hotair--2020-06-05--Krugman: On second thought, maybe Trump didn't corrupt BLS and this jobs report is real

Perhaps Paul Krugman would have been better off not putting his first thoughts out on social media .
After a stunningly positive jobs report this morning , many media figures found themselves a bit wrongfooted over the contradiction against expectations .
Rather than simply disputing the outcome from the Bureau of Labor Statistics , though , the New York Times columnist suggested that Donald Trump corrupted the analysts to get a false boost : Why not just stick with “ quirky ” ?
After all , the data is very quirky these days , thanks to unprecedented government intervention to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ months .
Data from BLS and the Department of Labor paint contradictory pictures , which is why most economists expected another month of massive job losses rather than the biggest gain in 80 years of monthly BLS jobs reports .
Questions about the models certainly seem appropriate , even if those are defensible with the data at hand .
Accusing Trump of somehow co-opting a federal bureaucracy to explain the numbers is , on the other hand , tinfoil hat territory .
Did anyone know that careerists with the BLS had a secret @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump ?
Come on , man .
It didn ’ t take long for a blizzard of rebukes to land on Krugman ’ s head , including this very specific rebuke from a former member of Barack Obama ’ s Council of Economic Advisers : To be fair , a few of Barack Obama ’ s critics used to suggest that he had corrupted the BLS to explain the more positive of the jobs reports in his term , which was also nonsense .
Most of those tinfoil-hat wearers were just social-media trolls @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that accusation seems rather , er , notable : We may assume President Trump is quite pleased with the strong jobs report from his first full month in office : He retweeted the Drudge Report ’ s triumphant “ GREAT AGAIN ” framing of the numbers Friday morning , after touting employment figures released by payroll firm ADP earlier in the week .
Not so long ago , however , Trump ’ s view of the monthly jobs report , which comes courtesy of the nonpartisan federal Bureau of Labor Statistics , was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , he described the report as “ totally fiction.
” If there was any argument over whether Trump was flip-flopping on the jobs report at the precise moment it reflected positively on him , White House press secretary Sean Spicer laid it to rest Friday afternoon , telling reporters : “ I talked to the president prior to this , and he said to quote him very clearly : ‘ They may have been phony in the past , but it ’ s very real now.
’ ” Yeah , well , down @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after getting barraged with criticism , Krugman backpedaled to the point of admitting that the surge in employment looked legit after all : Tweet in haste , repent at leisure .
Again , there is nothing wrong with questioning models and assumptions , especially in unprecedented environments such as this — or with COVID-19 either , the epidemiological models of which conservatives have questioned for a while .
Assuming a conspiracy without evidence , however , is not exactly a model for credibility in the future .

Perhaps Paul Krugman would have been better off not putting his first thoughts out on social media. After a stunningly positive jobs report this morning, many media figures found themselves a bit wrongfooted over the contradiction against expectations. Rather than simply disputing the outcome from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, though, the New York Times columnist suggested that Donald Trump corrupted the analysts to get a false boost:
This being the Trump era, you can't completely discount the possibility that they've gotten to the BLS, but it's much more likely that the models used to produce these numbers — they aren't really raw data — have gone haywire in a time of pandemic 3/ — Paul Krugman (@paulkrugman) June 5, 2020
Why not just stick with “quirky”? After all, the data is very quirky these days, thanks to unprecedented government intervention to shut down commerce over the last two months. Data from BLS and the Department of Labor paint contradictory pictures, which is why most economists expected another month of massive job losses rather than the biggest gain in 80 years of monthly BLS jobs reports. Questions about the models certainly seem appropriate, even if those are defensible with the data at hand.
Accusing Trump of somehow co-opting a federal bureaucracy to explain the numbers is, on the other hand, tinfoil hat territory. Did anyone know that careerists with the BLS had a secret affection for Donald “Deep State” Trump? Come on, man. It didn’t take long for a blizzard of rebukes to land on Krugman’s head, including this very specific rebuke from a former member of Barack Obama’s Council of Economic Advisers:
You can 100% discount the possibility that Trump got to the BLS. Not 98% discount, not 99.9% discount, but 100% discount. BLS has 2,400 career staff of enormous integrity and one political appointee with no scope to change this number. https://t.co/Cden6rQyN6 — Jason Furman (@jasonfurman) June 5, 2020
To be fair, a few of Barack Obama’s critics used to suggest that he had corrupted the BLS to explain the more positive of the jobs reports in his term, which was also nonsense. Most of those tinfoil-hat wearers were just social-media trolls, but one critic who repeatedly made that accusation seems rather, er, notable:
We may assume President Trump is quite pleased with the strong jobs report from his first full month in office: He retweeted the Drudge Report’s triumphant “GREAT AGAIN” framing of the numbers Friday morning, after touting employment figures released by payroll firm ADP earlier in the week. Not so long ago, however, Trump’s view of the monthly jobs report, which comes courtesy of the nonpartisan federal Bureau of Labor Statistics, was markedly different. As recently as December, he described the report as “totally fiction.” If there was any argument over whether Trump was flip-flopping on the jobs report at the precise moment it reflected positively on him, White House press secretary Sean Spicer laid it to rest Friday afternoon, telling reporters: “I talked to the president prior to this, and he said to quote him very clearly: ‘They may have been phony in the past, but it’s very real now.’ ”
Yeah, well, down the hatch.
Later this morning, after getting barraged with criticism, Krugman backpedaled to the point of admitting that the surge in employment looked legit after all:
And as I look at the data, I'm starting to believe that the modest job gains may well have been real, not an artifact of the models. I was already on record saying that predictions of a huge job loss didn't look right 2/ https://t.co/v6KvqREFWx — Paul Krugman (@paulkrugman) June 5, 2020
Tweet in haste, repent at leisure. Again, there is nothing wrong with questioning models and assumptions, especially in unprecedented environments such as this — or with COVID-19 either, the epidemiological models of which conservatives have questioned for a while. Assuming a conspiracy without evidence, however, is not exactly a model for credibility in the future.


hotair--2020-06-05--Gretchen "Lockdown" Whitmer gives up on social distancing, marches shoulder to shoulder in protests

I can ’ t tell from the clip below how many people were marching but it ’ s , uh , safely more than 100 .
And she ’ s clearly in violation of the six-foot rule .
Watch , then read on .
Is that a high-risk gathering ?
Not really .
They ’ re outdoors , she has a mask on , and they were in motion for most of it , it seems .
But the rules are the rules , as many Michiganders found out over the past two months .
Why didn ’ t Governor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ staff has no good answers , per the Detroit News : Whitmer spokeswoman Tiffany Brown denied the governor had violated her own executive order issued Monday that says people should remain six feet apart if participating in public gatherings .
“ The governor took precautions for engaging in an outdoor activity , including wearing a mask even though it is not required outdoors under the order , ” Brown said .
Contrary to the administration ’ s own guidance posted online , Brown said the unity march didn ’ t violate her latest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in this order shall be taken to abridge protections guaranteed by the state or federal constitution.
” “ That includes the right to peaceful protest , ” she said .
Scientists have been painfully clear that mask-wearing isn ’ t a substitute for social distancing , it ’ s a supplement to it .
You keep six feet away from the people around you *and* you cover up .
In fact , one of the reasons the feds were initially leery of endorsing masks was because they worried that people would treat wearing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ distancing themselves from others .
It ’ s not either/or — unless you ’ re a Democratic politician whose urgency to pander on social justice trumps your urgency to protect public health .
As for the idea that Whitmer ’ s order doesn ’ t apply to the protest because there ’ s an exception for First Amendment rights , I don ’ t know where to start .
Religious believers complained for months about not being able to enjoy their right to free exercise of religion and were told that public health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t even need to reach as far as that for a proper analogy .
Here ’ s Whitmer complaining just a few weeks ago about another nonviolent protest in Michigan , the anti-lockdown demonstrations , on grounds that mass gatherings would be self-defeating because they ’ ll just spread the virus and force her to extend the lockdown to keep people safe .
Why didn ’ t their First Amendment rights trump social distancing rules the way hers did yesterday ?
Why didn ’ t the risk that yesterday ’ s gathering might @ @ @ @ @ @ @ community at least warrant six feet of distance among the marchers ?
There ’ s no answer beyond the obvious one , that the rules will be broken for causes favored by Democrats — even by the officials who made those rules .
The least Whitmer and her spokespeople could have done is attempted a little Orwellian sophistry along these lines , in which flouting basic good pandemic hygiene is reimagined as a way to *ensure* basic good pandemic hygiene : Officials need the trust of black Americans when they issue health advisories @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and other protesters across the country should feel free to ignore social distancing at a moment when 1,000 Americans are still dying every day of COVID-19 .
In reality the opposite of what Frieden says is true : Watching Whitmer ignore her own guidelines will send a message to Michiganders of all races that they don ’ t need to follow the rules on limiting the spread anymore .
Either the rules don ’ t work to prevent transmission — if they did , Whitmer would be following them , right ?
— @ @ @ @ @ @ @ feel free to ignore them anyway because it ’ s simply not fair for the governor to operate more freely than the people she governs .
A terrible show of hypocrisy that ’ s going to backfire on her state .
It ’ s a small comfort to know there ’ s near-zero chance she ’ ll end up as Biden ’ s VP .

Michigan Executive Order 2020-110, June 1, 2020:
Michiganders must continue to wear face coverings when in enclosed public spaces and should continue to take all reasonable precautions to protect themselves, their co-workers, their loved ones, and their communities. Indoor social gatherings and events of more than 10 people are prohibited. Outdoor social gatherings and events are permitted so long as people maintain six feet of distance from one another and the assemblage consists of no more than 100 people.
I can’t tell from the clip below how many people were marching but it’s, uh, safely more than 100.
And she’s clearly in violation of the six-foot rule. Watch, then read on.
Is that a high-risk gathering? Not really. They’re outdoors, she has a mask on, and they were in motion for most of it, it seems. But the rules are the rules, as many Michiganders found out over the past two months. Why didn’t Governor Karen practice what she preached?
Social distancing is critical to stop the spread of COVID-19—unless you have a great photo op. And control. pic.twitter.com/uFyM6gBWaM — Lynn Afendoulis (@LynnAfendoulis) June 4, 2020
Her staff has no good answers, per the Detroit News:
Whitmer spokeswoman Tiffany Brown denied the governor had violated her own executive order issued Monday that says people should remain six feet apart if participating in public gatherings. “The governor took precautions for engaging in an outdoor activity, including wearing a mask even though it is not required outdoors under the order,” Brown said. Contrary to the administration’s own guidance posted online, Brown said the unity march didn’t violate her latest order because it states, “Nothing in this order shall be taken to abridge protections guaranteed by the state or federal constitution.” “That includes the right to peaceful protest,” she said.
Scientists have been painfully clear that mask-wearing isn’t a substitute for social distancing, it’s a supplement to it. You keep six feet away from the people around you *and* you cover up. In fact, one of the reasons the feds were initially leery of endorsing masks was because they worried that people would treat wearing them as an excuse to ease off distancing themselves from others. It’s not either/or — unless you’re a Democratic politician whose urgency to pander on social justice trumps your urgency to protect public health.
As for the idea that Whitmer’s order doesn’t apply to the protest because there’s an exception for First Amendment rights, I don’t know where to start. Religious believers complained for months about not being able to enjoy their right to free exercise of religion and were told that public health came first. But we don’t even need to reach as far as that for a proper analogy. Here’s Whitmer complaining just a few weeks ago about another nonviolent protest in Michigan, the anti-lockdown demonstrations, on grounds that mass gatherings would be self-defeating because they’ll just spread the virus and force her to extend the lockdown to keep people safe.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer calls some protests in her state “racist and misogynistic” and urges others “to stop encouraging this behavior because it only makes it that much more precarious for us to try to reengage our economy.” https://t.co/RJgBVlOYjP pic.twitter.com/vfbZnRlAzU — The View (@TheView) May 16, 2020
Why didn’t their First Amendment rights trump social distancing rules the way hers did yesterday? Why didn’t the risk that yesterday’s gathering might spread the virus throughout an already hard-hit community at least warrant six feet of distance among the marchers?
There’s no answer beyond the obvious one, that the rules will be broken for causes favored by Democrats — even by the officials who made those rules. The least Whitmer and her spokespeople could have done is attempted a little Orwellian sophistry along these lines, in which flouting basic good pandemic hygiene is reimagined as a way to *ensure* basic good pandemic hygiene:
The threat to Covid control from protesting outside is tiny compared to the threat to Covid control created when governments act in ways that lose community trust. People can protest peacefully AND work together to stop Covid. Violence harms public health. — Dr. Tom Frieden (@DrTomFrieden) June 2, 2020
Officials need the trust of black Americans when they issue health advisories, in other words, therefore they and other protesters across the country should feel free to ignore social distancing at a moment when 1,000 Americans are still dying every day of COVID-19. In reality the opposite of what Frieden says is true: Watching Whitmer ignore her own guidelines will send a message to Michiganders of all races that they don’t need to follow the rules on limiting the spread anymore. Either the rules don’t work to prevent transmission — if they did, Whitmer would be following them, right? — or they do work but we should feel free to ignore them anyway because it’s simply not fair for the governor to operate more freely than the people she governs.
A terrible show of hypocrisy that’s going to backfire on her state. It’s a small comfort to know there’s near-zero chance she’ll end up as Biden’s VP.


hotair--2020-06-05--Today's hot topics on a special #TEMS: Floyd case prosecutions, police reforms, public order

Today on The Ed Morrissey Show ( special time 2 pm ET ) , we have another great lineup for the news of the day !
The show will be streamed on Hot Air ’ s Facebook page and embedded here and on the show page for those who are not on Facebook .
Join us as we welcome : • Why did prosecutors in Minnesota choose the specific charges against the four police officers in the homicide of George Floyd ?
Former federal prosecutor Andrew McCarthy joins us to explain the case , the potential defense , and why @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a canard .
• How does police reform look from the perspective of police ?
Former NYPD detective Rob O ’ Donnell , now director of media relations for Brothers Before Others , joins us to discuss where it might go , and how some proposals — like “ defunding ” or dismantling — could be far worse than what they seek to cure .
The Ed Morrissey Show and its dynamic chatroom can be seen on the permanent TEMS page .
Be sure to join us , and don ’ t forget @ @ @ @ @ @ @ my Facebook page , too !
How can Republicans and conservatives keep winning after 2016 ?
Find out in GOING RED , published in April from Crown Forum !

Today on The Ed Morrissey Show (special time 2 pm ET), we have another great lineup for the news of the day! The show will be streamed on Hot Air’s Facebook page and embedded here and on the show page for those who are not on Facebook.
Join us as we welcome:
Why did prosecutors in Minnesota choose the specific charges against the four police officers in the homicide of George Floyd? Former federal prosecutor Andrew McCarthy joins us to explain the case, the potential defense, and why he sees “institutional racism” as a canard.
How does police reform look from the perspective of police? Former NYPD detective Rob O’Donnell, now director of media relations for Brothers Before Others, joins us to discuss where it might go, and how some proposals — like “defunding” or dismantling — could be far worse than what they seek to cure.
The Ed Morrissey Show and its dynamic chatroom can be seen on the permanent TEMS page. Be sure to join us, and don’t forget to keep up with the debate on my Facebook page, too!
How can Republicans and conservatives keep winning after 2016? Find out in GOING RED, published in April from Crown Forum!


hotair--2020-06-05--Washington Post: Let's cancel all the cop shows on TV

Writing at the Washington Post , author Alyssa Rosenberg has a unique solution for the problems with our policing : Cancel all the cop shows on television .
She argues we need to do that because there ’ s a “ reactionary streak ” behind the “ surface liberalism ” in these shows .
For a century , Hollywood has been collaborating with police departments , telling stories that whitewash police shootings and valorizing an action-hero style of policing over the harder , less dramatic work of building relationships with the communities cops are meant to serve and protect .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ beyond a reactionary streak hiding below the industry ’ s surface liberalism .
Purely from a dramatic perspective , crime makes a story seem consequential , investigating crime generates action , and solving crime provides for a morally and emotionally satisfying conclusion .
The result is an addiction to stories that portray police departments as more effective than they actually are ; crime as more prevalent than it actually is ; and police use of force as consistently justified .
There are always gaps between reality and fiction , but given what policing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hollywood ’ s version of it looks less like fantasy and more like complicity… Say writers made a commitment not to exaggerate the performance of police .
Audiences would have to be retrained to watch , for example , a version of “ Special Victims Unit ” where the characters cleared only 33.4 percent of rape cases , or to accept that in almost 40 percent of murders and manslaughters , no suspect is arrested .
If storytelling focused on less-dramatic but more-common crimes such as burglary and motor-vehicle theft , the stakes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rate .
I think there ’ s some truth to what she ’ s saying .
Crime shows aren ’ t really representative of reality .
There are a lot more serial killers in 15 seasons of Criminal Minds than there probably are in the entire country .
And there ’ s no doubt that the dictates of drama mean these shows rarely end with the criminals not even being identified .
So I think it ’ s fair enough to say there ’ s a clear element of fantasy in these shows @ @ @ @ @ @ @ while the individual episodes often touch on progressive ideas , the form itself is inherently conservative .
For the most part , these shows are about people who restore and maintain law and order .
So whatever this week ’ s episode is about , nearly every episode is ultimately about that idea of maintaining the status quo against those criminal elements who would seek to disrupt it .
What ’ s missing from this piece is the direct connection between cop shows which don ’ t necessarily present reality and actual problems @ @ @ @ @ @ @ really make any effort to demonstrate the two are connected .
All we really get is this paragraph : “ In addition to revealing the world as it is , art has the power to show us the world as it can be .
But when reform doesn ’ t seem like a real possibility , even modest optimism risks souring into mockery.
” No doubt art has power but what ’ s wrong with telling a satisfying , if slightly unrealistic , story on television for people who are tired and have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has to watch .
And those who do watch are probably smart enough to know that television isn ’ t the real world .
What harm is actually being done ?
Rosenberg doesn ’ t really explain that .
It ’ s as if she wants to claim bad TV is a cover for bad policing but she can ’ t really make the case .
Her approach to crime shows would seem incredibly silly if used for almost any other genre of film .
How about romantic comedies ?
A lot of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Let ’ s put an end to unrealistic romance .
How about science fiction and horror ?
By definition , those things are fantastic and unrealistic , let ’ s put a stop to that immediately .
It ’ s not her diagnosis that I disagree with so much as her prescription .
Yes , cop shows aren ’ t very realistic and they have a conservative concept at the root of them .
But so what ?
No one said entertainment had to be realistic .
Demanding that producers dump one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because people can ’ t tell TV from reality seems a bit extreme .
I mean , we let kids listen to gangsta rap , but the problem is Chicago PD ?

Writing at the Washington Post, author Alyssa Rosenberg has a unique solution for the problems with our policing: Cancel all the cop shows on television. She argues we need to do that because there’s a “reactionary streak” behind the “surface liberalism” in these shows.
For a century, Hollywood has been collaborating with police departments, telling stories that whitewash police shootings and valorizing an action-hero style of policing over the harder, less dramatic work of building relationships with the communities cops are meant to serve and protect. There’s a reason for that beyond a reactionary streak hiding below the industry’s surface liberalism. Purely from a dramatic perspective, crime makes a story seem consequential, investigating crime generates action, and solving crime provides for a morally and emotionally satisfying conclusion. The result is an addiction to stories that portray police departments as more effective than they actually are; crime as more prevalent than it actually is; and police use of force as consistently justified. There are always gaps between reality and fiction, but given what policing in America has too often become, Hollywood’s version of it looks less like fantasy and more like complicity… Say writers made a commitment not to exaggerate the performance of police. Audiences would have to be retrained to watch, for example, a version of “Special Victims Unit” where the characters cleared only 33.4 percent of rape cases, or to accept that in almost 40 percent of murders and manslaughters, no suspect is arrested. If storytelling focused on less-dramatic but more-common crimes such as burglary and motor-vehicle theft, the stakes would shrink — along with the case-clearance rate.
I think there’s some truth to what she’s saying. Crime shows aren’t really representative of reality. There are a lot more serial killers in 15 seasons of Criminal Minds than there probably are in the entire country. And there’s no doubt that the dictates of drama mean these shows rarely end with the criminals not even being identified. So I think it’s fair enough to say there’s a clear element of fantasy in these shows.
And she may be right that while the individual episodes often touch on progressive ideas, the form itself is inherently conservative. For the most part, these shows are about people who restore and maintain law and order. So whatever this week’s episode is about, nearly every episode is ultimately about that idea of maintaining the status quo against those criminal elements who would seek to disrupt it.
What’s missing from this piece is the direct connection between cop shows which don’t necessarily present reality and actual problems with policing. Rosenberg doesn’t really make any effort to demonstrate the two are connected. All we really get is this paragraph: “In addition to revealing the world as it is, art has the power to show us the world as it can be. But when reform doesn’t seem like a real possibility, even modest optimism risks souring into mockery.”
No doubt art has power but what’s wrong with telling a satisfying, if slightly unrealistic, story on television for people who are tired and have been working all day? No one has to watch. And those who do watch are probably smart enough to know that television isn’t the real world. What harm is actually being done? Rosenberg doesn’t really explain that. It’s as if she wants to claim bad TV is a cover for bad policing but she can’t really make the case.
Her approach to crime shows would seem incredibly silly if used for almost any other genre of film. How about romantic comedies? A lot of relationships don’t actually work out. Let’s put an end to unrealistic romance. How about science fiction and horror? By definition, those things are fantastic and unrealistic, let’s put a stop to that immediately.
It’s not her diagnosis that I disagree with so much as her prescription. Yes, cop shows aren’t very realistic and they have a conservative concept at the root of them. But so what? No one said entertainment had to be realistic. Demanding that producers dump one of their most popular products en masse because people can’t tell TV from reality seems a bit extreme. I mean, we let kids listen to gangsta rap, but the problem is Chicago PD?


hotair--2020-06-05--Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals blasts U.S. District Judge, blocks vote by mail

The battle continues .
Will Texans have universal mail-in voting for the presidential election in November ?
That is the question bouncing from court to court , most recently landing in the Fifth U.S .
Circuit Court of Appeals .
The court struck down a previous order from U.S. District Judge Fred Biery Thursday .
Biery sided with Texas Democrats demanding that due to the coronavirus pandemic outbreak in the state , it is unreasonable to expect voters to go to polling places and risk exposure to the virus .
U.S. District Judge Fred Biery , a federal judge agreed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mail due to the pandemic .
Using hyper-flowery language in the opinion he issued , he ruled that all Texans can now be considered disabled due to fear of exposure to the virus .
The question of disability due to a lack of immunity was heard in the Texas Supreme Court , too .
That court ruled that Judge Biery ’ s opinion was wrong – a lack of immunity to COVID-19 is not a disability .
The latest court to hear the question was the Fifth U.S .
Circuit of Appeals in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ three judge court block Judge Biery ’ s order but the Fifth Circuit decision claims his ruling “ will be remembered more for audacity than legal reasoning.
” Ouch .
Judge Biery is a Clinton appointee .
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is pleased with the ruling .
There are provisions in Texas law for mail-in voting , as there is in all fifty states .
In Texas , a voter is eligible to vote by mail if he/she is 65 years of age or older , has a disability or illness , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the voting period , or is in jail .
Texas Democrats are looking to exploit the disability and illness provision .
Precautions are being made at polling places to accommodate voters during the coronavirus pandemic .
Early voting has been extended to lessen crowds at polling places .
After Thursday ’ s ruling , mail-in ballots will only be available to voters who qualify under the standard rules .
Judge Jerry Smith delivered the court ’ s opinion .
Judge James Ho joined Smith ’ s ruling and wrote his own separate opinion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bottom-line outcome only .
Smith , relying on a 1969 Supreme Court precedent , said the Texas rules do not jeopardize the right to vote , since the precinct place is open to all comers .
He said the case simply presents “ a claimed right to receive absentee ballots , ” which the state can lawfully deny for any number of reasons .
“ That [ rule ] , which is designed to make voting more available to some groups who can not easily get to the polls , does not itself @ @ @ @ @ @ @ franchise , ” Smith wrote .
“ The plaintiffs are welcome and permitted to vote , and there is no indication that they are in fact absolutely prohibited from voting by the state.
” He elsewhere noted that elections officials are implementing various public health measures to protect voters .
“ Texas plans to implement measures to protect those who go to the polls , ” he wrote .
“ Those measures include the bread and butter of social distancing , such as protective masks for election workers , plentiful cleaning wipes and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ touch screens , and floor decals inside the polling places that show where voters should stand.
” The U.S .
Circuit Court slammed Judge Biery ’ s use of several authorities in his opinion , including poems , the Declaration of Independence , the Gettysburg Address , and the Bible .
Biery even claimed Texas was deliberately trying to suppress the votes of young voters “ because of the way they may vote.
” Judge Smith wrote , “ Instead of searching for a conceivable basis for the rules , the court jerry-rigged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them.
” It seems like the question of health concerns due to exposure at polling places has been answered by the general public anyway .
With all the massive protests and marches occurring , the public has decided that large gatherings are ok , right ?
Just put on a face mask and join 60,000 of your best friends , as the protesters did this week in Houston .
Social distancing concerns were not to be found .
On July 14 voters go to the polls for about 30 primary races in run-offs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mail in Texas will likely travel up to the Supreme Court .

The battle continues. Will Texans have universal mail-in voting for the presidential election in November? That is the question bouncing from court to court, most recently landing in the Fifth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The court struck down a previous order from U.S. District Judge Fred Biery Thursday.
Biery sided with Texas Democrats demanding that due to the coronavirus pandemic outbreak in the state, it is unreasonable to expect voters to go to polling places and risk exposure to the virus. U.S. District Judge Fred Biery, a federal judge agreed that all Texas voters can vote by mail due to the pandemic. Using hyper-flowery language in the opinion he issued, he ruled that all Texans can now be considered disabled due to fear of exposure to the virus. The question of disability due to a lack of immunity was heard in the Texas Supreme Court, too. That court ruled that Judge Biery’s opinion was wrong – a lack of immunity to COVID-19 is not a disability.
The latest court to hear the question was the Fifth U.S. Circuit of Appeals in New Orleans. Not only did the three judge court block Judge Biery’s order but the Fifth Circuit decision claims his ruling “will be remembered more for audacity than legal reasoning.” Ouch. Judge Biery is a Clinton appointee. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is pleased with the ruling.
“Allowing universal mail-in ballots, which are particularly vulnerable to fraud, would only lead to greater election fraud and disenfranchise lawful voters. The unanimous Fifth Circuit ruling puts a stop to this blatant violation of Texas law.”
There are provisions in Texas law for mail-in voting, as there is in all fifty states. In Texas, a voter is eligible to vote by mail if he/she is 65 years of age or older, has a disability or illness, will be out of the county during the voting period, or is in jail. Texas Democrats are looking to exploit the disability and illness provision.
Precautions are being made at polling places to accommodate voters during the coronavirus pandemic. Early voting has been extended to lessen crowds at polling places. After Thursday’s ruling, mail-in ballots will only be available to voters who qualify under the standard rules.
Judge Jerry Smith delivered the court’s opinion. Judge James Ho joined Smith’s ruling and wrote his own separate opinion. Judge Gregg Costa concurred in the bottom-line outcome only. Smith, relying on a 1969 Supreme Court precedent, said the Texas rules do not jeopardize the right to vote, since the precinct place is open to all comers. He said the case simply presents “a claimed right to receive absentee ballots,” which the state can lawfully deny for any number of reasons. “That [rule], which is designed to make voting more available to some groups who cannot easily get to the polls, does not itself deny the plaintiffs the exercise of the franchise,” Smith wrote. “The plaintiffs are welcome and permitted to vote, and there is no indication that they are in fact absolutely prohibited from voting by the state.” He elsewhere noted that elections officials are implementing various public health measures to protect voters. “Texas plans to implement measures to protect those who go to the polls,” he wrote. “Those measures include the bread and butter of social distancing, such as protective masks for election workers, plentiful cleaning wipes and hand sanitizer, cotton swabs for contacting touch screens, and floor decals inside the polling places that show where voters should stand.”
The U.S. Circuit Court slammed Judge Biery’s use of several authorities in his opinion, including poems, the Declaration of Independence, the Gettysburg Address, and the Bible. Biery even claimed Texas was deliberately trying to suppress the votes of young voters “because of the way they may vote.” Judge Smith wrote, “Instead of searching for a conceivable basis for the rules, the court jerry-rigged some straw men and proceeded to burn them.”
It seems like the question of health concerns due to exposure at polling places has been answered by the general public anyway. With all the massive protests and marches occurring, the public has decided that large gatherings are ok, right? Just put on a face mask and join 60,000 of your best friends, as the protesters did this week in Houston. Social distancing concerns were not to be found.
On July 14 voters go to the polls for about 30 primary races in run-offs. The question of universal voting by mail in Texas will likely travel up to the Supreme Court.


hotair--2020-06-05--Minneapolis council president: Time to "dismantle" the police department

Well , at least this reform would take place at the correct level of government — no matter how poorly thought out it might be .
In the wake of the death of George Floyd , the Minneapolis city council has begun its process of reforming the police department — with a promise to “ dismantle ” it from more than one of its members .
What will replace it ?
A “ transformative new model of public safety , ” council president Lisa Bender promises : In the days since Floyd died , several elected officials have publicly floated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the department immediately to taking a slower approach and sending social workers or mental health professionals to some calls that are now handled by police .
Mayor Jacob Frey has committed to “ working with the community towards deep , structural reforms that address systemic racism in our laws and in policing.
” Spokesman Mychal Vlatkovich said the mayor “ does not support abolishing the police department.
” Council Member Jeremiah Ellison , one of the most vocal critics of the city ’ s response to the protests and riots that followed Floyd @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ We are going to dismantle the Minneapolis Police Department.
” Bender , a few hours later , issued her own tweet repeating that message and adding that they will “ replace it with a transformative new model of public safety.
” What exactly is that new model ?
One council member offered a rather ambiguous vision of the future for law enforcement : Bender offered a somewhat more specific framework on Twitter Wednesday .
Are white Minneapolitans who support reform willing to part with “ white supremacy ” in , say , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ start with this ?
If Minneapolis wants to decriminalize burglary , then they will need to repeal the statute controlling that crime at the state level .
Until then , every Minnesotan has an expectation that the law will be enforced — and the city has a duty to enforce it , too .
Also , does Bender mean to suggest that only black people burglarize ?
That might be one of the most racist assumptions one could make , let alone proclaim — although if you ’ re a progressive in Minneapolis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with it .
Stephen Green writes at PJ Media that this looks like a great way to restart “ white flight ” from the urban cores all over again : If I ’ m reading this properly , the Minneapolis City Council ’ s potential “ transformative new model of public safety ” doesn ’ t include things like preventing or punishing burglars .
If Bender and Ellison get their way , looting — or what I ’ ve been calling “ freelance reparations ” — against “ white persons ” would become @ @ @ @ @ @ @ At a time when the people of Minneapolis require the best public safety and a positive growth environment for business and jobs , Bender and her Minneapolis City Council allies would deprive them of both .
Whether any white persons will remain in Minneapolis if Bender gets her way remains to be seen .
Other than Bender and other members of the nomenklatura , that is , who always receive the protection they would deny their poorer ( and often darker ) neighbors .
It won ’ t be limited to just white @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from Minneapolis for the suburbs tout suite , and never come back .
This sounds so ridiculous that it ’ s tough to take it seriously at face value .
What the city council likely wants out of this is a way to get around the police union by negating their contract so as to impose greater accountability .
That seems to be the point of the “ temporary restraining order ” the council plans on passing , whatever that means : If the council gives its blessing , as is expected , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a judge at a hearing that is likely to be scheduled next week , according to a presentation given to the city ’ s Commission on Civil Rights earlier this week .
“ The timeline for the impact of the [ temporary restraining order ] is for this weekend , ” Bender said .
“ It ’ s for immediate accountability measures for the Police Department .
It ’ s not meant to be anywhere near starting this bigger conversation.
” As nonsensical as the city council ’ s rhetoric might be , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ process for reform … generally speaking , anyway .
The talk about dismantling the police department makes sense as a hardball tactic for negotiating reforms to officer review and public complaints processes .
The union will fight hard against this , and that sets up a very different dynamic than that in place before , when Democrats and union leaders worked hand in hand in the Twin Cities .
The conflict itself could very well be salutary in that it might break the decades-long , single-party grip on governance in Minneapolis , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government as well as its police department .
If Minneapolis is actually serious about dismantling law enforcement , though , they won ’ t like the end result .
Rather than having a professional force in place to keep the peace , residents will have to take that into their own hands .
Gun sales will go through the roof , and suddenly Minneapolis will have a lot more uses of lethal force on their hands , this time by frightened citizens who know help will never be on the way .
Do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ environment ?

Well, at least this reform would take place at the correct level of government — no matter how poorly thought out it might be. In the wake of the death of George Floyd, the Minneapolis city council has begun its process of reforming the police department — with a promise to “dismantle” it from more than one of its members. What will replace it? A “transformative new model of public safety,” council president Lisa Bender promises:
In the days since Floyd died, several elected officials have publicly floated various reform proposals, ranging from defunding the department immediately to taking a slower approach and sending social workers or mental health professionals to some calls that are now handled by police. Mayor Jacob Frey has committed to “working with the community towards deep, structural reforms that address systemic racism in our laws and in policing.” Spokesman Mychal Vlatkovich said the mayor “does not support abolishing the police department.” Council Member Jeremiah Ellison, one of the most vocal critics of the city’s response to the protests and riots that followed Floyd’s death, tweeted Thursday: “We are going to dismantle the Minneapolis Police Department.” Bender, a few hours later, issued her own tweet repeating that message and adding that they will “replace it with a transformative new model of public safety.”
What exactly is that new model? One council member offered a rather ambiguous vision of the future for law enforcement:
Tuesday, Ward 3 representative Steve Fletcher tweeted, “I don’t know yet, though several of us on the council are working on find out, what it would take to disband the MPD and start fresh with a community-oriented, non-violent public safety and outreach capacity.”
Bender offered a somewhat more specific framework on Twitter Wednesday. Are white Minneapolitans who support reform willing to part with “white supremacy” in, say, ignoring burglaries?
If you are a comfortable white person asking to dismantle the police I invite you to reflect: are you willing to stick with it? Will you be calling in three months to ask about garage break-ins? Are you willing to dismantle white supremacy in all systems, including a new system? — Lisa Bender (@lisabendermpls) June 3, 2020
Where does one even start with this? If Minneapolis wants to decriminalize burglary, then they will need to repeal the statute controlling that crime at the state level. Until then, every Minnesotan has an expectation that the law will be enforced — and the city has a duty to enforce it, too. Also, does Bender mean to suggest that only black people burglarize? That might be one of the most racist assumptions one could make, let alone proclaim — although if you’re a progressive in Minneapolis, I guess you can get away with it.
Stephen Green writes at PJ Media that this looks like a great way to restart “white flight” from the urban cores all over again:
If I’m reading this properly, the Minneapolis City Council’s potential “transformative new model of public safety” doesn’t include things like preventing or punishing burglars. If Bender and Ellison get their way, looting — or what I’ve been calling “freelance reparations” — against “white persons” would become the new normal for Minneapolis residents. At a time when the people of Minneapolis require the best public safety and a positive growth environment for business and jobs, Bender and her Minneapolis City Council allies would deprive them of both. Whether any white persons will remain in Minneapolis if Bender gets her way remains to be seen. Other than Bender and other members of the nomenklatura, that is, who always receive the protection they would deny their poorer (and often darker) neighbors.
It won’t be limited to just white flight. Anyone with means would decamp from Minneapolis for the suburbs tout suite, and never come back.
This sounds so ridiculous that it’s tough to take it seriously at face value. What the city council likely wants out of this is a way to get around the police union by negating their contract so as to impose greater accountability. That seems to be the point of the “temporary restraining order” the council plans on passing, whatever that means:
If the council gives its blessing, as is expected, the order will also require approval from a judge at a hearing that is likely to be scheduled next week, according to a presentation given to the city’s Commission on Civil Rights earlier this week. “The timeline for the impact of the [temporary restraining order] is for this weekend,” Bender said. “It’s for immediate accountability measures for the Police Department. It’s not meant to be anywhere near starting this bigger conversation.”
As nonsensical as the city council’s rhetoric might be, this is actually the place and the process for reform … generally speaking, anyway. The talk about dismantling the police department makes sense as a hardball tactic for negotiating reforms to officer review and public complaints processes. The union will fight hard against this, and that sets up a very different dynamic than that in place before, when Democrats and union leaders worked hand in hand in the Twin Cities. The conflict itself could very well be salutary in that it might break the decades-long, single-party grip on governance in Minneapolis, which might bring more accountability to the city government as well as its police department.
If Minneapolis is actually serious about dismantling law enforcement, though, they won’t like the end result. Rather than having a professional force in place to keep the peace, residents will have to take that into their own hands. Gun sales will go through the roof, and suddenly Minneapolis will have a lot more uses of lethal force on their hands, this time by frightened citizens who know help will never be on the way. Do they really expect better outcomes from that environment?


hotair--2020-06-05--Buffalo cops knock old man unconscious, ignore him as he bleeds from the ear

In some ways this act of casual police brutality is different from the killing of George Floyd .
Floyd was tortured for nine minutes ; this incident is over in a flash .
And Floyd died of his injuries , of course .
The 75-year-old man seen here cracking his head on the pavement was alive at last check , although hospitalized in serious condition .
But in other ways the incidents are similar .
In both cases it ’ s not just the brutality that shocks , it ’ s the indifference of the surrounding officers to it .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ they say that the culture of American policing writ large is rotten with aggression .
The cliche that the worst misconduct is committed by “ only a few bad apples ” may be true , but there are a lot of apples on view in the footage below willing to stand around as an elderly man bleeds out in front of them .
Just like the three cops in Minneapolis who stood around while Floyd begged for air .
Note in the second clip that it ’ s uniformed National Guardsmen who finally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , not the cops .
Relatedly , I ’ ve seen several people on social media argue in the past few days that Trump invoking the Insurrection Act might not be a bad thing after all because American soldiers would probably treat fellow citizens with more care than the local police department does .
You ’ re probably safer being confronted by troops who are armed to the teeth and trained to kill than by the local constabulary .
There ’ s another thing this incident has in common with Floyd ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ department lied to try to cover up what happened .
In Floyd ’ s case , Minneapolis PD initially insisted that he was resisting arrest .
Surveillance footage eventually disproved that .
In this case , Buffalo PD initially claimed that the old man had “ tripped ” : Then the video hit social media .
Within hours , the mayor of Buffalo announced that two officers were suspended .
The dozens who neglected to render aid are presumably A-OK. Defense lawyer Greg Doucette has spent the past week on Twitter posting clips @ @ @ @ @ @ @ using violence against protesters , sometimes in a petty way , sometimes less so .
He ’ s now over 300 posts .
Here ’ s one from Wednesday : This one , not from Doucette ’ s thread , was floating around yesterday : Here ’ s one in which something like five cops pile on to put the cuffs on a dangerous lady bicyclist : And this one may look familiar .
It ’ s from the Park Police ’ s advance on protesters in Lafayette Park on Monday , before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Australian government is demanding to know why a camera crew from its country was injured .
Park Police suggested in a statement that perhaps the crew had “ fallen ” in the melee .
Nope : They also claimed previously that they made their move on protesters not because Trump and Bill Barr wanted the park cleared so that they could stroll across to St. John ’ s but because the protesters had turned violent , tossing water bottles at them .
Radley Balko has searched in vain for any evidence of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there any reason to believe the demonstrators , rather than the cops , were the aggressors ?
The takeaway last night on political Twitter from the clip of Buffalo PD assaulting the old man , as well as other clips floating around , was universal .
If this is how cops behave when they have every reason to believe they ’ re being filmed , how do they behave when they aren ’ t ?
Is there a shadow of a doubt that , absent the video , the assault on the old @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him “ tripping , ” or that Floyd ’ s death would have been attributed to a stroke or whatever amid the stress of being arrested ?
“ This is what they do to old white guys when they ’ re on camera , the nation is angry and the eyes of the world are on them , ” complained Ed Krayewski .
“ Imagine what they do in the community when no one ’ s watching , no one gives a sh*t and they ’ ve convinced themselves danger is everywhere.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : Point two is dead on .
But I don ’ t know if there ’ s a sort of deliberate strategy to their behavior , as Nanjiani suggests in point one .
I think this is just police culture .
If they ’ re being sent out to confront protesters , they ’ re going to confront protesters .

In some ways this act of casual police brutality is different from the killing of George Floyd. Floyd was tortured for nine minutes; this incident is over in a flash. And Floyd died of his injuries, of course. The 75-year-old man seen here cracking his head on the pavement was alive at last check, although hospitalized in serious condition.
But in other ways the incidents are similar. In both cases it’s not just the brutality that shocks, it’s the indifference of the surrounding officers to it. That’s what critics mean when they say that the culture of American policing writ large is rotten with aggression. The cliche that the worst misconduct is committed by “only a few bad apples” may be true, but there are a lot of apples on view in the footage below willing to stand around as an elderly man bleeds out in front of them. Just like the three cops in Minneapolis who stood around while Floyd begged for air.
Note in the second clip that it’s uniformed National Guardsmen who finally come to the aid of the man, not the cops. Relatedly, I’ve seen several people on social media argue in the past few days that Trump invoking the Insurrection Act might not be a bad thing after all because American soldiers would probably treat fellow citizens with more care than the local police department does. You’re probably safer being confronted by troops who are armed to the teeth and trained to kill than by the local constabulary.
Just about an hour ago, police officers shove man in Niagara Square to the ground (WARNING: Graphic). Video from: @MikeDesmondWBFO pic.twitter.com/JBKQLvzfET — WBFO (@WBFO) June 5, 2020
Current situation in #Buffalo as police work to enforce the 8 p.m. curfew in Niagara Square. Caution: there is some vulgar language in the video. Tune to @SPECNewsBuffalo for the latest. Video Courtesy: Photojournalist Anthony Nelson pic.twitter.com/nP4AXgQGeR — Katie Gibas (@KatieGibas) June 5, 2020
There’s another thing this incident has in common with Floyd’s death. In both cases the police department lied to try to cover up what happened. In Floyd’s case, Minneapolis PD initially insisted that he was resisting arrest. Surveillance footage eventually disproved that. In this case, Buffalo PD initially claimed that the old man had “tripped”:
A BPD spokesperson released this update. Five people were arrested and another person was injured during a protest in Niagara Square tonight. @WKBW pic.twitter.com/UZoDsSRs4J — Jeff Russo (@JeffRussoWKBW) June 5, 2020
Then the video hit social media. Within hours, the mayor of Buffalo announced that two officers were suspended. The dozens who neglected to render aid are presumably A-OK.
Defense lawyer Greg Doucette has spent the past week on Twitter posting clips and links of police across various cities using violence against protesters, sometimes in a petty way, sometimes less so. He’s now over 300 posts. Here’s one from Wednesday:
Different angle on 1⃣1⃣1⃣ out of Indianapolis From this view you can see the cop grope the woman he’s restraining, that’s why she breaks away Then of course a half dozen cops beat her for not wanting to be groped Lawlessness pic.twitter.com/6XXU7qiULj — T. Greg Doucette (@greg_doucette) June 4, 2020
This one, not from Doucette’s thread, was floating around yesterday:
SHOCKING VIDEO: LAPD officers seen striking protesters with batons in Fairfax district confrontation https://t.co/gWbBswwzvs pic.twitter.com/HscxXj4sKN — ABC7 Eyewitness News (@ABC7) June 4, 2020
Here’s one in which something like five cops pile on to put the cuffs on a dangerous lady bicyclist:
How many cops does it take to beat up one woman?#PoliceBrutality https://t.co/TCSNtPMMLA — David Leavitt (@David_Leavitt) June 5, 2020
And this one may look familiar. It’s from the Park Police’s advance on protesters in Lafayette Park on Monday, before Trump’s church photo op. The Australian government is demanding to know why a camera crew from its country was injured. Park Police suggested in a statement that perhaps the crew had “fallen” in the melee. Nope:
Australian PM calls for investigation after U.S. cops assault foreign journalists https://t.co/Z7Ed8gGXzm pic.twitter.com/Neuqx29iEg — Gizmodo (@Gizmodo) June 2, 2020
They also claimed previously that they made their move on protesters not because Trump and Bill Barr wanted the park cleared so that they could stroll across to St. John’s but because the protesters had turned violent, tossing water bottles at them. Radley Balko has searched in vain for any evidence of that, video or otherwise. Is there any reason to believe the demonstrators, rather than the cops, were the aggressors?
The takeaway last night on political Twitter from the clip of Buffalo PD assaulting the old man, as well as other clips floating around, was universal. If this is how cops behave when they have every reason to believe they’re being filmed, how do they behave when they aren’t? Is there a shadow of a doubt that, absent the video, the assault on the old man would have remained a case of him “tripping,” or that Floyd’s death would have been attributed to a stroke or whatever amid the stress of being arrested? “This is what they do to old white guys when they’re on camera, the nation is angry and the eyes of the world are on them,” complained Ed Krayewski. “Imagine what they do in the community when no one’s watching, no one gives a sh*t and they’ve convinced themselves danger is everywhere.”
Update: This is almost entirely true:
1. Police decided to violently quell protests to loudly proclaim they won’t change.
2. The strategy backfired because we now have 100’s of videos of cops using excessive force. Ppl who didn’t think police brutality was an issue last week now believe police reform to be essential. — Kumail Nanjiani (@kumailn) June 5, 2020
Point two is dead on. But I don’t know if there’s a sort of deliberate strategy to their behavior, as Nanjiani suggests in point one. I think this is just police culture. If they’re being sent out to confront protesters, they’re going to confront protesters.


hotair--2020-06-05--Great news from Biden: The basket of deplorable Americans now down to "10-15%"

Didn ’ t we just do “ basket of deplorables ” already ?
At least Joe Biden isn ’ t sticking 25 % of the country into that category , as Hillary Clinton did when claiming half of Donald Trump ’ s supporters belonged there .
Biden ’ s estimate is a bit more generous — at 10-15 % , tops .
“ The words a president says matter , ” says Joe Biden , “ so when a president stands up and divides people all the time , you ’ re gon na get the worst of us to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when Biden divvies up the American public for himself in his virtual town hall with Ryan Wilson and actor Don Cheadle : Former Vice President Joe Biden on Thursday said that 10 to 15 percent of “ people out there that are just not very good people.
” Speaking during a virtual town hall with young Americans , Biden discussed the importance of a president setting an example for the country on issues of race during a conversation moderated by actor Don Cheadle .
Biden accused President Trump of dividing the nation , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ matter , so when a president stands up and divides people all the time , you ’ re going to get the worst of us to come out.
” “ Do we really think this is as good as we can be as a nation ?
I don ’ t think the vast majority of people think that , ” the former vice president added .
“ There are probably anywhere from 10 to 15 percent of the people out there that are just not very good people , but that ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ majority of the people are decent , and we have to appeal to that and we have to unite people — bring them together .
Bring them together.
” Granted , Biden ’ s not being quite as dismissive or insulting as Hillary was four years ago in this now-infamous clip , but he ’ s still making the same argument .
A good chunk of Americans aren ’ t worth engaging at all , and we might as well cut them loose , both arguments go : For that matter , The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also reminiscent of Mitt Romney ’ s use of the “ 47 percent ” argument that had been spinning around on the Right in 2012 .
I wrote that at time too , arguing that any politician overtly writing off big chunks of the electorate were doomed to failure .
So far , that ’ s proven fairly reliable .
Note too that Biden doesn ’ t get any pushback on this argument from his audience , much like Hillary didn ’ t at that time , either .
That ’ s a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hillary never did realize that danger .
How about now ?
Well , at least we ’ re progressing in limiting the discards .
We started at 47 % , went to roughly a quarter , and now we ’ re somewhere around 1 in 7. Who knew America would improve so much and so fast under Donald Trump ’ s leadership ?

Didn’t we just do “basket of deplorables” already? At least Joe Biden isn’t sticking 25% of the country into that category, as Hillary Clinton did when claiming half of Donald Trump’s supporters belonged there. Biden’s estimate is a bit more generous — at 10-15%, tops.
“The words a president says matter,” says Joe Biden, “so when a president stands up and divides people all the time, you’re gonna get the worst of us to come out.” And that’s when Biden divvies up the American public for himself in his virtual town hall with Ryan Wilson and actor Don Cheadle:
Former Vice President Joe Biden on Thursday said that 10 to 15 percent of “people out there that are just not very good people.” Speaking during a virtual town hall with young Americans, Biden discussed the importance of a president setting an example for the country on issues of race during a conversation moderated by actor Don Cheadle. Biden accused President Trump of dividing the nation, saying “The words a president says matter, so when a president stands up and divides people all the time, you’re going to get the worst of us to come out.” “Do we really think this is as good as we can be as a nation? I don’t think the vast majority of people think that,” the former vice president added. “There are probably anywhere from 10 to 15 percent of the people out there that are just not very good people, but that’s not who we are. The vast majority of the people are decent, and we have to appeal to that and we have to unite people — bring them together. Bring them together.”
Granted, Biden’s not being quite as dismissive or insulting as Hillary was four years ago in this now-infamous clip, but he’s still making the same argument. A good chunk of Americans aren’t worth engaging at all, and we might as well cut them loose, both arguments go:
For that matter, The Hill points out, it’s also reminiscent of Mitt Romney’s use of the “47 percent” argument that had been spinning around on the Right in 2012. I wrote that at time too, arguing that any politician overtly writing off big chunks of the electorate were doomed to failure. So far, that’s proven fairly reliable. Note too that Biden doesn’t get any pushback on this argument from his audience, much like Hillary didn’t at that time, either. That’s a symptom of an echo chamber, and Hillary never did realize that danger.
How about now? Well, at least we’re progressing in limiting the discards. We started at 47%, went to roughly a quarter, and now we’re somewhere around 1 in 7. Who knew America would improve so much and so fast under Donald Trump’s leadership?


hotair--2020-06-05--Let the fingerpointing begin: Floyd homicide defense a two-on-two

So much for a united front .
Two of the four Minneapolis police officers charged in the homicide of George Floyd won ’ t coordinate a defense , but instead plan to point the fingers at Derek Chauvin and his partner Tuo Thao .
In a bail hearing yesterday , one attorney pleaded that his client had little recourse in dealing with Chauvin as the senior officer on scene : On Thursday , Hennepin County District Judge Paul Scoggin set bail for each of the other three at $ 1 million without conditions , or $ 750,000 with conditions .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , turned contentious .
“ What is my client supposed to do but follow what the [ senior ] officer says ?
” Lane ’ s attorney , Earl Gray , argued in court .
“ The strength of this case , your honor , in my opinion is extremely weak.
” … “ What was [ Lane ] supposed to do … go up to Mr. Chauvin and grab him and throw him off ?
” said Gray , arguing that there was no evidence to charge his client .
Kueng ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attempted to distance his client from Chauvin ’ s actions .
“ At all times Mr. Kueng and Mr. Lane turned their attention to that 19-year veteran , ” Plunkett said .
“ [ Kueng ] was trying — they were trying to communicate that this situation needs to change direction.
” To answer Gray ’ s question : yes , that is precisely what they should have done .
Once they realized that Floyd was in distress — and they are now both apparently admitting they knew it — they were supposed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ homicide from taking place .
Isn ’ t that the role of police in the first place ?
The defense of “ I was just following orders ” has a long and very unsuccessful history in jurisprudence , American and otherwise .
To fail to intervene knowing that Chauvin was violating Floyd ’ s rights and putting him in physical danger would seem to be a pretty good argument for aiding and abetting in the death , at least through an act of omission .
Plus , there ’ s at least some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ too .
The admission that they knew Chauvin was harming Floyd is rather curious , but so is their attempt to distance themselves from it .
The bystander video shows Chauvin kneeling on Floyd ’ s neck for several minutes , but a reverse angle lasting about a minute shows both Kueng and Lane kneeling on Floyd ’ s back for at least a minute , too .
Perhaps the body cams will show that period of time as very limited and the two arguing with Chauvin afterward , but at least for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was subdued , they participated in the compression that killed Floyd .
One has to suspect that the body cam video might show something like the above , though , given the charges .
Why did they only get charged with aiding and abetting rather than murder along with Chauvin ?
Their participation in the compression might have been so limited as to have been reasonable otherwise , while Chauvin ’ s clearly was not just unreasonable but recklessly disregarding the potential impact to Floyd ’ s life .
Had the other two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whole time , they would have gotten the full murder charge .
One other interesting point got raised by the defense yesterday .
Both of these officers were rookies ; Kueng was on his third full-time shift with the Minneapolis PD , and Lane ( although 37 ) was on his fourth day as a full-time officer .
It ’ s not clear what experience they had before coming to the Minneapolis PD as full-time officers , but apparently the defense will heavily stress their lack of experience as a mitigating factor .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ would relieve them of responsibility for being rookies , but their attorneys will likely play that up for the jury in order to play on their sympathies — and hope that the jury will be in the mood to settle on Chauvin and Thao for their ire .
Good luck with that , especially if the defense can ’ t get a change of venue from Hennepin County .

So much for a united front. Two of the four Minneapolis police officers charged in the homicide of George Floyd won’t coordinate a defense, but instead plan to point the fingers at Derek Chauvin and his partner Tuo Thao. In a bail hearing yesterday, one attorney pleaded that his client had little recourse in dealing with Chauvin as the senior officer on scene:
On Thursday, Hennepin County District Judge Paul Scoggin set bail for each of the other three at $1 million without conditions, or $750,000 with conditions. But their initial appearance, normally routine, turned contentious. “What is my client supposed to do but follow what the [senior] officer says?” Lane’s attorney, Earl Gray, argued in court. “The strength of this case, your honor, in my opinion is extremely weak.” … “What was [Lane] supposed to do … go up to Mr. Chauvin and grab him and throw him off?” said Gray, arguing that there was no evidence to charge his client. Kueng’s attorney, Thomas Plunkett, also attempted to distance his client from Chauvin’s actions. “At all times Mr. Kueng and Mr. Lane turned their attention to that 19-year veteran,” Plunkett said. “[Kueng] was trying — they were trying to communicate that this situation needs to change direction.”
To answer Gray’s question: yes, that is precisely what they should have done. Once they realized that Floyd was in distress — and they are now both apparently admitting they knew it — they were supposed to enforce the law and prevent a homicide from taking place. Isn’t that the role of police in the first place? The defense of “I was just following orders” has a long and very unsuccessful history in jurisprudence, American and otherwise. To fail to intervene knowing that Chauvin was violating Floyd’s rights and putting him in physical danger would seem to be a pretty good argument for aiding and abetting in the death, at least through an act of omission.
Plus, there’s at least some hint of an act of commission here too. The admission that they knew Chauvin was harming Floyd is rather curious, but so is their attempt to distance themselves from it. The bystander video shows Chauvin kneeling on Floyd’s neck for several minutes, but a reverse angle lasting about a minute shows both Kueng and Lane kneeling on Floyd’s back for at least a minute, too. Perhaps the body cams will show that period of time as very limited and the two arguing with Chauvin afterward, but at least for a portion of the time when Floyd was subdued, they participated in the compression that killed Floyd.
One has to suspect that the body cam video might show something like the above, though, given the charges. Why did they only get charged with aiding and abetting rather than murder along with Chauvin? Their participation in the compression might have been so limited as to have been reasonable otherwise, while Chauvin’s clearly was not just unreasonable but recklessly disregarding the potential impact to Floyd’s life. Had the other two stayed on Floyd’s back the whole time, they would have gotten the full murder charge.
One other interesting point got raised by the defense yesterday. Both of these officers were rookies; Kueng was on his third full-time shift with the Minneapolis PD, and Lane (although 37) was on his fourth day as a full-time officer. It’s not clear what experience they had before coming to the Minneapolis PD as full-time officers, but apparently the defense will heavily stress their lack of experience as a mitigating factor. There’s no legal theory that would relieve them of responsibility for being rookies, but their attorneys will likely play that up for the jury in order to play on their sympathies — and hope that the jury will be in the mood to settle on Chauvin and Thao for their ire. Good luck with that, especially if the defense can’t get a change of venue from Hennepin County.


hotair--2020-06-05--<span class='red'>Breaking: May jobs report ADDS 2.5 million jobs; Update: Biggest jobs increase eve

Breaking: May jobs report ADDS 2.5 million jobs; Update: Biggest jobs increase ever, says CNBC

Knock me over with a feather — and probably most investors on Wall Street , too .
Despite continuing weekly jobless claims in the millions and an ADP report showing nearly three million jobs lost last month , the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the US economy added 2.5 million jobs in May .
The unemployment rate dropped to 13.3 % , down from 14.7 % last month , as America apparently reopened much faster than first thought : Total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 2.5 million in May , and the unemployment rate declined to 13.3 percent , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ today .
These improvements in the labor market reflected a limited resumption of economic activity that had been curtailed in March and April due to the coronavirus ( COVID-19 ) pandemic and efforts to contain it .
In May , employment rose sharply in leisure and hospitality , construction , education and health services , and retail trade .
By contrast , employment in government continued to decline sharply .
… The unemployment rate declined by 1.4 percentage points to 13.3 percent in May , and the number of unemployed persons fell by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the effects of the coronavirus pandemic and efforts to contain it , the unemployment rate and the number of unemployed persons are up by 9.8 percentage points and 15.2 million , respectively , since February .
We used to skewer Reuters when it used the word “ unexpected ” to describe lackluster jobs reports during the Obama administration .
In this case , “ unexpected ” is an understatement .
The debate this week was whether job losses would be as limited as in the ADP report , or whether it would stretch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ range of -8 million .
No one had predicted a rebound to hit in May ; most eyes were on June , at best .
The report captures the movement of people from furloughed status , mainly , but clearly job losses were low enough for this impact to push the job market back into the black .
As the report notes , permanent job losses are still on the rise , but at a much lower level than one might have imagined : The number of unemployed persons who were on temporary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to 15.3 million , following a sharp increase of 16.2 million in April .
Among those not on temporary layoff , the number of permanent job losers continued to rise , increasing by 295,000 in May to 2.3 million .
( See table A-11 . )
In May , the number of unemployed persons who were jobless less than 5 weeks decreased by 10.4 million to 3.9 million .
These individuals made up 18.5 percent of the unemployed .
The number of unemployed persons who were jobless 5 to 14 weeks rose by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for about 70.8 percent of the unemployed .
The number of long-term unemployed ( those jobless for 27 weeks or more ) , at 1.2 million , increased by 225,000 over the month and represented 5.6 percent of the unemployed .
This looks like the reopening mainly benefited the furloughed , not those whose jobs were lost .
In the latter category , the more recent the job losses , the better odds of getting a new job , too .
That ’ s not unusual , but the continuing unemployment numbers suggest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ full recovery for a while , a point to which we ’ ll return in a bit .
While jobs got restored , wages fell , which indicates the kinds of jobs lost and restored : The reason for the “ gain ” in April was that job losses were primarily in lower-wage positions .
The wage “ loss ” in May reflects the reopening of some of those same jobs .
It ’ s an artifact of the force majeur of COVID-19 , not an actual reflection of wage trends , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lower-wage workers are still out of jobs .
The unemployment benefits might disincentivize their return , or employers might have to offer higher wages if they need those positions filled .
In fact , the smaller wage drop might indicate employers already are offering higher wages for earlier returns to work .
Still , this is great news , and hopefully shows some momentum .
Guess who ’ s happiest about it at the moment ?
This is a rare case of understatement from Trump , too .
CNBC ’ s Jeff Cox @ @ @ @ @ @ @ report in history : Employment stunningly rose by 2.5 million in May and the jobless rate declined to 13.3 % according to data Friday from the Labor Department that was far better than economists had been expecting and indicated that an economic turnaround could be close at hand .
Economists surveyed by Dow Jones had been expecting payrolls to drop by 8.333 million and the unemployment rate to rise to 19.5 % from April ’ s 14.7 % .
Stock market futures burst higher following the report and indicated an open of nearly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Industrial Average .
The May gain was by far the biggest one-month jobs gain in U.S. history since at least 1939 .
“ Barring a second surge of Covid-19 , the overall U.S. economy may have turned a corner , as evidenced by the surprise job gains today , even though it still remains to be seen exactly what the new normal will look like , ” said Tony Bedikian , head of global markets at Citizens Bank .
The Wall Street Journal was a bit more cautious , considering the events of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s jobs report offers a labor-market snapshot from mid-May , when the government conducted its monthly survey of households and businesses .
Fresher data suggest the labor market has since stabilized , though it likely suffered another setback from riots and looting after George Floyd was killed in police custody May 25 in Minneapolis .
Many businesses in big cities had reopened or were set to reopen only to be looted or forced to board up during the protests .
That could delay their reopening by days or weeks and cause another @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take months to see a full restoration of commerce in the urban areas hit by the riots , but the rest of the country could take up much of that slack .
It also might send some city residents out to the suburbs more permanently , a trend that COVID-19 might have already started before the riots .
Still , all this is curious while jobless claims remain stuck in the 1.8 million per week range .
Did BLS get good data out of these surveys , or are they missing something in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up the jobless claims systems due to overwhelming initial demand ?

Knock me over with a feather — and probably most investors on Wall Street, too. Despite continuing weekly jobless claims in the millions and an ADP report showing nearly three million jobs lost last month, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the US economy added 2.5 million jobs in May. The unemployment rate dropped to 13.3%, down from 14.7% last month, as America apparently reopened much faster than first thought:
Total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 2.5 million in May, and the unemployment rate declined to 13.3 percent, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. These improvements in the labor market reflected a limited resumption of economic activity that had been curtailed in March and April due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and efforts to contain it. In May, employment rose sharply in leisure and hospitality, construction, education and health services, and retail trade. By contrast, employment in government continued to decline sharply. … The unemployment rate declined by 1.4 percentage points to 13.3 percent in May, and the number of unemployed persons fell by 2.1 million to 21.0 million. Reflecting the effects of the coronavirus pandemic and efforts to contain it, the unemployment rate and the number of unemployed persons are up by 9.8 percentage points and 15.2 million, respectively, since February.
We used to skewer Reuters when it used the word “unexpected” to describe lackluster jobs reports during the Obama administration. In this case, “unexpected” is an understatement. The debate this week was whether job losses would be as limited as in the ADP report, or whether it would stretch out to economists’ expectations in the range of -8 million. No one had predicted a rebound to hit in May; most eyes were on June, at best.
The report captures the movement of people from furloughed status, mainly, but clearly job losses were low enough for this impact to push the job market back into the black. As the report notes, permanent job losses are still on the rise, but at a much lower level than one might have imagined:
The number of unemployed persons who were on temporary layoff decreased by 2.7 million in May to 15.3 million, following a sharp increase of 16.2 million in April. Among those not on temporary layoff, the number of permanent job losers continued to rise, increasing by 295,000 in May to 2.3 million. (See table A-11.) In May, the number of unemployed persons who were jobless less than 5 weeks decreased by 10.4 million to 3.9 million. These individuals made up 18.5 percent of the unemployed. The number of unemployed persons who were jobless 5 to 14 weeks rose by 7.8 million to 14.8 million, accounting for about 70.8 percent of the unemployed. The number of long-term unemployed (those jobless for 27 weeks or more), at 1.2 million, increased by 225,000 over the month and represented 5.6 percent of the unemployed.
This looks like the reopening mainly benefited the furloughed, not those whose jobs were lost. In the latter category, the more recent the job losses, the better odds of getting a new job, too. That’s not unusual, but the continuing unemployment numbers suggest that we might not see a rapid full recovery for a while, a point to which we’ll return in a bit.
While jobs got restored, wages fell, which indicates the kinds of jobs lost and restored:
In May, average hourly earnings for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls fell by 29 cents to $29.75, following a gain of $1.35 in April. Average hourly earnings of private-sector production and nonsupervisory employees decreased by 14 cents to $25.00 in May. The decreases in average hourly earnings largely reflect job gains among lower-paid workers; this change put downward pressure on the average hourly earnings estimates.
The reason for the “gain” in April was that job losses were primarily in lower-wage positions. The wage “loss” in May reflects the reopening of some of those same jobs. It’s an artifact of the force majeur of COVID-19, not an actual reflection of wage trends, but it does indicate that a lot of lower-wage workers are still out of jobs. The unemployment benefits might disincentivize their return, or employers might have to offer higher wages if they need those positions filled. In fact, the smaller wage drop might indicate employers already are offering higher wages for earlier returns to work.
Still, this is great news, and hopefully shows some momentum. Guess who’s happiest about it at the moment?
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1268883561651884032
This is a rare case of understatement from Trump, too. CNBC’s Jeff Cox notes that this is the biggest jobs report in history:
Employment stunningly rose by 2.5 million in May and the jobless rate declined to 13.3% according to data Friday from the Labor Department that was far better than economists had been expecting and indicated that an economic turnaround could be close at hand. Economists surveyed by Dow Jones had been expecting payrolls to drop by 8.333 million and the unemployment rate to rise to 19.5% from April’s 14.7%. Stock market futures burst higher following the report and indicated an open of nearly 600 points higher for the Dow Jones Industrial Average. The May gain was by far the biggest one-month jobs gain in U.S. history since at least 1939. “Barring a second surge of Covid-19, the overall U.S. economy may have turned a corner, as evidenced by the surprise job gains today, even though it still remains to be seen exactly what the new normal will look like,” said Tony Bedikian, head of global markets at Citizens Bank.
The Wall Street Journal was a bit more cautious, considering the events of the past week or so:
Friday’s jobs report offers a labor-market snapshot from mid-May, when the government conducted its monthly survey of households and businesses. Fresher data suggest the labor market has since stabilized, though it likely suffered another setback from riots and looting after George Floyd was killed in police custody May 25 in Minneapolis. Many businesses in big cities had reopened or were set to reopen only to be looted or forced to board up during the protests. That could delay their reopening by days or weeks and cause another round of job losses.
It might take months to see a full restoration of commerce in the urban areas hit by the riots, but the rest of the country could take up much of that slack. It also might send some city residents out to the suburbs more permanently, a trend that COVID-19 might have already started before the riots.
Still, all this is curious while jobless claims remain stuck in the 1.8 million per week range. Did BLS get good data out of these surveys, or are they missing something in their responses? Or have states screwed up the jobless claims systems due to overwhelming initial demand?


hotair--2020-06-05--Chicago riots wipe out most grocery sources for minority residents

As in many cities this week , the riots and destruction in Chicago overnight were considerably subdued compared to what we saw over the weekend .
Perhaps that was because Kanye West showed up to march with the protesters and demand that the city ’ s public schools cancel final exams .
Let ’ s hope the trend continues in that direction .
But even as some business owners and residents begin trying to clean up the mess , the reality of what ’ s left of their neighborhoods was just starting to sink in .
Just as we saw @ @ @ @ @ @ @ looting and rioting were severe in Chicago , particularly in the already economically challenged South Side neighborhoods with primarily minority populations .
Fires burned many structures and stores had their windows broken out and their contents looted .
Residents have now realized that there are no longer any grocery stores in some neighborhoods .
This area was already considered a “ food desert ” in terms of the availability of fresh food for home cooking , but now it ’ s a food wasteland .
( CBS Chicago ) For neighbors , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But no longer .
“ It ’ s kind of a sad thing to think about , ” said resident William Wright .
“ I take my grandma here every Sunday.
” On Sunday night , it was ravaged by looters , as you can see by the aftermath captured in video from the next day , leaving neighbors frustrated .
“ It ’ s not what you do .
It ’ s how do you do it , ” Wright said .
“ What did we accomplish , aside from take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
” Descriptions don ’ t really do the story justice .
Check out this short video from the local CBS outlet and see what ’ s left of the only grocery store in the entire neighborhood .
Some of the stories told by local residents offer a personal perspective and make you realize precisely what these neighborhoods have lost .
Plenty of people there don ’ t own their own cars and if you ’ ve ever tried to take a bus to go grocery shopping , you know what a nightmare @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and not everyone can afford to summon a taxi or an Uber ( assuming you can even get one to come to make a pickup ) .
Some people are already waking dozens of city blocks to purchase only as many groceries as they can carry by hand .
This is what came of the “ protesting ” that was , at least in these neighborhoods , little more than a thinly disguised excuse to loot every business , smash every window and engage in anarchy while literally setting the world on fire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
As one resident interviewed for this report sadly noted , they ’ ve managed to further drive down their property values and “ embarrass themselves.
” And yet , even with all of this obvious evidence to point to , community organizers , elected officials and journalists don ’ t seem to be able to say the words when it comes to the need to stop the rioting , but they are happy to complain about anyone trying to maintain order .
For example , there were some shop owners and residents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spread of the chaos to their neighborhoods .
The press described reports of ” groups of mostly white men patrolling the streets of Bridgeport on Wednesday night.
” And how did Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot respond to that story ?
By saying she “ will not tolerate vigilantism.
” We should note that there was not one instance of violence or anyone discharging weapons in that area .
I keep hearing people talking about how the tragic death of George Floyd is supposed to be a “ teachable moment ” when it comes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country , and perhaps it will prove to be so .
But these events are also revealing precisely what happens when the opportunity to create chaos and mayhem presents itself and our law enforcement resources are overwhelmed .
Liberal activists might want to consider this story before they begin trying to “ defund the police .
”

As in many cities this week, the riots and destruction in Chicago overnight were considerably subdued compared to what we saw over the weekend. Perhaps that was because Kanye West showed up to march with the protesters and demand that the city’s public schools cancel final exams. Let’s hope the trend continues in that direction. But even as some business owners and residents begin trying to clean up the mess, the reality of what’s left of their neighborhoods was just starting to sink in.
Just as we saw with so many other cities, the looting and rioting were severe in Chicago, particularly in the already economically challenged South Side neighborhoods with primarily minority populations. Fires burned many structures and stores had their windows broken out and their contents looted. Residents have now realized that there are no longer any grocery stores in some neighborhoods. This area was already considered a “food desert” in terms of the availability of fresh food for home cooking, but now it’s a food wasteland. (CBS Chicago)
For neighbors, the Jewel-Osco on 75th is the grocery store. But no longer. “It’s kind of a sad thing to think about,” said resident William Wright. “I take my grandma here every Sunday.” On Sunday night, it was ravaged by looters, as you can see by the aftermath captured in video from the next day, leaving neighbors frustrated. “It’s not what you do. It’s how do you do it,” Wright said. “What did we accomplish, aside from take our property value down and embarrass ourselves?”
Descriptions don’t really do the story justice. Check out this short video from the local CBS outlet and see what’s left of the only grocery store in the entire neighborhood.
Some of the stories told by local residents offer a personal perspective and make you realize precisely what these neighborhoods have lost. Plenty of people there don’t own their own cars and if you’ve ever tried to take a bus to go grocery shopping, you know what a nightmare that is. These are low-income neighborhoods and not everyone can afford to summon a taxi or an Uber (assuming you can even get one to come to make a pickup). Some people are already waking dozens of city blocks to purchase only as many groceries as they can carry by hand.
This is what came of the “protesting” that was, at least in these neighborhoods, little more than a thinly disguised excuse to loot every business, smash every window and engage in anarchy while literally setting the world on fire. And what did it get them? As one resident interviewed for this report sadly noted, they’ve managed to further drive down their property values and “embarrass themselves.”
And yet, even with all of this obvious evidence to point to, community organizers, elected officials and journalists don’t seem to be able to say the words when it comes to the need to stop the rioting, but they are happy to complain about anyone trying to maintain order. For example, there were some shop owners and residents in nearby communities trying to prevent the spread of the chaos to their neighborhoods. The press described reports of ” groups of mostly white men patrolling the streets of Bridgeport on Wednesday night.” And how did Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot respond to that story? By saying she “will not tolerate vigilantism.” We should note that there was not one instance of violence or anyone discharging weapons in that area.
I keep hearing people talking about how the tragic death of George Floyd is supposed to be a “teachable moment” when it comes to race relations and policing in our country, and perhaps it will prove to be so. But these events are also revealing precisely what happens when the opportunity to create chaos and mayhem presents itself and our law enforcement resources are overwhelmed. Liberal activists might want to consider this story before they begin trying to “defund the police.”