I ’ m curious about the role of the media in amplifying those negative experiences but this survey doesn ’ t say anything about that .
For me the bottom line is that the anti-police extremism that has been dominating headlines for months is really a minority proposition even within the black community .
Most black @ @ @ @ @ @ @ staffing levels .
It would be great if the coverage would mention that occasionally because that ’ s not the impression you get watching the news right now .

I don’t think for a moment that this is going to matter to anyone in the Black Lives Matter movement, much less to anyone using the nightly protests as an excuse to attack police for their own reasons. Still, it’s worth pointing out that the majority of black Americans say they don’t want a decrease in the number of police in their neighborhood:
When asked whether they want the police to spend more time, the same amount of time or less time than they currently do in their area, most Black Americans — 61% — want the police presence to remain the same. This is similar to the 67% of all U.S. adults preferring the status quo, including 71% of White Americans. Meanwhile, nearly equal proportions of Black Americans say they would like the police to spend more time in their area (20%) as say they’d like them to spend less time there (19%).
Gallup’s poll did find a clear difference in the confidence black Americans have about how respectfully they will be treated by police. This chart sums up the differences among various racial categories. So, for instance, 12 percent of black Americans are not confident they’ll be treated respectfully by police whereas for white Americans the same figure is 2 percent.
Significantly, that 12 percent of black Americans who are not confident about being treated respectfully is the only segment of the population for which a majority want to see fewer police in their neighborhoods. Every other segment, even those described as “Not too confident” have a majority who favor current policing levels.
According to Gallup, having more interactions with the police doesn’t make much of a difference in people’s attitudes. Black Americans who’ve interacted with police in the past year are only slightly less likely to favor current policing levels (79% compared to 82% of those with no recent police interaction). What does seem to matter a great deal is negative experiences with the police:
Forty-five percent of Black Americans who report not being treated with courtesy or respect by the police within the past 12 months want less of a police presence in their neighborhood. Meanwhile, 55% want the same or more police presence.
By contrast, just 13% of those who did feel they were treated respectfully want the police to spend less time in their neighborhood; 87% want them there as much or more often.
It makes sense. If you feel the police were rude to you personally, you’re more likely to want to see them less.
The bottom line, according to Gallup, is that this new polling data lines up with previous polling that found 22 percent of black Americans would support abolishing the police entirely. This survey seems to suggest that support is largely driven by negative experiences with police. I’m curious about the role of the media in amplifying those negative experiences but this survey doesn’t say anything about that.
For me the bottom line is that the anti-police extremism that has been dominating headlines for months is really a minority proposition even within the black community. Most black Americans support the police and support current staffing levels. It would be great if the coverage would mention that occasionally because that’s not the impression you get watching the news right now.


hotair--2020-08-05--Players on WNBA team owned by Kelly Loeffler wear t-shirts promoting ... her Dem Senate opponent

No doubt this was done in earnest by the team , as a show of genuine opposition to her .
But a little part of me wants to believe it ’ s actually eight-dimensional chess on Loeffler ’ s part .
I ’ m imagining her calling a huddle in the locker room before the game , like , “ Listen , would y ’ all mind terribly wearing some ‘ Vote Warnock ’ shirts for me tonight ?
As a favor .
I have my reasons.
” I thought she was a dead duck in the special election for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the DOJ briefly investigated her for possible COVID-related insider trading this past spring .
But she was cleared , and she ’ s been more competitive in the race than one might expect .
Between her vast fortune , the support of Georgia Gov .
Brian Kemp , and the perception that she ’ s more moderate than populist challenger Doug Collins , Loeffler should do fine with right-leaning swing voters like suburbanites .
Her problem is that Collins could beat her anyway by consolidating the righty populist vote .
So Loeffler ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with that group , sticking close to Trump and grasping for ways to show voters that she ’ s a populist at heart too , as far-fetched as that may seem .
Maybe she ’ s found a way .
A month ago , as minority owner of the Atlanta Dream , she wrote to the commissioner of the WNBA to complain about the league ’ s plan to promote Black Lives Matter this season .
“ I adamantly oppose the Black Lives Matter political movement , which has advocated for the defunding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Jesus from churches and the disruption of the nuclear family structure , harbored anti-Semitic views , and promoted violence and destruction across the country , ” said Loeffler at the time .
“ I believe it is totally misaligned with the values and goals of the WNBA and the Atlanta Dream , where we support tolerance and inclusion.
” Her suggestion : Why not put the American flag on players ’ uniforms instead ?
That would have been an unsubtle pander even for Trump but she doesn ’ t have a ton @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Collins ’ s voters that she ’ s One Of Us .
Fortunately for her , players on the Dream and across the league were outraged by her request .
“ I can ’ t believe I ever stepped foot in Kelly ’ s house and shared a meal with her .
It ’ s actually really hurtful to see her true colors , ” said one former Dream player .
The team ’ s current players pushed back on her as well : The WNBA players ’ union went so far as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to sell her interest in the team : We ’ re not going to force her to sell , the commissioner said , but the players ’ instinct to purge her from the league handed Loeffler a new gift-wrapped talking point about being threatened by “ cancel culture.
” Some of the players themselves were shrewd enough to realize that her anti-BLM crusade was an election ploy , nothing more .
( Would she have complained publicly in a letter to the commissioner if she weren ’ t running for a Senate seat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quickly we started to realize that this was only happening for her political gain .
This was something that she wanted .
And the more noise we made , whether it was a tweet saying to get her out , that was just playing into her hands , ” said Seattle player Sue Bird .
Elizabeth Williams of the Dream echoed that point : “ When we realized what our owner was doing and how she was kind of using us and the Black Lives Matter movement for her political gain , we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to feel kind of lost as the pawns in this.
” So … here they were last night , playing into her hands further by escalating the feud in a highly visible way : Loeffler ’ s campaign must have been ecstatic .
Becoming the scourge of BLM sympathizers is exactly the sort of thing she ’ s looking for to elbow Collins aside among Georgia righties .
Her campaign naturally highlighted the “ Vote Warnock ” t-shirts on Twitter : Collins was left grumbling to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution , wondering why Loeffler @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years ago when the WNBA allowed fans to donate a portion of ticket sales to Planned Parenthood .
“ She just has no moorings , ” he complained .
“ It ’ s what happens when you have never had to take a stand on anything – a history where she doesn ’ t comport to what she wants to run for now.
” It ’ s awfully cynical .
But is it working ?
From the end of June through most of July , Loeffler trailed Collins in every poll of Georgia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ There are no party primaries there .
Candidates from both parties compete in a single election and the top two finishers head to a runoff , assuming no one gets 50 percent . )
Sometimes she trailed by just a few points , but in at least one survey from mid-July tracked by FiveThirtyEight she trailed by 10 .
Then , a few days ago , Monmouth dropped its latest poll of the state .
Lo and behold : Look who leads among Republicans and conservatives .
How much of that is attributable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the WNBA over Black Lives Matter and how much is attributable to her bottomless war chest is anyone ’ s guess .
But the BLM controversy surely isn ’ t hurting her .
Maybe it will later if she ends up in a runoff with a Democrat , but at the moment she seems poised to overcome her primary obstacle , fellow Republican Collins .
Note , by the way , that Raphael Warnock , the subject of the players ’ t-shirt endorsement , isn ’ t even the top polling Democrat in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in single digits despite being the party ’ s preferred candidate this year .
That ’ s no fluke , either .
Other polls show Warnock struggling to gain traction and routinely trailing fellow Dem Matt Lieberman by a few points .
State and national party leaders think he has the most upside in the field , as he could conceivably rebuild the black and progressive coalition that nearly made Stacey Abrams governor in 2018 .
( Abrams has endorsed Warnock , as have a slew of Democratic senators . )
But he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Maybe once Abrams and the other famous names who ’ ve backed him hit the trail for him , it ’ ll turn around .
But right now there ’ s at least some chance that he , Lieberman , and less popular Dem candidates will split the lefty vote and propel Loeffler and Collins to an all-Republican runoff later this year .
Hoo boy .

No doubt this was done in earnest by the team, as a show of genuine opposition to her. But a little part of me wants to believe it’s actually eight-dimensional chess on Loeffler’s part.
I’m imagining her calling a huddle in the locker room before the game, like, “Listen, would y’all mind terribly wearing some ‘Vote Warnock’ shirts for me tonight? As a favor. I have my reasons.”
I thought she was a dead duck in the special election for the Senate seat she now occupies after the DOJ briefly investigated her for possible COVID-related insider trading this past spring. But she was cleared, and she’s been more competitive in the race than one might expect. Between her vast fortune, the support of Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, and the perception that she’s more moderate than populist challenger Doug Collins, Loeffler should do fine with right-leaning swing voters like suburbanites. Her problem is that Collins could beat her anyway by consolidating the righty populist vote. So Loeffler’s been at pains to make inroads with that group, sticking close to Trump and grasping for ways to show voters that she’s a populist at heart too, as far-fetched as that may seem.
Maybe she’s found a way. A month ago, as minority owner of the Atlanta Dream, she wrote to the commissioner of the WNBA to complain about the league’s plan to promote Black Lives Matter this season. “I adamantly oppose the Black Lives Matter political movement, which has advocated for the defunding of police, called for the removal of Jesus from churches and the disruption of the nuclear family structure, harbored anti-Semitic views, and promoted violence and destruction across the country,” said Loeffler at the time. “I believe it is totally misaligned with the values and goals of the WNBA and the Atlanta Dream, where we support tolerance and inclusion.” Her suggestion: Why not put the American flag on players’ uniforms instead?
That would have been an unsubtle pander even for Trump but she doesn’t have a ton of time before Election Day to convince Collins’s voters that she’s One Of Us. Fortunately for her, players on the Dream and across the league were outraged by her request. “I can’t believe I ever stepped foot in Kelly’s house and shared a meal with her. It’s actually really hurtful to see her true colors,” said one former Dream player. The team’s current players pushed back on her as well:
The WNBA players’ union went so far as to suggest that she should be forced to sell her interest in the team:
We’re not going to force her to sell, the commissioner said, but the players’ instinct to purge her from the league handed Loeffler a new gift-wrapped talking point about being threatened by “cancel culture.” Some of the players themselves were shrewd enough to realize that her anti-BLM crusade was an election ploy, nothing more. (Would she have complained publicly in a letter to the commissioner if she weren’t running for a Senate seat?) “[V]ery quickly we started to realize that this was only happening for her political gain. This was something that she wanted. And the more noise we made, whether it was a tweet saying to get her out, that was just playing into her hands,” said Seattle player Sue Bird. Elizabeth Williams of the Dream echoed that point: “When we realized what our owner was doing and how she was kind of using us and the Black Lives Matter movement for her political gain, we felt like we didn’t want to feel kind of lost as the pawns in this.”
So … here they were last night, playing into her hands further by escalating the feud in a highly visible way:
Players on the Chicago Sky, Phoenix Mercury and Atlanta Dream sported "Vote Warnock" shirts yesterday in support of Rev. Raphael Warnock, who is one of the candidates running for the U.S. Senate seat currently occupied by Atlanta Dream co-owner Kelly Loeffler #Vote2020 #thegist pic.twitter.com/FgESuTKNtv — The GIST USA (@thegistusa) August 5, 2020
We are @wnba players, but like the late, great John Lewis said, we are also ordinary people with extraordinary vision. @ReverendWarnock has spent his life fighting for the people and we need him in Washington. Join the movement for a better Georgia at https://t.co/hC8iF9urak pic.twitter.com/mvN5e9m4oO — Elizabeth Williams (@E_Williams_1) August 4, 2020
Dream and Mercury players are wearing “Vote Warnock” shirts to their game today. Raphael Warnock is running against Kelly Loeffler for Senate. Loeffler is a co-owner of the Dream and said she opposes the Black Lives Matter movement. (via @sportsiren)pic.twitter.com/w1INikFQPQ — Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) August 4, 2020
Loeffler’s campaign must have been ecstatic. Becoming the scourge of BLM sympathizers is exactly the sort of thing she’s looking for to elbow Collins aside among Georgia righties. Her campaign naturally highlighted the “Vote Warnock” t-shirts on Twitter:
The lives of every African American matter, and there’s no place for racism in our country. But I oppose the BLM political organization due to its radical ideas and Marxist foundations, which include defunding the police and eroding the nuclear family. — Kelly Loeffler (@KLoeffler) August 5, 2020
It’s sad to see that there’s more interest in tearing our country apart than in solutions that bring us together. I’ll continue to defend American values and our flag, because this is not a game – it’s the future of our country Full statement:https://t.co/mUH5xMjMcJ — Kelly Loeffler (@KLoeffler) August 5, 2020
Collins was left grumbling to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, wondering why Loeffler didn’t speak out a few years ago when the WNBA allowed fans to donate a portion of ticket sales to Planned Parenthood. “She just has no moorings,” he complained. “It’s what happens when you have never had to take a stand on anything – a history where she doesn’t comport to what she wants to run for now.”
It’s awfully cynical. But is it working? From the end of June through most of July, Loeffler trailed Collins in every poll of Georgia’s “jungle primary.” (There are no party primaries there. Candidates from both parties compete in a single election and the top two finishers head to a runoff, assuming no one gets 50 percent.) Sometimes she trailed by just a few points, but in at least one survey from mid-July tracked by FiveThirtyEight she trailed by 10. Then, a few days ago, Monmouth dropped its latest poll of the state. Lo and behold:
Look who leads among Republicans and conservatives. How much of that is attributable to Loeffler’s calculated fracas with the WNBA over Black Lives Matter and how much is attributable to her bottomless war chest is anyone’s guess. But the BLM controversy surely isn’t hurting her. Maybe it will later if she ends up in a runoff with a Democrat, but at the moment she seems poised to overcome her primary obstacle, fellow Republican Collins.
Note, by the way, that Raphael Warnock, the subject of the players’ t-shirt endorsement, isn’t even the top polling Democrat in the race. He’s fourth in single digits despite being the party’s preferred candidate this year. That’s no fluke, either. Other polls show Warnock struggling to gain traction and routinely trailing fellow Dem Matt Lieberman by a few points. State and national party leaders think he has the most upside in the field, as he could conceivably rebuild the black and progressive coalition that nearly made Stacey Abrams governor in 2018. (Abrams has endorsed Warnock, as have a slew of Democratic senators.) But he’s not catching on so far. Maybe once Abrams and the other famous names who’ve backed him hit the trail for him, it’ll turn around. But right now there’s at least some chance that he, Lieberman, and less popular Dem candidates will split the lefty vote and propel Loeffler and Collins to an all-Republican runoff later this year. Hoo boy.


hotair--2020-08-05--Does 2+2=4? Woke academics say not necessarily.

Politics really does make people stupid and that ’ s especially true for otherwise smart people .
That may sound like a contradiction but it ’ s not once you realize that motivated reasoning is the cause of much stupidity .
In other words , people who have an ideological commitment to a certain outcome will do more work to make sure everything adds up to their predetermined outcome .
For the past month or so , that ’ s literally true as a group of woke academics have been trying to argue that 2+2=5 .
How did this happen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it turns out this is a reaction to a bit of trolling by James Lindsay .
Lindsay is one of the people woke academics most love to hate because of his work hoaxing woke journals .
He also has a site where he regularly writes about the strange new world of woke academia .
True to form , Lindsay is taking all of this with a certain philosophical detachment : It started with a meme which Lindsay posted under the heading “ Woke Mini.
” It read , “ 2+2=4 : A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ marginalizes other possible values.
” Someone else used that in a response to a statement made by “ 1619 Project ” author Nikole Hannah-Jones and things spiraled from there : It appears someone put this Woke Mini into the employ of satirically replying to Nikole Hannah-Jones on the fifth of July in response to her tweeting , “ I wonder if folks always talking about ‘ standards ’ ever stop to consider that it ’ s their so-called standards that are the actual problem.
” Hannah-Jones decided to make fun of me by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ image of the “ 2+2=4 ” Woke Mini , and adding the comment , “ Using Arabic numerals to try to make a point about white , Western superiority is just so damn classic.
” … Soon after , also on July 5 , “ teacher , scholar , social justice change agent ” and Ph.D. student Brittany Marshall joined in , apparently not understanding that she was making my point for me .
She insisted , “ Nope , the idea of 2+2 equaling 4 is cultural and because of western imperialism/colonization @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only way of knowing.
” This , if you don ’ t know , is the actual Critical Social Justice view of a “ hegemonic discourse ” like standard mathematics ( including elementary arithmetic ) … …on July 10 , an ethnic mathematics teacher and councilperson for the Washington state Ethnic Studies program , Shraddha Shirude , jumped in on the discussion after discovering someone saying something to the effect of adding two apples plus two oranges equals four pieces of fruit—as though the need to group by like units is at all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who are rightly criticizing her ethnomathematics ( yeah , that ’ s a word now ) program .
She wrote explicitly , “ This is one of my favorite things to happen upon .
Help me respond to all those haters who said my ethnic studies framework claimed 2+2=5… how can we turn this into a true statement ?
” And , so , the project to make “ 2+2=5 ” into a “ true statement ” began in earnest .
So because James Lindsay is an in-group villain and Nikole Hannah-Jones is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have a group of highly motivated people looking to make something silly into a true statement .
Lindsay , who is a trained mathematician , spends much of his piece pointing out all of the flaws with attempts to make 2+2=5 true .
I won ’ t go through all of these but here ’ s a sample of a couple : “ There are two factories .
Each factory has 2 fully operational machines , as well as half the parts to build another one .
If the two factories were joined @ @ @ @ @ @ @ parts were built together , there would be 5 total machines .
A case where 2+2=5.
” No , a case where 2.5+2.5=5 , which everyone knows is true for the exact same reason that 2+2=4… “ Sometimes , when you put two grams of something with another two grams of something , you get five grams.
” ( Arthur Chu ) Nothing in the universe actually works this way , except words .
After going through quite a few of these ( some of them involving base 3 numbers , etc ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ truth of 2+2=4 .
But ultimately what matters here isn ’ t the silly objections being offered but the ideological reasons motivating the objections .
So , now I ’ ve written well over 8000 words on the stupidest topic I could possibly have imagined ever having to write about , but it matters—and there ’ s a point to take away from all this .
It is that postmodernism , particularly in the hands of the ideology of Critical Social Justice , is not at all interested in truth .
It is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will establish through its attempted revolution , which it in turn knows it can only achieve by turning otherwise intelligent , well-meaning people into “ accomplices ” by manipulating their good will , charity , fear of being disliked or ostracized , and , especially , unawareness of what is actually going on beneath the rhetorical tricks they ’ re being served up with intentionally limited context .
To achieve this revolution , postmodernist Critical Social justice is centrally interested in destabilizing meaning so that those it anoints as sufficiently virtuous can decide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that no one has any grounds upon which they could disagree , even in principle .
It is a direct assault on reason itself by means of destabilizing the meaning of meaning with the purpose of installing its own priestly caste of arbiters of how things will be according to the rubrics it lays out .
As Lindsay points out throughout this epic piece , the idea that 2+2=5 was specifically raised in George Orwell ’ s 1984 as something the Party would announce simply because it wanted to establish its dominance over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people are unconsciously recapitulating aspects of one the world ’ s best known dystopian novels should tell us all we need to know about them .

Politics really does make people stupid and that’s especially true for otherwise smart people. That may sound like a contradiction but it’s not once you realize that motivated reasoning is the cause of much stupidity. In other words, people who have an ideological commitment to a certain outcome will do more work to make sure everything adds up to their predetermined outcome. For the past month or so, that’s literally true as a group of woke academics have been trying to argue that 2+2=5.
How did this happen? Why is it happening? Well, it turns out this is a reaction to a bit of trolling by James Lindsay. Lindsay is one of the people woke academics most love to hate because of his work hoaxing woke journals. He also has a site where he regularly writes about the strange new world of woke academia. True to form, Lindsay is taking all of this with a certain philosophical detachment:
I have to confess responsibility for this bizarre moment, which in some sense might be one of the greater achievements of my life thus far. There’s an excellent case to be made that I have led a significant number of professionals who definitely should know otherwise—as effectively every six-year-old in a community with a school does—to dig deeply into tortured defenses of the proposition that two and two do not make four.
It started with a meme which Lindsay posted under the heading “Woke Mini.” It read, “2+2=4: A perspective in white, Western mathematics that marginalizes other possible values.” Someone else used that in a response to a statement made by “1619 Project” author Nikole Hannah-Jones and things spiraled from there:
It appears someone put this Woke Mini into the employ of satirically replying to Nikole Hannah-Jones on the fifth of July in response to her tweeting, “I wonder if folks always talking about ‘standards’ ever stop to consider that it’s their so-called standards that are the actual problem.” Hannah-Jones decided to make fun of me by quote-retweeting this delightful troll, including the image of the “2+2=4” Woke Mini, and adding the comment, “Using Arabic numerals to try to make a point about white, Western superiority is just so damn classic.”… Soon after, also on July 5, “teacher, scholar, social justice change agent” and Ph.D. student Brittany Marshall joined in, apparently not understanding that she was making my point for me. She insisted, “Nope, the idea of 2+2 equaling 4 is cultural and because of western imperialism/colonization, we think of it as the only way of knowing.” This, if you don’t know, is the actual Critical Social Justice view of a “hegemonic discourse” like standard mathematics (including elementary arithmetic)… …on July 10, an ethnic mathematics teacher and councilperson for the Washington state Ethnic Studies program, Shraddha Shirude, jumped in on the discussion after discovering someone saying something to the effect of adding two apples plus two oranges equals four pieces of fruit—as though the need to group by like units is at all mysterious—is an eye-opening way to challenge people who are rightly criticizing her ethnomathematics (yeah, that’s a word now) program. She wrote explicitly, “This is one of my favorite things to happen upon. Help me respond to all those haters who said my ethnic studies framework claimed 2+2=5… how can we turn this into a true statement?” And, so, the project to make “2+2=5” into a “true statement” began in earnest.
So because James Lindsay is an in-group villain and Nikole Hannah-Jones is lionized by the same people, you have a group of highly motivated people looking to make something silly into a true statement. Lindsay, who is a trained mathematician, spends much of his piece pointing out all of the flaws with attempts to make 2+2=5 true. I won’t go through all of these but here’s a sample of a couple:
“There are two factories. Each factory has 2 fully operational machines, as well as half the parts to build another one. If the two factories were joined into one and the two halves of parts were built together, there would be 5 total machines. A case where 2+2=5.” No, a case where 2.5+2.5=5, which everyone knows is true for the exact same reason that 2+2=4… “Sometimes, when you put two grams of something with another two grams of something, you get five grams.” (Arthur Chu) Nothing in the universe actually works this way, except words.
After going through quite a few of these (some of them involving base 3 numbers, etc), Lindsay then argues for the fundamental truth of 2+2=4. But ultimately what matters here isn’t the silly objections being offered but the ideological reasons motivating the objections.
So, now I’ve written well over 8000 words on the stupidest topic I could possibly have imagined ever having to write about, but it matters—and there’s a point to take away from all this. It is that postmodernism, particularly in the hands of the ideology of Critical Social Justice, is not at all interested in truth. It is only interested in power, which it will establish through its attempted revolution, which it in turn knows it can only achieve by turning otherwise intelligent, well-meaning people into “accomplices” by manipulating their good will, charity, fear of being disliked or ostracized, and, especially, unawareness of what is actually going on beneath the rhetorical tricks they’re being served up with intentionally limited context. To achieve this revolution, postmodernist Critical Social justice is centrally interested in destabilizing meaning so that those it anoints as sufficiently virtuous can decide what is “true” and so that no one has any grounds upon which they could disagree, even in principle. It is a direct assault on reason itself by means of destabilizing the meaning of meaning with the purpose of installing its own priestly caste of arbiters of how things will be according to the rubrics it lays out.
As Lindsay points out throughout this epic piece, the idea that 2+2=5 was specifically raised in George Orwell’s 1984 as something the Party would announce simply because it wanted to establish its dominance over reality itself.
In the end the Party would announce that two and two made five, and you would have to believe it. It was inevitable that they should make that claim sooner or later: the logic of their position demanded it. Not merely the validity of experience, but the very existence of external reality was tacitly denied by their philosophy.
The fact that these people are unconsciously recapitulating aspects of one the world’s best known dystopian novels should tell us all we need to know about them.


hotair--2020-08-05--New Zealand "beat the virus" but what happened next?

One of the great success stories of the global pandemic has been New Zealand , at least if you believe the current media narrative .
It ’ s true that the country took immediate action under the orders of Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern to protect everyone ’ s health .
The country slammed its borders shut like an iron curtain .
Everyone was placed on lockdown , with the least social interaction possible .
Anyone who so much as sniffled was placed in quarantine .
And in a matter of only a few weeks , they had virtually wiped out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what ’ s been happening since then ?
Life has mostly returned to normal , with citizens being free to come and go as they please inside the confines of the country .
But travel across their borders still involves two weeks of quarantine , pretty much wiping out their tourism industry entirely .
According to the latest reports , however , they would appear to be shaking that problem off as well .
The latest labor numbers out of New Zealand claim an unemployment rate of only 4 % during the last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country was locked down .
Amazing , right ?
Perhaps .
But we ’ ll want to look at the details .
( Associated Press ) New Zealand ’ s unemployment rate showed a surprising improvement to 4 % during the midst of the nation ’ s virus lockdown , although the headline number doesn ’ t tell the full story and joblessness is likely to increase in the months ahead .
Still , the figure was far better than most people expected and came as welcome news to the government led by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ general election next month .
The figures from Statistics New Zealand showed the unemployment rate in the quarter ending June fell from 4.2 % in the previous quarter .
But the number of hours worked also fell a record 10 % and the number of people not in the labor force rose .
Boasting an unemployment rate of only 4 % in the middle of a global pandemic when most of the country was locked down is indeed impressive .
That ’ s particularly true for a nation where upwards of 15 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that well has run just about dry at the moment .
So what could explain this ?
To figure that out we have to look at how New Zealand calculates their published unemployment rate .
As with most nations , the unemployment rate is determined by the total number of people receiving unemployment benefits divided by the total number of workers in the labor force .
Simple enough , right ?
But not so in New Zealand .
What goes unmentioned in their report are a number of factors encompassed by their “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unemployment rate , as mentioned above , is dependent on the number of people in the labor force .
But in New Zealand , you are only counted as being “ in the labor force ” if you are actively seeking a job and reporting in to their employment services each week .
The people on lockdown could effectively do neither , so tens of thousands of them were simply removed from the labor force count .
Those people are considered the “ spare capacity in the labor market.
” Also , even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do some work , the published rate doesn ’ t reflect how many people are working full time .
The actual number of hours worked on average per week fell by more than 10 % last quarter… the largest drop in that category for as long as they ’ ve been keeping such records .
As the linked analysis shows , their underutilization rate rose to 12 % , employment dropped by 11,000 jobs and more than 37,000 people “ left the labor force.
” So what was the actual unemployment rate for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more normal western terms ?
Well into the double digits .
And with the tourism industry not showing any signs of coming back , analysts don ’ t expect things to improve any time soon .
Also , as we discussed here previously , New Zealand has a healthy population , but they have almost zero herd immunity .
It ’ s only going to take one person to break ranks when coming into the country and they could be right back where they started in a flash .
So they posted a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be printed on a house of cards .

One of the great success stories of the global pandemic has been New Zealand, at least if you believe the current media narrative. It’s true that the country took immediate action under the orders of Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern to protect everyone’s health. The country slammed its borders shut like an iron curtain. Everyone was placed on lockdown, with the least social interaction possible. Anyone who so much as sniffled was placed in quarantine. And in a matter of only a few weeks, they had virtually wiped out the disease from their islands.
But what’s been happening since then? Life has mostly returned to normal, with citizens being free to come and go as they please inside the confines of the country. But travel across their borders still involves two weeks of quarantine, pretty much wiping out their tourism industry entirely. According to the latest reports, however, they would appear to be shaking that problem off as well. The latest labor numbers out of New Zealand claim an unemployment rate of only 4% during the last quarter, the period when the entire country was locked down. Amazing, right? Perhaps. But we’ll want to look at the details. (Associated Press)
New Zealand’s unemployment rate showed a surprising improvement to 4% during the midst of the nation’s virus lockdown, although the headline number doesn’t tell the full story and joblessness is likely to increase in the months ahead. Still, the figure was far better than most people expected and came as welcome news to the government led by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern ahead of a general election next month. The figures from Statistics New Zealand showed the unemployment rate in the quarter ending June fell from 4.2% in the previous quarter. But the number of hours worked also fell a record 10% and the number of people not in the labor force rose.
Boasting an unemployment rate of only 4% in the middle of a global pandemic when most of the country was locked down is indeed impressive. That’s particularly true for a nation where upwards of 15% of their GDP relies on tourism and that well has run just about dry at the moment. So what could explain this?
To figure that out we have to look at how New Zealand calculates their published unemployment rate. As with most nations, the unemployment rate is determined by the total number of people receiving unemployment benefits divided by the total number of workers in the labor force. Simple enough, right? But not so in New Zealand.
What goes unmentioned in their report are a number of factors encompassed by their “underutilization rate.” You see, the unemployment rate, as mentioned above, is dependent on the number of people in the labor force. But in New Zealand, you are only counted as being “in the labor force” if you are actively seeking a job and reporting in to their employment services each week. The people on lockdown could effectively do neither, so tens of thousands of them were simply removed from the labor force count. Those people are considered the “spare capacity in the labor market.”
Also, even for those who are still able to do some work, the published rate doesn’t reflect how many people are working full time. The actual number of hours worked on average per week fell by more than 10% last quarter… the largest drop in that category for as long as they’ve been keeping such records. As the linked analysis shows, their underutilization rate rose to 12%, employment dropped by 11,000 jobs and more than 37,000 people “left the labor force.”
So what was the actual unemployment rate for the quarter if it were measured in more normal western terms? Well into the double digits. And with the tourism industry not showing any signs of coming back, analysts don’t expect things to improve any time soon. Also, as we discussed here previously, New Zealand has a healthy population, but they have almost zero herd immunity. It’s only going to take one person to break ranks when coming into the country and they could be right back where they started in a flash. So they posted a great-sounding number, but it seems to be printed on a house of cards.


hotair--2020-08-05--Not the usual suspect: Lebanon arrests port officials for negligence leading to devastating blast

Did Beirut port officials ’ negligence set the stage for the worst devastation Lebanon has seen since the end of its civil war thirty years ago ?
In the immediate aftermath of the explosion , fingers pointed everywhere as people theorized that it was a deliberate attack — and suspected Israel of settling scores with Hezbollah , which reportedly uses the port as a distribution point for missiles .
However , Lebanon ’ s government has arrested port officials after concluding that their negligence in handling large amounts of ammonium nitrate created the conditions for the devastation : The Lebanese @ @ @ @ @ @ @ number of Beirut port officials under house arrest pending an investigation into how 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate came to be stored at the port for years .
The move comes amid speculation that negligence was to blame for the explosion that killed more than 100 people .
It was announced following a Cabinet meeting Wednesday during which the government declared a two-week “ state of emergency , ” effectively giving the military full powers during this time .
The storage began six years ago , after offloading the material from an “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ New York Times reports this morning .
However , the general manager of the Beirut port told a local news station that they have repeatedly petitioned to have the ammonium nitrate removed from the dock .
It ’ s the government that failed to act , Hassan Koraytem insisted : Lebanese customs officials wrote letters to the courts at least six times from 2014 to 2017 , seeking guidance on how to dispose of the highly combustible material , according to public records cited by a Lebanese lawmaker , Salim Aoun .
Solutions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ammonium nitrate from Lebanon or donating it to the Lebanese Army .
But the judiciary failed to respond to the letters , the records suggested .
The general manager of Beirut port , Hassan Koraytem , appeared to confirm that account on Wednesday in an interview with OTV , a local broadcaster .
Despite numerous requests to have the material moved , “ nothing happened , ” Mr. Koraytem said .
“ We have been waiting for this to be resolved for six years , in vain , ” he said .
Perhaps @ @ @ @ @ @ @ instead ?
That might actually be the popular option , al-Jazeera suggests : Lebanon ’ s Prime Minister Hassan Diab on Tuesday declared the explosion at the port a “ great national disaster ” and promised that “ all those responsible for this catastrophe will pay the price ” .
Lebanese President Michel Aoun called the failure to deal with the ammonium nitrate “ unacceptable ” and vowed the “ harshest punishment ” for those responsible .
An investigation has now been launched , and the committee is to refer its findings to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cause of the explosion is still not clear , but many Lebanese were quick to point out what they believe to be the root causes ; immense mismanagement in a broken state run by a corrupt political class who they say treat the country ’ s inhabitants with contempt .
It is also not lost on Beirut ’ s residents that this tragedy emanated from the city ’ s port , a public utility known locally as the “ Cave of Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves ” for the vast amount of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there over the decades .
The allegations include claims that billions of dollars in tax revenue never reached the state treasury due to schemes to undervalue imports , as well as accusations of systematic and widespread bribery to avoid paying customs taxes .
In other words , the mass arrest of port officials might just be a distraction from where the blame really lies .
Although , this history doesn ’ t address one other point — why did port officials allow fireworks to be stored so close to the obviously dangerous ammonium @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a negligent decision too , if that ’ s what happened .
That one might be on the port officials themselves .
Hopefully the residents of Beirut will get real answers to all of these questions .
It ’ s remarkable , however , that in all of the apparent blame-shifting and distraction , the usual scapegoat in such events isn ’ t getting pulled into the debate .
Perhaps it ’ s because there may be visual evidence that the entire chain of events was an industrial accident that cascaded into catastrophe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : A picture posted online late Tuesday of unknown provenance appeared to show workers welding a warehouse door next to stacks of 1/2-ton bags of ammonium nitrate .
The door and windows on the warehouse appeared to match pictures and videos of the warehouse where the explosion occurred , shortly after a fire blamed on fireworks sent a large cloud of smoke over Beirut ’ s downtown .
At least one worker in the picture is wearing a cloth facemask , pointing to it having been taken recently .
The authenticity of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A spark from a welding tool would not be able to cause the nitrate to explode , but it could ignite other materials and raise temperatures high enough to be able to set off a massive explosion .
A spark could set off fireworks , however , and a blaze in a fireworks storage area would burn hot enough to set off the ammonium nitrate .
Lebanon ’ s government hasn ’ t confirmed the picture or the sequence of events , but that may be why no one ’ s pointing the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ d normally expect , and as people speculated yesterday .

Did Beirut port officials’ negligence set the stage for the worst devastation Lebanon has seen since the end of its civil war thirty years ago? In the immediate aftermath of the explosion, fingers pointed everywhere as people theorized that it was a deliberate attack — and suspected Israel of settling scores with Hezbollah, which reportedly uses the port as a distribution point for missiles. However, Lebanon’s government has arrested port officials after concluding that their negligence in handling large amounts of ammonium nitrate created the conditions for the devastation:
The Lebanese government says it is putting an unspecified number of Beirut port officials under house arrest pending an investigation into how 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate came to be stored at the port for years. The move comes amid speculation that negligence was to blame for the explosion that killed more than 100 people. It was announced following a Cabinet meeting Wednesday during which the government declared a two-week “state of emergency,” effectively giving the military full powers during this time.
The storage began six years ago, after offloading the material from an “ailing” Russian-owned cargo ship, the New York Times reports this morning. However, the general manager of the Beirut port told a local news station that they have repeatedly petitioned to have the ammonium nitrate removed from the dock. It’s the government that failed to act, Hassan Koraytem insisted:
Lebanese customs officials wrote letters to the courts at least six times from 2014 to 2017, seeking guidance on how to dispose of the highly combustible material, according to public records cited by a Lebanese lawmaker, Salim Aoun. Solutions proposed by the officials included exporting the ammonium nitrate from Lebanon or donating it to the Lebanese Army. But the judiciary failed to respond to the letters, the records suggested. The general manager of Beirut port, Hassan Koraytem, appeared to confirm that account on Wednesday in an interview with OTV, a local broadcaster. Despite numerous requests to have the material moved, “nothing happened,” Mr. Koraytem said. “We have been waiting for this to be resolved for six years, in vain,” he said.
Perhaps it should be port officials arresting politicians instead? That might actually be the popular option, al-Jazeera suggests:
Lebanon’s Prime Minister Hassan Diab on Tuesday declared the explosion at the port a “great national disaster” and promised that “all those responsible for this catastrophe will pay the price”. Lebanese President Michel Aoun called the failure to deal with the ammonium nitrate “unacceptable” and vowed the “harshest punishment” for those responsible. An investigation has now been launched, and the committee is to refer its findings to the judiciary within five days. The cause of the explosion is still not clear, but many Lebanese were quick to point out what they believe to be the root causes; immense mismanagement in a broken state run by a corrupt political class who they say treat the country’s inhabitants with contempt. It is also not lost on Beirut’s residents that this tragedy emanated from the city’s port, a public utility known locally as the “Cave of Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves” for the vast amount of state funds that have reportedly been stolen there over the decades. The allegations include claims that billions of dollars in tax revenue never reached the state treasury due to schemes to undervalue imports, as well as accusations of systematic and widespread bribery to avoid paying customs taxes.
In other words, the mass arrest of port officials might just be a distraction from where the blame really lies. Although, this history doesn’t address one other point — why did port officials allow fireworks to be stored so close to the obviously dangerous ammonium nitrate storage area? That seems like a negligent decision too, if that’s what happened. That one might be on the port officials themselves.
Hopefully the residents of Beirut will get real answers to all of these questions. It’s remarkable, however, that in all of the apparent blame-shifting and distraction, the usual scapegoat in such events isn’t getting pulled into the debate. Perhaps it’s because there may be visual evidence that the entire chain of events was an industrial accident that cascaded into catastrophe, as the Times of Israel reports:
A picture posted online late Tuesday of unknown provenance appeared to show workers welding a warehouse door next to stacks of 1/2-ton bags of ammonium nitrate. The door and windows on the warehouse appeared to match pictures and videos of the warehouse where the explosion occurred, shortly after a fire blamed on fireworks sent a large cloud of smoke over Beirut’s downtown. At least one worker in the picture is wearing a cloth facemask, pointing to it having been taken recently. The authenticity of the picture could not be independently confirmed. A spark from a welding tool would not be able to cause the nitrate to explode, but it could ignite other materials and raise temperatures high enough to be able to set off a massive explosion.
A spark could set off fireworks, however, and a blaze in a fireworks storage area would burn hot enough to set off the ammonium nitrate. Lebanon’s government hasn’t confirmed the picture or the sequence of events, but that may be why no one’s pointing the finger at Israel … as we’d normally expect, and as people speculated yesterday.


hotair--2020-08-05--A white professor created a bisexual, Native American persona online and then killed her off with co

A white professor created a bisexual, Native American persona online and then killed her off with coronavirus

A neurology professor named BethAnn McLaughlin earned a reputation as a social justice warrior in her field .
She started a group called MeTooSTEM which was focused on sexual abuse claims among scientists .
In 2018 , McLaughlin shared an MIT Media Lab award with two other women including Tarana Burke , founder of the MeToo movement .
But it turns out MeTooSTEM wasn ’ t the only thing McClaughlin had created .
In 2016 she also created an online persona on Twitter with the name @ Sciencing_Bi .
That name claimed to be a distinct person who was a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anonymous account , @ Sciencing_Bi , was an active participant in the corner of Science Twitter that frequently discusses issues of sexual misconduct in the sciences .
It claimed on at least one occasion to have grown up in Alabama , to have “ fled the south because of their oppression of queer folk , ” and to have attended Catholic school .
The account began to pointedly make reference to being Native American and , earlier this year , began to identify as Hopi .
Since 2016 , it has posted often @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sciences , with a focus on activism and research about sexual harassment .
In April , @ Sciencing_Bi announced she was ill with the coronavirus .
She publicly blamed her illness on Arizona State University for making her teach in a large lecture hall with 200 people .
The account interacted with a number of people through DMs and in the past few weeks she told anyone she spoke with that she was experiencing a difficult recovery from the virus .
And then last Friday , BethAnn McLaughlin announced that @ Sciencing_Bi was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
After her “ death ” BethAnn McLaughlin suggested that she ’ d been in an intimate relationship with the woman known only as @ Sciencing_Bi .
“ Looking at her side of the bed and crying .
Just a lot of crying.
” But pretty quickly McLaughlin ’ s story began to really fall apart as people noticed that details @ Sciencing_Bi had claimed about Arizona State University were false , e.g .
she didn ’ t know the correct dates for the school ’ s closing .
Also , looking back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had only referenced her Native American ancestry fairly recently .
And Sciencing_Bi ’ s claims about meeting BethAnn McLaughling in person used stock photos : The whole thing finally collapsed when Twitter suspended both accounts at once .
Also , ASU told Buzzfeed they had no record of any such person connected to the university : As the questions swirled , the account settings were switched to private .
Then late on Sunday , Twitter suspended both McLaughlin ’ s and the @ Sciencing_Bi accounts .
“ We ’ re aware of this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ violating our spam and platform manipulation policies , ” a Twitter spokesperson told BuzzFeed News by email .
The company declined to comment on whether it had any forensic evidence linking the two accounts to the same device or person .
A spokesperson from ASU told BuzzFeed News they had no record of any faculty matching @ Sciencing_Bi ’ s description .
And other parts of @ Sciencing_Bi ’ s accounts did not match up : The university closed its campus in March , switching to online instruction , and did not implement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ looking into this for the last 24 hours and can not verify any connection with the university , ” ASU spokesperson Katie Paquet told BuzzFeed News by email on Sunday .
“ We have been in touch with several deans and faculty members and no one can identify the account or who might be behind it.
” Today , McLaughlin , through her lawyer , finally admitted the truth to the NY Times : “ I take full responsibility for my involvement in creating the @ sciencing_bi Twitter account .
My actions are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all the people I hurt.
” McLaughlin is now saying she ’ s aware she needs mental health treatment and will be seeking it .
No doubt what McLaughlin did seems crazy but it ’ s not crazy in a random sense .
McLaughlin understood that in the left-wing activists circles she was traveling in being white was a disadvantage .
She created a false persona who was gay , Native American , and allegedly a victim of sexual assault , i.e .
someone whose intersectional identity gave her an authority that couldn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wonder how long she could have continued pull off this ruse if she hadn ’ t decided to kill off @ Sciencing_Bi .
Four years is a long time to fool people .
McLaughlin clearly crossed a line inventing a person but she wasn ’ t wrong in her assessment of how identity politics creates social power online .
How many more fake minorities are out there on Twitter pressing for social justice ?

A neurology professor named BethAnn McLaughlin earned a reputation as a social justice warrior in her field. She started a group called MeTooSTEM which was focused on sexual abuse claims among scientists. In 2018, McLaughlin shared an MIT Media Lab award with two other women including Tarana Burke, founder of the MeToo movement.
But it turns out MeTooSTEM wasn’t the only thing McClaughlin had created. In 2016 she also created an online persona on Twitter with the name @Sciencing_Bi. That name claimed to be a distinct person who was a bisexual, Native American geologist:
The anonymous account, @Sciencing_Bi, was an active participant in the corner of Science Twitter that frequently discusses issues of sexual misconduct in the sciences. It claimed on at least one occasion to have grown up in Alabama, to have “fled the south because of their oppression of queer folk,” and to have attended Catholic school. The account began to pointedly make reference to being Native American and, earlier this year, began to identify as Hopi. Since 2016, it has posted often about issues around social justice in the sciences, with a focus on activism and research about sexual harassment.
In April, @Sciencing_Bi announced she was ill with the coronavirus. She publicly blamed her illness on Arizona State University for making her teach in a large lecture hall with 200 people.
The account interacted with a number of people through DMs and in the past few weeks she told anyone she spoke with that she was experiencing a difficult recovery from the virus. And then last Friday, BethAnn McLaughlin announced that @Sciencing_Bi was dead.
And it gets even weirder. After her “death” BethAnn McLaughlin suggested that she’d been in an intimate relationship with the woman known only as @Sciencing_Bi. “Looking at her side of the bed and crying. Just a lot of crying.”
this is one of my big hangups. if SB was a real and autonomous human, she was allegedly interacting with MTS in a client/support capacity, and should not have been anywhere near BA’s bed, much less had an established “side.” pic.twitter.com/LkqDEuC5hM — Isabel Ott (@IsabelOtt) August 2, 2020
But pretty quickly McLaughlin’s story began to really fall apart as people noticed that details @Sciencing_Bi had claimed about Arizona State University were false, e.g. she didn’t know the correct dates for the school’s closing. Also, looking back over her tweets it seemed that she had only referenced her Native American ancestry fairly recently.
Here’s some more weirdness on the Indigenous ID claims, shared by a friend. Prior to 2020, their tone re: “Native Americans” indicated ID’ing as exterior to that group; first claims of Indigeneity seem to have arisen this spring/summer and seem…fishy to me. pic.twitter.com/0H7kwMIpbC — Isabel Ott (@IsabelOtt) August 2, 2020
And Sciencing_Bi’s claims about meeting BethAnn McLaughling in person used stock photos:
SB tweeted this photo about arriving in Nashville to meet with BA. This photo is a generic pic from an airline's website. It couldn't have been taken by herhttps://t.co/SL6t1cbt1v pic.twitter.com/rYWHpw6YNi — Fieldwork Initiative (@MeTooFieldwork) August 2, 2020
The whole thing finally collapsed when Twitter suspended both accounts at once. Also, ASU told Buzzfeed they had no record of any such person connected to the university:
As the questions swirled, the account settings were switched to private. Then late on Sunday, Twitter suspended both McLaughlin’s and the @Sciencing_Bi accounts. “We’re aware of this activity and have suspended these accounts for violating our spam and platform manipulation policies,” a Twitter spokesperson told BuzzFeed News by email. The company declined to comment on whether it had any forensic evidence linking the two accounts to the same device or person. A spokesperson from ASU told BuzzFeed News they had no record of any faculty matching @Sciencing_Bi’s description. And other parts of @Sciencing_Bi’s accounts did not match up: The university closed its campus in March, switching to online instruction, and did not implement salary cuts. “We have been looking into this for the last 24 hours and cannot verify any connection with the university,” ASU spokesperson Katie Paquet told BuzzFeed News by email on Sunday. “We have been in touch with several deans and faculty members and no one can identify the account or who might be behind it.”
Today, McLaughlin, through her lawyer, finally admitted the truth to the NY Times: “I take full responsibility for my involvement in creating the @sciencing_bi Twitter account. My actions are inexcusable. I apologize without reservation to all the people I hurt.” McLaughlin is now saying she’s aware she needs mental health treatment and will be seeking it.
No doubt what McLaughlin did seems crazy but it’s not crazy in a random sense. McLaughlin understood that in the left-wing activists circles she was traveling in being white was a disadvantage. She created a false persona who was gay, Native American, and allegedly a victim of sexual assault, i.e. someone whose intersectional identity gave her an authority that couldn’t really be challenged. I wonder how long she could have continued pull off this ruse if she hadn’t decided to kill off @Sciencing_Bi. Four years is a long time to fool people.
McLaughlin clearly crossed a line inventing a person but she wasn’t wrong in her assessment of how identity politics creates social power online. How many more fake minorities are out there on Twitter pressing for social justice?


hotair--2020-08-05--You knew somebody was going to plant those mystery seeds, right? They did

Over the weekend we looked at a recent update to the story about the “ mystery seeds ” that were showing up at people ’ s houses in packages that appeared to be coming from China .
Agricultural authorities around the country have been warning everyone not to plant them and to notify their state Department of Agriculture if they show up in the mail .
The major concern here is that the seeds may turn out to be from an invasive species , perhaps some sort of low-level biological warfare attack from the CCP .
The initial testing by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some fairly mundane flowers , spices and vegetables .
But as I noted at the time , the seeds were a real mixed bag ( literally ) so there could be more , potentially dangerous species in some of the packages .
This week we may have encountered the first possible example of that scenario .
In the town of Boonesville , Arkansas , a farmer named Doyle Crenshawn received one of those packages but he hadn ’ t heard about all the warnings at that time .
He went ahead and planted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crop of… something .
But he couldn ’ t identify it .
After he reported it to authorities , they appeared to be stymied as well .
So what could it be ?
( NY Post ) An Arkansas man who received one of the mysterious seed packages sent to thousands of US residents from China planted them on his property — and said the results are wild .
“ We … planted the seeds just to see what would happen , ’ ’ Booneville resident Doyle Crenshawn told local CBS-TV affiliate KSFM @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fruit from orange flowers that resemble those of a squash .
“ Every two weeks I ’ d come by and put Miracle-Gro on it , and they just started growing like crazy , ’ ’ Crenshawn said .
Before going further , take a look at this brief report from the local Channel 5 News outlet .
They have an interview with the farmer and footage of the plants and the vegetables they began producing , as well as some bewildered comments from a local Department of Agriculture representative .
I ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ package of seeds he received , my first thought was that they looked a lot like either pumpkin or summer squash seeds .
( I ’ ve grown both in my garden over the years . )
But they weren ’ t quite the same .
The leaves also had a definite look of something in the same family .
The resultant fruit on the vine , however , was not something I ’ d seen before either .
So I did a bit of searching online and before long I came up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ good candidate to solve the mystery .
It ’ s the Opo squash .
The leaves look correct and it ’ s native to Asia , which makes it a pretty good match .
The squash on this farmer ’ s plants looks far closer to white , but it turns out that the squash are very light color when immature , turning a light green as they ripen .
There are a few varieties with slightly different shapes and colors , but it still appears to be a match or at least @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so , it ’ s once again not an invasive species threat .
They ’ re already being grown in the United States and used in a variety of cuisines .
But they could definitely have been sent from China .
State officials came to dig up and eliminate the plants from the farmer ’ s field , but it ’ s unclear if they could actually get all the roots .
I suppose Mr. Crenshawn will know next spring .
This story still doesn ’ t mean we ’ ve gotten to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seed showing up in these packages .
There could still be something nasty out there mixed in with the rest , so everyone should probably still avoid planting them and just turn them in to your local officials .
But is that enough preventative action ?
It ’ s been suggested recently that perhaps the Post Office should stop delivering them .
I ’ m not even sure if that ’ s feasible , though .
I suppose if they ’ re all coming from the same address it could be managed .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ doing legitimate business with American customers who have paid for products ?
Just shutting down the mail stream is risky business at the best of times .

Over the weekend we looked at a recent update to the story about the “mystery seeds” that were showing up at people’s houses in packages that appeared to be coming from China. Agricultural authorities around the country have been warning everyone not to plant them and to notify their state Department of Agriculture if they show up in the mail. The major concern here is that the seeds may turn out to be from an invasive species, perhaps some sort of low-level biological warfare attack from the CCP. The initial testing by the Department of Agriculture only turned up some fairly mundane flowers, spices and vegetables. But as I noted at the time, the seeds were a real mixed bag (literally) so there could be more, potentially dangerous species in some of the packages.
This week we may have encountered the first possible example of that scenario. In the town of Boonesville, Arkansas, a farmer named Doyle Crenshawn received one of those packages but he hadn’t heard about all the warnings at that time. He went ahead and planted them and soon he had a bumper crop of… something. But he couldn’t identify it. After he reported it to authorities, they appeared to be stymied as well. So what could it be? (NY Post)
An Arkansas man who received one of the mysterious seed packages sent to thousands of US residents from China planted them on his property — and said the results are wild. “We … planted the seeds just to see what would happen,’’ Booneville resident Doyle Crenshawn told local CBS-TV affiliate KSFM. The plant is producing large white fruit from orange flowers that resemble those of a squash. “Every two weeks I’d come by and put Miracle-Gro on it, and they just started growing like crazy,’’ Crenshawn said.
Before going further, take a look at this brief report from the local Channel 5 News outlet. They have an interview with the farmer and footage of the plants and the vegetables they began producing, as well as some bewildered comments from a local Department of Agriculture representative.
I’ll confess, when they showed the package of seeds he received, my first thought was that they looked a lot like either pumpkin or summer squash seeds. (I’ve grown both in my garden over the years.) But they weren’t quite the same. The leaves also had a definite look of something in the same family. The resultant fruit on the vine, however, was not something I’d seen before either.
So I did a bit of searching online and before long I came up with what I think is a pretty good candidate to solve the mystery. It’s the Opo squash. The leaves look correct and it’s native to Asia, which makes it a pretty good match. The squash on this farmer’s plants looks far closer to white, but it turns out that the squash are very light color when immature, turning a light green as they ripen. There are a few varieties with slightly different shapes and colors, but it still appears to be a match or at least something in the same family.
If so, it’s once again not an invasive species threat. They’re already being grown in the United States and used in a variety of cuisines. But they could definitely have been sent from China. State officials came to dig up and eliminate the plants from the farmer’s field, but it’s unclear if they could actually get all the roots. I suppose Mr. Crenshawn will know next spring.
This story still doesn’t mean we’ve gotten to the end of the list of every seed showing up in these packages. There could still be something nasty out there mixed in with the rest, so everyone should probably still avoid planting them and just turn them in to your local officials. But is that enough preventative action? It’s been suggested recently that perhaps the Post Office should stop delivering them. I’m not even sure if that’s feasible, though. I suppose if they’re all coming from the same address it could be managed. But what if that sender is also doing legitimate business with American customers who have paid for products? Just shutting down the mail stream is risky business at the best of times.