hotair--2020-06-19--Top State Department official resigns over Trump's handling of racial tensions

The name of Mary Elizabeth Taylor may not ring a bell with you but she ’ s making headlines now for officially resigning from her position in the Trump administration .
She is a senior State Department official who has been with the Trump administration since its beginning .
She serves as assistant secretary of state for legislative affairs .
Ms. Taylor is no newbie to politics .
So who is she ?
She ’ s a graduate of Bryn Mawr College with a degree in Political Science .
She ’ s a former aide to Senate Majority Leader Mitch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interning in the Senate and is a former assistant in the Senate Republican cloakroom , where deals are made .
While working for McConnell her job included cultivating relationships with Republican senators .
Most notably , she worked on the team guiding Supreme Court Justice nominee Gorsuch through the Senate confirmation process .
She captured social media attention when she sat behind Gorsuch , next to his wife during his confirmation hearings .
“ Twitter has a crush on her !
” In 2010 she interned with Koch Industries .
Something also important @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she is African-American and young , at 30 years of age .
She is one of the highest-ranking African-Americans in the Trump administration , and the youngest person to ever hold her position , so her resignation was bound to make the news .
She is described as a loyal member of the Trump administration and a lifelong Republican .
All of this is to say she knew for whom she signed on to work .
Due to the recent protests and the Black Lives Matter rise in the country , she now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to work for President Trump .
She wrote a five-paragraph letter of resignation that , of course , the Washington Post acquired .
“ Moments of upheaval can change you , shift the trajectory of your life , and mold your character .
The President ’ s comments and actions surrounding racial injustice and Black Americans cut sharply against my core values and convictions , ” Taylor wrote in her resignation letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo .
“ I must follow the dictates of my conscience and resign as Assistant Secretary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ administered Taylor ’ s oath of office at her swearing-in ceremony in December 2018 at the State Department .
In her position as assistant secretary of state , Taylor served as Pompeo ’ s chief liaison to Capitol Hill .
“ I am deeply grateful to you , Mr. Secretary , for empowering me to lead this team and strategically advise you over these last two years , ” Taylor wrote in the resignation letter she submitted to Pompeo .
“ You have shown grace and respect in listening to my opinions , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a better leader and team member .
I appreciate that you understand my strong loyalty to my personal convictions and values , particularly in light of recent events.
” Ms. Taylor is the first high-profile resignation made because of Trump ’ s handling of recent racial tensions .
She comes from a family with a history of public service – her mother served as the White House ’ s director of media relations under President George H.W .
Bush and was the first black woman to hold that job .
Mitch McConnell ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ McConnell appreciates Mary Elizabeth ’ s service to the Republican Conference and our nation.
” It just seems that the irony is rich in this resignation .
A young , black woman is put into a position of power within a presidential administration and she resigns because this president ’ s actions “ cut sharply against my core values and convictions.
” When exactly did she realize that ?
She has been with Trump from the beginning of his administration and was present during the White House meeting between President Trump and Senator @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Charlottesville and their rally turned deadly .
According to a message she sent to her team , the aftermath from George Floyd ’ s death has gotten to be too much for her .
On June 3 , Taylor sent a message to her team of roughly 60 State Department employees , acknowledging that in the aftermath of Floyd ’ s death that her heart “ is broken , in a way from which I ’ ve had to heal it countless times.
” “ George Floyd ’ s horrific murder and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have shaken our nation at its core .
Every time we witness these heinous , murderous events , we are reminded that our country ’ s wounds run deep and remain untreated , ” Taylor wrote in her note , also obtained by The Post .
“ For our team members who are hurting right now , please know you are not alone .
You are seen , recognized , heard , and supported .
I am right here with you.
” When the going gets tough , sometimes not everyone can rise @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of solving problems .
In this case , Ms. Taylor just got going – out the door .

The name of Mary Elizabeth Taylor may not ring a bell with you but she’s making headlines now for officially resigning from her position in the Trump administration. She is a senior State Department official who has been with the Trump administration since its beginning. She serves as assistant secretary of state for legislative affairs.
Ms. Taylor is no newbie to politics. So who is she? She’s a graduate of Bryn Mawr College with a degree in Political Science. She’s a former aide to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. In July 2006 she began interning in the Senate and is a former assistant in the Senate Republican cloakroom, where deals are made. While working for McConnell her job included cultivating relationships with Republican senators. Most notably, she worked on the team guiding Supreme Court Justice nominee Gorsuch through the Senate confirmation process. She captured social media attention when she sat behind Gorsuch, next to his wife during his confirmation hearings. “Twitter has a crush on her!” In 2010 she interned with Koch Industries.
Something also important to know about Ms. Taylor is that she is African-American and young, at 30 years of age. She is one of the highest-ranking African-Americans in the Trump administration, and the youngest person to ever hold her position, so her resignation was bound to make the news. She is described as a loyal member of the Trump administration and a lifelong Republican.
In her White House role, she helped shepherd more than 400 presidential appointments through the Senate, including those of Supreme Court Justice Neil M. Gorsuch, CIA Director Gina Haspel, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome H. Powell and Pompeo.
All of this is to say she knew for whom she signed on to work. Due to the recent protests and the Black Lives Matter rise in the country, she now says that she can’t continue to work for President Trump. She wrote a five-paragraph letter of resignation that, of course, the Washington Post acquired.
“Moments of upheaval can change you, shift the trajectory of your life, and mold your character. The President’s comments and actions surrounding racial injustice and Black Americans cut sharply against my core values and convictions,” Taylor wrote in her resignation letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. “I must follow the dictates of my conscience and resign as Assistant Secretary of State for Legislative Affairs.” Gorsuch administered Taylor’s oath of office at her swearing-in ceremony in December 2018 at the State Department. In her position as assistant secretary of state, Taylor served as Pompeo’s chief liaison to Capitol Hill. “I am deeply grateful to you, Mr. Secretary, for empowering me to lead this team and strategically advise you over these last two years,” Taylor wrote in the resignation letter she submitted to Pompeo. “You have shown grace and respect in listening to my opinions, and your remarkable leadership has made me a better leader and team member. I appreciate that you understand my strong loyalty to my personal convictions and values, particularly in light of recent events.”
Ms. Taylor is the first high-profile resignation made because of Trump’s handling of recent racial tensions. She comes from a family with a history of public service – her mother served as the White House’s director of media relations under President George H.W. Bush and was the first black woman to hold that job. Mitch McConnell’s spokesman said Thursday, “Leader McConnell appreciates Mary Elizabeth’s service to the Republican Conference and our nation.”
It just seems that the irony is rich in this resignation. A young, black woman is put into a position of power within a presidential administration and she resigns because this president’s actions “cut sharply against my core values and convictions.” When exactly did she realize that? She has been with Trump from the beginning of his administration and was present during the White House meeting between President Trump and Senator Tim Scott after the white supremacists marched in Charlottesville and their rally turned deadly. According to a message she sent to her team, the aftermath from George Floyd’s death has gotten to be too much for her.
On June 3, Taylor sent a message to her team of roughly 60 State Department employees, acknowledging that in the aftermath of Floyd’s death that her heart “is broken, in a way from which I’ve had to heal it countless times.” “George Floyd’s horrific murder and the recent deaths of other Black Americans have shaken our nation at its core. Every time we witness these heinous, murderous events, we are reminded that our country’s wounds run deep and remain untreated,” Taylor wrote in her note, also obtained by The Post. “For our team members who are hurting right now, please know you are not alone. You are seen, recognized, heard, and supported. I am right here with you.”
When the going gets tough, sometimes not everyone can rise to the occasion and be a part of solving problems. In this case, Ms. Taylor just got going – out the door.


hotair--2020-06-19--Trump threatens looters, anarchists, and "protesters" who show up at his Tulsa rally tomorrow night;

Trump threatens looters, anarchists, and "protesters" who show up at his Tulsa rally tomorrow night; Update: Fauci, Birx opposed rally

This is why he couldn ’ t be trusted to use the Insurrection Act judiciously against looters , and it explains how that disgusting spectacle in Lafayette Park a few weeks ago came to pass .
When it comes to showing “ toughness , ” the president doesn ’ t dwell on distinctions between vandals and peaceful demonstrators .
He wouldn ’ t be much of an authoritarian if he did .
I remember him saying in 2016 that he might pay the attorneys ’ fees of a fan who got arrested for punching someone who showed up at one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attitude seems to be that if you make trouble then you deserve what you get , with “ trouble ” defined as anything from out-and-out crime to a protest he disapproves of .
Other prominent authoritarians in the GOP at least pay lip service to the difference between violent miscreants and demonstrators .
Tom Cotton ’ s famous NYT op-ed calling for an “ overwhelming show of force ” by U.S. troops against looters was careful to condemn the pro-riot left ’ s “ revolting moral equivalence of rioters and looters to peaceful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seek to protest peacefully shouldn ’ t be confused with bands of miscreants.
” But it ’ s not just the left that ’ s “ confused , ” it turns out .
And Cotton surely knew that when he wrote his op-ed , which makes his counsel to Trump to invoke the Insurrection Act that much more dangerous and irresponsible .
Anyway , according to Tulsa authorities , there *are* some lowlifes headed to town tomorrow night in addition to protesters .
The mayor issued a curfew order for the area around @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The curfew took effect last night at 10 p.m. and is/was set to last until 6 a.m. Saturday , followed by a new curfew tomorrow night after Trump ’ s rally until 6 a.m. Sunday .
But it sounds like maybe the curfew has been lifted now ?
It can ’ t be that the curfew applies to everyone except Trump supporters .
The mayor must have canceled it altogether under pressure from the president , presumably because it was inconveniencing fans who were congregating in the area ahead of the rally .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ keep the peace between righties and whichever lefties show up tomorrow night is no longer in place , adding to the sense of chaos and danger surrounding the event .
Fox reporter John Roberts is analogizing the event to war , for cripes sake : “ As someone who is cautious by nature , I don ’ t like to be the first to try anything , ” wrote Tulsa ’ s mayor on Facebook a few days ago about the COVID risk from rally .
“ I would have loved some other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such an event already.
” Local doctors have taken to begging the campaign publicly not to go ahead with an indoor rally for fear of the outbreak that might result .
Health authorities are bracing for the fallout : “ I am personally extremely concerned not only for what is going to happen this weekend , but what we ’ re going to have to deal with two weeks from now , ” he told Vanity Fair .
“ I think we ’ re in the potential for a perfect storm of disease @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Calling the risks “ horrific , ” [ health department director Bruce Dart ] added , “ This could be a Beyoncé concert and I ’ d still feel the same way.
” … “ This shouldn ’ t be happening , ” Karen Keith , Tulsa County Commissioner , told Vanity Fair .
“ I just have great concerns .
There are no ways to do social distancing .
People are going to be body to body .
It just feels like something that is out of control to me.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ emergency room doctor yesterday who broke down sobbing in anticipation of what lies ahead .
“ If you look at our numbers , it ’ s not just a spike , ” she said .
“ It ’ s straight up.
” When she says “ it ’ s straight up , ” she ’ s not exaggerating .
Here ’ s what the graph of confirmed COVID cases in Tulsa looks like : The raw number of cases remains small , but there ’ s never been a greater risk of being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than there is right now : Some locals filed an emergency appeal with the Oklahoma Supreme Court asking them to order the owner of the arena to enforce social distancing guidelines tomorrow night in hopes of limiting the spread .
The appeal was denied .
All bets are off .
The good news is that , as far as I ’ m aware , there haven ’ t been any major outbreaks resulting from a mass gathering since the lockdowns began to lift across the U.S. in May .
( Then again , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mass gatherings , period . )
Some Trumpers , if not most , will be wearing masks tomorrow to reduce the spread ; and an arena is a cavernous space , not a small room where the same air is circulating in a confined area .
It ’ s possible that Tulsa escapes without much damage being done .
Let ’ s hope so for Trump ’ s sake because if there ’ s a wave in the city a few weeks from now he ’ ll have no choice but to start @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so that they happen outdoors in wide open spaces .
It ’ s not that his fans won ’ t go if he keeps doing them in arenas .
No doubt they ’ d consider it a patriotic duty to risk deadly infection in order to see the king .
But the rest of the country will be so repulsed by him putting their health at risk that he ’ d lose more public support .
He needs things to go well tomorrow night .
Wearing the masks that the campaign will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supporters there can do for him .
Exit question : Is Twitter going to remove the Trump tweet above for “ inciting violence ” or whatever ?
THR wonders .
Update : Nothing surprising here , just … awkward .
I don ’ t know how the two of them are going to keep warning the public not to tempt fate by holding mass gatherings if Trump ’ s rally doesn ’ t cause a major outbreak .
“ If Trump can do his rallies , why can ’ t Taylor Swift do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ asked .
What ’ ll they say ?
“ Because Taylor Swift cares more about her fans than Trump does about his ” ?
The president won ’ t like that .
But then , it sounds like the Trump/Fauci partnership might be nearing an end anyway .
He noticed Fauci ’ s warnings about playing football this fall a few days ago and they didn ’ t go over well , it seems .
It ’ s very on-brand for him to worry more about players protesting during the anthem than guys @ @ @ @ @ @ @ field .

This is why he couldn’t be trusted to use the Insurrection Act judiciously against looters, and it explains how that disgusting spectacle in Lafayette Park a few weeks ago came to pass.
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1273972301156016130
When it comes to showing “toughness,” the president doesn’t dwell on distinctions between vandals and peaceful demonstrators. He wouldn’t be much of an authoritarian if he did. I remember him saying in 2016 that he might pay the attorneys’ fees of a fan who got arrested for punching someone who showed up at one of his rallies to protest. His attitude seems to be that if you make trouble then you deserve what you get, with “trouble” defined as anything from out-and-out crime to a protest he disapproves of.
Other prominent authoritarians in the GOP at least pay lip service to the difference between violent miscreants and demonstrators. Tom Cotton’s famous NYT op-ed calling for an “overwhelming show of force” by U.S. troops against looters was careful to condemn the pro-riot left’s “revolting moral equivalence of rioters and looters to peaceful, law-abiding protesters. A majority who seek to protest peacefully shouldn’t be confused with bands of miscreants.” But it’s not just the left that’s “confused,” it turns out. And Cotton surely knew that when he wrote his op-ed, which makes his counsel to Trump to invoke the Insurrection Act that much more dangerous and irresponsible.
Anyway, according to Tulsa authorities, there *are* some lowlifes headed to town tomorrow night in addition to protesters. The mayor issued a curfew order for the area around the arena where Trump will speak:
“I have received information from the Tulsa Police Department and other law enforcement agencies that shows that individuals from organized groups who have been involved in destructive or violent behavior in other states are planning to travel to the City of Tulsa for purposes of causing unrest in and around the rally,” the order states.
The curfew took effect last night at 10 p.m. and is/was set to last until 6 a.m. Saturday, followed by a new curfew tomorrow night after Trump’s rally until 6 a.m. Sunday. But it sounds like maybe the curfew has been lifted now?
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1274056758319874052
It can’t be that the curfew applies to everyone except Trump supporters. The mayor must have canceled it altogether under pressure from the president, presumably because it was inconveniencing fans who were congregating in the area ahead of the rally. Which means that a measure designed to keep the peace between righties and whichever lefties show up tomorrow night is no longer in place, adding to the sense of chaos and danger surrounding the event. Fox reporter John Roberts is analogizing the event to war, for cripes sake:
Yes, I will be going inside – with appropriate precautions. It’s like digging a slot trench to sleep in every night during the invasion of Iraq. You take all the necessary steps to keep yourself safe https://t.co/lXbWws54lK — John Roberts (@johnrobertsFox) June 19, 2020
“As someone who is cautious by nature, I don’t like to be the first to try anything,” wrote Tulsa’s mayor on Facebook a few days ago about the COVID risk from rally. “I would have loved some other city to have proven the safety of such an event already.” Local doctors have taken to begging the campaign publicly not to go ahead with an indoor rally for fear of the outbreak that might result. Health authorities are bracing for the fallout:
“I am personally extremely concerned not only for what is going to happen this weekend, but what we’re going to have to deal with two weeks from now,” he told Vanity Fair. “I think we’re in the potential for a perfect storm of disease transmission that Tulsa County does not need.” Calling the risks “horrific,” [health department director Bruce Dart] added, “This could be a Beyoncé concert and I’d still feel the same way.”… “This shouldn’t be happening,” Karen Keith, Tulsa County Commissioner, told Vanity Fair. “I just have great concerns. There are no ways to do social distancing. People are going to be body to body. It just feels like something that is out of control to me.” Keith said she’d met an emergency room doctor yesterday who broke down sobbing in anticipation of what lies ahead. “If you look at our numbers, it’s not just a spike,” she said. “It’s straight up.”
When she says “it’s straight up,” she’s not exaggerating. Here’s what the graph of confirmed COVID cases in Tulsa looks like:
The raw number of cases remains small, but there’s never been a greater risk of being infected in Tulsa — or Oklahoma — than there is right now:
New cases of the illness caused by the novel coronavirus skyrocketed Thursday in Oklahoma by double the record-setting number reported two days before. State health officials reported 450 new COVID-19 cases Thursday, the third straight day of record numbers of cases, double the record 229 reported Tuesday, and a 5.1% increase in the state’s overall total. The actual number of people who have contracted the virus is likely higher because many people have not been tested, and studies suggest people can be infected and not feel sick… Tulsa County continues as the state’s leading COVID-19 hotspot with 120 new cases Thursday to bring its total to 1,945. Second-place Oklahoma County reported 107 new cases, bringing its total to 1,861.
Some locals filed an emergency appeal with the Oklahoma Supreme Court asking them to order the owner of the arena to enforce social distancing guidelines tomorrow night in hopes of limiting the spread. The appeal was denied. All bets are off.
The good news is that, as far as I’m aware, there haven’t been any major outbreaks resulting from a mass gathering since the lockdowns began to lift across the U.S. in May. (Then again, there haven’t been many indoor mass gatherings, period.) Some Trumpers, if not most, will be wearing masks tomorrow to reduce the spread; and an arena is a cavernous space, not a small room where the same air is circulating in a confined area. It’s possible that Tulsa escapes without much damage being done.
Let’s hope so for Trump’s sake because if there’s a wave in the city a few weeks from now he’ll have no choice but to start either canceling future rallies or reengineering them so that they happen outdoors in wide open spaces. It’s not that his fans won’t go if he keeps doing them in arenas. No doubt they’d consider it a patriotic duty to risk deadly infection in order to see the king. But the rest of the country will be so repulsed by him putting their health at risk that he’d lose more public support. He needs things to go well tomorrow night. Wearing the masks that the campaign will be handing out is the biggest favor his supporters there can do for him.
Exit question: Is Twitter going to remove the Trump tweet above for “inciting violence” or whatever? THR wonders.
Update: Nothing surprising here, just … awkward.
Leading members of the coronavirus task force warned White House officials about the health risks of holding large-scale indoor campaign rallies and advised against the mass gatherings, according to two people familiar with the discussions. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, and task force response coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx both vocalized concerns internally in the last week about the safety of holding a rally with as many as 19,000 of people in an enclosed arena in Tulsa, Oklahoma on Saturday.
I don’t know how the two of them are going to keep warning the public not to tempt fate by holding mass gatherings if Trump’s rally doesn’t cause a major outbreak. “If Trump can do his rallies, why can’t Taylor Swift do concerts?” they’ll be asked. What’ll they say? “Because Taylor Swift cares more about her fans than Trump does about his”? The president won’t like that.
But then, it sounds like the Trump/Fauci partnership might be nearing an end anyway. He noticed Fauci’s warnings about playing football this fall a few days ago and they didn’t go over well, it seems.
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1274006223013249026
It’s very on-brand for him to worry more about players protesting during the anthem than guys infecting each other with COVID-19 on the field.


hotair--2020-06-19--Iran accused of hiding nuclear activity by U.S. and EU countries

Iran has refused to allow IAEA inspectors access to two sites where information suggests it could be hiding nuclear activity .
Today the IAEA adopted a resolution calling on Iran to “ fully cooperate with the Agency.
” International nuclear inspectors and the United States accused Iran on Friday of hiding suspected nuclear activity , the first time in more than eight years that Tehran has been accused of obstructing inspections , paving the way for a new confrontation with Western powers .
The accusation came in a resolution passed by the board of governors of the International Atomic Energy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after its new director general , Rafael Grossi , reported that Iranian officials had repeatedly blocked inspectors and “ sanitized ” a site they wanted to visit beginning last July .
It was the first time that the big European powers — Britain , France and Germany — have sided with the Trump administration on a major Iran issue since splitting with President Trump on his decision more than two years ago to abandon the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement negotiated by the administration of former President Barack Obama .
The resolution was strongly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ authoritarian governments .
Russia issued a joint statement today with Iran ’ s Foreign Minister Javad Zarif .
Here ’ s Zarif referring to the UK , France and Germany as US “ cronies.
” Zarif also claimed that famously open and transparent Iran had “ nothing to hide.
” Brian H. Hook , the State Department ’ s special envoy for Iran policy , told the NY Times , “ If only that were true.
” In addition to support from Russia , China also strongly opposed the resolution before it was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ China warned that even a toned-down rebuke of Tehran over its alleged lack of cooperation with inspectors could unravel global efforts to contain the spread of nuclear weapons , as well as sounding the death knell for the already beleaguered 2015 accord .
“ The root causes of this situation lie in the unilateral and bullying practices of the U.S. , ” Beijing envoy to the IAEA Wang Qun said Thursday .
All of this information on nuclear sites apparently stems from an Israeli raid into Iran in 2018 .
After that raid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Israel identified one nuclear site mentioned in the documents and Iran refused the IAEA access .
However , satellite photos show that it did destroy some building at the site as if trying to hide something .
This show of unity is a win for the Trump administration , but as the Times points out , there ’ s no hope the UN will do anything about this in the Security Council because everyone knows Russia and China would veto any action against Iran .
So this one page statement is probably @ @ @ @ @ @

Iran has refused to allow IAEA inspectors access to two sites where information suggests it could be hiding nuclear activity. Today the IAEA adopted a resolution calling on Iran to “fully cooperate with the Agency.”
International nuclear inspectors and the United States accused Iran on Friday of hiding suspected nuclear activity, the first time in more than eight years that Tehran has been accused of obstructing inspections, paving the way for a new confrontation with Western powers. The accusation came in a resolution passed by the board of governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency, the United Nations watchdog, after its new director general, Rafael Grossi, reported that Iranian officials had repeatedly blocked inspectors and “sanitized” a site they wanted to visit beginning last July. It was the first time that the big European powers — Britain, France and Germany — have sided with the Trump administration on a major Iran issue since splitting with President Trump on his decision more than two years ago to abandon the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement negotiated by the administration of former President Barack Obama.
The resolution was strongly opposed by the world’s leading authoritarian governments. Russia issued a joint statement today with Iran’s Foreign Minister Javad Zarif. Here’s Zarif referring to the UK, France and Germany as US “cronies.”
Iran & Russia are "determined to deal with unilateral & illegal approaches to resolve global crises.” From joint statement with FM Lavrov in Moscow today, where we reaffirmed commitment to int'l law as US & cronies attack foundation of int'l relations at IAEA & Security Council. pic.twitter.com/hQ1xxCbjPA — Javad Zarif (@JZarif) June 16, 2020
Zarif also claimed that famously open and transparent Iran had “nothing to hide.”
BoG should not allow JCPOA enemies to jeopardize Iran's supreme interests. E3 should not be an accessory, after failing own JCPOA duties We've nothing to hide. More inspections in Iran over last 5 yrs than in IAEA history An agreeable solution is possible, but Res will ruin it. pic.twitter.com/qg9mblIjMy — Javad Zarif (@JZarif) June 18, 2020
Brian H. Hook, the State Department’s special envoy for Iran policy, told the NY Times, “If only that were true.” In addition to support from Russia, China also strongly opposed the resolution before it was passed:
Ahead of the vote, China warned that even a toned-down rebuke of Tehran over its alleged lack of cooperation with inspectors could unravel global efforts to contain the spread of nuclear weapons, as well as sounding the death knell for the already beleaguered 2015 accord. “The root causes of this situation lie in the unilateral and bullying practices of the U.S.,” Beijing envoy to the IAEA Wang Qun said Thursday.
All of this information on nuclear sites apparently stems from an Israeli raid into Iran in 2018. After that raid yielded documents about the Iranian nuclear program, Israel identified one nuclear site mentioned in the documents and Iran refused the IAEA access. However, satellite photos show that it did destroy some building at the site as if trying to hide something.
This show of unity is a win for the Trump administration, but as the Times points out, there’s no hope the UN will do anything about this in the Security Council because everyone knows Russia and China would veto any action against Iran. So this one page statement is probably as far as this goes.


hotair--2020-06-19--AMC Theatres reverses course: Fine, we'll require masks when we reopen next month

“ We did not want to be drawn into a political controversy , ” said the CEO yesterday when asked why the company had decided not to mandate mask-wearing by its customers .
“ We thought it might be counterproductive if we forced mask wearing on those people who believe strongly that it is not necessary.
” Well , those people can stay home , can ’ t they ?
Let ’ s be real .
To the extent this is a “ political controversy , ” it ’ s being made so by the anti-maskers .
There ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them , notwithstanding the president ’ s belief that pandemic hygiene is some sort of middle finger to him personally .
You wear them to reduce the risk of transmitting the virus .
The “ political ” choice when it comes to masks is not to wear one because Democrats think they ’ re a good idea or because Trump thinks they ’ re “ weak ” or whatever .
Case in point : Numerous health officials in Oklahoma have warned this week that tomorrow night ’ s indoor mass gathering is a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s no health reason for Kayleigh McEnany to eschew a mask under those circumstances .
It ’ s pure political vice-signaling for the boss .
Anyway , the news yesterday that masks would be optional at AMC in the name of avoiding a “ political controversy ” caused enough of a political controversy that news is breaking this afternoon : Shortly before AMC ’ s change of heart was announced , Alamo Drafthouse Cinema tweeted out this pointed statement of its own policy as it moves towards reopening : We ’ ll @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and drinking in a moment .
I can *almost* talk myself into believing that AMC ’ s original mask-optional policy is the optimal one for bottom-line reasons .
My thinking is this : For strong-form mask proponents like me , nothing ’ s getting us into a theater before the vaccine is available .
You could give the tickets away for free and hand everyone a mask on the way in and we ’ d still regard it as a nutty needless risk to congregate with a group of strangers in an enclosed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reason than entertainment .
If the good lord had wanted us in theaters right now he wouldn ’ t have made VOD .
A mask-required policy gets you nothing with those consumers .
And meanwhile it would alienate the anti-maskers , the people who are not just willing but eager to get back into theaters and show the world that they ’ re not scared of becoming one of the several hundred thousand Americans who are going to die from COVID-19 this year .
In which case , why not go the mask-optional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many of the weaker-form mask proponents plus the anti-maskers .
And it ’ ll iron out the little wrinkle of people needing to take their masks off anyway to eat the snacks they ’ ve purchased , which defeats the purpose of a mask-required policy .
Some concessions sold in the theater , like tubs of popcorn , can take an hour or more to scarf down .
Why bother mandating masks if you ’ re going to carve out an exception that large ?
To put that differently , although mask-wearing isn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ masks required !
( except when eating ) ” policy sort of is .
But in the end , the mask-optional policy isn ’ t optimal for a simple reason .
If you don ’ t do everything you possibly can to limit transmission at your theater and an outbreak ensues that catches the media ’ s attention , you ’ re finished .
Some of the weak-form mask proponents will be scared into staying home .
Even some of the anti-maskers might decide that it ’ s not worth the risk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work to stop the spread , it ’ ll make Americans much more comfortable about going to the movies .
A few months without any cases linked to transmission at a theater might even convince some strong-form mask fans to venture out .
As for what happens when the new mask-required policy produces an outbreak anyway because people keep taking their masks off to eat and drink , AMC and Alamo will get back to you on that .
Actually , I ’ m probably too pessimistic about how Americans would react to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ As others around the world have noticed , we ’ re a decadent people who have resigned ourselves to underperforming when faced with challenges , including pandemic prevention .
We ’ d likely just shrug at AMC becoming a hot spot and keep packing into theaters because mass death is just the way things need to be : “ It really does feel like the U.S. has given up , ” said Siouxsie Wiles , an infectious-diseases specialist at the University of Auckland in New Zealand — a country that has confirmed only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weeks and where citizens have now largely returned to their pre-coronavirus routines .
“ I can ’ t imagine what it must be like having to go to work knowing it ’ s unsafe , ” Wiles said of the U.S.-wide economic reopening .
“ It ’ s hard to see how this ends .
There are just going to be more and more people infected , and more and more deaths .
It ’ s heartbreaking.
” … Commentators and experts in Europe , where cases have continued to decline , voiced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ response .
A headline on the website of Germany ’ s public broadcaster read : “ Has the U.S. given up its fight against coronavirus ?
” Switzerland ’ s conservative Neue Zürcher Zeitung newspaper concluded , “ U.S .
increasingly accepts rising covid-19 numbers.
” … Meanwhile , several U.S. states have reopened despite rising case numbers .
“ I don ’ t understand that logic , ” said Reinhard Busse , a health management professor a the Technical University of Berlin .
AMC should do a promotion where , if you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ theaters , you get a year ’ s worth of free tickets after you recover .
If you end up on a ventilator , free tickets and free popcorn .
Here ’ s Scott Gottlieb on CNBC this morning reminding the audience that there are greater pandemic-related infringements on liberty than wearing a mask .

“We did not want to be drawn into a political controversy,” said the CEO yesterday when asked why the company had decided not to mandate mask-wearing by its customers. “We thought it might be counterproductive if we forced mask wearing on those people who believe strongly that it is not necessary.”
Well, those people can stay home, can’t they?
Let’s be real. To the extent this is a “political controversy,” it’s being made so by the anti-maskers. There’s no “political” reason to wear them, notwithstanding the president’s belief that pandemic hygiene is some sort of middle finger to him personally. You wear them to reduce the risk of transmitting the virus. The “political” choice when it comes to masks is not to wear one because Democrats think they’re a good idea or because Trump thinks they’re “weak” or whatever. Case in point:
The White House press secretary says she won’t be wearing a mask at the rally tomorrow in Tulsa. — Jim Acosta (@Acosta) June 19, 2020
Numerous health officials in Oklahoma have warned this week that tomorrow night’s indoor mass gathering is a legit risk to public safety. There’s no health reason for Kayleigh McEnany to eschew a mask under those circumstances. It’s pure political vice-signaling for the boss.
Anyway, the news yesterday that masks would be optional at AMC in the name of avoiding a “political controversy” caused enough of a political controversy that news is breaking this afternoon:
Just in: AMC THEATRES LISTENS TO ITS GUESTS AND SCIENTIFIC ADVISORS AND IMMEDIATELY REVERSES COURSE:
AMC WILL REQUIRE ITS GUESTS TO WEAR MASKS AT AMC THEATRES NATIONWIDE, BEGINNING WITH THE JULY 15 REOPENING — Brooks Barnes (@brooksbarnesNYT) June 19, 2020
Shortly before AMC’s change of heart was announced, Alamo Drafthouse Cinema tweeted out this pointed statement of its own policy as it moves towards reopening:
More to come. Let's talk next week. pic.twitter.com/Kkfz1ZhV3f — Alamo Drafthouse (@alamodrafthouse) June 19, 2020
We’ll come back to that bit about eating and drinking in a moment.
I can *almost* talk myself into believing that AMC’s original mask-optional policy is the optimal one for bottom-line reasons. My thinking is this: For strong-form mask proponents like me, nothing’s getting us into a theater before the vaccine is available. You could give the tickets away for free and hand everyone a mask on the way in and we’d still regard it as a nutty needless risk to congregate with a group of strangers in an enclosed space for several hours for no better reason than entertainment. If the good lord had wanted us in theaters right now he wouldn’t have made VOD.
A mask-required policy gets you nothing with those consumers. And meanwhile it would alienate the anti-maskers, the people who are not just willing but eager to get back into theaters and show the world that they’re not scared of becoming one of the several hundred thousand Americans who are going to die from COVID-19 this year. In which case, why not go the mask-optional route? That’ll bring in many of the weaker-form mask proponents plus the anti-maskers. And it’ll iron out the little wrinkle of people needing to take their masks off anyway to eat the snacks they’ve purchased, which defeats the purpose of a mask-required policy. Some concessions sold in the theater, like tubs of popcorn, can take an hour or more to scarf down. Why bother mandating masks if you’re going to carve out an exception that large?
To put that differently, although mask-wearing isn’t political, Alamo’s “masks required! (except when eating)” policy sort of is.
But in the end, the mask-optional policy isn’t optimal for a simple reason. If you don’t do everything you possibly can to limit transmission at your theater and an outbreak ensues that catches the media’s attention, you’re finished. Some of the weak-form mask proponents will be scared into staying home. Even some of the anti-maskers might decide that it’s not worth the risk. Whereas if universal mask-wearing really does work to stop the spread, it’ll make Americans much more comfortable about going to the movies. A few months without any cases linked to transmission at a theater might even convince some strong-form mask fans to venture out.
As for what happens when the new mask-required policy produces an outbreak anyway because people keep taking their masks off to eat and drink, AMC and Alamo will get back to you on that.
Actually, I’m probably too pessimistic about how Americans would react to an outbreak linked to a theater. As others around the world have noticed, we’re a decadent people who have resigned ourselves to underperforming when faced with challenges, including pandemic prevention. We’d likely just shrug at AMC becoming a hot spot and keep packing into theaters because mass death is just the way things need to be:
“It really does feel like the U.S. has given up,” said Siouxsie Wiles, an infectious-diseases specialist at the University of Auckland in New Zealand — a country that has confirmed only three new cases over the last three weeks and where citizens have now largely returned to their pre-coronavirus routines. “I can’t imagine what it must be like having to go to work knowing it’s unsafe,” Wiles said of the U.S.-wide economic reopening. “It’s hard to see how this ends. There are just going to be more and more people infected, and more and more deaths. It’s heartbreaking.”… Commentators and experts in Europe, where cases have continued to decline, voiced concerns over the state of the U.S. response. A headline on the website of Germany’s public broadcaster read: “Has the U.S. given up its fight against coronavirus?” Switzerland’s conservative Neue Zürcher Zeitung newspaper concluded, “U.S. increasingly accepts rising covid-19 numbers.”… Meanwhile, several U.S. states have reopened despite rising case numbers. “I don’t understand that logic,” said Reinhard Busse, a health management professor a the Technical University of Berlin.
AMC should do a promotion where, if you get the virus at one of their theaters, you get a year’s worth of free tickets after you recover. If you end up on a ventilator, free tickets and free popcorn.
Here’s Scott Gottlieb on CNBC this morning reminding the audience that there are greater pandemic-related infringements on liberty than wearing a mask.


hotair--2020-06-19--Readers unanimously agree the Post made a huge mistake publishing that Halloween cancel culture stor

Readers unanimously agree the Post made a huge mistake publishing that Halloween cancel culture story

Ed wrote about this story yesterday .
Briefly , the Post published a 3,000 word piece about two women who were offended that someone came to a Halloween party two years ago in blackface .
The woman , who was trying to satirize Megyn Kelly with her costume , left the party in tears and apologized to the host the next day .
But the two women who were offended weren ’ t satisfied .
They “ felt compelled ” to write to the host of the party , who is a Post cartoonist , asking that he reveal the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drag her in public .
The cartoonist refused but the post put two reporters on it who generated the story revealing the guest ’ s name .
And for the record , she ’ s not some stock conservative villain .
She ’ s an anti-Trump progressive who has already apologized .
A lot of people on the right are citing this absurd article as a new low in the history of journalism .
I ’ m somewhat relieved to say that a lot of Post readers seem to agree .
The comments @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think the article was a mistake .
I ’ m leaving out the names .
• An appropriate Post followup to this personal attack might be an apology on page 1 , above the fold , in the Washington Post print edition together with a job offer at a salary 10 % or so above that of the job the article cost her .
• Black Lives Matter … Blackface a party two years ago with an explanation of the character does not matter .
• What a terrible thing to do to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reason .
Awful lapse in judgment by the Post .
• I have to admit , the more I let this article sink in , the more disgusted I become with it .
My comments were fairly mellow at first in the sense of ‘ people make mistakes…move on ’ .
Now , I ’ m really actually very angry at these two women and the WaPo for publishing this as news as opposed to a gossip column .
Dear Editors of the WaPo , please print an apology or retraction .
This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some random woman dragged in your pages over a 2-year old insensitive action at a party , then lose her job ( so casually mentioned in the article ) is not the mission of this , or any , news organization .
Examine not only the last step in this path ( the publishing ) , but also all the previous steps that led to so many people at your company thinking this was a good idea .
• I am black .
This article is cruel .
A big mistake .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ person made an ill attempt at satire by wearing black face to a Halloween party .
This was a private incident between private people who have little to no power .
Shame on the Washington Post for publishing this .
• If the point of the story is too demonstrate insufferable self righteousness , it was a success .
• Wow – have read probably hundreds of comments here and don ’ t ever remember seeing them as one-sided as this .
Deservedly so .
• When I started reading this story I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lady in the racist costume and her lack of judgment , but now I am really mad at everyone involved publishing this tabloid garbage .
• This is democracy dying in the darkness of editorial ineptitude .
• This story made me sick to my stomach .
I am disturbed that the Post would give a national platform to these two self righteous , thin-skinned , vindictive people .
• Blackface is bad , yet somehow this article is worse .
• Seeing the Post publish this ridiculous article is like watching someone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a door naked and drunk , to then defecate in the street .
• May I suggest changing your paper ’ s name to Teen Washington Post ?
• Hold on a sec .
I ’ m a progressive and an activist .
I have attended numerous recent marches , and have been involved in numerous social causes that matter to me .
But this is absurd .
• As usual , the demand for hate in the newsroom of The Post far exceeds the supply… • Wow , Post , this is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the journalists and editors involved have enough remaining integrity to feel deeply ashamed .
• Absolutely disgraceful that the Post published this wicked piece of McCarthyist heretic burning .
Early on a lot of people were complaining their comments had been deleted , so I think the Post initially tried to fight the tide on this and finally gave up when it became clear everyone hated this story .
Anyway , that ’ s a pretty representative sample of what got published .
A lot of upset conservatives in the recent hours but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ themselves as being on the left but who still think this story is a disgrace to the paper , the authors , the editors and the two women who pushed to make this news .
What ’ s really astounding here is that , without intending to , the Washington Post has published a piece of woke-scolding agenda journalism so stupid and tone deaf that it is actually uniting people on the left and right against this type of public struggle session .
The Post has created the Cats of cancel culture .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the country ’ s future that there are still some things everyone on every side can look at and say ‘ That ’ s just hot garbage .
’

Ed wrote about this story yesterday. Briefly, the Post published a 3,000 word piece about two women who were offended that someone came to a Halloween party two years ago in blackface. The woman, who was trying to satirize Megyn Kelly with her costume, left the party in tears and apologized to the host the next day. But the two women who were offended weren’t satisfied. They “felt compelled” to write to the host of the party, who is a Post cartoonist, asking that he reveal the woman’s name so they could drag her in public. The cartoonist refused but the post put two reporters on it who generated the story revealing the guest’s name. And for the record, she’s not some stock conservative villain. She’s an anti-Trump progressive who has already apologized.
A lot of people on the right are citing this absurd article as a new low in the history of journalism. I’m somewhat relieved to say that a lot of Post readers seem to agree. The comments section is overwhelmingly full of people who think the article was a mistake. I’m leaving out the names.
An appropriate Post followup to this personal attack might be an apology on page 1, above the fold, in the Washington Post print edition together with a job offer at a salary 10% or so above that of the job the article cost her.
A manufactured witchhunt on stale news. Free pub!
Black Lives Matter … Blackface a party two years ago with an explanation of the character does not matter.
What a terrible thing to do to a private person, for no discernible reason. Awful lapse in judgment by the Post.
I have to admit, the more I let this article sink in, the more disgusted I become with it. My comments were fairly mellow at first in the sense of ‘people make mistakes…move on’. Now, I’m really actually very angry at these two women and the WaPo for publishing this as news as opposed to a gossip column. Dear Editors of the WaPo, please print an apology or retraction. This is TERRIBLE journalism.
To have some random woman dragged in your pages over a 2-year old insensitive action at a party, then lose her job (so casually mentioned in the article) is not the mission of this, or any, news organization. Examine not only the last step in this path (the publishing), but also all the previous steps that led to so many people at your company thinking this was a good idea.
I am black. This article is cruel. A big mistake. I don’t care if some private person made an ill attempt at satire by wearing black face to a Halloween party. This was a private incident between private people who have little to no power. Shame on the Washington Post for publishing this.
If the point of the story is too demonstrate insufferable self righteousness, it was a success.
Wow – have read probably hundreds of comments here and don’t ever remember seeing them as one-sided as this. Deservedly so.
When I started reading this story I was ready to be mad at the lady in the racist costume and her lack of judgment, but now I am really mad at everyone involved publishing this tabloid garbage.
This is democracy dying in the darkness of editorial ineptitude.
This story made me sick to my stomach. I am disturbed that the Post would give a national platform to these two self righteous, thin-skinned, vindictive people.
Blackface is bad, yet somehow this article is worse.
Seeing the Post publish this ridiculous article is like watching someone you respected and admired stumble out of a door naked and drunk, to then defecate in the street.
May I suggest changing your paper’s name to Teen Washington Post?
Hold on a sec. I’m a progressive and an activist. I have attended numerous recent marches, and have been involved in numerous social causes that matter to me. But this is absurd.
As usual, the demand for hate in the newsroom of The Post far exceeds the supply…
Wow, Post, this is a new low. I hope that the journalists and editors involved have enough remaining integrity to feel deeply ashamed.
Absolutely disgraceful that the Post published this wicked piece of McCarthyist heretic burning.
Early on a lot of people were complaining their comments had been deleted, so I think the Post initially tried to fight the tide on this and finally gave up when it became clear everyone hated this story. Anyway, that’s a pretty representative sample of what got published. A lot of upset conservatives in the recent hours but also quite a few people who identify themselves as being on the left but who still think this story is a disgrace to the paper, the authors, the editors and the two women who pushed to make this news.
What’s really astounding here is that, without intending to, the Washington Post has published a piece of woke-scolding agenda journalism so stupid and tone deaf that it is actually uniting people on the left and right against this type of public struggle session.
The Post has created the Cats of cancel culture.
It’s actually giving me hope for the country’s future that there are still some things everyone on every side can look at and say ‘That’s just hot garbage.’


hotair--2020-06-19--Breaking: Louisville police fires *one* officer in Breonna Taylor killing

At least no one can claim a rush to judgment here .
Three months after police fired a volley of shots at Breonna Taylor in her own home and killed her , one of the three officers finally lost his job today .
From the sounds of his termination letter , though , Brett Hankison has bigger worries than a paycheck coming at him : The police in Louisville , Ky. , are moving to terminate one of the officers involved in the death of Breonna Taylor , Mayor Greg Fischer announced on Friday , the first such action taken @ @ @ @ @ @ @ criticism and national protests .
The officer , Brett Hankison , was one of three officers who used a no-knock warrant to enter the apartment with a battering ram , during a late-night drug investigation in March .
The officers shot Ms. Taylor at least eight times .
… The case has drawn fierce scrutiny , leading city officials to ban the use of no-knock warrants , a contentious police practice that allows officers to forcibly enter homes to search them without warning .
Officers said they did announce themselves , but Ms. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , said he did not hear any warning and opened fire , striking an officer in the leg .
Officers fired back , killing Ms. Taylor , who had been in bed .
In bed and asleep , as it turned out , and who had nothing to do with any crime .
Nor for that matter did Walker , as it turned out .
In fact , the no-knock warrant related to a crime in another location , and police added the Taylor-Walker apartment to it because they suspected it was a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the shooting cleared , police found no evidence to support those contentions , nor was any reason given why this location required a “ no knock ” approach in the first place .
Louisville banned no-knock warrants this week , but that ’ s not the end of the issue with the police , nor with Hankison in particular .
Fischer said he couldn ’ t publicly disclose what an investigation has produced , but Chief Rob Schroeder ’ s termination letter leaked to the media anyway .
And , well … hoo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ violated Standard Operating Procedure … when your actions displayed an extreme indifference to the value of human life when you wantonly and blindly fired ten rounds into the apartment of Breonna Taylor , ” the letter stated .
Schroeder also said Hankison violated procedure by using deadly force without knowing the force was directed at a person who posed an immediate threat .
The chief noted that the door and window that he shot through were covered and prevented Hankison from identifying if there was any threat on the other side .
Assuming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ yet to hear the other side of this , to be fair ) , Louisville might need to answer what took so long to fire Hankison .
Those actions are so blatantly and grossly negligent that it should have gotten Hankison canned right off the bat even if no one got injured .
If a civilian had done anything remotely this reckless even in a legitimate self-defense posture , a prosecution would be very likely .
Police are supposed to have more discipline in the use of lethal force .
The mayor suggested @ @ @ @ @ @ @ incrimination process , ” which likely means some sort of grand jury review .
Based on the information in the termination letter , they have a case to make in that venue , although it remains to be seen whether it ’ s a convincing case for an indictment .
The fact that Hankison remained on the force this long — and that the other two officers involved in the shooting are still employed by Louisville ’ s police department — raises questions about either the case or their enthusiasm for pursuing it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Taylor ’ s family wonders why the other two are still employed as well .
Lonita Baker says she ’ s not sure why it ’ s taken this long , and that the family wants all three prosecuted in the homicide : The dynamic here seems to be that Louisville realized that foot-dragging would not play well in the aftermath of the George Floyd homicide .
Taylor ’ s death came up immediately in the aftermath of an example of reckless policing that resulted in the death of an African-American , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supposed crime and asleep in her own bed .
It ’ s tough to believe that it took three months to establish the facts laid out in that termination letter , for instance .
Now that Louisville has some significant motivation to address this , perhaps the roles played by the other two officers will emerge sooner rather than later .

At least no one can claim a rush to judgment here. Three months after police fired a volley of shots at Breonna Taylor in her own home and killed her, one of the three officers finally lost his job today. From the sounds of his termination letter, though, Brett Hankison has bigger worries than a paycheck coming at him:
The police in Louisville, Ky., are moving to terminate one of the officers involved in the death of Breonna Taylor, Mayor Greg Fischer announced on Friday, the first such action taken in a case that has drawn widespread criticism and national protests. The officer, Brett Hankison, was one of three officers who used a no-knock warrant to enter the apartment with a battering ram, during a late-night drug investigation in March. The officers shot Ms. Taylor at least eight times. … The case has drawn fierce scrutiny, leading city officials to ban the use of no-knock warrants, a contentious police practice that allows officers to forcibly enter homes to search them without warning. Officers said they did announce themselves, but Ms. Taylor’s boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, said he did not hear any warning and opened fire, striking an officer in the leg. Officers fired back, killing Ms. Taylor, who had been in bed.
In bed and asleep, as it turned out, and who had nothing to do with any crime. Nor for that matter did Walker, as it turned out. In fact, the no-knock warrant related to a crime in another location, and police added the Taylor-Walker apartment to it because they suspected it was a drop location for drug transactions. After the shooting cleared, police found no evidence to support those contentions, nor was any reason given why this location required a “no knock” approach in the first place.
Louisville banned no-knock warrants this week, but that’s not the end of the issue with the police, nor with Hankison in particular. Fischer said he couldn’t publicly disclose what an investigation has produced, but Chief Rob Schroeder’s termination letter leaked to the media anyway. And, well … hoo boy:
“I have determined you violated Standard Operating Procedure … when your actions displayed an extreme indifference to the value of human life when you wantonly and blindly fired ten rounds into the apartment of Breonna Taylor,” the letter stated. Schroeder also said Hankison violated procedure by using deadly force without knowing the force was directed at a person who posed an immediate threat. The chief noted that the door and window that he shot through were covered and prevented Hankison from identifying if there was any threat on the other side.
Assuming this is accurate (and we have yet to hear the other side of this, to be fair), Louisville might need to answer what took so long to fire Hankison. Those actions are so blatantly and grossly negligent that it should have gotten Hankison canned right off the bat even if no one got injured. If a civilian had done anything remotely this reckless even in a legitimate self-defense posture, a prosecution would be very likely. Police are supposed to have more discipline in the use of lethal force.
Plus, there’s this nugget:
Schroeder said Hankison was previously disciplined last year for “reckless conduct that injured an innocent person,” but would not go into further details.
The mayor suggested that prosecutors were entering into an “incrimination process,” which likely means some sort of grand jury review. Based on the information in the termination letter, they have a case to make in that venue, although it remains to be seen whether it’s a convincing case for an indictment. The fact that Hankison remained on the force this long — and that the other two officers involved in the shooting are still employed by Louisville’s police department — raises questions about either the case or their enthusiasm for pursuing it.
In a statement through their attorney, Taylor’s family wonders why the other two are still employed as well. Lonita Baker says she’s not sure why it’s taken this long, and that the family wants all three prosecuted in the homicide:
The attorney for Breonna Taylor’s family says they're pleased that an officer involved in Taylor’s fatal shooting is in the process of being fired. “We still want the other officers involved..terminated as well, and we still want them prosecuted.” https://t.co/JmPOgFtrjI pic.twitter.com/YldqCa1PNK — CNN (@CNN) June 19, 2020
The dynamic here seems to be that Louisville realized that foot-dragging would not play well in the aftermath of the George Floyd homicide. Taylor’s death came up immediately in the aftermath of an example of reckless policing that resulted in the death of an African-American, this one not even involved in the supposed crime and asleep in her own bed. It’s tough to believe that it took three months to establish the facts laid out in that termination letter, for instance. Now that Louisville has some significant motivation to address this, perhaps the roles played by the other two officers will emerge sooner rather than later.


hotair--2020-06-19--Oakland mayor: It doesn't matter if the "nooses" found in our public park turned out to be hand swin

Oakland mayor: It doesn't matter if the "nooses" found in our public park turned out to be hand swings

For your Friday enjoyment , a delightful mix of mistake , moral panic , and virtue-signaling by a left-wing politician willing to go any lengths , no matter how stupid and pandering , to prove how woke she is .
It started a few days ago with a report of nooses found hanging from a tree in a park in Oakland .
The city was stunned .
Had some white supremacist chosen to lash out amid the protests over George Floyd ’ s killing by displaying a notorious symbol of lynchings ?
The matter had to be investigated .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the bottom of it : According to Oakland police , officers discovered five ropes Tuesday afternoon attached to trees at Lake Merritt… Victor Sengbe told ABC7 News the rope is part of a rigging used by him and his friends as part of a larger swing system… “ Out of the hundreds , thousands of people who walked by , no one even thought it looked anywhere close to a noose , ” said Sengbe .
“ Folks have used it for exercise , it was really a fun addition to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sengbe told us the small piece of rope , still up in a tree is all part of the same system .
Sengbe , who is … not a white supremacist , spoke to the media about it : Here ’ s a video of one of the “ nooses.
” It does appear to be standard rope… …but other “ nooses ” are , shall we say , less noose-like : “ Police said several community members came forward during their initial investigation to say the ropes were used for exercise and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ put them up several months ago , ” reported the AP .
So it was , mercifully , a false alarm .
An incident that seemed poised to raise racial tensions in Oakland was actually just a misunderstanding .
No one was trying to intimidate anyone .
Now the mayor could call a press conference , tell the public what happened , and douse any embers of suspicion that might be starting to burn in the community .
But Oakland ’ s mayor didn ’ t do that .
She ’ s a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a reliably Democratic state .
Instead of putting her constituents at ease , this was her moment to throw fuel on those embers and peacock about how down with the struggle she is .
And so she declared that , Sengbe ’ s information notwithstanding , the incident would continue to be investigated as a hate crime .
A chilling line in the clip below : “ The intentions do not matter because the harm is real.
” The intentions do matter if what we ’ re worried about here is racial hatred @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the ethos of woke leftism that prioritizes the alleged victim ’ s feelings above all .
Did the rope-swing hanging from the tree make you feel “ unsafe ” ?
Then your local government needs to show you how much it cares .
Telling you that you shouldn ’ t feel unsafe because those were swings , not nooses , won ’ t cut it .
Nick Gillespie writes , “ Linger for a moment on this : A white mayor dismissing the black resident ’ s explanation charging ahead with an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ result in enhanced penalties.
” It couldn ’ t possibly result in Sengbe being charged , could it ?
Schaaf seems willing to go a long way to make this molehill into a mountain in the interest of burnishing her political brand but hopefully not that far .
Because everything is terrible now , yesterday Oakland PD found an effigy hanging in the same park where the “ nooses ” had been found .
Is there a dastardly white supremacist on the loose trying to terrorize Oaklanders ?
Did some left-wing provocateur fashion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fake news about the “ nooses ” ?
Or was it just a tasteless prank by some idiot looking to capitalize on the sudden panic about racist displays in city parks ?
Whatever the answer , it ’ s hard to avoid the assumption that Schaaf ’ s insistence on racializing this otherwise innocuous misunderstanding in a high-profile way gave someone the idea to start hanging things from trees .
Way to go , Mayor Karen .

For your Friday enjoyment, a delightful mix of mistake, moral panic, and virtue-signaling by a left-wing politician willing to go any lengths, no matter how stupid and pandering, to prove how woke she is.
It started a few days ago with a report of nooses found hanging from a tree in a park in Oakland. The city was stunned. Had some white supremacist chosen to lash out amid the protests over George Floyd’s killing by displaying a notorious symbol of lynchings? The matter had to be investigated.
It didn’t take long to get to the bottom of it:
According to Oakland police, officers discovered five ropes Tuesday afternoon attached to trees at Lake Merritt… Victor Sengbe told ABC7 News the rope is part of a rigging used by him and his friends as part of a larger swing system… “Out of the hundreds, thousands of people who walked by, no one even thought it looked anywhere close to a noose,” said Sengbe. “Folks have used it for exercise, it was really a fun addition to the park that we tried to create.” Sengbe told us the small piece of rope, still up in a tree is all part of the same system.
Sengbe, who is … not a white supremacist, spoke to the media about it:
Victor Sengbe of #Oakland says the nooses found in #LakeMerritt were not a symbol of hate. He says the nooses were used to attach a makeshift swing. “It’s unfortunate that a genuine gesture of just wanting to create a good time got misinterpreted.” @nbcbayarea pic.twitter.com/7vutrZYDHu — Melissa Colorado (@melissacolorado) June 17, 2020
Here’s a video of one of the “nooses.” It does appear to be standard rope…
…but other “nooses” are, shall we say, less noose-like:
These were swings. This is absurd grandstanding from our Mayor. This is my personal photo from April 9th, 2020 when I first saw them in the park. pic.twitter.com/cSrUlGgV1f — Joe LoCascio (@josephlocascio) June 18, 2020
Is this the LM tree/area you’re talking about? Community ppl put up ropes for hand swings during Covid for kids (since all the playgrounds were closed), then some person cut the swing part off in the last few weeks. pic.twitter.com/K07VFrjkfv — Abe Pursell (@AbePursell) June 17, 2020
“Police said several community members came forward during their initial investigation to say the ropes were used for exercise and a man came forward to say he put them up several months ago,” reported the AP.
So it was, mercifully, a false alarm. An incident that seemed poised to raise racial tensions in Oakland was actually just a misunderstanding. No one was trying to intimidate anyone. Now the mayor could call a press conference, tell the public what happened, and douse any embers of suspicion that might be starting to burn in the community.
But Oakland’s mayor didn’t do that. She’s a Democrat running a reliably Democratic city in a reliably Democratic state. Instead of putting her constituents at ease, this was her moment to throw fuel on those embers and peacock about how down with the struggle she is. And so she declared that, Sengbe’s information notwithstanding, the incident would continue to be investigated as a hate crime. A chilling line in the clip below: “The intentions do not matter because the harm is real.” The intentions do matter if what we’re worried about here is racial hatred, but her point is in keeping with the ethos of woke leftism that prioritizes the alleged victim’s feelings above all. Did the rope-swing hanging from the tree make you feel “unsafe”? Then your local government needs to show you how much it cares. Telling you that you shouldn’t feel unsafe because those were swings, not nooses, won’t cut it.
Intentions do not matter. We will not tolerate symbols of hate in our city. The nooses found at Lake Merritt will be investigated as hate crimes. pic.twitter.com/B1f1SwZ4tK — Libby Schaaf (@LibbySchaaf) June 18, 2020
Nick Gillespie writes, “Linger for a moment on this: A white mayor dismissing the black resident’s explanation charging ahead with an emotionally fraught investigation against him that could result in enhanced penalties.” It couldn’t possibly result in Sengbe being charged, could it? Schaaf seems willing to go a long way to make this molehill into a mountain in the interest of burnishing her political brand but hopefully not that far.
Because everything is terrible now, yesterday Oakland PD found an effigy hanging in the same park where the “nooses” had been found. Is there a dastardly white supremacist on the loose trying to terrorize Oaklanders? Did some left-wing provocateur fashion the effigy to try to redeem the fake news about the “nooses”? Or was it just a tasteless prank by some idiot looking to capitalize on the sudden panic about racist displays in city parks? Whatever the answer, it’s hard to avoid the assumption that Schaaf’s insistence on racializing this otherwise innocuous misunderstanding in a high-profile way gave someone the idea to start hanging things from trees. Way to go, Mayor Karen.


hotair--2020-06-19--Garrett Rolfe's stepmother fired by mortgage company

Melissa Rolfe is the stepmother of former police officer Garrett Rolfe , the man now facing 11 charges for the shooting of Rayshard Brooks .
Until yesterday , Melissa worked for a mortgage company in Atlanta called Equity Prime Mortgage .
But last night on his show , Tucker Carlson reported that Melissa had been fired .
“ Apparently she was fired and her only crime was being officer Rolfe ’ s step-mother , ” Carlson said .
He went on to say that she had been promised her job was safe and then was suddenly told “ we have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ According to Carlson , no other explanation was given .
Sometime after Carlson ’ s segment aired , the company released a statement on her termination which they also posted on Twitter .
Notice that the statement is framed in a black square , similar to the ones many companies were using to show solidarity with Black Lives Matter a few days ago .
I doubt that was accidental .
The statement claims Rolfe ’ s “ termination was a direct result of her actions in the workplace and violation of company policy.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ she “ violated company policy and created an uncomfortable working environment for many of our employees.
” The statement adds that “ Melissa ’ s personal views ” had created “ a hostile work environment.
” They are clearly claiming she did something that upset people but they don ’ t tell us what it was .
Under the circumstances , it ’ s not that hard to believe that Rolfe might have had some harsh words for the District Attorney or maybe for BLM .
Maybe she confided in someone and word @ @ @ @ @ @ @ environment , it doesn ’ t take much to be considered outside the bounds of acceptable discourse .
Or who knows , maybe she let loose with some kind of company-wide email .
But it ’ s also possible the company is lying through it ’ s teeth .
Let ’ s face it , if you run a mortgage company in Atlanta and your company becomes known as the place where the mother of the cop who shot a black man works , you have a problem .
So it ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ find a way to ditch Melissa Rolfe because it was afraid of the backlash it would get if it didn ’ t .
It would be great if companies stood up for values like the presumption of innocence and a fair trial but as we ’ ve seen with the NBA and China , most companies don ’ t show a lot of backbone when doing so might hit the bottom line .
If it does turn out that Melissa Rolfe didn ’ t actually do anything that most people would consider grounds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pretty chilling sign about where we ’ re headed at a country .
Punishing relatives is something that happens in China or Soviet Russia .
It ’ s not something we should want to see happen here .
I guess we ’ ll have to wait and see what happens next .
Now that she ’ s been fired , maybe Melissa will have something to say in public about what happened here .

Melissa Rolfe is the stepmother of former police officer Garrett Rolfe, the man now facing 11 charges for the shooting of Rayshard Brooks. Until yesterday, Melissa worked for a mortgage company in Atlanta called Equity Prime Mortgage. But last night on his show, Tucker Carlson reported that Melissa had been fired.
Here’s the segment where Tucker Carlson revealed the stepmother of the ex-Atlanta officer’s firing: pic.twitter.com/CkOj0hTTmb — Emily (Larsen) Brooks (@emilyelarsen) June 19, 2020
“Apparently she was fired and her only crime was being officer Rolfe’s step-mother,” Carlson said. He went on to say that she had been promised her job was safe and then was suddenly told “we have to terminate our relationship with you.” According to Carlson, no other explanation was given.
Sometime after Carlson’s segment aired, the company released a statement on her termination which they also posted on Twitter.
Notice that the statement is framed in a black square, similar to the ones many companies were using to show solidarity with Black Lives Matter a few days ago. I doubt that was accidental. The statement claims Rolfe’s “termination was a direct result of her actions in the workplace and violation of company policy.” It goes on to say that she “violated company policy and created an uncomfortable working environment for many of our employees.” The statement adds that “Melissa’s personal views” had created “a hostile work environment.”
They are clearly claiming she did something that upset people but they don’t tell us what it was. Under the circumstances, it’s not that hard to believe that Rolfe might have had some harsh words for the District Attorney or maybe for BLM. Maybe she confided in someone and word spread through the office. In this environment, it doesn’t take much to be considered outside the bounds of acceptable discourse. Or who knows, maybe she let loose with some kind of company-wide email.
But it’s also possible the company is lying through it’s teeth. Let’s face it, if you run a mortgage company in Atlanta and your company becomes known as the place where the mother of the cop who shot a black man works, you have a problem. So it’s not hard to imagine the company would find a way to ditch Melissa Rolfe because it was afraid of the backlash it would get if it didn’t.
It would be great if companies stood up for values like the presumption of innocence and a fair trial but as we’ve seen with the NBA and China, most companies don’t show a lot of backbone when doing so might hit the bottom line.
If it does turn out that Melissa Rolfe didn’t actually do anything that most people would consider grounds for termination, then this is a pretty chilling sign about where we’re headed at a country. Punishing relatives is something that happens in China or Soviet Russia. It’s not something we should want to see happen here. I guess we’ll have to wait and see what happens next. Now that she’s been fired, maybe Melissa will have something to say in public about what happened here.


hotair--2020-06-19--Canada loses again: Trudeau fails to secure a seat on U.N. Security Council

This week members of the United Nations General Assembly voted to fill non-permanent seats on the U.N. Security Council ( UNSC ) for the committee ’ s 2021-2022 term .
The UNSC is the U.N. ’ s most powerful board .
Canada has not held a seat on the UNSC since 2000 .
The seats are allocated by geographic region .
India , for example , ran unopposed and won a seat , and the same is true for Mexico .
In Canada ’ s geographical region , Ireland and Norway were also competing .
Ireland and Norway were successful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Security Council has 10 non-permanent seats , each serving a term of two years .
The five permanent , the United States , China , France , Russia , and the United Kingdom have the power to exercise a veto on any resolution .
In order to win a seat , countries must claim two-thirds of the votes from the U.N. General Assembly .
Competition is stiff .
Ireland and Norway , for example , have been campaigning for a seat much longer than Canada , which didn ’ t enter the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ago .
Ireland has been at it since 2005 and Norway since 2007 .
Winning two-thirds of the votes meant that Canada needed to win 128 votes .
Canada won 108 countries of a total 192 that voted Wednesday afternoon at UN Headquarters in New York .
Norway received 130 and Ireland received 128 .
Critics blame Trudeau ’ s late entry into the competition as a reason for the loss .
And , the timing was probably wrong , too .
The loss didn ’ t come because of a lack of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stops .
In the competition with Ireland and Norway , concert tickets look to have been very popular in fighting for leverage .
The opposition party leader , Andrew Scheer , wasted no time in tweeting about the loss .
When Justin Trudeau first became Prime Minister , he promised to bring Canada back onto the world stage .
This is why the defeat at the U.N. is a particularly embarrassing one .
At the time he said , “ Many of you have worried that Canada has lost its compassionate and constructive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 10 years .
Well , I have a simple message for you : on behalf of 35 million Canadians , we ’ re back.
” “ It ’ s really the biggest embarrassment he will suffer in his prime minister-ship in Canada , particularly on international affairs , ” said Shuvaloy Majumdar , a senior fellow at the MacDonald Laurier Institute and former adviser on foreign policy in Prime Minister Stephen Harper ’ s conservative government .
Canada has now been overlooked for the second time in the past decade to become a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decision-making body .
Nor did Covid-19 slow down Canada ’ s campaigning .
Trudeau co-hosted a virtual UN conference to raise funds for developing countries to fight the pandemic .
“ Canada was always coming from behind in this race after starting late .
To get over 100 votes despite this handicap is a pretty impressive feat , ” said Richard Gowan , UN Director at International Crisis Group , via email .
Trudeau and his diplomats “ have done pretty much all they could.
” Mostly , though , this defeat looks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to govern successfully .
His failures in peacekeeping efforts come to the forefront with U.N. member nations , as well as Canada ’ s unwillingness to contribute a full pledge to international development aid .
And he ’ s been plagued by scandals recently , as well as not having a particularly good relationship with President Trump .
Norway regularly gives the U.N. target of 0.7 percent of gross national income in development aid , while Canada ’ s comes in at 0.27 percent .
Meanwhile , Ireland has 474 peacekeepers deployed on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its platform , whereas Canada contributes 35 such personnel .
Canada promised more peacekeepers than it ultimately deployed to Mali in 2018 .
The fact it ended the mission early after a year “ is probably not a good sign , or a good signal to the world generally , ” Lewis said , noting the irony that a Canadian prime minister , Lester B. Pearson , is credited with founding modern-day peacekeeping .
Trudeau also has been distracted by political upheaval at home during the course of the campaign .
While he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his first government , Chapnick said , President Donald Trump deciding NAFTA should be renegotiated “ changed everything for Canada , ” as then-Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland took the reins on the country ’ s relationship with the U.S. “ It ’ s really hard to run a campaign from behind when you don ’ t have support from the center , ” he said .
Trudeau really only has himself to blame .
He usually comes off as a far-left soy boy out of his league on the world stage .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ world , with the proper leadership , and yet Trudeau has overseen a deterioration of relations with China and Saudi Arabia , for example .
Remember that disastrous state visit to India ?
Yeah , that was a not a shining moment for Canada .
And there were the blackface scandals , too , that surely didn ’ t do Trudeau any favors , especially with the African and Caribbean nations he was courting for their votes .
Trudeau often looks like he is more concerned about appearing woke and progressive more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ put a good face on his defeat , as is the Foreign Affairs Minister .
I ’ ll let you make your own blackface jokes .
In the days of the coronavirus pandemic , voting at the U.N. is different .
Voting was done by secret ballot and voted one-by-one to respect social distancing measures

This week members of the United Nations General Assembly voted to fill non-permanent seats on the U.N. Security Council (UNSC) for the committee’s 2021-2022 term. The UNSC is the U.N.’s most powerful board. Canada has not held a seat on the UNSC since 2000.
The seats are allocated by geographic region. India, for example, ran unopposed and won a seat, and the same is true for Mexico. In Canada’s geographical region, Ireland and Norway were also competing. Ireland and Norway were successful in their bids for a seat.
The Security Council has 10 non-permanent seats, each serving a term of two years. The five permanent, the United States, China, France, Russia, and the United Kingdom have the power to exercise a veto on any resolution. In order to win a seat, countries must claim two-thirds of the votes from the U.N. General Assembly. Competition is stiff. Ireland and Norway, for example, have been campaigning for a seat much longer than Canada, which didn’t enter the competition until 2016, just four years ago. Ireland has been at it since 2005 and Norway since 2007.
Winning two-thirds of the votes meant that Canada needed to win 128 votes. Canada won 108 countries of a total 192 that voted Wednesday afternoon at UN Headquarters in New York. Norway received 130 and Ireland received 128. Critics blame Trudeau’s late entry into the competition as a reason for the loss. And, the timing was probably wrong, too.
“The prime minister will be forced to wear that loss personally,” said Adam Chapnick, the author of a book about Canada’s history on the Security Council and a professor at the Royal Military College of Canada. While it’s important for Canada to have regular representation on the council, Chapnick said, the political calculation to run this cycle “was a very bad one,” given the truncated campaign time and the fact Ottawa forced a contest.
The loss didn’t come because of a lack of trying – Trudeau pulled out all the stops. In the competition with Ireland and Norway, concert tickets look to have been very popular in fighting for leverage.
Wednesday’s election comes after months of intense campaigning. Canada says it spent nearly $1.7 million on its campaign, which included an invitation for U.N. diplomats to attend a Celine Dion concert. The BBC reports that Norway spent a whopping $2.8 million to secure one of the UN’s top positions. While spending only $800,000, Ireland courted diplomats by bringing them to a U2 concert.
The opposition party leader, Andrew Scheer, wasted no time in tweeting about the loss.
Another foreign affairs failure for Justin Trudeau. Keeps the streak alive! He sold out Canada's principles for a personal vanity project and still lost. What a waste. — Andrew Scheer (@AndrewScheer) June 17, 2020
When Justin Trudeau first became Prime Minister, he promised to bring Canada back onto the world stage. This is why the defeat at the U.N. is a particularly embarrassing one. At the time he said, “Many of you have worried that Canada has lost its compassionate and constructive voice in the world over the past 10 years. Well, I have a simple message for you: on behalf of 35 million Canadians, we’re back.”
“It’s really the biggest embarrassment he will suffer in his prime minister-ship in Canada, particularly on international affairs,” said Shuvaloy Majumdar, a senior fellow at the MacDonald Laurier Institute and former adviser on foreign policy in Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s conservative government. Canada has now been overlooked for the second time in the past decade to become a non-permanent member on the agency’s decision-making body. Nor did Covid-19 slow down Canada’s campaigning. Trudeau co-hosted a virtual UN conference to raise funds for developing countries to fight the pandemic. “Canada was always coming from behind in this race after starting late. To get over 100 votes despite this handicap is a pretty impressive feat,” said Richard Gowan, UN Director at International Crisis Group, via email. Trudeau and his diplomats “have done pretty much all they could.”
Mostly, though, this defeat looks to be a slap at his inability to govern successfully. His failures in peacekeeping efforts come to the forefront with U.N. member nations, as well as Canada’s unwillingness to contribute a full pledge to international development aid. And he’s been plagued by scandals recently, as well as not having a particularly good relationship with President Trump.
Norway regularly gives the U.N. target of 0.7 percent of gross national income in development aid, while Canada’s comes in at 0.27 percent. Meanwhile, Ireland has 474 peacekeepers deployed on U.N. missions and has prioritized peacekeeping in its platform, whereas Canada contributes 35 such personnel. Canada promised more peacekeepers than it ultimately deployed to Mali in 2018. The fact it ended the mission early after a year “is probably not a good sign, or a good signal to the world generally,” Lewis said, noting the irony that a Canadian prime minister, Lester B. Pearson, is credited with founding modern-day peacekeeping. Trudeau also has been distracted by political upheaval at home during the course of the campaign. While he made the bid a priority early in his first government, Chapnick said, President Donald Trump deciding NAFTA should be renegotiated “changed everything for Canada,” as then-Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland took the reins on the country’s relationship with the U.S. “It’s really hard to run a campaign from behind when you don’t have support from the center,” he said.
Trudeau really only has himself to blame. He usually comes off as a far-left soy boy out of his league on the world stage. Canada is an important partner in the world, with the proper leadership, and yet Trudeau has overseen a deterioration of relations with China and Saudi Arabia, for example. Remember that disastrous state visit to India? Yeah, that was a not a shining moment for Canada. And there were the blackface scandals, too, that surely didn’t do Trudeau any favors, especially with the African and Caribbean nations he was courting for their votes. Trudeau often looks like he is more concerned about appearing woke and progressive more than anything else.
Trudeau is trying to put a good face on his defeat, as is the Foreign Affairs Minister. I’ll let you make your own blackface jokes.
“We listened and learned from other countries, which opened new doors for cooperation to address global challenges, and we created new partnerships that increased Canada’s place in the world,” Trudeau said in a statement Wednesday after the vote. Foreign Affairs Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne said at a press conference the country’s campaign allowed Canada to renew and strengthen bilateral connections across the world.
In the days of the coronavirus pandemic, voting at the U.N. is different. Voting was done by secret ballot and voted one-by-one to respect social distancing measures


hotair--2020-06-19--"Pure terror": Live streamer manhandled while reporting on CHAZ

Say , wasn ’ t the point of the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone to show how we could all live without police ?
If so , then the wan clucking of tongues from the CHAZ “ leadership ” over this assault seems to indicate that some responsible authority is needed to keep the peace in an urban setting .
Seattle ’ s KOMO-TV reports on the manhandling received by Shawn Whiting when he attempted to live-stream life within CHAZ or CHOP in what had been a public park .
KOMO has not made the video embeddable , but Whiting has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : “ What do you mean ‘ help ’ ?
” a man asks when Whiting starts getting grabbed .
“ Who ’ s gon na help you ?
” Precisely .
If this seems less than terrifying , remember that Whiting has seen some of the weapons in the CHAZ — and the unvetted people wielding them .
He told KOMO later that the moment was “ pure terror , ” especially with the realization that there was no longer anyone to call for help : “ It was pure terror in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for help and nobody ’ s coming over to help me they ’ re coming over to reinforce this guy , ” Whiting told KOMO News .
“ He had a good hold of me from behind and wasn ’ t letting me leave .
I ’ ve seen people with weapons .
I didn ’ t know if was going to put a knife in me or put a gun to my head , I didn ’ t know what was going to happen.
” KOMO asked Maurice Cola , whom they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CHAZ , to account for what happened in the video .
Cola declared it “ not ok , ” but said that it ’ s tough to manage people in a six-block area : “ That ’ s not beneficial and trying to assault people just trying to document is not ok , ” said Cola .
“ This is still a public place and we ’ re not going to violate anyone for doing and utilizing their rights properly.
” … He said protest leaders are trying to coordinate the protest leadership @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are not with the movement and might have another agenda , so their message is unified .
“ People ’ s rights to film publicly , it ’ s their rights , ” Cola said .
“ Walking around with the flag , it ’ s their right .
If we become just like the police , we ’ re losing all of our focus .
We can ’ t be hypocrites to our own cause , that ’ s ridiculous.
” Hmmmm .
It seems CHAZ needs to protect people ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ peace and identifying those who violate to hold them accountable .
What kind of an organization might that be ?
Anyone ?
Anyone ?
Bueller ?
Bueller ?
Actually , though , this is not really a criticism of CHAZ and its hypocrisy , obvious as it is in Cola ’ s pretense that such protections are a priority to them .
It ’ s a criticism of the officials that voters in Seattle and the state of Washington elected to provide those protections and responsible governance .
Where are Mayor Jenny Durkan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gone AWOL in the crisis and have abandoned citizens to mob rule and brute authoritarianism .
They are the two people most responsible for the truth of “ Who ’ s going to help you ?
” in this section of Seattle .

Say, wasn’t the point of the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone to show how we could all live without police? If so, then the wan clucking of tongues from the CHAZ “leadership” over this assault seems to indicate that some responsible authority is needed to keep the peace in an urban setting. Seattle’s KOMO-TV reports on the manhandling received by Shawn Whiting when he attempted to live-stream life within CHAZ or CHOP in what had been a public park.
KOMO has not made the video embeddable, but Whiting has it up on his own YouTube channel:
“What do you mean ‘help’?” a man asks when Whiting starts getting grabbed. “Who’s gonna help you?” Precisely.
If this seems less than terrifying, remember that Whiting has seen some of the weapons in the CHAZ — and the unvetted people wielding them. He told KOMO later that the moment was “pure terror,” especially with the realization that there was no longer anyone to call for help:
“It was pure terror in the moment of I’m screaming for help and nobody’s coming over to help me they’re coming over to reinforce this guy,” Whiting told KOMO News. “He had a good hold of me from behind and wasn’t letting me leave. I’ve seen people with weapons. I didn’t know if was going to put a knife in me or put a gun to my head, I didn’t know what was going to happen.”
KOMO asked Maurice Cola, whom they call a “protest leader” in CHAZ, to account for what happened in the video. Cola declared it “not ok,” but said that it’s tough to manage people in a six-block area:
“That’s not beneficial and trying to assault people just trying to document is not ok,” said Cola. “This is still a public place and we’re not going to violate anyone for doing and utilizing their rights properly.” … He said protest leaders are trying to coordinate the protest leadership to set some rules for people who are not with the movement and might have another agenda, so their message is unified. “People’s rights to film publicly, it’s their rights,” Cola said. “Walking around with the flag, it’s their right. If we become just like the police, we’re losing all of our focus. We can’t be hypocrites to our own cause, that’s ridiculous.”
Hmmmm. It seems CHAZ needs to protect people’s constitutional rights, along with keeping the peace and identifying those who violate to hold them accountable. What kind of an organization might that be? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? Bueller?
Actually, though, this is not really a criticism of CHAZ and its hypocrisy, obvious as it is in Cola’s pretense that such protections are a priority to them. It’s a criticism of the officials that voters in Seattle and the state of Washington elected to provide those protections and responsible governance. Where are Mayor Jenny Durkan and Governor Jay Inslee? They have gone AWOL in the crisis and have abandoned citizens to mob rule and brute authoritarianism. They are the two people most responsible for the truth of “Who’s going to help you?” in this section of Seattle.